Warrior PvE | Open World Axe/Mace, Mace/Shield | Damage Simple Warrior Leveling Guide
Table of Contents
Summary
Warriors are a straightforward class, and very powerful fully geared at 80. In a nutshell the name of the game is to dish out so much damage that you kill before being killed, and with full Exotic and Ascended gear at 80, they are the best in the game at this.
However, while leveling you don't always have completely updated gear, or all your traits, and can find yourself in sticky situations, toe-to-toe with tough Veteran mobs, or stuck in tight caves filled with quick-respawning mobs, or other situations.
Warriors don't have a whole lot of defensive tricks like Guardians, pet tanks like Rangers/Mesmers/Necros/Engi's, or stealth and perma-evasion like Thieves to help them through those situations, especially pre-80.
So this is a build guide specifically for addressing those issues while leveling, mainly for new player still learning the ropes of the game who may have started with a Warrior. It meets a few objectives:
- It does not depend on Grandmaster traits like Berserker's Power or Heightened Focus, which can't be obtained till level 60 at the earliest, as the level 80 meta build 30/0/0/10/30 does. It is based primarily on Adept and Master traits, with the single Grandmaster trait optional and easy to pick up at 70 or 80.
- High damage
- Good sustain (constant self-healing)
- Fast movement speed (50% leveling is killing stuff, the other 50% is running around, so the faster you run the faster you level)
- Pure Damage for trash mobs (Axe/Mace)
- Stuns and Dazes for tougher stunnable mobs (Mace/Shield)
Finally, a couple videos to help anyone who feels like they're struggling a lot at lower levels:
- Playing evasively - Low level warrior solo'ing stuff in Queensdale. The video starts at fighting a boss mob and its adds, see how he's always moving, dodging, circling around, retreating when the mob starts a big attack, re-engaging after it misses, etc. Old video, some skills have changed, but still demonstrates the idea how to play evasively.
- GW2 Combat Mechanics - Demonstration of the finer points of GW2's combat system, by way of comparison to WoW.
I. Weapons and Skills
- Weapon Strength: 857-1048
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 895-1010
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 895-1010
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 806-909
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
Weapon Defense: 61
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- Double ChopChop your foe twice.Damage (2x): 480Range: 130
- Triple Chop1½Deliver three final chops to your foe.Damage (3x): 1,158Range: 130
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Weapon and Skill Details
Offensive - Axe/Mace
This weapon set is for pure dps. Simply autoattack them to death, and use Cyclone Axe every cooldown.
Axe autoattack chain is one of Warrior's highest damage attacks in the game. One caveat - it must finish all 3 attacks, since the damage is backloaded on the 3rd attack in the chain.
For Veterans or tougher mob, add Mace #4 Crushing Blow to the mix, for increased damage via Vulnerability. If you get too low on health and need to retreat, knock down the mobs with Mace #5 Tremor, swap to Mace/Shield and run away.
Finish low health mobs with the burst skill, Eviscerate.
Feel free to also use Axe/Axe here for even more pure AoE DPS. I put Axe/Mace because that's part of the level 80 meta 30/25/0/0/15 DPS build and it's useful to get used to playing the Axe/Mace portion of it, but Axe/Axe works here too. Experiment with both.
Defensive - Mace/Shield
The defensive weapon set, every ability has defensive capability. #1 applies Weakness which causes mobs to miss you. #2 is a Block, #3 is a Daze, #4 is a Stun, #5 is a Block, and F1 is a Stun. Damage is not terrible either with Cull the Weak and Sundering Mace providing a 15% damage buff to Mace skills and 5% to Shield skills.
Swap to Mace/Shield if you get in trouble and need to escape and reset the fight, or you're fighting a tough mob (Veteran, Elite, Champion) that is stunnable and/or has big attacks that are interruptable.
Mace/Shield is the current sPvP meta build [1] [2], which focuses on stun-locking opponents, and this can be useful leveling too. Shield #4 Shield Bash, Mace #3 Pommel Bash, and the burst skill Skull Crack all Stun or Daze.
These abilities are particularly useful for interrupting mobs in the middle of casting some big spell or attack, which can enable you to solo them - interrupt them when you can, dodge or block (Mace #2, Shield #5) their attacks when you can't.
Healing/Utility/Elite
Utility skills are all optional, but this build is heavy on Power and Critical Damage and light on Crit Chance, so you want Fury to be up as much as possible in combat, hence For Great Justice! and Signet of Rage.
