Guild Wars 2

Howdy again!

After being gone for the last several months, I’m trying to get back into the game and was wondering, with the new changes, are there any viable builds that focus on the SB for WvW or PvP? I saw one awhile back that was a hybrid version using mostly celestial gear and tried to balance raw damage with conditions. Not so sure how that would work…

As I have always played some variant of the power ranger, I thought it would be fun to try our a more condition build that has decent survival skills. I’ve tried an all melee build and just didn’t care for it all that much. For me, a “ranger” just needs to use a bow…

Any suggestions?

Pnoi.8903:

Plus Rangers are like at the bottom of the totem pole… Soooo you already have the advantage, if you’re not playing ranger vs a ranger

This is kinda sad but true I’m afraid. I love my power ranger and do fairly well with her but if I make one mistake, it’s pretty much over. I’ve recently changed up my build a bit more to add some survivability but those conditions are a real pain.

About the pets – I tend to use a bird (eagle, crow, owl, etc.) as my DPS pet because of their mobility speed and how low their CD is on their burst. A bird can easily chase down and trash most “squishy” players especially if using some of our speed boost skills.

What is also sad (and perhaps this is just me) is that I’ve found my PU/shatter mesmer is able to dish out more sustained damage on a target than my glass cannon power ranger. I tested this on the jungle dragon at the end of season 2 and couldn’t believe it.

Howdy folks!

My old mesmer was my first and favorite character in GW2 but for many reasons, I left the game. I recently logged back in the other night and rank a few PvP matches with a zerker PU/shatter build and was amazed on how much fun the build is these days. The pure amount of blinds you can stack on someone is freaking amazing. For a brief moment, I actually felt sorry for this one thief… (very brief moment).

Anyways, has the build/class really been improved that much over the last few months? Is is more viable now in WvW? As a note, I’m running with traveler’s runes as I just hate the lack of mobility without them.

Folks, while I think the thief class has many problems, it’s still very effective in many cases.

I have been playing a hybrid/celestial P/D build for ages now and it works great in “most” situations. The build is designed to be a skirmishing thief where you combine raw power with conditions with a focus on sustain. While I can’t burst folks, I can typically outlast them. In cases where I know I won’t win, it’s easy to stealth away and reset the fight to my liking.

This build is not, and will never be “meta” but it works well for me.

I was wondering the same thing. We’ve not see much of anything yet in this area.

With the expansion coming out soon, has Anet said if there will be additional character customization options yet? I’m hoping there will be much more in the way of hair styles, facial options, etc.

Sorry if this has been answered already as I’ve been away for about 3 months now and not been keeping up on everything.

The reason it was so amazing (for me) was that it could be used so well in both PvP and PvE. All that AoE damage made the build, as limited as it was, a decent damage dealer and pretty darn fun to play, nevermind the RP aspects…

It’s sad to see that they don’t listed to the players as I’ve not heard any thief asking for it to be removed.

Folks, I’ve been away from GW2 since the drama over the release of the Xpack. We learned back then that ricochet was being taken out of the game which killed my favorite P/P build. Those two things pretty much were the events which caused me to go play AA instead.

Since the time that’s passed, has there been any word if ricochet will be restored? Has there been any significant improvement to the P/P gameplay to make it more viable?

Thanks!

I quit playing GW2 with the issues around the cost of the expansion. After reading that Anet has now killed all viability of my favorite class/build, I have absolutely no plans of returning to the game now.

Looks like I’ll be playing another MMO then. Heck, the new Xpack for SWTOR looks decent.

So we only get the extra character slot if we pre-order? Seriously? So… I can’t wait till it comes out and find out if it’s worth the money?

It’s funny because I remember a U.S. Congresswomen saying that "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it….”

I guess we have to buy the game to find out what’s in it too…

The fact that they are pushing us to pre-order for that extra character slot really bothers me. So if we wait until it comes out and take a while to check the reviews, we are back in the same position we were. Pretty darn upsetting.

HoT: The expansion that killed the game.

GW2: August 28, 2012 – June 2015. RIP.

piko.4289:

maybe they need to get the achievement to claim the title “Worst Company” same as EA ?

