Guild Wars 2

I’ve finally got the resources to begin buying ascended gear, but I can’t decide what build I want to settle with for PvE.

I’d like to use LB considering I’ve nearly completed my first (and favorite) legendary, Kudzu, but I still want to be viable in PvE.
What build pairs well with LB? Some GS builds these days that run zerkers completely ignore swaps, and then there are dual-wield builds that don’t utilize the bows’ strengths in the least.

I’m currently running a variation of the condition PvP build that uses rabid gear, undead runes and LB/sword-warhorn(or sword-sword) to stack conditions. I feel like it puts great emphasis on the use of the bow and the fire field/explosion combo to build might. I drop my fire, use explosion, then swap to sword-warhorn, use my second explosion for more might and begin stacking bleeds with autoattacks. By the time my adrenaline is full I can swap back to bow to drop a new field and repeat my rotation.

Here’s an example of my current build:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQNBMhNaknj+Ob8wyDORDkEUnfgA4mVuFVRycYHA-ThyAABWoEEhTAAQq/IxDAAAzfRcIAm4IAo0+DCqv5JlfkCYRpRA-e
(The second sigil along with fire I use for my bow is actually Torment, not Air, but Torment wasn’t showing up.)

This is not my exact setup, most of it changes for the situation I’m in, but I typically try to maintain 3 sigils at a time. I’m often overflowing with adrenaline, but it’s nice to know you’ll always have it for some fire when you need it.

The extra toughness from the rabid/undead rune build really helps with the survivability (and leaves room for me to make mistakes), but I know it’s a very flawed PvE setup. My damage takes a while to ramp up, unlike the burstyness of a classic zerker.

So how can I improve on what I’ve got? Is a condition PvE build even a thing I should pursue? I know what I’m doing is far from right— but even if I did refine it, could this be a thing? Keeping that in mind, I’m not completely set on condition build— I’ve never run a serious GS build and the weapon does interest me, but like I said, I’d like LB to be of good use in whatever build I decide on.

I’m really hoping for the opinions of some well-informed warriors at this point. I’ve been thinking this over for a while, researching and speculating, but what I really need are some solid experience based opinions and theories!

Thanks for your time!

Conditions in PvE are weaker than power in PvE.

LB is probably your best choice for ranged combat because of its utility. Its also very useful in conjecture with a GS in a Phalanx Strength might stacking build in some situations when might is hard to keep up with a GS alone, like some fractals where you can’t shoot off 100B constantly.

But I wouldn’t bother with conditions in PvE.

For Warrior PvE:
Berserker > Everything
Power > Condition
Melee > Ranged

Both the Longbow and Sword/Warhorn are utility sets and in my opinion you should only be carrying 1 or the other and never both. Ranged weapons deal alot less damage than Melee and should only be swapped to when you need to maintain distance or recover health while still dealing some damage. The Sword/Warhorn has nice utility, but its not something you want to fight with. Theres no real reason to use mainhand sword in PvE unless you want the added mobility.

For your primary you are better off with either a Greatsword or Axe/X which would deal the most damage. Both of which really need Power builds to work .You never want to use the Hammer since the CC is wasted on champions. If you have one it would go nicely with your LB for Hambow in PvP/WvW.

You can maybe try a build like this and see if it works for you.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJARTjMdU5ZfH2ewJagfAxYgBHXtJd0nLB-TBSBABUq+jZKBvS5XEHCgOOCA4pLIvHAAAXAAA-e
The only traits we have that affect LB is “Stronger Bowstrings” + “Burning Arrows” in Tactics. SB probably wouldn’t be needed so you can replace that with “Empower”.

Flissy.4093:

One of the worsts builds I’ve ever heard. Sure, if you’re not running meta use play how you want builds and avoid speedruns, but for the love of god actually use some good traits. You’ve gone 20 into Tactics but no Empowered Allies, you’ve gone 10 into Arms and not got Rending Strikes, you’ve specifically put MORE points into Discipline just for Warrior’s Sprint? Are you high?

If you’re intent on using “bad” weapons full time, at least build them around giving power to your allies and pick up Vuln wherever you can. a Phalanx Strength build would work with those weapons. You have Longbow for fire field & blast, then warhorn for another blast. Then you can drop 2 banners in and FGJ and BAM, quite a bit of Might.

But seriously, don’t try to “optimize” a bad weapon setup as you either run meta or run play how you want avoiding speedruns.

This is probably downright the most needlessly aggressive reply I’ve seen.

