Best Profession / Build for each weapon?

[Kichwas.7152]

We all often see builds for a given profession that suggest 'use this weapon and that build' for the best DPS, or best Support, or best something.

But what about going in the other direction. For favorite weapons - if you've got every profession leveled out, as most of us do 8 years into this game - you can pick any weapon and spin up a build for it on any one of those characters.

Having come back to actively playing GW2 again after a bit of time away, I've been going through characters and re-doing old builds...

So starting with what seem to be the least seen weapons in builds, when I go looking, maybe just because I'm looking wrong... but then letting this also be hopefully a more general 'challenge topic'.

What would be the best DPS builds possible for someone using these:HammerMace in mainhandShield in OffhandRifle

• I don't see these often, so I'm wondering if there are some builds with them that you'd want to take into dungeons and fractals where it's usually about maximizing DPS.

I think in the next tier down, I haven't been seeing Scepter much of late - but for some professions it still shows up in weapon-swap as 'ranged just in case'.

After that... I'd flip things and wonder if there's a strong greatsword support build out there... since it seems like greatsword is the 'go-to' weapon of dungeon builds for DPS...

[ASP.8093]

IMO,

Mainhand Mace: Viper Revenant, something like https://snowcrows.com/raids/builds/revenant/renegade/condition/Rifle: Firearms Holo, something like https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Holosmith_-_Power_Rifle_DPS

Rifle honorable mention: if you just need a hyper-"selfish" build to carry a group that's really struggling, something like this Deadeye build will let you spit out a good deal of damage without having to worry much about buffs, heals, or dodging melee attacks: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PagAQVlVw2YYsLmJW2XnvKA-zRIYRUxXKZGC1mA9GBVUA2OA-e (for CC, swap to Binding Shadow or use consumable; shortbow is your "i messed up" button but can also be used to spam down waves of adds)

[Fueki.4753]

Maihand Mace goes to Revenant.Shield goes to Mesmer in my opinion.The only Rifle I kinda like is for Warriors, but even that is terrible.

As for Hammer, before the February patch it definitely was Revenants with the best hammers.But now, only necromancers have decent hammers (Reaper's Shroud is categorized as a Hammer).

[Taril.8619]

Max DPS builds for Hammer, Mace, Shield and Rifle?

Hammer - Probably some form of Power Scrapper. Won't be as strong as Power Holo, but can still kick out some damage thanks to Grenade Kit.

Mace - Most likely, Condi Renegade. Though, also notable would be Warrior builds, Power Spellbreaker and Power Banner Zerker both utilize a mainhand mace (Power SB uses Axe/Dagger and Mace/Axe and PB Zerker uses Axe/Axe and Mace/Mace)

Shield - Uhh... There are no DPS builds that use shield... Since no shields are DPS weapons at the moment. The best you'll get is Power Boon Chrono though which is the "Best Tank" in the game due to not giving up as much as other classes when going "Tank" due to its still good DPS alongside its Alacrity/Quickness uptime.

Rifle - Power Rifle Deadeye for sure. Though Power Rifle Holo is also good. Though, for Dungeons/Fractals, go with the Holo as Deadeye has trash AoE.

In regards to Scepter, it's very much used by Guardians as it's their strongest weapon. Power Dragonhunter uses Scepter/Focus + Greatsword, Condi (Quickness) Firebrand uses Scepter/Torch + Axe. Beyond that, it's still the only weapon available to be used by any Condi Necro builds (Though, Condi builds are not good in Dungeons/Fractals and Heal Scourge isn't too popular there either so it won't be seen as much as Power Reaper)

Strong Greatsword Support build? Power Boon Chrono can utilize a Greatsword and is a good support build. Beyond that, not much. Greatswords are favoured for DPS because they have lots of damage skills, which means they're less useful in support builds where you want support skills...

[monkeyface.5627]

Hammer definitely goes to scrapper. I've hit ~25k dps consistently on golem with scrapper. Don't have link but basically you use whirl gyro, grenades, and either bombs or rifle turret. With turret you stays in hammer and auto and use grenade 2/4/5, whirl gyro, grenade toolbelt, hammer 2, turret toolbelt off cd. Bombs pretty much same thing but instead of hammer autos use bomb autos and also bomb 2 off cd. I know it uses scrapper and firearms which both have a ton of dmg modifiers and pretty sure explosives as well but could be wrong. When I mained engi in fractals Id actually use this if no healer or group was struggling as I had basically permanent 7k barrier on me also with a ton of cc and res support. Obviously Holo better dps though.Rifle deadye definitely is a top build and even meta for a few encounters in raids.Mace the best dps is probably a condi rev imo but you did mention support in start of post which mace can work really well as basically a minstrel healer in fractals for fb.Shield best dps is mes but can also work as support like fb.

[Antycypator.9874]

Hammer — Warrior. It's CC, not DPS weapon, but still can do heavy damage. Scrapper's hammer is mainly for DPS.Mace in mainhand — only condi revenant.Shield in Offhand — Holosmith. Nice utility (daze on block, reflect) and both skills are CC.Rifle — definately Deadeye. The best rifle user.And if you're looking for Scepter — Guardian and all kinds of condi necros uses scepter as a mainhand weapon.

[Kichwas.7152]

I meant to come back to this thread but got off track. Thanks for the thoughts.

Above I started with just the weapons I don't often see touted as DPS choices.

But if we expanded it out to the games full list... Basically thinking:

• "Take weapon A - I want the most DPS I can get, I am open to any profession - which one is it for that weapon?"
• And to try to figure that out for every weapon in the game, even the offhands. Heck... even the water ones for... reasons of completeness...

[Taril.8619]

@"Kichwas.7152" said:But if we expanded it out to the games full list... Basically thinking:

• "Take weapon A - I want the most DPS I can get, I am open to any profession - which one is it for that weapon?"
• And to try to figure that out for every weapon in the game, even the offhands. Heck... even the water ones for... reasons of completeness...

If we were to look at all the weapon types in the game for maximum DPS... Excluding the 5 I previously covered:

Axe (Main hand)BerserkerFirebrandMirageReaper (As a weapon swap from GS)

Axe (Off Hand)SoulbeastBerserkerCondi Renegade

Dagger (Main Hand)SoulbeastDeadeye (As a weapon swap from Rifle)

Dagger (Off Hand)WeaverDeadeye (As a weapon swap from Rifle)Spellbreaker

Sword (Main Hand)ChronoHoloRenegade

Sword (Off Hand)ChronoRenegade

Pistol (Main Hand)Condi Holo

Pistol (Off Hand)Power HoloCondi HoloMirage

StaffDaredevil

LongbowBearbow Soulbeast

GreatswordDragonhunterSoulbeastReaper

ShortbowCondi RenegadeCondi Soulbeast

FocusDragonhunterChrono

TorchCondi BerserkerMirageCondi Soulbeast

WarhornTempest

Harpoon GunHolo (Because you don't use it much and instead just use grenades/bombs/holoforge)

SpearReaper

TridentCondi Reaper I think... Trident is pretty awful overall for damage but I think Condi Reaper could utilize it best due to having Reaper's Shroud to replace it as well as some hybrid damage increases that work well with its high power coefficient skills and overall Bleed focus. Not to mention Deathly Chill + Frozen Abyss is pretty insane (As Frozen Abyss applies 7 stacks of Chill which means Deathly Chill applies 14 stacks of Bleed on top of the 14 stacks of Bleed the skill already provides)