What build do you use for Open world PVE (Heart and Fire)

So I just came back to the game and decided to play a guardian. Been enjoying it a lot but I have very little experience with it. So I went meta build (GS/Sep/Torch) power build. I have the rotation down and my dps is great...but this obviously is not a fractal or raid where you have buffs/people with roles to support you ect. While doing Open world PVE stuff I find that i burst veteran and below stuff down but Champs I am getting downed. I die a lot. Im in mostly full zerker (or the davona counterpart) but i do have some vit gear and sitting at 17k HP. But with this build it's mostly melee. There is a lot of AOE fire that is being put down that just seems to stretch really far and hard to get out of (poison clouds also). So I assume I could go to a more ranged build with Bow but I don't know the in and outs of the class yet. Skills/traits/Ect ...what is a good survivable build that also isn't a chump in DPS. Not looking to take 3 times a long to win a fight then with the meta build. Anyone have a great build they use for PVE in heart...or fire. Would really appreciate it!

Thanks.

Also, is there a good website to use that is not Meta Builds for additional builds/questions?

I usually just stick with the meta build, although some small trait variations (stuff like zealous scepter or changing radiance traits) are a quick and easy way to adapt to being solo. Adapting your play style, e.g. camping scepter against mobs that are too annoying in melee range, also helps survivability a lot.

@CptAurellian.9537 said:I usually just stick with the meta build, although some small trait variations (stuff like zealous scepter or changing radiance traits) are a quick and easy way to adapt to being solo. Adapting your play style, e.g. camping scepter against mobs that are too annoying in melee range, also helps survivability a lot.

How would you change them? The traits that is. And are you full zerker gear or do you mix? Are there any soft caps I should always try to hit?

@"Vicus.5841" said:Also, is there a good website to use that is not Meta Builds for additional builds/questions?

You could check out https://snowcrows.com/builds/ They have (a small) selection of builds/guides.

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vVEQNArfRnsADFChFBDeBDkCjl7BzqC0uKU7j0TaMtqAEASXA-jxRBAB6pPwS1fMTJIAnCgrU+Rz+DP8EAAA-e my open world build

@Vicus.5841 said:

@CptAurellian.9537 said:I usually just stick with the meta build, although some small trait variations (stuff like zealous scepter or changing radiance traits) are a quick and easy way to adapt to being solo. Adapting your play style, e.g. camping scepter against mobs that are too annoying in melee range, also helps survivability a lot.

In Zeal, Fiery Wrath -> Zealous Scepter for some rather reliable might generation.In Radiance, I usually go from 3xdown to 3xmid, since I prefer to use my heal when I need it instead of firing it just for reta.

Gear is pure berserker with scholar, I'm too lazy to swap it just for open world trash encounters (yes, that includes open world legendaries). Marauder would work, too, if you want more HP, since it's a trade-off of ~8% damage for ~50% more HP (or similar numbers, don't remember the exact ones anymore).

Medi DH. Fun, fast, easy, range option if you want it. Pretty faceroll all around.

Try this out!There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons: Greatsword and LongbowEquipment Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damageTraits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)Skills Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVEQNAsdRlsAhWhY/OwQIQTEHxDldDy3ItGANQ9mTxXcGB-jxBBABnpEEr9HlfA8EAyTfwlq4EwpAoS1DAA-e

Core guard FTW! =x

Mobs in Heart of Thorn deal wayyy much heavier damage than mobs in Orr.While mobs in Path of Fire are slightly harder than the previous patches because CC and condi damage are more frequent, also much higher damage from Veteran mobs. Through the experience of my first run on PoF map, skills that break-stun and provide Stability is your best friend.Some PoF Veterans are slight overpower. Beware of Air Elemental Djinn if you use Condi build xD

@Maldevius.4681 said:

@"Vicus.5841" said:Also, is there a good website to use that is not Meta Builds for additional builds/questions?

Sorry but no ... those are builds specific to raids, but not just raids, optimized raid running. Completely garbage for OW PVE. This dude has the right idea. Fast trash kills, tagging, frequent bursting, ranged option. While I wouldn't use his build, the thinking behind it is solid OW PVE gameplay.

