Build:W/any PvE Dragon Slash Warrior

From PvXwiki

The PvXwiki community finds this to be an excellent build. Through the PvX vetting system, it has reached an overall rating in the range from 4.75 to 5.0 and thus qualifies for the highest category of working builds: Great. This build has been designed for the following use: PvE general

This build is part of the current PvE meta. Remove this tag if it is no longer used in the current PvE meta.

This warrior is a PvE build designed for sustained damage output. It uses adrenaline-control skills from the Factions and Nightfall campaigns to maintain a steady flow of damaging attacks.

[edit] Attributes and Skills

Warrior / No profession 12 + 1 Strength 12 + 1 + 1 Swordsmanship Dragon Slash Factions Warrior. Swordsmanship 14 Dragon Slash Elite Sword Attack If Dragon Slash hits, you strike for +38 damage and gain 5 strikes of adrenaline. This attack skill has 13% armor penetration. 10 Brawling Headbutt EotN No Profession. Deldrimor rank Brawling Headbutt Skill You headbutt target touched foe dealing 45..70 damage and knocking down that foe if it hits. ¾ 7 Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. "Save Yourselves!" (Kurzick) Factions Warrior. Kurzick rank "Save Yourselves!" (Kurzick) Shout For 4..6 seconds, all other party members gain 100 armor. 8 "For Great Justice!" Core Warrior. Unlinked "For Great Justice!" Shout For 20 seconds, whenever you gain adrenaline, you gain 100% more. 45 5 Flail Nightfall Warrior. Strength 13 Flail Stance For 13 seconds, you attack 33% faster but move 33% slower. 4 Enraging Charge Nightfall Warrior. Strength 13 Enraging Charge Stance For 14 seconds, you move 25% faster. Enraging Charge ends when you successfully strike a target, at which point you gain 3 strikes of adrenaline. 20 5 Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Template code

• Optional 1 should be:
  • Whirlwind Attack for massive damage and adrenaline management.
  • Enduring Harmony for greater FGJ! upkeep.
  • Steelfang Slash has great synergy with other Knockdown skills.
  • Body Blow / Low Blow for damage and an easy source of Deep Wound and Cracked Armor.

• Optional 2 should be:
  • "Finish Him!" for Deep Wound/Cracked Armor finishing blow.
  • Asuran Scan for great damage increase.
  • Pain Inverter to blow elementalists up.
  • Resurrection Signet / Sunspear Rebirth Signet to revive fallen allies.
  • "You Move Like a Dwarf!" for a snare and interrupt.

[edit] Equipment

• Sentry's Insignia with Superior Vigor and Absorption runes.
• A sword and shield of your choice; Furious sword hilts and "while stanced" shields are particularly useful.

[edit] Usage

• As you approach the enemy, activate Enraging Charge to quickly obtain melee range. This will give you an initial burst of adrenaline as you enter the fray. Try to set yourself up near multiple enemies so you can switch quickly from foe to foe in mid-battle.
• The adrenaline gained from Enraging Charge allows you to activate Flail as soon as you strike your first target.
• Chain your attacks, using Dragon Slash to maintain adrenaline.
• When there are no more targets in your immediate area, you can use Enraging Charge to cancel Flail and quickly move to the next target. If you are engaged in a protracted melee, Enraging Charge can be used to gain a few extra strikes of adrenaline instead.
• If you are fighting a target that will run around or are fighting enemies that will quickly be dispatched, avoid using Flail. The slower movement speed can reduce your DPS in these situations and becomes not worth the IAS boost.

[edit] Counters

• Standard anti-melee counters

[edit] Variants

• In high-level Nightfall PvE areas, consider adding Lightbringer's Gaze.
• Take Enduring Harmony to lengthen duration of your shouts.
• Plague Touch or Mending Touch for condition removal.
• Distracting Blow, Distracting Strike, or Savage Slash for an interrupt.
• "Shields Up!" or "Watch Yourself!" can be used for a party-wide buff, but you would have to take a few points of strength and invest them in tactics.
• Purge Signet works very well as an optional skill as the energy it takes is not generally needed if locked on a target.
• "Dodge This!" for a little damage boost and an unblockable attack.
• "You Move Like a Dwarf!" or Brawling Headbutt, in conjunction with Knee Cutter, can provide a quick way to build adrenaline.
• Take Low Blow to increase damage outputt and inflict your target with Cracked Armor, Flail has to be active to build up the adrenaline point and use Low Blow while your target is knocked down. Possible to swap "Save Yourselves!" with Distracting Strike to interupt your target.

[edit] Notes

• Avoid using Dragon Slash on a nearly dead foe that is being targeted heavily by your allies. Sometimes, that enemy will drop in mid-swing, causing your Dragon Slash to fizzle; your damage output will be lowered until you regain the ten strikes of adrenaline needed by Dragon Slash if this occurs.