Build:Spellbreaker - Bannerbreaker

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

Focused on: Healing, Condition cleanse, Boon removal and Crowd control

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on July 23, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

Heavy boon support with permanent Resistance by carrying your banner around, Might Quickness and Fury. Burst skills can be used while carrying the banner. Can do even more by weaving weapon skills between banner drops.

Skill Bar

Hammer

Sword/Warhorn

Utility

Variants

• Balanced Stance
• "On My Mark!"
• "Shake It Off!"

Template Code

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Equipment

Head
Minstrel

Shoulders
Minstrel

Chest
Minstrel

Hands
Minstrel

Legs
Minstrel

Feet
Minstrel

Backpiece
Giver

Accessory
Giver

Accessory
Minstrel

Amulet
Giver

Ring
Giver

Ring
Giver

Hammer
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Sword
Minstrel

Warhorn
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Equipment Variant

Stats

• Wanderer and Diviner stats can be used instead of Minstrel and Giver

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Nullification/Sigil of Superior Sigil of Absorption - Extra boonrip sigils can be useful, but require gear adjustments
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Bounty - frees up a sigil slot but requires stacking
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Hydromancy - for adrenaline
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Trooper - requires gear adjustment

Consumables

• - any 100 concentration food works
  • personal food option

Usage

Priorities

High

• Resistance

Moderate

• Offensive Boons
• CC
• Boonrip

Low

• Other Support

Surviving

• This build has high passive defense
• This build has moderate mobility skill access
  • Savage Leap will leap towards your target if you have one, make sure to drop your target if you need to use it for mobility
  • Since Savage Leap can't be used while holding a banner use Earthshaker for repositioning defensively when needed
• This builds has low active defenses

Detailed Explanations

Resistance

• Maximizing this build relies on dropping Banner of Defense, weaving in skill casts and picking the banner back up before your group moves away from it
  • Make sure to prioritize keeping the banner with you, Resistance is more important than the other things you can do
• Banner of Defense can't be interacted with for three seconds after being dropped
• Banner of Defense gives Resistance immediately when dropped, both by cast and from being carried
  • Make sure to pick up and drop the banner whenever possible to stack duration
  • The banner doesn't pulse Resistance for 5 seconds after being picked up, but afterwards will pulse normally
• Have Hammer equipped whenever possible when picking up the banner to maintain access to Earthshaker

Offensive Boons

• Make sure to give Might, Quickness and Fury as your group is spiking

Boon Skills Charge (warrior) Marching Orders - Martial Cadence "For Great Justice!"

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
• Much of your boon rip comes from CC due to the synergies between Dispelling Force, Sigil of Superior Sigil of Absorption and Enchantment Collapse
  • Since you need to actually apply the stun/daze/knockdown to proc your trait/sigil synergies, make sure to target enemy players and watch their boon bar, only prioritizing CCing over boon rip when they run out of Stability
• Aim Earthshaker to the side of enemy groups instead of center mass to avoid damage. The AoE is large enough to still catch 5 targets.
• Full Counter should be used exclusively to reset the cooldown of Earthshaker
  • To ensure Full Counter triggers, you can briefly move into hostile enemy ground pressure.
• Be careful with the knockback of Staggering Blow, the skill is not worth casting if it will move enemies out of damage
• Flurry can be cancelled with Escape
  • Flurry applies its Immobilize instantly, and the other effects are negligible on a support build.
• Backbreaker is a single target CC and very slow cast, its best use is following up on a player singled out by other CC and unable to avoid it

CC priority Earthshaker - only when enemies lack Stability Full Counter - only when enemies lack Stability Hammer Shock - general use Staggering Blow - only when enemies lack Stability Flurry Backbreaker - only when enemies lack Stability

Boon rip

• Land Winds of Disenchantment on the enemy group while your group is in range to follow up with a spike
  • Communicate while casting, let your team know if it gets interrupted and whether it's available or not
  • Make sure Balanced Stance is ready every time Winds of Disenchantment is and use it immediately before starting the cast to protect it
  • It is worth casting Earthshaker and/or Savage Leap just to get into a better position for Winds of Disenchantment, even if they hit no enemies
• Break Enchantments is a great way to proc Loss Aversion to give you enough Adrenaline for Earthshaker
• Use Autoattacks to proc Sigil of Superior Sigil of Nullification and Enchantment Collapse when no other useful skills are ready and you can do it safely.

Other Support

• Use Call of Valor just before engaging when possible, since the Barrier will last 5 seconds after application
  • If an ally in your party has Illusion of Life cast on them and does not manage to remove it before the duration times out, you can keep them alive by giving them Barrier before the 15 second duration ends
• "To the Limit!" should be used after your group dodges through the enemy since it also restores Endurance
• Use Charge (warrior) to clear Immobilize on crosses

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.