Build:Warrior - Greataxe (2024)

This build was last updated on March 29, 2024 and is up to date for the May 21, 2024 patch.

Overview

A core duelist Warrior PvP build with good damage and mobility which can also be used by F2P players, focusing on winning 1v1s and other smaller skirmishes.

Skill Bar

Slot Changes

Utility

For the optional slot:

• "For Great Justice!" - instant damage boost for you and your team, also acts as a second healing skill because of various trait synergies with Might stacking.

• Endure Pain - excellent proactive defensive choice against direct damage burst. Currently the most popular option.

• Frenzy - stun break that can also be used offensively for better burst/cleave, even has minor Might synergy.

Template Code

Specializations

Variants

• Destruction of the Empowered is also a viable option if you can afford to give up some cleansing.

Equipment

Equipment Variants

Relics

• Relic of Antitoxin - helps a lot in condition matchups, has great synergy with Brawler's Recovery.

Equipment Variants

Amulet

• - a more tanky and beginner-friendly option with slightly lower damage.

Usage

Settings

• Disable autotargeting (General Options ⇒ Combat/Movement section) otherwise it'd be impossible to use skills like Rush for disengaging from fights. For more general tips check out our settings guide.

General

• Playstyle: this build is all about weaving hard hitting skills into chains of block and evade frames. The combos aren't set in stone, rather you'll need to adapt based on what CDs are available. Minimize melee contact, dodge/block/evade as many things as possible, and spike targets when an opening shows. Examples:
  • Bladetrail from outside melee range ⇒ dodge to your target ⇒ Arcing Slice ⇒ Whirlwind Attack
  • Whirlwind Attack ⇒ weapon swap ⇒ Bull's Charge ⇒ Eviscerate

• Might Makes Right and Mending Might causes Might applications to heal you and grant a tiny bit of endurance.
  • Add Vigorous Shouts to the mix and "For Great Justice!" basically turns into a healing skill with 2 charges.

• If possible, dodge into enemies to damage them with Reckless Dodge and generate Might. This is especially useful if you're Blinded as the damage of the dodge will miss, consuming the condition and allowing you to immediately follow up with something.

• Use Whirlwind Attack and Rush as often as possible while traveling between capture points. In combat these skills can also get you out of Immobilize because of the trait Warrior's Sprint.

• Swapping weapons in the middle of a burst cancels them and retains the adrenaline. You can use this to your advantage by baiting dodges with Eviscerate or to keep your adrenaline if you know a burst won't land. Arcing Slice can also be stowed instead of weapon swapped.

• Burst skills - Arcing Slice and Eviscerate:
  • These are vital skills for the build and you should do your best to land them. CC targets beforehand with Bull's Charge or Shield Bash, time them to hit just after the target has dodged, etc.
  • You gain 15 endurance via Building Momentum if the skill hits.
  • Most of your adrenaline should be spent on Eviscerate, as its damage scales with adrenaline level. For Arcing Slice it doesn't matter, the damage is always the same - only the Fury duration scales.
  • Try to land Eviscerate right (or shortly) after swapping to Axe to benefit from Sigil of Intelligence.

• Bull's Charge can be your make or break skill during duels or downing an opponent. Try to use it at the end of a player's dodge or stability to make it even harder to dodge, and make the most out of it. Alternatively, this can be used defensively for the evasion and mobility to avoid damage or disengage from a fight.
  • Despite its range, Bull's Charge is best used in melee to make it harder to react to.

• Throw Axe is a niche skill that shines in 2 situations:
  • Snaring and applying Immobilize through a trait proc, setting up burst or keeping targets from disengaging.
  • Below 25% health increases the damage of this skill significantly, making it fairly powerful for finishing enemies off.

• Brawler's Recovery and Warrior's Sprint will be used to manage condition levels before resorting to mass cleanses.

• "Shake It Off!" (SIO) is the only stun break in the build. This skill has 2 charges: if you're under heavy condition pressure and the aforementioned 2 traits aren't enough, you're free to use one of the charges. This skill also affects nearby allies and can be used to support them if you can afford it.

• The downed state skill Vengeance shouldn't always be used, only if you're certain that you can get a kill in that 15 second time frame. Let's say you were in a 1v1. If both you and the enemy are downed, a lucky Vengeance can get the kill and bring you back to life. However, if only you're downed and your opponent is alive and has already captured the point, Vengeance would be a terrible idea. Why? Because Vengeance prevents capture point contribution, which means he can just leave you alone and you'll achieve nothing except delay your own respawn by 15 seconds.

Rampage

• Rampage is what you use when you want to burst a target or desperately need mobility to either chase down someone / run away from a fight.

• Example of a Rampage burst rotation: Throw Boulder ⇒ Dash ⇒ Kick (Rampage) ⇒ Seismic Leap ⇒ Smash

• The CC skills in rampage barely do any damage anymore, but Dash and the autoattack chain are still quite powerful.

Top Streamers

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Related Builds

• Core Tactics Roamer - the WvW Roaming version of this core PvP build.