*achievement unlocked

I think that was Forbes that gave them that, right? I remember when ME:3 tanked and the outcry from the fans drove their stock value into the toilet almost over night.

Folks, another thing to think about which will get their attention is if you currently do not plan to by the expansion or are upset at the current product they want to sell you, avoid logging into the game itself. By so doing, they will see exactly how much of an impact the base fans make.

After rethinking about my post a few minutes ago, I’m just going to walk away from GW2 all together. I’ll keep watching official information releases to see if Anet changes things for their veteran players but considering what we’ve seen so far, I think GW2 has done what so many other MMO’s before it have done – forgot their core players.

/farewell

Just to add my 2 cents…

I’ve been playing since shortly after release and have felt since that day that GW2 is the best MMO on the market. I honestly have not been that impressed with what we’ve seen so far with the Xpack and wasn’t convinced I would buy it unless the price + available content was worth it. Considering what I paid for the original game, this Xpack is grossly over-priced.

When you consider that such games like Black Desert are likely to come to the US/EU next year, why would I pay $50 for this Xpack when other games offer more and cost less?

Ok, this may be a stupid question as I’ve not played an engi in ages but what’s the point of dropping a turret only to instantly destroy it? Isn’t their passive damage far greater?

Also… that rifle looks amazing. Too bad it such a pain to craft.

Sir Vincent III.1286:

Here’s a P/P Hybrid build where you’ll never ran out of dodges and evades — and no pathetic hiding in stealth either.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fZAQRAqa6al0Mp2pNPx3JsPNRVBx1g9uCnIDd/gdGAA-TFSEABJt/ApKBFR/AAm/AS5XMq/YwJBwhnAApAgYYF-w

I’d love to see this in action. Do you have any videos of you playing this in WvW?

Xtinct.7031:

Cele or Cele/Mix with full SA may not be as viable post-HoT

Why won’t it be viable anymore? I’ve built this character around the celestial concept and have been playing it for about a year now.

Howdy folks! This thread is also listed in the Thief folder but I figured I should drop it here so that others who don’t play a Thief can give me their advice as well.

I have been playing a thief for ages now but I’m always working to try and find a better way to improve my build. I love the P/D play style as it gives me the ability to escape should I really screw things up. However, I tend to like a more hybrid approach to the build using both conditions and direct damage. For the longest time, I ran celestial + traveler’s runes but I’m recently rethinking this idea some. This build listed below has more of a focus on power but still maintaining the condition aspect as well. Can you please look at the armor combination and let me know what you think? I have created this based upon the gear I actually have ATM.

Base Stats:

Power: 1600
Condition Damage: 1155
Armor: 2908
Health: 14,375
Crit : 35
Crit Damage: 167%

Celestial Hybrid P/D

@ Snips,

I am willing to help. I currently have several characters, each with a rather distinctive look to each. Please send me a PM with what you are exactly looking for. I have some experience doing something similar for WoW.

Quinci.5968:

Most important question here is what content this is for. Open world pve, dungeons, wvw, pvp, etc.

I apologize, I should have mentioned that in the start. This build is only for WvW. I have a slightly different approach on PvP.

Hello everyone!

I have been playing a thief for ages now but I’m always working to try and find a better way to improve my build. I love the P/D play style as it gives me the ability to escape should I really screw things up. However, I tend to like a more hybrid approach to the build using both conditions and direct damage. For the longest time, I ran celestial + traveler’s runes but I’m recently rethinking this idea some. This build listed below has more of a focus on power but still maintaining the condition aspect as well. Can you please look at the armor combination and let me know what you think? I have created this based upon the gear I actually have ATM.

Base Stats:

Power: 1600
Condition Damage: 1155
Armor: 2908
Health: 14,375
Crit : 35
Crit Damage: 167%

Celestial Hybrid P/D

Simple answer – Too man zergs now. Back when I joined, WvW was fun because you could go from duel to duel all day long. These days, you can’t roam around w/o running into the zerg train.

Just not fun getting 20+ folks attacking you.

