Guild Wars 2

…hehehe….hohohoho….haHAHA…BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

FINALLY!

Unless I’m mistaken these recent changes will not only allow Mace/Shield + GS builds to be a bit stronger than they are currently…they will also not be dependent on brain dead traits like Defy Pain to sustain themselves.

Potential Setup:

Strength: Peak Performance – Forceful Greatsword – Berserker’s Power/Distracting Strike (I wonder if the Might was removed? If so there’s still plenty of might/vuln to be gained to buff up the Confusion with no condi dmg)

Defense: Shield Master (hopefully it properly gives might on reflect now) – Sundering Mace – Cleansing Ire

Discipline: Warrior’s Sprint – Brawler’s Recovery – Burst Mastery (But potentially Heightened Focus if it will trigger mid 100b…kitten )

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Obviously we’re gonna’ still need some form of Stability. However, with Mending becoming a Physical skill and Cleansing Ire might now cleanse regardless of a hit, and not to forget Brawler’s Recovery…we might not need Berserker Stance. This means we might actually be able to use our utility slots for…offense? We might still need the hated Endure Pain but with reduced Shield Block CD and reduced Mace CD and having reflect I feel like we’re pretty solid against both power and condis.

When you actually land that Skull Crack…there’s the potential for a 20% damage boost from Berserker’s Power, if you have sigil of intel on the GS there’s going to be might being pushed out from Forceful GS and vulnerability from Sundering Mace. I mean…it can’t just be me that finds this to be potentially insane right? The real potential weakness might be that Mending’s healing isn’t that great, but we’ll have to see what being full on adrenaline/endurance does for it. I may be going overboard on condi removal but looking at other changes it looks like condi will be nuts so we’ll see.

I was kinda annoyed at Unsuspecting Foe’s placement (seriously, will it ever be used in Arms?), but I don’t even use it anymore in my current version and it’s much stronger because of it. Much better to have consistent damage on both weapon sets than to have all your damage on a single combo.

If this build ends up being as strong as I think it might be…prepare for some hate :P. Granted, most everyone is seeing a power boost. I’m also seeing some great Hammer+ Mace/Shield builds as well. I’m cautiously excited.

Hate by who? Strong? Wanna run into my engi?

Rise of the noob f1>swap>hb 1 trick pony. I bet its going to be strong as cyclone axe

I get your exictement, but you should check the changes to other classes.

Also, saying we might not need Zerk stance anymore made me giggle (looking at WvW roaming). Condi’s will eat you up worse then before.

Btw, definitely BP over Distracting strikes.

Cygnus.6903:

I get your exictement, but you should check the changes to other classes.

Also, saying we might not need Zerk stance anymore made me giggle (looking at WvW roaming). Condi’s will eat you up worse then before.

Btw, definitely BP over Distracting strikes.

I was talking more PvP from the Zerker Stance PoV. Although, did you see how much crazy healing support Engis got? As for other classes buffs, I haven’t seen anything significant enough to suggest this won’t at the very least be strong 1v1. Even now my current version can either beat or fight most Celestial builds to a stalemate. It actually clobbers Shoutbow due to them only having one stun break.

Obviously we’re going to have to wait and see. I’m mostly just more interested in my sustain being tied to blocks and not stances.

I’m thinking of doing a hammer/mace+shield build now, although that would suck some real stanky butt for mobility…

Mind you I’d spec it a bit more into tankiness than raw damage. Would be some potent CC though.

I’m not yet sure how I’ll adjust my skullcracker build, but I’ll likely keep it with greatsword and try to fit unsuspecting foe in there somehow.

Yamsandjams.3267:

I’m thinking of doing a hammer/mace+shield build now, although that would suck some real stanky butt for mobility…

Mind you I’d spec it a bit more into tankiness than raw damage. Would be some potent CC though.

I’m not yet sure how I’ll adjust my skullcracker build, but I’ll likely keep it with greatsword and try to fit unsuspecting foe in there somehow.

I’ve actually been messing around with it and the mobility isn’t too bad so long as you save your blocks for gap closing and bring Bull’s Charge. There’s not too many builds that are so focused on ranged that they never get close as well, and that’s when you crush them. I was even beating decent teef/mes players 1v1 cause there’s just too much CC.

Hammer+mace/shield may be ruined form my pov if rumors about burst skills sharing internal cd are true. No more skullcrack into full hammer aa chain followed by stagger blow to eartshaker>backbreaker>fierce. Rip my fav build.

skowcia.8257:

Hammer+mace/shield may be ruined form my pov if rumors about burst skills sharing internal cd are true. No more skullcrack into full hammer aa chain followed by stagger blow to eartshaker>backbreaker>fierce. Rip my fav build.

I don’t believe this to be the case and I think the devs just worded the change poorly.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/warrior/Don-t-Panic-Just-Yet-Burst-Skills-CD/first#post5160088

When I saw these changes this was the exact build/weaponset that popped into my head. That and a yolo axe/axe greatsword build.

Skullcracker seems like it will be much improved next patch, but that is hard to say within the context of so many changes that literally it will be a different game. Shield Master is an excellent Adept trait and sundering mace isn’t bad. Skullcracker will be more defensive not to mention alot more damaging plus having burst mastery. We will certainly at least serve to annoy many projectile based classes.

It doesn’t seem worth it to delve into the Arms traitline for unsuspecting foe because arms seems like it will be mostly a condition damage trait line. The only set up the makes sense is Strength/Defense/Discipline.

But with that said these buffs on the surface may seem overshadowed by the seemingly huge buffs that Mesmers got as well as Engineers. The reaper looks kinda scary too ;/. And landing a skull crack will still be quite difficult. But at least the warrior has more defensive mechanisms to compensate and they are no longer reaching for certain traits they couldn’t have.

