Firebrand - Support Firebrand

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: HealingBoon support and Crowd control

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Difficulty:
TBD
This build was last updated on February 20, 2022 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

A support Firebrand build for WvW. Provides a large amount of Stability Stability, powerful healing, cleansing and boon support.


Skill Bar

Staff
Axe/Shield
Utility


Skill Variants

  • - viable burst heal option.
  • AoE pulsing cleanse.
  • AoE ticking healing.
  • AoE ground stability


Template Code

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Specializations

Variants

  • for increased stats and healing output.

Variants

  • If running any Consecration skill


Equipment

Head
Minstrel
Shoulders
Minstrel
Chest
Minstrel
Hands
Minstrel
Legs
Minstrel
Feet
Minstrel
Backpiece
Minstrel
Accessory
Minstrel
Accessory
Minstrel
Amulet
Minstrel
Ring
Minstrel
Ring
Minstrel
Staff
Minstrel
Sigil
Sigil
Axe
Minstrel
Shield
Minstrel
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6



Equipment Variants

  • strongest boon support and defensive option with less healing


Consumables

Feast option with additional concentration


Usage

Settings

  • Under General Options / User Interface check "Always show squad health bars" and "Always show party health bars". These will make it much easier to keep track of who needs your support. "Thick squad health bars" and "Thick party health bars" are even better but are up to personal preference.
  • Under "Squad Options" uncheck "View as a grid". This will allow you to keep track of your allies' boons, conditions and health, enabling a better decision-making and skill management.


General

  • and both bring new skill sets which grant access to an extremely powerful boon support, healing and cleanses as well as unique buffs for your group. Knowing when to enter or to stow a tome, which tomes skills must be prioritized based on the situation and how to play while a tome is on cooldown are fundamental.
  • Outside of tomes usage and in between tomes usage; Staff, Mace/Axe and Shield skills along with your Mantras and utilities, coupled with various traits will provide a consistent and strong group support.
  • and make up a significant part of your group healing. Try to use your dodge rolls and Aegis Aegis skills not only just for personal defense but also when your group requires some healing. Remember, going into/out tomes and swapping weapons procs .


"Stand Your Ground!" is an immensely strong and game changing skill. Being able to deny up to five crowd control skills for ten people makes it an indispensable skill on this build.

  • This is your main and most important source of group stability. It is an opener, don't use it prior to an imminent or at the moment the engage happens, use it preemptively (like 3-4s before) since the stability from SYG has a considerable duration and you have other skills that can upkeep stability after that as well. Thus, allies won't get caught behind by CC skills like or .
  • If you are CC'ed, don't use SYG as a stunbreak unless absolutely neccessary. Use .


Tomes

  • All tomes retain their passives after activation due to , so don't hesitate to use them if your group is pressured. It's possible to switch directly from tome to tome.
  • There are 2 sources of self Quickness Quickness in the build: entering a tome and stowing a tome. Use these brief windows to land tome #4 and #5 skills faster, to recharge depleted Mantras or to .
  • Swapping out of a tome sends it on cooldown even if you didn't consume all the pages. Therefore, try to only enter a tome if you can make full use of it. Skills #4 and #5 are usually the strongest but with the longest recharge, look after using them at least twice before running out of pages whenever that's possible.


Filler tome that's low on the priority list, won't be used much unless you are out of options: need a quick CC, need to proc Superior Sigil of Energy or have to contribute with some damage.

  • Keep in mind that you will be giving free Aegis Aegis for enemies if they convert your Burning Burning from the tome skills. Therefore, try to only pull this tome when it's going to be impactful somehow, like cleaving and snowballing on the enemy group.
  • Epilogue: Ashes of the Just will be used for a group damage increase.
  • Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath use this when pushing through enemies, trading sides or cleaving.
  • Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke is the only CC on this tome, and a rather good one at that. As usual, CCs are mostly situational.
  • Chapter 1 Searing Spell spam can add some 600-range cleave, but it's somewhat unimportant in this build.
    • On spikes, pull enemies in with Chapter 3: Heated Rebuke Chapter 4: Scorched Aftermath.


