sPvP HamBow is back

[Terrorangel.1526]

Thanks to the recent changes to Burst Precision HamBow is a "viable" build again for core warrior in sPvP.

The build offers high burst damage with decent cc on the hammer kit and soft cc on bow.

The build revolves around Burst Precision and tries to max the ferocity as much as possible using Valkyrie Amulet and Rune of the Dragonhunter.

To get maximum burst damage, I opted to play the strength traits with Berserker's Power. While using the Defense trait line for sustain.

Because I don't use the Discipline traits I felt most comfortable to play with the Relic of the Warrior. Since the burst skills have a cooldown of 8s it felt most convenient for me to reduce the weapon to be able to keep up the pressure.

Signet of Fury is another key piece of the build. Mainly to refill your burst gauge whenever needed but the extra 360 ferocity are also very convenient and synergizes perfectly with burst precision.

The build lacks mobility but you are able to exchange hammer for sword/shield or warhorn. The swords burst skill deals a lot of damage as well. while soft locking the enemy with immobilize.

There are a lot of different ways to play the build and I can imagine exchanging the strength traits with an elite specialization. 

If you like seeing some big crits popping up on your screen or want to feel some nostalgia from good old HamBow days, maybe give it a try yourself.

Have fun

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKgAINlJwwYUYl4wrsdeB-DaAPlIFBZKB6WIEyCQmHGAA

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

I would swap Strength for Discipline.

BTW, Relic of the Warrior has an interaction with Fast Hands where the Relic's 2.5s reduction applies on top of the Fast Hands CD for a net weapon swap CD of 2.5s.

[Terrorangel.1526]

You can swap out strength but you will loose about 30% damage. 15% from ferocity and 21% from Berserker's Power. But that definitely provides better mobility.

While the Relic of Warrior reduces the weapon swap even more I think it is not worth using it with Discipline because you don't need to swap weapons as that often and can make better use of another relic considering the cooldown of weapon skills and sigils that proc on swap.

[Azure The Heartless.3261]

4 hours ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

I would swap Strength for Discipline.

BTW, Relic of the Warrior has an interaction with Fast Hands where the Relic's 2.5s reduction applies on top of the Fast Hands CD for a net weapon swap CD of 2.5s.

1.) shh.

2.) This means that the relic was coded by simply removing 2.5 seconds from the current state of the recharge, rather than multiplying the current value by .25 and using that as the value to be subtracted. I suppose even the devs forget warrior traits exist, because this interaction didn't happen for elementalist or engie kits. 

Quote

you don't need to swap weapons as that often

I agree with this. unfortunately there are still guardrail cooldowns on the traits and sigils benefitted by weapon swap.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Azure The Heartless.3261

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

12 minutes ago, Azure The Heartless.3261 said:

1.) shh.

Sorry.

12 minutes ago, Azure The Heartless.3261 said:

2.) This means that the relic was coded by simply removing 2.5 seconds from the current state of the recharge, rather than multiplying the current value by .25 and using that as the value to be subtracted. I suppose even the devs forget warrior traits exist, because this interaction didn't happen for elementalist or engie kits. 

I agree with this. unfortunately there are still guardrail cooldowns on the traits and sigils benefitted by weapon swap.

Non-Discipline can work, I've done it. But there is still lots of value in Fast Hands though.