Build:Holosmith - Boon Roamer

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

Focused on: Direct damage and Sustain

Designed for: WvW Roaming

Difficulty:

TBD

Overview

A Holosmith WvW Roaming build built around high boon duration with easy access to Protection, Resolution Regeneration, Stability, and Fury, while maintaining high Might stacks.

Skill Bar

Sword/Shield

Utility

Elixir Gun

Elite Mortar Kit

Skill Variants

Utility

• Elixir C - an alternative to Elixir Gun or Elixir B for more cleanse and boon application.

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Emergency Elixir - a good alternative to Comeback Cure providing more Protection application.

• Soothing Detonation - a higher sustain alternative to Mecha Legs at the cost of mobility.

Equipment

Head
Celestial

Shoulders
Celestial

Chest
Celestial

Hands
Celestial

Legs
Celestial

Feet
Celestial

Backpiece
Diviner

Accessory
Diviner

Accessory
Diviner

Amulet
Diviner

Ring
Diviner

Ring
Diviner

Sword
Celestial

Shield
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

bles===

• - a vary good option with passive damage reduction.
• - a good defensive option with more Might application.

- budget option.

• or - a good option for more power.

Variants

Run with any of these runes.

• Rune of Superior Rune of Durability for a higher survivability option that has good synergy with Over Shield, Anticorrosion Plating, and Comeback Cure.
• Rune of Superior Rune of Fireworks for a higher damage option that gives more Vigor and Fury application, lets you take Soothing Detonation without losing mobility.
• Rune of Superior Rune of the Zephyrite for a higher mobility but lower boon duration option, lets you take Soothing Detonation.

Some other sigils and runes that can work.

Sigils

1. Swap Sigil of Superior Sigil of Vision for:

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Celerity or Sigil of Superior Sigil of Rage - for more quickness application.
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy - a more defensive option.

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Pack - an alternative with power and precision.
• Rune of Superior Rune of Surging - an alternative to Rune of Superior Rune of Fireworks.
• Rune of Superior Rune of Radiance - an alternative to Rune of Superior Rune of Leadership.

Usage

Elite specialization basics

• Holosmith grants access to the Photon Forge (sometimes referred to as holo mode or just Forge) and introduces a new resource: heat. Heat is generated passively while the forge is active and also by activating forge skills. Higher cool down skills generate more heat.

• Reaching maximum heat (150 due to Enhanced Capacity Storage Unit) should be avoided as Overheating damages you and locks you out of the forge until heat goes back to 0.

• Engage Photon Forge is used to activate the forge, after which your weapon skills will be replaced by 5 new ones. You can't exit the forge for at least 6 seconds, so be careful about reentering with high heat levels.
  • Both Engage Photon Forge and Disengage Photon Forge count as toolbelt skills and will work with related traits. Both skills can proc weapon swap sigils too.

Forge skills

• Auto attacks are just filler/spammable downed cleave if you'd need it.

• Holo Leap should be used on cool down most of the time as this is an incredibly loaded skill with a very short cool down. This skill provides mobility/cleansing via Crystal Configuration: Zephyr, does decent damage, and even functions as a Leap Finisher which you will be using often with the combo fields from Elite Mortar Kit and Elixir Gun.

• Corona Burst tends to be the first skill Holosmiths use in combat right after entering holo mode. This is a two-parter that also stacks Might. The second strike goes off after a delay, making it ideal to combo with other skills for burst damage. Try to squeeze in 2 Corona Bursts before exiting the form.

• Photon Blitz can be useful for reaching targets trying to escape, otherwise it should only be used if you can make sure that all of its projectiles are going to land (for example if the target is CC'd).

• Holographic Shockwave is an excellent AoE CC and also a Blast Finisher which you can use with the combo fields in Elite Mortar Kit and Elixir Gun.

General

• All your Elixir skill grant 3 Might because of HGH.
• Elixir H will cure 2 conditions and Toss Elixir H will cure another 1 condition.
• Super Elixir will heal, cure 1 condition, and grant Regeneration.
• Elixir B should be used whenever possible.
• Elixir U can be used to burst down targets with Quickness or saved for the stunbreak and Stability.
• Poison Gas Shell, Endothermic Shell, and Flash Shell are strong skills which you can combo your leap and blast finishers with.
• You can combo your leap and blast finishers in Elixir Shell for some extra healing.
• Swapping into Elite Mortar Kit will proc Rune of Superior Rune of Leadership and convert 3 conditions into boons on a 45 second cool down.
• Shield skills grant Protection which will cure 1 condition and grant Regeneration.
• Healing Mist is your second stun break and gives Regeneration.
• While you have Regeneration you have +250 healing power.

Weapon sets and damage

• Most of your damage comes from Forge skills and Elite Mortar Kit.
• Your sword/shield weapon set is your defensive/utility weapon set with a block, projectile reflect and 3 interrupts in Static Shield and Magnetic Shield (engineer) with some mobility and burst in Radiant Arc.
• Right after exiting the forge follow up with Radiant Arc and Refraction Cutter while your heat is still high.
• Elixir Gun has some sustain in Super Elixir and good burst in Glob Shot and Acid Bomb.

Sample Skill Rotations

• Start with pre-buffing with Elixir U → Elixir B then enter Elite Mortar Kit and Endothermic Shell → Flash Shell → Poison Gas Shell then Engage Photon Forge → Holo Leap → Corona Burst → Holographic Shockwave → Photon Blitz → Holo Leap → auto-attack chain → Corona Burst.

• Deactivate Photon Forge → Radiant Arc → Refraction Cutter swap into Elixir Gun then Acid Bomb → Glob Shot.

• Holo Leap → Deactivate Photon Forge → Refraction Cutter → Magnetic Shield (engineer) → Magnetic Inversion → Radiant Arc swap into Elixir Gun then Acid Bomb → Glob Shot.