Guild Wars 2 Class/Builds Discussion Catch All

there's that and another that gives you ~30%-40% additional when attacking from side/rear. Still if you noticed that when you go invisible your #1 attack changes depending on your weapon. Pistol or dagger it's a significant boost when compared tot he default attack.

I like the movement of Sword, but right now i'm not a fan for the same reason i'm not a fan of the shortbow. Attacks are too slow. In PvE that's probably not a bad thing but in pvp. Speed tends to win due to folks peoples ability to dodge and mitigate.

Aha, so that is why dagger/dagger... for the #5 stealth skill. I did not notice the #1 skill change in stealth. I have been using the thief all wrong.

And I don't think it is that the shortbow and sword are slow on the thief. On any other class they would be fine. It is just that the dagger is so incredibly fast. This is one of the things that I love about the shortbow on the ranger, it is really fast.

And this is all pve. I wouldn't even begin to make assumptions about pvp with a whopping 4 matches under my belt and 1 trip to wvw.

Aha, so that is why dagger/dagger... for the #5 stealth skill. I did not notice the #1 skill change in stealth. I have been using the thief all wrong.

I suppose you could do a stealth attack based build with dagger/dagger, but to me the real gem for that pairing is the #3 skill, which is a massive AOE bleed that also counts as an evade/dodge. The dagger offhand #5 is certainly a useful panic button, but not necessarily a core ability the way I play it. I made a post a few pages back when I first discovered this play style, but here's a revised version of how I'm running my thief.

My current build (around level 50): http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fYEQ...
Where I'm headed as I approach 80: http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fYEQ...

Note: This build is all about open world PvE and perhaps WvW. I have no real clue how it will function in dungeons or structured PvP, but it is CRAZY effective as a thief world exploration and questing build. (Here's a thread about level 80 dagger/dagger thieving that I plan to look at as I approach max level, if you are interested.) The basic idea here is that instead of being a sneaky thief you are going to flip out like a ninja on crack. Offense is defense, and defense is offense. Or to put it another way, nearly everything you do is BOTH defense and offense. While the build doesn't max out the trickery trait line which gives you +condition damage, you want to focus on that in your gear, because this fighting style is all about condition damage.

- Death Blossom (#3) is your main initiative spender until your enemies are low on HP, when Heartseeker (#2) becomes more powerful. Death Blossom is an AOE bleed, so the more enemies nearby the merrier -- this build is a monster for AOE farming. Death Blossom is also a "whirl" class combo finisher, so if you start a fight with your short bow you can drop a poison field (short bow #4), switch to daggers, Death Blossom and extend the poison on nearby enemies.
- Steal poisons, damages, and regens initiative, so don't use it as an opener anymore -- instead, use it once you've depleted your initiative.
- Dodge buffs you with might and swiftness and once you have 25 points in acrobatics, you also get a damage buff from not having full endurance. As a result, always be dodging if you have endurance but not enough initiative to use Death Blossom (or Heartseeker if the target's HP is low). Also, dodging drops caltrops for more bleed stacks, so be sure to take advantage of that as well.
- Roll for Initiative gives you an extra escape maneuver, but more importantly it will also keep you full of initiative and spamming your power attacks.

So basically, jump around like a maniac making everything in sight die from bleeding out while also being nearly impossible for anything to hit (especially as you learn to time your Death Blossom, Dodges, Withdrawls, and Roll for Initiative casts to avoid attacks as well as to do damage, regen initiative, and buff yourself). Just be careful about fighting near ledges. Actually, most of the time ledges are the most dangerous enemy you will fight. I've taken +2 or +3 level veterans with packs of helpers without ever dropping lower than 75% health, but a poorly planned Death Blossom or escape maneuver off a cliff will kill you every time.