Have you thought of a P/D thief? There are 2 vairations that you might want to consider:

1. P/D Condition/Hybrid: This build has a crap ton of sustain and was built for scrimmaging in WvW. It’s decent enough in PvP but pretty much sucks in PvE. I’ll post the link below.

2. P/D Burst: This uses almost the same stats but is more on a burst damage concept. It’s pretty fun in most aspects of the game but can be squishy if you don’t time your

P/D Condition Hybrid

P/D Burst

BattleCat.2098:

My question is simple: Do you want a main because YOU want one, or because “everyone else” wants one?

That’s a great question! In all my time playing MMO’s (few years…) I have always just had 1 character and an alt for when my guild needed an extra healer. I a HUGE RP fan so I try to find a class I love playing and then build my RP story around that specific character. I don’t much care what others are doing so that’s why I do not really subscribe to the whole “meta” concept.

BattleCat.2098:

All in all, do what YOU want, not what everyone else wants you to do. You are the one who needs to enjoy your playstyle, so kitten everyone else’s opinion on what to do.

That’s the main problem I have. I think just about every class is fun to play. Unlike every other MMO I’ve played, all classes in GW2 have a place where they fit in and all are viable. Trying to simply pick 1 to focus on is a beast. Perhaps I should get drunk and see which one is more fun that way…

I should probably mention that if you have some wacky build that you like, please lemme know! I don’t like to follow the “meta” builds as everyone just expects that’s what you’ll play. It’s good to not be predictable.

Hello everyone! I need some serious help (probably in more ways then one…)

I’ve been playing GW2 since a few months after release and it has remained my favorite MMO I’ve ever played. That, in itself, is probably the problem I’m having. I currently have an 80 Thief, Guardian, Ranger, Warrior, and D/D Ele that I play all the time and really enjoy them all (except the Warrior – not a fan of the GS/H build I have on her). Where I would REALLY like some help is trying to pick a main class/build that will become my “main” character. I see so many folks that have “their” character they play and they specialize in it. In the end, they are experts in that that character. For me, I’m “decent” in all of them but not great in any single one. I’ve simply never been able to focus on 1 and make it my own. UGH!!!

MY BASIC INTEREST:

I don’t do dungeons as I simply get bored (ADD perhaps). Most of my time is balanced between PvP and WvW though I will run the main story content from time to time. Regardless, I like playing 1 or 2 builds in whatever content I chose to do w/o too much changing around. Again, I’m trying to master a specific style of play.

PLAYSTYLE:

In all of my characters, I’ve created builds that bunker, heavy condition, confusion, hybrids, and full zerker. Regardless of the character, I’ve come to really not enjoy the condition play style as it’s just too slow for my taste. With that being said, I love the fast-paced, high-mobility style that just gives you rush of adrenaline when playing! Yeah, I’m an adrenaline junkie… Anyways, you would think that a glass build would be perfect but from what I’ve experienced, if I make 1 simple mistake I get completely crushed by some jerk who dances over my corpse and sends me messages on how much I suck at life (ok, that’s a bit over-dramatic…). The other HUGE requirement is that if I get into a real “crap storm,” it would be nice to have something, a skill or simple mobility, that can help me escape. I’m so overly competitive that I get kittened when I lose. /shrug

Anyways, I know I’m probably not making much sense here (lack of caffeine) but I’d LOVE to get some suggestions from you all on what I should try working on. I’ll list below what I’m pretty good with and what I truly hate.

AS ALWAYS, THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!

CLASS/BUILDS I LIKE (Mostly):

Thief: P/D + SB (zerker w/ traveler runes).

Guardian: S/GS or Scepter/H Medi (Just sucks for roaming though… /cry)

Warrior: S/SH + GS or Hambow (kinda predictable though)

D/D Ele: Running almost full celestial but it just doesn’t hit all that hard. Using the tPvP meta but perhaps I need to change things some? Pretty new to this class but like it so far.

Ranger: LB/GS glass (Pew pew is fun but kitten if I screw up once, I die in seconds)

Engi: I’m not smart enough to play this class. Perhaps if they explain it using flash cards and crayons?

