Pros and cons on DH vs FB in open world content.

[RabbitUp.8294]

> @Shonesto.2510 said:

> I've tried both, with crappy rare gear mind you, and if you go full damage like most guides suggest, you die in 3 hits (I'm sitting at around 11.5k HP with full berserker rares and a couple of exotics). You REALLY need to be on your toes when playing, especially DH as you need to get in close for setting traps and GS #3. I don't find the spec to be very mindless at all for OW content.

>

> I'm not sure if more defensive skills are needed, or if I need a different set of gear for OW that has toughness or vitality as minors.

 

If you use sword/focus+GS as a DH, along with Shelter as your healing skill, you will have no problem surviving, as long as you make use of all your blinds, blocks, cc and mobility. Only use scepter for boss events.

 

DH doesn't have much of a problem at all surviving, but FB is more of a "kill before you are killed" build. You could make a seperate armour set, but most people won't bother spending money for open world, me included.

 

> @Shampanix.3928 said:

> **Dragonhunter for OW/Frac** - full marauder gear with traveller runes, weapons: GS/LB, trait lines: zeal/radiance/DH.

 

Don't bother with Marauder, Valkyrie is a better choice. More survivability and damage than Maruader, and equal damage to Berserker, as long as you properly use Retaliation.

[KeoLegend.5132]

Dragonhunter is WAY better in Open World

I could be wrong but i DARE to say that Dragonhunter Trapper has the biggest burst damage of all classes. And since 97% of all OW mobs are either common or veteran, a SIMPLE combo of Heal + 2-3 traps + GS4 +GS2 can melt them.

 

Also, on bechmarks FB's damage is only a BIT higher, considering is CONDI damage it takes time to RAMP up. So DH can wipe things faster. And also...

- DH can range

- - DH is more mobile

- -- DH has simple yet better on-demand virtues

 

But honesty i love the state of guardian right now! Both FB and DH are very viable so at the end chose which one you like to play more

 

[Dahkeus.8243]

I love Firebrand, but DH is just objectively better in 95% if open world content because of how efficient the burst AoE DPS is. Firebrand has good support for longer encounters, but DH seldom needs utility because of how quickly it can burst with traps and GS.

Both work very well though.

[Yannir.4132]

> @Shonesto.2510 said:

> > @Ragnarox.9601 said:

> > Celestial for FB works wonders, in berserker gear you can die to 1 hit. Dont follow guides and min max your equipment.

> I agree, but in higher level content you are picked for pure damage. I feel like for both DH and FB you need two sets of gear, one for OW and soloing (more defensive) and the other pure damage for mid-high fractals and raiding. As I said, I have crap gear, so getting two sets of gear is a daunting task.

>

> I definitely don't think the raid/fractal Guardian builds translate well to solo OW content, unlike the clone Mirage build did until it was nerfed to the ground yesterday :anguished:

>

> But I'm still a relative noob to Guardian, so please correct me if I'm wrong.

>

 

I clear all content as a solo full berserker DH. That includes Eater of Souls, LW boss encounters and Balthazar. I didn't even die once on Eater of Souls, and I did that fight before it was nerfed. So no, I don't think 2 sets of gear per ESpec is necessary, you just gotta 'git gud' :lol:

I won't deny FB is much better in a condi set, and FB is much better as a sustained DPS dealer and has better party support options, and is more flexible, but OW or LW you rarely need that. That's why I pick DH for OW as they are much better as burst DPS dealers, and their CC options are more impactful.

[Shonesto.2510]

> @Yannir.4132 said:

> I clear all content as a solo full berserker DH. That includes Eater of Souls, LW boss encounters and Balthazar. I didn't even die once on Eater of Souls, and I did that fight before it was nerfed. So no, I don't think 2 sets of gear per ESpec is necessary, you just gotta 'git gud' :lol:

> I won't deny FB is much better in a condi set, and FB is much better as a sustained DPS dealer and has better party support options, and is more flexible, but OW or LW you rarely need that. That's why I pick DH for OW as they are much better as burst DPS dealers, and their CC options are more impactful.

 

If you or anyone else has a video of soloing a HoT HP or anything as equally challenging, I'd love to see it. I'm sitting in full berserker's exotic armor and trinkets, rares for the weapons, DH runes (not great but cheap), and some cheap rubies, and I'm having a hard enough time soloing the jade cannons in Lake Doric (stupid things don't trigger traps :angry: ).

