Ephen/PowerHerald

Overview

Power Herald build guide for EBG. The primary role of a Power Herald in WvW is damage and damage boon support in the form of Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki for the squad. Strong ranged spike damage and significant melee damage capabilities. Additionally provides Template:Gw2wiki/Template:Gw2wiki, some crowd control, the strong defensive skill Rite of the Great Dwarf and is an additional source of Template:Gw2wiki. Ideally 1 per subgroup.

Skillbar

| profession = Thief | specialization = | set1 = Dagger/Dagger | set2 = Shortbow | healing = Hide in Shadows | utility1 = Shadowstep | utility2 = Blinding Powder | utility3 = Shadow Refuge | elite = Basilisk Venom

Gameplay

• The most important aspect of playing Power Herald is managing energy by active legend swapping and smart use of skills within the energy available
• Switch legends as often as possible (see note below)
• Skill placement is key for effective damage. Many revenant skills come after a delay so anticipating where the enemy will be is important to effective revenant damage
• Maintain facets while in Legendary Dragon Stance especially Facet of Darkness for Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki
  • It is often best to activate Facet of Light, Facet of Darkness, and Facet of Elements when entering Legendary Dragon Stance
• Use Coalescence of Ruin, Phase Smash, and Elemental Blast often for damage
• Use Inspiring Reinforcement often for group Template:Gw2wiki and damage
• Unlike many other classes, revenants often will want to remain in combat to build up energy for the next engage.

Note: revenants have an energy mechanic is used to activate revenant skills. By default, a revenant gains 5 energy per second. Skills either consume a flat amount of energy or have upkeep cost that reduces the amount of energy gained per second. It is possible to have negative energy generation with enough upkeep skills active. Swapping legends will reset your energy meter to 50 and cancel all active upkeep abilities.

Weapons

Generally you want to be in Hammer during ranged engagements/pirate shipping and swap to Sword/Sword for melee engagement.

Hammer:

• Hammer Bolt auto-attack that hits 5 targets (piercing) at 1200 range. Use during light ranged
• Coalescence of Ruin sends a series of 3 impacts forward from the herald to 1200 range with each impact hitting up to 5 enemies. Strong damage skill against enemies clustered or in a line in front of the group. The impacts have a wind-up time so try to project towards where you think the enemy group will be. Use as often as you can
• Phase Smash 1200 range evade/teleport that does high spike damage at a single location. Applies Template:Gw2wiki. The herald returns to their original location which can leave the herald isolated & vulnerable if the group is moving. Blast finisher. Use on called range spikes
  • If running Sigil of Superior Sigil of Hydromancy, you can legend swap right as the ability impacts to trigger the sigil and do significant additional damage

• Field of the Mists 6 second projectile block. Can be used during ranged engages at high energy, but there are generally better uses for the herald's energy.
• Drop the Hammer 1200 range 5-target knockdown that can be used on CC calls. Grants Template:Gw2wiki and 2 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki when successful. Blast finisher. Has a 1.75 second delay so try to anticipate where enemies will be. Use for additional group stealth on "Stealth and Blast" calls.

Sword:

While in sword/sword, most of your weapon skill usage should be on auto-attacks, Precision Strike, and Shackling Wave

• Preparation Thrust, Brutal Blade, and Rift Slash sword auto-attack chain that hits 3 targets and applies Template:Gw2wiki. The damage is backloaded into the 3rd attack so try to finish the auto-attack chain whenever possible
• Precision Strike Strikes up to 5 nearby foes for moderate damage and applies Template:Gw2wiki. Does significant bonus damage if it only hits one target so it is useful for finished isolated targets. Whirl finisher
• Unrelenting Assault teleport/evade 5 times while striking different individual foes up to 450 range apart. Gain Template:Gw2skill for each target hit. Use with caution as it frequently leaves the herald out of position and vulnerable. Generally better to save your energy for other skills
• Shackling Wave applies 12 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki to up to 3 targets. The duration of immobilized is increased for each target hit. Great for locking down enemies during melee engage to separate from their group and kill
• Deathstrike 600 range shadowstep and 2-hit damage. Always let the second hit connect as the 1st hit does minor damage and the 2nd hit does increased damage. Gain Template:Gw2wiki and 2 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki. Can be used to re-position closer to the target even if out of range of the attack or can be used to target something away from the enemy to retreat

