Firebrand - Support Firebrand
This build was last updated on September 28, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.
Overview
A support Firebrand build for WvW. Provides a large amount of Stability, powerful healing, cleansing and boon support.
Skill Bar
Spear
Mace/Shield
Utility
- Weapon Variants
- Axe provides excellent CC but at a short range
- Recommended for smaller numbers
- Staff
- Skill Variants
- if extra cleanse is needed
- for smaller numbers
Template Code
[&DQExOS47PhpLFwAANgEAAEsBAAAWAQAAGBYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADWQA1AFcAAA==]
Specializations
- Variants
Equipment
Head
Minstrel
Minstrel
Shoulders
Minstrel
Minstrel
Chest
Minstrel
Minstrel
Hands
Minstrel
Minstrel
Legs
Minstrel
Minstrel
Feet
Minstrel
Minstrel
Backpiece
Minstrel
Minstrel
Accessory
Minstrel
Minstrel
Accessory
Minstrel
Minstrel
Amulet
Minstrel
Minstrel
Ring
Minstrel
Minstrel
Ring
Minstrel
Minstrel
Spear
Minstrel
Minstrel
Sigil
Sigil
Mace
Minstrel
Minstrel
Shield
Minstrel
Minstrel
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
x6
Infusion
x18
x18
Relic
Equipment Variants
- Stats
- Healing infusions are also a viable choice
- Relic
- Sigils
Consumables
-
- personal food option
Usage
General
- Focus on using your pages for your highest value skills: Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand, Epilogue Eternal Oasis, and Chapter 2 Daring Challenge
- Chapter 3 Heated Rebuke and can sometimes be worth the pages
- Avoid using the final charge of
Priorities
- High
- Stability
- Stunbreaking aliies
- - if applicable
- Moderate
- Condition clear
- CC
- Healing
- Primary boon support
- Low
- Cover boon support
Surviving
- This build has high passive defense
- This build has moderate mobility skill access
- This build has high active defense
- While your active defenses are strong, they are ideally saved for your group and not used selfishly
- can be prioritized over , but only if your entire party is in range and not stunned (or not in range of )
Active defense priority
- - for stunbreaking
- - for stunbreaking
- Immobilize - for
- Immobilize + Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand - for
- Dodge
- - if you have time to finish cast
- - only if the knockback isn’t disruptive
- Aegis
Detailed Explanations
Stability
- Apply Stability before allies get caught by enemy CC
- When using
- is ideal for this
cover the application by applying other boons immediately after the cast
- Avoid overlapping multiple Stability sources on your party, both your own and other players
- The final charge of Stability are expended is very powerful, but should be conserved for use when all other
- Enemy CC is most likely to land when they spike your group, your group is moving through theirs, or your group is moving away from theirs.
Stability priority
Stunbreaking
- is your group stunbreak, use its charges very carefully - the cooldown is too long to waste them
- Allies are most likely to be CCed at the same times they need Stability or while they are the focus target.
- Turn your camera, make use of a “Look Behind” keybind and listen to voice communications to pay attention to caught allies.
- Give them additional support after stunbreaking as needed
Signet of Mercy
Signet of Mercy
- Watch for low allied health bars to enable precasting (Using the skill before an ally is downed so that it finishes casting on them as soon as they do go down)
- Give yourself quickness with before beginning the cast
- Cover the cast with Stability ( or only - the others are too slow)
- Make sure to communicate over voice comms. Broadcast that you are beginning, casting and finishing the rez, include the name of the person being rezzed if possible.
- If another player with a higher priority calls they are rezzing at the same time, cancel the rez (“Stow Weapon” keybind or Escape button while in a Tome skill) and communicate the fact you are cancelling.
Condition clear
- You have limited condition clear compared to other supports, focus on using yours when allies have Immobilize
- Allies are very likely to get Immobilize at the same times they need Stability
- Make sure you're Illuminated before using
Condition clear priority
- (to proc )
- Epilogue Eternal Oasis
- Chapter 2 Radiant Recovery
CC
- Use before crossing the enemy group to isolate players
- Use your CC when:
- Your group calls a spike:
- Winds -
- Wells - +
- Shades -
- Traps - +
- On top of enemy downs (while alive players are on top of them)
- Enemy groups moving defensively while your group is pushing
- Your group calls a spike:
Primary boons
- Defensive boons like Protection or Aegis should be prioritized when your group is on the defensive
- Offensive boons like Might and Quickness should be prioritized when your group is on the offensive
- Especially as your group spikes, try to always use a charge of
- As long as it hits an enemy Chapter 2 Daring Challenge will proc even if the enemy has Stability
Primary boon priority
- Aegis + Quickness -
- Resistance -
- Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand - Resistance
- Chapter 2 Daring Challenge - Resistance
- Protection + Aegis -
- Protection + Aegis -
Healing
- Be careful when healing others, is a powerful heals but can easily leave you out of position if misused
- Don't put yourself out of position with
Healing priority
- (when safe)
- (only if the knockback isn’t disruptive)
- Dodge ( )
- Aegis
- Regeneration
Cover boons
- Cover boons are low value boons applied to soak strips instead of critical boons like Stability
- While most boon rips randomly choose from the boons on a target, boon corrupts always work on a first in, last out priority.
- This means that cover boons should be applied after primary boons when possible
- Make sure you're Illuminated before using Fury so it grants
Cover boon priority
- Fury + Might -
- Fury (if applicable) -
- Regeneration -
Settings
- Under General Options / User Interface check Always show squad health bars and Always show party health bars. These will make it much easier to keep track of who needs your support.
- Also under General Options / User Interface turn on Thick party health bars
- Thick squad health bars can be used too as a matter of personal preference, but is not recommended for large numbers
- Under Squad Options uncheck View as a grid. This will allow you to keep track of your allies' boons, conditions and health, enabling a better decision-making and skill management.
Ratings
One Firebrand per party is still mandatory due to the immense amount of defensive boons it brings in addition to tons of other utility. Stability, protection, aegis, resistance, swiftness, might stacking, CC's, ranged revive, group stunbreaks, minor healing and supplemental condition cleansing. It is an extremely effective build.
This is still the most important support in the game, since there is so much cc in the game. No other build has the ability to negate this much other than firebrand, even after the rework.
Comments
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