Guild Wars 2

best noise in game

this forum never fails to make me laugh man

Why would banners be nerfed lol

Buran.3796:

The only departments at which I would call them “meh” is at high fractals/raids

this is so cute

uhm, no – gr8 effort tho 11/10

Would be great if within the process of all this you could fix the Howler bug that has been lingering for a ridiculously long time. Would appreciate some Minstrel love as well it is lagging insanely behind all the other’s even more so now with the new changes.

perry.9645:

seeing this makes me really happy raids have oneshot mechanics and enrage timers

Whilst I agree it’s definitely not the most engaging elite spec, when looking at PVE it is definitely NOT weak. With the latest war changes AND the new spec you’re basically still running PS for group comps but with sooo much more damage because of huge self buffing capabilities from Berserker.

I am yet to try war in pvp, haven’t done so since I got Champ Legionnaire, however at the point in which I was playing war a lot in pvp it was so much kittening effort compared to a majority of other classes because of how much every one rinsed it when hambow rampage hype was around. I found you had to literally play with so much more unpredictability so I don’t even wanna think about what it is like now >.>

10/10 for effort

Just faced an odd bug in Snowblind fractal against the final boss, facets kept instantly deactivating for no apparent reason, seems the random deactivation bug is still very apparent in some places.

My juggernaut is just a blast finisher now It used to be decent for Fractals when protection was worth taking but now people have learned that it’s not really needed anymore.

Danikat.8537:

Who is we?

This is Fashion Wars 2 man, fashion is end game and hairstyles are a major part of that so I think there is a majority!

I cannot wait for long range high dps 1 hit ko guardian burn bow trap meta, new meta 5x dragon hunter… this specialization is perfect and exactly what we needed (I take this all back DH too stronk).

Firstly to answer your question, no, Engineer is not all about spamming bombs and grenades. If you look at optimal rotations for Engineer in PvE for example you will see that grenades are just one part of their dps rotation.

In terms of PvE – both can be an asset to a team in dungeons/fractals if played efficiently. Ranger offers frost spirit & spotter for party wide buff and Engineer offers heavy condition pressure (when using sinister specifically), vuln, might stacking, reflect on elixir, stealth… Engi is basically the jack of all trades and can fill in for missing utility based upon the party comp if needed.

Both have their niché uses however unfortunately they are often frowned upon by casual dungeon guilds and pugs who fear to fray outside of the x1 war, x1 guard, 2 ele and thief comp as often enough they don’t know what a ranger/engi can bring to the team if played well.

If I had to pick between the two I would prefer an Engineer on the team than a Ranger… but it all comes down to the player for me personally.

In PvP Engi is pretty solid playing either soldier rifle or some kind of gimmick condi spec. Ranger isn’t in the best position right now but Power survival hits pretty hard and taunt is very strong however you’re pretty easily countered and often focused.

WvW I cannot say but I would imagine Engineer would be a better choice based upon my knowledge of both classes in PvP.

Ultimately I would suggest going with Engineer, currently it is pretty solid in the 2/3 game modes (can’t say about wvw). However, that is not to say that you should remove ranger from the equation entirely. I would suggest playing both and seeing which you prefer after you’ve tried them both for a good amount of time.

Sanderinoa.8065:

Because science

I therefore see no problem

lordkrall.7241:

It was more specifically about the point that they should have added new mechanics. New mechanics takes time and resources. Something that they most like can’t (and shouldn’t) spare this close to the release of an expansion.

I’m not saying they should add completely fresh brand new mechanics specifically just for this event because yeah, that would be a major waste of time. However, I think so close to HoT they could use this opportunity to test some of the new mechanics they’ve already developed for mobs outside of the BWE e.g. mobs being able to stealth and shadow step away etc. just adaptive mechanics that they already have at their disposal.

There is no point in me complaining nor arguing anyway, it’s happened now, just gotta hope the new content is worth the wait and will finally give me (and probably so many others) something else to do other than Fractals.

lordkrall.7241:

OJM.5103:

How much game-development (or any development for that matter) have you done in your life?

