WvW ranks: How to spend points

By:	KooZ.7619 Member of Gaiscioch na Rall	Posted On: 04/28/2014 at 11:52 AM

Greetings everyone!

Today I had enough time to quickly bring out a rank guide to help you figured out what you need to spend your WvW levels on!

First, I will go over all the mastery and explain what benefits each one is giving you. Feel free to skip the long skills descriptions but read the text in red for a quick resume that will let you know if it's a useful mastery or not. Then you can go back and read what it does.

Links to builds at the end.

Guard Killer
Total Cost: 115

Increases damage to guards (1) 1% damage to guards (cost 1 ) (2) 2% (total) damage to guards (cost 2 ) (3) 3% (total) damage to guards (cost 3 ) (4) 4% (total) damage to guards (cost 4 ) (5) 5% (total) damage to guards (cost 5 ) (6) All guard killer bonuses now also affect enemy lord and supervisors (cost 10 ) (7) 7% (total) damage to guards, lords and supervisors (cost 15 ) (8) Gain 50% of your endurance back after killing guards, lords and supervisors (cost 20 ) (9) 10% (total) damage to guards, lords and supervisors (cost 25 ) (10) Add 1 stack of Applied Strength on killing a guard, lord or supervisor Guard Leech: Increases power and condition damage by 20 (max stack of 5, stacks are lost on death) (cost 30 )

This first mastery is nice to have maxed out because the last upgrade in this mastery gives you up to an extra 100 power and 100 condition damage similar to a bloodlust sigil but this stacks instead on killing lords and guards. Only good if maxed other bonuses are not very useful unless you are a roamer who solo camps.

Defense Against Guards
Total Cost: 115

Reduces the damage you take from enemy guards (1) 1% reduced damage from guards (cost 1 ) (2) 2% reduced damage (total) from guards (cost 2 ) (3) 3% reduced damage (total) from guards (cost 3 ) (4) 4% reduced damage (total) from guards (cost 4 ) (5) 5% reduced damage (total) from guards (cost 5 ) (6) All Defense against Guard abilities count against lords and supervisors (cost 10 ) (7) 7% reduced damage (total) against guards, lords, and supervisors (cost 15 ) (8) Gain Retaliation for 10 seconds when you negate damage from guards, lords, or supervisors This effect can trigger only once every 20 seconds. (cost 20 ) (9) 10% reduced damage (total) against guards, lords, and supervisors (cost 25 ) (10) Gain 1 stack of Applied Fortitude when killing a guard, lord, or supervisor Applied Fortitude: Each stack grants 50 vitality (max of 5 stacks, stacks are lost on death) (cost 30 )

This second mastery is also very nice to max out because you get up to 250 extra vitality when fully stacked. Other bonuses are not very useful unless you are a roamer who solo camps.

Mercenary's Bane
Total Cost: 15

Increases damage to and reduces the damage from mercenaries (1) 1% increase to damage and defense against mercenaries (cost 1 ) (2) 2% (total) increase to damage and defense against mercenaries (cost 2 ) (3) 3% (total) increase to damage and defense against mercenaries (cost 3 ) (4) 4% (total) increase to damage and defense against mercenaries (cost 4 ) (5) 5% (total) increase to damage and defense against mercenaries (cost 5 )

Gives you extra damage versus the neutral camps mob on Eternal Battleground only. Do not even consider spending a single point here, completely useless. Only do if you are rank 1000+

Siege Bunker
Total Cost: 30

Reduces the siege damage you take (1) 1% increased siege defense (cost 2 ) (2) 2% (total) increased siege defense (cost 4 ) (3) 3% (total) increased siege defense (cost 6 ) (4) 4% (total) increased siege defense (cost 8 ) (5) 5% (total) increased siege defense (cost 10 )

This is a nice mastery to get in a zerg because it reduces the damage you take from siege and is very cheap when you compare it to siege might. Heavy classes who are on rams benefit the most from this.

