August 2023

Heal Alacrity Scourge

Heal Alacrity Scourge provides Alacrity, Regeneration, Might, Protection, Aegis, potential Stability, massive crowd control, very powerful revive utility, solid healing, and unmatched barrier application for your squad! Boon application for Heal Alacrity Scourge is very straightforward and you are very likely to end up massively overcapping on key boons such as Alacrity and Protection which allows you to be flexible with your Sand Cascade and Sandstorm Shroud usage to protect your team! Alacrity is generated by applying Barrier to your allies, your sources of Barrier are the following: Sand Cascade -> single very high application of Barrier. Sandstorm Shroud -> pulsing Barrier and Protection. Manifest Sand Shade -> Desert Empowerment causes summoning a shade to apply a strong Barrier to five nearby targets when summoned. Serpent Siphon -> very strong utility skill that also applies Regeneration and Aegis. Other important…

Condition Alacrity Scourge

Condition Alacrity Scourge plays out very similarly to Condition Scourge but trades damage output for Alacrity generation alongside some Protection. This build still has all of the high-value defensive utility of scourge and can be heavily customized to fit encounters and your squad composition! The key interaction that powers Condition Alacrity Scourge is that Desert Empowerment causes Barrier you apply to also apply Alacrity while also causing Manifest Sand Shade to apply barrier. This, combined with the pulsing Barrier from Sandstorm Shroud generates very comfortable Alacrity. Shade abilities affect 3 players per shade (you count as a shade) this means it’s important to have at least one Manifest Sand Shade up before using Barrier abilities or you won’t affect your entire subgroup. The radii of your shade abilities are also relatively small, so be careful with your positioning and also your Manifest…

Power Berserker Warrior

Discover the Berserker Warrior specialization, a relentless force in World vs World battles.  With moderate defences, versatile mobility, and a blend of ranged and melee prowess, the Berserker is the cornerstone of large-scale combat. Unleash unmatched spike damage, maintain high might, and strategically take down foes with unblockable attacks. Whether holding the line or charging into chaos, the Berserker’s balanced survival and potent damage output make it a formidable choice for WvW dominance. As the linchpin of large-scale combat situations the Berserker shines in both melee and ranged combat. You serve as the primary source of damage for your group cementing its status as a crucial class for WvW dominance.  Engauge foes strategically with perfectly timed unblockable combos whilst utilizing your evades and high mobility.  Achieving the right balance between force and caution is essential for executing rapid, potent spike…

Power Reaper

This Reaper build is the go-to choice for players looking to make a significant impact in the current melee meta in Guild Wars 2’s World vs World battles. With its unique blend of area damage, unblockable boon removal, burst damage, Pull’s/Stun’s and sustained pressure the Reaper excels at breaking up enemy squads, disrupting formations, and applying pressure where it’s needed most. While it has its weaknesses in ranged fights, mastering the Reaper’s mechanics and strategic positioning can turn you into a force to be reckoned with on the WvW battlefield. So, gear up, embrace the darkness, and lead your allies to victory as a fearsome Reaper. Embrace the Reaper’s build, dominating WvW with versatile power. Control battles through AoE pressure, burst foes with “Gravedigger,” and remove boons with “Unholy Feast” Employ “Reaper’s Shroud” for 50% damage reduction. Master crowd control…

Power Berserker

Power Berserker is a high DPS build with a fast paced but fairly simple rotation. It has a large amount of cleave damage and can also provide decent Crowd Control (CC) with the option to bring more, for a DPS loss. Power Berserker uses a combination of weapon skills to build adrenaline for Primal Burst skills and also uses Rage skills to extend the duration of Berserk. The build utilizes Axe Mastery to gain fast and reliable adrenaline through critical hits. You have the ability to almost permanently be in Berserk. The goal of your rotation is to use as many Primal Burst skills as possible. On Axe you need to hit your target 3 times to generate enough Adrenaline for the next Decapitate. To achieve this you can use the following combinations: Cyclone Axe -> Throw Axe Cyclone Axe ->…

