I want some feedback on this build. It’s a stab at picking alternative lines that don’t give precision and power to ensure you can get useful defensive and offensive boosts that you normally wouldn’t get with a X/X Strength/Arms type build.
I am fairly confident this has likely been done before (because this isn’t rocket science) so please I am taking ZERO credit for this. I am finding pretty good results with it so I thought I’d share. Funnily enough I never thought speccing 0 in arms and 0 in strength could produce these results. The key is offsetting the lack of power and precision from weapons, gear, and utilities. This is for roaming around in WvW and small skirmish fights.
Key requirements for me on this build:
1. Permanent signet of rage up time.
2. Hammer cool down reduction.
3. Dogged March
4. Last Stand
5. Enough burst damage to show up.
6. A quick weapon swap when with the zerg to offer a range option.
7. Gap closing or rooting type abilities to ensure I can keep the pressure.
The build involves using 3 sets of boon duration runes and 20 in tactics to ensure you can run signet of rage for 48 seconds. Then pick up signet mastery to reduce the reset timer of signet of rage to 48 seconds. At one point I was chewing on boon duration food but my original build that copies amazing warriors from this forum uses the favorite lemongrass that I can’t seem to let go because of it’s amazing condition removal percentage.
Signet of fury is critical for this build to offset the lower critical chance AND more importantly it gives you options to open. If I am about to enter a skirmish (not 1 v 1) I typically pop this to gain full adrenaline and open up with earthshatter. If I am in a keep battle and there are some annoying folks up top, with signet of mastery, you can continuously pop this signet to drop F1 bombs all day long. It is actually quite effective whether you’re attacking the keep or up top defending it.
I am wearing primarily full zerker. I have run 3k to 3200 armor with knights gear and to be honest I really haven’t noticed a difference. The main difference I see is I do less burst and that is enough for me to consider going back to full zerker.
This build also gives me the opportunity to use Frenzy – you can use endure pain, balanced stance (on top of last stand) or any other utility like fear me alternatively and I often will switch it up for a change of pace. The key here is that I like to be able to use different utilities and not feel locked down. I always ran with FGJ to offset when signet of rage is down but with the perma swiftness, might, and fury no longer do you need it, which is great.
You get 72% crit with 0 specced in arms and 76% critical damage bonus; I feel this is great! Power is low, so I carry a greatsword with bloodlust on it to farm some mobs some before I want to seriously skirmish to get the power up, then switch back to the air signet greatsword.
Pending on your choice, you can switch out Empowered for Shrug it Off. I find 6% damage boost pretty nice without ANY other boons on you since you’re guaranteed to have those up unless someone strips it.
I am relying on Dogged March and Lemongrass food to bounce conditions / immobilizes off me. I realize I am not wearing Hoelbrak or Melandru runes to push 90% + immobilize removal but it’s a balance I am getting more comfortable with.
Do comment – the build – http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQJARSjcO1wxO+OMxBE0DNkLyClC7oNSKEjyA-jkDBYLBioAgsAK5pIasltht6KalXBRxATVSpW5CQDDyeDwgDybYZ1yAwsAA-w
EDIT: forgot to add two things: (1) you can switch out leg specialist at any point and slot stronger bowstrings and equip a longbow. I mentioned using the weapon above with signet of fury but not the trait switch. And (2), you actually can hit 81% crit chance with heightened focus.
EDIT: The reality is that we don’t have an insane amount of adrenaline gain like if you were to spec Furious or the defensive one that gives you adrenaline when hit, but the signet of fury can help offset that with a low reset timer.
(edited by Tyrion.4259)