Firebrand - Symbolbrand

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Overview

Not being a direct replacement for Mantra Bunker, it's usually played as the second Firebrand in double FB comps. Mixing damage with heavy healing/boon sharing, this PvP build's rather flexible when it comes to roles and can do anything from 1v1s to supporting the team in larger fights.

Skill Bar

Sword/FocusHealingUtilityElite

Axe/Shield

Slot Changes

Utility

For the optional slot you should take either of these stun breakers:

- a great panic button especially against heavy condition pressure.
- panic button and on demand stability for safe stomps and resurrects.
- mobility boost which makes it easier to rotate between capture points (or chase down targets).

Specializations

Equipment

9

Superior Sigil of Cleansing

Remove 1 condition when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (Cooldown: 9s)

9

Superior Sigil of Energy

Gain 50% of your endurance when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (Cooldown: 9s)

9

Superior Sigil of Agility

Gain 5 seconds of swiftness and 1 second of quickness when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (Cooldown: 9s)

18

Superior Sigil of Annulment

Your next attack after swapping to this weapon while in combat will remove 2 boons from your target.

Superior Rune of the Traveler

(1): +8 All Stats (2): +5% Boon Duration (3): +12 All Stats (4): +10% Condition Duration; +10% Boon Duration (5): +16 All Stats (6): +25% Movement Speed

Mender's Amulet

+1050 Power +560 Precision +560 Vitality +1050 Healing power

Usage

General

Sustained healing (when not flipping through tomes) for the most part will come from dodge rolling and Aegis spamming (specifically through the traits
and
).
Combining the
empowered Retaliation with Fury and
the build can go near the crit chance cap.
recharges all your Tomes, try to exhaust them for your sustain before having to resort to this elite. The trait
is kind of a lesser version of this, capable of recharging
.
- NOTE: the cooldown of a tome which is actively being used during a CD reset from either of these WILL NOT be reset! For instance if you still have 3 pages on
  but a target is just about to die, exit the tome so it can recharge.
- CD resets are limited to the tomes themselves, skills within the tomes are excluded.

Symbols and damage

Most of the damage comes from symbols and auto attacks, with the occasional mantra or tome skill thrown into the mix.
Because of
your symbols can cover an entire capture point on certain maps. They'll also heal allies, damage foes, and apply boons among other things. Stand in them for as long as possible!
There are 3 symbols in the build:
- (Sword) is one of the few sources of Fury in the build and also serves as a gap closer.
- (Axe) which probably does more things than any other symbol. There are 2 important things to note about this skill - one, it's always placed in front of your character, not below you or the target and two,
  turn this skill into a CC which Dazes upon being placed on the ground.
- A lesser version of
  procs from your mantra heal via
  . This is a short duration one but fairly important because there's not a lot of Protection in the build, not to mention that it can be activated instantly by blowing mantra charges even while CC'd. Being instant, it's also a good source of extra damage if you need some additional cleave.
If you want to do burst damage, overlap a bunch of symbols and keep targets inside them with CCs such as
or
whilst auto attacking.

Mantras

Given enough time Mantras will recover their charges as long as at least one charge is left, so think twice before using the final charge - that's the most powerful one, but will put the Mantra on full CD.
is your healing skill.
- should be shared with as many allies as possible. They do not receive the initial healing, but they do gain Aegis with all its related trait benefits. Note that this skill can be used while CC'd.
- The Aegis can be shared with downed players when you're reviving them in case you're being cleaved down.
is a mix of both damage and sustain.
- Each charge inflicts damage and various conditions, most notably Weakness (mitigates incoming direct damage significantly) and Blind (the skill's instant, and being able to make attack miss no matter what you're doing can be really strong when used right).
- is the final charge which applies Immobilize. While the immob doesn't last too long, it's still good for pinning targets down in a team fight or just rooting them into multiple overlapping symbols.

Tomes

All tomes retain their passives after activation so don't hesitate to use them under pressure.
Swapping out of a tome sends it on CD even if you didn't consume all the pages. Skills #4 and #5 are usually the strongest but with the longest recharge.
It's possible to switch directly from tome to tome.
Since the build doesn't trait for extra pages, your use of tomes is going to be a bit more limited, often prioritizing the use of only 2-3 skills.

Damage boost and some CC

Chapter 1: Searing Spell

½

Chapter 1: Searing Spell

Fueled by tales of the desolation in Istan, incite a great swelling of heat before you.

Damage: 391 (1.1)

Burning (3s): 393 Damage

Number of Targets: 5

Range: 600

spam after

Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath

½

10

Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath

Detail the suffering in fire and blood inflicted during Vabbi's occupation.

