Grieving, and other builds that are fun anyway.

[BrokenGlass.9356]

I love grieving gear. The concept, despite relitave poor performance is super cool. I've messed with bassicly all the classes that look like they could pull it off, and its fun. Just because the builds end up playing differently than pure builds.

 

But, I also like strange builds. I came up with a seraphs scourge healer mightbot at PoF launch. Super fun.

I'm playing a healing thief with the new Shadow Arts traits. Also, super fun.

 

So, I'm curious to know, what builds have you guys come up with that work really well, but will never see the light of day in the 'meta'.

 

Post skill builder links if you'd like to. It will be cool to see what's out there. I know there's a lot of builds I wish were a thing. And a lot of builds that *almost* work.

 

I'm hoping we can shine a light on those *fun anyway* kind of builds, and marvel at how close to full the glass can get.

 

(I'll be coming back to this to post a bunch of things I'm using for open world, and low tier fractals that are just... Fun anyway.)

[LaGranse.8652]

My mirage (WvW roaming) used greiving/celestial gear and it worked well. Not played it for about 1 year now though cause I jump between classes.

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAw2lJwkYTYm4oal9qA-zRRYsRD7N4yIwCo0EwhB-e

My idea for a fire weaver open world pve build. I havent played it in pve much but a similar pvp build is pretty fun with great sustain&damage. Fire weaver has very high burning burst damage for a condi build which makes it great for open world, and its nice to play a well rounded ele build that doesnt get 1 shot by every mob you run across. With this build you get 90% burning duration with no expertise.

[DietPepsi.4371]

My main's build is fun, at least to me, but isn't meta. It's my 'CoD Warrior' or 'Reverse Nike Warrior'.

Essentially it concentrates on doing three mains things:

1. reintroduce bleeding to Rifle.

2. Balance between high base damage, critical chance and critical damage (Berserker stat set)

3. Use dodge as much as is possible.

 

I believe it isn't meta because Rifle damage output for a non-berkserker isn't that impressive, and also the only condi cleanse I get is from mending and signet of stamina.

 

[build as it shows on Build Editor](http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKyAQx7lJwqoCsJWJOsKbrcA-zRIYhS9DPIFKq4ZakQw0FIIUyB-e "http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKyAQx7lJwqoCsJWJOsKbrcA-zRIYhS9DPIFKq4ZakQw0FIIUyB-e")

[BrokenGlass.9356]

@"DietPepsi.4371" the build editor link you shared shows a thief build, but the idea for the warrior sounds cool. Can you relink it?

 

 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PSwAgiFlFwQYgsD2IW+SeNXA-zRJYsRHfhUQFUZC0ZI4zso7vF-e

 

This is my Grieving Reaper build. Really fun to play, let's you use all of your kit. Fun crit numbers, and really silly bleed stacks.

[DietPepsi.4371]

> @"BrokenGlass.9356" said:

> @"DietPepsi.4371" the build editor link you shared shows a thief build, but the idea for the warrior sounds cool. Can you relink it?

 

... of course it did. My luck.

Updated the orignal link, and I'll post it here too.

This link should work this time: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKyAQx7lJwqoCsJWJOsKbrcA-zRIYhS9DPIFKq4ZakQw0FIIUyB-e

[BrokenGlass.9356]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PGgAwilZw0YSsRGKWWPmvKA-zRJYsRDfZ0ZCURBo3so7vF-e

 

This is a grieving weaver, whose playstyle is entirely base around not using fire attunement. Cycling from water, to earth, to earth to air to air to earth to water to earth to earth to air to air. And so on. But with fresh air, your trying to cast air air 3 as much as possible. While casting earth water and earth air 3 skills at much as possible.

 

It's so not meta. But I'm so tired of fire attunement.

[Kalifax.3046]

I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

[KidRoleplay.3615]

> @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

 

It's no use at this point. The attribute system in this game along with how encounters are presented leans towards specialization in one area of focus, as that will give optimal results.

 

Unlike in Guild Wars 1 where you'd put 16 points into an attribute which would be your max, yet you'd still have another 16+ left allowing you to make other things worthwhile as well (also, enemies weren't health sponges until just short of Ring of Fire), with the Guild Wars 2 method, you choose a direction and keep going... and going, while traits and other modifiers add multiplicatively onto them. Then add in enemies that take forever to kill if you're not optimized while they mainly "challenge" you back with big hits or one shots and do little else, and it seems like the game itself is training you towards the best burst and dps you can be capable of. Heck, even level 80 WHITE armor and weapons you buy default to Berserker's.

 

Strengthening secondary stats wont help this. It'll just mess up the competitive game modes.

