Holosmith - Power PBM DPS

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The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Expansions required: Path of Fire Builds

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on October 04, 2023 and is up to date for the February 27, 2024 patch.


Overview

A power DPS Holosmith build for fractals and raids. This build brings extremely high burst and sustained AoE damage, as well as heavy CC and Vulnerability Vulnerability.

While this build deals good damage on its own, it excels when there are lots of conditions on the boss for .


Skill Bar

Hammer
Utility


Weapon Variants

  • Rifle is the best weapon option for players that don't own Secrets of the Obscure.
  • See Holosmith - Power Sword DPS for the Sword/Pistol variation of this build.


Skill Variants

Swapping out your utility skills is a large DPS loss and should only be considered as a last ditch option.

  • is higher DPS than if using a Rifle.
  • can be useful in uncoordinated groups for the protection and pull.
  • if you don't trust your healer to keep you alive or stunbreak you in high pressure fights.


Template Code

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Specializations


Equipment

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Dragon
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Dragon
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Hammer
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
Relic


Equipment Variants


Consumables

Food


Utility

  • Slaying potions when applicable.


Usage

The logic behind this rotation is to maximize your Photon Forge and uptime. First you build heat in Photon Forge with , , and autoattack chains. After you overheat, you use your highest damage skills together with , then fill with your high damage skills such as . Rinse and repeat when Photon Forge is available again.


Hammer Rotation

If possible, start with and precast.


Opener

Start with 75% heat.
  1. and if you precast them


Basic Loop

  1. until Electro-Whirl is available (finish your auto chains!)
  2. OR (whichever is off cooldown, with Poison Grenade taking priority)
  3. Repeat until Photon Forge is available
  • Cast and off cooldown, without interrupting auto chains
  • Cast , and off cooldown while in Photon Forge.


Simple Photon Forge Rotation

This is the easier Photon Forge rotation and applicable to all bosses.

  1. x5
  2. (if available)
  3. Resume Basic Loop


Delayed Overheat Rotation

This is an alternate Photon Forge rotation which aims to use 3 times before overheating. You leave Photon Forge mid way through to get in an extra cast of your non-Photon Forge DPS skills.

This rotation is a DPS increase in long phases or bosses that don't have phases. However, it's more dependent on quickness and alacrity uptime.

  1. until is available
  2. OR (whichever is off cooldown, with Poison Grenade taking priority)
  3. until is available
  4. (if available)
  5. Resume Basic Loop


Video example


Rifle Rotation

Opener

Start with 75% heat.


Loop

  1. until 6s cooldown on
  2. until is almost off cooldown
  3. until is available
  4. and before you land
  5. Photon Forge rotation (see below)
  6. Repeat


Standard Photon Forge Rotation

This is the easier Photon Forge rotation and applicable to all bosses.

  1. x5


Delayed Overheat Rotation

This is an alternate Photon Forge rotation which aims to use 3 times before overheating. You leave Photon Forge mid way through to get in an extra cast of your non-Photon Forge DPS skills.

This rotation is a DPS increase in long phases or bosses that don't have phases. However, it's more dependent on quickness and alacrity uptime.

  1. until is available
  2. until is available


Notes

  • Never interrupt your Photon Forge autoattack chain.
  • In real fights you will want to time your based on the encounter. Overheating provides a lot of burst damage, but it will also deal damage to yourself.
    • If a burst damage phase is about to come up, it's worth tweaking your rotation or using extra Photon Forge skills like so you will be at 75% heat when the phase arrives. This lets you do your opening rotation and overheat for high burst damage.
    • If you are low on health or if the burst damage will be wasted, you should and fill with your normal DPS skills similar to the "Delayed Overheat Rotation" listed above.
  • Use and in place of an autoattack chain whenever possible.
  • should be used off cooldown, as long as you're above 51 heat. Try to stand inside the boss' hitbox when you cast this, to ensure all projectiles hit the boss.


Video example (0% heat opener)

Video example (45% heat opener)

CC


Encounter Specific Tips

Spirit Vale

Vale Guardian Toggle
  • You can help to push away seekers with and immobilize them with . will also knock all seekers away.
  • Vale Guardian's breakbars happen on a predictable schedule so memorize them, save your CC, and precast for them.
  • If you get ported use to quickly get back to the group.
  • can be used to survive failed greens.
Gorseval the Multifarious Toggle
  • You can help to immobilize Charged Spirits with or .
  • can be used to survive the retaliation and black AoEs during the breakbar phase.
Sabetha the Saboteur Toggle
  • Use and to blind the adds during the flamewall attack so they don't get a chance at knocking one of your allies into the flames. is also worth using to keep the adds chain CCed.
  • You can use to move around faster if you're on cannon duty. You can also use but make sure you don't target Sabetha or one of the adds.


Salvation Pass

Slothasor Toggle
  • Consider saving and to use during the breakbar phase.
Bandit Trio Toggle
  • Use or to CC the Saboteurs when they reach the cage.
Matthias Toggle
  • Consider saving and to use on the breakbars.


Stronghold of the Faithful

Siege the Stronghold (Escort) Toggle
  • In the escort team, blind the mobs with and keep them knocked down with .
  • Slow down the Wargs with , , and .
  • If you keep getting feared consider bringing for a low cooldown stun break.
Keep Construct Toggle
  • Save your damaging skills and precast your heat to 75% for maximum damage during the burst phase.
  • is useful for keeping everyone above 90% during the burst phase.
Xera Toggle
  • Use and to blind the adds.
  • Use and during the breakbar phase.
  • You can use to survive 10 stacks of the button debuff during the pre-event. You can also use it to survive and cleanse the condition spam if you're clearing shards.


