Guild Wars 2

Unsuspecting Foe: 50% critical-hit chance against stunned foes.

Just a quick tip – This trait is incredible with HB + Axe & Shield Combo!

My HB + A&S Combo:
Bull’s Charge (stun to trigger Unsuspecting Foe)
*Frenzy (not necessary but helpful in stacking more might)
Hundred Blades (might stacks from critical hits)
Shield Bash (stun to trigger Unsuspecting Foe again)
Eviscerate (higher critical hit chance will ensure a near-100% critical hit)

Also, Superior Sigil of Impact would be really sexy with this combo since it gives you a 10% increase in damage against stunned or knocked down enemies.

I haven’t played around with Hammers and Maces yet but I’m sure there are combos there somewhere. The 50% critical chance increase is insane considering it adds on to your current critical chance (guaranteeing you an easy 100% critical chance).

I’m gonna’ playing around with Hammers soon and will make more combos regarding this trait. Hammers will destroy for sure with this trait along with the Merciless Hammer trait.

Unsuspecting Foe is 50% bonus damage vs. stunned foes.

Bull’s Charge is a 2s knockdown. Knockdown != Stun.

Varonth.5830:

Unsuspecting Foe is 50% bonus damage vs. stunned foes.

Bull’s Charge is a 2s knockdown. Knockdown != Stun.

In the description, it says Critical-Hit Chance, not damage btw. I thought Knockdowns were stuns, my apologies! But it still works incredibly well with Shield Bash + Eviscerate (more important than Hundred Blades).

Varonth.5830:

Unsuspecting Foe is 50% bonus damage vs. stunned foes.

Bull’s Charge is a 2s knockdown. Knockdown != Stun.

Like he said, extra 50% crit CHANCE vs STUNNED foes. I have been using this combo for a while and it is indeed very effective. You can run Sigil of paralization and Impact to devastating effect.

Example:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAR3ejcOxu1QyQMxBALjiC6yQJmUKarOA-TsAg0CnI4SxljLDXSuscNsYRwGBA

Sadly, no Sigil of Impact in PvP, but in WvW you could have it in place of Accuracy. You can choose whether you want the extra crit damage axe perk or the flat increase of the GS one, you’ll get the most devastating Eviscerate with the axe perk.

Edit: you would probably run something more like this for more utility, although losing the extra 10% dmg vs bleeding foes makes me a bit sad. As for conditions, kill them before they kill you.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNAR3ejcOxu1QyQMRCAjiiC6oQJmUKaruUBxA-TsAg0CnI4SxljLDXSuscNsYRwGBA

My build’s a bit tankier, but this combo still works really well.
Build: http://tinyurl.com/parmstick

Oreoginal.1580:

My build’s a bit tankier, but this combo still works really well.
Build: http://tinyurl.com/parmstick

I’ve always subscribed to the “kill them before they kill you” philosophy.

BurrTheKing.8571:

Oreoginal.1580:

My build’s a bit tankier, but this combo still works really well.
Build: http://tinyurl.com/parmstick

I’ve always subscribed to the “kill them before they kill you” philosophy.

I wish this was effective in zerg fights where AOEs are thrown everywhere. :T

This would also go well with mace, no? Long stun off the burst skill can allow you to land a full 100b unless they stun break.

I fought someone in sPvP with a build like that before, but I didn’t get the details on what it was.

Its way too gimmicky to work in a real pvp setting.

Honestly, Unsuspecting Foe/Merciless Hammer should just be one trait.

Yamsandjams.3267:

This would also go well with mace, no? Long stun off the burst skill can allow you to land a full 100b unless they stun break.

I fought someone in sPvP with a build like that before, but I didn’t get the details on what it was.

Yea, I’ve seen it used. mace/shield+GS. A shield with the sigil of paralyzation to set up the full adrenaline bar mace burst followed by a 100b. I think it increased the mace stun from 2 seconds to 3 and the full adrenaline hammer burst from 2 to 3 as well.

The question you need to ask yourself if you are using unsuspecting foe though is:

Mace+shield with paralysis sigil:
1.Getting a 100b incompletely off following a full adrenaline mace burst+the damage from the mace burst.
2.Increasing the mace daze to 2 seconds allowing you to get GS3 off or frenzied 100b incompletely (you don’t really need a stun/daze to get GS3 off since it is instant).
3.Counter blow is okeish.
4.Dunno about mace auto attack if traited in if it is as good as axe or not.

