Guild Wars 2

Too easily kiteable. You’re running a build with very well known and avoidable abilities, the only way you can land your HB on a good player would be getting lucky with charge. Shield bash and Evisc will work half the time as well, but thats a well known combo too. Even then most classes have break stuns/stability/blocks – too much damage mitigation in general. You need some CC to make yourself more effective in dealing damage. As far as I can see you have no condition removal so a condition damage build would eat you alive. I’d strongly recommend using Lyssa runes instead of Air for the condition removal if nothing else. You could also consider dropping 10 points in arms for 10 points in tactics, unlocking Leg Specialist which is going to help you substaintially in landing damage. Tactics will also increase boon duration by 10% and Vitality by 100, giving you a little more survivability. You lose critical damage and crit chance, but what’s the point of having those if you can’t actually land your attacks? I’d also consider Mobile Strikes so you can GTFO when kitten hits the fan.

This is the spec I was running:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQJARUjcO1wxQyOMRCEThi4ogKYC1D7oO2wUBxA-ToAg0CnIKSVkrITRyisFNsYNC

You could switch it out for Burst Mastery to make the most of Killshot, but it depends on which weapon you use most. This build is also squishy, but it has great mobility and you can make the most of terrain advantages, giving you utility great AoE and single target damage. Just don’t get caught by Well of Corruption, that’ll probably be the biggest problem. You could switch out Frenzy for SoS if you know there is a Necro on the opposite side.

I’m not saying my build is without it’s flaws either, but that’s the problems that I can see with your build – because I had the same problems myself with my previous GS builds.

Hope this helps.

Deniara Devious.3948:

Fenrir.5493:

Feed.4531:

A solution.

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Hundred Blades
Root yourself and immobilize your closest target. Repeatedly strike multiple foes. The last strike does extra damage.

Damage (8x): 1380
Final strike damage: 345
Range: 130
Immobilize duration: 2½ seconds
Channeled: 2½ seconds
Cooldown: 10 seconds

Increased cooldown from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.
Increased casting speed by 30%.
Lowered damage by 15%.
Gains immobilise.

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Now it has greater utility in PvP, while remaining viable for PvE builds. Plus it’s still avoidable with condition removal or block, unless using certain skills such as SoM.

Yes this is pretty much the best solution, like the f1 skill of sword.

Note that it does more damage than flurry (sword F1). And it doesn’t require full adrenaline and doesn’t make you lose adrenaline (thus you can keep up berserker’s power and adrenal health at full power). In other words, overpowered, especially if you combine with traits like forceful greatsword. If 100 blades would work as suggested who would want to use flurry?
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Flurry

I would rather see 100 blades moved into greatsword burst skill and arcing slice (with some changes e.g. that is removes a boon) moved to gs #2. Now most greatsword warrior’s just sit on their full adrenaline, not using their burst at all, which is a sure tell sign there is something wrong with the game design if adre skills are never used.

Sword is a condition damage weapon, so its damage isn’t meant to be high – it applies alot of bleeds. Greatsword is direct damage, and direct damage is easily mitigated by any class: Guardian has protection and block, Mesmer has invulnerability and blink, Thief has evasion and blind, and Ranger has high condition removal, evade and protection. Engineer would probably be the only class that may suffer, but they still have abilities to counter. The only way you mitigate damage from conditions is having a high HP pool or condition removal.

While I do agree that if GS was to have an immobilize implemented it would clearly surpass Flurry in effectiveness, I’d like to see changes to Flurry to make it more effective as well. Increase the duration of the bleeds and it’s cast time would bring it more onto par.

I wouldn’t mind moving my version of Hundred Blades to the burst skill – you’re correct about GS warriors not using their adrenaline, unless they are using a high burst weapon for KS, ES or Evis. Arcing Slice is a useless ability as it is now, and should be removed or reworked at the least. I dont know about boon removal, but a form of CC – a blind would be adequate.

Bite the Dust
Slash the ground, blinding nearby foes.

Blind: 4 seconds
Range: 400 (cone)
20 sec cooldown

redslion.9675:

Defektive.7283:

redslion.9675:

I was thinking… what about adding some ways to stack 15+ Might stacks, using 2x Runes of Hoelbrak, Fire and Strength, Sigil of Battle and fire combo fields?

