Power Zerker is Viable Now

[Zuko.7132]

I messed around quite a bit with power zerker since the patch. 
 

Here are my conclusions and the build.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKwAEdflJwaYUsQ4Yb51+B-zZIPlGFBZqA6VCkwQwEDAA

 

 

1. Dual Axes and Gs is the best combo. Gs is needed for mobility and the evade is nice. Arcing slice can also be used to generate fury uptime, which helps your damage. Yes, you will have enough adrenaline for both core bursts and Zerk Mode I promise. Axe offhand is needed to make yourself an actual threat. You just won’t do enough if you take shield. Axe 5 combos extremely well with eternal champion and dead or alive.

 

2. Signet of Fury is a must. If you don’t run it, you can’t freely use core bursts due to having to save adrenaline. Don’t bank on headbutt. You will miss sometimes and be screwed. Having the ability to use core bursts freely really ramps up your damage, and instant uncounterable access to Zero mode is huge for your sustain due to damage negation, stab, endurance, superspeed, and health regen.

 

3. Sundering Leap is amazing. Use it to counterpressure or reposition. Big hit coming? Block with Aegis, force a dodge with Sundering, use a burst with that adrenaline you just gained. Best used outside of Zerk mode on arcing slice to generate fury uptime.
 

4. Run Strength, not arms or defense. Defense just doesn’t make you enough of a threat. Arms is nice for buffing your bursts, but Strength gives more damage overall and gives you more sustain through a lower cd heal and endurance on bursts and more mobility.

 

5. Zerk mode makes you the god of trades and is where your sustain as well as your big burst comes from. Try to enter when you are being focused, and leave when you are being focused. I like to enter with gs primal to make use of dead or alive, then swap to axe and do 2, primal, 3, 4, 3, primal, exit zerk axe 5. If you don’t need sustain you can stay in zerk longer, but try to combo axe 5 with leaving zerk so that it generates adrenaline and you have stab, quick, and superspeed. You can then immediately follow up with arcing. 
 

6. Use your core burst frequently to keep up Berserker’s power, sustained damage, and fury. They also give sustain through endurance. Even a tier 1 eviscerate is worth using to keep up stacks, give endurance, and force a dodge. Rely on signet of fury for zerk mode. 
 

7. Rampage and headbutt both have their uses. You don’t need headbutt for adrenaline anymore, so it’s okay to drop it if you want more mobility or sustain from Rampage. Headbutt is still really good though.

 

8. Dead or Alive takes some getting used to, but you can get 5k healing out of it. If there is a downed body, you can cleave them out while healing to full, especially if someone is rezzing.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

I've spent all weekend so far wading through zergs with a defense variant. DS, EP, BS, SiO, Headbutt on the bar. Axe/Axe Rifle. Def:bot/top/top.

Pretty hard to get killed.

[Zuko.7132]

1 minute ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

I've spent all weekend so far wading through zergs with a defense variant. DS, EP, BS, SiO, Headbutt on the bar. Axe/Axe Rifle. Def:bot/top/top.

Pretty hard to get killed.

Defense is much better in wvw due to the 5 sec defy pain on headbutt. Also, DS is much better due to zergs who won't stop hitting you. Rifle is also better in wvw, due to being able to shoot from a zerg. I run that exact build as my zerg build in wvw.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

31 minutes ago, Zuko.7132 said:

Defense is much better in wvw due to the 5 sec defy pain on headbutt. Also, DS is much better due to zergs who won't stop hitting you. Rifle is also better in wvw, due to being able to shoot from a zerg. I run that exact build as my zerg build in wvw.

You would think it would be weak to condi, but not really.

[Zuko.7132]

Just now, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

You would think it would be weak to condi, but not really.

Good against condi burst, but weak to sustained condi a bit, unless you take cleansing sigil.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

20 minutes ago, Zuko.7132 said:

Good against condi burst, but weak to sustained condi a bit, unless you take cleansing sigil.

