Share with us your experience with supportive builds.

[Zilong]

Hello.

I would like to know and compare the different experiences and issues with supportive builds of any classes being more focused in PvP but also share your PvE experience.

Let me (us) know:

Did you go full support? Or an "Hybrid" with attack/support.
How well did you think you do?
If you wish, tell us your build.
What could improve for a better support? Mechanic wise (Anet end) and skill wise (your end).
Did you use more than 1 supportive build in the same class?
Did you use more than 1 class focusing in support, If so tell us your experience in balance and differences.

You don't have to answer all of it, they are just pointers .

I'll start with my experience.

I did a spirit ranger build with Greatsword for -some- control and mobility and the Shortbow for some condition and control. I was full support, meaning my attacks did very little damage (my pet was doing okay tho). My healing spring was good (altho when I played it without support did pretty good too), and my spirits did provide some support but aside from the elite, I wish they did a little more (for the lack of my damage). I did a crit/trap build later on and found it way more useful specially for nodes fights, I died faster but I managed to support more the team and survive on my own better. These builds were used in Hot Join and Tournies.

How about you?

[Cherrybat]

Played an engineer and tried a number of power/precision/condition builds, since the engineer is already very support focused with turrets and throwing elixirs on the ground i thought i wouldn't try a full blown support build. But i did try something close to this http://www.gw2builds.org/create/bwe_...0.4.9.0.0.0.10 (most of the major, and minor actually, are not updated for the last BWE but it's pretty close, the major one i'm missing is the first major trait in the Explosives line, it was something like "33% chance to apply burning on critical") and used a necromancer, i think it was, rune with toughness and condition damage. I would've used a shield for off hand for more supportiveness but it was broken in the last event.

I think i did pretty well with this build, i could survive forever with the gadget recharge (which i wasn't sure about what it did but after poking around it seemed like it reduced the recharge time on F1-F4 skills) i could heal a good half of my health every 12 seconds with the F1 skill thanks to the fast recharge and 30 points in Inventions. So that, plus all the toughness and condition damage meant i couldn't zerg people down super fast but i could survive a very long time against 2-3 people not letting them cap the point and harassing them with the glue shot, sleek shoes, battering ram and the elite supply crate. When i was close to teammates about to initiate against the enemy i made sure to throw elixir B down and throw some med packs behind us so we could fall back and get some health, it felt like i was helping my teammates do a tad more damage and survive, even if it wasn't much every hit under the effect of might or fury counts.

As i did not try a full blown support build (i'm not sure what it would be for an engineer, have not investigated it) i'm not sure what can be improved upon. I found this build to be quite fun, even if it was completely wrong, i enjoyed being slightly tanky and healy and still dish out enough condition damage to make the enemy rethink charging at me alone

[Deleted]

1) Did you go full support? Or an "Hybrid" with attack/support.
2) How well did you think you do?
3) If you wish, tell us your build.
4) What could improve for a better support? Mechanic wise (Anet end) and skill wise (your end).
5) Did you use more than 1 supportive build in the same class?
6) Did you use more than 1 class focusing in support, If so tell us your experience in balance and differences.

1)Enginner - Hydrid
2)Marvelous . Didnt have many problems 1v1 . Like LoS the Necromancers Deathshroud/Ulti . Burn the Elementalist for 12 sec and LoS , watching them panic . Kite meeles . And avoid hitting the full Toughtness-Vitality players .
3) Trait Points : 10(burn)-5-15-20-20 , Toughness-Condition neck , Flamethrower/Tool/Elixir kit .
4) Nerf the Enginner damage , in order to restore Psybar knockback , the old Backdraft and the fast pacced Magnet . I know , i was one of them that wanted 30% damage increase , but the customer is always right !!!! Now change it !!!!
I love cc over damage + smashing buttons :P

[Lucas Ashrock]

I don't want to be mean, but what's the purpose of this thread? We can chit chat about beta , and how we used a char during beta. Nothing useful for the purpose of handle your char when final will be released. At least 30% of what we saw will be different/ removed on final. Imho.

[Edge-]

I don't want to be mean, but what's the purpose of this thread? We can chit chat about beta , and how we used a char during beta. Nothing useful for the purpose of handle your char when final will be released. At least 30% of what we saw will be different/ removed on final. Imho.

The same purpose all of the class threads and BWE discussions threads have had. To discuss experiences with an aspect of the game so far and possibilities in the future : )

[Valeron]

It's just something to talk about Lucas. I mean going by what you said every thread would be superfluous.

[Lucas Ashrock]

The same purpose all of the class threads and BWE discussions threads have had. To discuss experiences with an aspect of the game so far and possibilities in the future : )

Oh ok, got it. You all need to talk about something , and can be useful later. It's ok, sorry, keep going

[ZerOKami]

The closest I came to a supportive build was my ultra mobile warrior build designed about capping points, disrupting enemies and buffing allies.

Worked really well because all that mobility made it super easy to just run away and regen any health lost then come back and cap the point, or make people chase you out of control points so your team could cap them.

Took Sword (Mace once but didn't quite like the feeling of it)/Warhorn and Greatsword plus defensive traits 30 Defense and Tactics plus 10 Discipline for Warrior's Sprint, still did decent damage with the Greatsword.

