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Posted On: 03/04/2013 at 05:40 PM |
I. Introduction
I decided to write this guide after numerous people asked me how I spec'd my guardian or what gear I used figuring it would be easier for not only me, but help out any guardians out there that feel squishy or just are looking for a build that rotates less around damage and more around your allies. I also wanted to make this guide because I feel that SoR in general could benefit from sharing builds more often that they feel work really well.
II. Gear
Weapon Set 1: Greatsword
A greatsword to me is a must have for guardians. The Binding blade (#5) combined with the Whirling Wrath (#2) is where most your damage will come from in this build. It is also great for using the symbol for combo fields, but I'll discuss that later on.
Stats should be Power/Toug/Vit
Weapon Set 2: Scepter/Shield, Hammer and Mace/shield
A shield/scepter is probably one of my favorite weapon combos, it allows for a quick disengage with Shield of Absorption (#5), but decent ranged attacks and a little bit of cc with the Chains of Light (#3).
One other thing that makes the shield strong is the burst heal from Shield of Absorption if used correctly. Basically if you use it right you can absorb all projectiles coming at you and which in turn will heal yourself, I've healed myself for about 3-4k before.
Mace/Shield is also a strong weaponset to have with protection builds.
I've been running hammer alot more for my build lately and it has been working out amazingly well especially the cc you can throw down.
Stats: Try to get healing power and pwr on scepter and shield if you can.
Armor: I run Power/Toug/Vit on all my gear. Most this gear you can pick up from Karma vendors / Dungeon stores using tokens.
Accessories: I run pure cleric on all my accessories. I feel that the added healing power combined with the points put into Honor tree and the Absolute Resolution major trait will give you around 200-300 hp per tick. Switching over to full ascended acessories will bring your healing power up to almost 1100 with full stacks on your sigil of life.
Guild backpack. Too lazy to go out and get a better one.
Exotics only.
III. Traits, Runes, and Sigils
Traits: I will be listing not only my points I put into each one, but my reasoning behind it all.
Zeal: 0 / Zeal is a decent place to trait into especially if you go just 10 points in and get the added dmg vs foes on fire. Other then that I don't believe it is needed for a guardian to do dmg, and it only takes away from my builds overall effect.
Radiance: 0 / Same thing as Zeal for the most part. You are adding condition dmg and precision, which takes away from this build. I do believe this is a good place to trait into if you are planning on doing a....Blinding Virtue build if you want to call it that.
Valor: 10 / This is where you pick up two major traits that help out not only yourself, but your allies as well.
Major Traits: Purity
Minor Traits: Valorous Defense
Purity: Lose a condition every 10 seconds.
This is a must have, with this constantly going along with other traits/runes you will be a juggernaut.
Honor: 30 / I put 30 in Honor mostly for the 20% reduction on Shouts, Two-handed sword skills and extra condition removal. The healing dodge rolls and deal more dmg at low endurance also add quite nicely into this build once it is all put together.
Major Traits: Superior Aria / Two-handed Mastery / Pure of voice
Minor Traits: Vigorous Precision / Selfless Daring / Elusive Power
Superior Aria: 20% CD shout reduction
Taking this MT will allow for alot more CC removal and better aide to your allies.
Two-Handed Mastery: 20% CD on Two-Handed weapons
Since most of your dmg is coming from your greatsword it is especially important to have this, as it will bring some of your best sword skills down to a reasonable time. Binding blade and Symbol of Wrath are both long CD.
Pure of voice: Allies affected by shouts convert one condition to a boon.
This adds to your amount of Condition Removal.
Virtues: 30 / Not much to say except that this makes the build 100% better.
Major Traits: Vengeful / Absolute Resolution/Indomitable Courage
Minor Traits: Inspired Virtue/ Virtue of Retribution/ Power of the Virtuous
Vengeful: Retaliation last 25% longer.
What makes this strong is that the Guardian naturally has alot of skills that add retaliation, but add this into that and the minor trait which makes it so Virtues give retaliation. You are looking at about 40-60 secs of retaliation. Lets be honest with ourselves, who doesn't want that? Not only that, but combined with the shouts 20% CD reduction you can keep retaliation up nonstop on your guardian.
Absolute Resolution: Activating Virtue of Resolve removes 3 conditions. Virtue of Resolves passive effect is stronger.
Ace Card. That's what this is, it removes up to three conditions and with Inspired Virtue it will add regen to you as well. Only activate this as one of your OH kitten kittenons. The rest of the build handles most of the CC laid down upon you.
Indomitable Courage: Allows for additional stability which is always a blessing. Use it when your stability off Stand your ground runs its course.
ALTERNATE MAJOR TRAIT LINE:
Master of Consecrations: Consecration skills recharge 20% faster and last longer
Consecrated Ground: Consecration skills use ground targeting.
Absolute Resolution: VoR removes 3 conditions.
Runes: Superior Soldier Runes is the only rune you will be running here. The biggest thing you will be taking away from these runes is the last slot on them (Shouts remove a condition)
Sigils:
So for this one there are several ways you can go. Double sigil of stamina or Restoration on your GS and Hammer. Sigil of Stamina or Restoration on shield then the heal stack on sceptor.
IV. Outcome
The combinations of all this will result in what most people would consider a Shout Guardian. Its purpose is to be able to dive huge zergs tank the conditions laid upon you and come back out when you get low. I am able to remove up to about 10 conditions with this build and much more if used correctly.
The stacks of healing you get from your scepter/hammer will add into your semi-low healing power boosting it to around 1,100. That will stack with your Virtue of Resolve and thus makes the Inspired virtue trait stronger, but strengthening the regen as well. You also strengthen the Absolute Resolution MT by adding in all this extra healing, giving you in total about 200-300hp per tick.