Not a lot, but you can’t deny that this is any more different than for example… Orr events that we used to farm back when the game was new in 2012. You’d think by now after 3 years they’d move on from the more ‘basic’ mob and event mechanics that the game started off with would you not?

Surprised people are even motivated to partake in this event to be honest. How they still feel its fine to regurgitate this brain dead content I don’t know. Yeah they are ‘focused on HoT’ but come on man this is just beyond basic they could at least apply some new mechanics.

Personally I’d rather they didn’t release ‘new’ content at all before HoT if it’s going to be recycled event tagging like this… back to dungeons and fractals

People complain dungeon “meta” is boring yet want to camp 5 signet 1 weapon builds with absolutely no variety nor synergy.

15/10 for effort hope this is troll… I cry

God (aka Colin) heard your prayers fam

Eight Samurai.6840:

doddbox.8153:

Held off from crafting this since I saw a thread about it not working 18 months ago, some things never change apparently =/

It’s not that it doesn’t work… They purposly changed the affects on them cus the sounds were ‘annoying’ players

Nah they messed it up when they stopped people being able to aura stack. I miss my Night animations, hope they’ll come back one day

ThyShadowPaladin.9521:

Grats on full collection! Jelly

RNG Is a Cruel Mistress :S Oh shield and dagger.. where art thou..? Not alot of armor/weapon chests.. since.. I have 10+ Chars with 1-3 Full ascended sets each and full weapon sets @ 85+ AR. Also spent over 30-40k Fractal relics.

Karma gainzzz are real… wtaf gg

Jelly rn, RNjesus hates me in Fractals I probably have one of the longest ring streaks in game tbh, think I might be the unofficial mascot of the Seal of the Khan-Ur

Not sure if OP is srs or?

I honestly think from personal experience ele is in a very good place but they could do with some toning down (in PvE)… shouldn’t really complain & sound like a spoilt brat rn but damage is currently cray in PvE to the point that tours are getting insanely boring because kitten dies so fast with two steles especially in the higher dungeons.

They did however kind of mess up build variety in PvE with some of the trait changes. LH became pretty sub-optimal & extremely situational for organised groups along with D/F.

PS War had pretty much replaced ele’s original purpose of might stacking at a lesser cost so there really is/was no reason to bring LH and this update has reinforced that even more.

So you could say ele is limited in terms of build variety right now…

In regards to PvP, I think they’re in a good place. Some people may argue they’re too tanky with the diamond skin and what-not; however iirc they did go through a dry phase when condi meta kicked off and you rarely saw anyone using an ele (in my experience) so I like seeing them back being used again.

Can’t say too much about what they’re like in WvW, but I think they have always been pretty decent there anywho.

Shield can actually be clutch in some situations in PvP, people definitely take it for granted. #4 is still kitten awful but #5 can be really nice for anti-stomp, and de-capping.

In particular I think shield is fun at mid in Khylo for example; if you position the knock back right so they fall off point. Find it useful for setting up spikes as well on occasion… cheeky knock back to initiate the KO. Those are just some examples of #5 uses which people probably already know.

I do think #4 needs some major revamp though I just have no incentive to use it, yeah the protection can be beneficial to soften a blow from a spike but it needs more.

Torch #4 release DPS definitely makes up for the absolute banter of a skill that #5 is. Doubt we’ll see a re-vamp of #5 for quite a while but would be good. As people are saying – some kind of self cleanse would be nice. Honestly I never use cleansing flame for condition removal as in my opinion I think it’s such an awkward method of condition removal and I never really need that much condition cleanse anyway (talking PvE here) (& dat dps loss is too much of course)).

Meanwhile i’ll keep throwing my truck of a zealot’s flame until they make #5 worth using.

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s awful because there are many nice combinations you can make. However having a human female Guardian main I am bored of the current Fashion Wars meta choices & would like some new options for Summer 2015 fashion meta pls.

Agree, I miss my perma banner up time

Mesmer has very niche uses in daily dungeon tours that are not really ‘necessary’ for just casual daily dungeon tours where timing isn’t necessarily an issue.

