[sPvP] Willbender Prot Build... (Testing#2)

[Saiyan.1704]

So I posted an earlier version of the build a month ago... this is the revamped version.... (personally i think this one is 15% more efficient... why? Idk I guess I like clickbaiting people... leave me alone ok?)
The WB Build - build editor site (edited: 9/21/2022, incorporated cleanses)

-Changes from old thread- 

• Dolyak runes over Soldier (yeah i know this was obvious.. leave me alone!): Dolyak just offers so much more toughness than the '1 condi clear + 1.7k health' from Soldiers....

Scepter/Sword.. instead of.. Greatsword (removing Greatsword completely)

• Greatsword is excellent for bursting but not so great vs medium to long range, especially when the bursts fails (your WW and gs#3) Willbender already does excellent AoE damages but not so excellent recovery time when your much needed damaging skills misses... for Scepter/Sword: Use scepter#3 to setup F1/Whirling Light/Scepter#2/Sword#4... And/Or.. use Sword#5 for the exact same reasons listed. The more you play with Scepter, the better you'll do when mix & matching your combo skills the  CC (Scepter#2/Sword#5).

Sword/Focus

Edited: Removed Prot on Focus#4/#5 trait and went with Strength of the Fallen for condi cleanses.

Signet of Judgement over X

• -10% damage -10% condition at all times adds to your facetanking abilities... it is also a stunbreak in emergencies but you lack Contemplation of Purity which is huge vs condi specs
  I personally prefer Judgement over CoP but... to each their own....(if condi is going to pwn you anyways, might as well be 10% more tanky vs power.. is how i think of it)

EDIT: Forgot to add... Condition classes will farm you probably (definitely)... but a +1 condi cleanse partner like Core Guard or Ele kinda carries... you simply wont die but will continue to offer damage similar to a Marauder Willbender (metabattle). If I had to give a rough estimate of this build efficiency... you'll play like a more Damaging version of Prot Holo, worse 1v1 burst than rev, except deal more AoE damages overall within a blob fight.

Edited September 22, 2022 by Saiyan.1704

[Hogwarts Zebra.8597]

Idk having 0 cleanse (ok u have 1 cleanse from sigil but whatever) seems to defeat the purpose of a tanky prot build. The build is geared towards dueling, but a duelist without cleanse is just trash

[Saiyan.1704]

On 9/18/2022 at 11:30 PM, Hogwarts Zebra.8597 said:

Idk having 0 cleanse (ok u have 1 cleanse from sigil but whatever) seems to defeat the purpose of a tanky prot build. The build is geared towards dueling, but a duelist without cleanse is just trash

Ahha I knew you would say that! Meet "Random @$$ Demo Trash Prot Build #3!!"

• Went away from the trait Focus Mastery and got Strength of the Fallen's condi removal every 10s
• Combined with Signet of Resolve's 1 cleanse every 4s, you'll self cleans more conditions in a period of 20s than a F2 burst cleanse... also when their icd is up, they'll automatically cleanse the first 2 conditions applied to you.

It feels better than an F2 cleanse in some situations. Healing nearly to full health with the signet heal while at 20% is such a meme...kinda like this build!

The 3rd utility skill on your bar can be anything, but I've been liking Shield of the Avenger lately... gives Weakness (50% damage reduction) and much needed range denial but you certainly lose a stunbreak. If they don't have a DE then I tend to go back to SoJ/Judges/CoP.

Edited September 21, 2022 by Saiyan.1704

[RisenHowl.2419]

i've been using signets with the trait with surprising success, both on a carrion setup and sages. It's a lot of passive sustain and the elite signet gives a pretty fat group heal to help recover on point

[Hogwarts Zebra.8597]

On 9/21/2022 at 2:10 AM, Saiyan.1704 said:

Ahha I knew you would say that! Meet "Random @$$ Demo Trash Prot Build #3!!"

• Went away from the trait Focus Mastery and got Strength of the Fallen's condi removal every 10s
• Combined with Signet of Resolve's 1 cleanse every 4s, you'll self cleans more conditions in a period of 20s than a F2 burst cleanse... also when their icd is up, they'll automatically cleanse the first 2 conditions applied to you.

It feels better than an F2 cleanse in some situations. Healing nearly to full health with the signet heal while at 20% is such a meme...kinda like this build!

The 3rd utility skill on your bar can be anything, but I've been liking Shield of the Avenger lately... gives Weakness (50% damage reduction) and much needed range denial but you certainly lose a stunbreak. If they don't have a DE then I tend to go back to SoJ/Judges/CoP.

Hmm starting to look interesting, I've always wanted a blue prot holo build xD

I'd rather have CoP than SYG tho, since SYG is giga nerfed in pvp and is really low value in 1v1s. Probs will have to replace spirit shield with another stunbreak with this route tho

Edited September 22, 2022 by Hogwarts Zebra.8597

[Infinity.2876]

I was about to say use hammer because protection on aa but hammer is bad so never mind.

You can have a bit of success playing radiant swordbender with hammer instead of greatsword with a few adjustments to traits without using it as a more defensive option without sacrificing too much damage.

[Saiyan.1704]

31 minutes ago, Infinity.2876 said:

I was about to say use hammer because protection on aa but hammer is bad so never mind.

You can have a bit of success playing radiant swordbender with hammer instead of greatsword with a few adjustments to traits without using it as a more defensive option without sacrificing too much damage.

I want to like hammer... (actually every Guard wants to like hammer lol).. but it's too much of a meme right now. Either you're killing some one with Hammer#2, or you swap to Hammer just to have 0 value with it. They really need to rework the extremely slow autoattack...

