DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Fractals Of The Mind
HTML https://fractalsofthemind.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Fractals Guardian Builds
*****************************************************
#Post#: 195--------------------------------------------------
GUARDIAN BEGINNER'S BUILD
DIR By: neondistraction
Date: November 20, 2013, 9:50 am
---------------------------------------------------------
GUARDIAN BEGINNER'S BUILD
=========
Introduction
=========
This guardian build is a generic anchor guardian build, which I
initially used to level up my guardian to 48. Your DPS will not
be the best but you will be able to help your team reliably and
able to heal yourself very well. Please keep in mind, the views
here are my opinions and are not meant to offend other builds.
My feedback comes from trying out new things and running
fractals many times to learn what works and then to relearn what
works better (we can always improve!).
NOTE: As soon as I learned how to play fractals better and found
a pure zerker team to take intelligent risks with, I switched to
GUARDIAN ADVANCED BUILD:
HTML http://fractalsofthemind.createaforum.com/fractals-guardian-builds/guaridan-advanced-build/
Credits: Much of the influence from the build came from my
friends that I met playing fractals with, who showed me this
nice video by ShadeusGlavor from the elite European PvE guild
Define [HC] (thanks!):
HTML http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BV_eBDu0zEc
=========
Armor Set:
=========
x6 Knight's armor (toughness, power, precision)
Runes: (we want the most boon duration we can get!!)
x2 Superior Rune of the Traveler (I would not put this in a
helmet, since they are expensive and you would need to buy 3 to
have one for an aquabreather too.)
x2 Superior Rune of the Monk (get with AC dungeon tokens)
x2 Superior Rune of the Water
(I would not use Soldier runes at all- the guardian has many
ways to remove conditions from the team and self so Soldier
runes are an unnecessary overkill.)
=========
Trinket Set:
=========
Backpiece: Soldier's (I wish I would have made Beserker instead)
Earrings: Beserker x2
Rings: Beserker x2
Amulet: Beserker
=========
Weapons:
=========
Hammer: Knight's with Superior Sigil of Force (+5% damage)
Greatsword #1: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Perception
Greatsword #2: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Force when stacks
are full
Sword: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Fire (the flameblast aoe
helps in stacking situations when killing mobs)
Staff: Knight's with Superior Sigil of Perception
Scepter: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Force (+5% damage)
Focus: Knight's with Superior Sigil of Accuracy (+5% critical
chance)
Trident: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Serpent Slaying (+10%
damage to krait)
Spear: Beserker with Superior Sigil of Serpent Slaying
=========
Traits:
=========
Shorthand: 0/0/30/30/10
Expanded
Valor
IV: Strength in Numbers: 150 toughness to you and nearby allies
When to use: ALWAYS (unless another guard has the same trait,
then switch to what fits the situation)
VI: Retributive Armor: 5% of toughness is converted into
precision
When to use: ALWAYS
XI: Altruistic Healing (AH): the BEST and also the WORST part of
this build: heal yourself when applying a boon to allies (self
included)
When to use: ALWAYS (try this trait with Empower on the staff
(#4) in a group to see how effective this trait is)
Honor
Vigorous Precision (minor 5 point trait): chance to gain vigor
on a crit (very good trait!! need to dodge a lot in fractals,
works with AH)
II: Superior Aria: Shouts cool-down 20% faster (all shouts work
with AH)
When to use: ALWAYS (this build will always have at least one
shout as a utility skill, and shouts work with AH)
V: Resolute Healer: make a shield of absorption when reviving an
ally
When to use: GRAWL FRACTAL ONLY if team keeps going down
VII: Writ of Persistence: Symbols last 2 seconds longer (all
guardian symbols cause a boon, so this also helps with AH)
When to use: stacking situations with the hammer and use
auto-attack for permanent protection, usually so much time that
you can swap weapons and come back before protection runs out if
you plan it right
VIII: Empowering Might: chance on a crit for you and nearby
allies gain might (works with AH)
When to use: Jade Maw, ranged fights where little to no
condition removal is needed and you use a scepter/focus, some
stacking conditions if you can give up other traits
[In my opinion, this trait is very overrated and not worth using
if you can benefit better from another trait in this line.]
IX: Two-Handed Mastery: two-handed weapons cool-down 20% faster
(i.e. spear, trident, hammer, staff, greatsword)
When to use: ALWAYS WATER FRACTAL, usually anytime you use 2
two-handed weapons at the same time
XI: Pure of Voice: Allies effected by shouts have one condition
converted into a boon (works with AH)
When to use: any place where there are going to be problematic
conditions: CLIFFSIDE hammer running, WATER fractal with the
krait at the start, maybe the GRAWL final boss, etc.
Virtues
Inspired Virtue (minor 5 point trait): Virtues give extra boons
[works with AH]: Justice- 3 might stacks, Resolve- regeneration,
Courage- protection
I: Unscathed Contender: 20% more damage while under the effects
of aegis
When to use: RANGED boss fights, JADE MAW, any time you do not
need a Wall of Reflection and think you can keep up aegis
VI: Master of Consecrations: 20% cool-down and 20% duration on
consecrations [VERY IMPORTANT TRAIT TO USE]
When to use: ANYTIME YOU NEED THE WALL OF REFLECTION [which is a
lot of the time]: grawl final boss and beginning mobs, harpies
and final boss on uncategorized, mossman and bloomhunger bosses,
snowblind when beating the ice elemental when the vets spawn,
charr fractal when killing the mobs in the city and arena,
dredge fractal when killing mobs before the car and at the car
(in front or behind the car), cliffside final boss after
chanters spawn and the boss drops the hammer [you get the point
I think!]