@"KeoLegend.5132" said:Try this out!There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons: Greatsword and LongbowEquipment Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damageTraits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)Skills Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQRArf5dnsAD97gFCBGBDEEhF9BL7C1hCRVBgk04avjOSXpA-jRTAQB+7IAAw9H2j6OWQJ4AOBAPVrAAMB5hDCwpUJYCPAAGpDINK/yjmgAAHA/GAkvhp/Nfz3fDA-e

this is what i use. i was thinking about switching out Virtue's with 3-3-2 Honor, but either works.

@"KeoLegend.5132" said:Try this out!There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons: Greatsword and LongbowEquipment Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damageTraits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)Skills Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

Great build! I was using a raid variant (GS+scepter/torch) which was fun and easy to play in open world, but I saw this thread and read through your build. I've wanted to try longbow on Guardian for a while, but never have. I'm glad I tried your build! It's SO fun!!!

Thank you so much for sharing!

Try my Tanky DPS build, core Guardian. All the bulk, pretty good damage, and the best part: 99% crit chance with 0 precision investment!

Here's how the math works: 4% base + 15% from right-hand strength + 20% from fury +50% if you have retaliation (super easy) +10% if target is burned (also doable by yourself).

Altruistic healing keeps yourself alive, but it depends on allies present (gets better for each ally you buff, between hallowed ground and symbol of blades you apply ridiculous ticks of boons, which is what altrusitic healing wants).

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVUQRAse7dlsAhihYrQwfHwPEH+D1NcThOInEV4FaDgv9OB-jBSBQBoRJIAeIAU4EAoH9DL4IAYJ1fM4+DdR5XAgDA/+7v/+7vd9v/+7v/+7v/+7vlCQQZaA-e

@Illurim.6059 said:

@"KeoLegend.5132" said:

Try this out!

There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons:

Greatsword and Longbow

Equipment

Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damage

Traits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)
  Skills
  Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

Im glad your're like me ^^Longbow Dragonhunter rocks

@"Vicus.5841" said:So I just came back to the game and decided to play a guardian. Been enjoying it a lot but I have very little experience with it. So I went meta build (GS/Sep/Torch) power build. I have the rotation down and my dps is great...but this obviously is not a fractal or raid where you have buffs/people with roles to support you ect. While doing Open world PVE stuff I find that i burst veteran and below stuff down but Champs I am getting downed. I die a lot. Im in mostly full zerker (or the davona counterpart) but i do have some vit gear and sitting at 17k HP. But with this build it's mostly melee. There is a lot of AOE fire that is being put down that just seems to stretch really far and hard to get out of (poison clouds also). So I assume I could go to a more ranged build with Bow but I don't know the in and outs of the class yet. Skills/traits/Ect ...what is a good survivable build that also isn't a chump in DPS. Not looking to take 3 times a long to win a fight then with the meta build. Anyone have a great build they use for PVE in heart...or fire. Would really appreciate it!

Thinking that it's a "mostly melee" build can get you in trouble I think... I mean, obviously in a raid you stay melee for max dps, boons, and heals, but out there in open world, you don't get THAT MUCH dps from your GS auto attack. It's perfectly fine to just camp scepter and then just jump in real quick to drop your GS 4/traps/2 burst and then evade back out again--you can even cover your burst with Shield of Courage or use Literary of Wrath (cuz nothing will be able kill you during your burst when this is active.)

That said, I always run Virtues > Zeal in open world/fractals... Mostly because of the cleanse, but you also get a lot out of Permeating Wrath since so many trash mobs are dying to reset your f1.

If you still have trouble staying alive, there's no shame in mixing in some cheap toughness/vitality gear like Soldiers/Troopers to pad your stats. You'd still do way more damage than camping longbow or using some Honor/Valor build. Plus, once you get comfortable not dying you can just swap back in your Zerker stuff and be good to go.

