Build:Virtuoso - Celestial Virtuoso Roamer

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Hybrid damage and Sustain

Designed for: WvW Roaming

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on June 16, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A WvW Roaming Virtuoso build focusing on hybrid damage.

Skill Bar

Staff

Scepter/Torch

Utility

Template Code

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Equipment

Head
Celestial

Shoulders
Celestial

Chest
Celestial

Hands
Celestial

Legs
Celestial

Feet
Celestial

Backpiece
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Amulet
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Scepter
Celestial

Torch
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Staff
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Consumables

Food

Utility

• Optimal:

Usage

Elite specialization basics

• Shatters are replaced by Bladesongs (we're still going to refer to these as shatters).

• Instead of generating clones in combat you now stack Blades and Blades persist even after combat. The maximum count is 5 instead of 3.

• Bladesongs are a bit more clunky than regular shatters. They require you to face the target to activate and have a cast time, therefore cannot be used defensively while stunned.

General

• Distortion isn't gone, it's just shuffled around a bit. Your F4 Bladeturn Requiem is only a block, but you'll find a Distortion effect on your utility bar - Blade Renewal.

• Blink is a very simple yet versatile skill allowing you to chase enemies, retreat to the safety of the highghround, break stuns, or get around the map faster.

• When you can't count on your team to assist with a kill, Signet of Humility's more about securing a kill on an already pressured target rather than setting it up. The Moa doesn't last long and the Moa'd player has access to a few defensive/mobility skills to avoid your followup attacks if played well. This however is still great for denying low HP enemies access to their heals and cleanses inbetween two bursts.

Sustain

• For Virtuoso the best defense is a good offense. Bladesongs/Shatters are crucial for sustain.

• Shatter skills grant Aegis from Bladeturn Refrain while blocking an attack procs Duelist's Reversal and Psychic Riposte, applying boons and generating 3 Blades.

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Defenders also heals you whenever you block an attack, be it from Aegis or any skill you have.

• Stocking a Blade heals you from the passive of Signet of the Ether, while using a shatter skills heals you via Restorative Illusions and even removes a condition.

• Try not to use the active of Signet of the Ether unless you're in serious trouble as the passive is way too valuable.

• Every Signet skill grants 24px Distortion. Signet of Midnight is your panic button: break stuns, applies Stealth + 24px Distortion and cleanses 5 conditions thanks to Blurred Inscriptions. SoM is the only mass condition cleanse in the build, keep that in mind when facing condition specs. Correcting mistakes or recovering from bursts becomes harder while this is on CD.

• Bladeturn Requiem is a short CD block, feel free to use it whenever you're pressured before resorting to bigger CDs.
  • This skill does damage not only while channeling but even a few seconds after the skill has finished. Bladeturn Requiem could bring you out of Stealth when used in melee range of an enemy, which is a major downside for a defensive skill.

• Blade Renewal is your time out, protecting you from both direct damage and condition burst while also stocking Blades (and that has further synergy with the Signet heal).

• The build has plenty of ways to deal with conditions:
  • Weapon swapping removes 3 conditions via Sigil of Superior Sigil of Cleansing.
  • Signet of Midnight is your mass cleanse, removing a total of 5 conditions with Blurred Inscriptions.
  • Mender's Purity removes another one when you use your healing skill.
  • Restorative Illusions cleanses whenever you shatter.
  • Last but not least, The Prestige is another source of cleansing.

• Chaos Armor can be used even while stunned, blinding nearby enemies and giving you a chance to gain Protection whens struck.

• Same goes for Phase Retreat, you could use it to get out of harm's way even while stunned.

Damage

• Every shatter inflicts Torment via Maim the Disillusioned.

• Try to use shatetrs with 4-5 Blades stocked if possible for maximum effect.

• Bladesong Sorrow is your main burst skill.

• Bladesong Harmony is burst skill #2 but also more of a filler for dumping your Blades.

• As for weapon skills Scepter/Torch is the primary damaging set in the build. Illusionary Counter is a block with Blade generation that has nice synergy with all the other block related traits, you can always follow up here with a shatter.

• Confusing Images is best used after blocking so you can have Fury and Quickness for its entire duration.