=========
Skills:
=========
Healing Skill
Signet of Resolve if you can handle a burst heal with a 40 sec
cool-down [also cures a condition every 10 seconds]
Prayer to Dwayna if you are a human and want a medium heal with
a lower cool-down of 30 seconds
Shelter: ok heal with a block, can be very useful (30 sec cd)
Virtues
Virtue of Justice: this is traited to give 3 stacks of might
when activated, which is nice to use after Empower (staff #4)
[works with AH]
Virtue of Resolve: this is traited to give regeneration when
used and is a nice little healing skill; use it wisely [works
with AH]
Virtue of Courage: this is traited to give protection and aegis
when use; good to use when ressing a team member or when your
health is low [works with AH]
Elite Skill
Renewed Focus: makes you invulnerable for 2 seconds and
recharges all 3 virtues; use wisely when things get rough and
you can pop Virtue of Courage for aegis again quickly afterwards
Tome of Courage: use on the Jade Maw when you need to heal
yourself and/or your team when agony hits
Utility Skills [remember you can trait for shouts to remove a
condition, so think about that before slotting]
These will vary depending upon the situation. Think about what
the team needs before yourself, especially since the guardian is
a great class for reflects and will be expected to provide them
at certain places, along with stability and aegis.
"Retreat": shout with aegis and swiftness
When to use: i use this almost all the time if i can, aegis at
the right time and place can save yourself or someone in the
team; running and jumping parts with swiftness; use it
sparingly, as it has a longer cool-down than most of the other
shouts
"Stand Your Ground": shout with stability and retaliation
[BREAKS STUN]
When to use: uncategorized harpy section needs stability when
walls run out or aegis; before you attack final cliffside boss
so the team is not stunned; JADE MAW TO BREAK STUN
"Save Yourselves": shout to gain lots of boons and take some
conditions from allies [BREAKS STUN]
When to use: use as a luxury; BREAK STUN at JADE MAW; can hurt
you if you are not careful and a selfish trait if not needed
really because it has a long cool-down
Wall of Reflection: reflects projectiles, lasts for 12 seconds
with trait
When to use: almost every fractal needs a reflect; see above in
Traits under "Master of Consecrations"
Shield of the Avenger: reflective shield that does not always
work perfectly, last 20 seconds if not destroyed; can be
destroyed for a BREAK STUN
When to use: save it to use for the grawl shaman final boss as
soon as he goes into his bubble and the eles spawn, not before
they spawn- just use wall of reflection or dodge until then; can
be used on the harpy run too while jumping, but i prefer
"Retreat", Wall of Reflection, and "Stand Your Ground"; also can
use when killing the dredge by the car and on the ice ele boss
when the vets spawn
"Hold The Line": protection and regeneration
When to use: not very often; i sometimes give to team when we
melee a boss and are getting hit a lot (e.g. Old Tom)
Bane Signet: +180 power, use it to knockdown a foe (so it can
strip one stack of defiance)
When to use: DREDGE FINAL BOSS TO INTERRUPT IF IT STARTS TO HEAL
(not enough guardians do this, sadly); anytime you have a free
utility skill you should use this to boost power (e.g.
ranged/melee boss fights)
Purging Flames: fire field that removes conditions [up to 3]
When to use: for might stacking party; to remove conditions but
probably not the best way to do it in this build
=============
Playing this build:
=============
Many of the trait and utility swapping scenarios have been
addressed or explained above, but they are not the only options
so be creative and think of new things too.
There are some fine details it is good for a guardian to be
aware of when stacking mobs, like using the Line of Warding #5
on the staff [so use Two-Handed Mastery trait] to interrupt
incoming mobs and putting up a Wall of Reflection (charr and
dredge mobs especially). The crowd control from the greatsword
#5 skill [Binding Blade] is good to use for clumping mobs
together and then aoe-ing them down as a team [especially
uncategorized cat robots and the vet eles on the snow ice ele
boss]. Also, a hammer guardian is slightly less dps than a
greatsword guardian, so I would recommend using a greatsword if
your team does not need the protection. Both are very good
choices.
Use common sense and try to avoid using weapons in a sub-optimal
way, like using a staff auto-attack in melee range for the whole
fight or using a scepter in melee range. Also, remember you can
cure a condition by combo-ing with a Light Field a and using a
Whirl or Projectile finisher (so potentially greatsword #4 then
#2).
I hope I have hit on most of the details about this build and
how the guardian can be useful in fractals. If anyone has
questions or wants to chat about builds, please feel free to
post back or talk to me on the GW2 name "neondistraction.2513"
(guardian Cpt Jean L Picard). Thank you and happy fractaling to
everyone! :D
*****************************************************
Page 1 of 1