Do you think it may help with damage?

And what weapon would you suggest with it?

It may or may not work but then you need to take into account how hyper aware you’re going to need to be of the fight in order to take advantage of something like that.

I think on paper it sounds amazing but in practice it’s hard to pull off. Then you gave up a bunch of things to get a tradeoff that isn’t 100% working.

Ok, now I know: it doesn’t work well.

The fact is you have to use fire combo fields to pull the most of it. While the enemy is attacking you. And I find adrenaline management kinda difficult. Keeping more than 20+ stacks of might is almost impossible.

However, I realized the weapons working best with it are axe, hammer and sword (the third attack of the chain goes up to 3k, lol)

I’m working on a build that uses might stacking for high condition damage, so you can make the most of LB3 and S2 giving you might without really needing to be aware of it. Pairing sword with warhorn gives an extra blast finisher as well as higher mobility and condition removal. With points in tactics you gain passive boon duration and Hoelbrak runes thats an extra 20% might duration with -20% condition duration as well.

You wont be getting 20 or more stacks like this, but I still think it might be worth looking into.

Smack a Sigil of Earth on your LB and fire through your Combustive Shot. 5 points in arms for Precise Strikes and you’ve got yourself an ability that fires two shots which can both apply bleeding and burning on a no second cooldown. Pretty good for softening opponents from a distance, making them burn their condition removals before using your more deadly abilities.

A solution.

Hundred Blades
Root yourself and immobilize your closest target. Repeatedly strike multiple foes. The last strike does extra damage.

Damage (8x): 1380
Final strike damage: 345
Range: 130
Immobilize duration: 2½ seconds
Channeled: 2½ seconds
Cooldown: 10 seconds

Increased cooldown from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.
Increased casting speed by 30%.
Lowered damage by 15%.
Gains immobilise.

Now it has greater utility in PvP, while remaining viable for PvE builds. Plus it’s still avoidable with condition removal or block, unless using certain skills such as SoM.

You could fix 100b by having it rooting yourself and immobilising your target, just lower the damage output. This would mean we land more hits – more stacks of might / vulnerability making us more dangerous in prolonged fights, without being overpowered.

I think the F1 ability needs a rethink though, we already have too many ways of gaining fury.

Daecollo.9578:

I would go for that, if Healing Signet was a Utility slot. Currently Guardian heal is 2x better, especially if traited up.

F2 Shield sounds like AOE Aegis, except a lot worse with the changes coming to weakness. (since it only blocks 3 attacks, it will be OP in PvE/UP in PvP) We are not trying to be Psedo Guardians.

Healing Surge sounds better then Healing Signet in almost every way. However it is just a crappy version of Hide in Shadows, except it doesn’t stealth you and cure all conditions. Maybe if it cured 3 conditions, gave 6 seconds of protection.

Not necessarily, if you trait into Signet Mastery you reduce the cooldown to 15 seconds and gear your equipment with regeneration duration runes you could potentially have regen for over 10 seconds.
Maybe if it cured a condition every 8 seconds it might bring it more on par with the other healing abilities. Don’t forget that Healing Surge doesn’t have a condition removal at all, meaning you would still have to pick a utility slot for a condition removal.

I’d just like to see more utility in the defence department for Warrior. ATM we have 1 defensive ability with shield, and it’s on a long cool down, even when traiting into shields. Either give us higher base vitaility so we really do have a “durable body”, or some more defensive capabilities.
Sure we have alot of CC abilities but with no way of stripping boons effectively we become useless for the duration.
A short duration AoE defense ability with penalties if spammed would be balanced. Guardians will always be better at defending with non-stop Protection and Aegis etc, but give warriors something for more diversity.

JETWING.2759:

Warhorn skills needs be reworker.

Warhorn are used for Warriors, Rangers and Necronaces, and bettwen 3 professions, warrior are the only that no gives damage, no summon…

I think all efect of warhorn #5 needs be mixed to warhorn #4, the skill name continue being charge, and the cool down and range continue being of the actual warhorn #4.
Warhonr #5 would a new skill that deals AoE dmg and induce daze or fear (same efect of “fear me”) on foes.