Damage: 1135 (3.2)

Bleeding (2s): 44 Damage

Burning (2s): 262 Damage

Number of Targets: 5

Pulses: 5

Duration: 4 seconds

Interval: 1 second

Radius: 360

Combo Field: Fire

can be used for burst damage while standing in symbols. The rest of the tome is more situational.
Chapter 2: Igniting Burst

¾

4

Chapter 2: Igniting Burst

Ignite the air around you in an expanding burst.

Damage: 195 (0.55)

₂Burning (6s): 1572 Damage

Weakness (4s): -50% Endurance Regeneration, 50% Fumble (Unrestricted)

Number of Targets: 5

Radius: 240

is useful for stacking Weakness, which means this is arguably the most defensive skill here.
Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke

¾

8

Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke

Ignite the air around you in an expanding burst.

Damage: 160 (0.45)

Pull: 240

Number of Targets: 5

Radius: 240

Range: 900

is the only CC on this tome, and a rather good one at that. As usual, CCs are mostly situational.
Epilogue: Ashes of the Just

&34;

12

Epilogue: Ashes of the Just

Recall the memory of fallen heroes, granting allies the searing blades of justice.

₃Ashes of the Just (10s): Your next strike burns with justice.

Burning (3s): 393 Damage

Radius: 600

won't really be used, maybe aside from boosting the damage of allies if the enemy target is out of your reach (and the skill's value goes up with the number of nearby allies).

Healing, cleansing, boon stacking

Usually start with

Epilogue: Eternal Oasis

¾

12

Epilogue: Eternal Oasis

Purify your allies with the waters of Amnoon and increase the healing they receive.

[PvE] Eternal Oasis (8s): 33% Heal Effectiveness

[PvP/WvW] Eternal Oasis (8s): 20% Heal Effectiveness

Conditions Converted to Boons: 5.

Number of Allied Targets: 5

Range: 600

, then spam

Chapter 1: Desert Bloom

½

Chapter 1: Desert Bloom

Tales of desert blooms create a wave of healing for your allies.

[PvE] Healing: 730 (0.96)

[PvP/WvW] Healing: 564 (0.728)

Number of Allied Targets: 5

Radius: 600

(and

Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery

¾

4

Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery

Release a torrent of pages describing the water cycle of the Elon River. Heal allies and grant them swiftness.

[PvE] Healing: 457 (0.77)

[PvP/WvW] Healing: 388 (0.5)

[PvE/WvW] Conditions Removed: 3

[PvP] Conditions Removed: 2

Number of Allied Targets: 5

Radius: 240

if you need cleansing) to heal up.

The tome of emergencies

Chapter 2: Daring Challenge

¼

4

Chapter 2: Daring Challenge

As the tales recount of Turai, taunt your enemies by issuing an insightfully inciting challenge.

Damage: 497 (1.4)

Taunt (1s): Involuntarily attack foes.

Aegis (3s): Block the next incoming attack.

Radius: 240

should be used ~on CD (delay it a bit if you already have an active Aegis). The Aegis makes it great under pressure even if the target can't be CC'd, and this is the only skill on the latter 2 tomes which does damage.
Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark

¼

10

Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark

Manifest the shimmering purity of the desert sun, reflecting enemy missiles.

5 seconds.

Radius: 240

Reflects Missiles

Range: 900

is a reflect which makes it very situational. A life saver in some matchups, borderline useless in others. The CD almost matches its duration which allows for nearly permanent upkeep.
Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand

¼

10

Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand

Recount the stand of Elonian loyalists against Palawa Joko, granting resistance to your allies.

Resistance (1s): Conditions currently on you are ineffective; stacks duration.

Number of Pulses (PvE): 4

Number of Targets: 3

Interval: 1 second

Radius: 360

Combo Field: Light

Range: 1,200

Breaks stun

should usually be the first skill you use after entering this tome, and this is your single best tool against conditions. Under heavy condition pressure you may not have enough time to cleanse with
, in which case the low cast time and the Resistance provided by this skill are going to be quite useful. This is also the only tome skill which breaks stun. Try to use it twice before leaving the tome, if possible.
Epilogue: Unbroken Lines

¾

12

Epilogue: Unbroken Lines

Recalling the memory of heroes past, enchant nearby allies with formidable defenses.

Aegis (4s): Block the next incoming attack.

Protection (5s): -33% Incoming Damage.

Retaliation (3s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.

Stability (5s): Cannot be knocked down, pushed back, pulled, launched, stunned, dazed, floated, sunk, feared or taunted.

Unbroken Lines (PvE, 5s): 300 Toughness

Unbroken Lines (PvP/WvW, 5s): 200 Toughness

Radius: 600

is the best tool you have against direct damage. Don't leave the tome without using it at least once.

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