Necromancer is obviously just completely non optimal for dungeons and doesn’t bring any useful utility to a party at this current stage.

Maybe you should consider creating an alt that is favored for dungeon running such as an Elementalist, Guardian, Thief, Warrior or Engineer. I don’t necessarily think it is the fact that you have a Mesmer main as it can be and often is an extremely crucial asset to the party when attempting records when played efficiently as it offers unique/niche utility – I think it is the fact that you do not have any other classes that are beneficial for dungeon which is limiting you.

Most PvE guilds prefer that you’re able to take on different roles in dungeons and play different classes based upon the scenario if required. It is often an indication of skill level and knowledge that you’re able to play multiple classes effectively rather than just being limited to one arguably in this case – situational class.

Miku Lawrence.6329:

I love it, looks like Ursanway.

Haha, good comparison!

OP x5 Guard new meta 2015

“Meta is changing at an alarming rate”

From a PvE perspective it’ll be a really nice addition to a large majority of dungeons and fractals (the quickness at least) as fury isn’t at all a problem with an organised group. I’ll still take RF however in some cases because the extra aegis can definitely save a life!

PvP though I think RF is too critical for survival especially if you’re being focused and use it at the right moment, but I guess we’ll see how it plays out.

Inb4 that CD gets nerfed into the ground though…

Awww yeeee I will be able to change my zerk gear to sinister now so that I can deal with those pesky Husks! OT… good QoL change… much needed.

Cliche… but would love to see some of the GW1 EoTN items back, e.g. dreadmask, bandana, chaos gloves… miss those skins!

“Exploit”… wat. Blinds are an efficient method of damage negation that a thief in particular offers to itself as a class and its party.

That’s like saying aegis is an exploit because it blocks an attack or reflecting is an exploit because it negates/re-directs damage, if you have the opportunity to use blinds to run something more efficiently why wouldn’t you? It’s a beneficial mechanic.

First time I’ve seen any one complain about something like this but OK… each to their own I guess.

Human master race… Anet always cater armour skins to human’s body design and everything just looks better on human and you have a lot more customisation options that fit the body design. I love my Norn but customisation is hard and stuff just looks weird. I also think Norn have really stumpy arms so stuff just looks meh… Human op.

Get full zerker! learn encounter mechanics along the way… as a guardian if you chain your aegis efficiently’, utilise blinds, reflects and dodges you’ll be fine. When I was learning guardian all those years ago (2 years trolol..) I found jumping straight into the deep end with zerker helped me in the long run. Yeah it was a bit tough at first but it’s all good practice.

Guardian has so much access to damage negation through skills and utility which is something I feel a lot of people take for granted. Why take a hit when you can dodge/blind/block/reflect it whilst dealing way more dps than you would in knights gear. Win/win

However, if you’re REALLY having a seriously problem then just run knight’s but don’t just sit and take all the hits, try and practice your aegis’, blinds, dodges etc as if you were in zerker and then gradually change your gear when you’re comfortable.

I love my Juggernaut, wouldn’t have any other hammer over it. I’m a huge fan of it’s design and the effects that come with it, for me it’s one of the few Legendary weapons that actually feels Legendary… I say go for it you won’t regret it imo.

As everyone has said – nothing really new/better alternatives available. Also, whyyyyy is any build that consists of x/x/6/6/x still being suggested as a good option in PvE by people oh lawdy.

obal.3218:

Fall of Abaddon

300%

Urgoz/Kanaxai/Shiro as boss fractal but trololol that is not gonna happen

For a start you really don’t want to use meditations in PvE as they provide no support for your group and are just generally not necessary. Litany of wrath is also not a great heal you should use shelter in pretty much all PvE situations for the block whilst healing. I would also recommend using a sword and a focus as your alternate weapon set.

Generic meta dps build for dungeons is 4/5/0/0/5 assuming you’re using GS and S/F and require utility/support for the situation. 5 in virtues gives you access to master of consecrations for consecration duration increase and cool-down decrease and absolute resolution gives you access to 3 condition removal. You want to be using (depending on the situation) utility such as retreat!, wall of reflection, purging flames, stand your ground!, hallowed ground, shield of the avenger (for fractals) etc. You want to use utility that benefits both yourself AND your party.

