Guardian - Core Power Guardian

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: Strike damage and Dps

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on February 27, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

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

Skill Variants

• Bane Signet passive power, can replace Wall of Reflection

Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

• Permeating Wrath trades defensive utility for more damage

Template Code

[&DQEqOhA+LjUDAQAANgEAAEgBAAD/AAAAiRIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]

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Equipment

Head
Marauder

Shoulders
Marauder

Chest
Marauder

Hands
Marauder

Legs
Dragon

Feet
Marauder

Backpiece
Marauder

Accessory
Dragon

Accessory
Dragon

Amulet
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Ring
Marauder

Staff
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Scepter
Marauder

Torch
Marauder

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Equipment Variants

• Use Berserker stats if you find you need more offensive stats
  • And use Dragon stats to maintain 100% crit
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Bloodlust stacking sigil option

Consumables

• • personal food option

Usage

General

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has no mobility skill access, staying very close to your tag and group is critical
• This builds has moderate active defenses
  • Shelter is your primary defensive skill. Beware of unblockable CCs (Line of Warding) that will interrupt your block
    • Standing briefly still while channeling Shelter can sometimes be better than moving straight back to your group
  • Virtue of Courage to break stuns with Indomitable Courage
  • Use "Stand Your Ground!" when pushing if your firebrand's Stability is on cooldown
    • Don't be afraid to use it as a stunbreak if Virtue of Courage is on cooldown
  • Because Renewed Focus resets your virtues, you should use them during the channel time of RF if they are not on cooldown.

Overall Priorities

High

• Ranged Spike

Moderate

• Sustained damage

Low

• Single target
• CC

Specific Priorities

Damage skill priority

• Holy Strike
• Symbol of Swiftness
• Symbol of Punishment
• Wall of Reflection
• Zealot's Fire - when no projectile block present (Zealot's Flame flip skill)
• Cleansing Flame - in melee
• Sword of Justice

Detailed Explanations

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
• Don't waste Wall of Reflection to add useless DPS at range, wait until the damage can be followed up on

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
• Place Wall of Reflection closer to the enemy group than your own to reduce projectile travel time

Single Target

• Use Chains of Light to follow up on other CC 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