I recall someone saying mace is powerful with frenzy if traited properly with sundering mace and maybe cull the weak but I would assume frenzy would be saved for a 100b and not mace auto attack spamming..who knows.

Axe+shield with paralysis sigil:
1.Get a guranteed Evis Crit off a shield bash which given the right spec line (increased burst damage from burst abilities) is superior to 100b in speed and damge. It is too fast to use a stun breaker on as opposed to having a 100b get on you.
2.Axe two and 3 are meh.
3.Axe auto attack is the highest of our weapons. If your GS abilities are on cooldown you can just use axe autoattack while running after someone.

Someone tested it but I never verified it :

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Talk:Sigil_of_Paralyzation

Oreoginal.1580:

BurrTheKing.8571:

Oreoginal.1580:

My build’s a bit tankier, but this combo still works really well.
Build: http://tinyurl.com/parmstick

Also Sigli of Para lasts way longer than what it claims from what I’ve seen.
I’ve always subscribed to the “kill them before they kill you” philosophy.

I wish this was effective in zerg fights where AOEs are thrown everywhere. :T

It is with organized zergs, I do it constantly. Just have Endure Pain and Balanced Stace, pop them, go nuts in the middle of the zerg, get out.

I love this trait playing as a zerker hammer warrior, I hop into the enemy Zerg with earthshaker for a guaranteed crit and swing my hammer a couple times critting also and usually there’s 2 people downed at least and the the rest are pretty low in hp, I swap to my sword/horn with sigil of hydromancy to keep them there another 3 secs and leap away as the other people in my Zerg finishes them off. And I can do this nonstop with the short cd on earthshaker and leap

So does sigil of para round up to the nearest second? So instead of it being 2.3 seconds it will go up to 3secs?

No, I tested it on Shield Bash couple of days back, it doesn’t as far as I know. It would be OP as kitten tho. :P

XII.9401:

Axe+shield with paralysis sigil:
1.Get a guranteed Evis Crit off a shield bash which given the right spec line (increased burst damage from burst abilities) is superior to 100b in speed and damge. It is too fast to use a stun breaker on as opposed to having a 100b get on you.
2.Axe two and 3 are meh.
3.Axe auto attack is the highest of our weapons. If your GS abilities are on cooldown you can just use axe autoattack while running after someone.

Someone tested it but I never verified it :

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Talk:Sigil_of_Paralyzation

I run with longbow as my primary weapon, swapping to the Axe/Shield combination (with the Sigil of Paralyzation) and it is indeed very effective – the Shield Bash to Eviscerate is an excellent move and importantly, is very fast to execute. Whether the Sigil adds another second or not I do not know, (it certainly feels like it does,) but regardless, Shield Bash to Eviscerate is still one of the best moves a Warrior has.

I agree that Cyclone Axe is pretty weak but it’s fast, so I always throw one in there for an easy wee bit of Vulnerability on the target(s). It’s quick and instant so I just think “why not.” But yeah, it is meh.

Throw Axe – when traited with Leg Specialist – is excellent. Again, it’s a fairly fast with a good range and it rarely misses. A 1 second immobilise is fantastic not only for chasing but for in close too.

My typical “rotation” is always pretty much a variation on this; damage at range with the Longbow, when I want to close on them – Smouldering Arrow followed immediately with Pin Down (the Blind helps a lot in getting right on top of them,) Axe auto-attack, Shield Bash>Eviscerate, Bull’s Charge, auto-attack, Throw Axe and another Eviscerate. Pop Balanced Stance during the fight as well and you can pretty much be on them enough to either kill them outright or at least force them to flee.

All I’m trying to do is keep constant pressure on them with the immobilizes so I can lay the pain on them. Of course they can break immobilizes but with 4 of them at my disposal, they’re not breaking them all and so they will take a power of damage from me.

Oh, and remember, as an sPvP Warrior: Never go it alone.

good with a power toughness crit damage stat combo

Enmity.3428:

XII.9401:

Axe+shield with paralysis sigil:
1.Get a guranteed Evis Crit off a shield bash which given the right spec line (increased burst damage from burst abilities) is superior to 100b in speed and damge. It is too fast to use a stun breaker on as opposed to having a 100b get on you.
2.Axe two and 3 are meh.
3.Axe auto attack is the highest of our weapons. If your GS abilities are on cooldown you can just use axe autoattack while running after someone.

