Build:Firebrand - Support Firebrand

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: Healing, Boon support and Crowd control

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Difficulty:

TBD

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

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 swap Signet of Mercy if condition clear is needed or the rez is unneeded.

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Weighty Terms can be useful for lower Mantra of Liberation cooldown, especially if Quickness is already covered

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

Axe
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

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.

General

• Tome of Resolve and Tome of Courage both bring new skill sets which grant access to an extremely powerful boon support, healing and cleanses as well as unique buffs for your group. Knowing when to enter or to stow a tome, which tomes skills must be prioritized based on the situation and how to play while a tome is on cooldown are fundamental.
• Outside of tomes usage and in between tomes usage; Staff, Mace/Axe and Shield skills along with your Mantras and utilities, coupled with various traits will provide a consistent and strong group support.
• Selfless Daring and Pure of Heart make up a significant part of your group healing. Try to use your dodge rolls and Aegis skills not only just for personal defense but also when your group requires some healing. Remember, going into/out tomes and swapping weapons procs Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy.

"Stand Your Ground!"

"Stand Your Ground!" is an immensely strong and game changing skill. Being able to deny up to five crowd control skills for ten people makes it an indispensable skill on this build.

• This is your main and most important source of group stability. It is an opener, don't use it prior to an imminent or at the moment the engage happens, use it preemptively (like 3-4s before) since the stability from SYG has a considerable duration and you have other skills that can upkeep stability after that as well. Thus, allies won't get caught behind by CC skills like Drop the Hammer or Reaper's Mark.
• If you are CC'ed, don't use SYG as a stunbreak unless absolutely neccessary. Use Mantra of Liberation.

Tomes

• All tomes retain their passives after activation due to Loremaster, so don't hesitate to use them if your group is pressured. It's possible to switch directly from tome to tome.
• Swapping out of a tome sends it on cooldown even if you didn't consume all the pages. Therefore, try to only enter a tome if you can make full use of it. Skills #4 and #5 are usually the strongest but with the longest recharge, look after using them at least twice before running out of pages whenever that's possible.

Tome of Justice

Filler tome that's low on the priority list, won't be used much unless you are out of options: need a quick CC, need to proc Superior Sigil of Energy or have to contribute with some damage.

• Keep in mind that you will be giving free Aegis for enemies if they convert your Burning from the tome skills. Therefore, try to only pull this tome when it's going to be impactful somehow, like cleaving and snowballing on the enemy group.
• Epilogue: Ashes of the Just will be used for a group damage increase.
• Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath use this when pushing through enemies, trading sides or cleaving.
• Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke is the only CC on this tome, and a rather good one at that. As usual, CCs are mostly situational.
• Chapter 1 Searing Spell spam can add some 600-range cleave, but it's somewhat unimportant in this build.
  • On spikes, pull enemies in with Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke ⇒ Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath.

Tome of Resolve

Tome of Resolve brings high healing, condition cleansing, condition conversion, as well as a unique boon called Eternal Oasis for your party. As a support Firebrand you will be able to fully heal allies with only a few skills so you may sometimes need to camp the tome.

• Epilogue: Eternal Oasis try to use this as the first and the last tome skill for the increased incoming healing effectiveness on your allies (especially useful there is another support in your party). It can also be used to nullify condition pressure when going through shade bombs or being pushed by enemies and granting boons to allies.
• Chapter 4: Shining River is a priority skill and usually the 2nd you will use after entering the tome for continuous AoE healing. Since it is static: try to cast it on top of the zerg or a little bit ahead of your commander if he is moving.
• Chapter 3: Azure Sun won't be used unless you need some Vigor uptime.
• Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery is a solid skill (with low cooldown) that will be used whenever moderate condition removal is needed. It has an average priority and it works well with Mantra of Lore if Tome 2 #5 is not available. Try to hug your allies to ensure they get affected by the skill since it has a small radius.
• Chapter 1: Desert Bloom use it as a filler heal when necessary if your group is under heavy damage pressure. Also usable due to its range to heal allies who are out of position from a safe distance. Be careful to not spam since this isn't a priority tome skill.
  • Constantly look at your party members' health and conditions. Knowing if it's better to use Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery or Epilogue: Eternal Oasis based on the amount of conditions they have, or if an ally that you can't see on your screen needs healing based on his health. For example:
  • If under heavy damage pressure: Tome of Resolve ⇒ Chapter: 4: Shining River ⇒ Chapter 1: Desert Bloom (x times). Epilogue: Eternal Oasis usable if you need the incoming healing modifier. Use Mantras as well if needed.
  • If under heavy condition pressure: Tome of Resolve ⇒ Epilogue: Eternal Oasis ⇒ Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery (if condis are still an issue) or Chapter 4: Shining River. Use Mantras as well if needed.

Tome of Courage

Tome of Courage provides a very strong boon support and great access to stability, as well a unique passive bonus for your party. This tome will likely be prioritized over Tome of Resolve unless you are the second FB in the party.