Healing Signet's passive ability is one of the strongest healing abilities in the game. Combined with the Master Minor talent Adrenal Health, and Regen/Lifesteal Food (see gear section below), the combo provides very strong in-combat health regeneration.
That regen, plus dodging and blocking big attacks, is enough sustain to keep you alive and finish even difficult fights. The key is to never actually use Healing Signet - it must stay off cooldown in order for the passive regen to work. Get used to kiting away from mobs for a few seconds when you need to heal, then combing back to continue fighting when your health is topped off.
Other Options
Axe/Axe: Another good option, would provide more pure damage than Axe/Mace, though Mace #5 is just too fun to knock stuff down with.
Axe/Warhorn: I've been using Axe/Warhorn recently to solo Champions and this actually works very well too. Warhorn #4 + Signet of Rage gives you 100% uptime on Swiftness for +33% movement speed. Fighting Champion mobs is all about positioning and staying out of their killzone, and constant Swiftness + Endurance regen (thanks to Vigor from Warhorn #5) makes that a lot easier. This works well with trash mobs, Vets, and Elites too. Warhorn #5 also helps keep higher uptime on Weakness, which both reduces incoming damage and increases your outgoing damage 5% (Cull the Weak trait). Only problem is, Warhorn is not included in the Dual Wielding trait, so you lose 5% damage from that, and there are not many other good alternative traits there, besides Death From Above in mountainous areas.
II. Traits
Strength
Arms
Defense
Tactics
Discipline
Trait Details
Damage
Self explanatory - three talents focus on buffing Axe damage, the primary source of damage in this build: Dual Wielding, Axe Mastery, Sharpened Axes.
Cull The Weak and Sundering Mace trait increases damage vs Weakened Foes, so use Skale Venom to keep foes constantly Weakened.
Damage Mitigation
Passive damage mitigation comes primarily from the 200 Armor from the 20 points in the Defense traitline.
Sustain/Healing
Sustain/Healing comes from the combined constant regeneration from Adrenal Health (Defense Master Minor trait), Healing Signet, and Regen/Life Steal Food (see below).
Travel Speed
Warrior's Sprint - +25% faster run speed at all times (since this is a pure melee build).
Trait Progression
As you level, fill out the traits in this order:
- 20: 0/0/0/0/10 (travel speed will have more impact on your leveling speed at low levels than marginal damage increases)
- 30: 10/0/0/0/10
- 40: 10/0/10/0/10
- 50: 10/0/15/0/15
- 60: 20/0/15/0/15
- 70: 30/0/15/0/15
- 80: 30/0/20/0/20
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 23892 (+4680)
- Vitality 1384 (+468)
- Armor 2725 (+598)
- Toughness 1514 (+598)
- Attack 3661 (+1716)
- Power 2527 (+1611)
- Critical Hit 13% (+13%)
- Precision 1182 (+266)
Secondary Stats
- Burst Recharge 20% (+20%)
- Condition Duration 30% (+30%)
- Critical Damage 42% (+42%)
- Damage 1134 (+10%)
- Defense 1211 (+0)
- Experience from Kills 20% (+20%)
- Ferocity 466 (+466)
- Fury Duration 25% (+25%)
- Healing Power 200 (+200)
- Movement Speed 25% (+25%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
Stat and Effect Details
Stat priorities are:
- Power
- % Damage Increases (like Dual Wielding, Cull The Weak, and Berserker's Power)
- Critical Damage.
Get Precision/Crit Chance from Fury, Banners, and other buffs.
Throw in some Toughness if you find yourself dying a lot. With the constant regen in this build, you get more Effective Health from Toughness than Vitality.
IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items
Food Nourishment
Gain 85 health every second
Vitality: 70
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Gain 85 health every second
- Vitality: 70
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Utility Nourishment
Gain power equal to 6% of your toughness
Gain power equal to 4% of your vitality
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Gain power equal to 6% of your toughness
- Gain power equal to 4% of your vitality
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Armor & Runes
- Defense: 121
- Power: 15
- Fury Duration: 10%
- Power: 35
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30 seconds when hit. (Cooldown: 60s)
- Defense: 121
- Power: 45
- Precision: 32
- Ferocity: 32
- Power: 15
- Fury Duration: 10%
- Power: 35
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30 seconds when hit. (Cooldown: 60s)
- Defense: 363
- Power: 15
- Fury Duration: 10%
- Power: 35
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30 seconds when hit. (Cooldown: 60s)
- Defense: 182
- Power: 45
- Precision: 32
- Ferocity: 32
- Power: 15
- Fury Duration: 10%
- Power: 35
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30 seconds when hit. (Cooldown: 60s)
- Defense: 242
- Critical Damage: 1%
- Fury Duration: 15%
- Critical Damage: 3%
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30s when hit. (cooldown: 60s)
- Defense: 182
- Power: 45
- Precision: 32
- Ferocity: 32
- Critical Damage: 1%
- Fury Duration: 15%
- Critical Damage: 3%
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30s when hit. (cooldown: 60s)
Armor Stat Totals
- Defense 1211
- Power 185
- Fury Duration 25%
- Critical Damage 1%
- Precision 96
- Ferocity 96
Rune Bonuses
Major Rune of the Citadel- Power: 15
- Fury Duration: 10%
- Power: 35
- 3% chance to gain fury for 30 seconds when hit. (Cooldown: 60s)
- Critical Damage: 1%
- Fury Duration: 15%
Accessories & Jewels
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
- Power: 20
- Toughness: 14
- Vitality: 14
Accessory Totals
- Power:562
- Precision:170
- Ferocity:170
- Toughness:228
- Vitality:228
Weapon Set Sigils
- Weapon Strength: 857-1048
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 895-1010
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
Weapon Set I
Sigil of Superior BloodlustYou gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)
Sigil of Superior Force+5% damage.
- Weapon Strength: 895-1010
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 806-909
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
Weapon Defense: 61
Weapon Set II
Sigil of Superior BloodlustYou gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)
Sigil of Superior Force+5% damage.
- Weapon Strength: 905-1000
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
- Weapon Strength: 905-1000
- Power: 120
- Toughness: 85
- Vitality: 85
Water Weapon I
Sigil of Superior BloodlustYou gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)
Water Weapon II
Sigil of Superior BloodlustYou gain +10 power each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down or weapon change)
Upgrade Item Details
Armor/Jewels
Use gear with simple direct damage stats: Power, Precision, Crit Damage. Throw in Toughness and Vitality as a last resort if you really need extra survivability, but first try to get that from regen sources (Adrenal Health trait, Healing Signet, regen/lifesteal food). Weapons should be within 5 levels of your current level, and armor within 10 levels (unless you do dungeons, then armor within 5 levels).
Look for gear with the following prefixes:
- Level 1-20: Mighty, Resilient, Precise, Vital
- Level 21-54: Strong, Vigorous, Hearty, Hunter's, Stout
- Level 54-80: Berserker's, Soldier's, Knight's, Sentinel's
Runes
Major Runes of the Citadel and Major Runes of Rage are awesome with this build. Combined with For Great Justice! and Signet of Rage elite they provide 100% Fury uptime in combat, plus some nice boosts to Power.
If you level by Map Completion, you'll get 3x Transmutation Stones per map, which you can then use to keep your gear slotted with these Runes as you level and acquire gear upgrades.
Sigils
Sigil of Bloodlust is the primary sigil for this build. After that, any damage sigil on the second weapon works - Force, Accuracy, Fire, and Sigil of Air are all good options, use whichever you can find/is cheapest.
You can also build up 25 stacks of Bloodlust, then swap to an identical weapon with a different Sigil. You'll keep the Bloodlust stacks until you either get downed or move to a different map, while benefiting from an additional sigil.
Some Sigils don't stack:
The following combinations of Sigils are useless because they don't stack, you only get the benefit of one but not the other:
- Buff Stacking Sigils
- Bloodlust/Perception, Bloodlust/Corruption, Perception/Corruption do not stack, you'll only get one of those buffs, other will be useless.
- Bloodlust/Bloodlust only gives you 1 stack of Bloodlust, up to 25 total, but will increment that stack twice as fast vs a single Sigil. For example, with one Bloodlust Sigil when you kill a mob it adds 1 Bloodlust buff to stack, but with 2 sigils it adds 2 buffs to the stack. You'll get to 25 stack quicker, but after that there's no benefit.
- On-Crit Sigils
- Fire/Air, Fire/Earth, etc. All on-crit Sigils share an internal ~5s cooldown. If one procs and goes on cooldown, the other can't proc until the cooldown is up. Don't use 2x on-crit Sigils in the same weapon set.
- Static Bonus Sigils of the same bonus
- Force/Force, Night/Night, etc. don't double the damage bonus. Force/Force still only gives 5% damage bonus, not 10%. Night/Night only gives 10% damage bonus, not 20%.
- However, Force/Night, Night/Undead, etc. *does* stack. Force/Night gives a 15% damage bonus at Night, and Night/Undead gives a 20% damage bonus at night vs Undead mobs. This really only applies to dungeons and Fractals, don't bother yourself with this while leveling.