A few notes on skill selection:
- If you don't have the 20 point trait from acrobatics, you might want to switch in Infiltrator's Signet for Assassins Signet. I felt like the extra initiative regen was more valuable before having the regen trait.
- If you are fighting an enemy that dishes out conditions you will probably need to change your heal spell to Hide In Shadows, which clears poison, bleeds, and burns. Otherwise, Withdraw is quite handy -- it removes movement impairing effects, functions as an extra evade/escape move, and has a lower cooldown. Aside from the evil scourge of ledges, this is the real weakness of this build so you have to be smart about which healing skill you slot for a fight. When in doubt check the info text on the target's unit frame!
- If you really want more burst, switch Assassin's Signet to Haste. Not recommended, though, since Haste stops endurance regen and this build makes dodging both a buff tool and an attack in addition to its standard defensive ability.
- I generally run with a shortbow as my secondary weapon, but switch to pistol/pistol for big single target fights since it is much better at single target DPS.

Aha, so that is why dagger/dagger... for the #5 stealth skill. I did not notice the #1 skill change in stealth. I have been using the thief all wrong.

There's no 'right' way. Just different. I like that the game allows multiple versions of the 'right' way to be played based on personal styles.

Jiminy Christmas the thief is complex. I thought I he'd peered into its complexity at level 4 by realizing different offhands change my 3 skill. Reading the above theorycrafting makes me glad I've decided to ignore all that and "just have fun" with this MMO. Not a criticism at all. I just don't have the fortitude to go that deep any more. Tankadin in WoW killed that tendency in me.

I hope.

duckilama wrote:

Jiminy Christmas the thief is complex. I thought I he'd peered into its complexity at level 4 by realizing different offhands change my 3 skill. Reading the above theorycrafting makes me glad I've decided to ignore all that and "just have fun" with this MMO. Not a criticism at all. I just don't have the fortitude to go that deep any more. Tankadin in WoW killed that tendency in me.

I hope.

bolded part. Actually this sounds like one and one that's mentioned more than once for every MMO we play. Some of us like going that deep into the complexities of what we play. We are "just having fun" when we do this.

There's no 'right' way. Just different. I like that the game allows multiple versions of the 'right' way to be played based on personal styles.

Yeah, this is really the brilliance of this game. So many variables makes it very hard (if not impossible) to create a "best" spec/build/playstyle. Maybe one or two "bests" for very specific roles, but even having found an amazingly effective and fun way to play just one of the classes I can already see half a dozen other options (again just in that one class) that could be just as effective even for the same style of gameplay (i.e., PvE). Hell, I can see at least one or two other effective approaches even with the same weapon set.

For those of us who revel in trying to craft an effective, powerful build, this game is a gold mine of fun.

Missing some of the engineer love so I thought I'd throw in for my homies.

I've just hit level 30, and unlocked me some golem, but now what?

Am I the only one who drops a million turrets and squees happily when rockets explode some bandit's face?

So far I've been a bit helter-skelter with my trait points. Put a bunch in Firearms for my pistols, a few in Inventions and a few in Alchemy (based on some of the other suggestions for builds I've read). Turrets are just so much more fun than potions, and I die a lot less going solo with them.

Seriously though, is anyone running with a viable turret-based build for PvE? I'll probably never touch PvP, but I plan to run some dungeons soon.

ranalin wrote:
duckilama wrote:

Jiminy Christmas the thief is complex. I thought I he'd peered into its complexity at level 4 by realizing different offhands change my 3 skill. Reading the above theorycrafting makes me glad I've decided to ignore all that and "just have fun" with this MMO. Not a criticism at all. I just don't have the fortitude to go that deep any more. Tankadin in WoW killed that tendency in me.

I hope.

bolded part. Actually this sounds like one and one that's mentioned more than once for every MMO we play. Some of us like going that deep into the complexities of what we play. We are "just having fun" when we do this.

And more power to you deep divers, theorycrafters, minmaxers.
Seriously. You guys are the ones that find bugs and imbalances for the devs to fix.
You guys point out the loose rails on the roller coaster.
Which allows me to enjoy the theme park in slack-jawed ignorant bliss.

Hats off to you guys. I recall the fun you guys chase. I just choose to chase a different kind of fun.

So, seriously, not criticizing the theorycrafters at all.

thegirlnerd wrote:

Missing some of the engineer love so I thought I'd throw in for my homies.

I've just hit level 30, and unlocked me some golem, but now what?

