July 2023

Power Alacrity Bladesworn

Power Alacrity Bladesworn is a support DPS build that provides permanent Alacrity and some supplementary Might. The build lacks in Crowd Control (CC) but offers extremely high burst DPS for a support role. Power Alacrity 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. Daring Dragon shares Alacrity in an area around you whenever you use Dragon Slash - Force. The build gains a massive damage increase from Overcharged Cartridges, buffing 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. After…

Condizerker

Condizerker is a tanky sidenoder build with significant condition pressure. Between Rabid Amulet and Savage Instinct coupled with Dead or Alive, it can afford to drop Endure Pain and be hard to kill for both power and condition builds. You want to spend as much time as possible in Berserk, which increases your attack speed, grants you extra damage with Fatal Frenzy and some quickness from Burst of Aggression, and grants you access to your highest damaging skills, Skull Grinder and Scorched Earth. You want to use those as often as possible. Not only do they do massive damage, but they serve to heal and cleanse you with Adrenal Health and Cleansing Ire. Whenever you use a burst skill, you will gain back some adrenaline from Burst Mastery. You will game some extra from Versatile Rage. Both of these combined…

Grenade Scrapper

Grenade Scrapper is an easy-to-learn roamer with high mobility and superlative AOE pressure in teamfights. Scrapper is currently the most popular roamer for Ranked Queue due to its damage, Superspeed access, and Stealth. Scrapper is strong because of its access to key boons in pvp. Kinetic Accelerators gives Might and permanent Fury uptime, Gyroscopic Acceleration provides Superspeed, and Rune of the Chronomancer gives Quickness whenever you use one of your gyros. Tip: Superspeed isn’t a boon so it can’t be removed or corrupted. Use it to counteract impairing effects like Chilled and Crippled and escape safely. Nade Scrapper uses this combination of boons to spam constant AOE pressure with Grenade Kit at range. Scrapper also has built-in support with Function Gyro that lets you res allies or stomp enemies. Scrapper’s opening burst from stealth is incredibly oppressive because it double…

Static Discharge Holo

Static Discharge Holosmith is a high-skill build that brings excellent damage, crowd control, mobility, and condition cleanse in a neat package. While not as popular as other roamers, Holosmith also benefits from an ability to take 1v1s and act as a pseudo side noder. For a more aggressive version of the build, see the Mortar Kit Variant. Holosmith gives an engineer access to Engage Photon Forge, a transform ability that gives access to five new weapon skills. Engage Photon Forge is similar to a Necromancer Death Shroud, except instead of using an energy pool like Life Force, Photon Forge builds Heat, a mechanic unique to the Holosmith. Heat needs to be carefully managed since gaining too much causes you to Overheat. Overheat takes you out of Photon Forge, deals high damage to you, and puts all toolbelt skills on cooldown. If…

Power Catalyst

Catalyst is an elite specialization for the Elementalist class, it is a highly versatile spec that once combined with specific traits and skills can provide huge AOE burst damage, crowd control and utility in any WvW squad.  Due to it’s high number of ranged skills available, you will be the main source of damage from a distance, and often the highest source of damage overall in the squad. This is the most challenging DPS spec to play in WvW, however once mastered and with the right support you can be sure you will relish in its capabilities. The build is best described as a ranged DPS, your priorities will be to provide ranged pressure and huge spike dmg.  To maintain high damage you’ll have the best overall output by casting your skills as close together as possible, and synchronizing your…

Power Willbender

Willbender is an elite specialization for the Guardian, it is a highly mobile spec that once combined with specific traits, skills and weapons can provide huge burst damage in melee range whilst being almost un-killable. The build is best described as a mobile DPS, your priorities will be to provide some range pressure during range spikes, but mainly your job is to use massive melee burst damage when needed (i.e on a well bomb call).  Since virtues on willbender are turned into movement-based skills, these changes allow you to engage in melee range very quickly and burst down any unsuspecting foes.  You will need to follow a simple rotation of skills in order to kill without being killed.  Staying alive should be prioritized above all else, you can help to keep your HP above zero through tactful use of skill…

Power Chrono

Power Chronomancer  is one of the highest damage and highest skill floor builds in the game. Power Chrono is unique in its ability to ‘oneshot’ multiple opponents in a row with Continuum Split. Contrary to popular belief, power Chrono isn’t a oneshot build. Instead, its best to think of it as a roamer like Herald, but with the added ability to frontload almost all its damage by using Quickness and Alacrity. Power Chronomancer is played as a high-damage Roamer, meaning your job is to +1 a duelist or to get quick kills in teamfights. Avoid taking 1v1s or staying in extended fights, once Chrono starts running out of cooldowns its lack of defensive utility and condition cleanse makes it easy to focus. Always have a priority target in mind before you engage in any fight, and be proactive about leaving…

Sic ‘Em Soulbeast

Sic ‘Em Soulbeast is a strong bruiser with great damage and spike as well as decent 1v1 potential. Power Soulbeast also has the dubious distinction of being one of the most reworked and nerfed specs in the game due to its tendency to stomp new players. Recent reworks to some key traits and skills have allowed Soulbeast to shine with a new  Sword/Warhorn playstyle that dominated in ranked Soulbeast is a modifier-based damage dealer, meaning most of their damage is going to be concentrated in certain spikes. As an example, your longbow burst combines Twice as Vicious (5%), Furious Strength (7%), Vicious Quarry (300 Ferocity), "Sic 'Em!" (25%), Loud Whistle (10%), Hunter's Tactics (10%), and Sigil of Exploitation (5%) for a massive boost to your damage. Note: "Sic 'Em!" also grants 40% movement speed and is excellent for chasing slow targets. Mainhand…

