Berserker - Power DPS

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

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on December 15, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A fresh iteration of the Heart of Thorns era build, Power Berserker. This version has strong burst and sustained damage from spamming Decapitate in Berserk.

Skill Bar

Axe/Axe

Greatsword

Utility

Weapon Variants

Greatsword is worth ~4.5k DPS, but you could keep the offset for utility weapons such as:

• Mace (in either hand) for CC
• Warhorn to provide Swiftness in the event you don't have it from your supports
• Rifle or Longbow for ranged damage

If using any of these options, just camp Axe/Axe for damage. Axe/Mace does enough damage to swap to (see below for video example).

Skill Variants

• Throw Bolas or Bull's Charge can replace Outrage. This will provide more burst DPS through Peak Performance (assuming you don't stun yourself), but will be lower DPS long-term so you'll need to know what your phase times will be. Therefore this is more viable in fractals than in raids.

Template Code

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Specializations

Trait Variants

• If the target has boons, run Destruction of the Empowered.

Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Berserker

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Axe
Berserker

Axe
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Greatsword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

Equipment Variants

• In encounters where the boss does not get stunned, you can replace the Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact with a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Air on the Axe and a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Hydromancy on the Greatsword. This will be a small DPS increase.

Consumables

Food

• or ascended alternatives

Utility

Usage

Beginner Rotation

Click to View

The full rotation for Power Berserker is very fast paced and relies heavily on hitting certain skills off cooldown to avoid dropping out of Berserk. By camping axe, you can use your rage skills earlier, making it easier to maintain Berserk. Additionally, as you no longer weapon swap you can switch Discpline for Tactics:

Opener

1. Head Butt
2. Berserk
3. Outrage
4. Decapitate

Due to the lack of Axe Mastery, adrenaline takes longer to build up so use the following combos to reach full adrenaline for Decapitate (listed in priority order):

1. Head Butt ⇒ Outrage (if you had Stability then you don't need the stunbreak from Outrage and can Decapitate immediately after Head Butt)
2. Outrage
3. Blood Reckoning
4. Wild Blow + Cyclone Axe + Throw Axe + Dual Strike
5. Whirling Axe
6. Cyclone Axe + Throw Axe + full auto chain

In fights with longer phases, the lack of adrenaline means you should swap Signet of Might for Shattering Blow. This makes it easy to stay in Berserk as long as there is a target to hit, and also provides you with more adrenaline generation. In this case your opener is:

Opener

1. Shattering Blow
2. Head Butt
3. Berserk
4. Decapitate

And your combo list is:

1. Outrage
2. Blood Reckoning
3. Wild Blow + Cyclone Axe + Throw Axe + Dual Strike
4. Shattering Blow ⇒ Head Butt
5. Whirling Axe
6. Cyclone Axe + Throw Axe + full auto chain

Video guide by Masel

Rotation

The rotation aims to get as many casts of Decapitate and Arc Divider off during Berserk mode as possible. Effectively, this means that while on Axe/Axe you cast Decapitate followed by a combination of skills that gets you back to 10 Adrenaline to recast Decapitate.

When your target is below 25% health, Throw Axe gains extra damage so it is used extra times during the Axe section, also allowing for an extra Decapitate.

Opener

1. Head Butt
2. Berserk
3. Outrage
4. Arc Divider
5. Weapon Swap
6. Cyclone Axe - the extra adrenaline from Versatile Rage means you can immediately Decapitate after this
7. Decapitate
8. Dual Strike
9. Throw Axe
10. Decapitate
11. Whirling Axe - make sure to let the entire attack finish!
12. Decapitate
13. Cyclone Axe
14. Weapon Swap

Greatsword section

1. Arc Divider
2. Blood Reckoning
3. Arc Divider
4. Outrage during Arc Divider
5. Bladetrail
6. Hundred Blades - Make sure the final hit goes through or you may not have enough adrenaline for Arc Divider
7. Arc Divider
8. Weapon Swap

Axe/Axe section

1. Cyclone Axe
2. Decapitate
3. Dual Strike
4. Throw Axe
5. Decapitate
6. Head Butt ⇒ Outrage
7. Decapitate
8. Cyclone Axe
9. Throw Axe
10. Decapitate
11. Whirling Axe
12. Decapitate
13. Cyclone Axe
14. Dual Strike
15. Decapitate
16. Throw Axe
17. Weapon Swap
18. Return to start of Greatsword section

Video example by Rick

Video example (with wild blow)

Video example (with offhand mace)

Video example (axe only)

General Tips

Greatsword

• You can manually weapon stow (or weapon swap) immediately after the third hit of Arc Divider to shave ~0.25s off the cast time. This may not seem like much, but it adds up.

Axe

• If you have trouble memorising the Axe section, it may be helpful to think of it as a priority list to build adrenaline for your next Decapitate:

1. Head Butt + Outrage
2. Cyclone Axe + Wild Blow or Throw Axe
3. Dual Strike + Throw Axe
4. Whirling Axe

• When Blood Reckoning is almost off cooldown, use your remaining axe skills (make sure to be at full adrenaline) and Weapon Swap instead of Decapitate.

Berserk

• All your Rage skills extend the duration of Berserk, which means it is important to use them as soon as they are available to avoid dropping out of Berserk.
  • This involves using Outrage, Head Butt and Wild Blow to maintain damage rather than a stunbreak/CC.
• If you drop out of Berserk, you should already be at full adrenaline when it is next available, so you use Head Butt ⇒ Outrage after entering Berserk instead. This means your second Berserk has a longer duration and is easier to maintain.
• Generally you shouldn't be auto-attacking while Berserk mode is active.

Outside of Berserk

• Ideally you are always in Berserk during DPS phases.
• Stay on Axe when you're not in Berserk, but as Decapitate isn't available you should just use your Axe skills as they come off cooldown.
• Try to complete your Axe auto chains when not in Berserk.
• Do not use your rage skills whilst outside of Berserk.
• Use Berserk as soon as it is available.