Pros and Cons of Firebrand

I have basically been using Dragon Hunter because I just find it fun. But I'm thinking about seeing what Firebrand is about (after all, I did complete the Expurgation achievement). So what are the strengths and weaknesses of Firebrand? What kind of game play am I looking at doing?

Pros- Mantras are fun and versatile. They are instant cast (once chraged) and give you access to things Guard usually doesn't, like quickness or spammable Aegis. Tomes are great for AOE bombs (either DPS or Support), pure healer build finally an option.

Cons- Having to charge mantras, tomes take a lot of getting used to (lots of new abilities). Mantras should NEVER be used for their final charge - I don't know why that's even part of the mechanic at this point, atm it's just a punishment for messing up. Trait synergies work best with condi which limits build versatility unless you are willing to give them up (IMO is worth it, Harrier healer is boss).

I don't think that 'never use your final charge' is entirely true, although you're generally better off refraining from doing so. The third charge is more potent than the others (generally speaking, double the effect in exchange for double the time before you can do it again), and if you can use it to quickly finish a fight then the recharge doesn't matter, and if using the third charge means you're still up, having to do without the skill until you can charge it again is generally still better than being downed.

It depends on what you want to play with your guardian. If you wanna play as power dps, then I wouldn't recommend it.For anything other its great.

Mantras are versatile and you can really complement your party composition. You can be great support/healer or a great condi class. I personally play as healer/support and find it really satisfying. I use Mace/shield + Staff combination and pick Mantra of Lore or Mantra of Potence depending on party composition.I mean, with FB you can essentially have regeneration, aegis, quickness and stability on demand with decent might and protection generation.Another great aspect is condi cleanse. You have great condi cleanse because of mantra, tome and staff

Main "con" that I would say is that its probably more "micro management" play style because of tomes and mantras design. You also need to be much more aware of your positioning because of how mace, shield and mantras work. Overall, compared to core guard or DH i would say that FB maybe takes a bit more skill and awerness to play efficiently.

Note, if you are playing support/healer FB in PvP you are much more dependant on other players performing well. This game is very much tipped towards dps and fast removal of players in PvP so poorly utilized healer is actually a liability. You would be surprised how often players play as if they really don't want support that FB can provide in PvP.

DPS is King

DPS is not the shining aspect of firebrand

I think FB is most amenable to an all-around spec: jack of all trades, master of none. Using a mix of Marshal/Celestial/Divinity, I'm pretty good at power, burning, healing, support. But the flip side is that I'm not great at any single one of them. It's fun for events, and its quite satisfying to AOE melt groups of mobs in fire. I don't use mantras - too much of a PITA for the benefits. With the tomes, you are mostly a melee-range AOE machine. Its fun, but often require a bit of movement to stay out of trouble while laying down the fire or healing or support. The reworked staff has been great for adding some 1200 range attack.

I enjoy it quite a bit.

Edit: I play around with traits quite a bit, but this is what I run for gear & skills:http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQNArfWl0AhmhY5QwbIQTEL+DWWSoCtDsCAVg60+FtjOSB-jRiAQBOVfAaU6FtTAQ/OEAYV9nzqMYG7PAgnAQSVCSIgFLAA-e

Has anyone tried playing a meditation Firebrand with carrion/celestial stats? Valor, Radiance, Firebrand trait lines. FB works well with condi and the radiance line will provide the precision for the power damage? im wondering if that would be good for roaming on in WvW.