 

Many WB's are having more success with GS. GS#3 can hit like a truck sometimes.

[Downstate.4697]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PWABs6xzlJwUZfMQ2IW+PlxXA-z5gXE9WBeMAA

Maybe?

[Saiyan.1704]

I wasn't about to make a 3rd thread buuuut I have another fun build for people to mess with.

WB AH Bruiser

I've seen a few guards run thish sigil self-sustain build before (even using staff like how I am) and tbh I was offered a similiar build a couple months ago. This build feels a whole lot stronger. I may even post a video of it later when I get a chance and i'll explain more.

(EDIT: fixed link to show Amulet and Runes)

Edited October 7, 2022 by Saiyan.1704

[Saiyan.1704]

To the above build: I need to see how it does vs a competent GG team who has 3 burst+cc classes focusing it down. It's going to depend on whether the build can last long enough to give value to my team in mid engagements (ranked sPvP, not AT's). It can already hold its own on side-nodes but I haven't faced good cata's nor good spellbreakers yet... it doesn't die to rangers/bs/dh.

@Hogwarts Zebra.8597let me know what you think of it if you get a chance to play with the build.

[Hogwarts Zebra.8597]

On 10/7/2022 at 10:26 AM, Saiyan.1704 said:

To the above build: I need to see how it does vs a competent GG team who has 3 burst+cc classes focusing it down. It's going to depend on whether the build can last long enough to give value to my team in mid engagements (ranked sPvP, not AT's). It can already hold its own on side-nodes but I haven't faced good cata's nor good spellbreakers yet... it doesn't die to rangers/bs/dh.

@Hogwarts Zebra.8597let me know what you think of it if you get a chance to play with the build.

I think the traditional medi approach outclasses this build for the bruiser playstyle. heal signet is a large heal yes but it's such a giga long CD and has no secondary effect other than cleanse. If u took medis with shelter heal u'd get better cleanse plus a block that can negate dmg, cc, condis. channeled block also scales far better in teamfights than raw healing and shelter is the only channeled block guard has access to. Not to mention ur giving up an insane amount of dmg by going for the signet trait. Also ofc lacking RF being a significant issue, teamfighting with neither shelter nor RF is impossible on guard, if the enemy decides to focus u u just instantly explode. 

 

The staff approach is interesting tho, a long time ago I messed around with zerk core staff+scepter (basically wvw zerg build) and could just nuke ppl from safety while easily kiting out any melees with speed runes (pre-nerf). There may be a possibility for WB's innate mobility to make such a setup work again, tho ofc that will be an entirely different build and no longer a bruiser playstyle. 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Hogwarts Zebra.8597

[Saiyan.1704]

22 hours ago, Hogwarts Zebra.8597 said:

I think the traditional medi approach outclasses this build for the bruiser playstyle. heal signet is a large heal yes but it's such a giga long CD and has no secondary effect other than cleanse. If u took medis with shelter heal u'd get better cleanse plus a block that can negate dmg, cc, condis. channeled block also scales far better in teamfights than raw healing and shelter is the only channeled block guard has access to. Not to mention ur giving up an insane amount of dmg by going for the signet trait. Also ofc lacking RF being a significant issue, teamfighting with neither shelter nor RF is impossible on guard, if the enemy decides to focus u u just instantly explode. 

 

The staff approach is interesting tho, a long time ago I messed around with zerk core staff+scepter (basically wvw zerg build) and could just nuke ppl from safety while easily kiting out any melees with speed runes (pre-nerf). There may be a possibility for WB's innate mobility to make such a setup work again, tho ofc that will be an entirely different build and no longer a bruiser playstyle. 

(agree) I've been curious about medi vs AH... I tried both a few days ago and found AH having better sustains, especially in 1v1 fights compared to medi. But all that said, it's worse in teamfights. Burst healing vs healing over time with AH is apparent when you don't have to rely on Virtues or Staff/Elite to heal up. And facetanking damage while using Staff#4 or Signet of Courage is certainly a bad idea-- AH has greater failure in teamfights when being focused down compared to medis.

 

I really love Signet of Resolve, it's actually one of our best heals when it's traited. 8.1k heal on a 28s cd while always cleansing 1 condi every 4s is nuts but like you said, it's hard to pass up a free 40% crit trait. And with a higher chance of facetanking our AH healing abilities I can see why you and many other guards would lean towards medi's.

EDIT:  actually i'm gonna play with your medi build but with Litany of Wrath heal... it'll probably be rubbish but I want to see something.

Edited October 10, 2022 by Saiyan.1704

[Hogwarts Zebra.8597]

34 minutes ago, Saiyan.1704 said:

(agree) I've been curious about medi vs AH... I tried both a few days ago and found AH having better sustains, especially in 1v1 fights compared to medi. But all that said, it's worse in teamfights. Burst healing vs healing over time with AH is apparent when you don't have to rely on Virtues or Staff/Elite to heal up. And facetanking damage while using Staff#4 or Signet of Courage is certainly a bad idea-- AH has greater failure in teamfights when being focused down compared to medis.

 

I really love Signet of Resolve, it's actually one of our best heals when it's traited. 8.1k heal on a 28s cd while always cleansing 1 condi every 4s is nuts but like you said, it's hard to pass up a free 40% crit trait. And with a higher chance of facetanking our AH healing abilities I can see why you and many other guards would lean towards medi's.

EDIT:  actually i'm gonna play with your medi build but with Litany of Wrath heal... it'll probably be rubbish but I want to see something.

xD litany is actually a rly good heal, I used to run it constantly but my playstyle's changed a bit so I'm leaning shelter nowadays. Also I've modified my build a bit, replacing JI with Whirling Light since u no longer do enough dmg without it