8 replies to this topic

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I've noted two unique posts of this nature for the past few days and was hoping to pitch in my own perspective.

Here is a link for my version of a Burning Build for a Guardian.

Let me note a few things why I designed it as such:

Gear

For weapons, I specifically used Main Hand/Off-hand weapons for the reason that I can put in a lot of Sigils, and to maximize the use of the Grandmaster Trait Right-Hand Strength. For stats, it's a choice between Rampager's or Shaman's. (Although I don't feel any love for Healing Power, the combination of Condition Damage and Vitality is what I'm looking at.).

• Sword/Torch: This will be your DPS set, the Torch lives up well to the concept because of its AOE style burning. Managing the CD will not be much of a problem. I used one Superior Sigil of Smoldering for 10% increased duration for burning and Perception to boost your Critical Chance further.
  
• Mace/Focus: This is more of a defensive set but make no mistake as this set-up maximizes the Block-Burn combo offered by the Valor Tree. This set makes you defensive while most of your other Burning Skills are on CD. It also provides some heal which this Build, as I foresee it, needs a lot of. This is slotted with two Smoldering Sigils. (Or you could move the Perception here so you DPS set enjoys more burning duration)

For Armor, the set will be Rampager's which gives you POW/PREC/CON. This will pump your base damage, critical chance, and condition damage. Carrion will work too but it will cost you your Critical Chance.

For Trinkets, it's a Chrysocola based.  For the accessory, it's the Guild Assassin Backpack or whichever lesser equivalent.

For Runes I just threw in two of each Superior Rune to unlock +15% duration to Burn, with the exception of Lyssa which gives +10% duration to condition, which marginally affects your Blind which you have on Reset with Renewed Justice, and one for each weapon set. You can switch out Lyssa for another Burn Duration Rune if you feel that you don't need to extend Blind.

Traits

This baby will be doing a 0/30/30/0/10. A High-Risk build from the look of it as it will not pour points into the Honor Tree. The risk will be varying if you went for a more Vitality with your Gears from the choice of Armor (Rampager's or Carrion, the second offering better survival with Vitality)

Radiance Line: Ups your Critical Chance. Unload all the damage you can do while your enemy is burning.

• Signet Mastery: Better Heal cooldown
  
• Torch Mastery: Cooldown Reduction to your DPS set.
  
• Right-Hand Strength: Both your Sets will enjoy this Trait. Self-Explanatory.
  
• Justice is Blind + Renewed Justice: This combo is very pivotal in this build as it gives you an active 5+ second Burn and Area Blind.
  
• Radiant Power: 10% Damage on Burning foes. Self-explanatory.

Valor Line: Critical Damage +30%. Again you just want to dish out a lot of damage.

• Meditation Mastery: 2 out of 3 skills of the build will be affected.
  
• Defender's Flame: Blocking allows you to burn more Stuff. Easily replaceable by Retributive Armor to increase Precision further. But the marginal burn from this Trait, can help you gap some down time from burning.
  
• Monk's Focus: 2 out of 3 skills you have will become Healing on Demand. Smite Condition will be a 16s Heal, AOE Damage, and Condition Remover.

Virtues Line: Improvement in Virtues and Consecrations. Can be replaced by Zeal for Fiery Wrath which is a permanent 10% Damage Boost to Burning Targets.

• Inspired Virtues: A bit of improvement to your Virtues, with Virtue of Justice  resetting after every kill.
  
• Master of Consecrations: Reduces CD of Purging Flames, or whatever Consecration you might need for a certain situation.

Burning Break Down

This build boasts +60% or so increase in Burn Duration. I don't want to do the math right now. But some of the skills here will last 8 - 9 seconds of Burn, enough time for you to wail on your target(s).

Some Uncertainties

I don't know if Critical Damage will take into consideration the 10% boost to damage to Targets with conditions (Burn) or which will be computed first - Critical Damage or the Trait Bonus.

[MazingerZ]

http://www.gw2db.com...91|48791|48791|

This has been working well for me.  I use burning to deal equal damage around, but my real goal is to just be front-line enough to deal damage, heal, buff and burn around me.  The burning is incidental, the purpose is to support as best I can.  The torch is there for soloing, the focus is there for when I take on a lot of things and just want to burn and provide buffs to allies.