Am I the only one who drops a million turrets and squees happily when rockets explode some bandit's face?

So far I've been a bit helter-skelter with my trait points. Put a bunch in Firearms for my pistols, a few in Inventions and a few in Alchemy (based on some of the other suggestions for builds I've read). Turrets are just so much more fun than potions, and I die a lot less going solo with them.

Seriously though, is anyone running with a viable turret-based build for PvE? I'll probably never touch PvP, but I plan to run some dungeons soon.

I'm a 55 engie. I run with rifle, bomb kit, flamethrower kit and then last whatever I feel I need in that area. I really Have not used turrets much except net and healing although I am saving up 30 skill point for the mortar possibly. I wanted to have an engie bucause of turrets but I guess I just read too much negative about them. I did use the thumper in the beginning when I had to fight more then one guy but now I just don't have a lot of issues with multiple guys or veterans. I use the rifle and flamethrower to keep them away. The flamethrower does crazy damage (for an engie), I usually see that last tick hit in the 900s. If I run into more then one mob (like wolves always calling their buds) I just drop bombs and run around them in circles till they are all dead. Finally, I mainly use the supply drop elite skill when I'm in trouble. That does use a lot of turrets but in one convenient slot.

Personally, I just love shooting the rifle so I think I'm going to respec soon to put 30 points into it right off the bat. (If I can ever save 2g for the training book!)

I have mostly played WvW for pvp and grenades are very helpful!

thegirlnerd wrote:

Seriously though, is anyone running with a viable turret-based build for PvE? I'll probably never touch PvP, but I plan to run some dungeons soon.

My eng is in the early-mid 30's and I've been using mainly turrets. My standard adventuring loadout is rifle, heal turret, thumper, rocket turret, gun turret and elixir X. If I'm just running through an area the rifle skills alone are fine as the skill rotation won't let a single target get near me. If multiple mobs then you have to kite a bit.

Once I find a nice spot I set up base and play tower defense for a bit. I'll have the heal turret on top of me with the gun and rocket turrets a bit out to each side so a single aoe won't take them out and the thumper out front to act as a speed bump. I'll just pull mobs back to my base while netting them and throwing them back as they get closer to my safe zone. It's definitely not a mobile loadout but it can really lock down an area as long as your rocket turret doesnt go nuts and start firing at some random mobs that you weren't focusing on.

For events I usually drop either the gun or thumper turret and switch over to the flamethrower or grenades. I know a lot of people talk about how great the bomb loadout is but I don't seem to have gotten the hang of those abilities yet as I have it in my head that the engi should stay far, far away from the mobs rather than getting right up on them that the bombs seem to require.

So for the previous couple of days I had been experimenting with my ranger, engy and thief alts. Last night while waiting for BL2 to unlock I slipped back into my warrior main. I must have been in a hotbed of event activity because I got almost 2 levels in 30-40 minutes.

Well to be honest, I did run into and complete a big event in the god-something swamp of eternal stench. That was a ton of fun killing that giant shade demon thingy. I'll post a screen tonight of it but I think others have shown it before. The loot from the chest at the end was insane!

thegirlnerd wrote:

Seriously though, is anyone running with a viable turret-based build for PvE? I'll probably never touch PvP, but I plan to run some dungeons soon.

My engineer is 62(ish) now. My PvE loadout has pretty sort of solidified on thumper, flamethrower and bomb or grenade kit. For elite, I've been using the 7-Series golem (I'm Asura) because it is a beast when in a boss fight. If I'm doing a 'defend a point' type of world even, I'll switch over to the mortar.

I'll switch between pistol dual wield and rifle depending on if I pick up a better weapon of either type.

Feel free to hit me up in guild chat if you see me on, or jump on to Vent...I'm usually logged into Vent if I'm playing...if you want to discuss further. I think that loading out an engineer is my favorite so far because of the huge amount of diversity that you get from the kits.
(I also have a guardian, mesmer and elementalist)

Any thoughts of a reasonable Mesmer build? I'm only level 16 right now, but so far I've been having good success rocking a two-handed sword for ranged damage (which sounds bizarre), and switching to two swords or a sword and pistol when things get up close and personal. My other skills (2 so far) are a stun and a blind.

