Guild Wars 2

I have one for condition (sword/torch), one for magic find, and my default (tank/support) one so far. I’m missing a raw power/precision one for greatsword, but not really worried about it.

Impressive ranged damage is a pretty funny thing to pin on the guardian.

Bloody Zac.8960:

Story mode CM gives you a TON of experience. Almost an entire level.

I had assumed it was that kind of player, thanks for the confirmation :P

Personally, you have to do the dungeon enough in explore mode to get the tokens to buy the armor. I’d go mad if that’s all I did to level as well.

It sounds more like you found something you’re good at :P

Pretty much what I shot for is defensive/tank with support/healing capacity, as much as we can. I went full honor/valor and 10 radiance (for the signet cooldown reduction on my heal). I use primarily meditations (contemplation, smite condition) alongside one consecration (purging flames) and the tome of courage. I’m in full cleric with mace/shield as my primary and staff as my backup/support weapon.

My job is basically at the front of the line dropping the mace symbol and trying to stay in it and keep myself and anyone brave enough to join me alive until whatever we’re fighting is dead. Occasionally I will fall back and pull out staff #4 to help out with damage, when I can. It works out pretty well for me.

All that being said, I’ve never understood why farming the STORY mode is so popular.

I second cleric, though I use a defensive/support build which is buffed tremendously by it.

What the guardian does for you depends on how you build it. It’s capable of a bunch of different options, including the ability to do high dps, survive attacks that would down others, and actively support armies on the battlefield. It typically can’t do all of those at once, however.

Burning does more damage than the other dots (until bleeding is stacked high) by default. It also gets more contribution from +condition than bleeding (again until stacked) or poison (because of the heal debuff).

Yes it is easier to strip, but again it does more damage right off the bat so it is actually more quickly lethal than the other two dots. Actually it’s debatable even as to the stripping issue, if you consider losing 15 stacks of bleeding and having to build up to it vs losing burning and then applying it again.

Daboris.6730:

I actually have only been using the signet for the sole purpose of the 10s condition removal, hoping it works with the “Purity” socketed trait, which I don’t know if it’s true as they may share a CD (anyone confirm/deny this?). Otherwise, once I get back into dungeons, I can find myself with the block/heal on more often, as 2 seconds of infinite aegis…wait, let me see if anyone can answer this:

-Shelter: Blocks attack while healing.
NOW: There are many traits and such that say burn when blocking (Defender’s Flame), gain might when blocking (Might of the Protector). Then there are also those that say “when aegis is removed”. Do these apply when blocking with shelter, or is that different (for both cases)? I didn’t even notice if that applies…if so, that makes Shelter MUCH more useful as a whole.

Very good questions. I have definitely seen two conditions drop passively at the same time when under pressure due to the trait + signet, so I know that works.

As for the second, I’m not sure. I would assume that ‘while blocking’ applies to the heal, but that isn’t ‘aegis’ you get so any ‘removal of aegis’ shouldn’t. Though the game might treat any blocking as aegis, I don’t really know.

The shield is the only one I’ve really bothered to make an effort to use often. I have the trait in the healing line that grants my regeneration to everyone around me so I’ll never be activating that.

Depends how many signets you run. Though I don’t think it improves the passive from resolve at all (pity).

I use the signet in solo/pve content, but prefer healing breeze for staff/support play in WvW. The block one would actually be my default heal if I wasn’t more concerned with conditions (and I’m not quick enough to think of switching it out on a fight per fight basis – which a better player than me would do).

So I actually think it’s fine. They all have uses.

Can’t imagine it would triple the effect.

The Anarchist.8234:

Honestly I think it depends a bit on how you set up your guardian. My guardian has maxed out toughness traits, maxed power traits (with the GS attack heal trait) full set of superior rune of guardian, and a GS with +toughness and +healing power mods. His utility skills are the signets that buff power, reduce incoming damage, and increase healing, and Hounds of Balthazar to draw attention away at bad times. Against pure damage, I have to actively try to die, but the moment conditions are slapped on me, I drop faster than a thief trying to tank.

And that’s why I go with honor and valor lines with a mace/shield and 3 condition removal utilities along side the healing signet and the condition removal passive trait.

I’m pretty much unkillable unless I don’t move when I’m supposed to. Giving me a warrior’s health would mean I don’t even have to move, ever.

If the staff did a significant amount of dps alongside the great support it brings, it would be the only weapon anyone would use.

Staves are fine as is. If you don’t like them, don’t use them. Their role is VERY solid.

At 80 I’ve played it more than any other class, thanks. You seriously don’t understand sword at all. The third hit of #1 hits 3 times. This means every cycle of #1 causes a burn unlike the greatsword. Sure the greatsword can whirl burn…if you drop purging flames (but then we’re not talking about just the greatsword are we).

Sword/Torch stacks burning more than any other combination in the guardian’s arsenal. Greatsword is decent with power, but it is NOT a condition weapon.

