Guardian WvW | Large Group Greatsword, Staff | Support Dreary Yew's Versatile Cleric Frontline
Table of Contents
Summary
This build focuses on Frontline support through healing, condition removal, and boons, mostly Stability, Protection, Regeneration, and Might. You also get to choose between Greatsword and Hammer, or even Mace/Shield, based on personal preference.
I. Weapons and Skills
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- Vengeful Strike½Strike your foe again.Damage: 296Range: 130
- Wrathful Strike½Attack with a final, powerful strike that applies might for each foe you strike.Damage: 443Might: 5 sRange: 130
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- Pull¾Pull your foes to you.Leash Range: 600Range: 900
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Weapon and Skill Details
Weapons:
Hammer:
Because that blast finisher is too good. 4 second cooldown blast finisher. This is extremely useful for blasting water fields on your regroups. Hammer also makes a protection symbol from the auto-attack, but make sure you don't drop this over a water field. Also, punting downed off cliffs is one of the most satisfying feelings this game brings.
Greatsword:
This is my preferred weapon, although it doesn't quite bring as much support as Hammer or Mace/Shield. What it does do well, however, is get you tags. When you get more tags, you get more refreshed on Virtue of Justice, meaning more might for you and 5 allies, burning enemies, and blinding enemies. That's just from auto-attack. The combo of Whirling Wrath in a light field also removes conditions, which is a major selling point for our build. Leap of Faith helps us get back to our commander in case we get separated, and helps us leap into the enemy zerg to start smashing the enemy backline. Binding Blade is at the very least a bit of extra damage, and if used properly, can ruin the days of 5 enemies, preferably commanders. Oh, and more tags means more bags. Gotta love bags.
Mace/Shield:
Mace/Shield provides the most healing to our allies, through Symbol of Faith's regen, and the auto-attack chain heal at the end. Mace/Shield also gives you access to a bit more protection, as well as a bubble that absorbs projectiles and can be detonated to heal allies. The block, however, is pretty skimpy. With this weapon set, please make sure not to drop a light field on a water field. You might be tempted to drop that symbol on your regroup, but you're preventing a lot of healing to your allies that way.
Staff:
When you have fury, hit 1 for vigor. Vigor is amazing for this build, more on that later. You will always have fury when you open engagements, again, more on that in a bit. Swiftness symbol for when Elementalists forget to drop statics, and when Warriors forget they have a warhorn. Best used to help the stragglers that were unlucky with static blasts. Empower, need I say more? Line of Warding is another amazing form of area denial. You wanna get to that portal into your keep? Nope.
Utilities:
Signet of Resolve:
Most of the time, our dodge rolls will be keeping us alive, since they heal for insane amounts. Because of this, our heal won't be used every battle, so why not take the Signet? Especially since we don't have Purity in this build, the condition clear every 10 seconds comes in very handy. Signet of Resolve also has a 1.25 healing power coefficient, meaning it will pretty much heal our entire health pool.
Healing Breeze:
With a 1.0 healing power coefficient, this heal heals us and our allies for a very sizeable amount, but we lose the condition clear every 10s from Signet of Resolve.
Save Yourselves:
USE THIS RIGHT BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT. Using this mid-engagement often results in death. If you are extra careful, you can use this in engagements, but you need to be very aware of your surroundings. I only use it if my zerg was in a friendly null-field. But as a pre-engagement utility, you gain boons like crazy, most notably regeneration, retaliation, protection, and vigor. Fury is also nice if you open with staff to get that vigor on crit from our traits.
Hold the Line:
Short cooldown for a condition conversion, as well as protection and regeneration. Very useful.
Stand Your Ground:
THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST UTILITY IN THE GAME. Short cooldown stability to yourself and allies, retaliation, and breaks stun. Thanks to our traits, it also converts conditions. YOU NEED THIS SKILL.
Tome of Courage:
Heal Area, the 1 skill, heals for 1302 base with a coefficient of 0.5, which is pretty high. Spammable area heal for high numbers. Purifying Ribbon, the 2 skill, gives some decent condition removal. Protective Spirit, the 3 skill, grants long duration regeneration and protection, two of our best boons, to yourself and allies in front of you in a cone. Pacifism, the 4 skill, can be useful if placed correctly, but in most cases, I would rather spam 1. Light of Deliverance, the 5 skill, full heals 5 nearby players, and unlike warbanner, cannot be prevented by poison. I like to activate this right when an enemy zerg pushes our stack. Due to the long cast time, the heals will go off near the end of the major clash.
II. Traits
Zeal
Radiance
Valor
Honor
Virtues
Trait Details
Radiance:
Justice is Blind:
When we hit Virtue of Justice, we blind 5 enemies. This is extremely powerful, especially since we'll be spamming it thanks to Renewed Justice.
Blind Exposure:
When we blind, we also cause vulnerability. This adds up very quickly when we are able to spam Virtue of Justice.
Renewed Justice:
Might, Blind, Burning, and Vulnerability all in one button that refreshes every time we kill an enemy. Boom.
Honor:
Vigorous Precision:
Vigor on crit. Since dodges are so absurdly strong for us, we love vigor.
Superior Aria:
Take this trait, dummy.
Selfless Daring:
It's kinda funny how our best trait is a minor trait at 15 points in the Honor line. This trait makes our dodges heal, and has a 1.0 healing power coefficient. Dodge like you've never dodged before.
Two-Handed Mastery:
Since we are using 2 2-handers, this reduces the CD on al of our weapon skills. Most notably, Mighty Blow and Empower. If using Mace/Shield, you can switch this to Writ of the Merciful or Writ of Persistence based on personal preference.
