cFB rotation question

so i'm new to FB/ Guardian. i follow some metabuild and equip myself with mostly exotic condi armor(mix of condi, power, vit and precis), and some viper trinket. arm with ascended viper axe/torch and sceptor. all rune of balt for burn

basically this build. https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Firebrand_-_Solo_Firebrand

however i'm having trouble to stay alive during pve vetern mob encounter, my question is for cFB. what skill is for defense or steal life. I use to the thief build where i can constantly leech life of mobs. but for FB i'm guessing is different.

as for damage i read F1 is the main dmg + sword of justice while on quick? when F1 is down i just use axe.

Glass cannon FB(full Viper's or Sinister) is too complicated for my taste and way too squishy. I can only play it with full Trailblaizer or Dire gear. Dmg loss is maybe 15% - 20% while your survivability is increased by at least100%.

You are doing damage part right, try to reset your f1 tome on mob kills sometimes if possible, and stand on your simbols, place them on yourself and enemy if possible. For defence, you have skill 4 and 5 of your tome f3, and the whole f2 tome (usually I go f2 5 4 111). As sifu said there are some more defensive variants like trabilizer gear, which can be handy in open world. Last thing is: firebrand has problems with CC, I sometimes use the CC consumables to deal with the breakbar of the big mobs, maybe not the most convinient option but it works very well.

If you have trouble with mantras and tomes to stay alive, just don't take mantra/quickness. Take a strong heal + Renewed focus.Something like this http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PWgAc+lJwQYYsK2IOgKQveA-e

@Sifu.9745 said:Glass cannon FB(full Viper's or Sinister) is too complicated for my taste and way too squishy. I can only play it with full Trailblaizer or Dire gear. Dmg loss is maybe 15% - 20% while your survivability is increased by at least100%.

Yeah it can be pretty damn hard to live on glass FB