I really have no idea what role a mesmer plays as the game progresses though..... what I described works nicely for low level solo play and events though.

I respecced my Warrior from a crit/bleed build to a support/defense build, and it's a lot of fun. I don't kill things as fast, but I'm really hard to kill. Here's my current build at level 45.
Shake it Off and Shrug it Off don't share a cooldown, so I have two ways to remove conditions from myself and nearby allies. For Great Justice and Battle Roar stack, and if I stagger their cooldowns I can keep Fury and 5-8 stacks of Might up on myself and allies pretty much all the time.

An amusing side effect is that my character is now constantly yelling things in combat. For great justice! Shake it off! Time to kill! Remember Ascalon!

Wait... there's a skill called For Great Justice?
I love this game.

duckilama wrote:

Wait... there's a skill called For Great Justice?

And your character yells it every time you use it.

I like how many skills call back to the original game, and how many are subtle pop culture references.

Zero, I love your build. My build was different as it went for that burst
http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fYEQ...

I outlined this earlier but I would F1 in (bleed and damage), 7-8-9 to get my haste, signet (extra damage) and venom off, Cloak and Dagger to go stealth Position behind and get a backstab in. By now most mobs are at half health or better as my doublestrike whittles away at them. A couple of Death Blossoms followed by a Heart Seeker and most mobs are done in a few seconds. Sometimes it blows me away how quickly she slices and dices.
BUT, She's an assassin. A one-mob pony. While the Death Blossom is great in a group, as is the Dancing Dagger, we just aren't generally much good when we're swarmed. I like to keep Hide in Shadows handy as my heal as I can usually get away from danger by using that stealth.

I am tempted to try yours though. It looks fun and there is something about leaving a enemy riddled with poison, bleeding and slowed down and watching fall on his face as he gets to you.
Too bad we can't have multiple builds at the ready, like in Rift. Loved that feature.

groan wrote:

Zero, I love your build. My build was different as it went for that burst
http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fYEQ...

I outlined this earlier but I would F1 in (bleed and damage), 7-8-9 to get my haste, signet (extra damage) and venom off, Cloak and Dagger to go stealth Position behind and get a backstab in. By now most mobs are at half health or better as my doublestrike whittles away at them. A couple of Death Blossoms followed by a Heart Seeker and most mobs are done in a few seconds. Sometimes it blows me away how quickly she slices and dices.
BUT, She's an assassin. A one-mob pony. While the Death Blossom is great in a group, as is the Dancing Dagger, we just aren't generally much good when we're swarmed. I like to keep Hide in Shadows handy as my heal as I can usually get away from danger by using that stealth.

I am tempted to try yours though. It looks fun and there is something about leaving a enemy riddled with poison, bleeding and slowed down and watching fall on his face as he gets to you.
Too bad we can't have multiple builds at the ready, like in Rift. Loved that feature.

This is almost exactly like my build for the thief.

I use the +5% dmg for daggers though, and i've gotten used to using shadow refuge instead of signet of shadows

AndrewA wrote:

Any thoughts of a reasonable Mesmer build? I'm only level 16 right now, but so far I've been having good success rocking a two-handed sword for ranged damage (which sounds bizarre), and switching to two swords or a sword and pistol when things get up close and personal. My other skills (2 so far) are a stun and a blind.

I really have no idea what role a mesmer plays as the game progresses though..... what I described works nicely for low level solo play and events though.

My main is a Mesmer at level 22 and 3-4 hours in WvW. Similar to yours in that I mainly use the Signet skills and the Greatsword.

A Mesmer is a support class: an enemy force degrade-er . With clones and phantasms you can confuse other players while dealing damage in a skirmish. Ideally while the enemy is dealing with your squad mates or even the clones themselves. The clones also provide a way to apply conditions on a situational basis with the shatter skills, which is part of their main role; to constantly pile conditions on the enemy. We are great for 1vs1 fights but don't do so well against groups unless we have our own group, then we increase our squads efficiency by decreasing theirs.