Condition Alacrity Tempest

Condition Alacrity Tempest is a versatile offensive support build that provides permanent Alacrity, 25 Might, and Protection, as well as boon extension for other boons thanks to Sand Squall. Multiple traits and utility skills can be modified to suit the specific requirements of different encounters. Use Overload Fire and Overload Earth off-cooldown to apply Alacrity via Lucid Singularity, and fill downtime with damaging and boon-providing skills. Always channel Overloads until the end to grant powerful element-specific effects and additional Alacrity. Swap attunements promptly in this order: Fire Attunement -> Air Attunement ->Earth Attunement. Late Overloads result in lost Alacrity uptime. Heat Sync spreads boons to allies, and Sand Squall extends the duration of boons on allies so make sure to cast both as soon as possible. Delay Heat Sync after Overload Fire to share Might with allies that are too…

Power Willbender

Power Willbender is a powerful, fast-paced DPS build with a free-flowing rotation. This build can be easy to pick up but difficult to master, as optimization requires avoiding as many hits as possible to upkeep Unscathed Contender. Always maintain the effect of a Virtue skill to reduce the cooldowns of your weapon skills via Restorative Virtues: Use Rushing Justice off-cooldown. Flowing Resolve and Crashing Courage can also be used, however Crashing Courage should be kept available to refresh Aegis if necessary. The main damaging skills are Whirling Wrath and Symbol of Resolution on Greatsword, so the focus will be to reset and use these as often as possible. Maintain Symbols under enemies at all times (Symbol of Resolution, Symbol of Blades) to increase damage via Symbolic Avenger. Instead of a strict rotation, this build uses the main damage skills in each weapon…

Condition Weaver

Condition Weaver offers high condition burst damage and moderate survivability. Weave Self holds the key to damage in this build, but also requires a long, fast-paced rotation that is heavily reliant on Alacrity and Quickness for success. Your rotation consists of two parts: (1) the Weave Self Rotation and (2) the regular Loop. Weave Self reduces your attunement swap cooldowns to 2 seconds and grants you an element-specific buff for each element attuned. Attuning to all four elements in the next 20 seconds achieves a Perfect Weave granting a large boost to your stats for 10 seconds. Delaying Perfect Weave as long as possible is ideal, as this maintains the Woven Fire bonus for almost the full 20-second window after casting Weave Self. After this, Perfect Weave grants 30 seconds of +20% condition damage. On encounters with multiple phases, Weave…

Support Druid

Druid is the elite specialization for ranger and has recently become an option to play as a support. Due to the changes made in the october balance patch ranger is a possible option but is not recommended playing over scrapper. The build is best described as a bursty condition cleanser with defensive and offensive capabilities. Druid is able to provide moderate heals and boons, however where it really shines is in it’s ability to spam cleanses and stun break allies within a large radius. Healing and damaging the enemies will grant you life force, you passively gain life force thanks to natural mender so more than likely you will have a full bar before the fight starts. Once the bar is full you can then consume it to gain access to the Celestial Avatar form which lasts for 15 seconds.…

Support Vindicator

The Vindicator elite specialization offers Revenants a remarkable option for excelling as a supportive force within any group. Boasting not only potent support abilities but also remarkable self-sustainability, Vindicator has become even more formidable due to recent balance adjustments. These changes have breathed new life into the favoured legend, Ventari, elevating its effectiveness. Additionally, Saint Viktor continues to be a vital component of your support build, remaining a cornerstone despite the adjustments it has undergone. The build is best described as a Healer and condition cleanser that offers support to players that are on and off of tag. Vindicator is able to easily provide huge heals, cleanses, barrier, stun breaks and some boons either over time or in a burst.  However where it really shines is in it’s ability to heal and it can also do this from 900 range…

