Mace mainhand?

[Stx.4857]

Hi all,

 

So I have never really played Guardian before, but I am mainly a solo player who enjoys making builds to beat tough challenges like bounties, meta events, dungeons etc.  

 

I was looking at mace, and it looks like it's not recommended for any open world or pve builds from what I can tell.  However the auto attack chain damage looks really high, and it has a built in heal as well.  It also has access to a symbol that appears to deal decent damage, and also a very short cooldown access to aegis and protection.

 

So before I go wasting mats or gold on setting up a mace build, I thought I would ask experienced guardians what is bad or good about mace, and why it doesn't appear to ever be recommended.  

 

I was thinking of making a greatsword / mace shield type setup.  

[otto.5684]

It is highly out dpsed by sword and scepter, as main hand options. There are situations here it can be good, if you need survivability.

[Hogwarts Zebra.8597]

Pretty sure mace auto chain is one of the lowest dmg melee ones. The symbol also has a giga long cast time, very clunky to use. The only thing going for mace is skill3, but there's not many situations where it justifies mace over sword/scepter

Edited September 19, 2022 by Hogwarts Zebra.8597

[Falseprophet.1502]

20 hours ago, otto.5684 said:

It is highly out dpsed by sword and scepter, as main hand options. There are situations here it can be good, if you need survivability.

This is half true. Mace actually has good power coefficients. Scepter is a pretty bad weapon right now outside of using it to proc Virtues in condition based builds. Mace does more damage in power builds. Sword still is the best mainhand out of the three.

 

In terms of just auto dps and integrating a symbol based off my testing in a raid set up, using core guard: 

1. Sword - 19.1K

2. Mace - 17.1k

3. Scepter - 15.7k

 

Run whatever you want in open world. Mace will be fine. Any power guard build will suck in end game PvE until it gets some love.

 

Edited September 19, 2022 by Falseprophet.1502

[CAA.9653]

Unless you're doing end-game content, run whatever build you want so long as you realize that mace is not a "damage" focused weapon.

[Gehenna.3625]

On 9/20/2022 at 1:54 AM, Falseprophet.1502 said:

This is half true. Mace actually has good power coefficients. Scepter is a pretty bad weapon right now outside of using it to proc Virtues in condition based builds. Mace does more damage in power builds. Sword still is the best mainhand out of the three.

 

In terms of just auto dps and integrating a symbol based off my testing in a raid set up, using core guard: 

1. Sword - 19.1K

2. Mace - 17.1k

3. Scepter - 15.7k

 

Run whatever you want in open world. Mace will be fine. Any power guard build will suck in end game PvE until it gets some love.

 

Indeed and sword has a gap closer as well, which is really handy.

[nopoet.2960]

I'm running mace right now because after going down the rabbit hole of unlocking Willbender, theory crafting for a while I realized it would never be as much fun as my thief.  I reevaluated what I wanted out of my guard and it turns out I just wanted a very different play style from thief.  So I use mace/shield and staff right now in a healing build with giver's gear (had all the mats).  The damage is slow but the build is neigh invincible.  Instead of red numbers I see green.  Lots and lots of green; so satisfying.

So anyway before you go trying to turn your guardian into a dps spec just make sure that's what you really want.

[draxynnic.3719]

The reason you don't tend to see mace, even on healing builds, is that healing guardian builds tend to have enough healing without needing to use mace, and the fury from sword or axe (for firebrand) is valued more. That's not to say that mace is useless, though - people tanking on guardian will often take a mace for the extra block, for instance - but it does tend to be a bit of a niche weapon as a result.

[Borked.6824]

I run mace MH+Torch WB because I find the animation lock on sword 3 to be the most aggravating QoL thing in this game.  It's less dps, I know that, but I'll die before I use MH sword ever again unless they fix S3.  Why not use scepter then?  Please...

 

Mace!... the least bad!

[Mara.6782]

Mace is only guardian weapon i dont see anyone using. I hope they improve it and many other underused weapons.

[Gehenna.3625]

On 10/19/2022 at 7:44 PM, Borked.6824 said:

I run mace MH+Torch WB because I find the animation lock on sword 3 to be the most aggravating QoL thing in this game.  It's less dps, I know that, but I'll die before I use MH sword ever again unless they fix S3.  Why not use scepter then?  Please...

 

Mace!... the least bad!

I looked at the history of S3, but I can't find the QoL update you mention here. What am I missing here?

[Samis.1750]

Mace is used on a healing Firebrand in World vs World. Minstrel mace/shield and staff are the weapons. It does fine in that game mode and support guardian is the backbone of an organized WvW group.

 

[Batalix.2873]

I saw a mace variant of a build somewhere on metabattle I think.

 

The idea being if you want the extra passive healing and boons (because DPS standing in the bad), it is a fine substitute for sword.

 

Also, I personally believe in mucking with builds for better game feel. I run offhand torch on power zerker and alt axe on healscourge because they feel good to me and don't drop my damage too much. Nothing is worse than conforming to a meta build using weapons/attacks that don't create a satisfying gameplay loop for *you*, just because some kitten thinks content needs more DPS to clear (spoilers, in most cases, it doesn't).

 

Like, for instance, one of my good friends discovered that meta condi zerker is not actually fun to play unless you like being in melee greatbow 80 percent of the time. MELEE. GREATBOW.

 

Players need to kitten about meta. I don't play this game for numbers, I play for variety and style, which is very well-accommodated by the espec system when you're not minmaxing it into oblivion.

 

[JEpc.5172]

I use mace on core Guardian. Its quite viable especially with protection/healing. I would suggest you run power or spearmashal with mace/focus using- mystic rebuke trait.To be honest there shouldn't be any changes made its balanced. 🙂

Edited October 31, 2022 by JEpc.5172

[poop.4183]

Use it personnaly on my firebrand heal , you loose the fury uptime and the cc from axe , but can cover it with the ult shout.

AA chain heal a lot and with quickness is pretty nuts on healing numbers but recquired full melee hiting target , the skill 2 area is spammable and has nearly the same cooldown as his duration with the traits in favor of it , pulse regeneration and healing per pulse , and skill 3 helps a lot for prot. uptime (not really needed with your healing mantra) but is a free aegis for your team , a bit cluncky to get , cause you need to first block an attack to have aegis "after" the attack , but works fine .

But in terms of damage it's indeed very low , weapon design is oriented more for survivability and support.

Edited November 1, 2022 by poop.4183

[Gehenna.3625]

On 11/1/2022 at 4:18 PM, poop.4183 said:

Use it personnaly on my firebrand heal , you loose the fury uptime and the cc from axe , but can cover it with the ult shout.

AA chain heal a lot and with quickness is pretty nuts on healing numbers but recquired full melee hiting target , the skill 2 area is spammable and has nearly the same cooldown as his duration with the traits in favor of it , pulse regeneration and healing per pulse , and skill 3 helps a lot for prot. uptime (not really needed with your healing mantra) but is a free aegis for your team , a bit cluncky to get , cause you need to first block an attack to have aegis "after" the attack , but works fine .

But in terms of damage it's indeed very low , weapon design is oriented more for survivability and support.

hmmm, that actually makes a lot of sense.

[Infusion.7149]

Mace is used on just about every WVW guardian mainly due to the passive heal on auto. It is also used for PVE healbrand tanking when fury isn't a necessity and aegis/block is beneficial. In PVP you see it on core support guardians.

It is rare to see GS+ mace shield because mace shield tends to be run with staff.

Edited November 6, 2022 by Infusion.7149