Yeah, but then you can also take warhorn.  I did that for a bit on EBG. Just a lot of defenses on it now for what is supposed to be an offensive spec.

[ManaPotato.3279]

Is this sPvP or WvW build?

[Sobx.1758]

2 minutes ago, ManaPotato.3279 said:

Is this sPvP or WvW build?

Build editor shows it in the top right, "pvp mode".

[Zuko.7132]

6 minutes ago, ManaPotato.3279 said:

Is this sPvP or WvW build?

PvP despite all the immediate talk about WvW. Sorry for the confusion.

[Zuko.7132]

8 hours ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Yeah, but then you can also take warhorn.  I did that for a bit on EBG. Just a lot of defenses on it now for what is supposed to be an offensive spec.

I would never take warhorn on that build. Way too much of a dps loss. Just running cleansing on one of the axes, if you’re willing to sacrifice some dps. Much better trade imo.

[ManaPotato.3279]

Thanks for the build Zuko! I just tried it and its super fun but the sustain doesn't feel quite there yet.

[Zuko.7132]

58 minutes ago, ManaPotato.3279 said:

Thanks for the build Zuko! I just tried it and its super fun but the sustain doesn't feel quite there yet.

I don’t think it’s a top pick, but I do think it’s viable for ranked. To increase sustain, the timing on entering and leaving berserk mode is extremely important. One for damage negation, and two for the healing from landing your damage. Don’t forget it gives endurance too, so if you’re at full endurance you should dodge something before you enter or leave. Taking rampage as the elite also helps through the big health pool and damage reduction.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

3 hours ago, Zuko.7132 said:

PvP despite all the immediate talk about WvW. Sorry for the confusion.

Yeah my apologies on the segue. 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Lan Deathrider.5910

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

3 hours ago, Zuko.7132 said:

I would never take warhorn on that build. Way too much of a dps loss. Just running cleansing on one of the axes, if you’re willing to sacrifice some dps. Much better trade imo.

It is a dps loss. I swapped to OH axe and still survived just fine, I just wanted to put that in for completeness as it does help the zerg some when you are not immediately DPSing.

[Dahkeus.8243]

https://guildjen.com/power-berserker-pvp-build/ 
 

very similar to the WvW build that Vallun posted a vid on recently.

[eXruina.4956]

i really dig the eternal champion, sundering leap and shattering blow changes. they really hit the mark on those. 💪🔥

[Zuko.7132]

8 hours ago, Dahkeus.8243 said:

https://guildjen.com/power-berserker-pvp-build/ 
 

very similar to the WvW build that Vallun posted a vid on recently.

The pvp build I posted? Or the wvw build Lan and I were talking about? Because the pvp build runs a totally different traitline and weapon as well as two to three different utilities.

[Zuko.7132]

5 hours ago, eXruina.4956 said:

i really dig the eternal champion, sundering leap and shattering blow changes. they really hit the mark on those. 💪🔥

Ya, I’m loving it. 

[Dahkeus.8243]

52 minutes ago, Zuko.7132 said:

The pvp build I posted? Or the wvw build Lan and I were talking about? Because the pvp build runs a totally different traitline and weapon as well as two to three different utilities.

No, I meant compared to Vallun's WvW build.  It's basically the same except different runes.

https://guildjen.com/power-berserker-pvp-build/

 

vs

 

https://guildjen.com/power-axe-berserker-roaming-build/

[Zuko.7132]

9 minutes ago, Dahkeus.8243 said:

No, I meant compared to Vallun's WvW build.  It's basically the same except different runes.

https://guildjen.com/power-berserker-pvp-build/

 

vs

 

https://guildjen.com/power-axe-berserker-roaming-build/

I honestly think his pvp build is terrible. People can just ignore you. Not enough damage, not enough mobility, no guaranteed access to zerk mode to let you use core bursts. I would just kite it and kill everything else then come back to it.

