Virtuoso - 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: End of Dragons builds

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on September 23, 2023 and is up to date for the September 19, 2023 game patch.

Overview

Power virtuoso is a simple yet effective build that deals great burst and sustained damage. It has access to evades and blocks, permanent Fury Fury, and inflicts large amounts of Vulnerability Vulnerability.

There are two variants of this build. The standard one with dagger/sword - greatsword, another with dagger/sword - sword/focus. The greatsword version has higher burst and Blade generation, while the focus version has access to the pull from .


Skill Bar

Dagger/Sword
Greatsword
Utility


Weapon Variants

  • Taking Sword/Focus instead of Greatsword provides access to the pull from . Be aware that Greatsword is significantly more damage, and has superior Blade generation which makes it less punishing to use your Blades for CC with .


Skill Variants

  • or may be swapped out for other utilities as desired.
    • Swap out first.


Template Code

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Specializations


Trait Variants

  • Use when running focus and not greatsword.
  • is a small DPS loss and generates many more blades with - allowing you to reliably use or without losing damage.
  • If you're not able to start phases with five blades, may be more useful.


Equipment

Head
Assassin
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Assassin
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Dagger
Berserker
Sword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Greatsword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
Relic
  • is practically identical damage.
  • should be higher damage, but is currently bugged and some bladesongs don't trigger it.
  • You should aim for ~2005 precision.
  • The gear is the same whether you use focus or greatsword, the weapons should be Berserker stats Berserker stats with Accuracy and Force.


Impact Variant

If you want to run this build on encounters where the boss can be stunned, you may benefit more from running a instead of the . To make up for the lost crit chance, make the following gear changes:

  • Switch the amulet, one ring, one accessory and the backpiece to Assassin stats Assassin stats.
    • You should aim for 2155 precision.


More convenient, but lower DPS options:

  • Use and switch the amulet to Assassin stats Assassin stats.
  • Switch the for the instead.


Consumables

Food

  • or ascended versions


Utility


Usage

Greatsword Rotation

Where Bladesong is listed below, you should use one of your available Bladesongs, with the following priority:

Your other shatters can also be used to extend uptime, but it's a minor DPS loss if you wish to hold them for utility.


Opener

Try to start with five blades stocked and begin on Dagger/Sword.

  1. and once you have the buff from - both are instant cast and can be used during other skills
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Greatsword Loop

Each Greatsword Loop is opened and closed with and , using other skills off cooldown in between. You can sometimes fit an extra Bladesong in between steps 7-10, but skip this if you wish to save some for utility.

  1. + (skip Mantra of Pain on the very first loop as you used a charge in the opener)
  2. Bladesong
  3. until Mirror Blade is available
  4. until Mind Stab is nearly off cooldown
  5. Bladesong
  6. - Make sure to only cast this once you get the buff (see the note in General Tips)
  7. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Sword Loop

Steps 1-3 of the Dagger/Sword loop are important to perform quickly to avoid delaying the swap back to Greatsword, you also need to be sure to use off cooldown so that you can fit 3 of them in.

  1. - if this is not available, use another Bladesong instead
  2. , and once it reaches full charges
  3. Bladesong once you reach 5 blades
  4. , and when it comes off cooldown
  5. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  6. Return to start of Greatsword Loop


Video example


Sword/Focus Rotation

Opener

Try to start with five blades stocked and begin on Sword/Focus. The dagger section of the opener is broadly the same as the Dagger/Sword loop below.

  1. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  2. and once you have the buff from - both are instant cast and can be used during other skills
  3. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  4. - make sure you're at five blades
  5. and until Bladesong Harmony is ready - should come off cooldown when you still have the deadly buff, but before you start losing stacks of
  6. until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  7. - this is mostly to maintain , so skip if you think you'll need the CC
  8. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Sword/Focus Loop

The Sword/Focus loop is very simple, just be sure to use early and weapon swap immediately after using it a second time.

  1. Autoattack until Bladesong Harmony is off cooldown
  2. Autoattack until Phantasmal Disenchanter is off cooldown
  3. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Sword Loop

Steps 1-5 of the Dagger/Sword loop are important to get in the correct order to avoid delaying the swap back to Sword/Focus, you also need to be sure to use off cooldown so that you can fit 4 of them in. If you reach step 15 and is still on cooldown, just skip that step and weapon swap.

  1. until you have five blades stocked
  2. until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  3. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  4. Return to start of Sword/Focus Loop


Video example


General Tips

  • Use and off cooldown
  • Use when it reaches

maximum charges - ideally while under the effects of both and

  • can be used to provide higher uptime of , but make sure not to use up your stock of blades just before you want to use or
  • If you cancel the aftercast of your Bladesongs too soon (such as with , or ), it will not apply the buff


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 3 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
4 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 4 stars • May 2023
Fully ranged, good burst and sustained damage, decent CC and boonrip for free, and decent active defence as well. Sadly, other builds have been steadily buffed, leaving it left behind somewhat.
5 stars
Warming Hearth gave this build 5 stars • August 2022
Great burst, great sustained damage, and the rotation is more forgiving than that of power chronomancer while doing higher sustained dps.
5 stars
Hxppy gave this build 5 stars • June 2022
very nice build, I love the burst of power dps and the utility of mesmers I wouldn't swap out the disenchanter though since i should be important for blade upkeep with Sharper Images. According to discretize you lose Mantra of Pain for utility skills also the rotation on discretize is way easier to learn and is easier to adapt to mechanics

Comments

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