My guardian only got stronger and stronger, but I also drifted more towards defense and support. I definitely prefer that to the offensive guardians I see everywhere. Yea they can do the job (though I still believe sword/torch is superior to the greatswords I see everywhere), but I think the class really shines at defense.

There is nothing quite like being in melee with a champion mob and seeing everyone around you on the ground while you’re still standing, and quickly recovering all your health back.

Me, Shimond Elessar. This is the cheapo karma suit from the last two Orr zones.

Svarty.8019:

In 1v1 maybe, but in WvWvW it’s not that hot. Lots more debuffs will come along before the cooldown ends.

Contemplation of Purity, being also a stun break, is the ultimate ‘oh $#@%’ move. It is not meant to be your go to condition remover.

We have PLENTY of those. Truly, conditions are the bottom of the risks a guardian faces if you set it up right.

I always assumed the reaper replaced your weapon bar with its own skillset, which didn’t appeal to me nearly as much as the skillset that tome of courage grants.

eh it’s up to the devs, I just don’t see them making a change like that. It isn’t needed. If you want a blast finisher that’s what the hammer is for.

Evangeline.8197:

You can’t escape conditional damage from relying on the trait. bleed is reapplied from pistols as a normal attack and conditional damage by-passes toughness and deals direct damage making it draining on a class with low max hp.

Yes they have plenty of ways to remove conditional damage (requiring specific traits) but it’s still their bane due to the low hp (the main issue here). You can block massive spikes but you can’t block continuous bleed, you can remove it a few time but when it comes from normal attacks it will severely hampen your survival rate.

For the record I do main guardian so i’m fully aware of how tough it is to even take one down(seriously it’s a lot of effort) still the main reason I die is to the continuous conditional damage like poison and bleed.

It could just be the way I run (all three utilities remove conditions as does my signet heal passive and another passive trait) but I’ve never found conditions to be a problem except when I’m just up against overwhelming odds. The trick with bleeds is to let it stack up a bit before cleansing them, as they do pitiful damage initially. Poison also is manageable for the most part though cleasing it before using a big heal is necessary. Burning is the one you need to remove asap, and of course any kind of output impacting ones like weakness.

ShadowbaneX.6273:

Shimond.2478:

Smite Condition is absolutely fine as is. Amazing skill.

Yeah, and? I’m not saying it’s a bad skill, I’m saying (especially after seeing Arcane Wave) that it should be a Blast Combo Finisher. It changes nothing about the skill, just adds to it.

And we don’t need buffs ‘just cause’. Pick something that actually needs work if you’re going to have them spend time on the class. They’re not just going to say ‘oh yea lets just make that a blast finisher for the hell of it’.

In fact, are ANY utility skills for us finishers? I know elementalists get some from arcane. Doesn’t seem like our thing.

Just craft or get crafted a suit of cleric. It’s 25% toughness, 25% power, 50% healing.

Transmute to something prettier.

SirMoogie.9263:

Evangeline.8197:

While I agree they do have rather low hp for a melee based class guardians still have a rather high survivability rate already. The thing that bugs me the most is the fact that Conditional damage is super effective against a Guardian comparative to every other class.

But few classes come close to the guardian when it comes to condition removal:

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Condition#Skills_that_remove_conditions

Yea conditions aren’t our bane, at all. If anything it’d be spike damage but toughness and regen (and getting the hell out of there) is the way you handle that.

Tome of Courage is incredible, actually. Could be the best elite in the game.

Arken.3725:

First and foremost, aegis and resolve don’t make up for more than an 8k loss in health compared to the warrior. one miss doesn’t justify it.

It absolutely does.

Smite Condition is absolutely fine as is. Amazing skill.

Stack toughness and healing with condition removals for your utility and you are incredibly hard to kill. Vitality/health is not the be all/end all.

Also, you will still be one shot by avoidable mechanics regardless, this is intentional.

Mightylink.3816:

Indeed which is why every guardian in the game is wielding one, compared to every other weapon its the holy grail of guardians, all 5 skills do damage, all 5 skills cause conditions, vs every other weapon only having some damage skills and some condition skills, makes wielding anything else besides the greatsword pointless.

What in the world are you talking about?

All 5 skills on the greatsword do NOT cause conditions. By itself, in fact, the greatsword causes LESS conditions than the sword (because the sword #1 hits faster which means more burning, and has blind on #2). Also sword/torch does damage with all 5 moves as well.

Sounds to me like you’re blind to what this class has beyond greatsword. It’s mandatory…TO YOU.

PessimiStick.7520:

Not being able to move during Staff 4 is my biggest gripe with the weapon. I’d love to actually use the heal + might in dungeons, but if I try to actually cast it I just get murderfaced by all the mobs that I was kiting.

So drop the wall first? I haven’t ever had a problem getting off the #4 ability.

Focus is probably better until you can get the 90 toughness shield trait. At that point at least for me shield pulls ahead (especially with today’s buff).