• Epilogue: Unbroken Lines grants allies several defensive boons and extra armor through toughness, enabling a better survivability for DPS classes. Try to use as the 2nd and the last tome skill or whenever committing for a push or being heavily pressured.
• Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand is your opener tome skill against condition pressure and one of strongest tools in the build. The Resistance makes it an extremely powerful ability to temporally nullify any non-damaging conditions in a large area, notably helpful against negative effects like Cripple, Immobilize and Chill. Use it to negate scourges' shades and red circles in a big area, also usable when pushing or retreating to ensure that allies caught behind receive the resistance pulse. Since it is static, try to cast it on top of the zerg or, if your commander is moving, a little ahead based on his movement.
• Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark will only be used to reflect projectiles or to stack Protection. Don't prioritize this skill. It can be placed on top of your blob, between zergs or into the enemy zerg to ensure any outgoing projectile gets reflected.
• Chapter 2: Daring Challenge is a low priority tome skill. Should only be used while on melee range, when trading sides or going through the enemy zerg and to disrupt enemies trying to manually resurrect or trying to cleave your allies. Can also be used on enemies stuck inside friendly Winds of Disenchantment to prevent then from dodging out or escaping.
• Chapter 1: Unflinching Charge don't spam it mindlessly, use it to fill the stability gaps from SYG. Since it has 600-range, can be used to boon support allies behind from a safe distance.
  • Always check your party' boons to be sure you are not wasting a tome page, giving a boon that is well covered or, for example, landing Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand when there's few red circles on top of your group and no conditions on your party.
  • If under heavy damage pressure: Tome of Courage ⇒ Epilogue: Unbroken Lines ⇒ Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand. Use Mantras as well if needed.
  • If under heavy condition pressure: Tome of Courage ⇒ Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand ⇒ Epilogue: Unbroken Lines. Use Mantras as well if needed.

Mantras

• Position yourself a little behind to ensure your allies are being affected by your mantra skills.
• Given enough time Mantras will recover their charges so long as at least one charge's left, so think twice before using the final charge - that's the most powerful one, but will put the Mantra on full CD.
• You can still use Mantras while CC'ed.
• Mantra of Solace is your healing skill. It allowd you to constantly share Aegis to your sub. Should be shared with as many allies as possible. They do not receive the initial healing, but they do gain Aegis with all its related trait benefits.
  • Aegis can be shared with downed players when you're manually reviving them in case they are being cleaved down.
• Mantra of Lore is your on demand AoE cleansing skill. Use it whenever minor/moderate condition clear is required for you or your party. Always check if your allies have conditions on then, thus you don't waste a mantra's charge for nothing.
• Mantra of Liberation is your on demand AoE stunbreak and Stability skill. Bear in mind it has a long charge time and recharge time once depleted. Will often be used whenever minor Stability or a stunbreak is necessary. Recommended to use this skill (along with healing mantra) over SYG if you aren't sure if the enemy zerg is going to push, or if they are just fake pushing to burn your CDs; and when your commander is committing for small and ranged skirmishes. Can also be used as a stability filler if you don't have Tome 3 or SYG available, but is strongly discouraged. At last, will be used as a stunbreak for you and allies if you need to escape, for example, from an enemy Winds of Disenchantment. Stunbreaks also deny Fear if you can't cleanse it.

Staff

Staff brings solid and versatile 1,200-range skills which can be used either offensively, as ground control and CC, or defensively, through Might share, healing and cleanses.

• Holy Strike provides an AoE healing burst that can be used to support caught allies, trying to reposition themselves, from a safe distance. Since it's static, try to cast it based on your ally' movement.
  • Use it, preemptively, on top of your group to mitigate incoming damage. Also, if possible and opportune, try to cast it on top of combo fields, especially on light and water fields.
  • At last, can be used as an offensive skill if the supportive aspect isn't required.
• Symbol of Swiftness is useful to upkeep Rune of Superior Rune of the Monk 6th effect.
  • Constantly use it, while your group is standing (not moving), to stack Swiftness for allies. Be careful to not place it when your commander is asking to blast smoke fields, unless you want to get yelled at.
  • Can also be blasted by Holy Strike for minor condition clear or used as ranged forward pressure.
• Empower It is recommend to have "Stow Weapon" bound for using this skill properly.
  • Pay attention to "Empower" call outs. Ensuring your allies get 12 stacks of Might, prior to a fight, is essential to hit your enemy harder. Don't drop your current Tome to Empower allies, unless you have few pages left.
  • Empower grants a strong healing through its full channel and shouldn't only be used as a pre-buff skill. Use it during the fights whenever swapping to Staff or stowing a Tome.
  • Bear in mind this skill has a long channel time, meaning that you stand still for a considerable time. Always be ready to "Stow Weapon" to cancel it if needed.
• Line of Warding negates evades frames which means enemies without Stability will get knockdown anyway, even if they dodge. You can "Stow Weapon" if you notice the line won't be effective like in situations, for example, where an enemy group is fake pushing.

Mace/Shield

Use Mace/Shield for fast defensive support, Aegis and Protection

• Symbol of Faith generally low value, only use when nothing else available
• Protector's Strike used to upkeep Aegis and Protection. Use whenever pushing to give your frontline defensive boons.
• Shield of Judgment also used to upkeep Aegis and Protection. Make use of its range compared to Protector's Strike
• Shield of Absorption use it to knockback enemies attempting to res/stomp. Futhermore, use it to support by either double tapping for a large burst AoE heal or channelling for projectile defense.

Axe

Axe is used for offensive plays with Blazing Edge, an AoE pull.

• Symbol of Vengeance use it after pulling enemies with Blazing Edge to AoE Cripple them. Can also be used to share Fury for your party.
• Blazing Edge combos effectively with Desert Shroud and with Winds of Disenchantment, where you can pull enemies back inside of your group's ground pressure.