Build:Dragonhunter - Staff DH

This build is unrated.

Focused on: Strike damage and Dps

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

TBD

Overview

A build designed for massive AoE DPS, with great access to spike damage, ground AoE and ranged pressure.

Skill Bar

Staff

Scepter/Torch

Utility

Variants

Weapons

• Swapping Staff to Longbow is a DPS loss but gives access to Hunter's Ward
• Swapping Staff to Greatsword is a large DPS gain if you can consistently melee

Skills

• "Stand Your Ground!" - access to self and group Stability

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Specializations

Variants

• Swapping Virtues to Radiance is a substantial DPS increase but comes at the cost of your only stunbreak and should only be used if you are very confident in your party support

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Equipment

Head
Marauder

Shoulders
Marauder

Chest
Marauder

Hands
Marauder

Legs
Marauder

Feet
Marauder

Backpiece
Marauder

Accessory
Marauder

Accessory
Marauder

Amulet
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Staff
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Marauder

Torch
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Variants

Stats

• Use Berserker stats if you find you need more offensive stats
  • And use Dragon stats to maintain 100% crit

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Force

Radiance variant equipment

Head
Marauder

Shoulders
Marauder

Chest
Marauder

Hands
Marauder

Legs
Marauder

Feet
Marauder

Backpiece
Marauder

Accessory
Dragon

Accessory
Marauder

Amulet
Dragon

Ring
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Staff
Dragon

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Dragon

Torch
Dragon

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Consumables

• • personal food option

Usage

Priorities

High

• Traps - in melee
• Ranged Spike

Moderate

• Sustained damage
• Shield of Courage - zeal/radiance only

Low

• Single target
• CC

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has moderate mobility skill access
  • Use Wings of Resolve if you're separated from your group and can't safely move back
    • Beware of ground CCs (Line of Warding) that will interrupt your movement
• This builds has high active defenses
  • Beware of unblockable CCs (Line of Warding) when using Shelter
    • Standing briefly still while channeling Shelter can sometimes be better than moving straight back to your group
  • Shield of Courage will only block attacks from the front
    • To block ground AoE face the player that cast it
    • Save Shield of Courage to break stuns with Indomitable Courage
  • Do not use Renewed Focus until Wings of Resolve and Shield of Courage are on cooldown, unless you will die without it

Active defense priority

• Wings of Resolve - for Immobilize
• Shield of Courage - for Stunbreaking
• Dodge
• Shelter
• Shield of Courage
• Wings of Resolve - general use
• Renewed Focus

Detailed Explanations

Traps

• Use Procession of Blades and Test of Faith when the enemy group is pushing towards you or your group is in melee
• Don't try to predict the enemy group far in advance or precast traps, wait until you have an opportunity to get immediate value
• Wings of Resolve can be used offensively to position yourself for traps
  • Don't put yourself in a position where you could die trying to get better traps off

Ranged Spike

• Open with staff, using Holy Strike ⇒ Symbol of Swiftness
  • If the groups continue into 900 range, swap to Scepter/Torch and use Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Sword of Justice, otherwise wait in Staff for the next engage

Sustained damage

• When using ground AoEs like Symbol skills or Sword of Justice, try to place them so that one edge is on the enemy group and the other edge is in the direction they are moving to
• Try to swap between weapons as often as possible, keeping all damage skills on cooldown
  • It is worth delaying the swap for 1-2 seconds to fit another Symbol skill
  • If you are frequently delaying your swap out of Staff it is likely you aren't swapping weapons fast enough
• Use your Symbol skills quickly after swapping weapons so that the cooldowns will line up for future swaps
• Combine your Symbol skills with other damage to generate higher spikes
  • Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Weapon Swap ⇒ Symbol of Swiftness ⇒ Holy Strike
  • Symbol of Punishment ⇒ Sword of Justice
• Try to hit your own group with Cleansing Flame as well if you can, but prioritize hitting enemies

Skill priority

• Test of Faith/Procession of Blades
• Holy Strike
• Symbol of Swiftness
• Symbol of Punishment
• Zealot's Fire - when no projectile block present (Zealot's Flame flip skill)
• Cleansing Flame - in melee
• Sword of Justice

Shield of Courage - for Zeal/Radiance

Show

• Use Shield of Courage when pushing to block damage for your group
  • Shield of Courage will only block attacks from the front, face your enemies, but don't let yourself get out of position

Single Target

• Pull targets with Hunter's Verdict (Spear of Justice flip skill) as the enemy group disengages from yours, never while both groups are crossing through each other
• Spear of Justice can be left on a target without using Hunter's Verdict to apply Revealed
• Use Chains of Light to follow up on Hunter's Verdict or to catch targets as enemies disengage
• If you have a chance to use Zealot's Fire on an isolated target without projectile block, take it

CC

• Don't use Line of Warding unless your DPS skills are on cooldown, other builds are better at providing 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