You will also maintain around 40-60 seconds of retaliation through all this.
V. Gameplay
As a Guardian I believe you shouldn't be the one dealing damage or the one standing in the back with a staff out giving might stacks and healing people. Guardians should be front line brawlers, they are there to tank the main strike of a force so that the dps can reach them and do their jobs.
You never really want to dive too far in when playing a guardian though especially if no one follows you. Death is all that awaits you.
When playing a guardian in groups larger then 5, always try to take the point, try to be in front and that way if you collide with a zerg or something happens you are able to react and be doing what you are suppose to be right away instead of straggling up to the front line.
When first engaging the enemies start off with your Binding Blades on your GS, if there are more guardians then you try to space yourselves out when using binding blades, so that when you activate the skill you hit as many targets as possible. When pulling it is ideal for all guardians to try to collapse on each other or get close to each other so when the pulls go off, you group up as much enemies as possible. Allowing your dmg dealers an easier time to get all the dmg in one area. instead of focusing the AoEs and dps across multiple areas. After the pull, start off with the Symbol of Wrath and then follow into the Leap of Faith, the combo field will give retaliation, this should be a quick combo. Follow all this up with Whirling wrath and activate Virtue of Justice during it.
Virtue of courage can be activated at any time after your original aegis is removed.
Slot skills: Hold the Line / Save yourselves / Stand your ground.
Elite: Renewed Focus / Book of Wrath
You can use Hold the Line just before impact on a zerg, if used near other guardians also using it you can get up to 12 sec of Protection (-33% dmg) across your front line especially if you are running a proctection spec guardian then you'll actually be to have a full uptime of protection across the frontline. Stand your ground should also be used just at the moment of impact, not before, but right as you hit them activate it. Most players will hold their big CC until impact and will start off with kittenty AoEs to try to slow you down/wear you down. That's what the protection is for though. The Stability part of Stand your ground will allow you to dive further into the enemy zerg and allows you to do what you need to do before having to get out.
Use Renewed Focus as needed.
You will always be using Renewed Focus in open field/sieges. The only time I ever use Book of Wrath is when they have rams or golems on the doors. Using this skill, then using the #4 skill on it followed by spamming the #1 skill will allow you to dish out around 10k dmg plus. The #1 skill has no AoE target limit as far as I am aware. I have used it on HB when they stacked and got about 50 bags (1 from each of them).
Tome of Courage is also a really good elite skill and must have for any guardians that run a high end healing spec.
Also as a side note, if your guild runs a MA like TW does, then your job is to follow the MA unless you are MA then you lead the melee train. Melee trains will keep moving through the enemies and only reset when low ( Dropping heals on us is a godsend if you can) Usually the train should have enough guardians and warriors that they can remove conditions left and right and not worry about that so much and focus more on thier job. MA should usually be a guardian because Guardians have alot higher rate of surivial under the conditons thrown down on you.
GS/Hammer breakdown.
I've been using this combo more and while Staff/hammer is a better support spec. GS/Hammer carries the most CC and if you are good at the combo this weapon set allows then by all means go for it, however don't be greedy if your team is need of staff guardians. The idea behind this combo set is to get yourself in the middle of their group then use whirling wrath to proc all the Aegis being applied by their people, once done you turn and use Binding blades before the pull is even finished, switch to hammer and use Ring of Warding. You can complete this combo before they even have a chance to get up and before the pull even pulls them to you all the way. This being used in a melee train completely wrecks large groups especially if you actually hit your pull.
Another good usage for GS/hammer is to always start out with hammer when a zerg is charging you, then when they are about to hit, throw down the #3 skill for a 1200 range chain immbolize. This should be used for all guardians. That's at least 10 chains of immoblization that literally will halt their zerg in its tracks. That forces their melee train to use breakers and condition removals early on and allows you an early advantage on them by allowing your range a few more good AoEs ontop of them before having to dodge the train.
Ps. FFS if you do not actually PULL anyone, do not call out that you have a pull or are pulling. You waste our ranges CC and as well as the melees. You'll note that I almost never call out that I got a pull unless I know I got one.
VI. Conclusion
I am not claiming I run the best guardian build out there, but I do believe I run a very solid build that definitely benefits the people I run with. I have survived things most others would not and have even been able to manage 1v5s and 1v9s being the highest ( they were really bad so I can't credit myself too much) I hope people take the time to read this all, I know its sorta long. Any advice or tips anyone else has would be appreciated. I was also half awake while typing this all out so I may have missed some.
This is a WvW build only really and works well for small mans and large groups. I use it for PvE too but hardly do PvE. This is a pure TEAM build for a Guardian and is probably one of the few, but really well team based builds.
I will be updating throughout my gameplay as a guardian as well as updating videos of guardian play to my youtube channel, If you wish to see this build used in action I suggest you watch my youtube channels and see more of how I play/deal with situations on my guardian. There are a ton of good builds out there which I can link some here as well for people if they want.
I know all builds for guardians and have experimented with most of them, minus some of the newer ones out there. If you are wanting something abit different you can ask me in game or talk to me on TS and I'd be more then willing to help you out on a build that fits your playstyle.
Shout Guardian, sanctuary build.
http://gw2buildcraft.com/calculator/guardian/?3.4|1.1c.h1j|2.1c.h1j|1c.7x.1c.7x.1c.7x.1c.0.1c.7x.1c.7x|2u.0.31l.e15.21l.e13.21l.e13.31l.e15.1c.68|0.0.a5.u29b.u369|0.0|v.16.18.19.1i|e
» Edited on: 2013-07-19 14:50:57
» Edited on: 2013-07-19 14:52:14
» Edited on: 2013-07-19 19:07:49
Pryan - TW
Guardian
http://www.youtube.com/user/Nakoor
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