My Ideas for an Endgame-GF + Preparations for Module 3

thynael21

Special thanks in first place go to Antmonster and Todesfaelle.

I have read and tried out alot of builds and would recommand their ideas to anyone!

Todesfaelle exspecially inspired me by his Immortality-Build (Iron Maiden) and Antmonster by stacking a bit in crit for a proper use with the HG-Armor.
As the upcoming Module 3 presents us with a KC-Nerf (from 60% powerboost to 15%) i am trying to prepare myself for both uses (KC and/or HG). In average party's the damageboost of KC will be at about 5% for the party (~heard of preview-reviews). That might still be useful for Tactician-spect GF'S as they can still increase the party's dmg by another 5% throu "Into the Fray".
All in all i'm currently playing an Orcish Guardian-Fighter Conquererspect - that's why i want to increase my critical hit chance even more, as i already recieve a 5%-critical severity racial bonus. I might have made the wrong choice while choosing my race but invested too much already to reroll all...
Exspecially in endgamecontent it became harder and harder for myself to maintain the threat of enemy mobs when using Protector or Tactician. It still can be a viable option tho, if you stack offensive parameters (as power+crit and a little armorpen).
Ability-Score:
20 Str, 24 Con, 18 Dex (invested 2 points for 2% Armorpen - might take them out as soon as i reach a higher armorpenscore and put them into Str)
12 on Int, Wis, Cha.

Ratings i am at (wearing KC):
28,850 HP
4009 power (7352 with T5-Conq-feat)
1955 crit
1365 armorpen
2783 recovery
4311 def
1237 deflect
1221 regen
547 lifesteal

Stats i aim for:
~25% critcalchance
~24% armorpen
+10% healthregen
+5% lifesteal
~25% rechargespeed (achieved)
+40%Ap-Gain (achieved)
+45% damagereduction (achieved throu any armorset...- diminishingreturns are too high to stack more def - protectors "Shield Defense" feat might be an option to increase it to 50%)
15-20% deflectionchance (not worth increasing more with this build in pve)
+30,000 Hp
+stacking power as everyone else does...

I had a hard time choosing the Paragonpath but did choose swordmaster in the end.
Passives:
I think we are (one of) the last class(es) able to gain AP that fast with blocking attacks and dealing dmg to adds.
With that in mind i took the Steel Defense-passive granting immunity for 5 seconds everytime i spam my daily. (3/3)
Enhanced Mark is a nice add-taker for several dungeons... but i am running CN 4/4 with my guild and it got no place in there. Instead i choose Steel Blitz as my 2nd passiv. CN 4/4 is an addfest... everyone knows it and with that in mind everyone knows that steel blitz will proc quite often. (Alternative: Combat Superiority with Tactical Superiority in T4-Conqfeat. - haven't tried for now tho)

Encounters:
Lunging Strike - a musthave - timed and aimed from right angles and you hit several adds (and gain a lot of ap by that). Thx to new patches it'S not striking main-target only anymore.
Enforced Threat - last encounter AOE we have with Swordmaster-Path AND still the best way to be a threat to any enemy (- targetcap at 5 tho) - marks a few more than 5 enemies and reduces their dmgresistance.
Nearly forgot: it refills some guardmeter.
Into the Fray - i'm not taking it out anymore - it empowers us and the party with a great AP-Gain Buff, increased Runspeed and Temporary Hitpoints (- interesting for some Conqspect GF's) and if Tacticianspect 5% dmgboost also. Nearly forgot: it refills some guardmeter.

Both Into the Fray and Lunging Strike have one interesting impact... we're suddenly more mobile than ever launching in and out of combat -for example to regain our guardmeter or help our teammates out with chasing adds.

Daily:
1.Villains Menace: No Target cap (at least for now...), cc-immunity and with steel defense 5 secs of invulurability
2. ... i am still not sure what to take here... either crescendo (cc-imun while casting and at least one singletargetdps) or fighters recovery (gain hp while being immune do dmg) will be fine, using both more than rarely tho.