The only thing I might change is going full bore on Rune of the Forge to get all the burning and more toughness versus power.  I found myself provided good regen and heals with the mace.

[ZCKS]

Generally speaking if I'm going to be using a build that makes much use of burning I'd probably use http://gw2skills.net...YLMGYcsYbxzipFA

With allot of rampagers & valkryie's gear.

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ZCKS, on 07 November 2012 - 09:21 PM, said:

Generally speaking if I'm going to be using a build that makes much use of burning I'd probably use http://gw2skills.net...YLMGYcsYbxzipFA

With allot of rampagers & valkryie's gear.

Ah the Spirit Weapon route - that certainly is an angle to take. You get a default 20% Damage Bonus by default doing Zeal/Radiance.
I wanted a bit more of Meat under my armor so I decided to incorporate "Defensive Burning" in the mix. What I did with mine was not really to maximize damage output but just to explore Condition Damage in Guardians which is not so talked about.

I wanted to incorporate a lot of healing-on-demand in the mix, as not putting any points into Honor might be a risk. It is certainly viable to  make use of either Valkyrie or Carrion in your gear to off-set the low HP Pool of DPS builds, in general.

[farkov47]

The problem with going the Spirit Route is that you're sacrificing an utility slot on an extremely long cooldown skill.
Even traited for recharge & duration, re-summoning the sword will take 70 seconds because it does not recharge when it's up.

Sword of Justice
Cooldown 30 s
Duration 30 s
Cast time 1.5 s

With Spirit 50% Duration & Recharge
Cooldown 24 s
Duration 45 s
Cast time 1.5 s

And the Hammer knockbacks, making it annoying for melee teammates to chase down. I've had some complaints from my teammates regarding that aspect of the weapon.

If the skill actually recharges when the weapons are summoned, this is a great skill
At its current state, it's good for easy dungeons that doesn't require a survival utility options (knockdown recovery, stability, heals) like Citadel of Flames.

If you're really dead set on Burning - try this build.

Edited by farkov47, 08 November 2012 - 05:49 AM.

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farkov47, on 08 November 2012 - 05:40 AM, said:

If you're really dead set on Burning - try this build.

I find Permeating Wrath lackluster, combined with how buffed Absolute Resolution is at Master Tier. If ANet did somehow combined the effects of PW and Supreme Justice is, then it would be something to look at.

[farkov47]

Permeating Wrath is best used in PVE/WvW situation where you are expecting to take on groups at close range.
If you are on a Dungeon and know that you'll take on just one boss, e.g Subject Alpha, swap it out for Supreme Justice.

According to this Wiki:Talk article, you CAN combine PW and SJ for a 4 attack triggering a passive AoE.

Quote

Tested it. Passive: ONLY to foes around yourself. Active: To foes around yourself. But your target is burned as well. — Gnarf

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farkov47, on 08 November 2012 - 06:03 AM, said:

Permeating Wrath is best used in PVE/WvW situation where you are expecting to take on groups at close range.
If you are on a Dungeon and know that you'll take on just one boss, e.g Subject Alpha, swap it out for Supreme Justice.

According to this Wiki:Talk article, you CAN combine PW and SJ for a 4 attack triggering a passive AoE.

You have to slot them both, as opposed to having Absolute Resolution alone. I know how the two traits work, my problem is that they should have been combined similar to how the mentioned Resolve buff is. Same goes with Indomitable Courage and Shielded Mind- those two should be merged as well.

[ZCKS]

jpg1, on 08 November 2012 - 01:33 AM, said:

What I did with mine was not really to maximize damage output but just to explore Condition Damage in Guardians which is not so talked about.

I wanted to incorporate a lot of healing-on-demand in the mix, as not putting any points into Honor might be a risk. It is certainly viable to  make use of either Valkyrie or Carrion in your gear to off-set the low HP Pool of DPS builds, in general.

+condition damage builds are pretty meh for guardians given the fact that they only have burning, especially given the problems burns have with scaling/clashing.

As for what gear to go with for a spirit weapon build, I would suggest a heavy mix of knight's gear with a few pieces of valkyrie's gear to up your health pool.