Guild Wars 2 Warrior Greatsword PvP Guide

Guild Wars 2 Warrior Greatsword PvP Guide by Guttzu

Hello everyone, my name is Guttzu and welcome to my guide/review of the Warrior profession in Guild Wars 2. I want to start out by saying how impressed I was by the gameplay of Guild Wars 2. I played the game for the first time in the BWE3 but I was very pleased with how well everything flowed in sPvP. The maps were fun and the graphics were appealing. I played a warrior for 4 years in WoW but the UI and feel of Guild Wars 2, to me, surpasses WoW. Here is a little bit about my PvP past… I competed in high level arena during seasons 2 and 3 of WoW so I thoroughly enjoy the melee class which is why I stuck with Warrior for GW2! Ok enough about my gaming history; let’s get started with the build/review!

*** This guide is intended for use in 5v5 or 8v8 sPvP. The build is focused around Greatsword + Axe/Shield and the Hundred Blades/Eviscerate weapon skills. I will keep this guide updated with other viable specs and playstyles. ***

Here is a link to the build:
Link to Build

Here is a quick link to all the warrior skills on GW2 Wiki: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/List_of_warrior_skills

Brief Warrior Intro

So you are saying to yourself, “Hey I want to play a warrior so I can run into battle and just button mash and kill everyone yeah, come at me bro!!!” As much as I would like to say that is the case for warrior in GW2, sadly, it is not. This build is more focused around timing your cool-downs and knowing when to burst a target down. I found the warrior to actually be a little squishy with this build but you have good mobility and can get around in combat. Your main focus as a warrior is to dish out consistent DPS and pressure a target until you need to burst them so let’s get into a list of skills and what they mean to you as a warrior. Note that you can reference all of these skills in the “warrior skills” link above.

Greatsword Skills:

1. Greatsword Swing -> Greatsword Slice -> Brutal Strike – (No recharge)

• Greatsword swing is the first skill in this 3 skill chain. It is decent damage and it applies a condition called “vulnerability” for 8 seconds.
• Here is a link for vulnerability: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Vulnerability
• Vulnerability is a nice condition because it lowers your target’s defense.
• Defense is a value that is listed on the hero panel. Basically the lower your defense the more incoming damage you take. Higher defense means higher reduction to incoming damage.
• Link to Defense stat: http://wiki.guildwar…nse_(statistic)
• The next skill is Greatsword slice. This is the same thing as Greatsword swing.
• The final skill is Brutal strike. It does a little more damage than the first 2 skills but does not apply vulnerability.
• Note that all three of these have the same range of 130 which means you will be spamming this as your main skill when in face-to-face melee combat. Keeping vulnerability on your target will be very important because this lowers their defense which in turn means more damage to them by you and your teammates.

2. Hundred Blades – (8 second recharge)

• This skill has great damage potential but must be cast in ideal situations since it is a “cast” skill with an actual cast bar. Only use this spell if you know you are going to land all of its strikes or most of them. Again, this has great potential for damage but you need to cast it intelligently. A key time would be when an opponent is knocked down.
• With that being said, this skill is the reason you go Greatsword! There is ridiculous burst damage potential and if someone gets hit by a full cast of this they are hurting pretty bad afterwards.

3. Whirlwind Attack – (10 second recharge)

• This attack whirlwinds you in a selected direction. It does decent damage and actually damages all foes in its path. The range on this is 450 so it is a decent distance from start to finish.
• This is a great skill because it can be used as an escape, an initiator, or a way to boost your speed while running from point to point on the map.
• This skill takes a little while to get used to since it is – Hit once to show your possible path then hit again to actually whirlwind along that path. If this was “point your cursor in the desired direction and hit one button to whirlwind in the desired direction” that would be awesome.

4. Bladetrail – (15 second recharge)

• Throw your greatsword at your foe. It travels to your target and returns to you, crippling foes, (for 4 seconds), along its path. The range on this is 990 so it’s a pretty decent range to chuck your greatsword.
• I like to use this sometimes as a finisher when an enemy is running away.
• This is actually a pretty decent skill since it cripples everyone in its path. This means everyone it hits on its way to its target and then everyone it hits on the way back.
• Here is a link to cripple:http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Crippled
• You can also use this as an opener to cripple your foe for 4 seconds which means they will be limping when you get in melee range with them.

5. Rush – (20 second recharge)

• This is your basic, “charge your opponent”, skill. It has a range of 1,200 and does some damage once you get close to your enemy.
• This is an awesome gap closer when you need to switch targets or catch up to a target that is out of melee range and running away from you.
• You can also use it to gain speed right out of the starting area to get to your designated cap zone quicker.

