Build:Dragonhunter - Power Dragonhunter

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

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open World, Open World General and [[|]]

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on August 20, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A Power Dragonhunter build for open world.

This build's strengths include:

• High mobility
• Very high AoE damage
• Very high burst damage
• Strong innate defense
• Excellent tagging with Longbow or Staff.

This build is useful for all of open world, including solo play, group events, and tagging.

Template Code

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Skill Bar

Standard

Greatsword

Longbow

Utility

Tagging / Comfort

Greatsword

Longbow

Utility

Weapon Variants

• Mainhand Sword - useful for Fury and mobility.
• Offhand Focus - high single-target damage and defense.
• Offhand Sword - high mobility and burst damage; requires Weaponmaster.

Skill Variants

Heal Skills

• Signet of Resolve - replaces Litany of Wrath; easier to use but at much lower effectiveness.

Utility Skills

Replace Procession of Blades first, then Bane Signet.

• Test of Faith - defense + offense; replaces Procession of Blades against moving targets and grants Protection.
• "Hold the Line!" - defensive; grants area Protection to yourself and nearby allies
• Wall of Reflection - defensive; reflects projectiles
• "Advance!" - comfort + defense; provides area Aegis and Swiftness
• "Stand Your Ground!" - comfort + defense; area Stability and personal stunbreak.
• Merciful Intervention - mobility

Elite Skills

• Renewed Focus - defensive option
• "Feel My Wrath!" - area Quickness and Fury.

Specializations

• Fiery Wrath - take this if allies are providing you Might.
• Heavy Light - Comfort Option: Easier to use than Big Game Hunter and provides additional Stability.

Equipment

Ascended gear and stat infusions are not required; you can use exotic gear with the same stats.

Standard Equipment

This set uses gear that is generally applicable in all of PVE.

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Greatsword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Longbow
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Equipment Variants

Defense

• Knight's Trinkets - increased defense, reduced damage.
• Rune of Superior Rune of Vampirism - massively increased sustain, reduced damage.

Budget

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Eagle - budget DPS rune.
• Rune of Superior Rune of the Pack - budget DPS rune which also can outperform Rune of Superior Rune of the Thief in solo open world, but loses effectiveness in groups.

Tagging

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Fire - more AoE when tagging.
• Rune of Superior Rune of Speed - more mobility when tagging; combine with "Advance!".

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• /

Farming

• Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
• /
• (and variants)

Usage

Basics

• Turn off "Melee Attack Assist" in Options. This allows you to use skills like Whirling Wrath and Binding Blade inside an enemy's hitbox.
• Use Greatsword and Longbow for DPS. In farm trains, use Longbow to tag enemies.
• When solo, focus on keeping high uptime on your Symbols for both defense and damage.

Damage

• Maintain uptime on Inspiring Virtue with Spear of Justice, Wings of Resolve, and Shield of Courage.
• Use Procession of Blades, Sword of Justice, and Spear of Justice off cooldown.
• Use big skills off cooldown and do not interrupt your auto-attack chains.
• Keep high uptime on Symbols for Vulnerability uptime.

Greatsword

1. Symbol of Resolution
2. Whirling Wrath
3. Fill with Leap of Faith and auto-attacks.

Longbow

1. Symbol of Energy
2. Hunter's Ward
3. True Shot
4. Fill with auto-attacks.

Basic Opener

A basic opener to delete trash mobs. Open on Longbow. If using Heavy Light, do not use Spear of Justice, ever.

1. Use Spear of Justice, Procession of Blades, and Sword of Justice off cooldown.
2. Procession of Blades
3. Spear of Justice
4. Dragon's Maw
5. Symbol of Energy
6. Sword of Justice
7. True Shot
8. Hunter's Ward
9. Sword of Justice
10. Swap Weapons ⇒ Greatsword
11. Symbol of Resolution
12. Whirling Wrath
13. Fill with auto-attacks or Leap of Faith
14. Whirling Wrath
15. Symbol of Resolution
16. Swap Weapons ⇒ Longbow

Defense

• Chain Shield of Courage and Litany of Wrath to cover your opening rotation.
• Use Wings of Resolve to heal and cleanse conditions.
• Use Leap of Faith to Blind enemies.
• Review the defensive skill variants above for more defensive options.

Crowd Control

• Pull
• Dragon's Maw
• Bane Signet (as a last resort)