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Spellbreaker - Power DPS

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Expansions required: Path of Fire BuildsJanthir Wilds builds

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on September 15, 2024 and is up to date for the August 20, 2024 patch.

Overview

Spellbreaker is a great all-rounder, combining high sustained damage, consistent boonrip, big CC and good survivability thanks to Full Counter.


There are two distinct versions of Spellbreaker that depend on whether you use Hammer or Spear.

Hammer unlocks even more CC as well as the Defense traitline, allowing for even higher sustain and near-permanent Stability Stability. This build fits the melee brawler archetype perfectly, and as such cannot really do anything if forced out of melee range.

Spear is exclusive to the Janthir Wilds expansion and is higher damage while also providing great ranged damage, but also requires more precise play and reliable boons to excel. Spear benefits more from the Tactics traitline, so it will also be providing a small amount of group support.

If using Spear, be sure to check the weapon and specialization variant sections to set the build up properly.


Skill Bar

Hammer
Dagger/Mace
Utility

Weapon Variants

  • Offhand Axe can be used if you have doubts about your Quickness Quickness uptime (it can generate ~35% for yourself).
  • If using Spear, replace Hammer. This build uses the Tactics Traitline, which pushes the damage of offhand Axe quite a bit higher than Mace.


Skill Variants

Qadim Lava Elemental Kiter Variant

  • Healing Signet gives you more sustain while kiting Lava Elementals
  • Break Enchantments does increased damage to enemies that have boons. Qadim regains boons on a very short interval. Replaces Bull's Charge
  • Signet of Rage can be used if adrenaline generation is an issue. Alternatively, use your Signet of Fury actively to make up any adrenaline deficiency, which allows you to take Winds of Disenchantment in case DPS isn't high enough to skip Qadim's defiance bar (or on Challenge Mode)


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Specializations

  • Loss Aversion - On bosses that regain boons very regularly you will not gain the benefit of Sun and Moon Style, and you can reliably gain the extra damage and adrenaline for removing boons with this trait.


Specialization Variants

If using Spear, Tactics is the stronger traitline (replacing Defense). Empowered is a key part of this traitline, so this variant will underperform if your boon uptimes are low.

  • Martial Cadence is chosen to provide some Stability Stability uptime, as you will rarely have this boon permanently so it improves your Empowered uptime.
    • Be aware that on encounters that corrupt boons, Stability Stability will be corrupted into Fear Fear, so it is best to pick one of the other traits.


Equipment

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Hammer
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Dagger
Berserker
Mace
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
Relic
  • For players that don't own Janthir Wilds, a Relic of the Thief is the best option.
  • Against bosses that don't get Stunned Stunned, a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Air on Hammer will do more DPS than the Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact.
  • If using Spear, replace Hammer. Also replace the offhand Mace with an Axe.
    • Against bosses that don't get Stunned Stunned, a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Air on Mace and a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Hydromancy on Spear will do more DPS. This is especially useful in the opener, where you may otherwise have to delay your first Harrier's Toss due to lack of adrenaline.
  • If you're able to reliably use CC during a bosses attack animations, then Sigil of Superior Sigil of Severance will trigger, which can make it better than Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact.
  • Against bosses where you can reliably remove boons (such as Qadim), Relic of Nourys may offer higher DPS. Be aware that you will also stack this relic passively in combat, so the damage buff may trigger on a moment where it's not useful.


Consumables

Food

  • or ascended versions


Utility


Usage

Hammer rotation

Start on Dagger


Opener

  1. Winds of Disenchantment
  2. Bull's Charge
  3. Breaching Strike
  4. Disrupting Stab
  5. Tremor
  6. Crushing Blow
  7. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Hammer section

  1. Fierce Blow
  2. Earthshaker
  3. Hammer Shock
  4. Staggering Blow
  5. Hammer Swing (warrior) Hammer Bash (warrior) Hammer Smash x2
  6. Fierce Blow
  7. Backbreaker
  8. Fierce Blow
  9. Earthshaker
  10. Hammer Shock
  11. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Mace section

  1. Disrupting Stab - this is interchangeable with Crushing Blow, but as it is a priority skill we use it first to prevent us interrupting Crushing Blow
  2. Crushing Blow
  3. Breaching Strike
  4. Aura Slicer
  5. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike
  6. Tremor
  7. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike x3
  8. Bull's Charge
  9. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike
  10. Breaching Strike
  11. Disrupting Stab
  12. Crushing Blow
  13. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  14. Return to start of Hammer section

Video example


Offhand axe rotation

Offhand Axe has a very similar rotation, with the main difference being that you autoattack more while on dagger.

Start on Dagger.


Opener

  1. Winds of Disenchantment
  2. Bull's Charge
  3. Breaching Strike
  4. Disrupting Stab
  5. Dual Strike
  6. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Hammer section

  1. Fierce Blow
  2. Earthshaker
  3. Hammer Shock
  4. Hammer Swing (warrior) Hammer Bash (warrior) Hammer Smash x2
  5. Staggering Blow
  6. Fierce Blow
  7. Backbreaker
  8. Fierce Blow
  9. Earthshaker
  10. Hammer Shock
  11. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Axe section

  1. Disrupting Stab - this is interchangeable with Dual Strike, but as it is a priority skill we use it first to prevent us interrupting Dual Strike
  2. Dual Strike
  3. Breaching Strike
  4. Whirling Axe
  5. Aura Slicer
  6. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike x2
  7. Bull's Charge
  8. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike
  9. Breaching Strike
  10. Disrupting Stab
  11. Dual Strike
  12. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  13. Return to start of Hammer section

Video example


Spear rotation

Spear benefits from precise aiming on several of its skills, which can make it less reliable if there are other enemies around. Specifically, Maiming Spear and Harrier's Toss deal extra damage to the target closest to the centre of their AoEs, and Disrupting Throw and Spear Swipe do increased CC to the first target they hit.