If you don’t require utility/support (e.g. you don’t need reflects, condition removal, stability, etc) you can trait 4/6/2/0/2 for pure DPS. Putting 6 into radiance gives you an extra 50 precision and also gives you access to either right-hand strength or perfect inscriptions for when using Bane Signet (which in this build you probably will be using Bane Signet 90% as you don’t require utility and can just focus on increasing damage).

Right-hand strength can also be overkill if you’re in a party that has banner of discipline, fury access, spotter and you’re using consumables that increase your precision because you’ll end up with over 100% critical chance which is obviously pointless.

Putting 2 into valor will also give you access to retributive armor which converts 7% of your toughness into precision. You can also swap out master of concentrations for unscathed contender which gives you a 20% dps boost whilst under the effect of aegis.

Agree with Thaddeus on runes and sigils, if you’re on a budget or feel like you won’t be able to maintain the scholar buff for fights then use ruby orbs or flame legion runes. Otherwise use scholar runes if you’re ok to spend a bit of money and feel confident that you’ll be able to keep the buff up for atleast 20-25% of the fight.

Use sigil of force and night for your weapons or sigil of XX slaying for specific dungeons if you want (i’d recommend a weapon with undead slaying for Arah or for a dungeon that you do the most). If you’re struggling to stay alive then just use a sigil of energy for the extra dodge.

You can continue using Knight’s if you’re learning but I would recommend moving over to Berserker as soon as you’re comfortable with your usage of utility, DPS rotations, etc.

Hope this is helpful.

continued…. GS and S/F you can also trait into a pure DPS build if you don’t require many reflects or support and can just steam roll everything. For this you can trait 4/6/2/0/2. 6 in radiance will give you access to either Right hand strength or perfect inscriptions if you’re using Bane Signet.

Personally I prefer perfect inscriptions as it makes Bane Signet’s passive effect (power) 20% more effective than it’s base and right handed strength can be overkill if you are using consumables that increase your critical chance or you have access to fury, spotter, banner of discipline etc.

You can put 2 into valor for retributive armor which converts 7% of your toughness into precision for more dps. In virtues you obviously have the choice of either MoC or UC, but as it’s a pure dps build your first choice would be UC. I would only recommend using this build in dungeons like AC, CoE, CoF, etc. where you don’t need much utility so you can just trait into pure dps.

I also wouldn’t suggest using those consumables you selected for PvE as they don’t increase your dps. I would suggest if you’re on a budget to go with either minotaur steaks, dragon’s breath buns, candied dragon roll. If you’re not on a budget I would suggest foods such as sweet and spicy butternut squash soup (though they are insanely priced and probably only necessary in speed runs), curry butternut squash soup, truffle steak, etc.

I would also suggest using powerful potions of XX slaying specific to the dungeon you’re doing rather than sharpening stones, or skale venom for fractals.

Sorry for the insane critque, but it’s just my (hopefully constructive) opinion. Your WvW & sPvP builds I haven’t looked at but I am curious about that spirit weapon build, could be funny.

If i’ve missed anything or said anything people don’t agree with I apologise.

Can’t agree with you on the PvE part of the thread, sorry. Rune of the traveler is a sub par choice of a rune for dungeons and you say you use it for ‘solo roam’ but when do you solo roam in dungeons? + the 25% speed increase is totally useless as you’ll normally have swiftness when with an organised group, but as you say personal choice so no judgement. (and I know from reading the post that you do WvW and do not have a separate set so fair enough). Your suggestions on ruby orbs, scholar runes are great. I’m not sure why you’ve mixed in soldier’s and valkyrie for a dps build (assuming that was a mistake). Full Berserker or Assassin’s mix is your best choice for dungeons/fractals unless you’re learning (then use knight’s gear as suggested).