Siege Might
Total Cost: 75

Increases damage done with siege-engine attacks (1) 1% increased siege damage (cost 5 ) (2) 2% (total) increased siege damage (cost 10 ) (3) 3% (total) increased siege damage (cost 15 ) (4) 4% (total) increased siege damage (cost 20 ) (5) 5% (total) increased siege damage (cost 25 )

This is also a nice mastery to get if you use the siege a lot. However, it is very expensive for what it offers. Only recommend maxing this when you are around rank 500.

Supply Capacity
Total Cost: 300

Increases the amount of supply you can carry (1) Increases supply capacity by 1 (cost 20 ) (2) Increases supply capacity by 2 (total) (cost 40 ) (3) Increases supply capacity by 3 (total) (cost 60 ) (4) Increases supply capacity by 4 (total) (cost 80 ) (5) Increases supply capacity by 5 (total) (cost 100 )

This is also a very nice mastery to max out but is very very very very expensive (note the amount of very). This should be maxed around rank 500-600.

Cannon Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve cannon use (1) Basic fire removes boons (cost 5 ) (2) Increases cannon damage by 27% (cost 10 ) (3) Grapeshot does more bleed damage (cost 15 ) (4) Increases all blast radius (cost 20 ) (5) Increases chill duration (cost 25 )

This is very useful mastery to spend points on if you like to scout or you play on off prime time because you need to man the siege before the zerg/group gets there. (4) and (2) min is great to increase effectiveness of cannons. Should be up to (4) around rank 400.

Ballista Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve ballista skills (1) Skill: Spread Shot — Fires projectiles in a cone pattern (cost 5 ) (2) Increases ballista damage by 25% (cost 10 ) (3) Fires faster bolts (cost 15 ) (4) Increases ballista range (cost 20 ) (5) Increases Shatter Shot radius (cost 25 )

Ballista is another mastry that requires a few points in because of Spread Shot which is deadly in close range. (3) in ballista is very good already, 2 last one are luxury that is not giving as much bonuses.

Arrow Cart Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve arrow cart skills (1) Increases range on all arrow cart skills (cost 5 ) (2) Increases damage on all arrow cart skills (cost 10 ) (3) Increases effectiveness of applied conditions (cost 15 ) (4) Increases radius on all arrow cart skills (cost 20 ) (5) Skill: Toxic Unveiling Shot — Removes stealth and applies poison to targets (cost 25 )

Arrow cart mastery is yet another awesome place o use skill points. (2) is a must, if you have more points to spend (4) is great, (5) is luxury.

Burning Oil Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improves all Burning Oil skills and unlocks new abilities (1) Increases Burning Oil radius by 25% (cost 5 ) (2) Increases Burning Oil damage by 15% (cost 10 ) (3) While using the oil, reduces the damage received by the oil pot and the player (cost 15 ) (4) Basic Burning Oil attacks burn one supply from target (cost 20 ) (5) Burning Shell: Creates a fiery dome that reflects projectiles (cost 25 )

There is nice bonuses from oil but we do not benefit from it very often so this should be max in the late ranks 800ish. It is like the cannons, if you can be on it before the zerg/group arrive, you can do a lot of damage with it. Scouts/off prime time players benefit the most from this.

Mortar Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve mortar skills (1) Increase blast radius on all mortar skills (cost 5 ) (2) Increases mortar burn field duration (cost 10 ) (3) Reduce the recharge of all mortar skills (cost 15 ) (4) Increase damage on all mortar skills by 25% (cost 20 ) (5) New Skill: Concussion Barrage — Launch a barrage of rounds that push back foes where they land (cost 25 )

Not very useful in most cases, even on scouts. Only max around as one of the last things.