Yah, it’s hard to know if the buffs are going to keep up with the insanity of the Teef, Mes, and Engi changes. So long as it’s fairly competitive I’ll be satisfied, sustain that isn’t dependent on Endure/Defy Pain. My current version is OK but against Cele you either perfectly chain CC to deny healing or the fight drags on forever.

I feel like Unsuspecting Foe is going to be a dead trait, MAYBE it’ll see some use in a Mace/Sword condi build? But even then you have to have Strength as well for Distracting Strikes so that means either no Defense of no Discipline. If Mending had become a Physical skill I could see not needing Cleansing Ire because of Brawler’s Recovery and Burst Mastery but now it seem like so much potential build variety is gone.

Both GS and Condi variants of the Mace build get a little buff, but I really doubt it will be enough.

As for Unsuspecting Foe, I don’t think it will ever see any use in Arms. The spec doesn’t provide anything useful to CC builds, even if they are condi based. Arms doesn’t have anything useful for any build that isn’t using Sword as the main weapon. Maybe they should move Merciless Hammer to Arms to add some variety to that spec, and save hambow at the same time.

Ozzrel.9825:

Both GS and Condi variants of the Mace build get a little buff, but I really doubt it will be enough.

As for Unsuspecting Foe, I don’t think it will ever see any use in Arms. The spec doesn’t provide anything useful to CC builds, even if they are condi based. Arms doesn’t have anything useful for any build that isn’t using Sword as the main weapon. Maybe they should move Merciless Hammer to Arms to add some variety to that spec, and save hambow at the same time.

Please, don’t. Merciless hammer might be better of in Defense, but I don’t dislike it in Discipline. I’d hate to see my Hammer trait get moved to the condi-thrashcan that is Arms now.

And save hambow? I don’t think that needs any saving. 00666 is gonna be quite strong IMO. The benefits of Shoutbow healing for your group, coupled with adrenaline on shouts to cover up the loss of Burst Mastery, and still get to hammer smash stuff. Might even be able to take Last stand+Defy Pain and use trooper runes for condiclears.

Hell, you could even try 60066 for more damage and weakness application on CC.

Other than the adrin saving of busrt mastery, it doesn’t help hammers at all after the earth shaker had its damage nerfed into the ground.

I was just doing my dailies last night and a warrior was running a pre-patch zerk build with Runes of Strength that was 2/0/6/0/6 with Hammer & Mace+Shield. When he joined any fight it was a pain in the butt. Against good opponents, you’re likely to have to use your 1+ stunbreakers (build dependent, of course). Now when one of your opponents is already stretching that to the max with an kitten nal of CCs … it’s pretty (or painful).

I got to be on both sides of it as he and I chatted a bit between games and played together and against each other. It was awesome to have on your team. It was painful to have on the other team if they had a teammate with them. 1v1, I felt I could take him … but only if I didn’t waste my defenses on non-CC. Each stunbreak is a fix to making that mistake … but they have longer cooldowns than the Warrior’s CC so it’s best to not make mistakes.

I don’t disagree that ARMS is a condi trash bin.

The only reason to take arms for a power build is for the auto proc signet of stength. Is it really worth it? NO!!!

Yeah, there literally is no reason to take Arms if you are a power build, unless you run some weird sword build. Even then, the shear amount of damage you lose by not going into Strength is huge.

Depending on the extent of the update, a Strength/Arms/Discipline build for multiple weapon sets could work, maybe as some sort of hybrid or full glass cannon. You can pick up adrenaline gain in the numerous arms traits and condi removal through brawler’s recovery. Remember stats are no longer tied to trait lines, although you do lose Dogged March and Cleansing Ire.

The diversity seems like it is less since you are choosing a whole traitline rather picking and choosing how deep you want to go into each trait line. Warriors seem like they will still be married to Defense/Discipline, which I was hoping ANet would rectify. I was hoping they would at least do something with Fast Hands. And if they actually did make Mending a physical skill, it would open up a lot more things.

I don’t think traitlines effect your stats anymore Power or otherwise.

Nordicman.7641:

I don’t think traitlines effect your stats anymore Power or otherwise.

Traits effect your power. It just so happens that the arms traitline has none of these traits in it besides the nerfed grandmaster minor. All the other Arms traits are either condi or chance to crit.

However if you are going to use a sword in a power build you may want to take arms. But its not mandatory you do so.

I think that arms could do some pretty sweet things with a valkyrie ammulet. Using signet, you could have around 50% crit chance from trait and fury alone combined with unsuspecting foe, you could have a sweet zerker like combo with significant toughness

Arms is a good line for Valkrie and Cav, and soldiers.

I think for that for PvP, a skullcracker build using GS/MaceShield strength, arms and discipline with valkyrie or soldier with pack runes and signet could be a nice zerker alternative but unfortunately quite weak against condies

Thats what I am saying. It wont work.

You could however go mace/shield-Riffle

Instead of 100 blades after skull crack you do vollly. And you pick up burst precison for 100% chance for kill shot with an auo proc signet of might.

but it would still be so much weaker.

Rifle skills 1 and 2 are trash, it’s not worth taking them. The trait competes with Warrior’s Sprint, it’s got no mobility, basically a dead weapon.

Yeah, I’m not seeing any reason to really take Rifle myself :-(

… maybe there is something we’re all missing, but my intuition isn’t showing it to me :-p

maybe there is a Warrior specialization called a "Minuteman" that is OP with the rifle. That’s pretty much the only way I see rifle being any good, if there is an actual specialization that revolves around rifle and range in general like the Guardian Dragonhunter.