I've discovered that traits alone can make a guardian great for pve, just wield a greatsword/sword shieldorfocus, and run zeal 223, radience 333, and firebrand 223. Any armor/stat combo is fine the more zerker the more damage.

Hi,My guardian is only lv 11. Currently equipped greatsword and staff or sword/torch. I look forward to GS/longbow build but I've a ways to go. What skills etc do you recommend for levelling mainly via pve please?

Hi,My guardian is only lv 11. Currently equipped greatsword and staff or sword/torch. I look forward to GS/longbow build but I've a ways to go. What skills etc do you recommend for levelling mainly via solo pve focussing in particular on 1. damage, 2. survivability please?

Thanks.

So sorry for duplicate posts above. For some reason the original post didn't show and I couldn't delete either of them.

Armor, Weapons, and Trinkets: Full Grievers, except for the backpack and one accessory which are vipers.x6 Rune of Balthazar

Axe/Torch + Scepter/Torchx1 Sigil of Smolderingx1 Sigil of Bursting

Virtues: Master of Consecrations, Absolute Resolution, Permeating WrathRadiance: Right-hand Strength, Radiant Fire, Amplified WrathFirebrand: Unreleting Criticism, Legendary Lore, Loremaster

Since most of the builds come up roughly equal in DPS, I use this one for its versatility. The daze on axe is useful. The fact that it scales up damage in groups is useful. The direct damage this build does supplements the condi damage well. The mantra giving out aegis and damaging at the same time makes for a nice supplementary defense, where I can protect the group from a nasty attack if they can't dodge in time.

@"KeoLegend.5132" said:Try this out!There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons: Greatsword and LongbowEquipment Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damageTraits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)Skills Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

I know I am replying to this late but I just saw it. This is the funnest build I ever saw. Your deeds will be recorded in the Halls of Valhalla. And if we accidentally have another child, I am naming it after you; even if it is a girl!

Go full dire burn guard and facetank everything xD

@Sigilaea.4819 said:

@"KeoLegend.5132" said:

Try this out!

There's na importante tip that many ppl here forgets: What is viable in Raids is not Always viable in Open World PVE!So i invite you to try out the way i play Guardian (and feast on PvE Content)With this build you can:

• Kill trash mobs in 2 seconds
• Tag meta-events targets with no effort at all (Like Silverwastes, Dragon's Stand, Istan, etc)
• Be safe from harm when ranging
• UNMATCHED Burst damage in the window of 5 seconds, which means you can 100-0 a veteran mob while recovering over 3000 HP/sec with my build!
• Looks cool, shinny and sparkling, which is the most importante thing ;D

Weapons:

Greatsword and Longbow

Equipment

Berserkers or any other equip (like if you need vitality for example) after you get 30% base critical damage

Traits:

• Radiance: 3-3-3
• Virtues: 1-2-3
• Dragonhunter: 1-2-3 (go 1-2-2 if you want your arrows to knockback the target for even more safety)
  Skills
  Litany of Wrath, Test of Faith, Procession of Blades, Dragon's Maw

How to play?

1. Longbow: Ideal for trash mobs! Hit Spear of Justice, then True Shot. You will hit about 12k damage if you have Aegis up, which will be enough to kill a trash monster! If not just auto another shot. After you kill your Spear of Justice will REFRESH and you can do the "combo" again, over and over. Thats the basic Longbow trick
2. Greatsword: You leap (or don't) to you enemy, use Dragon's Maw, then Symbol of Wrath than the other 2 traps in quick sucession, and then do Whrilling Wrath to hit over 30k damage (try to do it as fast as possible). If you want to "invencible", make sure to tap Litany of Wrath as soon as you finish you Dragon's Maw trap! With this you can kill everything in your path very very easily!2.

Try it out and tell me what you think ;)

xDsooo.... you liked it right :D ?

@Vicus.5841 said:Also, is there a good website to use that is not Meta Builds for additional builds/questions?

Take a meta build and work from there.Or use your head, make your own build, grab a DPS meter and check if it's doing its job. If it isn't improve it, if you improve enough... You either create a new meta build, or reach the same build that's meta.