Here you go: [Support/Offense FB build for PVP]

[Abelisk.4527]

Hi all,

I decided to make an offensive, boon-rich support Firebrand to greatly enhance allies' offense and defense.

Notes:• HP-starved, so replenish your health often• Utilizes Power stats for increased pressure• Does not use Radiance specialization• More boons for more personal/group sustain and damage increase, greater swiftness stats, etc• Quickness share and potent Might share• Powerful healing• Has a gap closer

Build:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQNAW8dnsADFBjVDBeDBkCjlGC7aYtlCAYFgIQXa/e+PLoA-jZxHQBlsMw3eAA/Y/BldEAAwFBAA

Reasoning: powerful group support with enhanced boon duration is a strong combo; higher Quickness and Might duration for allies aids in team strength, while keeping hard sustain via group support. Longer swiftness duration opens up for more possibilities. Longer Protection, Regeneration, Resistance increase sustain for allies especially when leave Firebrand proximity. Deals enough damage to fend off enemies holding a point down.

Don't forget to use Staff 2 as a means of condition damage mitigation. Ashes of the Just is a handy enhancement for Scourge. Quickness Mantra should be used to aid allies, speed up skills, and provide personal offense.

Watch out for bursty power builds, and save tomes for key moments. Contemplation of Purity is an emergency button.

Good luck.

[Dahkeus.8243]

With the massive amount of corrupts and strips out there, I don't see why it would be worth investing in boon duration.

[Yannir.4132]

@Dahkeus.8243 said:With the massive amount of corrupts and strips out there, I don't see why it would be worth investing in boon duration.

That was my first thought as well. Mender's amulet would work better. Liberator's Vow also seems like a mistake, rather than Archivist of Whispers. As well as, shield over focus in a support build. Been playing with the idea of going sword as well.

[Saiyan.1704]

I want to like Harrier Boonbrand builds but even with the 300 extra Vita in Honor, Power Thieves + Scourge duo still eat me alive to the point where I'm worthless on a team but if you have no issues with survival then Harrier is definitely the better amulet for Firebrand.

I'd argue that Leadership rune's 15% Boon duration + a 2 boon cleanse Elite in clutch situations is better than the 10% extra ally heal with Monk runes.

EDITI would also use Shield over Focus for the CC and AoE heals but I suppose this is an optional pick.

[Dahkeus.8243]

To some degree, you could always do some amulet/rune swapping depending on what classes you see on the enemy team before a game starts.

[Abelisk.4527]

@Yannir.4132 said:

@Dahkeus.8243 said:With the massive amount of corrupts and strips out there, I don't see why it would be worth investing in boon duration.

That was my first thought as well. Mender's amulet would work better. Liberator's Vow also seems like a mistake, rather than Archivist of Whispers. As well as, shield over focus in a support build. Been playing with the idea of going sword as well.

Archivist is good, but I like using weapons more often. Personal preference.

For more Quickness you could take Stalwart Speed as well.

Boon corruption is an exaggerated concept since Aegis blocks Sand Shade skills so in actuality there isn't as much boon corruption as you'd like to think there is. Plus, the constant reapplication of boons and high condi cleanse amounts limit the damage caused by Scourges.

[Ryan.9387]

Water rune is pretty much the best choice hands down for anyone running the mantra heal.

[Saiyan.1704]

I shall challenging your build with my own damage & support concept!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQRAre8dnsADFBjdCBWDBkCjF+BDLAMDKCXlrNwIYfjGSPpA-jJRXAB0WGAg9HW+kAw4TAAA

To save time i'll just quickly list the perks of this build variant compared to the OP

• Menders offering more damages than Harriers
• Protector's Impact over Invigorating Bulwark for an AoE - 981 damage - 636 healing - 3.75s Protection on Heal Activation
• Two condi cleans Sigils per swap helps tremendously vs Condi comp classes (i'm not noticing the removal of Energy sigils at all)*~~ Signet of Mercy over Contemplation of Purity - The fastest rez in the game that can be a huge game changer, healing buff is a bonus.~~(Maybe Contemplation of Purity for that AT team with 2 burst Necros. Maybe Echo of Truth to complement your two Necro team + AoE Weakness)

About the 40%+ extra team healing traits - Invigorating Bulwark + Force of WillI would think about swapping to that IF I was maybe trying to keep up two Necros. For SoloQ Ranked PvP I definitely wouldn't take it because teams aren't that organized. For AT's.... that's another story... i'm a sucker for Symbols so i'd argue that when F2 and F3 are on CD.... the 40% extra team heals isn't going to make a difference but that's just my 2 copper.

I settled for Arken's Harrier build... didn't care enough about the above build to use it over my Magi's Bunker build.

[nvmvoidrays.2158]

@"Saiyan.1704" said:I shall challenging your build with my own damage & support concept!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQRAre8dnsADFBjdCBWDBkCjF+BDLAMDKCXlrNwIYfjGSPpA-jJRXAB0WGAg9HW+kAw4TAAA

To save time i'll just quickly list the perks of this build variant compared to the OP

• Menders offering more damages than Harriers
• Protector's Impact over Invigorating Bulwark for an AoE - 981 damage - 636 healing - 3.75s Protection on Heal Activation
• Two condi cleans Sigils per swap helps tremendously vs Condi comp classes (i'm not noticing the removal of Energy sigils at all)
• Signet of Mercy over Contemplation of Purity - The fastest rez in the game that can be a huge game changer, healing buff is a bonus.(Maybe Contemplation of Purity for that AT team with 2 burst Necros. Maybe Echo of Truth to complement your two Necro team + AoE Weakness)

About the 40%+ extra team healing traits - Invigorating Bulwark + Force of WillI would think about swapping to that IF I was maybe trying to keep up two Necros. For SoloQ Ranked PvP I definitely wouldn't take it because teams aren't that organized. For AT's.... that's another story... i'm a sucker for Symbols so i'd argue that when F2 and F3 are on CD.... the 40% extra team heals isn't going to make a difference but that's just my 2 copper.

