Guardian WvW | Small Group Scepter/Torch, Sword/Torch | Roamer Roaming Burn Guardian
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Table of Contents
Summary
https://www.youtube.com/GotBoons
Highest Burning up-time possible in WvW at the moment.
Highlights:
- 100% Burning Duration
- 8K+ Burning Ticks at Max Rotation
- Great AoE Burning Application
- Amazing Self-heals Via Monk's Focus and Litany of Wrath
I. Weapons and Skills
Mathilde's Wand
- Weapon Strength: 940-1060
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Mathilde's Brazier
- Weapon Strength: 828-972
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Mathilde's Blade
- Weapon Strength: 950-1050
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Mathilde's Brazier
- Weapon Strength: 828-972
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- Zealot's Fire¾Throw your Zealot's Flame at the targeted foe, damaging them but increasing the skill's recharge time by 50%.Damage: 681x3Burning: 3 s (1179)Range: 1,200
- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
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- 0Fury: 4 sRetaliation: 5 s
Weapon and Skill Details
- You only need one Torch for this build to maximize Radiant Fire proc's. Sword is a great asset to mobility since you will lose Traveler's Runes to run Balthazar Runes for Burning up-time.
- Scepter is amazing for keeping Burning up and peeling/chasing.
- Mace works well in lieu of sword in group fights where you have allies to keep enemies locked down (ie. Mesmer/Thief).
Traits
Radiance
- Justice is BlindWhen activating Virtue of Justice, nearby foes are blinded
- Inner FireGain fury for 8 seconds when you strike a foe that has 3 or more stacks of burning. This effect has a 10 second cooldown.
- Right-Hand StrengthCritical hit chance with one-handed weapons is increased by 15%. Sword abilities have 20% reduced recharge.
- Healer’s RetributionGain retaliation for 5 seconds when using a heal skill.
- Renewed JusticeVirtue of Justice is renewed when you kill a foe.
- Wrath of JusticeStriking an enemy with justice’s active effect triggers signet of wrath’s active ability.
- Radiant FireGain zealot’s flame when you critically hit an enemy. Burning duration to enemies is increased. Torch abilities recharge 20% faster.
- RetributionGain 10% increased damage while under the effects of retaliation.
- Radiant PowerAttacks against burning foes have a 10% increased chance to critically hit.
- Amplified WrathBurning damage is increased by 15%. Blocking an attack burns the attacker for 2 seconds. This effect has a 1 second internal cooldown.
- Perfect InscriptionsGain light aura for 3 seconds when activating a signet. Signets recharge 20% faster and have 20% increased passive effects.
- Radiant RetaliationRetaliation damage scales from condition damage instead of power.
Valor
- Valorous DefenseGain aegis for 5 seconds when you are struck while below 50% health.
- Strength of the FallenLose 1 condition every 10 seconds. Health degenerates 33% more slowly while downed.
- Smiter’s BoonSmite conditions when you use a healing ability.
- Focus MasteryGain 4 seconds of protection when using a focus ability. Focus abilities have a 20% reduced recharge.
- Courageous ReturnVirtue of courage is fully recharged when you revive an ally or when you rally. This effect has a 30 second internal cooldown.
- Stalwart DefenderGain 180 additional toughness while wielding a shield. Shield abilities have 20% reduced recharge.
- Strength in NumbersNearby allies gain up to 150 bonus toughness, based on your effective level. 600 radius.
- Communal DefensesGrant 5 seconds of aegis to allies when you block an attack.
- Might of the ProtectorGain 2 stacks of might for 15 seconds when you block an attack. This ability has a 1 second internal cooldown.
- Altruistic HealingApplying a boon to allies also heals you.
- Monk’s FocusUsing a meditation skill heals you and grants 4 seconds of fury to allies in a radius. Meditation skills have 20% reduced recharge.
- Retributive ArmorGain up to 250 bonus toughness (based on effective level) when blocking an attack. Gain ferocity based on 13% of your current toughness.
Virtues
- Inspired VirtueVirtues apply the following boons to allies when activated: Justice: 3 stacks of might for 5 seconds. Resolve: 5 seconds of regeneration. Courage: 5 seconds of protection.
- Unscathed ContenderDeal 20% more damage while under the effects of aegis.
- Retaliatory SubconsciousGain 3 seconds of retaliation and 4 seconds of aegis when stunned, dazed, knocked back, pulled, knocked down, sunk, floated, launched, taunted or inflicted with fear.
- Master of ConsecrationsConsecrations last 20% longer and have 20% reduced recharge.
- Virtue of RetributionGain retaliation for 3 seconds when you activate a virtue. Retaliation you applies lasts 25% longer.
- Supreme JusticeVirtue of Justice causes burning with 3 strikes instead of 5. When activating virtue of justice, burning duration is increased by 1 second.
- Absolute ResolutionActivating virtue of resolve removes 3 conditions from nearby allies. Virtue of Resolve’s passive effect is stronger.
