Herald - Hammer Backline
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Note: Please note that builds will default to plain icons, these may not be as accurate. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Contents
Overview
A Power based Herald build for WvW. The utility of Glint, the durability of Jalis, and the damage of allow this build to deal strong damage with great sustain, while buffing allies.
Skill Bar
Template Code
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Specializations
Variants
- selfish stat boost, if your party isn't benefiting from the ferocity.
- constant stability removal with quickness uptime but less DPS.
Variants
- if might isn't an issue
Variants
- offers more group utility, but less movement speed.
Equipment
6x
Superior Rune of the Scholar
18x
Mighty WvW Infusion
Consumables
Carrot Soufflé
Carrot SouffléNourishment (60 m):
+200 power for 30s after killing an enemy+70 Ferocity+10% Experience from killsConsumable
- feast option with additional damage reduction.
Superior Sharpening Stone
Superior Sharpening StoneNourishment (30 m):
Gain power equal to 3% of your precisionGain power equal to 6% of your ferocity+10 Experience from killsConsumable
Variants
Stats
- Use Marauder if you find you need extra defensive stats.
Assassin's can be used over Berserker's to manipulate crit chance as can precision infusions.
Sigil
- (For legend swap proc)
Rune
- If 25
Might can't be maintained without it, or for party support.
Food
- defensive option.
- offensive option.
Usage
General
- This build goal is to maximize damage, while avoiding downtime. It means you should always be cycling through your Hammer, Sword/Sword and Legend skills to keep the enemy under constant pressure.
- Herald elite spec fulfills an offensive role, providing damage modifiers from and and boonshare access with facets. As well as a defensive role, granting survivability with Glint's heal, extra HP from , and mobility with .
- Might and
Fury stacking is a crucial part of ramping up your damage, but most of it happens effortlessly as a result of passive traits and upkeep skills such as, , and . - Invoking a legend resets energy to 50 among other things. Swapping legends is basically the main resource management tool in the build - swap whenever you're out of CDs or low on energy.
- Glint's and can be decent for boon extension as it doesn't hinder energy management that much in Glint. But you get more overall by upkeeping and consuming in Dwarf, since it provides damage reduction and
Stability for the group.
- Maintainimg F2 demands a lot of energy, so you might want to double tap to save it.
Hammer
- will be used after all your other Hammer skills are unavailable for damage pressure. Be careful with enemy reflects.
- is your bread and butter damage skill, land it as often as possible.
- It only hits a maximum of 5 targets across all three pulses, and the pulses often dissappear on non straight flat terrain, so keep that in mind if fighting inside structures.
- deals a ton of damage and evades for its duration, be careful not to get caught behind your group while casting this skill.
- Functions well for ranged cleave, and to hard pressure the enemy group when coordinated.
- You can through traps and marks to activate them without taking any damage.
- has a long cast time, so try to predict where the enemies will go or use it on stationary targets like downed players that the enemy will move on to.
- This is the least priority skill on Hammer, but should still be used for the CC setup it provides.
Sword/Sword
- Sword set is important because it provides great melee damage and cleave potential, allowing this build to maintain high DPS and spike by skipping the downtime Hammer skills have.
- paired with provide massive cleave by just doing auto chains with an upkeep. Use it whenever any of your other sword's skills aren't available or if you are running out/saving of energy.
- is the strongest skill in this set. It provides great spike to down and to cleave enemies, benefiting even more when hitting targets alone.
- It has a decent range around you for a melee skill and hits 5 targets, unlike the other skills in this set.
- Whenever you swap into Sword, using this skill early will allow you to use it twice every sword rotation.
- should be ignored, as it can port you around to undesirable spots and kill you. Fill downtime with sword autos, don't use it.
- provides decent damage,
Immobilize and 
Vulnerability
- Basically you it whenever you swap into Sword or it's available, the Vulnerability ticks it provides greatly enhance your follow up skills' damage.
- Basically you it whenever you swap into Sword or it's available, the
- is very situational, due to its single target aspect. Use it for massive target burst, or to reposition yourself with the port.
Glint (Legendary Dragon Stance)
- Each Glint's facet upkept will grant a 3% damage bonus
- , and uptime is very important to maintain your group's fury, might and swiftness respectively.
- Because of , is one the best sources of self Might in the build.
- Always upkeep 3 facets, but don't be afraid to consume then if the opportunity appears.
- + + is your standard upkeep setup.
- + + is your upkeep setup to have instant access to . Use this if to deny pressure preemptively.
- is a cheap stun breaker and one of the few skills in the game that can reveal stealthed targets.
- To reveal from range: ⇒ (at the end of animation)
- If you are
Blind, you can cast it, to ensure key skills like or will connect - in this case will miss instead of your skill.
- grants good melee damage. Chain it with your offensive skills to benefit from the damage modifier.
- is one of strongest damage skills outside of Hammer. Try to use off cooldown, mainly on downed foes.
- 's chain effect converts all damage you take into healing for 3 seconds. This is your panic button.
- Keep in mind has a cast time which means you can't activate it while CC'ed
- will hardly ever be upkept, due to the big energy consumption. Can be casted before swapping legends for some minor
Protection share.
- can be used to CC downed opponents out of banner range, and to give allies
Superspeed.
- can be used to CC downed opponents out of banner range, and to give allies
Jalis (Legendary Dwarf Stance)
- will be used as panic condi clear, it also provides decent healing.
- reduces incoming damage and brings a powerful DPS potential on melee.
- Try to upkeep this as much as possible in melee as you will be doing 13% more damage from
- Upkeep this briefly, if you are using CoR or PS (), even at range, for the damage bonus from trait.
- does solid damage on a lot of targets, applying
Weakness. Futhermore, it gives pulsing Stability on a wide, try to place it in areas where allies and enemies will be clashing to maximize utility and damage from the road. - should always be used on the enemy stack not on isolated targets, along with winds and ground pressure, to lock down foes.
- barely sees use, since you spend most of your energy with roads and vengeful hammers, and it isn't worth to camp Dwarf anyways for the elite anyways.
- Bear in mind, if you use it as a stunbreak, you can dodge to cancel the long animation the skill has.
Combo Spikes
- Coordinated Ranged spike:
- Multiple heralds doing it simultaneously will do enough damage to down foes, allowing you to save for later use.
- Ranged Spike: ⇒
- This combo allows you to deal great spike as the damage from both CoR and PS will connect around the same time.
- Standard spike: ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ ⇒ (ranged) or (melee)
- This is an ideal opener rotation. Just be mindful that the optimal herald gameplay, with highest impact, is achieved by using your big spike skills in quick succesion, avoiding downtime.
Weaknesses
- Skill usage is reliant on energy management
- Potential to be locked into the wrong stance at the wrong time
- Heavy condition pressure
Videos
- YouTube: [KEK] Mann
- YouTube: [LAYS] Tibain
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