Where your critical chance is high enough to land 100% crits or high enough to reliably land both arrows of Auto attack on Longbow constantly that Auto attack of long bow is better than the auto attack of riffle.

Your critical damage modifies 2 hits on the bow vs 1 hit on the rifle so the AA damage of the bow is better.

To make your build better if you really want to go down this path of bows and swords is use rampager and not rabid. BOWs and swords are hybrid weapons and if you want the most possible damage out of them both you have to go Hybrid build.

You need power, precision, crit damage, and condition damage. Flissys reply to you was mean but he she is right about one thing with using bows you should be running support.

That means runnign both the banner of DIS and Str Traited banners for cool down reduce and Phalanx str. You should also be using empower allies for 150 power to each person. Use the might on crit sigils in your weapons and sigil of battle for might on swap.

Then at least the support you provide to the group can overcome the DPS loss that running this build brings to the group.

tyvm for all the replies!
I’m happy to hear some educated opinions on the matter.
I’m curious about the lb/hammer build for pvp, so I’m def going to give that a shot. Otherwise I’m likely going to go zerkers with GS/LB off. I’m very interested in about the might stacking build— I hear it falls behind the traditional GS zerker build, but being able to maintain all that might sounds really tasty.

Thanks!

Ok yeah you are right your talking about two separate things though. Let me explain. What works in SPVP doesn’t work in PVE. And in WvW what works well there doesn’t necessarily work as well in SPVP for various reasons.

Hambow is one of the best builds for SPVP because of the AOE mainly and condition removal synergy or Cleansing IRE and Bows F1. The control on the hammer helps lock down people its not there as much for DPS as it is for locking them down. This is all optimal for holding a point where you need to stand in a circle.

GS/LB works well too but you basically reley on immobilizing the player then weapon swapping to land 100 blades. This isn’t really reliable and its only good for kill bad players in my honest opinion. This might work ok in Hot join.

Niether one of those builds works exceptionally well in WvW. They both can work but there are other options that work a lot better becasue wvw uses PVE gear and you have the stat spread to use other builds that are more viable in open world combat that is not about holding points and more about mobility and ganging people or zerging where individual skill means nothing and builds mean even less.

The longbow/GS could work just Fine in PVE if you just want to camp the GS and use the longbow as a utility weapon though. If you are set on using bows pick that build.

And yes the might stacking build is the META for running in pug groups. Which is the majority of the groups that you will find yourself in unless you are in a PVE guild that runs a meta. In which case eles can stack might and warriors can focous on DPS.

This is a basic Hambow setup:
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJASTjMdUFahHmhwJagfgC9t3C7gpAQda8GlBA-TFCCwAAuAAUV+l5QAo5IAQ5BAEb/h66CGrEEA-w

I wouldn’t go Hammer in a dungeon. The hammer’s damage is inferior to the greatsword’s damage aka Hundred Blades.
I personally run Greatsword/Longbow in dungeons cause I’m too lazy for swapping weapons in dungeons xP

I run this when I pug dungeons (b/c I’m lazy and don’t trust that someone else can stack might properly):
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJARTjMdU5ZnH2ewJagfgyYAMAHXhNIdTsEbPA-TxBBwAVOCAY3fU+B4SAgT9nU6Ca8AAOrEkUAPtFA-e

Here’s what I run for Hambow in sPvP (you can swap the soldier’s ammy out for a zerk’s ammy depending on your preference):
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJASTjMdUGahHWhwJagqgCdFEAPg6hoxzhUbAA-TpRBwADuAAdOCAXeAA02focZAAHCAA

And when I run Greatsword/Longbow in sPvP:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fJAQJARTjMdUGahHWhwJagfgCZQ0CGDgBQ9bk7dBA-TZRBwAA3fYxhAgcZAAXAgHPBAA

General rule:

You don’t range in PvE unless you have to. Otherwise, make sure you provide a disclaimer for parties and let them know you’re going to be a lot less effective than you potentially could be.

The only place that a warrior built for longbow would be even marginally acceptable is WvW and that is just because a 9 sec gigantic fire field that also does AoE burn is pretty powerful when placed correctly.

However even that is pretty questionable considering their are many other sources of fire fields and not any other sources for Earthshaker.

Long bows are better in spvp than wvw. Since in wvw you can just walk or dodge out of the fire field. In spvp if the firefield in on a point thats kinda hard to do. As bad as rifles are I’ve allways found them to be superior in wvw because of killshot and volly on unsuspecting players.

Ranged is used quite a bit in Fractals.
#PvE