- Glacial HeartCritical hits with hammer chill enemies for 3 seconds. Hammer abilities have 20% reduced recharge.
- Power of the VirtuousDeal 1% extra damage for each boon you have. Virtues recharge 15% faster.
- Permeating WrathVirtue of Justice’s passive effect no longer only burns your target, but also burns the area around your target each time it activates.
- Battle PresenceNearby allies gain virtue of resolve’s passive effect.
- Indomitable CourageActivating virtue of courage breaks stun and grants 3 stacks of stability for 4 seconds to affected allies. Virtue of courage’s passive effect triggers every 30 seconds, down from 40.
Trait Details
Radiance and Valor lines and pretty much staple to any Burn or Medi Guard build, so I won't delve into those.
What IS different is choosing Virtues instead of Zeal or Honor.
Retaliatory Subconscious: This tier sucks for this build, so this trait is the least awful.
Supreme Justice: Two less hits to active Virtue of Justice may not seem like a lot, but it is huge to quickly stacking Burning and quite frankly overpowered in a high target density situation when combined with Smite and Cleansing Flame.
Permeating Wrath: The true gem of this build in outnumbered fights or especially fights Mesmers and Rangers. This will allow you to "cleave" down Mesmer Clones and Ranger Pets allowing you to come out on top in most 1v1, 1v2 fights.
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 20625 (+8980)
- Vitality 1898 (+898)
- Armor 3382 (+1111)
- Toughness 2111 (+1111)
- Attack 2016 (+0)
- Power 1000 (+0)
- Critical Hit 9% (+9%)
- Precision 1108 (+108)
Secondary Stats
- Burning Duration 65% (+65%)
- Condition Damage 1955 (+1955)
- Condition Duration 40% (+40%)
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords -12% (+-12%)
- Damage 1016 (+0%)
- Defense 1271 (+0)
- Experience from Kills 20% (+20%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
Combo
Stat and Effect Details
Pretty straight forward stat concept. Maximize Condition Damage to make you melt stuff harder. Maximize Toughness and Condition damage to let you live longer and mitigate more damage while melting face.
IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items
Food Nourishment
Rare Veggie Pizza
Duration: 30min
Condition Duration: 40%
Condition Damage: 70
Experience from Kills: 10%
Condition Duration: 40%
Condition Damage: 70
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Condition Duration: 40%
- Condition Damage: 70
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Utility Nourishment
Master Tuning Crystal
Duration: 30min
Gain Condition damage equal to 6% of your toughness
Gain Condition damage equal to 4% of your vitality
Experience from Kills: 10%
Gain Condition damage equal to 6% of your toughness
Gain Condition damage equal to 4% of your vitality
Experience from Kills: 10%
- (30min)
- Gain Condition damage equal to 6% of your toughness
- Gain Condition damage equal to 4% of your vitality
- Experience from Kills: 10%
Armor & Runes
Morbach's Visor
- Defense: 127
- Condition Damage: 63
- Toughness: 45
- Vitality: 45
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Morbach's Pauldrons
- Defense: 127
- Condition Damage: 47
- Toughness: 34
- Vitality: 34
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Morbach's Breastplate
- Defense: 381
- Condition Damage: 141
- Toughness: 101
- Vitality: 101
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Morbach's Warfists
- Defense: 191
- Condition Damage: 47
- Toughness: 34
- Vitality: 34
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Morbach's Tassets
- Defense: 254
- Condition Damage: 94
- Toughness: 67
- Vitality: 67
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Morbach's Greaves
- Defense: 191
- Condition Damage: 47
- Toughness: 34
- Vitality: 34
Superior Rune of Balthazar
- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Armor Stat Totals
- Defense 1271
- Condition Damage 614
- Burning Duration 45%
- Toughness 315
- Vitality 345
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords -6%
Rune Bonuses
Superior Rune of Balthazar- Condition Damage: 25
- Burning Duration: 10%
- Condition Damage: 50
- +15% Burning Duration; when you’re struck below 20% health, gain quickness for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 90 seconds)
- Condition Damage: 100
- +20% Burning Duration; when you use a heal skill, nearby foes are burned for 3 seconds. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
Accessories & Jewels
Malign WvW InfusionOffensive Infusion
- Condition Damage: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
(Infused)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
(Infused)
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
(Infused)
Malign WvW InfusionOffensive Infusion
- Condition Damage: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Malign WvW InfusionOffensive Infusion
- Condition Damage: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Vital WvW InfusionDefensive Infusion
- Vitality: 5
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords: -1%
Accessory Totals
- Precision:108
- Toughness:466
- Vitality:373
- Condition Damage:707
- DMG Taken from Guards and Lords:-6%
Weapon Set Sigils
Mathilde's Wand
- Weapon Strength: 940-1060