Also avoid condition damage sigils, which this build is not geared to.
Food
Use food that provides constant healing:
V. Basic Gameplay
Offensive - Axe/Mace
This weapon set is for pure dps. All of its abilities are damage oriented, except for #5 which provides both damage and a nice line knockdown. Simply autoattack mobs death, use Cyclone Axe every cooldown, and #5 if you need to back off and escape or heal.
Axe autoattack chain is one of Warrior's highest damage attacks in the game. One caveat - it must finish all 3 attacks, since the damage is backloaded on the 3rd attack in the chain.
For Veterans or tougher mob, add Mace #4 Crushing Blow to the mix. If you get too low on health and need to retreat, knock down the mobs with Mace #5 Tremor and run away.
Finish low health mobs with the burst skill, Eviscerate.
Defensive - Mace/Shield
All of Mace/Shield abilities are defensive. #1 applies Weakness causing mobs to miss you. #2 is a Block, #3 is a Daze, #4 is a Stun, #5 is a Block, and the F1 skill is Stun.
If you start getting low on health, swap to Mace/Shield for defense and run away to heal, using the Blocks and Stuns to escape.
Mace/Shield is the current sPvP meta build [1] [2], which focuses on stun-locking opponents, and this can be useful leveling too. Shield #4 Shield Bash, Mace #3 Pommel Bash, and the burst skill Skull Crack all Stun or Daze.
These abilities are particularly useful for interrupting mobs in the middle of casting some big spell or attack, which can enable you to solo them - interrupt them when you can, dodge or block (Mace #2, Shield #5) their attacks when you can't.
Note - stuns don't work on Champion mobs and higher, so you're limited to Axe/Mace pure DPS on those.
Additionally, the Mace #1 autoattack chain puts 5s of Weakness on the target, which increases your Mace damage by 15% (Cull the Weak + Sundering Mace) and your Shield Damage by 5% (Cull the Weak). So even this fully defensive weapon set can provide decent damage.
Healing
Don't actually use your Healing Signet unless about to die. Its purpose is to provide constant healing from its passive ability, in combination with Adrenal Health and healing Food (Mango Pie, Omnomberry Pie/Ghosts).
Main Skill Rotation
Axe/Mace
Get Fury and Might from Signet and Shout, apply Vulnerabilty with Mace #4 and Axe #2, then Autoattack till dead. Optionally, finish with Axe burst skill. Repeat.
Stun/Daze Rotation
To get the most damage out of this defensive set, your priorities are to get Fury and Might up (Signet + Shout), then get Weakness applied as soon as possible to start getting the +15% Mace damage buff (Cull the Weak + Sundering Mace).
Once Weakness is on the target, use your two hardest hitting attacks for max damage - Counter Blow and Shield Bash.
Use stuns to interrupt big attack/spell windups - namely Pommel Bash, Shield Bash, and Skull Crack, along with Shield Block and dodges to avoid damage.
VI. Alternate Greatsword Version of this Build
You can also use a Greatsword + Regen build if you prefer. The general concepts are the same - buff Power, % Damage, Critical Damage, and Greatsword Skills, plus max regen with Healing Signet + Adrenal Health + Regen Food. Your offset weapon choice is much more flexible as well, feel free to use Sword/Warhorn, Longbow, Rifle, or anything else that tickles your fancy. The leveling progression looks like this:
- Level 40: 10/10/10/0/0 (use anything you want for the Strength Adept trait, no great choices there)
- Level 50: 10/15/15/0/0
- Level 60: 15/20/15/0/0
- Level 70: 20/25/15/0/0
- Level 80: 30/25/15/0/0
VII. Alternative Axe/Axe + Sword/Warhorn version
Lately I've been running around at 80 solo on my warrior, using Axe/Axe + Sword/Warhorn, and the same build as the Axe/Mace + Mace/Shield with just one trait changed: Sundering Mace -> Cleansing Ire. Cleansing Ire gives faster Adrenaline regen in combat, plus more options for condition removal vs condition-heavy mobs like the plant-based things in the new Mordremoth-based Living Story. Axe/Axe for fighting things and high Vuln and Fury uptime (Axe #2 and #4 respectively). Switch to Sword/Warhorn for travel speed.
I was using a signet build on my warrior and while it wasn't bad it seemed ... lacking. After using your guide my level of play shot through the roof. I'm only level 50 but this guide has sealed the Warrior as my main. Thanks for your advice on this most excellent guide.
Great job :)))