“there is NO REWARD for healing.” That’s the main problem with the post, as you can’t heal 24/7 as a guardian because of cooldowns. Not to mention one great source of our heals (symbols) also does damage when placed on enemy targets.

I think this is a learn to play issue if you’re having problems getting a gold in events. It sounds to me like you’re sitting around doing nothing but waiting for the very few actual heal spells we have to be off cooldown. You should be doing a WHOLE LOT MORE as a guardian. Support is not ‘just heal’.

Esorono.1039:

Weapon traits that reduce cooldown and something else are being merged often, I’m pretty sure over time all of them will be.

I think that’s probably fair, as there seems to be a lot of traits and having to decide on which, or take both, wasn’t a particularly fun choice to make. Personally, I always went with toughness.

Passive regen and Aegis is why. We are far more defensive and tanky than a warrior.

Interesting, didn’t even think we needed the shield buff but I’ll take it.

I typically do Zeal and Valor concentrating on Power and Precision with meditations that remove conditions for my utilities. I feel like the greatsword does sufficient damage for my needs to not need to do two fully offensive trait lines like some, but I’ve always been more defensive minded on the guardian in general.

Zizi.7860:

I am well aware how Aegis works, thanks. I’m also aware that it far and away is completely wasted on auto attacks and there are at LEAST 3 better ways to actively block attacks than active Aegis, which is the only way to use it effectively. Focus lets you block multiple times, The block heal (while not the best heal to slot) lets you block for a full two seconds, giving you a longer window, Sheild’s 5-skill interrupts and pushes back, giving you basically the same effect, Mace 3 both blocks and counters… arguably GS’s 4 and sword’s 2 both blind to the same effect.

Additionally, if you are taking advantage of Guardian’s advantages, you’re rarely engaging ONE opponent, and an autoattack from anything strips Aegis right back off.

Sure, you can come up with specific times when a well-timed block is lifesaving, like against a champion, and Aegis’ active does okay there. The point is that most of the time it’s not much of an advantage at all for something that’s supposed to be a major class mechanic.

Compared to the other two virtues it’s absolutely fine. You passively get to completely avoid a hit, and can give the party the ability to actively avoid one hit.

You claim to know how this works but you’re really showing that you don’t. Of course it isn’t going to be as good as a utility or weapon skill, NONE of our virtues are. They are nice passive effects with a useful active effect.

albotelho.2931:

Tome of Courage is ok, I agree that we could get a protective shield or something like that while using it, but I like it anyway.

Just run with a stability utility if that’s a concern. Stability + #5 and you’re an unstoppable lifesaver, literally.

Arken.3725:

By doing that you sacrifice health and toughness. Since the Guardians health is already one of the lowest, it’s very hard to justify it.

The cleric set I use is toughness, power and healing. It’s plenty, I’m pretty close to immortal with my 3 condition removal utilities and the signet of resolve.

With toughness, spike damage becomes a non issue (save boss encounters) and with our natural regen plus mace #2 you have plenty of recovery between hits.

I would suggest those that find justice or resolve to be ‘weak’ to invest in some +condition and/or +healing gear. You will notice the difference.

And for the ‘change aegis’ guy, you don’t really know how it works. It completely blocks any attack (and any condition with that attack). Aegis is incredibly powerful, in truth. Giving it a damage absorb instead would be a nerf.

Yea they work together, I run them both and routinely see (when fighting nasties in Orr that stack a ton of conditions on you) two removed at a time together.

I have used both shout and meditation builds to great effect in pve/pvp. I’m not sold on consecrations because of the mobility issues (though I typically keep purging flames as an extra condition remover in my meditation build).

I do agree with your weapon choices at least, I run mace/shield and staff.

Torch #5 can however trigger our virtue (or stack it onto existing burning) because of how many times it hits in the channel. Part of the reason sword/torch works great with a condition setup.

Staff is excellent for what it does. I think you have a misconception of what it should be (the tome of wrath). It’s the ultimate support weapon for our class and can be a battle changer in larger fights (forcing people to use stability just to get in range…and not have it available to actually do damage).

Any of those extra effects are when you press/activate the virtue only, I believe.

Depends on what you’re wanting to do, really. You have different kinds of pve options – damage, support/harass, tank, etc.

I typically run a full cleric (25% power, 25% toughness, 50% healing) suit with 30 honor/valor and 10 radiance for pve and mace/shield with a staff backup. I kill pretty slow but I just about cannot be killed. Mace/shield for tanking and staff for support/travel.

Good with a sword/torch build since you’re consistently setting the target on fire.

It modifies your burning damage, not your weapon damage vs mobs with conditions.

Since of the three dots, burning gets increased the most from condition damage (because it does not stack intensity and has no side effect), condition damage is very good for guardians. Particularly if you go sword/torch/radiance.

The staff is our ultimate support weapon. It’s completely fine as is. Trying to shoehorn it into another use is a bad idea IMO.