Build:Scrapper - Explosive Hammer Roamer

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

Focused on: Strike damage and Sustain

Designed for: WvW Roaming

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on December 05, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A bruiser style WvW Scrapper roaming build with high damage and sustain focusing on Stability uptime and Might stacking. Quite durable overall because of the defensive boons and stats, but its limited amount of cleansing could make condition matchups difficult especially for beginners.

Skill Bar

Hammer

Utility

Skill Variants

Elite

• Sneak Gyro - while the Stealth duration on this is extremely low, currently we recommend it because it's still a valuable escape tool. Without stealth you'll have a much harder time surviving outnumbered situations.

• Elixir X - bit of a gamble as you have no control over which form you'll get, but both of them offer great mobility and CC at the very least. Rampage could also act as a finisher, allowing you to CC-chain low HP enemies to death.

• Supply Crate - ranged CC, combo field for stealth, bit of extra damage.

• Elite Mortar Kit - does great damage when spamming skills on it with Quickness but it's primarily a defensive pick because of the Blind and the extra healing, plus it has some useful combo fields for aura combos and even more healing with Rocket Charge.

Anti-condition variant

If you're struggling against conditions a lot then you might want to try a combination of the following:

• Elixir B for the Resolution uptime.

• Elite Mortar Kit with Rune of Superior Rune of Resistance and Relic of Resistance for reduced incoming condition duration and frequent access to Resistance. Rune of Superior Rune of the Stars could also work, this works best against debilitating conditions like Weakness.

• Consumables that reduce incoming condition duration such as or .

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Object in Motion - trades sustain for better burst.

Equipment

Head
Celestial

Shoulders
Celestial

Chest
Celestial

Hands
Celestial

Legs
Celestial

Feet
Celestial

Backpiece
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Accessory
Celestial

Amulet
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Ring
Celestial

Hammer
Celestial

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

Runes

There are several other viable runes, but taking Elixir B for the optional utility slot is highly recommended if you're replacing Pack because otherwise you'd lose too much Fury uptime:

• Rune of Superior Rune of Resistance - the build struggles a bit against conditions, this is an excellent defensive rune that could help you out in those matchups quite a lot. Works best with Elite Mortar Kit which allows you to proc the 6th bonus as often as possible for high Resistance uptime.

• Rune of Superior Rune of Hoelbrak - sort of a middleground between defensive and offensive runes. Has good stats, Might stacking synergy and offers some defense against conditions too.

• Rune of Superior Rune of Durability - general tankiness.

Sigils

Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy can be replaced by:

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Celerity - improves Quickness uptime considerably and the ICD lines up perfectly with Thunderclap.

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Strength or Sigil of Superior Sigil of Battle - more damage and synergy with a bunch of traits including Applied Force.

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Vision - could make your entire burst combo more deadly.

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Generosity - more condition removal.

Infusions

• A full set of Mighty WvW Infusions would also do just fine if you already have those and don't want to get a set of Precise ones.

Consumables

Food

• - passive strike damage mitigation and Celestial-like stats.

• - same stats as the Peppercorn version but this one reduces incoming condition duration. The build doesn't have great cleansing so this could make all the difference against certain specs.

• - cheap anti-condition food if you can't afford an ascended feast.

• - defensive option with Explosive Entrance synergy due to more frequent dodging.
  • - budget version.

Utility

• or

Usage

General

• Might stacking is one of the most important aspects of the build. Most of it happens passively whenever you use an elixir or have Stability thanks to HGH and Applied Force.

• Try not to overlap your Stability sources as the boon stacks in intensity, NOT duration! Maximizing Stability uptime is the goal.

• Stability sources in the build:
  • Elixir U which is also your only stun break so be a bit careful.
  • Applied Force procs.
  • Toss Elixir B or Defense Field (depending on your choice of utilities).
  • Function Gyro, feel free to use it to bridge gaps in Stability uptime if you're not roaming in a group.

• Other important things to maintain are Swiftness and Superspeed as these heal you for a considerable amount through Rapid Regeneration (or increase your damage via Object in Motion if you went for that trait).
  • Swiftness procs from Rune of Superior Rune of the Pack every 30 seconds, the Hidden Flask trait, Elixir H, and Elixir B (if taken).
  • Superspeed comes from Toss Elixir U, Toss Elixir H, and Elixir H.

• Hammer skills 2-5 are both defensive and offensive in nature. Electro-whirl does great damage in melee while reflecting projectiles, Rocket Charge has a lengthy evade frame on top of being a double combo finisher and having high damage, Thunderclap stuns enemies while leaving behind a pulsing damage field.

• Shock Shield is the most defensive skill on Hammer. While the damage is mediocre it's still worth using it in melee as you gain barrier whenever the skill strikes an enemy, but even if you don't do that the block is still very useful.

• Most of the burst damage comes from Grenade Barrage and Shrapnel Grenade. Try to CC enemies with Thunderclap or use Stealth from Sneak Gyro to make these two skills easier to land, as it's easy to lose out on damage against moving targets.

• Condition cleansing is the build's real weakness, limited only to the passive trait Transmute and Sigil of Superior Sigil of Cleansing which you can proc by entering or leaving Grenade Kit once every 9 seconds. Winning against condition builds is by no means impossible, but requires proper CD management especially chaining blocks, CC and evasion while keeping the pressure up and kiting a lot.

• The damage of Function Gyro is often underrated. With high Might and Explosive Temper stacks this becomes a 1/4 sec cast ranged AoE burst CD.