Tome of Resolve brings high healing, condition cleansing, condition conversion, as well as a unique boon called Eternal Oasis for your party. As a support Firebrand you will be able to fully heal allies with only a few skills so you may sometimes need to camp the tome.

  • Epilogue: Eternal Oasis try to use this as the first and the last tome skill for the increased incoming healing effectiveness on your allies (especially useful there is another support in your party). It can also be used to nullify condition pressure when going through shade bombs or being pushed by enemies and granting boons to allies.
  • Chapter 4: Shining River is a priority skill and usually the 2nd you will use after entering the tome for continuous AoE healing. Since it is static: try to cast it on top of the zerg or a little bit ahead of your commander if he is moving.
  • Chapter 3: Azure Sun won't be used unless you need some Vigor Vigor uptime.
  • Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery is a solid skill (with low cooldown) that will be used whenever moderate condition removal is needed. It has an average priority and it works well with if Tome 2 #5 is not available. Try to hug your allies to ensure they get affected by the skill since it has a small radius.
  • Chapter 1: Desert Bloom use it as a filler heal when necessary if your group is under heavy damage pressure. Also usable due to its range to heal allies who are out of position from a safe distance. Be careful to not spam since this isn't a priority tome skill.
    • Constantly look at your party members' health and conditions. Knowing if it's better to use Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery or Epilogue: Eternal Oasis based on the amount of conditions they have, or if an ally that you can't see on your screen needs healing based on his health. For example:
    • If under heavy damage pressure: Chapter: 4: Shining River Chapter 1: Desert Bloom (x times). Epilogue: Eternal Oasis usable if you need the incoming healing modifier. Use Mantras as well if needed.
    • If under heavy condition pressure: Epilogue: Eternal Oasis Chapter 2: Radiant Recovery (if condis are still an issue) or Chapter 4: Shining River. Use Mantras as well if needed.


Tome of Courage provides a very strong boon support and great access to stability, as well a unique passive bonus for your party. This tome will likely be prioritized over Tome of Resolve unless you are the second FB in the party.

  • Epilogue: Unbroken Lines grants allies several defensive boons and extra armor through toughness, enabling a better survivability for DPS classes. Try to use as the 2nd and the last tome skill or whenever committing for a push or being heavily pressured.
  • Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand is your opener tome skill against condition pressure and one of strongest tools in the build. The Resistance Resistance makes it an extremely powerful ability to temporally nullify any non-damaging conditions in a large area, notably helpful against negative effects like Cripple Cripple, Immobilize Immobilize and Chill Chill. Use it to negate scourges' shades and red circles in a big area, also usable when pushing or retreating to ensure that allies caught behind receive the resistance pulse. Since it is static, try to cast it on top of the zerg or, if your commander is moving, a little ahead based on his movement.
  • Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark will only be used to reflect projectiles or to stack Protection Protection. Don't prioritize this skill. It can be placed on top of your blob, between zergs or into the enemy zerg to ensure any outgoing projectile gets reflected.
  • Chapter 2: Daring Challenge is a low priority tome skill. Should only be used while on melee range, when trading sides or going through the enemy zerg and to disrupt enemies trying to manually resurrect or trying to cleave your allies. Can also be used on enemies stuck inside friendly to prevent then from dodging out or escaping.
  • Chapter 1: Unflinching Charge don't spam it mindlessly, use it to fill the stability gaps from SYG. Since it has 600-range, can be used to boon support allies behind from a safe distance.
    • Always check your party' boons to be sure you are not wasting a tome page, giving a boon that is well covered or, for example, landing Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand when there's few red circles on top of your group and no conditions on your party.
    • If under heavy damage pressure: Epilogue: Unbroken Lines Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand. Use Mantras as well if needed.
    • If under heavy condition pressure: Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand Epilogue: Unbroken Lines. Use Mantras as well if needed.


