Guild Wars 2

Hello fellow warriors!

I would like to share the build I’m using for PvE (maybe someone else already posted it but still…).

I’ve tried the “sonic boon build”, the axe+warhorn/rifle build, and some others but for me personaly the build I’m posting is an absolute favourite.

I have no trouble doing any dungeon and atm I’m at lvl 34 fractals and I have no worries whatsoever (highest i did was lvl 38 – no probs).

Imo it’s best to use this build with a group you know well and know how to work together – to get the most out of it.

The build is oriented towards survivability, damage and combos.

There are a few catches :

Nr.1 : it’s essential you have your adrenal bar full at all times since there are major traits that benefit largely from it BUT we’re using bow and it’s superfun combo field so the timing when to use it should be well thought since the burst ability munches all your adrenal away.

Nr.2 : this build lacks precision so I use the food (the oils) and the sigil on bow so I have on me as many stacks of precision as possible.

~Build (copy and paste to a new tab if the link doesn’t work):

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIMQJARTjcONvJPuQMRCAkCryyooIgOKoiJVh2A;TgAKbM2IsxajzGpNrIGZA

~Gear :

exo PVT gear with runes of dolyak
exo zerker accsessorys
ascended zerker amulet
ascended zerker rings
ascended PVT fractal capacitator

~Weapons :

exo zerker GS with superior sigil of strenght (might stacking)
exo zerker Bow with superior sigil of accuracy (precision stacking)

~Food :

precision : http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Master_Maintenance_Oil
healing : http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Omnomberry_Ghost

~Utility skills :

I run with “Shake it off!”, “For great justice!” and “Endure pain”. I switch endure pain for “On my mark!” but it depends on the situation. You can use other skills too but that’s a personal preference thing.

Elite skill is “Signet of Rage” since the banner is too situational and I won’t debate about the rest of the “skills” available to us…

Would you mind elaborating on the build’s playstyle?

Mahanaxar.1386:

Would you mind elaborating on the build’s playstyle?

~Step 1 :

Know your dungeon tactics, eat your food and get a good group.

~Step 2 :

Thrash mobs:

Start with “For great justice!” then use the GS to get some extra might stacks and to burn down some of the hp on trash mobs.
You can use your elite signet here aswell (depends on what dungeon/fractal part you are doing atm). I use it as often as I can but I also try not to burn it before certain encounters.

~ Step 3 :

When adrenal is at max I usualy switch to bow since I want the extra precision stacks (1 stack for each downed mob [as long as you hit it at least once] —> 25 mobs --> 25 stacks = 250 precision) and place the “Combustive shot” fire field on the mobs (F1 longbow ability).
[[The nr.3 aoe skill (arcing arrow) inside the fire field gives a blast combo finsher but also has nice dmg and I personaly love the animation.]]
This usualy means that the rest of the group goes a bit crazy with the combo finishers and they also place some of their own combo fields so we all can have a little fun

If the trash mobs take like 50% of your health while you’re in melee quickly switch to bow, use the F1 ability, heal, get some distance, regen a bit, shoot of the F1 ability again when it’s ready and go spam 100b some more or just wait in range and pewpew a bit. Your group mates will be thankful if you would immobilize the mob that’s chasing them if they have trouble kiting it so have that skill on save. (nr.5 bow skill)

~Step 4 :

Loot the dead mobs and hope for rares/exos/precursor(s)

~Step 5 :

Boss fights :

The longbow isn’t the best dps weapon out there, doesn’t have any “escape” skills (ok it has a blind and a root but I don’t like to think those are escape skills – more as a short interrupts).
GS on the other hand has realy nice dps, has “whirlwind” wich is also a free dodge and “rush” wich helps you to get out of melee as long as you don’t have a target – in that case you’ll be seeing eye to eye with a boss having only 2k health 15s cd on your heal and no endurance to dodge the bosses super attack yeeeey \o/ !

So having that in mind and knowing wich boss you are fighting (his elite skills, moving, type of dmg, etc…) you choose your weapon accordingly.

- For example dredge/elemental end boss of the dredge fractal :

My favourite tactic is to kite the boss between the two lava buckets on the left side.
Always stay infront of the boss, while kiting him you can shoot off every skill you have except the nr.5 immobilize – that you use when the boss is on the spot for the next lava debuff.
It realy helps if the guy who’s doing the levers misses the “drop” or if you loose aggro and the rest of your group is scattered all over the place and the boss is about to wander off just when the lava is about to fall on him …

That’s pretty much it, I hope I haven’t forgot anything – if I have I’ll try to add it in the future.

