Please help me understand boons and the up-time which is currently meta for every game mode

Hello all,

To pre-filter out unnecessary information:This is more for boon-share rather than self generated 'selfish boons' and the game modes most plausible to have boon-share occurring

The game modes I am referring to are:

1. PvE open world meta-events
2. PvE instanced group content (Raids/Fractals)
3. PvP
4. WvW Zerging

And the boons are:

1. 25 might
2. Fury
3. Protection
4. Regeneration
5. Quickness
6. Alacrity
7. Stability
8. Vigor
9. Resistance
10. Retaliation

Omitted are Aegis and Swiftness since those are either almost immediately stripped (Aegis) or almost always present anywhere (Swiftness).

To elaborate on my request, do include:

• Boons which are actually present in most scenarios of that game mode and how mandatory/required they are to make the game-play rewarding.For example retaliation is nice to have in PvP, but is it absolutely required? and will it actually be available without the correct comp? Or, is regeneration usually available in PvP to everyone?

• and for how longGroup stability is often only present in WvW zerging (because of current FB meta) during a clash, but how long is the usual duration if they spaced out each application of stability during the clash? Is it a up-time of 30 seconds or more? Or is 25 might always present?

Disclaimer: I do have very limited experience on PvP or WvW zerging so feel free to correct if any of the statements above are wrong.

I read the recent post about upcoming change to boon direction and alsohttps://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/57190/remove-alacrity-give-all-skills-33-reduction-in-pve/p1

This thread about alacrity had some posts implying the balance changes for boons(and their application sources) were largely due to design around PvE instanced content. That would generally cause some spill-over effect to affect other game modes like pvp/wvw, split mode or not.

With the possible feedback from this thread, I hope to understand which boons, and their up-times, are absolutely core for the health of the specific game mode.

Late edit:TL;DR, which boons and their projected up-times are required for success in these specific game-modes? Although I do realize success in PvP and WvW zerging is quite subjective.

Not sure what you are asking for but I'll try to answer as best I can for PvE:

@"OpiumRagDoll.1086" said:

1. PvE open world meta-events

No one cares. Ideally you will have the maximum amount of boons of any type (ideally damage boosting) if other people close to you are sharing boons. Nobody really pays attention to this though and most meta events are doable without significant boons present (even if they can help and speed up progress significantly). Open world is of absolutely 0 consequence in terms of difficulty or balance.

@"OpiumRagDoll.1086" said:

2. PvE instanced group content (Raids/Fractals)

Permanent boons required or at least desired for as much as possible:Might, Fury, Alacrity and Quickness.

Boons which can be of significance in certain encounters but usually do not need a permanent up-time:Aegis, Stability, Protection

Boons of no big significance:the rest.

In wvw you basically want as many boons because they affect both damage and defense. However, stacking supports for the sake of boon spam is pointless if you have no pressure from dps classes (like NA currently plays) because you get 20 minute long fights at >1k range because nobody can kill anyone and nobody wants to push anyone.

What's very helpful: stab, might, fury, prot, regen, swiftness, aegis

What's good, but not needed permanently: basically everything else. Resistance is somewhere in the middle since you need it only for pushing and you can still cleanse conditions, so it's not really mandatory, but quite useful.

Also there's no uptime on stability, it works basically same like aegis. You either have it or dont and it stacks in intensity, not duration. All other important boons are basically permanent from guards and revs and some overflow from everyone else.

Basically wvw meta builds already include lots of boon spam so you don't even have to think about them, they are part of your kit.