The utility skill “Fear Me!” would as adictional efect cancel all boons and inflict confusion for 10s (this reward the long cool down)

Well with my idea having a daze on a 10 second CD (8 if traited) would really help with CC for interrupting stomps and survivability for group encounters. We already do alot of damage, I don’t agree that it’s necessary to have a damaging ability on warhorn. Here’s what I’d do to Charge

Charge:
Grant swiftness and fury to yourself and allies, while curing chilled, crippled and immobilize.

Swiftness: 10 sec
Fury: 6 sec
Cures Crippled
Cures Immobilized
Cures Chilled

So you’re still improving DPS in a sense, while not actually doing damage from the ability.

I’d love to see more burst abilities, after all warriors are meant to be weapon masters. Here are some of my ideas:

Shield F2: Wall of Sacrafice
Block incomming attacks for up to three allies. After effects fade, you are inflicted with vulnerability and weakness. Effects increase with adrenaline.

• Stage 1: 1 sec block, 2 sec self weakness, 4 sec self vulnerability x4
• Stage 2: 2 sec block, 4 sec self weakness, 8 sec self vulnerability x6
• Stage 3: 3 sec block, 6 sec self weakness, 12 sec self vulnerability x8

Radius: 240

Warhorn F2: Deafening Blast
Daze your foes with a deafening blast from your warhorn. Effects increase with adrenaline.

• Stage 1: 1 sec daze
• Stage 2: 1 ½ sec daze
• Stage 3: 2 sec daze

Radius: 600
Combo Finisher: Blast

Greatsword F2: Bite the Dust (or F1 replacement)
Slash the ground toward your foes, blinding them. Deal damage to close enemies. Effects increase with adrenaline.

• Stage 1: 3 sec blind, deals X damage
• Stage 2: 4 ½ sec blind, deals X damage
• Stage 3: 6 sec blind, deals X damage

Radius: 400
Range: 130
Combo Finisher: Whirl

Healing Signet:
Passive: Remove a condition every 10 seconds.
Active: Heal yourself for 3,275?. Gain regeneration for 5 seconds.
20 sec cooldown.

Mending:
Heal yourself for 5,680?. Remove 1 condition every second for 3 seconds.
25 sec cooldown.

Healing Surge:
Heal yourself for 7,240? and grant regeneration to allies. Gain all adrenaline. Regeneration duration is effected by your current adrenaline level. 30 second cooldown.

• Stage 0: n/a
• Stage 1: 2 sec regeneration
• Stage 2: 4 sec regeneration
• Stage 3: 6 sec regeneration

Radius: 600

Red Raven.7824:

I don’t see the point of having bull’s charge for fire shield when you’re going for a might stacking build. why not just use stomp for the extra might stacks?

A number of reasons:

Bulls charge is a gap closer as well as a knockdown on a 40 second cool down, which means more mobility and a more reliable interrupt.

Fire shield gives 1 stack of might when struck per attacker, so if you’re ambushed by another player you gain 2 stacks of might when struck every second for 5 seconds, while applying additional burning.

In most cases players won’t be stupid enough to stand inside your CS, and this build relies more on staying in melee with sword to keep up high pressure, so being able to apply burning while still using sword is great.

It really comes down to situation and preference. There are advantages to stomp and bulls charge, as well as disadvantages.

Normally I run a glass cannon GS/Rifle (call me Kitten) build and have been desperately looking for a more unique role as a warrior, while still remaining damage oriented.

I’ve been theory crafting a hybrid condition / support build . . . it’s looking good on paper but I haven’t been able to test it out myself due to my PC BSoD, but I’d like to show it to you all regardless.

It’s main advantages are providing very high condition damage, AoE might stacking (up to 16 stacks for 16 seconds on demand, 25 stacks achievable for yourself in certain circumstances), group resurrection and decent CC due to two long duration immobilises and AoE weakness while granting AoE swiftness, fury, might and stability for group fights. High endurance regeneration from vigor and SoS means alot of dodges as well, further adding to survivability. This build also retains decent mobility in combat and out.

The main flaws are low burst capabilities and no stun breaks, stuns or knockdowns. Changing from banners could possibly neutralise this problem, but BoT skillset gives you an AoE heal for ~3K + regen for the group every 10 seconds, and having an on demand group resurrection can really change the tide of battle in your favour.
Personal preferences and group composition will most likely determine which banners / signets you will use.

