Guardian - Core Power Guardian

This is a placeholder build that was useful in the past. Click here to view current builds.

Focused on: Strike damage and Dps

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Easy

Overview

A build designed for massive AoE DPS, with great access to spike damage, ground AoE and ranged pressure.

Skill Bar

Weapon 1: Staff

Weapon 2:

Weapon 3: Scepter

Weapon 4: Torch

Healing skill: Shelter

Utility skill 1: "Stand Your Ground!"

Utility skill 2: Sword of Justice

Utility skill 3: Wall of Reflection

Elite skill: Renewed Focus

Variants

Weapons

• Hammer
• Spear

Skills

• Bane Signet passive power, can replace Wall of Reflection

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Specializations

Zeal: Mid, Mid, Bot

Radiance: Mid, Bot, Bot

Virtues: Top, Top, Bot

Variants

• Permeating Wrath trades defensive utility for more damage

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Equipment

Rune: 6 Superior Rune of the Scholar

Infusion 1: 18 Mighty WvW Infusion

Infusion 2:

Relic: Relic of the Thief

Weapon 1: Staff

Weapon 2:

Sigil 1: Superior Sigil of Bloodlust

Sigil 2: Superior Sigil of Energy

Weapon 1 stats: Dragon

Weapon 3: Scepter

Weapon 4: Torch

Sigil 3: Superior Sigil of Force

Sigil 4: Superior Sigil of Energy

Weapon 3 stats: Dragon

Weapon 4 stats: Dragon

Main stats: Marauder

Amulet stats: Dragon

Accessory 1 stats: Dragon

Equipment Variants

Stats

• Use Berserker stats if you find you need more offensive stats
  • And use Dragon stats to maintain 100% crit

Relics

• Relic of Speed
• Relic of Isgarren

Sigils

• Superior Sigil of Force

Consumables

• Peppercorn-Crusted Sous-Vide Steak
  • Fried Oyster Sandwich personal food option
• Superior Sharpening Stone

Usage

Overall Priorities

High

• Ranged Spike

Moderate

• Sustained damage

Low

• Single target
• CC

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has no mobility skill access, staying very close to your tag and group is critical
• This build has moderate active defenses
  • Beware of unblockable CCs (Line of Warding) when using Shelter
    • Standing briefly still while channeling Shelter can sometimes be better than moving straight back to your group
  • Use "Stand Your Ground!" when pushing if your firebrand's Stability is on cooldown
    • Don't be afraid to use it as a stunbreak if Virtue of Courage is on cooldown
  • Because Renewed Focus resets your virtues, you should use them during the channel time of RF if they are not on cooldown.

Active defense priority Virtue of Courage - for stunbreaking "Stand Your Ground!" - for stunbreaking Dodge Shelter Virtue of Resolve Renewed Focus

Detailed Explanations

Ranged Spike

• Open with staff, using Virtue of Justice ⇒ Holy Strike ⇒ Symbol of Swiftness
  • If the groups continue into 900 range, swap to Scepter/Torch and use Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Sword of Justice, otherwise wait in Staff for the next engage
• Don't waste Wall of Reflection to add useless DPS at range, wait until the damage can be followed up on

Sustained damage

• When using ground AoEs like Symbol skills or Sword of Justice, try to place them so that one edge is on the enemy group and the other edge is in the direction they are moving to
• Try to swap between weapons as often as possible, keeping all damage skills on cooldown
  • It is worth delaying the swap for 1-2 seconds to fit another Symbol skill
  • If you are frequently delaying your swap out of Staff it is likely you aren't swapping weapons fast enough
• Use your Symbol skills quickly after swapping weapons so that the cooldowns will line up for future swaps
• Combine your Symbol skills with other damage to generate higher spikes
  • Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Weapon Swap ⇒ Symbol of Swiftness ⇒ Holy Strike
  • Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Sword of Justice
• Try to hit your own group with Cleansing Flame as well if you can, but prioritize hitting enemies
• Place Wall of Reflection closer to the enemy group than your own to reduce projectile travel time
• Maintain Inspiring Virtue by activating Virtue of Justice
  • Renewed Justice will reset the cooldown whenever you get a kill

Skill priority Holy Strike Symbol of Swiftness Symbol of Punishment Wall of Reflection Zealot's Fire - when no projectile block present (Zealot's Flame flip skill) Cleansing Flame - in melee Sword of Justice

Single Target

• Use Chains of Light to follow up on other CC or to catch targets as enemies disengage
• If you have a chance to use Zealot's Fire on an isolated target without projectile block, take it

CC

• Don't use Line of Warding unless your DPS skills are on cooldown, other builds are better at providing CC
• Use your CC when:
  • Your group calls a spike:
    • Winds - Winds of Disenchantment
    • Wells - Well of Corruption+Well of Suffering
    • Shades - Desert Shroud
    • Traps - Procession of Blades+Test of Faith
  • On top of enemy downs (while alive players are on top of them)
  • Enemy groups moving defensively while your group is pushing