Berserker - GS Axe/Shield Roaming

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Welcome to the Builds Archive. See the ones that gathered dust, were orphaned by their original writers, or became obsolete by balance patches. We keep the orphan builds together and salute the veteran builds that held a position in the good, great, or meta categories.

Focused on: Direct damage, Self-sustain.

Designed for:

Roaming

Overview

A WvW Roaming build focused on high damage and sustain. Your multiple stuns allow you to set up the burst damage, while a combination of Adrenal Health, Healing Signet, Lifesteal, and Rousing Resilience (if run) ensures your health stays topped up.

Skill Bar

GreatswordHealingUtilityElite

Axe/Shield

Weapon Variants

Axe/Axe

Axe/Axe

Healing

Utility

Elite

¼

Chop

Chop your foe.

Damage: 252

Number of Targets: 3

Range: 130

½

6

Cyclone Axe

Spin around and attack all nearby foes.

Damage (2x): 236

₄Vulnerability (8s): 4% Incoming Damage, 4% Incoming Condition Damage

Number of Targets: 5

Combo Finisher: Whirl

Range: 130

¼

8

Throw Axe

Throw an axe that cripples foes.

Damage: 225

Crippled (4s): -50% Movement Speed

Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile

Range: 900

½

12

Dual Strike

Strike your foe with both weapons. Gain fury with each hit.

Damage (2x): 404

₂Fury (3s): 20% Critical Chance

Number of Targets: 3

Range: 130

3½

15

Whirling Axe

Spin and attack nearby foes. You can move while spinning.

Damage (15x): 1,005

Number of Targets: 5

Radius: 130

Combo Finisher: Whirl

• Experimental, aggressive build focusing on using the newly buffed Axe 4 to gain quickness to land Axe Burst skills more easily.

Slot Changes

Utility

• Outrage

  10

  Outrage

  Rage. Break out of stun and gain adrenaline for each foe near you.
  ⇒
  Balanced Stance

  40

  Balanced Stance

  Stance. You enter into a balanced stance.

  ₅Stability (8s): Cannot be knocked down, pushed back, pulled, launched, stunned, dazed, floated, sunk, feared, or taunted.

  Swiftness (8s): 33% Movement Speed

  Breaks stun
  If you require a source of stab rather than stunbreaks. Swiftness is a bonus.

Elite

• Battle Standard

  2

  240

  Battle Standard

  Banner. Place a battle standard that revives falled allies and grants fury, might, and swiftness to allies.

  Fury (3s): 20% Critical Chance

  Might (10s): 30 Power, 30 Condition Damage

  Swiftness (3s): 33% Movement Speed

  Duration: 60 seconds

  Effective Radius: 600

  Combo Finisher: Blast

  Range: 600
  - Use in groups where you want to give extra resurrection support to your allies. Otherwise, use Headbutt when solo.

Specializations

Variants

• Rousing Resilience - Massively increased sustain, especially in conjunction with Savage Instinct, at the cost of adrenaline generation.

Variants

• Brawler's Recovery - Trade some DPS against Boon-heavy Classes for some additional condi cleanse. Not the most impactful but a viable option.

Variants

• Smash Brawler - Trade the stunbreak and cleanse for higher Berserk Mode uptime and higher spike damage due to more primal bursts within the duration of Berserk mode.

Equipment

6x

Superior Rune of the Scrapper

18x

Mighty WvW Infusion

Variants

Stats

• Full Berserker is optimal, as this build has invulnerabilities, blocks and high sustain. Use Marauder pieces as needed to improve tankiness if necessary.

Runes

• Superior Rune of the Pack

  Superior Rune of the Pack

  (1): +25 Power (2): +10% Swiftness Duration (3): +50 Power (4): 25% chance when struck to grant nearby allies might, fury, and swiftness for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 20s) (5): +100 Power (6): +125 Precision; +20% Swiftness Duration
  - Strong, offensive rune that sacrifices survivability for offense and provides offensive buffs.
• Superior Rune of Durability

  Superior Rune of Durability

  (1): +25 Toughness (2): +5% Boon Duration (3): +50 Toughness (4): 25% chance when struck to grant nearby allies protection and regeneration for 3 seconds and resistance for 1 second. (Cooldown: 20 seconds) (5): +100 Toughness (6): +15% Boon Duration; +125 Vitality
  - Strong, defensive rune that sacrifices some damage for more health and defensive buffs.

Consumables

• Omnomberry Pie

  Omnomberry Pie

  Nourishment (30 m):

  66% chance to steal life on critical.+70 precision+10 Experience from kills

  Consumable
  - High Critical chance means most of your hits will proc the lifesteal.
• Furious Sharpening Stone

  Furious Sharpening Stone

  Nourishment (30 m):

  Gain Power equal to 3% of your PrecisionGain Ferocity equal to 3% of your Precision+10% Experience from Kills

  Consumable
  - Increases toughness and ferocity. Alternatively, use
  Furious Maintenance Oil

  Furious Maintenance Oil

  Nourishment (30 m):

  Gain Concentration equal to 3% of your PrecisionGain Healing Power equal to 3% of your Precision+10% Experience from Kills

  Consumable
  to complement any Marauder equipment and increase Precision.

Usage

• When closer, generally start fights with your Axe and Shield as it will give you the option to block/reflect ranged pressure.
• Against ranged opponents., open with Bladetrail and Rush to close gaps. Shield Bash and Throw Axe can also be used when closer.
• Crowd opponents in and keep them at close range rather than medium, as most of your high damaging skills are relatively short ranged.
• Try to set up your Eviscerate with your Shield Bash or Head Butt. Eviscerate is your single highest burst, but is easy to dodge. Hundred Blades substitutes for it when you're in Greatsword.
• If running dual axes, Axe 4 can give quickness for 100B or Decapitate. Alternatively, Axe 5 can obscure animations and make it harder to dodge an Axe Burst.
• Cyclone Axe procs 4s of Fury per target hit, and can hit up to 5 targets. Useful for keeping Fury up.

Counters

Mesmer condi stealth. Condi Thief sometimes.