Dragonhunter - Radiant Greatsword

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Part of the current metagame.

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great.

Focused on: Solo content, Events, Direct damage, Control, Survival.

Designed for:

Open World

Expansions required:

This build is up to date as of October 5, 2019.

Overview

A Power Dragonhunter build for open world. This build deals extremely high burst damage and has excellent defensive capabilities. This is an alternative to Guardian - Radiant Greatsword.

This build can easily solo open world content, such as hero points, while also being able to farm large meta events and worldbosses with ease. For tagging events, such as Specimen Chamber, this build performs moderately but will be outpaced by builds tailored specifically for tagging.

Skill Bar

GreatswordHealingUtilityElite

Sword/Focus

Weapon Variants

• Your second weapon set is flexible. Sword/Focus is suggested because it provides a good mix of defense, AoE damage, and mobility. Depending on what you need, you can run Hammer (crowd control), Scepter (ranged and high damage on bosses), and/or Shield (crowd control and projectile defense).
• For tagging a large number of mobs very quickly, such as in the Specimen Chamber event, use a Longbow and Staff and swap between the two as often as possible, using all the AoE skills at your disposal.

Skill Variants

Healing Skills

• - defensive option. You can cancel the animation but keep the block by stowing your weapon during the cast. However, you won't receive any healing if you do this.
• - passive option. Use this when you don't need much healing.

Utility Skills

• - more burst damage. Use this when tagging from range.
• - grants more retaliation for boss fights where you can't proc much.
• - more crowd control.
• - if you need condition cleanse.
• - if you need to reflect projectiles.
• - alternative projectile defense option.
• - long-lasting swiftness while running.

Elite Skills

• - defensive option.

Specializations

Variants

• - if you're dying to lots of damage and/or conditions that you can't dodge. This sacrifices a signifcant amount of damage but provides excellent defense.
• - This will sacrifice a considerable amount of damage but provides good survivability.

Virtues Variant

In fights where avoiding damage is easy, Virtues provides a significant damage increase over Zeal. You must be able to keep Aegis up for a significant period of time before Virtues becomes worth using.

• - use this if running or .

Honor Variant

When soloing extremely dangerous enemies such as Heart of Thorns hero challenges or Queen's Gauntlet bosses, it's sometimes worth running Honor instead of Virtues / Zeal. This is a significant damage loss but allows you to dodge more often. Note that you will need to avoid using to maintain the passive. It is heavily advised that you run Scepter and Focus with this variant.

Equipment

Ascended gear and stat infusions are not required; you can use exotic gear with the same stats.

Standard Equipment

The Standard Variant uses similar gear to the Dragonhunter - Power DPS build for fractals and raids. This makes it a good general-purpose gear set.

6x

Superior Rune of the Flame Legion

18x

Mighty +5 Agony Infusion

Variants

• provides high sustain at the cost of damage.
• Use over if you primarily farm Events.
• is superior to against groups of mobs. It is not recommended for solo content.
• is a powerful option, especially for solo content. If you run these runes, replace with .

Marauder/Valkyrie Variant

For a tankier option you can run the Marauder Variant. You will lose some damage but gain a moderate boost to health. This variant is recommended for most Open World players.

6x

Superior Rune of the Flame Legion

18x

Mighty +5 Agony Infusion

Variants

• provides high sustain at the cost of damage.
• Use if you primarily farm Events instead of Solo Content.
• is a good alternative to Flame Legion runes for this variant.
• is a powerful option, especially for solo content. If you run these runes, replace with .
• If ascended Valkyrie trinkets are difficult for you to obtain, use exotic or ascended Maruader trinkets instead.

Consumables

Food

• is highly recommended for this build.
• is a great option when you do not need any extra damage or sustain.
• or
  for more damage.
• is the best budget food in most cases.
  is also a good budget option.
• for more dodges.
• for more healing.

Utility

• or
  is your best damage option.
• is a great budget option.

Usage

Damage

• Note that to play this build optimally you must turn off "Melee Attack Assist" in your Options menu.
• Your main damage skills are
  Symbol of Wrath

  ¼

  20

  Symbol of Wrath

  Symbol. Pierce the ground with a mystic symbol that damages foes while granting retaliation to allies.

