Difference between revisions of "Willbender - Condi DPS"

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==Overview==
 
==Overview==
A condition DPS build for Willbender.
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A condition DPS build for Willbender. Willbender is exceptionally bursty for a condition build, and focuses on rapid strikes to build up stacks of {{tooltip|Burning}}. It has easier access to mobility and CC than other guardian specialisations, and while it has powerful personal defensive abilities it can end up trading a significant amount of damage if they are used at the wrong time. Condi Willbender's biggest weakness is that [[Build:Firebrand_-_Condi_DPS|Firebrand]] exists.
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Revision as of 04:39, 8 May 2022

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: Condition damage

Designed for: Raids and Fractals

Difficulty:
TBD
This build was last updated on May 08, 2022 and is up to date for the February 27, 2024 patch.

Overview

A condition DPS build for Willbender. Willbender is exceptionally bursty for a condition build, and focuses on rapid strikes to build up stacks of Burning Burning. It has easier access to mobility and CC than other guardian specialisations, and while it has powerful personal defensive abilities it can end up trading a significant amount of damage if they are used at the wrong time. Condi Willbender's biggest weakness is that Firebrand exists.


Skill Bar

Scepter/Torch
Sword/Torch
Utility


Weapon Variants

Greatsword can replace the sword set. The two options have practically identical DPS so you can choose based on preference or requirement. Sword offers some group Fury Fury and a teleport, Greatsword offers a leap and pulls.

You could replace the Scepter set with Greatsword if you want both Sword and Greatsword, but it would be a DPS loss.


Skill Variants

  • Bring if you need CC.


Template Code

[&DQEQGi4XQSUmDyYP2BpGAUwBTAExATEBiRKJEgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]
Copy Template Code


Specializations


Equipment

Head
Grieving
Shoulders
Grieving
Chest
Grieving
Hands
Grieving
Legs
Grieving
Feet
Grieving
Backpiece
Grieving
Accessory
Viper
Accessory
Viper
Amulet
Viper
Ring
Viper
Ring
Grieving
Scepter
Grieving
Torch
Grieving
Sigil
Sigil
Sword
Grieving
Sigil
Rune
x6
Infusion
x18
  • is almost identical damage, and will deal slightly more if you are using Greatsword.
  • You could use the same gear as DPS Firebrand for a minor DPS loss.


Consumables

Food:


Utility:


Usage

Sword Rotation

Opener

You can precast and to start with stacks of , but skip this if you think you will need them for defence. Start on Sword.

  1. Active , but don't throw yet
  2. - be careful not to interrupt the cast of !
  3. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  4. x2
  5. until is off cooldown
  6. and until Weapon Swap Weapon Swap is available
  7. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap

After this, the rotation is mostly priority based, but there are a few ways to structure each section:


Sword Loop

The basic sword loop opens with:

  1. Follow priority list (below) until is available
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Alternate Sword Loop

You can instead structure the sword loop as follows:

  1. Follow priority list until is available
  2. Follow priority list until is available
  3. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap

This loop is slightly lower damage in general, but if used for the first two loops it causes cooldowns to line up slightly better, resulting in slightly higher DPS. Just following the basic sword loop is completely fine though.


Scepter Loop

The scepter loop is very simple:

  1. Follow priority list until Weapon Swap Weapon Swap is available
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Priority List

  1. Skills specified in weapon loops above
  2. - should be activated as soon as it is available as this starts the cooldown, you then have three seconds to throw so it can be delayed but don't miss the window
  3. - This is a 4x whirl finisher, so it can be delayed up to ~three seconds if it will guarantee to combo with
  4. , and - when not specified in the weapon loops above, it is important to use these skills but as long as they don't delay your Weapon Swap Weapon Swaps it isn't too important when
  5. - This is higher priority than autoattacks, but as it has a long cast time it is important not to have to delay more important skills too much, and the burning is only applied at the end of the skill


Video example


Greatsword Rotation

Opener

You can precast and to start with stacks of , but skip this if you think you will need them for defence. Start on Greatsword.

  1. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap
  2. - you need to be fast or you might miss the window to throw this
  3. until is available
  4. , but don't throw yet
  5. until gains a second charge
  6. x2
  7. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap

After this, the rotation is mostly priority based, but each section follows the same structure:


Greatsword Loop

  1. Follow priority list until is available
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Scepter Loop

Provided you are fast enough, will have triggered towards the end of the Greatsword Loop so will be immediately available

  1. Follow priority list until Weapon Swap Weapon Swap is available
  2. Weapon Swap Weapon Swap


Priority List

  1. Skills specified in weapon loops above
  2. - should be activated as soon as it is available as this starts the cooldown, you then have three seconds to throw so it can be delayed but don't miss the window
  3. - This is a 4x whirl finisher, so it can be delayed up to ~three seconds if it will guarantee to combo with
  4. - when not specified in the weapon loop above, it is important to use this skill but as long as it doesn't delay your Weapon Swap Weapon Swaps it isn't too important when
  5. - If will come off cooldown in the next ~two seconds, then delay this until afterwards


Video example


General Tips

  • and offer powerful defensive abilities, but they also overwrite your buff, so using them is a large damage loss if you are not able to immediately use again afterwards.
  • On Greatsword, both and gain extra damage if used inside an enemy's hitbox.


Sword or Greatsword?

Both rotations have very similar benchmarks, so feel free to play whichever you enjoy most. There are a few elements to consider in terms of usability though:

  • The greatsword rotation is much more structured, which may make it easier to learn.
  • On the other hand, as you are locked out of torch when using Greatsword, it is much easier to miss uses of if you are disrupted or slow.
  • Both weapons have a mobility skill, but the teleport from is more versatile and can be used for a variety of skips in fractals.
  • offer projectile destruction, but it can be difficult to use it effectively without sacrificing DPS.
  • greatly rewards standing inside the hitbox, which means Greatsword is less effective on bosses where this is difficult or dangerous.
  • and means that Greatsword has slightly more available CC than Sword.


Ratings

This build has a rating of 4 stars based on 3 votes.
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3 stars
OfficerAndyGentleman gave this build 3 stars • May 2023
By no means a bad build, and probably the burstiest condi build around (if you discount venom precasts etc). Being able to freely use F2 and F3 gives it a lot of active defense too.
5 stars
Haole gave this build 5 stars • March 2023
I run 100% Burning Duration from stats and Sword/Torch. Since the February 2023 update Condi Willbender is easy, fun, and high damage with a good skill cap to squeeze out damage. Willbender in terms of rotation plays much like a Dragonhunter. While learning the build just focus on landing 1 weapon set of choice and big hitting skills during F1. Virtues (F1-F3) now stack making the build very aggressive. Using F3 to stay on boss during an AOE doesn’t decrease damage or override your F1 anymore. F2 to keep up stack of Tempo if the boss moves and sword 2 to catch them. It’s very satisfying and damage output even while missing a perfect rotation is high. Willbender brought me back into playing Guardian and dusting off Dragonhunter for fun.
5 stars
Neage gave this build 5 stars • March 2022
Have ran both with great sword and 1h sword and both does great dps, rotation is easy enough and is alot of fun to play. I have found myself keeping pace if not outpacing other known meta condi builds with minimum effort.

Comments

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