The best DPS build for hammer/greatsword is 5/5/0/4/0 if you don’t require reflects/support or 3/5/0/4/2 if you do require it you can also change fiery wrath in the zeal trait line for spirit weapon mastery for some fractals that require alot of reflect e.g. bloom-hunger, shaman, molten duo. If you really wanna keep absolute resolution for condition management however, go with 3/3/0/4/4. You will lose around 10-15% dps (can’t remember the exact %) but you have that access to conditional removal if you really feel like you need it. You do want to be at least 3 points into Radiance for pretty much all content due to the minor trait ‘renewed justice’ which allows you to spam f1 (burning, retaliation, might and blind when traited) when you’re against trash mobs (which you will find a lot of in some dungeons & pretty much all fractals).

If your hammer/gs build is coming from a pug perspective then I can somewhat understand but I still don’t think you should go so deep into valor and totally ignore radiance. You have vigor access from vigorous precision which should be enough but if someone was really struggling I would just suggest an energy sigil rather than traiting more defensively and losing dps. I’d rather negate damage completely through using my dodges, blocks, reflects and blinds than tank it you’re not gonna learn any mob and boss mechanics if you just take hits all day, and you’re gonna get rekt when you move over to berserker gear because you won’t know how to negate damage as you’ve been too reliant on ‘tanking’ everything.

I wouldn’t put 6 in honor.. pure of voice shouldn’t be required in a group even if you’re pugging. If you’re using absolute resolution and purging flames you can burst 6 condition removal and even 9 if you use renewed focus to recharge your virtues so you can use virtue of resolve again. If you’re not using it then purging flames should be enough for a majority of content. You can also combo in light fields to remove conditions. I wouldn’t use SoR for general PvE as Shelter is a much more viable choice due to the block (I cannot recall how many times that block has saved me) Yes the heal is bigger but if you’re gonna get one-shot it doesn’t matter how much it heals, you could’ve just blocked the attack with shelter whilst healing. If a Guardian was just starting out and REALLY struggling I would recommend using at least one of the builds (3/3/0/4/4 build would probably be best for a beginner, although not optimal dps it’s still decent and has all the support, blinds, vigor, protection you need) and just replace the Berserker gear with Knight’s gear as you have suggested.

I’d rather use sigil of force/night on my weapons instead of a sigil of fire/air because that is an RNG based dps increase whereas with force/night sigils you have constant DPS buff. 5 of the 8 dungeons are night time so you can swap out your weapons and sigils accordingly (e.g. I have a sword & greatsword with undead slaying specifically for arah).

Your GS and S/F build is on point.

However in regards to your utility choices I would also much rather have WoR available as most dungeons have mobs/bosses with attacks you can reflect. If no reflects are required use Retreat!, Bane Signet & an optional skill depending on the encounter (e.g. Save yourselves! for PoV buff, purging flames if you need condi removal, Stand Your Ground!, Hallowed Ground if you need stability, etc.) I would also apply this to the GS/Hammer build especially in fractals when WoR is pretty much required for most encounters. Hold the line is fairly pointless in PvE for me personally for both gs, s/f and hammer/gs build (hammer/gs build you’re gonna be pumping out permanent protection anyway and the regen is just meh).

Drebi.1875:

OJM.5103:

Awesome another useless stat mix added… the only way healing builds are ever gonna be viable for PvE group situations is if they re-design every encounter in dungeons/fractals, etc. which will never happen.

Sigh

Perhaps useless now, but that could change with new content. Don’t be so hasty.

Useless for always unless they re-design the whole game’s mechanics so that Berserker becomes an inefficient gear choice for PvE content. Which I can’t see happening.

Awesome another useless stat mix added… the only way healing builds are ever gonna be viable for PvE group situations is if they re-design every encounter in dungeons/fractals, etc. which will never happen.

She isn’t even a hard encounter once you’ve learned her predictable mechanics. The loss of target isn’t exactly a game breaking issue. This is just another l2p situation sorry.

Zodiac, Lovestruck, Jade, Tribal, Peacekeeper and Arthropdoa are all pretty massive.

Still no chest, meta was completed weeks ago. Desolation. I know rewards aren’t out until June 3rd… but hopefully it’ll get sorted before then!

Having the same problem… EU, transferred server week before tournament started.

+1 would be amazing..