  ₅Damage: 670

  ₅Retaliation (1s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.

  Number of Targets: 5

  Symbol Duration: 4 seconds

  Symbol Radius: 180

  Combo Field: Light
  ,
  Whirling Wrath

  ¾

  10

  Whirling Wrath

  Spin in a place and swing your greatsword while hurling powerful projectiles.

  ₇Damage: 637

  Number of Impacts: 7

  Number of Targets: 5

  Radius: 130

  Combo Finisher: Whirl

  Range: 600
  , , , , , and . Swap between your weapons using these skills whenever possible, and fill with autoattacks. You should attempt to use and
  Symbol of Wrath

  ¼

  20

  Symbol of Wrath

  Symbol. Pierce the ground with a mystic symbol that damages foes while granting retaliation to allies.

  ₅Damage: 670

  ₅Retaliation (1s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.

  Number of Targets: 5

  Symbol Duration: 4 seconds

  Symbol Radius: 180

  Combo Field: Light
  right before you use
  Whirling Wrath

  ¾

  10

  Whirling Wrath

  Spin in a place and swing your greatsword while hurling powerful projectiles.

  ₇Damage: 637

  Number of Impacts: 7

  Number of Targets: 5

  Radius: 130

  Combo Finisher: Whirl

  Range: 600
  .
  • Never interrupt your Greatsword or Sword autoattack chains as all the damage is loaded in the last hit.
• Retaliation is a massive damage boost so you should try to have it up as much as possible. Your main retaliation sources are , , and . If using the Virtues variant, will provide an enormous boost to your retaliation uptime.
  • If using Virtues, resets off every kill thanks to . You should use it whenever possible.
  • In long fights you should bring instead of for increased retaliation uptime.
• If running Zeal, fight enemies in your symbols to get the damage buff from .
• If using , try not to get hit (ง ͠° ͟ل͜ ͡°)ง ... No seriously. This is extremely important.

Defense

• is a powerful defensive skill. If you stand on top of an ally while this is active it can block attacks for them as well.
• , , and blind enemies.
• and can be used against projectiles.
• is a block that also gives aegis, protection, retaliation, stability, and a stun break.
• You can run for more active defense. You can also run but this comes at the cost of one of your best burst damage skills.
• Remember to always dodge and sidestep attacks if possible. Don't get hit by anything you can move out of.

Sustain

• This build doesn't have much sustained healing unless you have , so avoiding damage is extremely important in long fights. You can run healing food, such as
  in these situations to relieve some pressure.
• is a powerful heal and condition cleanse. You can also use in the light field from your symbols to cleanse conditions.

Crowd Control

• Binding Blade

  ¾

  25

  Binding Blade

  Throw blades at your foes, causing damage over time. Bound foes can be pulled to you. The effect ends when a foe moves out of range.

  Damage: 369

  Number of Targets: 5

  Maximum Blade Duration: 10 seconds

  Maximum Leash Range: 600

  Combo Finisher: Whirl
    
  Pull

  ¾

  Pull

  Pull your foes to you.

  Leash Range: 600

  Range: 600
• Spear of Justice

  ¾

  20

  Spear of Justice

  Virtue: Burn foes every few attacks.
  Activate: Hurl a spear of light that passes through foes. Enemies struck become tethered and receive conditions periodically.

  Damage: 224

  Justice (6s): Periodically applies burning as long as you are within range of the caster.

  Burning (passive effect) (2s): 262 Damage

  Burning (active effect) (2s): 262 Damage

  Crippled (1½s): -50% Movement Speed

  Numbers of Attack to Trigger: 5

  Interval: 1 second

  Pierces

  Unblockable

  Range: 1,200
    
  Hunter's Verdict

  ½

  40

  Hunter's Verdict

  Pull all enemies tethered by the Spear of Justice to you, breaking the link. This ability's recharge is separate from that of Spear of Justice.

  Pull: 1,200
• (as a last resort)