Utilities

Jalis Utilities Legendary Dwarf Stance

• Soothing Stone self-heal and 5-condition removal. Grants personal Template:Gw2skill
• Forced Engagement 5-target CC that interrupts and applies Template:Gw2wiki/Template:Gw2wiki. Reduces their incoming damage from taunted enemies by 33%. Gain Template:Gw2wiki and 2 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki when successful
• Inspiring Reinforcement Provides an area of pulsing Template:Gw2wiki and does moderate damage to enemies. Useful when pushing into enemies for damage/stability or on walls to prevent allies from being pulled off. Lightning field. Use on "Roads" calls and as part of your damage rotation
• Vengeful Hammers unblockable damage pulsing damage around the herald that provides an excellent source of cleave in melee. 6 upkeep. Increases all outgoing damage by 13% when running Forceful Persistence and reduces all incoming damage by 20% while active. Requires significant upkeeep to maintain so deactivate when not actively needed
  • Can activate during Phase Smash for additional damage
• Rite of the Great Dwarf strong defensive skill that grants nearby allies 50% damage reduction for 5 seconds. Not removable by boon strips. Very high energy cost. Personal stun break. Best used under heavy pressure from enemy groups. Use when leaving Dwarf if you have enough energy

Glint Utilities Legendary Dragon Stance

All glint utilities are facets that when initially activated require upkeep and provide boons to nearby allies, but can be consumed for various effects. Generally you want to activate Facet of Light, Facet of Darkness, and Facet of Elements when entering Herald for a net energy gain of +1 and significant group Template:Gw2wiki generation

• Facet of Light applies Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. 1 upkeep. Generally don't maintain this ability outside of pre-engage boon generation as herald healing contribution is minor and energy is better spent elsewhere. If healing is needed, it's usually better to double tap this ability to immediately consume it.
  • Infuse Light VERY strong heal that converts all incoming damage to healing for 3 seconds. One of the reasons for activating this facet when entering Herald is quick access to this heal if needed
• Facet of Darkness applies Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. 2 upkeep. Synergizes well with revenant fury traits. The most important facet. Try to always have this facet active for allied damage support
  • Gaze of Darkness Reveals stealthed enemies and applies Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki. Can be used with Phase Smash for ranged reveal. Personal stun break. Other than use as a stun break, it is generally best to not consume this facet.
• Facet of Elements applies Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. 1 upkeep. Activate when entering Herald
  • Elemental Blast moderate damage in an area that also applies Template:Gw2wiki and Template:Gw2wiki. Can be used at the end of a Phase Smash and have its range extended by Phase Smash. Useful for AOE dps
• Facet of Strength applies Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. 2 upkeep
  • Burst of Strength moderate damage in an area around the herald that grants the stacking buff Template:Gw2wiki which grants 7% damage increase for 5 seconds for each enemy hit
• Facet of Chaos applies Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. 5 upkeep. Not generally used
  • Chaotic Release grants Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies and knocks down nearby enemies. Double-tap to use on "Superspeed" calls or to see enemies in melee range

Facet of Nature (F2 skill)

• Facet of Nature grants an enhancement to nearby allies while maintained. 2 upkeep
  • In Legendary Dwarf Stance, reduces incoming damage by 10%. When consumed, grants 2 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki to nearby allies. Can be double tapped just before leaving Dwarf for group stability coverage.
  • In Legendary Dragon Stance, increases incoming boon duration by 20% and can exceed the boon cap. When consumed, extends the duration of all existing boons by 2 seconds.