[CalmTheStorm.2364]

29 minutes ago, Zuko.7132 said:

I honestly think his pvp build is terrible. People can just ignore you. Not enough damage, not enough mobility, no guaranteed access to zerk mode to let you use core bursts. I would just kite it and kill everything else then come back to it.

Agreed. I also think it is extremely vulnerable to conditions.

 

I watched his WvW video, and the build just looked so bad... Esp compared to many of the other builds he showcases. Very little dmg and long time to kill, and conspicuously absent were any matchups against condi heavy classes like harbinger.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

3 hours ago, CalmTheStorm.2364 said:

Agreed. I also think it is extremely vulnerable to conditions.

 

I watched his WvW video, and the build just looked so bad... Esp compared to many of the other builds he showcases. Very little dmg and long time to kill, and conspicuously absent were any matchups against condi heavy classes like harbinger.

Its survivable, which is what he is showcasing. If anyone wants to run it and do actual damage they need to drop mace/shield for a high damage set. I've out fought Harbingers and immob druids with it fwiw, but that relies heavily on abuse of Defiant Stance.

I've been running it with Axe/axe + Rifle fine. Been doing a lot better than usual in WvW, even with all the reflects. Held off a 1v3 in a tower with the lord hitting me as well for a solid minute until our zerg could get there. There is a lot of potential with the EC change, but it takes smart play to get mileage out of it.

Given the way that Anet has been balancing warrior lately I'm getting the feeling that the thing that they want warrior to excel at is being hard to kill, and that to get the mileage out of their recent changes you have to build for it, but smartly. What Vallun posted on Guildjen just leans into the survivability part too hard. Great for holding ground, but not for taking it. With the high uptime of damage immunity and strategic use of DS and SiO you can run very aggressive stats and runes and have high dps coupled with that damage immunity.

[eXruina.4956]

6 hours ago, Zuko.7132 said:

Not enough damage, not enough mobility, no guaranteed access to zerk mode to let you use core bursts. I would just kite it and kill everything else then come back to it.

warrior kit is just severely lacking and outdated, capability of other classes is just absurd in comparison, not to mention they are far more convenient to play.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Your build banks on landing big fat damage, but is severly lacking in tools to setup said damage (hard cc).
Condies will eat you alive and i'm not even talking damaging condies (which will btw) but debilitating condies, like weakness and poison. You've no access to resistance to deal with it - a crucial aspect for a power build that wants to rely on burst to cut foes down.

Also while eternal champion will provide stunbreak and stab on bersker enter and just stab on zerk leave, outside of that you're a cc ragdoll. The moment some necro focuses your with fears in your downtime (which is big with this build) or a spellbreaker jumps you, you might as well go and grab tea and cookies, cause you won't be needed at your keyboard for a while..

[CalmTheStorm.2364]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKwAExnlJwoYJMMmJe2X+tbA-zZILkGLgMzgeDBTGAA

 

One of the things I've been playing around with since the new patch is MH sword on power builds, as the reduced cast time on FT helps make it more realistic to attempt.  The rest of MH sword still sucks, of course....unless you're in berserk mode and get to use flaming flurry.  And so, I give you the build above.

 

Ideal for more of a roaming playstyle, this build enjoys loads of mobility for engaging and disengaging, as well as several big CCs to lock down targets and set up your bursts.  You also have a fair bit of stab, thanks to Eternal Champion and Stalwart strength, and the latter provides a good damage boost as well.

 

Doesn't have lots of sustained dmg, but some good spike potential. Tremor>>Crushing blow >> Final Thrust>>arcing slice/berserk etc.  You can get some juicy 8k final thrusts and 9k arc dividers...very satisfying.

 

Active defenses are lacking, as you're not running a shield, so mobility will be your best friend in staying alive in a losing situation. You do have some sustain thanks to AH, lots of resistance, and the aforementioned stab, though, so you're pretty hard to lock down.

 

Overall, I'd say this is a B-tier pick.

 

You can play the same build as a Spellbreaker, too, which is kinda fun for a change of pace.