DPS Spellbreaker

December 2022

Spellbreaker is a strong damage profession in WvW, however it functions best in battles smaller than 30v30. In larger scale fights, it’s recommended to play the offensive support spellbreaker build instead.  However, in the right situations this build does provide large amounts of burst, cleave damage as well as boon removal and soft/hard crowd control.

Build Fundamentals

This build utilizes powerful synergies between crowd control weapon skills, spellbreaker traits and utilities in addition to sigils to produce excellent boon pressure, damage and survivability.

You will usually be trying to always remove boons mostly after you cast your Winds of Disenchantment, followed by damage if the situation allows. Placing Winds of Disenchantment  early in the fight is valuable so that you can focus on doing damage for the rest of the fight.  All warriors should use Winds of Disenchantment (often referred to as ‘bubble’ or ‘winds’ in WvW) in a pre-determined order to avoid wasting this powerful cooldown. Using Balanced Stance before your bubble will help you cast the bubble without interruption, it also allows you to take less damage as you cannot be critically hit by any attack.  Make sure you set up a bubble rotation with other warriors, and try to be number 1 for maximum greed!

If you wish to bubble offensively you can do this by using greatsword mobility skills whilst going through a Veil for stealth. Using Winds of Disenchantment while starting on hammer does allow for a better rotation of control skills directly into swapping to greatsword for damage – keep in mind though you will have less mobility on hammer and without stealth you run the risk of being obvious making you an easy target.

With all that being said you tend to use bubble defensively with hammer out as the enemy pushes into your squad. Your greatsword burst will mostly be used when you do not need to focus on correctly landing Winds of Disenchantment.

Your other key boon removal will be from Break Enchantments and activating Enchantment Collapse. You should use Break Enchantments off cooldown when in range of enemy players.

This build has great access to soft and hard crowd control:

Knockbacks & Knockdowns:

• Staggering Blow
• Backbreaker

Stuns & Dazes:

• Earthshaker
• Full Counter

Soft Crowd Control:

• Bladetrail
• Hammer Shock
• Fierce Blow

Whilst good on their own these abilities are significantly empowered thanks to spellbreaker traits! No Escape causes all stuns and dazes to also immobilize targets for 1 second which can be devastating in the right moment and Enchantment Collapse causes all hard crowd control to remove a boon, which in turn will activate Loss Aversion and Enchantment Collapse for even more boon removal! This turns full counter into a powerful offensive tool as well as a defensive one especially as it will reset the cooldown on your burst skills because of Attacker's Insight!

This build relies on being in the melee range of the enemy most of the fight, which is why it begins to fall off in larger numbers. If you are playing with a group that relies more on ranged play, this build will not be very effective.

Correct rotation and timing of skills is very important (read your skills!) and if you get it wrong, your boon strip and effectiveness will suffer.

Main Priorities

Staying alive is the most important priority.  This can be achieved by dodging, blocking, using your heal and positioning.  You will also rely on your party to assist you with this, be it receiving superspeed, heals and cleanses.

Outside of survival your priorities are as follows:

1. Boon removal
2. Crowd control
3. Damage output

The order of these priorities can vary of course but this is the preferred order!

Weapon Skills

Many of your weapon skills have strong utility and have relatively short cool downs. Timing is key when to use them and understanding how to use them effectively will help you.  Here are a few examples,

Hammer Shock High damage wave that cripples 5 targets, perfect to slow and damage enemies while racking up that adrenaline from 600 range!.

Staggering Blow Push back enemies and knock them down whilst removing boons, Not the best skill to use in bombs as you don’t want to knock them out of damage.

Fierce Blow  Should be used after crowd control for maximum damage and is one of your main damage skills on hammer, due to the small 150 range and cast time it may be hard to land.

Hundred Blades Used mainly to cleave downed enemies but as it locks you in place be careful when you use this and be ready to cancel the cast with either WASD or stow weapon.

Whirlwind Attack Can be used to gap close, to damage or even to evade damage whilst repositioning.  It also breaks immobilize thanks to the trait  Warrior's Sprint

Bladetrail A 900 range boomerang ability that is a great way to deal damage and gain adrenaline while doing so.

Rush 1200 range movement skill, can be used to gap close, to single target spike.  You can use it also with or without a target making it is very versatile as you can charge in any direction you’d like and even retarget to change direction!  Again it cures immobilize thanks to the trait Warrior's Sprint

Healing And Cleansing

Defiant Stance Use your heal just before you take damage as it converts all strikes into heals for 4 seconds. Try to anticipate that you will take damage as using this heal without being attacked has no value. You may also use this heal to get off a damage or control rotation or simply just to place your bubble without fear of dying.  This is a very flexible ability and has a lot of value outside of just regaining health!

"Shake It Off!" cleanses 4 conditions on yourself and nearby allies within 600 radius! It is also your own personal stun break.  Use it wisely as the cooldown is extremely high, 75 seconds if you burn  both charges.

Burst Skills

Earthshaker is your hammer burst skill which can stun enemies, immobilize them thanks to No Escape and remove boons thanks to Dispelling Force and Enchantment Collapse. The skill is also a 600 range movement skill which will remove Immobilize because of Warrior's Sprint and a blast finisher as a final bonus.

Arcing Slice is your greatsword burst skill which delivers a 360 degree 150 range attack that bursts down enemies whilst giving you fury.  If used at max 2 bars of adrenaline you will do more damage and if it hits the enemy when they are below 50% HP the damage is increased further.

Full Counter not only refreshes the cooldown of your currently equipped weapon burst skill but also absorbs the next attack against you. You will then counterattack foes whilst evading with an unblockable daze.  Enemies struck will also be immobilized due to No Escape and have a boon removed; this means you will be more likely to land your follow up skills.

Alternatives

You can run Superior Rune of Speed instead of Superior Rune of Durability if you prefer the extra mobility.

Also you may swap in Endure Pain  instead of "Shake It Off!"