I do recommend that you try out a Staff, especially in WvW. Mostly for the slot #5 skill Chaos Storm. It has a pretty big AOE, damages foes and places conditions on them over time, while applying boons to allies. Do be prepared to switch out from it fast as the slot #1 basic attack is mostly for support use and if the enemy rushes you, you will want something for better close in work - like the Scepter/Sword.
Scepter/Sword gives you 2 blocks on different cooldowns. If do you block with either one, a clone will spawn and as a bonus, if you cancel the block prematurely, you will shoot either a blind or a daze at targets in front of you. I love them for PvE paired up with the Greatsword.

I personally prefer the Signet utility skills for their simplicity; passive benefit while inactive, instant condition on target, interrupting them when activated. Putting Traits into Domination opens up a skill that recharges Signet skills faster.

So churn out as much illusions as possible, shatter all the time accordingly, keep moving to confuse, watch for damage dealers that you can stun or blind with interrupts and you'll be playing your role.

I still think it's early days for me as well, and I'm looking into messing with the other utility skills to see what else is useful together.

Kehama wrote:

For events I usually drop either the gun or thumper turret and switch over to the flamethrower or grenades. I know a lot of people talk about how great the bomb loadout is but I don't seem to have gotten the hang of those abilities yet as I have it in my head that the engi should stay far, far away from the mobs rather than getting right up on them that the bombs seem to require.

I'm so glad to hear you say that. There's been lots of talk about bombs and such, but I just can't see myself enjoying it. Even the flamethrower is a smidgen too close for my tastes...

Thanks for the engi advice everyone. I feel better about my little noisy turrets now :).

thegirlnerd wrote:
Kehama wrote:

For events I usually drop either the gun or thumper turret and switch over to the flamethrower or grenades. I know a lot of people talk about how great the bomb loadout is but I don't seem to have gotten the hang of those abilities yet as I have it in my head that the engi should stay far, far away from the mobs rather than getting right up on them that the bombs seem to require.

I'm so glad to hear you say that. There's been lots of talk about bombs and such, but I just can't see myself enjoying it. Even the flamethrower is a smidgen too close for my tastes...

Thanks for the engi advice everyone. I feel better about my little noisy turrets now :).

Bombs are great for escape. I still can't decide if it's justified to keep them equipped all the time, but I guess you never know when you'll need to escape. When I get ganged up on by a mob, I switch to the bomb kit and just run, dropping bombs all the way. The do a decent amount of damage, apply conditions, and generally facilitate a hasty retreat.

I just picked up the elixir gun last night with my engi and I absolute love it. Wish I'd picked it up sooner. For the few hours I played last night I was using that as my default weapon the entire time. Being able to poison, bleed and cripple the mobs while dropping down an area heal while increasing run speed and removing effects from allies at the same time? Yeah, I'll take that. The damage isn't too shabby either.

Kehama wrote:

I just picked up the elixir gun last night with my engi and I absolute love it. Wish I'd picked it up sooner. For the few hours I played last night I was using that as my default weapon the entire time. Being able to poison, bleed and cripple the mobs while dropping down an area heal while increasing run speed and removing effects from allies at the same time? Yeah, I'll take that. The damage isn't too shabby either.

So what's the engi ability to constantly knock people down?

In pvp i came up against a guy that was able to keep me constantly knocked down (4 or 5 times). Is it the rifle he was using or something else in his build?

Off the top of my head I know the rifle has a knockdown and you can also get the rocket boots and battering ram ability that will knock down.

It's hard to say, there are several knockdown skills. It may have been slick shoes, which is one of my must-have skills in WvW.

Engineers are pretty awesome.

Engie with a shield has a 360 degree knockback/knockdown skill. Could be that too.

Seriously i was hating seeing him coming. Not sure of teh cool downs but unless i had all of mine up i was unable to do anything against him or escape without being knocked down to the ground. It was worse than the warriors root/100b routine.

Falchion wrote:

Engie with a shield has a 360 degree knockback/knockdown skill. Could be that too.

I didnt see him swap... he always had the rifle in play.

It was probably of combination of 2-3 different skills, then.