 

That being said, I love to make just about anything, but I wont fool myself into thinking my myriad experiments are more effective than my minmaxed characters.

[Kalifax.3046]

> @"KidRoleplay.3615" said:

> > @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> > I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

>

> It's no use at this point. The attribute system in this game along with how encounters are presented leans towards specialization in one area of focus, as that will give optimal results.

>

> Unlike in Guild Wars 1 where you'd put 16 points into an attribute which would be your max, yet you'd still have another 16+ left allowing you to make other things worthwhile as well (also, enemies weren't health sponges until just short of Ring of Fire), with the Guild Wars 2 method, you choose a direction and keep going... and going, while traits and other modifiers add multiplicatively onto them. Then add in enemies that take forever to kill if you're not optimized while they mainly "challenge" you back with big hits or one shots and do little else, and it seems like the game itself is training you towards the best burst and dps you can be capable of. Heck, even level 80 WHITE armor and weapons you buy default to Berserker's.

>

> Strengthening secondary stats wont help this. It'll just mess up the competitive game modes.

>

> That being said, I love to make just about anything, but I wont fool myself into thinking my myriad experiments are more effective than my minmaxed characters.

 

Well, that makes me sad. There's not much choice at all then! Berserker or whatever flavor of condi + expertise and something else. But yes, I think I know what you mean. Power needs Precision and Ferocity to do good damage. Condition damage simply needs Expertise, and then you try to benefit from one of those conversion traits, if they increase damage? So if you forsake some Power to get Condition Damage, both Precision and Ferocity suffer massively?

 

[sokeenoppa.5384]

> @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> > @"KidRoleplay.3615" said:

> > > @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> > > I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

> >

> > It's no use at this point. The attribute system in this game along with how encounters are presented leans towards specialization in one area of focus, as that will give optimal results.

> >

> > Unlike in Guild Wars 1 where you'd put 16 points into an attribute which would be your max, yet you'd still have another 16+ left allowing you to make other things worthwhile as well (also, enemies weren't health sponges until just short of Ring of Fire), with the Guild Wars 2 method, you choose a direction and keep going... and going, while traits and other modifiers add multiplicatively onto them. Then add in enemies that take forever to kill if you're not optimized while they mainly "challenge" you back with big hits or one shots and do little else, and it seems like the game itself is training you towards the best burst and dps you can be capable of. Heck, even level 80 WHITE armor and weapons you buy default to Berserker's.

> >

> > Strengthening secondary stats wont help this. It'll just mess up the competitive game modes.

> >

> > That being said, I love to make just about anything, but I wont fool myself into thinking my myriad experiments are more effective than my minmaxed characters.

>

> Well, that makes me sad. There's not much choice at all then! Berserker or whatever flavor of condi + expertise and something else. But yes, I think I know what you mean. Power needs Precision and Ferocity to do good damage. Condition damage simply needs Expertise, and then you try to benefit from one of those conversion traits, if they increase damage? So if you forsake some Power to get Condition Damage, both Precision and Ferocity suffer massively?

>

 

For condition dmg you want viper stats (power, precision, condition damage, expertise.) Precision nis there coz many traits/runes apply conditions on crit and power is there as its best stat to pick after those 3 must stats.

[JonnyForgotten.4276]

> @"KidRoleplay.3615" said:

> > @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> > I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

>

> It's no use at this point. The attribute system in this game along with how encounters are presented leans towards specialization in one area of focus, as that will give optimal results.

>

> Unlike in Guild Wars 1 where you'd put 16 points into an attribute which would be your max, yet you'd still have another 16+ left allowing you to make other things worthwhile as well (also, enemies weren't health sponges until just short of Ring of Fire), with the Guild Wars 2 method, you choose a direction and keep going... and going, while traits and other modifiers add multiplicatively onto them. Then add in enemies that take forever to kill if you're not optimized while they mainly "challenge" you back with big hits or one shots and do little else, and it seems like the game itself is training you towards the best burst and dps you can be capable of. Heck, even level 80 WHITE armor and weapons you buy default to Berserker's.

>

> Strengthening secondary stats wont help this. It'll just mess up the competitive game modes.

>

> That being said, I love to make just about anything, but I wont fool myself into thinking my myriad experiments are more effective than my minmaxed characters.