Power Vindicator

Power Vindicator is a bursty power build that excels at encounters with large hitboxes, as Eternity's Requiem scales with hitbox size. The rotation is forgiving and easy to pick up. This build only uses Greatsword, which allows for a Staff Weapon Swap in encounters that require a lot of CC. Alliance Tactics swaps your Legendary Alliance Stance from Archemorus (Red/Orange) to Saint Viktor (Blue). Always stay in Archemorus since Spear of Archemorus and Nomad's Advance are part of your rotation. Be aware that dodging during the channeling of any skill will cancel it. Use Dodge regularly to spend your endurance and apply buffs: Dodging grants Vigor to you and your allies via Song of Arboreum and upkeeps the strike damage buff from Forerunner of Death 100% of the time. Imperial Guard is a 2-second channel block to be used if…

Power Spellbreaker

Hammer Spellbreaker is a DPS build that provides constant Crowd Control (CC) and consistent damage, with good self-sustain thanks to the Defense trait line. Hammer Spellbreaker gains a massive damage increase from Attacker's Insight, as disabling foes or removing boons grants 50 Power, Precision, and Ferocity per stack. Using Crowd Control abilities on Hammer increases your damage for the period of time you will be on Dagger/Axe. To gain additional stacks of Attacker's Insight, daze your enemies by using Aura Slicer and Breaching Strike to leap through the lightning field created by Winds of Disenchantment, or by using Full Counter. Thanks to Attacker's Insight, hitting enemies with Full Counter resets your Earthshaker or Breaching Strike, granting you extra opportunities for CC or damage, respectively. Backbreaker Staggering Blow Earthshaker Bull's Charge Disrupting Stab Full Counter (counter-attack) Magebane Tether will pull targets…

Hammer Catalyst

Hammer Catalyst is a high damage duelist; its DPS on top of boon support from Depth of Elements allows it to be great even in larger fights where Elementalist typically suffers. Unlike typical Elementalist builds, hammer has a high focus on mitigating incoming damage rather than resustaining through it. Your best defensive skills are Fortified Earth, Conjure Earth Shield, and Immutable Stone. Upkeeping auras specifically Shocking Aura and Magnetic Aura significantly boost your sustain in most matchups, and frequently comboing into them can even win certain duels by themselves. Catalyst also has a stricter attunement rotation than typical Elementalist builds, the majority of the time you will follow the pattern: Earth Attunement, into Air Attunement, into Fire Attunement, into Water Attunement, into Earth Attunement and looping from there. This is because it will generate you the most Shocking Aura and…

Condition Quickness Berserker

Condition Quickness Berserker is a support DPS build that focuses on short bursts of Burning and long-lasting Bleeding, while providing permanent Quickness and Fury. It also brings a good amount of Crowd Control (CC) to the squad. At full Adrenaline, enter Berserk and burn your foes with Longbow skills. Then swap to Sword/Torch to enhance your burst with long-duration bleeds and the trait Blademaster. Use Rage utility skills off-cooldown to increase the duration of Berserk. Use Savage Leap and Sundering Leap in Fire Fields (for example, from Flames of War and Scorched Earth) to create a Fire Aura on yourself. Then detonate it with any Berserker skill to activate King of Fires for more Burning. Due to the trait Heat the Soul, using Burst skills gives Quickness and Fury to allies around you. After the last step in the written…

Power Quickness Herald

Power Quickness Herald is an offensive support build that provides a group with Might, Fury, Quickness, Protection, and Swiftness. The wide range of essential boons provided makes this build excellent for filling gaps in groups. A simple rotation and excellent defensive abilities make Power Quickness Herald a good introductory choice for new players. This build also offers strong Crowd Control via Surge of the Mists and the option to provide Stability by using Legendary Dwarf Stance instead of Legendary Assassin Stance. While in Legendary Dragon Stance, activate Facet of Chaos and Facet of Darkness to pulse Quickness. While in Legendary Assassin Stance keep Impossible Odds active for damage and Quickness. Herald applies Quickness via Elevated Compassion whenever you channel an ability that drains 6 or more energy per second (upkeep). Whenever your energy is being drained, you pulse Quickness around you.…