Pure of Voice:
Makes all of our utilities convert conditions. Much better than Battle Presence due to the low healing power coefficient on Virtue of Resolve.
Virtues:
Inspired Virtue:
Makes our Virtue of Justice spam give us and allies might.
Vengeful:
We're focused on support. Because of this, we hit like a wet noodle... outside of retaliation. Retaliation is our highest source of damage, so we want to make sure we have permanent retaliation as well as make it last longer on our allies.
Absolute Resolution:
Makes our passive regen from Virtue of Resolve quite a bit more powerful, and also makes it remove 3 conditions on the active effect. Can be switched for Indomitable Courage if preferred.
Power of the Virtuous:
Gives us 1% increased damage for each boon on us. We will be flooding boons, so this stacks up pretty quick. Unfortunately, it does not increase with more might stacks.
III. Stat Specifics & Effects
Primary Stats
- Health 14805 (+3160)
- Vitality 1232 (+316)
- Armor 3001 (+874)
- Toughness 1790 (+874)
- Attack 2896 (+880)
- Power 1796 (+880)
- Critical Hit 7% (+7%)
- Precision 1066 (+150)
Secondary Stats
- Boon Duration 45% (+45%)
- Condition Damage 150 (+150)
- Damage 1100 (+0%)
- Defense 1211 (+0)
- Healing Power 1593 (+1593)
- Retaliation Duration 25% (+25%)
- Virtue Recharge Rate 25% (+25%)
Boons
Conditions
Control
Fields & Finishers
Stat and Effect Details
We want to maximize our Healing Power, with secondary priorities on Armor and Attack, since Armor means we take less damage, and Attack makes our retaliation do more damage. Also, since intothemists does not have foods like Chocolate Orange, and cannot take into account the stacks from our Sigil of Life, add 250 healing power and 10% boon duration (20% if you want to spend the money on Chocolate Omnomberry Cream, but Chocolate Orange is much cheaper for 10%). Also, with 15 points in Radiance, we gain enough precision to make sure we have high uptime on Vigor thanks to Vigorous Precision.
IV. Food, Armor, Trinkets & Upgrade Items
Food Nourishment
Utility Nourishment
Armor & Runes
- Defense: 121
- Healing Power: 60
- Power: 43
- Toughness: 43
- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 50
- 25% chance when struck to remove a condition. (Cooldown: 30 seconds)
- Healing Power: 100
- +15% Boon Duration; when you use a heal skill, you and nearby allies are healed for a small amount. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Defense: 121
- Healing Power: 45
- Power: 32
- Toughness: 32
- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 50
- 25% chance when struck to remove a condition. (Cooldown: 30 seconds)
- Healing Power: 100
- +15% Boon Duration; when you use a heal skill, you and nearby allies are healed for a small amount. (Cooldown: 10 seconds)
- Defense: 363
- Healing Power: 134
- Power: 96
- Toughness: 96
- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 50
- +10% Boon Duration; 25% chance when struck to heal for a small amount. (Cooldown: 15 seconds)
- Healing Power: 100
- +10% outgoing heal effectiveness to allies.
- Defense: 182
- Healing Power: 45
- Power: 32
- Toughness: 32
- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 50
- +10% Boon Duration; 25% chance when struck to heal for a small amount. (Cooldown: 15 seconds)
- Healing Power: 100
- +10% outgoing heal effectiveness to allies.
- Defense: 242
- Healing Power: 90
- Power: 64
- Toughness: 64
- Healing Power: 15
- Boon Duration: 10%
- Healing Power: 35
- 3% chance to remove a condition when hit. (Cooldown: 30s)
- Defense: 182
- Healing Power: 45
- Power: 32
- Toughness: 32
- Healing Power: 15
- Boon Duration: 10%
- Healing Power: 35
- 3% chance to remove a condition when hit. (Cooldown: 30s)
Armor Stat Totals
- Defense 1211
- Healing Power 484
- Boon Duration 20%
- Power 299
- Toughness 299
Rune Bonuses
Superior Rune of the Water- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 25
- Boon Duration: 5%
- Healing Power: 15
- Boon Duration: 10%
Accessories & Jewels
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
- Healing Power: 25
- Power: 15
- Toughness: 15
Accessory Totals
- Power:410
- Toughness:404
- Healing Power:570
- Vitality:16
Weapon Set Sigils
- Weapon Strength: 995-1100
- Healing Power: 239
- Power: 171
- Toughness: 171
- Weapon Strength: -
Weapon Set I
Sigil of StaminaYour endurance is refilled each time you kill a foe.
- Weapon Strength: 985-1111
- Healing Power: 239
- Power: 171
- Toughness: 171
- Weapon Strength: -
Weapon Set II
Sigil of StaminaYour endurance is refilled each time you kill a foe.
Upgrade Item Details
Make sure that you have 2 of what weapon you are using, one for Sigil of Life, and one for Sigil of Stamina once you have 25 stacks of Life. Personally, I run Mace/Shield until I have all 25 stacks of Life so that I can have both sigils active at once, then swap to GS or Hammer. Or stay with Mace/Shield if that's your thing.
V. Basic Gameplay
Stick to your commander. This is the single most important thing you can do to make sure you survive so that you can support your allies. The rest should come naturally.
Main Skill Rotation
I don't want to spoil the combos you can do, but they will come naturally and shouldn't be too difficult to find out. I'll just list the basic opener when stacking before a conflict, and some quick things to do once the zergs collide.