PvP as a new Guardian. Tips?

[Nitrius.3798]

I recently returned to the game and started with a new character, the Guardian.

I've tried a few of the meta specs so far, but I seem to die very easily and not being able to take down any enemies at all.

 

Most of it is probably down to experience as I am very new here, but what are some tips/improvements I should be looking at? I do enjoy the Willbender spec the most, mostly because of the mobility, but dying so quickly is not fun, hehe.

 

This is the unranked lobby, which seems to be the 5v5 format, I've read about 2v2 and 3v3, but not sure where and how those function yet.

[shadowpass.4236]

Here's a guide for willbender on youtube.  It explains the playstyle and demonstrates damage combos and defensive rotations.

 

 

[Guirssane.7082]

Kitting, knowing when to engage, which target to focus come with experience. Watch good players and look at what they do and try to understand why

Edited July 10, 2022 by Guirssane.7082

[Nitrius.3798]

That video helped a lot @shadowpass.4236

One of my issues so far has definitely been that i've just mashed all my skills, watching that video, seeing some combos, really helped, thanks!

[Ragnar.4257]

Willbender plays quite differently to other guardian specs. Core-guard, DH, FB, are much more about taking and holding a particular area, standing and owning the ground under your feet, and challenging people to come into your little zone of control. Willbender is the opposite, you don't want to be standing still, you can't go toe-to-toe with others for long periods of time. You hop in, dump some damage, and get back out, don't hang around. You really need to be able to recognise when is the right opportunity to jump in, and when you need to get out, which requires a certain understanding of the animations and capabilities of other classes. You also need to get into the mindset of not taking every single 1v1 opportunity thats put in front of you. Some 1v1s are just not possible for Willbender, you need to not let the red-mist go to your head, get your head out of the weeds and take a broader look about at the minimap and think if you could be more effective snowballing fights elsewhere or focusing a better target.

Common mistakes include:

• Not using Renewed Focus until you're down at low HP. That's not the correct way to use an invulnerability, as you'll just die as soon as it ends. You don't use an invulnerability after you've taken damage, you use it to prevent the damage in the first place.
• Not using the right defensive measure at the right time. You have a limited supply of blinds, blocks, evades, cleanses. If you use F2 to evade an attack when you could just as easily have used a blind, then you may find yourself later needing a cleanse and not having it available. If you need to block a projectile, then use projectile-block on SW3, don't waste a regular block. etc etc.
• Wasting your highest DPS attacks into enemy defenses. Is the enemy blocking? Then stop going ham with your burst skills. Your burst is part of your defense. Sounds counter-intuitive, but if people can just wail on you without any fear of damage coming back at them, then you'll melt quickly. If you're making them dodge and kite then they'll do less damage back to you.
• Not being aggressive enough. You don't want to play a long drawn out fight as a Willbender. You need to be putting the enemy on the back foot in the first few seconds, and finishing the whole thing in less than 20 seconds. The longer it goes on, the more advantage goes to things which have better healing.
• Teleporting for no reason. Your ports are critical for finishing a fight, and for landing key burst skills. Don't use them just because they're off cooldown.

Edited July 11, 2022 by Ragnar.4257

[AIex.4105]

just go full tank, and annoy your oponents who try to kill you.

[Newholiday.8103]

Play it and learn it.  You'll get there on your own eventually.

[tunococman.7324]

Count dodges, count cool downs is basically how GW2 pvp works

 

I'd look into builds that give you a hard time and look at their utilities see which one is a stun break/evade.