Necro: Too slow. The death and destruction is nice though…

Ok, this is really more of a joke but as someone who once played a turret engi, this was just too funny to now share with you all!

How to PvP as a Turret Engi

Not that most people would ever suggest this but for a zerg, the P/P ricochet build can be pretty fun and do lots of damage. Take a look at the P/P build in my signature as that’s what I often run if I’m hanging with the zerg.

Do we know anything yet about the rifle abilities?

Awhile back (several months) there was a thread posted for a P/P build that was specifically designed for PvE. This build maintained the initiative by swapping to another set of P/P, dodge, and then back again. The end result was that during a boss fight, you pretty much never ran out of initiative. With the flame bursts, the end result was a ton of damage!

Do any of you remember seeing such a build or know what I’m talking about?

Kraljevo.2801:

Something like this ?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJAodhcMKc24wzBd0AaAGxUwGYcAYBcAL+DmBA-T1RHABVs/QAnAA30Dwo6P3pEEgHAwRK/IFAMjtA-w

Signet condition builds are also really strong in 1v1’s, better than diamond skin builds imo.

You don’t by chance have a video of how this build is played do you? I’ve actually never used the focus before and not really how such a rotation would work.

Vaanss, Anet recently took a poll of 2000 random players and asked about class balance and OP problems. 40% of those that responded said the warrior class needed buffs. 90% said you were just too OP and should you keep posting your vids, other warriors would learn your skills and destroy the game…

;)

trooper.2650:

Ever wondered how it feels like reflecting rangers rapid fire? Try this

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fhAQNAR8dlknpGtlpxRNcrNipxcyqWi0BkQDlskxB-TZBEABGcBAwuMAAHBACeIA3t/AA

It’s my main build and does wonders. Actually, I wanted to write a guide about it. Maybe one day.. who knows. For now I am just collecting vids

I’d actually really like to read this guide and see your vids. I’ve never been much good with the focus outside of a zerg so this would be a great benefit.

Sadly, I have to agree with most of what you’re saying here. I feel like a freaking unstoppable beast when in PvE or with a zerg. When I try to solo roam, well, it doesn’t usually end well.

I was playing on my shatter mesmer the other day and ran into a guard solo roaming. I actually felt bad for the guy.

zitounae.4803:

S i would probably go for signet gm and add fire signet instead of teleport, or go 2 pts in fire for burn on crit.

I went back and made the changes you suggested and will try this out later this evening. I ran a similar build long, long time ago with all condi gear and perplexity runes. It felt pretty OP at the time but the mobility sucked. If I was in a decent fight and a zerg came over the hill, there was no way I would be able to escape.

I figured with all the gear I’ve collected, I should probably have an alternate build to play around with.

Hello again everyone!

After hitting 80 last night and getting a set of celestial gear, I started playing around with the idea of creating a more “hybrid” concept mainly because it’s something that nobody would likely expect. I’ve played around with a few times now and it’s kinda saw how fast it will drop “squishy” classes like thieves. Again, while it’s using the actual gear I have, I’m not sure the traits are balanced enough yet.

Can you all take a moment to look at this and pick out things that just don’t look right to you?

[D/D Hybrid Conditions]

As always, thanks for your thoughts. I learn a ton from you all every time I come to the forums!

-Lexi

Just to make sure I read these comments right, you all recommend taking pack over hoelbrak/strength runes? Am I missing something here by thinking that might stacking was our primary objective in a fight?

Lakhitia.2369:

Sigrid being all mystical.

That’s a pretty amazing shot there.

Waisenpai.6028:

Technically ele have no direct 1v1 counter.. .

I’ve noticed that. I had a duel against a D/D ele friend of mine and he took down my mesmer, thief, warrior, guard, etc. The only class I did somewhat decent with was the guard but that was because he didn’t use an elite and I think he was making a sandwich at the time. I’ve heard that a P/D confusion thief should do better against he D/D/ ele though.

Waisenpai.6028:

Ands ps use the Conquest meta and not the WvW meta for D/D . That meta is older… prior nerfs… .