This would be my build iirc: http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...e12d2h2j2u2v30

[Deleted]

I really think they ought to re-design Geyser for water elementalist... It's so impractical in PvP :/

[Ynna]

I played mostly a supportive Guardian, with some control added into it. My damage was abysmal, but my team survived noticeably longer with me around. I used all kind of builds, but my favorite support build was one with Staff/Mace+Shield. If I could get one improvement, it would be for Healing Breeze to suck less. My utilities were mostly shouts, but I always took Judge's Intervention, to get around the very low mobility of the build.

I also dicked around with an Elementalist. I found it harder to play (but that could be mostly inexperience), but my mobility was great, and the support was very fun and active (compared to the more passive playstyle of a Guardian). My weapons were Dagger+Focus, so I had access to two auras that I could spread to my allies. I died more, but I feel that, if I used my mobility better, I would be doing a lot better. I also found my damage to be rather adequate. Nothing to excellent, but more so that the Guardian.

[MKing]

when i did ascalon catacombs one of my groups we had a support guardian and their healing is actually pretty nice, like he used the support tome elite skill and theres an ability that heals all nearby party members to full. So i decided to look up all the information on water ele and guardians and decided for people that were healers in other games and still want to Support Guardian>Water Ele and other. The support guardian just brings so much healing and damage mitigation compared to everything else.

http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...g9omfmk6000000

Probably going to make a support guardian alt.

[ZeroWashu]

So where are people going to discuss builds, crunch numbers, and the like?

Is there an elitist jerks type site catering to GW2? A tank spot?

[Valeron]

So where are people going to discuss builds, crunch numbers, and the like?

Is there an elitist jerks type site catering to GW2? A tank spot?

Probably guru. I imagine there will be some sort of GW2 version of PvX as well.

[Fencers]

Did you go full support? Or an "Hybrid" with attack/support.

Full and hybrid as a Engineer, Guardian, Elementalist, Warrior, Mesmer and Necromancer. All above level 30.

How well did you think you do?

Natch, I am amazing.

If you wish, tell us your build.

Too many to remember.

What could improve for a better support? Mechanic wise (Anet end) and skill wise (your end).

Reduce the CD or lengthen the effect of many Engineer, Warrior and Necromancer support skills. Esp. shield skills on the Warrior and Guardian. Engineer is the most poorly designed class in the game and should be remade from the ground up. Nothing on an Engineer is well put together. So do all that, Anet.

Personal skill wise, I have no real interest in playing support long term but I'm pretty amazing regardless.

Did you use more than 1 supportive build in the same class?

Yes, of course. You have to adjust to the encounters.

Did you use more than 1 class focusing in support, If so tell us your experience in balance and differences.

Elementalist and Guardian are the best & most versatile full supports followed by Engineer and Necromancer. As hybrid support- Guardian, Necromancer and Elementalist are about equal to everyone else at actually supporting but dish out better damage/control than the others in a hybrid support function.

[Lurker87]

First off, grats on 30/50 Am Aizen!

Anyway, I didn't really test a support build but I wondered how much healing you would have with a full support built team. I noticed there are a lot of passive AoE heals in some professions. If everyone had these, how noticeable would the healing be?

Yes I know you won't be considered a "healer".

[Shyzhi]

I used this spec as Elementalist during the last beta event, http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/...1517ehej1ff009

It gave me good self healing aswell as damage, Its based alot around condition damage changing my set bonus gem in pvp armor to the ones that gave Vital and Con Damage (so id have more HP and strong dots) also putting the pune that everytime i crit i bleed the target. This gave me alot of dots on a target and with Signet of earth i could bind people in place and lauch a dragons tooth in there face without fear of them moving out the way. Remember to use the flame dot before useing any fire moves gives more damage. I took on 3/4 people and time with this and came out top 50% of the time. be it getting away or just kill them off 1 by one :P

[Valeron]

First off, grats on 30/50 Am Aizen!

Anyway, I didn't really test a support build but I wondered how much healing you would have with a full support built team. I noticed there are a lot of passive AoE heals in some professions. If everyone had these, how noticeable would the healing be?

What I'd like to know is how much does the compassion attribute affects the heals. The heals by themselves don't do a whole lot except for the self heal. I'm sure some theorycrafter has the numbers out there already.

[Zilong]

First off, grats on 30/50 Am Aizen!

Anyway, I didn't really test a support build but I wondered how much healing you would have with a full support built team. I noticed there are a lot of passive AoE heals in some professions. If everyone had these, how noticeable would the healing be?

Yes I know you won't be considered a "healer".

Thanks man! Whats your name in-game again? To those who wonder I took the "challenge" to start playing the original Guild Wars and get 30 HoM points in 7 weeks, finished in 23 days! But anyways I got some sweet help along the way, even from readers/posters here! It was fun, too bad ended too quickly, now I need something else to occupy my mind.

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Now as for the thread, Anyone else wanna share?

I see alot of "hybridization", probably because mainly you can't really spend points -only- on damage. There is always some "temptable" trait/bonus that catches our eyes as useful to our build and as a side you get a little "support bonus".

I also tried the elementalist support going mainly for earth and water. I felt like I did okay for support, but never I felt like I just supported, because if I tried it would often result in some "free time". I would try to control with earth (along with a lil survival) and some heals with water (along with a lil damage), I felt better after I went water/air supporting when I felt like a good opportunity and dealing some crit damage as "filler".

My big point too for this thread is to see how you would compare the balance between the supporters builds?

[Lurker87]

Thanks man! Whats your name in-game again?

It's the guy who is playing for his friend. You'll know me as Cabron Mamon (my friend) or Nelthera Hom.