 

Not entirely true. I have been running a condi/power hybrid set on my thief lately with pretty good results, especially out in open world. Carrion weapon and armor, plus Grieving trinkets. Built out with thief runes, I end up with ~45% crit, 170% crit damage, plus solid power and condi damage to boot. Certainly can't put up the massive numbers a pure power build can on a single strike, but the constant condi ticks seem to more than make up for it. Plus its far more fun than a traditional tank condi build. :)

 

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PawAgiVlRwuYOsFWJO2WnNXA-zRRYLRHjN4CpvSIzIojEwzZ5RzK-e

[KidRoleplay.3615]

> @"JonnyForgotten.4276" said:

> **Not entirely true**. I have been running a condi/power hybrid set on my thief lately with pretty good results, especially out in open world. Carrion weapon and armor, plus Grieving trinkets. Built out with thief runes, I end up with ~45% crit, 170% crit damage, plus solid power and condi damage to boot. Certainly can't put up the massive numbers a pure power build can on a single strike, but the constant condi ticks seem to more than make up for it. Plus its far more fun than a traditional tank condi build. :)

>

> http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PawAgiVlRwuYOsFWJO2WnNXA-zRRYLRHjN4CpvSIzIojEwzZ5RzK-e

 

I mean, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you just said it yourself in your very own post, what with "not true" followed quickly by "certainly can't put up the massive numbers a pure power build can on a single strike"; but adding on condition damage really doesn't make up for the strength of specializing. Even the OP acknowledges that it's all about fun. I was just addressing @"Kalifax.3046" 's concern.

 

Disregarding the character ADHD, I have a full Berserker's thief, full Assassin's thief, full Marauder's thief, full Viper's, full Trailblazer's, and full... Apothecary's thief (see... this is why we need build templates!). I also messed around with Grieving once, Valkyrie's once, and also an Assassin's/ Cavalier's mix once, but those are gone. They were of course just for fun and seeing what variety I could come up with, but I know that when I get serious and put my Saitama Gameface on, I grab ~~another class~~ my Berserker's thief and shred through everything.

[perilisk.1874]

> @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

 

It's mostly due to the fact that some roles are governed by multiple attributes (e.g., direct damage is based on power, precision, and ferocity, while condition damage is governed by both condition damage and expertise), while other critical mechanics are not really tied to attributes at all (hard CC, active defense).

 

GW1 worked better in a couple of ways -- one, you mostly allocated stats as desired, and gear was just a bonus on top of that (and every gear bonus over +1 came at the cost of health, so it was only really desirable if you genuinely needed the boost). Two, each skill was tied to an attribute, so the usefulness of an attribute was directly related to the usefulness of the associated skills.

[JonnyForgotten.4276]

> @"KidRoleplay.3615" said:

> > @"JonnyForgotten.4276" said:

> > **Not entirely true**. I have been running a condi/power hybrid set on my thief lately with pretty good results, especially out in open world. Carrion weapon and armor, plus Grieving trinkets. Built out with thief runes, I end up with ~45% crit, 170% crit damage, plus solid power and condi damage to boot. Certainly can't put up the massive numbers a pure power build can on a single strike, but the constant condi ticks seem to more than make up for it. Plus its far more fun than a traditional tank condi build. :)

> >

> > http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PawAgiVlRwuYOsFWJO2WnNXA-zRRYLRHjN4CpvSIzIojEwzZ5RzK-e

>

> I mean, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but you just said it yourself in your very own post, what with "not true" followed quickly by "certainly can't put up the massive numbers a pure power build can on a single strike"; but adding on condition damage really doesn't make up for the strength of specializing. Even the OP acknowledges that it's all about fun. I was just addressing @"Kalifax.3046" 's concern.

>

> Disregarding the character ADHD, I have a full Berserker's thief, full Assassin's thief, full Marauder's thief, full Viper's, full Trailblazer's, and full... Apothecary's thief (see... this is why we need build templates!). I also messed around with Grieving once, Valkyrie's once, and also an Assassin's/ Cavalier's mix once, but those are gone. They were of course just for fun and seeing what variety I could come up with, but I know that when I get serious and put my Saitama Gameface on, I grab ~~another class~~ my Berserker's thief and shred through everything.

 

Fair enough, lol. Realised that was stated somewhat poorly after I had posted it, but I am too lazy to edit. :)

[Tommo Chocolate.5870]

Grieving is good for builds that focus on only one damaging condition, since you can usually get close to +100% duration to a single condition from other sources (traits, runes and sigils) so you don't need expertise. I use it with my Firebrand, with Balthazar runes, Sigil of Smouldering, and Radiant Fire. I haven't measured the damage, but it feels honestly kind of ridiculous against most things.

 

@"BrokenGlass.9356"'s Reaper build has the same idea behind it, only it focusses entirely on bleeding rather than burning. I don't know which other professions have similar options though, that allow them to pick just one damaging condition like that. Elementalist could presumably do it either with burning from Fire or bleeding from Earth, but I think you'd end up pigeonholing yourself too much into a single element.