Sage's Amulet is much better than Mender's.

Sage's Amulet triples your condition damage, iirc but you only lose about 10% healing. this means you can use Tome of Justice to actually help do damage.

[Saiyan.1704]

@nvmvoidrays.2158 said:

@"Saiyan.1704" said:I shall challenging your build with my own damage & support concept!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQRAre8dnsADFBjdCBWDBkCjF+BDLAMDKCXlrNwIYfjGSPpA-jJRXAB0WGAg9HW+kAw4TAAA

To save time i'll just quickly list the perks of this build variant compared to the OP

• Menders offering more damages than Harriers
• Protector's Impact
  over
  Invigorating Bulwark
  for an AoE - 981 damage - 636 healing - 3.75s Protection on Heal Activation
• Two condi cleans Sigils
  per swap helps tremendously vs Condi comp classes (i'm not noticing the removal of Energy sigils at all)
• Signet of Mercy
  over
  Contemplation of Purity
  - The fastest rez in the game that can be a huge game changer, healing buff is a bonus.(Maybe
  Contemplation of Purity
  for that AT team with 2 burst Necros. Maybe
  Echo of Truth
  to complement your two Necro team + AoE Weakness)

About the 40%+ extra team healing traits -

Invigorating Bulwark

+

Force of Will

I would think about swapping to that IF I was maybe trying to keep up two Necros. For SoloQ Ranked PvP I definitely wouldn't take it because teams aren't that organized. For AT's.... that's another story... i'm a sucker for Symbols so i'd argue that when F2 and F3 are on CD.... the 40% extra team heals isn't going to make a difference but that's just my 2 copper.

Sage's Amulet is much better than Mender's.

Sage's Amulet triples your condition damage, iirc but you only lose about 10% healing. this means you can use Tome of Justice to actually help do damage.

I agree on the damage aspect but you lose 500 healing power, which is a lot when considering healing modifiers increases heal output further. I didn't calculate the 33% increased healing from F2:#5 but with around 40% - 44% increased healing to allies it's closer to 20% - 25% increased in healing.

But as always if you don't need to survive longer or keep your team up, then you don't need more healing power. I myself would never run Sage in Ranked.

[Saiyan.1704]

Hey boss, I found a build (rather, an existing one) that challenges yours... it's basically Arken's build with a few minor tweaks for optimization on a competitive team comp.

I tried making your OP build work but it was just terrible in certain situations. Also when all Virtues were off CD, I couldn't do enough damage to matter much. Valor hasn't been particularly useful for me in any area other than extra condi cleanses and having, potentially, 10 - 15s longer to live during bursts when utilizing the 2k healing from meditations. On my build, however, i'm making some sick plays with Radiance. My build overall survives longer than it probably should when 1v3ing (if kiting right).

Key points:

• The healing difference remains unchanged; negligible from Menders or Magi's.
• Damages from F1 bursts, utilizing #4 + #1 is impressive enough to potentially counter Power Engi & Power Mesmer on point.
• Archivist of Whispers trait instead of 3s Quickness on Liberator's Law is a necessity. You can potentially bring your entire team to full heals, two rotations on F2 condi cleanses, and 2 rotations of Resistance on F4. Increasing damages and sustains when you need it most.
• Weighty Terms over Legendery Lore for a few reasons. One) You have plenty of Regen boons from your mantra utility so F2 regen isn't needed. Two) F3 is used mainly for Resistance rather than Protection spam so you can do without it. Three) Reduced Mantras means you'll spam more Quickness/Stability/Healing on your utility toolbar. Faster mantra's is a nice QoL feel and works wonders in clutch situations.

Build:http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vVAQRAse3dnsADFBjNCDeDBkCjF/Bb/imRHpYjgXweyKA8tuTA-jZRAxAcOBAA2fYYZAHHEAUPBAA

Harrier's is a diamond waiting to be mined... found and made popular by Arken. It really does have great potential. I just hope Anet doesn't do anything drastic to remove this high, skill-cap, build from Guardian.

Edit: fixed broken link

[reikken.4961]

I don't see how monk is better than waterseems an extra on demand heal is at least as good as 10% heal, and then water also has 5% extra boon duration and an extra condi clear

[Saiyan.1704]

Honor/Valor/FB is now a better option than using the Radiance build i posted above... OP's build feels stronger. Though it's only a matter of time until Anet nerfs FB again because we're apparently not allowed to have nice things =/

I'm rocking Axe/Shield (general CC) + Sword/Focus (general mobility + defense vs Thieves/power classes).

Still Water runes over Monks for a more beef heal and boon duration.Also running both Quickness traits for a higher uptime. - I'm running Liberator's Vow and Weighty Terms.

Getting focused by 2 power burst classes (Thief + X) is still our weakness but... so is everyone else I suppose.