– I didn’t include the Greatsword burst skill because I never used it. –

Main Hand – Axe

1. Chop -> Double Chop -> Triple Chop – (No recharge)

• The title of the skill says it all. Single chop, then chop 2 times, then chop 3 times. Nothing special just damage.

2. Cyclone Axe – (6 second recharge)

• This is a good aoe damage skill since you spin around and attack all nearby enemies.
• This also applies the condition “Vulnerability” for 8 seconds.
• Here is a link to Vulnerability:http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Vulnerability
• Vulnerability is a nice condition because it lowers your target’s defense.
• Defense is a value that is listed on the hero panel. Basically the lower your defense the more incoming damage you take. Higher defense means higher reduction to incoming damage.
• Link to Defense stat: http://wiki.guildwar…nse_(statistic)

3. Throw Axe – (10 second recharge)

• You throw your axe and deal some damage. This skill also cripples your enemy for 4 seconds. The range is 900.
• Here is a link to cripple: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Crippled
• I like to use this sometimes as a finisher when an enemy is running away.
• You can also use this as an opener to cripple your foe for 4 seconds which means they will be limping when you get in melee range with them.

* Burst Skill – Eviscerate – (10 second recharge)

• Finally your bread and butter burst move!!!
• Leap at your foe with a devastating attack. Effect increases with adrenaline level.
• Basically the more adrenaline you have the more damage this will do. Note that your adrenaline is measured in 3 levels.
• The main thing I like about this skill is that it comes with a leap. This means that this is a great gap closer and finishing move on low health targets. The leap range is 300 so it is a decent short range gap closer.

Off Hand – Shield

4. Shield Bash – (25 second recharge)

• Bash your foe with your shield and stun them. You also leap to your enemy as the combo finisher.
• I found this skill great to use when someone is in decent range and casting heavily on you. Pop this skill and it shuts them up. Range is 300 so you need to judge the distance correctly.
• The stun is for 1 second. It doesn’t sound like a lot but that is 1 second that the enemy isn’t doing anything. This is a good skill and another form of a short range gap closer for the warrior.

5. Shield Stance – (30 second recharge)

• Block incoming attacks for 3 seconds.
• This is a great skill when you are getting focused and need 3 seconds of blocking all incoming damage.
• Note that you are able to run around when this skill is active. You do move slower when this skill is active but hey it’s blocking all incoming damage bro, you can’t have your cake and eat it too!

Slot Skills

1. Mending – (20 second recharge)

• This is your healing skill.
• Heal yourself for 5,560 and remove 2 conditions.
• Basic healing skill but knowing when to heal is important. If you heal too early then it is a waste but if you heal too late you could miss it and end up dying.

2. Bull’s Charge – (40 second recharge)

• Charge your foe and knock down fleeing foes.
• This is a great closing skill to use. It also causes a 2 second knock down plus some damage when you hit your target at the end of the charge.
• The range on this is 600 so you have a decent distance to get to your target.

3. Endure Pain – (90 second recharge)

• Take no damage from incoming attacks for 5 seconds. Also, this skill breaks stun.
• This is an awesome skill since it makes you invincible for 5 seconds and breaks stun. Use this if you are being heavily focused then once this skill runs out you can swap to shield stance and block incoming attacks for 3 seconds. If timed correctly that is 8 seconds for no damage while you are still hitting on your foe.
• This is also a good skill if you are low and need to get a heal off but are being focused. You can also pop this when you want to stay in combat for a full 5 seconds and dish out DPS and not worry about incoming damage.

4. Frenzy – (60 second recharge)

• Frenzy to gain Quickness. Take 50% more damage for the duration.
• Note that both Quickness and Frenzy only last 4 seconds each.
• This is a skill that needs to be used with caution since you take 50% more damage when it is activated.
• Link to Quickness: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Quickness
• Link to Frenzy: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Frenzy_%28effect%29
• Quickness is awesome because it makes your Hundred Blades twice as fast which means insane DPS if you can land the full cast of Hundred Blades.
• You can negate the 50% more damage effect by popping Endure Pain first then hitting Frenzy which means you take no damage for 5 seconds but you are swinging twice as fast and not taking 50% more damage, come at me Bro ahhhhh!!!

5. Elite Skill – Signet of Rage – (60 second recharge)

• This is an awesome buffer skill.
• The passive gives you adrenaline and activating it grants you might, fury, and swiftness for 30 seconds each.
• Might is a boon which increases power and condition damage and stacks in intensity.
• Link to might: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Might
• Fury is a boon that increases your chance to score a critical hit by 20%.
• Link to Fury:http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fury
• Swiftness is a boon that increases movement speed by 33%.
• Link to swiftness: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Swiftness
• Basically once you pop your signet you become captain BAMF that has increased everything and hits like a truck and runs like a cheetah.

