Best build for Power Herald in WvW zergs

I'm mainly looking at Hammer Backline build on MetaBattle, which is considered meta, and this Frontline Sustain build, which is rated great but not meta.

Now I know what meta means - yes it's considered meta by MetaBattle's curators, but I still want some input on this. I'm mainly conflicted between Jalis and Glint (and consequently Devastation and Retribution) - personal damage/utility vs. group support and sustain, and the gear choices - zerker/marauder with power runes or marauder and a bit of soldiers with Durability runes. I've played as a backline rev before, but I felt really selfish and want to bring more to the group - I just don't know if it's worth doing that over just focusing on DPS. What do you guys think?

its listed as meta so idk what you mean.

if you are playing with friends I would go jalis with the exception if you lack a glass thief/mesmer/ranger. need shiro for getting those pesky kills that like to teleport away.if you are playing with pugs that are garbage, shiro because no amount of support is really going to help them.

I just run my own Frankenstein build for WvW because I didn't like those builds. It works well in both groups and solo. It looks like this:

Invocation: Cleansing Channel, Incensed Response, Rolling MistRetribution: Planar Protection, Retaliatory Protection/Eye for an Eye (when solo), Vicious ReprisalHerald: Rising Momentum, Shared Empowerment, Draconic Echo/Forceful Persistence (when solo)

Gear: Berserker/Maurader Mix. It's basically my fractal gear, except I use it in WvW.Weapons: Hammer, Sword + Sword.Utilities: Shiro + Glint.Food: Fried Oyster Sandwich

The reasons for those are the following:

Invocation: This trait line is a necessity for PVP. Fury is excellent, and with the maurader + berserker mix you get near 100% crit chance. Also, this trait line adds a much needed stun break that doesn't cost any energy. Cleansing Channel is obvious, since this build lacks condi cleanse. Incensed response allows you to self cap at 25 might while in a fight, which is good in both zergs and roaming. Rolling Mists is for the damage increase.

Retribution: This is the controversial part. A lot of builds will take Devastation, but Devastation only gives marginal boosts. Retribution has traits that can swing battles single-handedly. All of the stability and defense it gives are necessary for a glassy gearset. Planar Protection is an incredibly powerful skill that lets you win ranged engagements easily, while also weakening meleers. Also you can pop it to squeeze by zergs or even rez players. The next two I change around depending on what I'm doing. If I'm alone or in a small group, Eye for an Eye is the trait I choose. Being glass means I'm weakest against other glass, and the ability to interrupt a fatal burst is a life saver. In a group, Retaliatory Protection is better, because Retaliation is OP in WvW zergs. The final trait Vicious Reprisal is best taken with the Defense Against Guards ability maxed out, giving you a whole lot of retaliation, and a whole lot of might. You can take Versed in Stone if you don't have that ability yet.

Herald: Pretty self explanatory. The boons it gives are great. The minor tier is whatever you feel like, and Shared Empowerment is a no-brainer. Draconic Echo is good if you're running with a group, but solo you'll ant the extra damage from Forceful Persistence.

Shiro: Shiro seems counter-intuitive at first. But, let me explain why I use it: mobility. Jalis can clean all of the condis it wants, but without the ability to finish a foe or escape a bad situation it doesn't mean much. But Shiro... Shiro is mobile. Phase Traversal is an excellent skill. You can use it to chase down fleeing foes with ease, locking them down with unblockable Deathstrikes and Shackling Waves. The quickness isn't too shabby, either, in case you need to burst to kill someone in an engagement. Riposting Shadows is a good escape skill, getting you out of a bad place pretty darn quick. If you need to move, I like to go dodge -> Rip -> dodge -> Rip to cover a lot of distance in a short time. Impossible Odds is just meh, but its an option. If you have Forceful Persistance, you'll want to use Impossible Odds whenever... possible. If your zerg is on the push or you're fighting an enemy that stealths a lot, Jade Winds can seal their fate. That AoE 3 second stun is immense, and against a squishy deadeye or weaver it is all you need.

Hammer: Obvious one.

Sword/Sword: I know a lot of people use staff, but as a glass build you'll want to deal a lot of damage, fast. The best defense is a good offense after all, and Staff is mostly used to run away from fights on the backline builds. Sword is good at sticking to enemies. More importantly, sword is good at disabling conditions. It outputs chill, immobilize, and slow, giving you the advantage in a scrap. Deathstrike can also jump to enemies out of range, so it can be spammed as a secondary chase skill along with Phase Traversal.

Fried Oyster Sandwich: I find any of the -10% damage foods to be good.

Overall, the build's weaknesses are Mesmers and Spellbreakers. Those are the only two classes that give me any problems. Mesmers are their usual insufferable selves, and either Chrono-Phantasms or Condi mirages will probably be the death of you. Their clones disrupt a lot of the sword attacks, which scale poorly with multiple enemies. Spellbreakers pose a problem because they win the auto attack war: in an all out scrap, Warriors are winning by default, and they are one of the few classes who's combined bulk, damage, and mobility outclasses ours. Warriors can also chain more invulnerability skills than us, forcing our energy to deplete and rendering us helpless. A third minor weakness is that, even with Shiro, you can still get caught and killed by enemy zergs. It is more mobile, but not that much more mobile.

You stand a good chance of killing every other class with this build.

@Blood Red Arachnid.2493 said:You stand a good chance of killing every other class with this build.

I think you mean in a zerg? 'Cause without staff there's probably no way you have enough defensive utility when you're alone - hammer is really clunky in solo situations unless you're facing a very bad player. Also I've never had much trouble with Spellbreakers on a sword+sword/staff Power Herald.

Also what's your role in a zerg? I would imagine with such gears and build you're more backline-oriented?

@idolin.2831 said:

@Blood Red Arachnid.2493 said:You stand a good chance of killing every other class with this build.

Nope. I mean 1 on 1. I stomp all day every day, and I'm not even that good at PVP. This works for several reasons:

1. The rev is naturally bulky. High armor, good health. I sit at anywhere from 21k to 23k health, in spite of being nearly full glass. This is with Marauder Trinkets, too. This means that, when compared to something like a full glass cannon thief, I have more than twice the fortitude.
2. This build comes with a lot of good defensive boons and traits. -15% Determined Resolution, -10% Fried Oyster Sandwhich, -33% Protection (multiple sources), Retaliation (multiple sources), and -25% Weakness (multiple sources). Throw all of that together at once and there will be moments where you're only taking 37% of incoming direct damage.
3. A lot of players are running around in defensive gear, for fear that they'll be burst down by builds like this. The contrast to running around in defensive gear is that they hit like wet noodles, so they actually pose little threat to you.
4. Fights against condi builds don't last long enough for condis to tick up. The only exception to this is condi Mirage.
5. Landing the ambush gives you massive starting advantage, and sometimes win the fight immediately. Sword 5 and Hammer 2 do immense damage.
6. This build has good projectile hate. Two independent sources of destruction.

Most zergs I am in are disorganized clumps of players, so my role is wherever I end up. I'm pretty high aggro, so I find myself on the front line with the hammer, dropping Unyielding Anguish whenever I can. But for a more organized group, this build can backline well. Camp hammer for ranged damage, camp facets for boon support, etc.