Someone tested it but I never verified it :

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Talk:Sigil_of_Paralyzation

I run with longbow as my primary weapon, swapping to the Axe/Shield combination (with the Sigil of Paralyzation) and it is indeed very effective – the Shield Bash to Eviscerate is an excellent move and importantly, is very fast to execute. Whether the Sigil adds another second or not I do not know, (it certainly feels like it does,) but regardless, Shield Bash to Eviscerate is still one of the best moves a Warrior has.

I agree that Cyclone Axe is pretty weak but it’s fast, so I always throw one in there for an easy wee bit of Vulnerability on the target(s). It’s quick and instant so I just think “why not.” But yeah, it is meh.

Throw Axe – when traited with Leg Specialist – is excellent. Again, it’s a fairly fast with a good range and it rarely misses. A 1 second immobilise is fantastic not only for chasing but for in close too.

My typical “rotation” is always pretty much a variation on this; damage at range with the Longbow, when I want to close on them – Smouldering Arrow followed immediately with Pin Down (the Blind helps a lot in getting right on top of them,) Axe auto-attack, Shield Bash>Eviscerate, Bull’s Charge, auto-attack, Throw Axe and another Eviscerate. Pop Balanced Stance during the fight as well and you can pretty much be on them enough to either kill them outright or at least force them to flee.

All I’m trying to do is keep constant pressure on them with the immobilizes so I can lay the pain on them. Of course they can break immobilizes but with 4 of them at my disposal, they’re not breaking them all and so they will take a power of damage from me.

Oh, and remember, as an sPvP Warrior: Never go it alone.

I was discussing axe/shield vs. mace/shield if your off hand weapon is a GS. But I agree with you for the longbow/axe-shield. I just find multiple stuns are useless on some classes unlike immobilize.
You meant 4 secs of immobilize not 4 abilities to immobilize, right? If they break out of your longbow one -and by now people are used to the longbow immob- then the axe one is nice but it won’t apply that much of a pressure.
It’s sad but true what you said about not running in tpvp without a babysitter.

XII.9401:

I was discussing axe/shield vs. mace/shield if your off hand weapon is a GS. But I agree with you for the longbow/axe-shield. I just find multiple stuns are useless on some classes unlike immobilize.
You meant 4 secs of immobilize not 4 abilities to immobilize, right? If they break out of your longbow one -and by now people are used to the longbow immob- then the axe one is nice but it won’t apply that much of a pressure.
It’s sad but true what you said about not running in tpvp without a babysitter.

My apologies – when I use the term “immobilize” I wasn’t specifically talking about the actual condition – I simply mean the four skills I use, (Shield Bash, Throw Axe, Bull’s Charge and Pin Down) stop the enemy target from moving out of melee range. I know that two of them are Stuns but to me they pretty much do the same job and in my mind I refer to them as “immobilizers.” I just mean ways of stopping them moving.

I simply find that in-close, using any of these gives me more time (even an extra second or so) to hit them. More-often-than-not I use Throw Axe at point blank range when the pressure’s already on them – it adds a wee bit more. Surprisingly a lot of players panic (if that’s the right word) when they’re repeatedly prevented from moving and I feel I do take the advantage in these situations. As Warriors, we all know how frustrating it is to be held and attacked in the same spot!

The debate about which is more effective – Stuns or Immobilizes – really comes down to the quality of opponent you’re facing. But yes, our need for a babysitter or two is depressing as however well we can do with team-mates around us, there are always going to be times when we’re on our own. It’s in these times, (and there are many of them,) that the weaknesses of the class are frequently and brutally exposed.

We do need help badly. As much as it’s a “team game”, inevitably a lot of the time you don’t fight as a team.

Mind sharing your build? I’ve always wanted to get rid of GS.

XII.9401:

Mind sharing your build? I’ve always wanted to get rid of GS.

Of course, but rather than derail this topic, I’ve posted it as a new topic. I’d be grateful for any constructive feedback. The link to my build can be found here:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/warrior/An-Effective-sPvP-Warrior-Build/first#post2064564