Condition Virtuoso

Condition Virtuoso is a relatively easy DPS build that deals consistent damage from range and cleaves enemies with its piercing attacks. Additionally, Virtuoso has a good amount of built-in defensive utility thanks to Jagged Mind, Bladeturn Requiem, and Bladesong Distortion. Stock up Blades by applying Bleeding to enemies thanks to Jagged Mind and Bloodsong. Once 5 Blades are ready, alternate between using Bladesong Sorrow and Bladesong Harmony. Use Phantasmal Swordsman at the start of your Sword loop, then use it again before swapping to Focus to use Phantasmal Warden. Reset the cooldown of Phantasmal Warden with Signet of the Ether to summon more Phantasms for a DPS increase. Space your Shatters to keep Deadly Blades up at all times. Always prioritize Bladesong Sorrow and Bladesong Harmony. Then use Signet of Illusions to reset the cooldown of your Shatters. Continuously generate Blades…

Heal Alacrity Tempest

Heal Alacrity Tempest provides high amounts of sustained healing and permanent Protection, Regeneration, Vigor, Swiftness, Alacrity, and 25 stacks of Might. This build also has access to many useful utilities, including boon extension (thanks to Sand Squall), ample condition cleanses, projectile reflection, and a counter to one-shot attacks ("Rebound!"). The core gameplay of this build involves rotating between Fire Attunement and Earth Attunement to cast Overload Fire and Overload Earth respectively, while quickly passing through Water Attunement and Air Attunement to use healing and utility as needed. While casting the Core Loop, use "Flash-Freeze!" and "Aftershock!" off-cooldown. Save "Aftershock!" if you need to provide projectile reflection with Magnetic Aura or "Flash-Freeze!" to mitigate incoming spike damage with Frost Aura. Tempest also has on-demand Stability from "Eye of the Storm!" and Aegis from "Aftershock!". (Note that you will typically use "Aftershock!" off-cooldown…

Power Virtuoso

Power Virtuoso is a strong ranged DPS build that is also forgiving for new players. Careful rotation optimization during encounters also rewards skilled players, making this build a great long-term choice for Power DPS. The Greatsword variant currently offers slightly higher DPS than Sword/Focus, but both versions are more than capable of handling End-Game Content. Sword/Focus provides a bit more utility, which may be beneficial in certain encounters. Both variants have access to a good amount of built-in defensive utility thanks to Bladeturn Requiem and Bladesong Distortion. Upkeep Deadly Blades to increase your damage by using Bladesongs. Once 5 Blades are ready, alternate between using Bladesong Harmony and Bladesong Sorrow. Other Bladesongs can be used with fewer blades to upkeep Deadly Blades. Use Phantasmal Swordsman at the start of your Dagger/Sword loop, then use it again before swapping to your other weapon set to…

Power Herald

DPS Herald is a strong part of the WvW Zerg, able to deal high damage at range, as well as perform extremely well in melee range. It additionally provides important boons and some utility to the group. Revenant doesn’t have utility skills like the other classes, your heal/utility/elite skills are all determined based on two stances that you pick. You may swap between these stances every 10s, similar to weapon swapping, but it doesn’t replace your weapon swap. These stance skills provide strong utility and damage options for the DPS Herald, namely Rite of the Great Dwarf, Inspiring Reinforcement, Vengeful Hammers, and Facet of Elements, as well as providing one of the best sources of Fury for your group. Revenant also differs from other classes by relying on energy (different from your dodge endurance) in order to cast both weapon…

Support Scrapper

In the past, Scrapper held a crucial role as the main healer and condition cleanser in large-scale battles. However, due to recent game updates, its support capabilities have been surpassed by the exceptional support provided by vindicator, druid, and tempest classes. While Scrapper still offers valuable support, many players now prefer the alternative options for their group compositions in challenging encounters. Keep in mind that each class brings unique strengths, and understanding their roles can help you make informed choices for your team’s success in battles. Scrapper has access to Gyros and Kits which are your main sources of healing, condition cleanse, boons and superspeed. Kits are skills that you “enter” and upon initial activation replace all five of your weapon skills with ones that correspond to said Kit. Gyro skills are wells, which follow you around when activated, with…

Power Soulbeast

Sword/Axe Power DPS Soulbeast trades in the fluid rotation and range of Axe/Axe for a priority based rotation with higher overall damage. Stay merged with your Pet Beastmode and use Crowd Control skills to upkeep Twice as Vicious. Use your damaging skills after "Sic 'Em!" to maximize DPS during this burst window. Try to be at maximum health during your Burst Rotation to benefit from Rune of the Scholar and Loud Whistle. Therefore it can be beneficial to use your Healing Skill before a Burst. When usingPath of Scars, try to cast the skill inside the boss, as this will lead to a higher uptime on Twice as Vicious. This is the main difference between the two builds in terms of upkeeping Twice as Vicious. In addition to healing, "We Heal As One!" will also extend all your boons and…