How it all works:
Hard to describe... i am playing GF for over a year now. I know most special attacks, mobs and their dmgscaling to know which attacks i have to block and which i can take. That makes things/tanking alot easier...
And Villains Menace helps alot: 1. Not getting pushed around when the shield is down. 2. Time to regain some guardmeter. 3. Immune to dmg (thx to Steel Defense). 4. No Targetcap -> good dmg exspecially with Steel Blitz and T4 Conqspec Menacing Impact.
CN is somehow special... EVERYTHING hurts in there so you best stay of their AOE's or are able to block them or are in Villain'S Menace-mode (cc and dmg-immune).

I am not running Endgame-Content with randoms anymore, reasons are given alot in this forum already so...
CN-Spiderboss: Just keep her attention on yourself while blocking her attacks and using Villains Menace...
CN-Tal'gath the Watcher: Turn it around and keep it attracted to you... Party will deal with adds and dps him from his back.
Cn-Xivros: Get (Block your way) out of his Melee-AoE ASAP. It'll drain the shield in seconds and is a necrotic attack which ignores immunitys, dmgreduction etc... anything else? Position him with the back to the party... (i've been once able to solo him - took me quite some time - random queued and got to his closest campfire... kited adds while lunging strike him then and there - hope this is no reason to nerf the GF even more...
CN -Dracofight: YOU are the one positioning the Draco not to attack your teammates and hold him at his position. (Best of keep him in the middle - otherwise tell your team if you want to turn him and in which direction)
Trigger Villains Menace:
always if he's using his Wingstrike (ignoring your shield) - it'll still push you off - but won't deal any dmg -> use lunging strike afterwards to keep him positioned
or the hands are showing up -> cc- and dmg-imun

Enchantments i am using currently: Soulforged (want to switch to Thunderhead - as i rarly die with this build)
Holy Avenger (Best Weapondmgaddition and 15%dmgreduction for the party - remember; we got the weapon with the lowest weapondmg) -> want to switch to Lightning as it provides even more Weapondmg and Aoe-chance for more threatmanagement.

I don't think there's alot more to tell...
so far so well and if you got any questions feel free to ask.

Ogr'tosh Ku'tar (ingame name)...,

P.S: Please buff the GF in a way to make it worth taking it in partys again or change the dungeoncontent in a way that makes a GF NECESSARY. (Same goes for the TR - he might be good in PVP but looses all he got in PVE).

junkermyrkle

There a lot of good points in here like in many of the other old and recent GF-related posts.

"CN -Dracofight: YOU are the one positioning the Draco not to attack your teammates and hold him at his position. (Best of keep him in the middle - otherwise tell your team if you want to turn him and in which direction)"

Not so feasable when people are not using voice chat during bossfights. Good experienced players will be able to react accordingly anyway.

Especially concerning the current CN bossfight mechanic it is still a good read for those who still love to play their tank and plan to enter dungeons like CN with reliable people.
I went though CN several times successfully with my own tank post mod 2 and will respec after having had discussions with @thynael and witnessing his rotations first hand in several runs.
Though, I am not sure whether those CN- related tips have still significance in mod 3. We have to test the new effects in those "current endcontent" dungeons in more detail, especially with changes to the GWF-class and Knight Captain-set in relation to team synergy.

Needless to say, it is uncertain whether dungeons like CN will still hold their reputation as one of the best AD-sources after Mod 3 goes life (since the black ice gear seems to be the new aspired endgame aspect). Mod 3 could change the whole economy as well as the class balance ingame.

Thus, we need more people testing and giving feedback about this class on the preview forum.

[edit: The introduction of the new artifacts and the ability to use active boni from companions may give new options for diversified/specialized builds]

"Please buff the GF in a way to make it worth taking it in partys again.."

At least don't make him less useful in future and current endgamecontent.

"...or change the dungeoncontent in a way that makes a GF NECESSARY. (Same goes for the TR - he might be good in PVP but looses all he got in PVE)."

Necessity of a GF or TR sounds a bit too onesided, since there are many different classes to come and a group currently only can hold 5 anyway. Hence, it will not be possible to guarantee every class a place in a team, unless we are talking about a CW (only necessity with current endgame dungeon design).

Having more variance in encounters [oneshotting traps, secret pathways (shortcuts) only a TR/HR can detect, addfests only a CW/GF/GWF can control/tank, control-immune monsters only striker classes can dps down fast enough, portals (shortcut) only a cleric can decipher/use etc.] may enhance the dungeon experience and make it less required to take teams of multiple CWs in oder to finish a dungeon in a reasonable pleasant time.