Dragonhunter - DH Frontliner

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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, Support, Utility.

Designed for:

World vs World

Overview

Dragonhunter brings personal mobility and damage in exchange for less group condition clear compared to core frontliner Guardian builds.

Skill Bar

HammerHealingUtilityElite

Staff

Weapon Variants

Greatsword/

Take greatsword instead of hammer for a leap, pull and more damage at the cost of CC and a blast-finisher.

Skill Variants

Heal

• "Receive the Light!" for more group sustain.

Utility

• Purging Flames ⇒ Wall of Reflection for projectile hate at the cost of condition removal.

Elite

• Dragon's Maw for more damage and CC at the cost of personal sustain.

Specializations

Variants

• Communal Defenses Only one Guardian per party needs to take Strength in Numbers since its effect does not stack.

Variants

• Piercing Light
• Hunter's Determination The extra stability from Hunter's Determination can be useful in uncoordinated groups (Keep in mind it will proc even if you already have stability)

Variants

Swap Valor to Honor for extra Stability at the cost of personal survivability.

Equipment

6x

Superior Rune of Durability

18x

Mighty WvW Infusion

Variants

Stats

• Marauder's can be replaced with Berserker's or Soldier's to personal preference.
• Soldier's can be replaced with Marauder's or Berserker's to personal preference.

Sigils

• Superior Sigil of Fire

  5

  Superior Sigil of Fire

  50% Chance on Critical: Trigger a Flame Blast for area of effect damage (240 radius). (Cooldown: 5s)
• Superior Sigil of Concentration

  9

  Superior Sigil of Concentration

  Boons you apply last 33% longer for 7 seconds when you swap to this weapon while in combat. (Cooldown: 9s)

Runes

• Superior Rune of Hoelbrak

  Superior Rune of Hoelbrak

  (1): +25 Power (2): +10% Might Duration (3): +50 Power (4): 25% chance when struck to gain might for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 5s) (5): +100 Power (6): +20% Might Duration; -20% condition duration applied to you.
  - Additional damage at the cost of survivability and group boons.
• Superior Rune of Melandru

  Superior Rune of Melandru

  (1): +25 Toughness (2): +35 Vitality (3): +50 Toughness (4): -10% Incoming Condition Duration; -10% Incoming Stun Duration (5): +100 Toughness (6): -15% Incoming Condition Duration; -15% Incoming Stun Duration
  - Additional stun reduction and condition duration decreases at the cost of group boons.

Consumables

Food

• Plate of Mussels Gnashblade

  Plate of Mussels Gnashblade

  Nourishment (30 min):

  +10% Damage Reduction+70 Concentrationn+10% Experience from kills

  Consumable
  Defensive option.
• Fried Oyster Sandwich

  Fried Oyster Sandwich

  Nourishment (30 m):

  +10% Damage Reduction+70 Power+10 Experience from kills

  Consumable
  Offensive option.
• Bowl of Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

  Bowl of Sweet and Spicy Butternut Squash Soup

  Nourishment (1 h):

  +100 Power+70 Ferocity+10% Experience from Kills

  Consumable
  Alternate offensive option.
• Carrot Soufflé

  Carrot Soufflé

  Nourishment (60 m):

  +200 power for 30s after killing an enemy+70 Ferocity+10% Experience from kills

  Consumable
  Alternate damage option.
• Loaf of Saffron Bread

  Loaf of Saffron Bread

  Nourishment (30 m):

  Incoming damage reduced by 20% while stunned, knocked down, or knocked back.-20% condition duration+10 Experience from kills

  Consumable
  Alternate defensive option vs condi pressure.

Utility

• Magnanimous Sharpening Stone

  Magnanimous Sharpening Stone

  Nourishment (30 m):

  Gain Power equal to 3% of your VitalityGain Power equal to 3% of your Toughness+10% Experience from Kills

  Consumable
  Offensive option.
• Magnanimous Maintenance Oil

  Magnanimous Maintenance Oil

  Nourishment (30 m):

  Gain Concentration equal to 3% of your VitalityGain Concentration equal to 3% of your Toughness+10% Experience from Kills

  Consumable
  Support option.

