Guild Wars 2

Sometimes my Whirlwind Attack does 8-10K, but most of the time its 1500-4K. What is the trick to getting it to do the most damage?

There is no trick… lol?
Check right above your skills.
Maybe you were in a party and you had a lot of might stacks + boons galore…
or maybe you were in WvWvW killing a naked dude
or maybe you’re comparing damage on a bunny and damage on a end-game boss.

Grok, what you might be noticing is that if you start a normal whirlwind you might only hit an opponent with 1 or 2 of it’s hits while you move through them. However if you are using haste (or chilled, etc), which makes you only move half the distance, you spend more time with your opponent in the hitbox, making for more hits and greater damage. This also applies if your opponent has their back against a wall and you whirlwind into that wall. the wall stops your forward movement but you continue to spin in place and connect every hit on them.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong on this but I’m pretty sure thats how it works.

^ pretty much nailed it.
Funny how being crippled or chilled actually makes you hit with it a LOT harder. Which is the one scenario where if they buffed mobile strikes to remove cripple and chilled would actually weaken this ability.

Coldviper.6794:

^ pretty much nailed it.
Funny how being crippled or chilled actually makes you hit with it a LOT harder. Which is the one scenario where if they buffed mobile strikes to remove cripple and chilled would actually weaken this ability.

Weaken one ability, but strengthen the class as a whole.

Vanthian.9267:

Weaken one ability, but strengthen the class as a whole.

+1

If you get frenzy though, it cuts the time for whirlwind to be the same as if you where chilled/immobilized/cripple and do it twice as fast. So you can still do that same dps, or do whirlwind on a wall that still hits the target for every strike.

YojimboJones.6243:

This also applies if your opponent has their back against a wall and you whirlwind into that wall. the wall stops your forward movement but you continue to spin in place and connect every hit on them.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong on this but I’m pretty sure thats how it works.

This is 100% correct. I choose to fight near terrain for this very reason.

This was on a single target level 80.

Coldviper.6794:

^ pretty much nailed it.
Funny how being crippled or chilled actually makes you hit with it a LOT harder. Which is the one scenario where if they buffed mobile strikes to remove cripple and chilled would actually weaken this ability.

Would you rather have conditions get reapplied easily because your mobility is impaired or maximize your damage on your predictable whirlwind attack? Seriously you don’t need to get chilled to maximize Whirlwind attack DPS.

Your statement is pretty simple-minded if you ask me.

Thanks for the replies, I should’ve been more specific though. I pretty much only do PvE. This is without frenzy/crippled/chilled etc. Sometimes it hits pretty weak and occassionally hits really hard. Don’t know if it’s angle I’m going at or my distance away from my foe

Coldviper.6794:

^ pretty much nailed it.
Funny how being crippled or chilled actually makes you hit with it a LOT harder. Which is the one scenario where if they buffed mobile strikes to remove cripple and chilled would actually weaken this ability.

Yes but you have to remember, the skill in it’s entirety was meant for movement and slashing multiple foes. It doesn’t necessarily buff the skill when you’re chilled/crippled/immobilized, you’re just hitting less targets. For single targets it’s great. But if you’re actually wanting to traverse a playing field and or hit multiple foes it’s a hindrance.

Furthermore you guys are overlooking the sheer might stacking ability that WWA brings. Find a fairly tight knit group with Sigil of Strength and a good crit rate and BOOM 25stacks.

Good grief people, in such a hurry to start an argument. I don’t think I ever said in that statement that it would be a bad thing for a mobile strikes buff. And I don’t, I would kill for mobile strikes to remove cripple and chill.

The damage number you see over your enemies head while using whirlwind attack is cumulative. You dont hit your enemy 1x for 8k but probably 4x for 2k. Look at the combat log to see the correct damage numbers for each individual hit.