Guild Wars 2

Speaking strictly from a theorycrafting standpoint, if you can’t get both, which is better:

20 trait points spent in strength with the Slashing Power trait (+200 power and 10% bonus GS and Spear damage) With this traitline I would also pick up the Berserker’s Power trait which would basically put me at 22% bonus damage with my greatsword, as this build allows for 100% fury uptime.

OR

20 trait points spent in Arms with the Forceful Greatsword trait (Roughly +10% crit chance at level 80 while GS crits stack might and have their ability cooldowns reduced by 20%.)

I’m trying to come up with a fairly bulky build for PvE while still doing respectable damage with a Greatsword. (Rifle/Longbow Secondary) And I can’t decide: 20 Strength or 20 Arms.

Thoughts?

I run a setup based on Yojack’s Sword/Warhorn build even with Greatsword, since it offers respectable damage combined with really good sustain + party support:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQJARUnkOk8YzDSBxEZAAfwqLjkYK9oM0SD;TkAg0CnoyyklILbWuskZNKA

(copy link and paste in browser)

Not really sure about weaponsigil yet though. Even without the Superior Sigil of Strength I am usually at around 15-20 Might stacks, so not sure if it’d be worth using. So atm I just use the Sigil of Force for the +5% damage.

The dps shouldn’t be lower than with 25 points in strength, since you get 10% dmg bonus against bleeding foes (= same as 10% more Greatsword damage trait).

Without any points in Arms or Strength you should be around 1850 power (+average 8 stacks of might without the GS trait/sigil = 280 power), 58% crit chance with fury, 53% crit damage

So compared to no crit chance and the base 916 power, you deal:

(1850 + 280)*(1+0,58 *1,03)/916 = 3,71

When you add 250 points of Power, 4.4% dmg from Stick and Move, 10% greatsword dmg and 12% from full adrenaline, you get:

(1 + 0,044 + 0,1 + 0,12)(1850 + 280 + 250)(1 + 0,58*1,03)/916 = 5,25

When you add 250 points of Precision, 10% damage vs bleeding foes and around 8 stacks might from Forceful Greatsword, you get:

(1 + 0,1)(1850 + 280 + 280)(1 + 0,7*1,03)/916 = 4,98

-> With the strength Trait you get around 5,25/4,98 = 1,054 times as much = 5,4% more base dmg than with Arms

BUT:
With so many stacks of might (condition dmg), even the procced bleeds from trait do some dmg (not soooo much tbh, it’s around 80dps, so at a normal mob around, where you pull around 2.5-3k dps it’s like 2-3% more overall dmg) , More Crit chance = more chance to proc On-Crit-Effects from sigils, also you get 20% less CD on your GS skills (especially Whirlwind Attack is a beast, when an enemy stands at a wall)

Imo Arms wins hands down over Strength, at least when you can spend 25 points instead of 20 (for the 10% more dmg against bleeding foes…which is basicly always)

Tested and proven, highest dps trait build:
20 Strength, traits 5(Berserker’s Power), 9(Slashing Power)
30 Arms, traits 1(Deep Strike), 5(Rending Strike), 10(Forceful Greatsword)
20 Discipline, traits 5(Heightened Focus), 10(Sweet Revenge)

For a sigil you’d want to take a Superior Sigil of Fire, because it adds a lot of damage.

20 str 20 arms 30 def is what im using for my tanky GS build.

Strictly speaking DPS is not ONLY tied to traits. If you go the normal glass cannon (Zerk+divinity runes) i could probably out dps you in my tanky build because of my might stacking + duration build sitting on 25 stacks almost permanently in combat.

Talking DPS only is kinda lackluster in this game. You have to factor in survivability no matter how you look at it.
Remember survivability can be many things, dodging, X’s skill at dodging critical moves, damage mitigation, damage restoration etc.

Even if your theori concentrates on DPS only, you have to think about this. Time on target (ToT from now on) is one of the most important factors (especially in pvp).

You might be able to do good dps but if you don’t have any gap closer, stun breakers og defensive CDs your time on target will be a lot less than people who bring these things to the table.

But if you want the normal glass cannon build go with what Waar Kijk Je Naar wrote. I highly advice against these DPS only focused builds though!

Hasek.6807:

If you go the normal glass cannon (Zerk+divinity runes)

Bah, Divinity Runes are for cowards who require vitality and toughness. I spit on them.

Better use Ruby Orbs. Cheaper, same amount of Crit Dmg, twice as much Power, 40% more precision, and most importantly: no cowardly defensive attributes.

20/30/0/0/20

Also, Rune of the Scholar or Rune of the Ogre.