Bastion of the Penitent

Samarog Toggle
  • Samarog's breakbar appears every 10% of his health. You can precast your for faster CC.
    • Note that Samarog is immune to conditions during this phase so don't waste time using , , etc.
  • If your druids and chronos are having trouble pulling Rigom, you can knock him back with and immobilize Guldheim with or .
Deimos Toggle
  • Anticipate the many small breakbars during this fight and save your CC skills for them.
  • Use to immobilize Prides.
  • If doing ranged strat, use and .


Hall of Chains

Dhuum Toggle
  • and can be used to immobilize mobs.
  • and are useful for mobility.


Mythwright Gambit

Conjured Amalgamate Toggle
  • Try to start every burn phase with 75% heat for maximum damage.
  • Use to instantly break Conjured Shields when they spawn.
  • can be used to survive claps if needed. The CC from is also useful.


Fractals

Aquatic Ruins Toggle
  • and are DPS increases and can be used in place of your rifle DPS skills. You can also use for CC.
Swampland Toggle
  • and the toolbelt skill of are useful for running wisps.
  • You can use to blind adds.
Urban Battleground Toggle
  • Swap to Scrapper and use to stealth to the gate at the beginning. You can also bring to destroy the Burning Oils.
  • You can use to blind adds.
Uncategorized Toggle
  • You can swap to Scrapper and use a combination of and for stealth during the jumping sections. You can also bring a shield for blocks and reflects.
  • The lasers in the tunnel count as projectiles, so if you're having trouble you can bring a shield to block or reflect them. You can also slot for .
  • You can dodge while pulling the switches after the laser tunnel. This means you can dodge from one switch to another, pulling both of them.
  • After Old Tom it's possible to skip past the last jumping puzzle section. Go to the platform beneath the final encounter and jump up the incline with . Once you're at the top your party can /gg and respawn above.
Solid Ocean Toggle
  • Don't go into Photon Forge here as you can't pick up the crystals while in Photon Forge.
  • You can blind the tentacles to avoid their knockdown attack.
Underground Facility Toggle
  • Swap to Scrapper and use to stealth the switches at the beginning.
  • Precast heat to 75% before you hit the final boss for maximum burst damage.
Cliffside Toggle
  • If you reach the switches at the end of a section first, you can equip to self-cleanse the immobilize and pull all the switches by yourself.
  • You can use to blind adds.
Molten Furnace Toggle
  • You can use to blind adds.
Thaumanova Reactor Toggle
  • You can solo the heat room by equipping , and , and traiting in Tools. Use , , , and dodges to get through the room quickly. Activate when you're low on health.
  • At the end of the heat room or the maze, equip to self-cleanse the immobilize and pull both switches by yourself.
Snowblind Toggle
  • As a mobile power DPS, you should be killing ice elementals during the bonfire section. Use to immobilize ice elementals and burst them down before they reach the bonfire.
Twilight Oasis Toggle
  • Swap to Scrapper and use to stealth the section at the beginning.
  • You can use to blind adds.
Chaos Toggle
  • You can swap to Scrapper and use a combination of and for stealth during the jumping sections. You can also bring a shield for blocks and reflects.
  • The final boss does his spin at 50%. If CC is really bad, slot , precast , and solo the breakbar when it comes up.
Molten Boss Toggle
  • You can use to blind adds.
  • is very good for interrupting Molten Protectors here.
Volcanic Toggle
  • Use to immobilize grawl shamans before they reach the captives.
  • When the final boss enters its shield, use to quickly strip shield stacks.
  • You can use to blind adds.
  • is very strong here as it cleanses burning from you and all your teammates.
Mai Trin Toggle
  • Precast to break Mai Trin when she's in the lightning AoEs.
  • You can use to blind adds.
Aetherblade Toggle
  • You can use to blind adds.
  • If you reach the end of a section

first, you can equip to cheese the immobilize and pull multiple switches by yourself.

Nightmare Toggle
  • Your CC contribution is very high for a DPS. Don't be afraid to interrupt your DPS rotation to CC whenever a breakbar is up.
  • Precast your to break defiance bars whenever possible.
  • If the chrono and warrior are on point with CC, you can save your CC to interrupt Ensolyss mid-stomp.
Shattered Observatory Toggle
  • Note that is a DPS loss in this fractal due to the low gravity, and should only be used to reposition.
  • Precast your to break defiance bars whenever possible.
  • Your CC is important during Viirastra/Artsariiv's split phase so make sure you're going around killing clones.
  • When Arkk's fear is up, you can hit behind yourself with grenades and bombs.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 4 stars based on 3 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
5 stars
Vitro gave this build 5 stars • November 2023
A great build with good sustained dps and some outstanding burst, its quite simple to play once you learn to go around your 5 sec cd skills, while A.E.D. its a great healing skill with an extra cc button, coolant blast gives more reliable heals and good cleanse with cauterize (it gives 1 stack of burning per unique condition, not stack, so 15 bleed gets changed to only 1 burning) the hammer variant gets more overall dps and a block, and the sword an inmob on pistol 5 or more cc with shield skills. with the only downside of the self damage of the overheat, but you can still get benefitted of it by activating A.E.D. while overheating if you know that the damage its going to be lethal.
3 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 3 stars • November 2022
Strong burst damage, but has a much more rigid rotation than sword and doesn't really get rewarded for it.
5 stars
Troupe gave this build 5 stars • March 2020
Has strong burst and sustained DPS, with a relatively simple rotation. Also brings decent soft and hard CC, making it a strong choice in a range of situations.

Comments

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