[Yannir.4132]

> @Shonesto.2510 said:

> > @Yannir.4132 said:

> > I clear all content as a solo full berserker DH. That includes Eater of Souls, LW boss encounters and Balthazar. I didn't even die once on Eater of Souls, and I did that fight before it was nerfed. So no, I don't think 2 sets of gear per ESpec is necessary, you just gotta 'git gud' :lol:

> > I won't deny FB is much better in a condi set, and FB is much better as a sustained DPS dealer and has better party support options, and is more flexible, but OW or LW you rarely need that. That's why I pick DH for OW as they are much better as burst DPS dealers, and their CC options are more impactful.

>

> If you or anyone else has a video of soloing a HoT HP or anything as equally challenging, I'd love to see it. I'm sitting in full berserker's exotic armor and trinkets, rares for the weapons, DH runes (not great but cheap), and some cheap rubies, and I'm having a hard enough time soloing the jade cannons in Lake Doric (stupid things don't trigger traps :angry: ).

 

I can tell your first mistake right from here. Rare weapons have a lower damage modifier than exotic or ascended weapons, so you are gimping your damage by using them. Check your weapons on the part that says "Weapon Strength". That number is significantly lower on rare weapons than on exotic or ascended ones. Exotic and ascended weapons however have the same weapon strength, just ascendeds have slightly higher stats and infusion slots. How hard you hit with weapon skills is counted based weapon strength * a skill-specific modifier * stat modifiers * level(which is irrelevant when discussing max level characters). Generally, weapons are the first things you upgrade when you have the chance because of that. Personally I don't even bother buying anything less than lvl 80 exotic. Waste of gold basically.

 

Some free advice to save on costs, always look for the named exotic variant of a weapon, and don't buy the one someone's crafted. For example, if you want an exotic berserker GS, buy Ebonblade instead of Berserker's Pearl Broadsword. Currently Ebonblade costs 2.7 g where the pearl weapon is 5 g. Pearl weapons are always crafted, and they have expensive-ish materials, so don't buy those unless you feel generous and want to give back to the crafter. The named version is pretty much always cheaper. This doesn't work on all stat types, like Apothecary's, if you ever want those. There's no lootable weapon of that stat, so you will have to buy the crafted version. But for the basic stat types like Assassin, Berserker, Carrion, Cleric, Dire, Knight, Rabid and Valkyrie there's always the lootable budget version sold on TP.

 

PS. I don't have videos, and can't think of any good guardians on Youtube right now but if you're on EU, you can message me in-game, just type my name in the search field in your contacts panel and whisper me. :smile:

[CptAurellian.9537]

Actually, that's not correct. Ascended weapons still have 5% more weapon strength than exotic ones. It's not just stats.

[Yannir.4132]

> @CptAurellian.9537 said:

> Actually, that's not correct. Ascended weapons still have 5% more weapon strength than exotic ones. It's not just stats.

 

Yeah, my bad. Aurellian is correct.

[Shampanix.3928]

Due to recent news

 

https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/19600/upcoming-wintersday-balance-update

 

I think this discussion will be ended by devs - condis are gonna be pushed more into ramp teritory thus FB will drop more clearly under DH for open world content. I'm glad they will try to balance game more effectively, tho it's a bit sad for me that some builds won't be as good as they were for open world. I liked a lot having two equally good elite specs for my fav content on my main guard. Yet I guess it has to happen for sake of all other game modes.

[Klowdy.3126]

> @Shampanix.3928 said:

> Due to recent news

>

> https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/19600/upcoming-wintersday-balance-update

>

> I think this discussion will be ended by devs - condis are gonna be pushed more into ramp teritory thus FB will drop more clearly under DH for open world content. I'm glad they will try to balance game more effectively, tho it's a bit sad for me that some builds won't be as good as they were for open world. I liked a lot having two equally good elite specs for my fav content on my main guard. Yet I guess it has to happen for sake of all other game modes.

 

I feel the same way. I love both of my specs in OW, but I'm glad they are moving towards a total balance. I mean, with my FB spec, I can still burst down big groups by putting up 10-15 stacks of burn in a few seconds.

[RabbitUp.8294]

I'm waiting to see how they will treat something like F1 passive (and Permeating Wrath), which is both low duration and only 1 stack.