[BrokenGlass.9356]

So, as for hybrid damage. It can work. You need a few things. Traits, runes and sigils that can 100% duration on a single condition, and weapons traits and sigls that apply enough of that one condition.

 

It will never be quite meta, except on firebrand. But it's usable on holosmith, deadeye, and reaper.

 

The only place it's not going to work, is in raids with very tight build checks. You *can* just walk into a raid, but you have to be on your game. And if you end up explaining the build, don't expect folks to be super accepting.

 

That said, my grieving Reaper has been clocking higher on arcdps than the other pug reapers I've been seeing in fractals and raids. Don't know if it's a better build, or if those guys weren't terribly good. Fair odds either way.

 

See, sometimes it comes down to whether or not you play it well enough to put up the numbers. At the high end of the meta, the damage numbers are so inflated by perfection that a person learning, even with a fully ascended meta build, can still have widely variant dps from the snowcrows videos. So, if you can get up into an acceptable 20kish dps then, even if it's not meta... If you know how to play the encounters well... You're probably fine. (assuming you're not taking up a slot they need for some required role)

 

I'm excited about these warrior tactics traits, the heal warrior dream might be alive

[Hesacon.8735]

> @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

 

A lot of prefixes nobody uses in pve are meta for different builds in wvw.

[Kalifax.3046]

> @"Hesacon.8735" said:

> > @"Kalifax.3046" said:

> > I'm still kinda new to the game, so I was hoping to find out that all the prefixes are viable. If most of them go unused, why aren't Arenanet buffing them?

>

> A lot of prefixes nobody uses in pve are meta for different builds in wvw.

 

Makes sense to me. Thanks for the info.

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

I've often wondered how strong a Griever Elementalist would be. I don't want to test it myself, because I don't want to spend the money and can't do benchmarks anymore. BUT, while doing the standard weaver rotation I noticed that I stack a whole lot of burns. Grievers would increase the damage of those burns by 73% under full might, and much more boonless. Yes, it does sacrifice 10% of its direct damage to do this (assuming same sigils, runes, and build), but I can't help but think it might be a fair trade, or that there's some combination with different runes/sigils that will come out on top.

 

On the engineer forums there's someone who insists on griever holosmith. Same deal there: a whole lot of free burns are on that build. There's even a couple of griever thieves in WvW. The theory on that is sound: if you're fighting against another class cannon you'll flatten them with power damage, but if you're fighting against a tank all of those poisons and bleeds will bypass their toughness for extra damage.

 

Personally I tend t run full diviner sets. The meta builds usually equip you with the minimum necessary for 100% uptime, but I prefer shooting for 100% boon duration.

[otto.5684]

On condi FB it is equally as strong as sinister and vipers. I think it is the only build that can use grieving competitively.

[MrForz.1953]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKyAc+RlRwWYJsKmJO2WdtUA-zRJYsR3fYEVWhZq9s4nrF-e

 

For all my shiny meat bicycle needs. Build is very, very acceptive of changes. Additional points if you're going Aetherized Axe and Touch of Madness while making unintelligible roaring noises.

[BrokenGlass.9356]

That's really sick. I love a warrior build that uses rifle... And damn, that's on point. Does gunflame cool down on hit like decapitate? If so, that's amazeballs and totally worth the gear cost for the sheer fun.

 

Been looking for other strange builds... And I've got my eye on grieving soulbeast.... Don't think it'll be terribly elegant, but I'm hoping the changes to sword will make it cleaner... Idk. Lots to play with.

 

Like.... Hello healing warrior? I'm just tapping my foot waiting for the skill builder guys to catch out to the patch.

[MrForz.1953]

> @"BrokenGlass.9356" said:

> That's really sick. I love a warrior build that uses rifle... And kitten, that's on point. Does gunflame cool down on hit like decapitate? If so, that's amazeballs and totally worth the gear cost for the sheer fun.

 

Sadly no, it doesn't. But I have a very strong hate for the Longbow which is probably better in this build, and without Crackshot, adrenaline building is a little hard with the rifle during berserk. I carry it strictly for the additional CC when looking to break champs on my own and the ability to retreat.

 

 

[Dante.1508]

I use a dual dagger bleed vamp heal build on my Necro and it works amazing in PvE that said it requires constant attacking to be efficient but i find it really fun.

No e-specs required.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PSEFgE1ZYZERMsw2VX7ojRGpDvSb6D-zRJYmx/gkLEino9rK/XkhIRSjkEQSJrF5/tA-e

This is a fun PvE build not designed for dungeon stuff.

 

You can switch Axe/horn for Staff.