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Mathilde's Brazier
- Weapon Strength: 828-972
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Superior Sigil of Generosity
60% chance to transfer a condition to your foe on critical hit. (Cooldown: 10 Seconds)
Superior Sigil of Bursting
+6% Condition Damage
Weapon Set I
Superior Sigil of Generosity60% chance to transfer a condition to your foe on critical hit. (Cooldown: 10 Seconds)
Superior Sigil of Bursting+6% Condition Damage
Mathilde's Blade
- Weapon Strength: 950-1050
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Mathilde's Brazier
- Weapon Strength: 828-972
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
Sigil of Minor Corruption
You gain +10 condition damage each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down)
Superior Sigil of Bursting
+6% Condition Damage
Weapon Set II
Sigil of Minor CorruptionYou gain +10 condition damage each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down)
Superior Sigil of Bursting+6% Condition Damage
Mathilde's Impaler
- Weapon Strength: 950-1050
- Condition Damage: 125
- Toughness: 90
- Vitality: 90
- Weapon Strength: -
Sigil of Minor Corruption
You gain +10 condition damage each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down)
Water Weapon I
Sigil of Minor CorruptionYou gain +10 condition damage each time you kill a foe. (max 25 stacks and ends on down)
Water Weapon II
Upgrade Item Details
- Runes: I tried a few different Rune sets, but ultimately settled on Balthazar as the rune of choice due to the insane Burning up-time. Rune of the Undead will offer harder ticks of Burning, but you will not be able to achieve as many stacks at once and ultimately lose out on the Burning burst potential.
- Sigils: Corruption and Bursting Sigils are for max Burning damage. I tried Doom and Geomancy, but felt they suffered from range and being easily removed. The harder hitting Burning ticks made up for the loss of the healing debuff from Poison. Note: Generosity Sigil is personal choice and can be replaced with a myriad of other things. Incapacitation, Purity, Frailty and Earth sigils seemed to work well.
- Nourishments: Rare Veggie pizza or any similar food is preferred. Acceptable alternatives are Sweet Bean Buns(Expensive) or Prickly Pear Pie for the extra bit of sustain.
V. Basic Gameplay
Main Skill Rotation
No real skill rotation, just keep Zealot's Flame/Fire on cooldown and profit.
Key points:
- Use Zealot's Defense liberally vs any class with projectiles; it well generally force them to engage closer or maneuver defensively to avoid your projectiles.
- Predict where your target will move, lay down Smite and Chains of Light them onto Smite. Watch the Burning stack up.
- Use Litany of Wrath offensively, don't wait till you're low. I try to use it around 80% health or even 90% to get the stack of Burning on target or just nullify any incoming damage. I cannot overstate how strong this heal has become.
VI. Closing Remarks
I honestly expect a nerf to Burning because it's ridiculously high at the moment, but enjoy the build for now and please ask questions or comment if you enjoy it.
Check out the build in action on my Youtube Channel and my Twitch Stream.
-Happy Roasting
P.S. If you're going to downvote send me a message or post a comment why so I can try to fix, or address the issues. Otherwise I'll just assume it's a trollvote. 
VII. Edit Notes
- 18 Jul 15: Swapped out Corruption Sigil for a second Generosity Sigil and changed out Bursting Sigil for Purity Sigil. I felt these were needed to deal with the plethora of Condition Thieves and Mesmers in T1 WvW Roaming.
1. Raw Healing: LoW = 5560 (Base Heal + double Monk's Focus from Smiter's Boon) with 0 Healing Power and not accounting for any healing returned from damage you do under its effects. Shelter heals for 4555 with 0 Healing Power.
Litany of Wrath 1, Shelter 0
Litany of Wrath 2, Shelter 0
Sure the duration of the LoW buff is only 6 seconds, but the cooldown is only 24 seconds, so every 18 seconds, you basically get to go balls deep in damage and you can keep yourself topped off pretty damn well.
Shelter, well you get to stand there immune to damage for 2 seconds every 28 seconds. Sounds great, but you need to also consider that means you're not outputting damage ***AND*** Shelter and Renewed Focus are susceptible to interrupts by TAUNT. <<< Tested and confirmed.
Litany of Wrath 3, Shelter 0
, a mesmer shatter mesmer immobilized you, you use shelter block and completely negate up to 20k power damage before reduction, and heal.
Litany of wrath - mesmer immobilized you and shatter combos you, your heal is interrupted by mantra of distraction which is spammed immediately in order to gain addition shatter damage, you get hit for 20k in burst before reduction, thief decides to finish you off with a 15k backstab.
Point proven.
Not sure why or how you think Purging Flames somehow increases Burning Damage. It doesn't though.
Thanks for trying to advertise your build here. lol
In sPVP, where area control/denial is important. Sure, Purging Flames all day. Roaming though? Nah, I'll pass.
The build you made is in the way negative, so that should tell you something. Anyway, our conversation is over. Best of luck to you.
The preference is yours though, do what works for you!