Build:Firebrand - Valor FB

This is a rough draft. Once adequately written, it will progress to the testing stage, where it can be rated by the community. You can help by proposing changes with a comment.

Focused on: Boon support and Crowd control

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on June 28, 2023.

Overview

A support Firebrand build for WvW. Provides a large amount of Stability, powerful healing, cleansing and boon support.

Skill Bar

Staff

Mace/Shield

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Axe provides excellent CC but at a short range
  • Recommended for smaller numbers

Skill Variants

• Mantra of Lore for large numbers or if rez is unneeded
• Signet of Mercy for smaller numbers

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Loremaster

Equipment

Head
Minstrel

Shoulders
Minstrel

Chest
Minstrel

Hands
Minstrel

Legs
Minstrel

Feet
Minstrel

Backpiece
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Amulet
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Staff
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Mace
Minstrel

Shield
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Equipment Variants

Stats

• Healing infusions are also a viable choice

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Concentration for higher Stability uptime

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Monk better healing but less boons, boon uptime and survivability

Consumables

• • personal food option

Usage (WIP)

General

• Focus on using your pages for your highest value skills: Epilogue Eternal Oasis, Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand, and Epilogue Unbroken Lines
  • Chapter 3 Heated Rebuke and Chapter 2 Daring Challenge can sometimes be worth the pages
• Avoid using the final charge of Mantra of Solace

Priorities

High

• Stability
• Stunbreaking aliies
• Signet of Mercy - if applicable

Moderate

• Condition clear
• CC
• Healing
• Primary boon support

Low

• Cover boon support

Surviving

• This build has high passive defense
• This build has no mobility skill access
• This builds has high active defense
  • While your active defenses are strong, they are ideally saved for your group and not used selfishly
  • "Stand Your Ground!" can be prioritized over Mantra of Liberation, but only if your entire party is in range and not stunned (or not in range of Mantra of Liberation)

Active defense priority

• Mantra of Liberation - for stunbreaking
• "Stand Your Ground!" - for stunbreaking
• Tome of Resolve - for Immobilize
  • Epilogue Eternal Oasis
  • Chapter 2 Radiant Recovery
• Tome of Courage + Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand - for Immobilize
• Dodge
• Empower - if you have time to finish cast
• Holy Strike
• Shield of Absorption - only if the knockback isn’t disruptive
• Aegis
  • Protector's Strike
  • Shield of Judgment
  • Mantra of Solace

Detailed Explanations

Stability

• Apply Stability before allies get caught by enemy CC
• When using "Stand Your Ground!" cover the application by applying other boons immediately after the cast
  • Mantra of Solace is ideal for this
• Avoid overlapping multiple Stability sources on your party, both your own and other players
• The final charge of Mantra of Liberation is very powerful, but should be conserved for use when all other Stability are expended
• 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

• "Stand Your Ground!"
• Tome of Courage + Epilogue Unbroken Lines
• Hallowed Ground
• Mantra of Liberation

Stunbreaking

• Mantra of Liberation 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

• 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 Mantra of Solace before beginning the cast
• Cover the cast with Stability ("Stand Your Ground!" or Mantra of Liberation 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
• Avoid using the final charge of Mantra of Lore unless absolute necessary to help yourself or your party survive

Condition clear priority

• Mantra of Lore (if applicable)
• Tome of Courage + Chapter 4 Stalwart Stand
• Tome of Resolve (to proc Absolute Resolve)
• Epilogue Eternal Oasis
• Symbol of Swiftness ⇒ Holy Strike (Blast finisher)
• Chapter 2 Radiant Recovery

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

CC Priority

• Blazing Edge (if applicable)
• Line of Warding
• Chapter 3 Heated Rebuke
• Chapter 2 Daring Challenge

Healing

• Be careful when healing others, Empower and Selfless Daring are powerful heals but can easily leave you out of position if misused
• Give yourself quickness with Mantra of Solace before casting Empower

Healing priority

• Empower (if you have time to finish cast)
• Holy Strike
• Shield of Absorption (only if the knockback isn’t disruptive)
• Dodge (Selfless Daring)
• Aegis
  • Protector's Strike
  • Shield of Judgment
• Regeneration
  • Symbol of Faith

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 Mantra of Solace

Primary boon priority

• Mantra of Solace - Aegis + Quickness
• Empower - Might
• Protector's Strike - Protection + Aegis
• Shield of Judgment - Protection + Aegis

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

Cover boon priority

• Symbol of Swiftness - Swiftness
• Symbol of Vengeance - Fury (if applicable)
• Symbol of Faith - 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.