Usage

Rotations

Hammer

• Beginning in staff use Empower as close to your allies as possible.
• The use Line of Warding on the enemy push followed by Symbol of Swiftness for ranged damage
• Swap to Hammer
• Use Zealot's Embrace ahead to catch enemies in an immobilize.
• Activate "Stand Your Ground!" just before going in on the enemy zerg. If you are allocated as the second stability in your party, skip this step and activate during the boon's downtime or to secure a stomp/revive.
• Leap in to the enemy with Mighty Blow for damage and to blast blackline combo fields.
• Follow up with Test of Faith to strip some stability and damage enemies as they move around you
  • Test of Faith can be activated whilst casting and moving, so continue to autoattack whilst casting.
  • Spear of Justice can be used to drag enemies through the damage of this trap and in to your zerg.
• Use Ring of Warding to trap enemies in your damage
• Inside your or close to your Ring of Warding, place Dragon's Maw to drag enemies in, CCing them and forcing stunbreaks, stability or invulns (as you cannot dodge through this CC)
• Use Mighty Blow on enemies caught for additional damage.
  • During the course of this combo you will be under enemy pressure. Shield of Courage can be used to tank enemy damage whilst still letting you dish out damage to enemies. Its best use is during a stability downtime for your group, as it in an AoE stabiltiy granting skill.
• Continue to autoattack until the groups disengage, using Mighty Blow when it is off cooldown.
• Disengage from the enemy, and if it is up, use Mighty Blow to blast allied water fields.
• Switch to Staff, double tap skill 2 Orb of Light to receive the healing of Detonate Orb of Light in an AoE around you.
• Repeat from step 1.

Greatsword

• Beginning in staff use Empower as close to your allies as possible.
• The use Line of Warding on the enemy push followed by Symbol of Swiftness for ranged damage
• Swap to Greatsword
• Activate "Stand Your Ground!" just before going in on the enemy zerg. If you are allocated as the second stability in your party, skip this step and activate during the boon's downtime or to secure a stomp/revive.
• Use Leap of Faith to get in to the enemy zerg
• Follow up with Test of Faith to strip some stability and damage enemies as they move around you
  • Test of Faith can be activated whilst casting and moving, so continue to autoattack whilst casting.
  • Spear of Justice can be used to drag enemies through the damage of this trap and in to your zerg.
• Use Binding Blade to pull enemies through the trap's damage and in to your zerg's bomb
• Place Symbol of Wrath followed by Whirling Wrath for AoE condition clear and damage
• As enemies try to disengage, use Dragon's Maw to pull them back in for finishing damage and CC, to either bait out a waste of stability, keep them off their regroup, or to finish off low enemies trying to escape.
• Continue to autoattack until disengage.
• Disengage from the enemy
• Switch to Staff, double tap skill 2 Orb of Light to receive the healing of Detonate Orb of Light in an AoE around you.
• Repeat from step 1.

Virtues

• Shield of Courage This skill blocks all attacks in front of your position, use it to mitigate damage for your frontline.
• Wings of Resolve The healing from this skill applies only at the end of the leap.
• Spear of Justice This skill can sometimes hit targets it otherwise would not if aimed with action camera mode (particularly in siege situations).

Gameplay Tips

• Hammer's Mighty Blow is a blast finisher - use it on combo fields like fire, water, and chill.
• The Greatsword's Whirling Wrath can kill you if you use it on an enemy with Retaliation.
• Wings of Resolve Is a burst condition cleanse and heal that can disengage you from the enemy that will always remove immobilize.
• Applying boons to party members and yourself will heal you via Altruistic Healing.
• Stack might for your team with Empower (and by blasting fire field if you have Hammer). It will also heal you for a huge amount because of Altruistic Healing, plus a bit of AoE heal when the skill ends.
• Use ( Shelter and Renewed Focus) to escape damage. Unlike normal Guardian virtues, you cannot activate Dragonhunter virtues whilst casting renewed focus. Try to ensure that have been used before you begin to channel to get the most benefit.
• Use Purging Flames when you are being overwhelmed with conditions.
• "Stand Your Ground!" - gives area Stability to help secure stomps/resurrection or mitigate the effectiveness of an enemy CC (try to use SYG proactively, before a bomb). It is only a stun break for yourself, not your party.
• When running to/from objectives, speed up your zerg with Symbol of Swiftness.
• Banish can be used to throw downed enemies away from their zerg, preventing a revive or warbanner. Use carefully however, and ensure you do not move them away from lethal damage or a stomp from your group.