Additionally, this rotation has lower coverage of Attacker's Insight compared to the Hammer build. You only crit cap when at five stacks, so CC is spaced out to try to cover as many of your high damage skills as possible during these periods. If you are slow or miss your CC skills, you may find youself dropping below three stacks, making your crits far less reliable.


Opener

  1. "To the Limit!"
  2. Winds of Disenchantment
  3. Bull's Charge
  4. Breaching Strike
  5. Dual Strike
  6. Disrupting Stab - it is optimal to use Disrupting Stab to cancel the aftercast of Dual Strike, and it has its own aftercast that can be cancelled by the weapon swap. If you find yourself cancelling Dual Strike entirely though, just reverse the order of these two skills.
  7. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Spear section

  1. Maiming Spear
  2. Disrupting Throw
  3. Harrier's Toss - this has a long aftercast on it, so its best to mash the next skill to reduce downtime
  4. Spearmarshal's Support
  5. Mighty Throw until Maiming Spear is off cooldown
  6. Maiming Spear
  7. Spear Swipe - pushing forward during this skill will cancel a lot of the forced movement
  8. Mighty Throw until Harrier's Toss is off cooldown
  9. Harrier's Toss
  10. Disrupting Throw
  11. Maiming Spear


Dagger/Axe section

  1. Disrupting Stab - this is interchangeable with Dual Strike, but as it is a priority skill we use it first to prevent us interrupting Dual Strike
  2. Dual Strike
  3. Breaching Strike
  4. Whirling Axe
  5. Aura Slicer
  6. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike x2
  7. Bull's Charge
  8. Precise Cut Focused Slash Keen Strike
  9. Breaching Strike
  10. Disrupting Stab
  11. Dual Strike
  12. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  13. Return to start of Spear section


Kiting Qadim's Lava Elementals

This build can reliably kite Lava Elementals at Qadim, while also bringing decent DPS on the boss and utility in removing Stability Stability during Parry by using Winds of Disenchantment. It is however very unforgiving for mistakes and becomes more difficult quickly when Qadim gets stacks of Fiery Surge. This guide assumes the use of offhand Axe.


Build variation

  • Healing Signet gives you more sustain
  • Signet of Rage can be used if adrenaline generation is an issue. Alternatively, use your Signet of Fury actively to make up any adrenaline deficiency, which allows you to take Winds of Disenchantment in case DPS isn't high enough to skip Qadim's defiance bar (or on Challenge Mode)
  • (Optional) Break Enchantments does increased damage to enemies that have boons. Qadim regains boons on a very short interval. Replace Bull's Charge and use off cooldown (be aware that it interrupts other skills)
  • (Optional) Loss Aversion - Qadim regains boons very regularly, so you will not gain the benefit of Sun and Moon Style. You can however reliably gain the extra damage and adrenaline for removing boons with this trait.
  • (Optional) Relic of Nourys can be taken since Qadim regains boons constantly that you can remove to stack this effect.


Kiting Strategy

For a general overview, see this section.

Since this build has no ranged capabilities, we will be running around to kill the Lava Elementals up close. The elementals spawn in an anti-clockwise pattern around the platform Qadim is on. The main strategy for killing the elementals is to go through a loop of three methods (and since the platform is a triangle, that means that we'll be using every method in the same corner every time).

  • Whirling Axe or Disrupting Stab and Dual Strike (alternate between them every loop)
  • Breaching Strike
  • Aura Slicer

Since we don't have Fury Fury, it's possible we won't crit every time. Just finish the elemental with some auto attacks in that case.

Running around the platform means most of Qadim's attacks won't hit us. The main danger comes from , but this attack can be dodged or jumped over. Fire Dance will usually occur right before going back to the first elemental spawn spot, but this can deviate based on Fiery Surge stacks. If we avoid all the attacks, the only sustain we need is for the passive aura. This sustain is provided by the passive of Healing Signet and building up Adrenal Health by hitting Breaching Strike. If an emergency block is needed, Full Counter can be used which will also add stacks of Adrenal Health if it hits an enemy. Adrenaline can be topped off by using the active of Signet of Fury or bringing Signet of Rage.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 2 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
4 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 4 stars • April 2024
The best bonky boi. Constant CC and boon rip with a relatively simple rotation. The defence traitline makes this tanky even for a warrior build. Burst damage is nothing special, making it weaker in fractals, but a strong all-rounder otherwise.
5 stars
Az0g3r gave this build 5 stars • January 2023
Very strong and cool build! I myself have not let go of the hammer in the war for two years now. Inflicted in the region of 26,000 - 28,000 thousand DPS. And then I came across this build! DPS half a day to 34,000 - 38,000 thousand 0_0 is simply incredible! As it turned out, it was worth changing a couple of traits in the branch =) The author is beautiful! Helped a lot!

Comments

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