Power Bladesworn

Power Bladesworn is a high burst DPS build with large amounts of cleave for dealing with adds and excels in short phases. The build requires good knowledge of positioning in encounters because you cannot move during Dragon Trigger. Power Bladesworn builds Flow by being in combat and using Flow Stabilizer, which is used to enter Dragon Trigger. DT then converts Flow into charges. Once you gain 10 charges, use Dragon Slash - Force. Using any ammo skills increases damage for the next Dragon Trigger due to the trait Fierce as Fire. The build gains a massive damage increase from Overcharged Cartridges. This utility buffs the damage of Dragon Slash - Force, Dragon's Roar, and Gunsaber skills. Overcharged Cartridges should always be activated before using Dragon's Roar and entering Dragon Trigger. Use Cyclone Trigger before or after Dragonspike Mine to maintain…

Condition Specter

Condition Specter is a DPS build that offers high survivability and solid DPS from mid-range via large amounts of Torment and Poisoned. It can provide a lot of barrier and crowd control without sacrificing anything from its base kit. The main idea while playing thief, is to never fill initiative, you will be using your strongest skill, Twilight Combo as much as possible to deplete initiative. Condition Specter does its damage in two ways: weapon skills while not in Shadow Shroud and non-initiative spending skills while in Shadow Shroud. While using your scepter/dagger weapon set, you will want to prioritize using Twilight Combo as your main source of damage. If you can’t cast it due to not having enough initiative, you can fill with your scepter Auto-attack chain/Shadowsquall and Siphon off-cooldown. Make sure to use Prepare Thousand Needles, Spider Venom, and…

Condition Specter

Condition Specter is a safe roaming build that has the luxury of also being able to duel a lot of classes, so you could call it a very mobile sidenoder. Specter is slow and less stealthy compared to other thief variants. Infiltrator's Strike will help you move from fight to fight, but it won’t help if you try to go for a decap. Most of your mobility comes from wells and Shadowstep, which is also your only stunbreak, therefore try to use it with care. This build is really straightforward when it comes to dealing damage. Most of it comes from Poisoned and Torment. Measured Shot->Endless Night is your hardest-hitting ability. It has high base power damage and really good condition application, you want to spam it to get the most damage done possible. Siphon also brings good pressure, applying…

Tempest

Tempests can provide good support with good condition removal, passive healing, and solid burst healing. It also brings some unique utility via auras that buff allies, both defensively and offensively, this build truly shines in GvG and smaller scale encounters! This build allows you to be the main source of healing and cleansing in your party by transmuting auras and using shouts. This build has strong passive and burst healing from multiple sources, for exampleTransmute Frost, "Wash the Pain Away!", Water Attunement, and Overload Water, as well as from granting allies auras, via Elemental Bastion. Additional cleanse is provided by using weapon skills, transmuting auras via Smothering Auras, and using shouts. This build has huge trait synergy with auras. Applying an aura to an ally will heal them through Elemental Bastion, and grant them Vigor and Regeneration via Invigorating Torrents The…

Firebrand

In your squad, Firebrands play a vital role as they embody the traditional guardian virtues using powerful tomes. They serve as the backbone of the party, bolstering allies to keep them moving via sources of damage mitigation skills and boons. Additionally, they support their comrades with mantras that offer healing, stun breaks, and powerful boons. While this build is forgiving to learn because of its survivability, mastering it can be quite challenging. The Firebrand build excels as a boon support with both defensive and offensive capabilities. While it offers moderate healing, its true strength lies in burst cleansing, stun breaking for allies, and providing a substantial number of boons. Notably, the Firebrand’s Virtues are transformed into Tomes, replacing your weapon abilities with potent offensive or defensive skills when activated.  Not every skill within each book is worth using due to…