The Actual Build and Traits selected

Strenght: 10 points

• V-Berserkers Power. Increase damage by 2-5% depending on how much adrenaline you have. With this build you are building adrenaline extremely fast so this is a nice damage boost.
• Another viable selection would be II-Restorative strength acting as a debuff remover when you use your heal because it removes cripple, freeze, immobilize, and weakness

Arms: 30 points

• V-Rending Strikes. This has a 33% chance to apply “Vulnerability” on critical hits.
• Link to Vulnerability: http://wiki.guildwar…i/Vulnerability
• X-Momentous Greatsword. Gain might on a critical hit with a greatsword. Might is an awesome buff.
• Link to Might: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Might
• XI-Furious. Critical hits grant an extra adrenaline strike. Boosting your adrenaline means you can use adrenaline needing skills quicker like Eviscerate which does more damage based on what level your adrenaline is at.
• Link to what Adrenaline is: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Adrenaline

Discipline: 30 points

• V-Heightened Focus. This is a great damage booster. Gain 2% critical hit chance for 1 stage of adrenaline, 5% for 2 stages, and 9% for 3 stages. Run faster while wielding melee weapons. You run faster how awesome is that!
• III-warriors Sprint.
• XI- Quick Bursts. Burst skill cooldowns are reduced by 20%. This means that you can cast your eviscerate more frequently which equates to more damage.
• Another viable skill would be X-Mobile strikes, movement skills break immobilize. You could replace either III or XI with X.

Sigils on Weapons

Greatsword: Sigil of Superior Accuracy – Gives +5% Critical chance.

• +5% crit is nice because the build revolves around damage and other skills give increased crit chance.

MainHand/Axe: Sigil of Intelligence – Your next attack after swapping to this weapon in combat has a 100% critical chance.  

• Here is where your eviscerate comes in and wrecks for insane crit damage. Here is how you pull it off… You build up 3 levels of adrenaline, swap to your axe/shield and immediately hit eviscerate dealing crazy amounts of damage. This can be very devastating and almost surprising when you see the big crit numbers.

OffHand/Shield: Sigil of Superior Battle – You gain 3 stacks of might for 20 seconds when swapping to this weapon while in combat.

• This is a nice buff with might when you swap over to axe/shield from your greatsword.

Amulet and Jewel

Berserkers amulet and Berzerkers Jewel

• These are amazing together. This is what I ran all BWE3 and it worked very nicely. The + to critical damage is awesome.  The precision buff is nice as well. Precision increases your Critical Hit chance.
• Precision link: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Precision

Armor Runes

Superior Rune of Divinity: +10 to all stats and 3% critical damage

• Put this on all your armor pieces. You are going for crit and this boosts your crit damage.

Combinations

• Your main damage combo is – Pop your trinket, pop frenzy, bull rush or charge, now you can either greatsword swing once to apply vulnerability + Hundred blades or just hit Hundred blades if they are dumb enough to stand there. If you start taking damage then pop endure pain. If they ignore you then don’t bother with ignore pain and save it for later when you need it.
• After this initial burst you will have them down pretty low so keep smacking away with greatsword swing and keep in range with your gap closing skills.
• Once you have built up 100% adrenaline you want to be using your greatsword and when the burst opportunity arises switch over to axe/shield and immediately hit eviscerate. Watch the big number pop up and your opponent act confused because your just WTF hit them for a BAMF ton of damage.
• This is my usual charge in combo but the other skills work well together so theorycraft away as to what would be good situational combinations.

Warrior Videos

This is the warrior from Super Squad – Fredzw:

– Here is a link to his build: http://www.gw2build.com/builds/super-squad-fredzw-balanced-build-super-squad-fredzw-warrior-894.html
– You will notice that it is much more balanced than the typical glass cannon build. He uses Mace/Shield for his swap and the traits are more focused on survival.
-He is running Banner, Balanced Stance, For Great Justice, and traits that make shouts heal. This build is more about surviving the team fight while buffing teammates but still doing decent damage. The Mace/Shield gives good stuns and cc.

Thanks for reading!

Thank you for reading and I hope this has given you an insight into the warrior class. I will keep this guide updated and add to it after the game launches. Maybe add sections on matchups and other things. I learned a lot about the warrior class by doing this guide and I feel like it has made me more aware of what my class can do.