Traits

Relevant Traits and Variants

• Invoker's Rage gain personal Template:Gw2wiki and 3 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki when swapping legends

• Rising Tide functions similar to Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar by granting a 7% damage increase when >90% health

• Ferocious Aggression increases all damage by 7% while the revenant has Template:Gw2skill

• Incensed Response gain 2 stacks of Template:Gw2wiki when you give yourself Template:Gw2skill. Combines with Template:Gw2skill to grant 3 personal stacks of Might

• Contained Temper gain Template:Gw2wiki when you disable a foe. Skills that disable include: Drop the Hammer, Forced Engagement, and Chaotic Release

• Roiling Mists increases critical hit chance from Template:Gw2wiki from 20% to 40%

Relevant Traits and Variants

• Expose Defenses applies Template:Gw2wiki on first attack after entering combat or using an Elite skill

• Unsuspecting Strikes 10% damage increase to high health enemies

• Destructive Impulses 5% more damage with hammer and 10% more damage with sword/sword

• Assassin's Presence applies buff while in combat to nearby allies increasing their critical hit damage. Cannot be stripped. Recommended option in this tier
• Notoriety option if more than 1 revenant in party with Assassin's Presence. Increases personal Template:Gw2wiki gain and makes Might on the revenant more effective for power damage

• Targeted Destruction deals scaling bonus damage to enemies with Template:Gw2wiki stacks

• Swift Termination 20% damage increase to low health enemies
• Brutality gain personal Template:Gw2wiki when swapping weapons (doesn't work on legend swapping). While under the effect of Quickness, all strikes remove Template:Gw2wiki from enemies. Can be used at range with Hammer skills or on melee with Vengeful Hammers which has no target cap and is unblockable

Relevant Traits and Variants

• Rising Momentum increases movement for each point of upkeep in use

• Draconic Fortitude increases health by 10%

• Shared Empowerment granting an ally any boon also grants Template:Gw2wiki to 5 allies. 1 second internal cooldown. Allows all facets to grant Might

• Reinforced Potency increases boon duration by 4% and increases damage by 1% for each boon on the Herald

• Forceful Persistence 13% damage increase on Vengeful Hammers or 3% damage increase for every active facet in Legendary Dragon Stance
• Draconic Echo your facets continue to function for 6 seconds after being consumed

Equipment

Head
Ascended, Marauder

Shoulders
Berserker

Chest
Ascended, Marauder

Hands
Ascended, Marauder

Legs
Ascended, Marauder

Feet
Berserker

Backpiece
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Accessory
Berserker

Amulet
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Ring
Berserker

Exotic is fine until you are able to upgrade to ascended/legendary.

Marauder and berserker can be mixed depending on the comfort level of the player. Generally players newer to the class or WvW will want to run more Marauder gear at the start.

• Marauder offers greater survivability through extra vitality and greater buffer for maintaining scholar rune uptime with a tradeoff of a small damage loss.
• Berserker maximizes damage but requires more skilled gameplay and support for survival

Sigils & Runes

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Force additional strike damage
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Hydromancy additional source of damage on Phase Smash and applies Template:Gw2wiki to enemies
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy more dodges. Triggered by legend swapping
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Cruelty stacking ferocity sigil for more critical hit damage. Option if you can maintain 25 stacks. Make sure to equip one on an underwater weapon as well so you don't lose your stacks when entering water
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Bloodlust power stacking sigil. Option if you can maintain 25 stacks. Make sure to equip one on an underwater weapon as well so you don't lose your stacks when entering water
• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Strength more personal might stacking

Runes

• Rune of Superior Rune of the Scholar best dps option, but requires that the revenant be >90% health to be effective
• Rune of Superior Rune of the Eagle budget option that does performs similar to Scholar runes and is less dependent on maintaining maximum health
• Rune of Superior Rune of Strength option if more might stacking is needed

Consumables

Feasts are always preferable to personal food for the additional stat from the ascended herb. They also give bonus WXP.

• any power feast will work
• , , personal food options
• , , utility options

Videos

• Herald build guide from Riles: GW2 WvW - Power Herald Guide