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Basic thoughts on Axes and Specialization.... discuss your experiences


Blakhart.5024

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Hi All.

Just wanting a basic discussion around Axes. I started playing Warrior about 5 months ago and I have played primarily with Axe/Axe that entire time after trying out all the weapons., even before the latest patch which increased their damage. I do realize GS can do more damage with the correct build - but frankly i enjoy dual-wield and Axe more.

I have been trying to find the "best" axe build for producing damage whilst not being a glass cannon in PvE as well as an alternate beefier/tankier build for dungeons. I'd love to hear other peoples' experiences.

For this initial discussion im not really discussing gear so much as the Traits and Specializations. I think its fairly obvious which gears are more DPS oriented and which are more "Tanky" but what really matters is the specials you go with.

Basically ive found 3 main builds that I find reasonable.

Def/Arms/Disc has been my primary spec for months. Defense still has Cull the Weak and Armored attack to push out a bit more damage if things like Defy Pain and Dogged March arent required at the time. Arms gives Dual Wielding for added 20% speed and you pick up Bloodlust, Rending Strikes and Furious Burst which just help out the damage element. In Discipline you get Warrior SPrint for speed and Axe Mastery.

[Axe Mastery vs Heightened Focus. I used to use Heightened Focus along with a Sigil of Rage on one axe and this seemed to provide a LOT of attack speed, especially with Arms. However I did quite a few DPS tests and it seems that axe mastery just edges out the above - but id love to hear other thoughts on this.]

Str/Disc/Arms - Ive been trying this one out lately and feel it shells out more damage with Berserker's Power. I also find it easier to keep Berserker's Power readily going than trying to keep Berserk going with Berserker Specialization. If you can keep rolling a bit you also get another +10% damage for not having full endurance. Again this big draw on this one is a fairly consistent +21% damage boost.

Disc/Arms/Berserker - After many DPS tests on static target dummies this spec appears to edge out any of the others I have tried. The inherent benefits are obviously FURY, Quickness upon activation and the built-in 15% attack speed while in berserk. Usually running it with Smash Brawler, Blood Reaction and Eternal Champion. The trade offs, however, seem to be less survivability and because you are using Axe/Axe you miss out on most of the condition damage benefits Berserker has to offer. Ive also been having a hard time building around what works best with Berserker - I find the burning traits arent great unless youre using multiple RAGE skills and because youre not using a torch with it.

I tried Str/Berserker/Disc and believe this could pull in more damage than the other builds and mitigate some survivability by not having Defense - but I just cant seem to get away from the attack speed bonus in Arms.

part of my issue has been testing on Dummies doesnt give you a sense of whats actually going to happen on MOB's. They dont test conditions, crits, etc..

I know this has been fairly basic and I havnt crunched numbers - but Im interested in hearing your thoughts on Axe/Axe builds. Anyone?

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If I had to answer, I'd say that the feel of the Axe/Axe build is good and what hurt it the most is mainly (and ironicaly) the burst skill that feel "slow" on a weapon set which is, otherwise, pretty "quick". How should I say?... It doesn't flow "smoothly". That would be my main complain on it. (and yes I usually use the Str/arm/disc when I am solo, in group, assuming 100% quickness uptime, arm lose quite a bit of usefulness, yet other core traitline/trait in arm don't cover this "loss")

I would personnally change Burst precision to grant 30-40-50% crit chance for 15 second after a burst skill to improve the attractiveness of the line to power builds in group content. I would also make the axe burst more "reactive" in PvE, thought it's been slowed for PvP so it should remain "slow" in PvP/WvW.

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I have been playing the same he general builds:str, arms, disc for max DPSArms, tact, disc PSArms vs strength, def, disc mixed defensive.

The build i am currently playing with is arms, defense, disc. I have been using axe mace + mace axe with it. Arms wit signets for stacking ferocity, 2, 2, 3. Defense 2, 3, 2, disc 2, 3, 1.With so much ferocity with axes, I have been mixing in captains/knights to help me stay in melee and keep time on target high. Cleaving o. F1Sucks on axe, and I've found autos 3rd strike feels better.

I know we just got a ton of buffs to axe but would love to see f1 cleave 3 targets.

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Thanks for the comments. I had forgotten about the Signet of Ferocity stacking in Arms but yea that's definitely helpful combined with Axe Mastery.

I tried running around with Str/Disc/Arms today with a DPS parser running out in Open World PvE and just found it to really shell out the damage. But again without the Defense in the build any time I ran into larger packs or Champs I had to ditch Str for Def.

I tried out Def/Str/Disc again today as well but its just too slow. You see the hits are harder than in a Def/Disc/Arms build but it comes in slower and its not as easy to keep the 21% bonus from Berserkers Power running.

Dadnir - Great callout on arms being less useful in group play if theres a lot of quickness around - something to consider.

Anyone else? Anyone been running with Berserker and axes?

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@Opopanax.1803 said:

The build i am currently playing with is arms, defense, disc. I have been using axe mace + mace axe with it. Arms wit signets for stacking ferocity, 2, 2, 3. Defense 2, 3, 2, disc 2, 3, 1.With so much ferocity with axes, I have been mixing in captains/knights to help me stay in melee and keep time on target high. Cleaving o. F1Sucks on axe, and I've found autos 3rd strike feels better.

just out of curiosity why Axe/Mace instead of Axe Axe?

Do you not find the Quickness from Dual Strike or the Group-melting ability of Whirlwind useful? or is it because you find the mace 4/5 skills just alla round useful for CC

I use Mace/Shield OH for CC myself - was just wondering why you didn't dual axe wield.

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Buff evicerate please, and evern more buff decapitate(and also all the berserker spesialization burts). The risk is no longer worth the reward. You are better off using the greatsword burst, cause it damages several people for almost the same damage. The rest of the axe is fine. But due to the lack of mobility it needs a damage increase to evicerate

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@Blakhart.5024 said:

@Opopanax.1803 said:

The build i am currently playing with is arms, defense, disc. I have been using axe mace + mace axe with it. Arms wit signets for stacking ferocity, 2, 2, 3. Defense 2, 3, 2, disc 2, 3, 1.With so much ferocity with axes, I have been mixing in captains/knights to help me stay in melee and keep time on target high. Cleaving o. F1Sucks on axe, and I've found autos 3rd strike feels better.

just out of curiosity why Axe/Mace instead of Axe Axe?

Do you not find the Quickness from Dual Strike or the Group-melting ability of Whirlwind useful? or is it because you find the mace 4/5 skills just alla round useful for CC

I use Mace/Shield OH for CC myself - was just wondering why you didn't dual axe wield.

I do, I just use it on the swap. It forces me to swap on the 5sec cd better. I also play with GS and hammer as well. I have mostly been mixing in maces in for more of the stun and interrupt plus fast vulnerability stacking. I have been running maces more when I swap in Defense and trait for them and have a bit more defense via stuns. Oh, and mixing axes in both sets keeps the ferocity bonus for both weapon swaps.

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  • 5 months later...

Not sure if you’ll get notified or see this as first time posting on here but was curious if you ever perfected your Axe/Axe Disc/Arms/Berserker build and if you could share the traits?

I love axe/axe with disc/arms but struggle on what to use last. I keep swapping between strength and defense but thought berserker looked interesting even though I read there were nerfs and meant more for condi

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