Some skills and traits could be modified to suit different circumstances or roles. . . this is still a work in progress but I feel its ready for critique. Anyway, here it is.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNBMhNakzp4N4xCCHSAYKU0lRSLpPYXSRYsB-TsAAzCuIKSBjDGTRygsBNqYJycBA

After reading user comments about banners and their clunkiness ATM, I made a different version so you are more versatile in solo situations. 25 stacks of might easily achievable with this:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fIAQNBMhNakzJ2NGS4hJSAYKU0lRSTpPYXSxZsB-TsAAzCuIKSljLHTRygsBNqYJycBA

Changing to blade mastery will give sword a 74% critical rate (with fury) and flurry on 84% so applying bleeds will be very easy. Bulls charge will give you an extra fire shield if used with combustive shot.

There are quite a few mechanics to get used to, but if played right I think it has potential. Let me know what you guys think.

HFGL!

I’m going to assume we’re talking about bunker guardians.

Warrior is going to have a huge disadvantage against a guardian in melee due to their never ending protection and other direct damage mitigation. Also they have great condition removal and access to stability, making them extremely difficult to pressure or CC unless you have a boon stripper on your team.

In a 1v1 situation I find that GS/rifle gives you reasonably good control, unparalleled damage and great mobility. Make sure you take leg specialist – it is mandatory for control, and allowing you to DPS effectively.

Timing your rifle butt is paramount to point assault since you can push them off their perch, maybe using a bladetrail / aimed shot / fear to keep them immo off point, potentially neutralising it. This will force them to burn cooldowns and put the fight in your favour.

Switch to rifle if they are dropping retaliation circles so you can keep laying down pressure safely.

Watch for burning and cleanse it when you can, since that is their other main form of DPS. Also keep an eye out for aegis, and auto attack it off before wasting a good ability.

Try and make them burn their stability before unleashing your main CC and burst.

If another enemy engages, use your superior mobility to make a quick escape. Taking Mobile Strikes in discipline tree is going to help you substantially.

All in all just play it smart. It’ll generally be a long fight, all depends on the skill of you and your opponent, but its definatly achievable. Until ANet makes some changes, think of warrior as a thief without stealth. Pick fights wisely.

A few things to consider about blade trail:
– If you know the distance you can make it burst pretty hard at the end of its flight
– If it misses your target the first time, with careful positioning you can still get it to connect on its way back
– You can manipulate it to go around objects (takes a bit of practise) by overcompensating movement allowing you to catch someone that is obstructing

And yes, it can potentially hit a target more than twice if that target happens to get hit, teleports/blinks ahead of it – catching it a second time, and a third time when it returns to the warrior. I can also confirm blade trail benefits from leg specialist each time it connects to a target, stacking duration if it connects again while immobilze is still applied.

Blade trail is the second best GS ability. Use it wisely.

Firstly I’d like to say that it’s good to know there are some intelligent warriors that still have some time for this game.

Strictly speaking about your GS/s-sh build, I feel as if you are wasting some traits. I don’t believe that deep cuts is necessary, since applying a bleed is easily accomplished and the condition damage is too low to cause pressure. Personally I would opt for rending strikes to maximise the DPS of you and your team on a target, or furious reaction for extra survivability and a fury buff. This would eliminate the constant need to use the horrible GS F1 ability, since you will more often than not be targeted when you start locking down opponents… and the fact that you are a warrior will generally mean insta-hate as well.

I don’t think that Burst Mastery is necessary since you are able to reapply immobilize with relative ease using hamstring/flurry/blade trail combos, plus your team will be able to throw their own CC, hopefully interrupts or stuns which you lack completely. I would take Signet Mastery to make the most of SoR and SoS, allowing you to have access to more fury, and a more frequent full condition removal.

As far as the warhorn goes, I think it may be worth trying out, but a shield would give you access to an interrupt, which can really change the tide of a battle if used correctly, not to mention personal survivability, which is a huge problem for warriors currently.

Overall I think it’s a pretty well thought out build, and I’d be interested to see what you have to say about my critique.