Build:Holosmith - Explosive Sword

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Direct damage and Mobility

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on February 15, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A Holosmith PvP build with great damage, pulling its weight anywhere from duels to teamfights.

Skill Bar

Sword/Shield

Utility

Skill Bar Variants

Elite

• Elixir X - another viable option. Could be used for CC, burst and even mobility.

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Specializations

Variants

• Explosive Temper offers more damage at the expense of sustain.
• Big Boomer is better for burst damage, but not necessarily for sustain as the CC from Flashbang often ends up cancelling out more damage than what Big Boomer could heal for.

Equipment

Sword

Shield

Sigil

Sigil

Rune

Amulet

Usage

Elite specialization basics

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

Reaching maximum heat (150) should be avoided as 24px 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. Try not to reenter it above ~50-70 heat else you may risk overheating.

• 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.
• If absolutely necessary you can abort Photon Forge by using Elixir S to stop the heat from getting higher. Note that Elixir S won't help if you use it *after* overheating, as the damage bypasses even the invulnerability frame.

Forge skills

Although the auto attack chain got significant nerfs in March 2018, it can still do considerable cleave damage especially with Quickness.

Holo Leap should be used on CD most of the time as this is an incredibly loaded skill with a very short CD. This skill provides mobility/cleansing via Crystal Configuration: Zephyr, does decent damage, and even functions as a Leap Finisher (although the default build doesn't really have combo fields, variants or your allies may do).

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. You can also fake cast it by stowing your weapon right after activation in order to bait enemy dodges.

General

The build has rather poor access to condition removal, limited only to a few holo traits. When you're under heavy condition pressure always try to get a Crystal Configuration: Zephyr in before leaving the forge, increasing the chance of removing damaging conditions with Prismatic Converter.

• Against condition burst Elixir S's immunity can bail you out.

Elixir U has both defensive and offensive uses. You could either hold on to it to break out of stuns, or burst targets with Quickness

Elixir S is the go-to panic button in the build, making you immortal for the time being (well, except for fall damage). Beside just avoiding cerain death, this elixir's also useful for stomping enemies or reviving allies without any risk of interrupts.

• Toss Elixir S is the only source of Stealth in the build, and it's AoE. There are plenty of situations where stealth can be a powerful thing to have. These include hiding allies who are being stomped thus saving them, removing pressure from yourself by turning invisible, or concealing your movement before an engagement to catch enemies off-guard.

If taken Elixir X is a bit RNG but both forms are fairly versatile. Whether you need to get away from a fight, have to interrupt something, or want to do some extra damage, you can't go wrong with this skill (although Rampage has far better damage, even after the nerfs):

• Tornado is fairly simple, you want to use skill 5 Dust Charge and skill 4 Elemental Requiem right away. If all you want to do is a quick interrupt or a decap you may consider exiting the form after just these two skills (even in the middle of Dust Charge in order to stay on the node). You could also just keep going and toss enemies around, taking pressure off of your team. The first 3 skills are used to adapt Tornado to the given situation - you can choose between doing damage, mitigating damage via Blind, and hard-CC.
• Rampage can do some massive damage through the auto chain and Dash. Dash is also great for mobility in general. All the other skills on the set are strong CC effects with next to no damage.
• Throw Boulder is a popular opener in Rampage, allowing you to CC targets from range and then either follow up with Dash for burst damage or Seismic Leap to keep the CC chain rolling.

Supply Crate is generally used as a CC skill to set up burst. One of the turrets also drop a smoke field which you could use with leap/blast finishers to disengage if you're getting low.

Damage

The more heat you have, the more damage you do thanks to Laser's Edge and Enhanced Capacity Storage Unit.

• Grenade Barrage is the best burst skill in the build and should be used while your heat is high. Being a toolbelt skill, this can be used while the forge is active. Using it in melee range is optimal as it reduces counterplay (opponent won't have time to react to the projectiles).

After every dodge roll you gain Explosive Entrance which adds a decent damage proc to your next attack.

While the forge is cooling down focus on spamming Grenade Kit skills as filler.

Right after exiting the forge follow up with Radiant Arc and Refraction Cutter while your heat is still high, preferably in this order (Radiant Arc is a leap which makes it easier to land Refraction Cutter in melee range which increases the chance of landing all projectiles on one target).

Once your heat is back at a reasonably low level enter holo mode and spam those skills, that's really all there is to it.

Mobility

Keep spamming Holo Leap while moving between capture points, but don't overheat.

If you're not going to need your healing skill in the immediate future you could sacrifice it for some Swiftness while the forge is cooling down.

Top Streamers

• Twitch: Benzo
• Twitch: Floody

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• Explosive Roamer - WvW Roaming version.