WvW Zerg Staff Healbreaker

[Malus.2184]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKwEYCNssAGGzDjETqr7nFA-DWJYjR9fZEUqWdVp+hBAA-w

This is the build I've created to play around with and test out. So far I really like it.

- Minstrel Gear: Obvious.

- Rune of Altruism: Gives additional healing power, the boon duration is great for all the Boons you can push out, you have more than enough of the other stats, and the Citality is just a bonus.

- Sigil of Transference: This one explains itself.

- Sigil of Life: The added Healing Power stat affects Regeneration, Barrier, and direct healing.

- Skills: "To the Limit" is a shout so get healing power benefits from traits. "Shake It Off" is good for general utility. "Banner of Defense" also provides good Boons and some Barrier. The empty slot can be whatever you or the leader need. I prefer to run either "Signet of the Dollyak" or "Featherfoot Graze" depending on the circumstance. "Battle Standard," good all-around utility.  the

- Relic of the Warrior: This one will be controversial. I have this because of how smooth it makes the build feel. Other classes usually used for support have both X and Y that can be used for Z so, switching to Y from X means that you can still do Y just differently. Warriors only have X as such, you need to be able to access it when you need to. The build is at the same time starved for Adrenaline for use in Bursts, I get Adrenaline when I swap weapons, and with the combination of Fast Hands and Relic of the Warrior, I can access that Adrenaline in 2½ seconds. In that time I can get Warhorn 4 and 5 off and after that switch back to Staff and continue delivering support. This makes the build feel fluid to play and while I'm sure that other relics provide bigger numerical benefits being able to access your only tool for Y when you need it is a lot more beneficial to me for playing a Healbreaker.

Note: I know you can only get he Adrenaline for swapping weapons every four seconds and the 2½ second swap feels a lot smoother and more natural in gameplay.

Edited March 1 by Malus.2184

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

Versatile Rage has a CD of 4s. So, you aren't getting it every weapon swap. I would still recommend Relic of the Warrior at the time though, since it is stacking incorrectly with Fast Hands. You can camp Staff as much as you need, go into WH for 2 casts, and then get back into staff promptly. 

[Malus.2184]

17 minutes ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Versatile Rage has a CD of 4s. So, you aren't getting it every weapon swap. I would still recommend Relic of the Warrior at the time though, since it is stacking incorrectly with Fast Hands. You can camp Staff as much as you need, go into WH for 2 casts, and then get back into staff promptly. 

I know. I still get the five Adrenaline and I can swap back immediately. For what reason do you assume I'm unable to see things happening? And no, if you do that you still have a lag where you can just sit there as using the two warhorn abilities takes a combined 1 second. Having to wait 1½ seconds is a lot smoother than having to wait 4.

 

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

20 minutes ago, Malus.2184 said:

I know. I still get the five Adrenaline and I can swap back immediately. For what reason do you assume I'm unable to see things happening? 

 

 

1 hour ago, Malus.2184 said:

The build is at the same time starved for Adrenaline for use in Bursts, I get Adrenaline when I swap weapons, and with the combination of Fast Hands and Relic of the Warrior, I can access that Adrenaline in 2½ seconds. 

Your phrasing here implies gaining adrenaline every 2.5s, which cannot happen due to the 4s CD on the trait. The 2.5s weapon swap is still very good for Staff + X/Horn though.

[Malus.2184]

18 hours ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Your phrasing here implies gaining adrenaline every 2.5s, which cannot happen due to the 4s CD on the trait. The 2.5s weapon swap is still very good for Staff + X/Horn though.

That makes sense, added a note that I'm aware of it.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

7 minutes ago, Malus.2184 said:

That makes sense, added a note that I'm aware of it.

👍

[Malus.2184]

After playing around with this build here are my impressions.

This is a mobile healer and does badly in the current bunker meta, which will hopefully be a thing of the past in three weeks.

When kept mobile I would replace the banners with Shouts since they can be used on the move, which is where the Warrior Healer shines. Never take it into a comp where you just stand still and wail away. There are classes much better suited for this. Once the fights go back to being moving fights again I think the winners will be the Vindicators and the Warrior Staff support since none of their things requires people to stand still to get the effect.