Virtuoso - 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: Strike damage

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Difficulty:
TBD
This build was last updated on May 09, 2022 and is up to date for the March 19, 2024 patch.

Overview

A power DPS build for Virtuoso.


Skill Bar

Dagger/Sword
Greatsword
Utility


Weapon Variants

  • Taking Sword/Focus instead of Greatsword will be higher sustained DPS against solo targets.


Skill Variants

  • Phantasmal Disenchanter is your lowest damage ability, so it can be swapped out for other utilities as desired.


Template Code

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Specializations

  • Use Empowered Illusions when not running Greatsword.
  • If you're not able to start phases with five blades, Infinite Forge may be more useful.


Equipment

Head
Assassin
Shoulders
Assassin
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Assassin
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Assassin
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Dagger
Berserker
Sword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Greatsword
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18


Consumables

Food:

  • or ascended versions


Utility:


Usage

Greatsword Rotation

Opener

Try to start with five blades stocked and begin on Greatsword. The dagger section of the opener is broadly the same as the Dagger/Sword loop below.

  1. Phantasmal Berserker
  2. Bladesong Harmony
  3. Thousand Cuts and Mantra of Pain once you have the Deadly Blades buff from Bladesong Harmony - both are instant cast and can be used during other skills
  4. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  5. Bladecall
  6. Phantasmal Swordsman
  7. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  8. Unstable Bladestorm
  9. Signet of the Ether
  10. Phantasmal Swordsman
  11. Bladesong Sorrow - make sure you're at five blades
  12. Bladecall
  13. Rain of Swords
  14. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  15. Mantra of Pain
  16. Flying Cutter and Mantra of Pain until Bladesong Harmony is ready - Mantra of Pain should come off cooldown when you still have the deadly Deadly Blades buff, but before you start losing stacks of Fencer's Finesse
  17. Bladesong Harmony
  18. Bladecall
  19. Flying Cutter until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  20. Unstable Bladestorm
  21. Bladesong Dissonance - this is mostly to maintain Deadly Blades, so skip if you think you'll need the CC
  22. Phantasmal Swordsman
  23. Bladecall
  24. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Greatsword Loop

Each Greatsword Loop is opened and closed with Phantasmal Berserker and Mirror Blade, using other skills off cooldown in between.

  1. Phantasmal Berserker
  2. Mirror Blade
  3. Mind Stab
  4. Bladesong Harmony - this won't be available on the first loop after the opener, so just use it as soon as it comes off cooldown
  5. Spatial Surge until Mirror Blade is available
  6. Mirror Blade
  7. Spatial Surge and Phantasmal Disenchanter until Mind Stab is off cooldown - use Phantasmal Disenchanter as soon as it is ready
  8. Mind Stab
  9. Phantasmal Berserker
  10. Mirror Blade
  11. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Sword Loop

Steps 1-5 of the Dagger/Sword loop are important to get in the correct order to avoid delaying the swap back to Greatsword, you also need to be sure to use Bladecall off cooldown so that you can fit 4 of them in. If you reach step 15 and Bladecall is still on cooldown, just skip that step and weapon swap.

  1. Bladecall
  2. Phantasmal Swordsman
  3. Unstable Bladestorm
  4. Signet of the Ether
  5. Phantasmal Swordsman
  6. Bladesong Harmony
  7. Bladecall
  8. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  9. Flying Cutter until you have five blades stocked
  10. Bladesong Sorrow
  11. Bladecall
  12. Flying Cutter until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  13. Unstable Bladestorm
  14. Phantasmal Swordsman
  15. Bladecall
  16. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  17. Return to start of Greatsword Loop


Video example


Sword/Focus Rotation

Opener

Try to start with five blades stocked and begin on Sword/Focus. The dagger section of the opener is broadly the same as the Dagger/Sword loop below.

  1. Phantasmal Warden
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  3. Bladesong Harmony
  4. Thousand Cuts and Mantra of Pain once you have the Deadly Blades buff from Bladesong Harmony - both are instant cast and can be used during other skills
  5. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  6. Bladecall
  7. Phantasmal Swordsman
  8. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  9. Unstable Bladestorm
  10. Signet of the Ether
  11. Phantasmal Swordsman
  12. Bladesong Sorrow - make sure you're at five blades
  13. Bladecall
  14. Rain of Swords
  15. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  16. Mantra of Pain
  17. Flying Cutter and Mantra of Pain until Bladesong Harmony is ready - Mantra of Pain should come off cooldown when you still have the deadly Deadly Blades buff, but before you start losing stacks of Fencer's Finesse
  18. Bladesong Harmony
  19. Bladecall
  20. Flying Cutter until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  21. Unstable Bladestorm
  22. Bladesong Dissonance - this is mostly to maintain Deadly Blades, so skip if you think you'll need the CC
  23. Phantasmal Swordsman
  24. Bladecall
  25. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Sword/Focus Loop

The Sword/Focus loop is very simple, just be sure to use Blurred Frenzy early and weapon swap immediately after using it a second time.

  1. Phantasmal Warden
  2. Blurred Frenzy
  3. Autoattack until Bladesong Harmony is off cooldown
  4. Bladesong Harmony
  5. Autoattack until Phantasmal Disenchanter is off cooldown
  6. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  7. Blurred Frenzy
  8. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Dagger/Sword Loop

Steps 1-5 of the Dagger/Sword loop are important to get in the correct order to avoid delaying the swap back to Sword/Focus, you also need to be sure to use Bladecall off cooldown so that you can fit 4 of them in. If you reach step 15 and Bladecall is still on cooldown, just skip that step and weapon swap.

  1. Bladecall
  2. Phantasmal Swordsman
  3. Unstable Bladestorm
  4. Signet of the Ether
  5. Phantasmal Swordsman
  6. Bladesong Harmony
  7. Bladecall
  8. Phantasmal Disenchanter
  9. Flying Cutter until you have five blades stocked
  10. Bladesong Sorrow
  11. Bladecall
  12. Flying Cutter until Unstable Bladestorm is off cooldown
  13. Unstable Bladestorm
  14. Phantasmal Swordsman
  15. Bladecall
  16. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  17. Return to start of Sword/Focus Loop


Video example


General Tips

  • Use Rain of Swords and Thousand Cuts off cooldown
  • Make sure Mantra of Pain doesn't reach maximum charges - ideally while under the effects of both Deadly Blades and Fencer's Finesse
  • Bladesong Dissonance can be used to provide higher uptime of Deadly Blades, but make sure not to use up your stock of blades just before you want to use Bladesong Harmony or Bladesong Sorrow
Retrieved from "https://metabattle.com/wiki/index.php?title=Build:Virtuoso_-_Power_DPS&oldid=5001"


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 3 votes.
Log in or register to rate this build.
4 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 4 stars • May 2023
Fully ranged, good burst and sustained damage, decent CC and boonrip for free, and decent active defence as well. Sadly, other builds have been steadily buffed, leaving it left behind somewhat.
5 stars
Warming Hearth gave this build 5 stars • August 2022
Great burst, great sustained damage, and the rotation is more forgiving than that of power chronomancer while doing higher sustained dps.
5 stars
Hxppy gave this build 5 stars • June 2022
very nice build, I love the burst of power dps and the utility of mesmers I wouldn't swap out the disenchanter though since i should be important for blade upkeep with Sharper Images. According to discretize you lose Mantra of Pain for utility skills also the rotation on discretize is way easier to learn and is easier to adapt to mechanics

Comments

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