I hope I made some sense and excuse my english since it’s not even close to beeing my mother language

Kind regards,

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you get about 7% extra crit chance from food.
+14% crit chance default with this build.
+ 9% crit chance from max adrenaline
+ 10% crit chance from trait.
Total of 40% crit chance.

Is that enough to merit having any critical based skills?
Just curious as I always aim for 50%+ when having any traits that rely on crit.

CookMETEnder.7582:

Correct me if I’m wrong, but you get about 7% extra crit chance from food.
+14% crit chance default with this build.
+ 9% crit chance from max adrenaline
+ 10% crit chance from trait.
Total of 40% crit chance.

Is that enough to merit having any critical based skills?
Just curious as I always aim for 50%+ when having any traits that rely on crit.

With all the buffs, stacks, food my crit chance varies from 76% to 80% (depends on the group composition and what traits ppl have) so I think it pays off.

I like your build, but I’m just really iffy about the defense trait.
I honestly don’t find last stand to be that useful, and why turtle defense when you have condition removal and you want to be kiting? It seems like you would have a few seconds, at most, to make use of it.

Just a curious suggestion. What do you think of taking those 20 points out of defense, and putting 5 into arms (to get the 10% damage on bleeding foes since you already have 33% chance to bleed on critical) and 15 into discipline to get 5s faster switch, 10might on switch, and signet recharge 20% faster to keep up your elite signet?

I’ve tried exactly what you’re proposing but for me and my playstyle that wasn’t the optimal build.

I like having a bit more toughness and the extra regen the passive trait gives you combined with the dolyak runes is pretty sweet.
And when you use maitainance oil you loose precious precision due to having less toughness.

Turtle’s defense gives you 200 extra toughness while cripled, chilled, stuned or immobilized so that means extra % to your overall precision for the amount of time beeing slowed,stuned,etc… and it gives you that extra tankyness that I love in higher lvl fractals.

So in theory I get slowed/chilled, I pop “for great justice” and if needed “endure pain” and spam 100b in the mobs face till the condition goes away/is cleansed by group/I clean it myself and(or) whirwind away.

I personaly adore the Last stand trait as it gives me more space to …well… mess up

Maybe switching the “last stand” for “embrace the pain” (+adrenal when hit) also works but I usualy don’t use it since 100b + whirlwind = full adrenal in a short amount of time.

I don’t miss the extra 10% dmg that much cause I can still crit for 20k.
Only thing I miss in this build is the faster weapon swap.
The might on swaping is easly replacable with 100b (might stacking sigil), for great justice, elite signet and from your party (guard buffs, another war buffs,…etc…)

And it’s true that with the “signet mastery” you’re elite skill can be used more often,
but I personaly think that for this build spending 10 points into discipline tree is enough.

I am working so I’ll privide the buffed stats a bit later on…

Here are the unbuffed stats:

1. bow
2. greatsword

Hmmm.. my main iffyness with this build lies with your reliance on omnom ghosts. Pretty much your main sustain in this build are ghosts, which isn’t even optimal with your low critical chance. I would much rather run this build in full berserker then PVT gear, just because the ghosts would proc even more to keep me alive and you kill mobs arguably faster.

Nonfat.8742:

I am working so I’ll privide the buffed stats a bit later on…

Here are the unbuffed stats:

1. bow
2. greatsword

Hopefully you mean w/o armor and trinkets… right?
That’s way too low crit rate to rely on crits

peter.9024:

Hmmm.. my main iffyness with this build lies with your reliance on omnom ghosts. Pretty much your main sustain in this build are ghosts, which isn’t even optimal with your low critical chance. I would much rather run this build in full berserker then PVT gear, just because the ghosts would proc even more to keep me alive and you kill mobs arguably faster.

Yes the unbuffed build looks a bit, like you said, iffy.

BUT:

1. You are forgeting the passive regen that the defense trait gives you and the one from runes. You might argue that it’s kitten but I think it’s a nice addition to the overall surivivability.

2: With full adrenal, fury, 25 precision stacks and food (oils), the crit chance rises to about ~74% and even more when chilled/slowed/immobilized. It’s more enough to keep the heals from ghost going.

I am not saying zerker gear is worse for this build but since I don’t want to be a glasscannon and I’m not an uber pro gamer this gear+build is pretty forgiving.

Keep the Comments/suggestions coming guys, the feedback is appreciated!