Herald - Power DPS

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Strike damage, Boon support and Utility

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on July 04, 2022 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A power DPS build for Herald. One of the very first raid DPS builds in the Heart of Thorns era, this build has now returned to viability. Its ability to provide good sustained damage, very good CC and Vulnerability, while supporting your whole squad with a variety of boons, life-siphon and extra boon duration makes Power Herald an extremely helpful addition for every encounter.

While not being the best choice in most encounters, this build is easy to play and is able to sustain itself very well, making it a good build for beginners.

Skill Bar

Sword/Sword

Staff

Utility

Utility

Template Code

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Specializations

Specialization Variants

• Use Incensed Response if your other supports are unable to keep your might uptime capped.
• Use Rapid Flow if you have another party member providing protection.
• Consider using Draconic Echo instead of Forceful Persistence if your party is desperate for extra might and fury generation. Making this change will significantly reduce your personal damage output but is better for the group if there are no better sources of boons.
• Use Core Value if extra boon removal is needed.

Equipment

Head
Berserker

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Assassin

Hands
Berserker

Legs
Berserker

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Assassin

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Sword
Berserker

Sword
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Staff
Berserker

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Equipment Variants

• Rune of Superior Rune of Strength can be used if extra might generation is required.
• You can swap the Sigil of Superior Sigil of Air for a Sigil of Superior Sigil of Impact if playing an encounter where the boss can be Stunned.

Consumables

Food:

• Recommended Budget-Food: or

Utility:

Usage

• You will spend most of the time in Sword/Sword as it is by far your strongest damaging weapon set.
• Try to maintain Facet of Nature as long as possible.
• In the order that you should use them, CC-Skills are: Chaotic Release, Surge of the Mists and Jade Winds.
  • Jade Winds should only be used as a last resort as the large energy cost will heavily impact your ability to do damage.
• Facet of Nature(Assassin Stance) and Dance of Death provide a powerful lifesteal effect, allowing you to heal through situations with high incoming damage without losing DPS.

Rotation

Opening

Start on Sword/Sword and Legendary Dragon Stance with Facet of Nature active.

1. Activate Facet of Strength + Facet of Elements + Facet of Darkness
2. Shackling Wave
3. Deathstrike
4. Chilling Isolation
5. Burst of Strength + Elemental Blast + Gaze of Darkness
6. Legendary Assassin Stance

Loop

1. Impossible Odds
2. Auto attack until Chilling Isolation is available
3. Chilling Isolation
4. Auto attack until Chilling Isolation is available
5. Chilling Isolation
6. Legendary Dragon Stance
7. Activate Facet of Strength, Facet of Elements and Facet of Darkness
8. Burst of Strength + Elemental Blast
9. Activate Facet of Chaos
10. Shackling Wave
11. Deathstrike
12. Chilling Isolation
13. Auto attack until you have about 10% energy left
14. Chaotic Release
15. Activate Facet of Strength and Facet of Elements when both are available
16. Burst of Strength + Elemental Blast + Gaze of Darkness
17. Legendary Assassin Stance
18. Repeat from step 1

Notes

• Try to not interrupt your auto-attack chain - much of the damage from it is loaded onto the final strike.
• Only swap to staff if breakbar contribution is needed - staff has no strong damaging skills so swapping to it is a major damage loss.
• Facet of Nature should always be maintained, so make sure to swap legends before your energy drains completely.
  • If boon strip is required, you can activate it while in Assassin stance for the boon strip from True Nature (Assassin).