Stupid question but what do you mean, “Conquest meta?”

Yeah.. I’m back theorycrafting again…

I read on a few threads below about the “shout DPS” idea and thought I would mess around with a build for a few moments and see what you all think. I used to run a condition shout in WvW but to be honest, it got really boring.

I’m also not sold on the GS+H build idea yet because it’s so freaking common but here is what I’m looking at so far: [DPS Shout]

The nice part of the build is even without using ascended armor/weapons, you still end up with over 2.3K power, 2.9K armor, and 22K health.

Iris Ng.9845:

D/x thieves have zero chance to kill a D/D cele. S/D thief needs to be really patient to wear you down. For P/D thief, it’s the matter of kiting and playing defensively around your points. It’s not a good idea trying to catch a P/D in a 1v1.

For necro and ranger, you need to stay on their melee range almost at all time and play aggressively. For Lich Form, immobilize and stay at their back, or blind them, or CC, or use focus if you really want to do a 1v1.

Thanks for the very well explained answer to my question! I remember running into D/D thieves back in the day and always thought they were pretty easy to kill. With the massive amount of LB rangers in WvW, I hate it when they are in a position where I can’t readily gap close on them.

Just an update -

I was playing out the meta celestial D/D Ele last night in PvP and 1v1 or 1v2 duels resulted in the Ele being impressively survivable. I did run into problems with power Necro’s and LB Rangers. In the case of the Necro, I was just dumb enough not to move out of his range and wait for the demon form to wear off. As for the Ranger, they would often get into positions where I couldn’t easily teleport to.

Just wondering though, have ya’ll found the S/D Thieves to be trouble? I’ve ran into several D/D or P/D Thieves in PvP but not seen the S/D build that much.

King Noob IV.3560:

can’t they’re top 3 best duelist in the game

I’m sorry but where are you getting that from? I have a medi Guard as an alt and a good thief should be able to take them down w/o too much trouble. The problem with them is that their movement skills are rather predictable and it’s easy to kite them around.

I actually got so frustrated with my Guard that I started playing a S/D Thief instead. Even if the Guard you’re fighting is highly skilled, you can always stealth and run away.

Turk.5460:

Watch Beyond B’s video of roaming in WvW as S/D.

I found his vids on YouTube and have been trying to learn what tricks he’s using. My concern is NOT be the guy that is just spamming a skill without and clear reason or plan behind it. Right now, I feel like I’m not really controlling the fight but that’s because it’s so new to me.

I was wondering though, do you all see this build as having trouble with against a D/D Ele? I was dueling one the other day and it pretty much felt like he was just toying around with me. Ya’ll know that situation where the cat plays around with the mouse he caught before he finally get’s bored and kills it? Yeah… that’s kind of how I felt.

Um.. I had a Thief kill my shout Guardian by using a SB. I cried and almost deleted the character…

SB has some amazing blast finishers so who know what’s that Engi was thinking.

skullmount.1758:

RoseofGilead.8907:

No, you can’t transfer characters or any items that are account bound or soul bound. You’d have to level a character on your new account to 80.

And unlock everything (skins/ap/etc) again. Thats the only reason I don’t really want a second account.

Yeah, I’m starting to not see the appeal so much anymore. The main reason I wanted one is that I really wanted to try out the revenant w/o buying a new character slot. I’ve been using my current account since shortly after release and so it’s got TONS of junk on it now.

Axyl.9408:

As for burst, S/D is on the lower end of the spectrum, just because it doesn’t have damage like backstab does.

I actually used to play a D/D build on my Thief but I felt it was just too dependent upon stealth to survive. That, and if you’re using the heal that brings you into stealth, it’s really easy for someone with a brain to interrupt it.

This S/D build looks to have a very fast-paced play style which is exactly what I like. It’s also nice to control the fight.

I had been leveling a D/D Ele as well but after watching a S/D Thief tear through a havoc group yesterday, I started to reconsider my options more.

If you own two accounts, can I transfer one of my 80’s to my new account and use her as my farming character?