Build Mastery
Total Cost: 30

Improves your building capabilities (1) Spend 4 supply at a time when building siege (cost 1 ) (2) Spend 6 supply at a time when building siege (cost 4 ) (3) Spend 8 supply at a time when building siege (cost 10 ) (4) Spend 10 supply at a time when building siege (cost 15 )

A good mastery to have but you do not need to max it out. (2) is enough because I believe after you spend your 10 supply, if you have 5 from a +5 buff it does not apply to it. So being able to spend all 10 supplies in 2 hit is already great, other option would be (4) for a 1 hit to spend all supply but it cost a lot more points just for those 2 last ranks.

Repair Mastery
Total Cost: 20

Improves your repairing capabilities (1) Spend 4 supply at a time when repairing (cost 1 ) (2) Spend 6 supply at a time when repairing (cost 3 ) (3) Spend 8 supply at a time when repairing (cost 6 ) (4) Spend 10 supply at a time when repairing (cost 10 )

A good mastery to have but you do not need to max it out just like the build mastery, (2) is enough.

Catapult Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improves catapult skills (1) Increases damage done to walls by 20% (cost 5 ) (2) Gravel Shot now applies bleeding (cost 10 ) (3) Increases radius of all catapult skills (cost 15 ) (4) Increases catapult damage by 25% (cost 20 ) (5) Skill: Siege Bubble — Creates a dome that destroys projectiles on impact (cost 25 )

This is a very nice mastery to max out. (5) gives a dome that protects the area from projectiles like catapults projectiles or treb shoots. You also get a total of 45% more damage to walls at (4) and 25% more damage to everything also.

Supply Master
Total Cost: 15

Improve your ability in gathering, spending, and running supply (1) Pick up supply faster (cost 1 ) (2) Gain swiftness after spending all of your supply (cost 2 ) (3) Gain improved swiftness when picking up supply (cost 3 ) (4) Have a chance to recover spent supply when spending supply (cost 4 ) (5) Deployed siege sites are invulnerable for a short duration (cost 5 )

(4) is a must for everyone since you get a chance to recover supply. (5) is only for commanders really.

Trebuchet Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve trebuchet skills (1) Increases the damage on trebuchet skills (cost 5 ) (2) Cow ammo now drains supply from enemy players (cost 10 ) (3) Increases the radius of trebuchet skills (cost 15 ) (4) Skill: Healing Oasis. Creates a water field that heals allies (cost 20 ) (5) Basic shots that hit enemy supply depots will destroy some of the objective's supply (cost 25 )

This is another great mastery to spend points on. (2) is a must. The other bonuses are luxury but having (5) is good when you need to siege a keep that has full supply to drain it all.

Flame Ram Mastery
Total Cost: 75

Improve flame ram skills (1) Gain Iron Hide while interacting with the flame ram (cost 5 ) (2) Flame Blast now applies Structural Vulnerability to gates (cost10 ) (3) Reduce recharge of flame ram skills (cost 15 ) (4) Skill: Slam Impact — Launch enemies on the other side of the door (cost 20 ) (5) Skill: Iron Will — Support skill that applies Iron Hide to nearby allies (cost 25 )

Flame ram (3) is a must for everyone, I don't know why someone wouldn't have this because rams is the most used siege in the game. You might not be on the rams always because there is so many people in a zerg that have the (3) mastery already but if you ever to decide to join a smaller group and play off prime time you will need this. (5) is luxury but can be useful in some situations.

Grand Total: 1315

Since WvW experience is account bound, it is nice to have different mastery for each tunes depending on the class/playstyle. Make sure you look at the build and adapt it to your playstyle since not everyone is focused on 1 role. Examples of how you want to spend your points depending on your playstyle:

Zerglingz following derpy dorrito (focus on offensive siege/supply carrier):

Depending on you, you might want to max out damage and defense versus guards instead of increased supply.

Rank 500-650

Rank 650-750

Rank 750-900

900 is the rank where you should have all the useful things mastered. Above 900, you should know where to spend your points ;) (max out the siege that you know you are using).

Roamer hitting camps / small objectives (focus on personal buffs):

Above 350, adapt your mastery to your playstyle.

Scouts (focus on defensive siege):