Hey all,
A while back I made a roaming video using GS/Sword+Shield. I really liked that build and since HoT came out I wanted to see if I could make it work with the new berserker elite spec.
I used three builds in this video, each with their pros and cons, but with berserker it doesn’t really work out perfectly. You NEED Discipline, so that means you either lose Strength or Defense. Without Defense you become quite squishy and need to play very carefully. Without Strength however, you lose out on 3 damage modifiers which will lower your damage output by a lot.
The only thing the new berserker spec excels in is burst damage. With the quickness and taunt you can down people very quickly, but it’s just not as good in longer/outnumbered fights. This is why I eventually went back to my main SwordMaster build, using Discipline/Strength/Defense and no Berserker. It’s better overall, but Berserker does make things more interesting and fun!
So ya, berserker isn’t that great for this weapon set since the sword/shield doesn’t have a lot of raw damage and this build relies more on combo’s. It’s still fun for GunFlame tho :P
lemme know what y’all think and I hope you enjoy(ed)!
-Hollts
The shift to Cruelty over Bloodlust is because the build is already swimming in too much power to be optimal once the might stacks get rolling. Another approach would be to stack precision, and that might actually be better (I haven’t checked the math).
I’m a full convert on the Might Sigil. It’s a nice boost to power normally, but it’s phenomenal for bursting through all of these people crutching on a crazy number of blocks. Watching them scramble when they realize they aren’t safe is hilarious.
I personally use Strength Runes, but the link has Scholar’s equipped. I think the latter may technically be more optimal (and it’s cheaper), but I don’t know for certain. I don’t think Hoelbrak is worth it, tbh.
EDIT: I just checked and the above build is optimized at 25 cruelty stacks and 20 might stacks. More precision would couple well with the extra 5 stacks of might, but not at the expense of ferocity in this case.
I’m Biff Rangoon, and I approved this message.
Ehmry Bay | Omg Brb Icecream Truck (ICEE)
I like Hoelbrak, only difference between the 2 is choosing 5% dmg over -20% condi duration I think.
In comparison to Strength, it’s the 5% damage plus an extra 15% might duration. The draw for Scholar is all that ferocity.
The thing about the 20% condi reduction is that it’s not even really a factor. Condis are so lethal that a condi bomb and/or snares will kill you outright. The best option for a burst-based build is to get in, lay waste, and get out if things get hot. The change to Berserker Stance almost totally obviates the condi benefit of Hoelbrak, imo. The HS active is always there if you get caught out.
I’m Biff Rangoon, and I approved this message.
Ehmry Bay | Omg Brb Icecream Truck (ICEE)
Recently just came back myself and always been a fan of gs/hammer, but lately been trying sword/sh+gs or sw/sh+hammer. But hammer sucks.
In your opinion, which of the 3 builds did you find to be the most effective? And which would work for spvp?
Thanks Hollts and keep up the great content!
Lol hammer doesn’t suck you just need to learn to dodge count and stow cancel Fierce Blow/Backbreaker/swap out of earthshaker to bait dodges and not hit the guy when he has freaking stability lol. The number of times I’ve been fighting another hammer/gs warr who literally wasted his entire CC chain on me while I had balanced stance…RIP
Vanov {Warrior} ~ Still waiting for “Guide on Making Proper ||#1 Warr NA|| Sig”
I honestly could give two kittens about esports or the “divisions”. I still fight and beat many of the cancerous builds that are in hotjoin and the lower tiers. Skill> Builds. Any day.
K. My example was based on my experience in legend, should have mentioned that. It does not matter how good you are with this build, you will get destroyed by paladin revenants and scrappers. Period.
You can make any build work in WvW and hotjoin, hell you can even play naked.
The shift to Cruelty over Bloodlust is because the build is already swimming in too much power to be optimal once the might stacks get rolling. Another approach would be to stack precision, and that might actually be better (I haven’t checked the math).
I’m a full convert on the Might Sigil. It’s a nice boost to power normally, but it’s phenomenal for bursting through all of these people crutching on a crazy number of blocks. Watching them scramble when they realize they aren’t safe is hilarious.
I personally use Strength Runes, but the link has Scholar’s equipped. I think the latter may technically be more optimal (and it’s cheaper), but I don’t know for certain. I don’t think Hoelbrak is worth it, tbh.
EDIT: I just checked and the above build is optimized at 25 cruelty stacks and 20 might stacks. More precision would couple well with the extra 5 stacks of might, but not at the expense of ferocity in this case.
Ah an interesting variation! I always heard that power>prec>ferocity so I just went with bloodlust to stack even more power… are you sure cruelty is better? :o
Ah an interesting variation! I always heard that power>prec>ferocity so I just went with bloodlust to stack even more power… are you sure cruelty is better? :o
I can’t say I’ve done the math myself. I’ve just been following this table made by someone else.
I found my original build was too deep into power to be optimal, so I shifted into the Cruelty sigil and made a couple of efforts to boost my precision, and I’m fairly certain my damage is higher now. I could probably use some more precision to be honest, but I don’t have any assassin gear like you do.
I’m Biff Rangoon, and I approved this message.
Ehmry Bay | Omg Brb Icecream Truck (ICEE)