Mantras

  • Position yourself a little behind to ensure your allies are being affected by your mantra skills.
  • Given enough time Mantras will recover their charges so long as at least one charge's left, so think twice before using the final charge - that's the most powerful one, but will put the Mantra on full CD.
  • You can still use Mantras while CC'ed.
  • is your healing skill. It allowd you to constantly share Aegis Aegis to your sub. Should be shared with as many allies as possible. They do not receive the initial healing, but they do gain Aegis Aegis with all its related trait benefits.
    • Aegis can be shared with downed players when you're manually reviving them in case they are being cleaved down.


  • is your on demand AoE cleansing skill. Use it whenever minor/moderate condition clear is required for you or your party. Always check if your allies have conditions on then, thus you don't waste a mantra's charge for nothing.


  • is your on demand AoE stunbreak and Stability Stability skill. Bear in mind it has a long charge time and recharge time once depleted. Will often be used whenever minor Stability Stability or a stunbreak is necessary. Recommended to use this skill (along with healing mantra) over SYG if you aren't sure if the enemy zerg is going to push, or if they are just fake pushing to burn your CDs; and when your commander is committing for small and ranged skirmishes. Can also be used as a stability filler if you don't have Tome 3 or SYG available, but is strongly discouraged. At last, will be used as a stunbreak for you and allies if you need to escape, for example, from an enemy . Stunbreaks also deny Fear Fear if you can't cleanse it.


Staff

Staff brings solid and versatile 1,200-range skills which can be used either offensively, as ground control and CC, or defensively, through Might share, healing and cleanses.

  • provides an AoE healing burst that can be used to support caught allies, trying to reposition themselves, from a safe distance. Since it's static, try to cast it based on your ally' movement.
    • Use it, preemptively, on top of your group to mitigate incoming damage. Also, if possible and opportune, try to cast it on top of combo fields, especially on light and water fields.
    • At last, can be used as an offensive skill if the supportive aspect isn't required.
  • is useful to upkeep 6th effect.
    • Constantly use it, while your group is standing (not moving), to stack Swiftness for allies. Be careful to not place it when your commander is asking to blast smoke fields, unless you want to get yelled at.
    • Can also be blasted by for minor condition clear or used as ranged forward pressure.
  • It is recommend to have "Stow Weapon" bound for using this skill properly.
    • Pay attention to "Empower" call outs. Ensuring your allies get 12 stacks of Might Might, prior to a fight, is essential to hit your enemy harder. Don't drop your current Tome to Empower allies, unless you have few pages left.
    • Empower grants a strong healing through its full channel and shouldn't only be used as a pre-buff skill. Use it during the fights whenever swapping to Staff or stowing a Tome.
    • Bear in mind this skill has a long channel time, meaning that you stand still for a considerable time. Always be ready to "Stow Weapon" to cancel it if needed.
  • negates evades frames which means enemies without Stability Stability will get knockdown anyway, even if they dodge. You can "Stow Weapon" if you notice the line won't be effective like in situations, for example, where an enemy group is fake pushing.


Axe/Shield

Use Axe/Shield for both defensive support from the shield and for offensive plays with , an AoE pull. Synergizes well with 'melee ball' playstyle.

  • use it after pulling enemies with Blazing Edge to AoE Cripple Cripple then. Can also be used to cleave downed foes and/or to share Fury Fury for your party. Useful to upkeep 6th effect.
  • combos effectively with and with , where you can pull enemies back inside of your group's ground pressure.
  • will be used to upkeep Aegis and Protection, mainly when isn't available. Use whenever pushing to give your frontline defensive boons.
  • use it to knockback enemies attempting to res/stomp. Futhermore, use it to support by either double tapping for a large burst AoE heal or channelling for projectile defense.

Videos


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 2 votes.
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5 stars
Soldier198 gave this build 5 stars • July 2023
One Firebrand per party is still mandatory due to the immense amount of defensive boons it brings in addition to tons of other utility. Stability, protection, aegis, resistance, swiftness, might stacking, CC's, ranged revive, group stunbreaks, minor healing and supplemental condition cleansing. It is an extremely effective build.
5 stars
OuterOcean gave this build 5 stars • December 2022
This is still the most important support in the game, since there is so much cc in the game. No other build has the ability to negate this much other than firebrand, even after the rework.

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