Observed Build of the Week, Guild: Group Therapy [HUG]

I'm not sure if this is something I will do every week, but I enjoy observing and analyzing team builds. This weekend the Dreadful Dead played an European Guild named Group Therapy and I later observed several more of their matches.

Hopefully, this will start a discussion that I and others can learn from in developing new builds for the Amazon Basin to play.

First I'd like to insert an opinion about builds. I think team builds can be discussed in three categories:
1) Casual or pick-up builds
2) Focused builds (best examples are builds with 5-8 of similar characters doing the same type of damage like Ele Spike or Ranger Spike)
3) Balanced builds

Some well-built Focused builds can get very close to a Balanced build while still delivering tremendous spikes or huge damage. But Focused builds generally have a known weakness and can be exploited by top teams. For example, Ranger Spike with Ranger/Mesmers can use inspired hex, drain enchantment, distortion, pin down and other utility skills to counter most teams, but they simply do not split well.

Balanced builds on the other hand try to have all of the bases covered, while still delivering enough damage to get kills and win matches. I think the most that you can ask for from a build is that it gives your team a chance to win against any build, on any map, so each Guild Battle becomes a match of skill.

Here are the components one will find in a Balanced Build (please post if I have missed something here!).

Mobility (e.g. skills like Charge, Windborne Speed, and Storm Chaser)

Ability to Split (a build that allows a team to break into 2 or more groups with each group having enough of the types of skills listed here to survive and kill targets)

Snares (e.g. skills like Ice Prison, Crippling Shot, and Caltrops)

Condition Removal (e.g. skills like Mend Condition, Martyr, and Extinguish)

Hex Removal (e.g. skills like Blessed Light, Inspired Hex, and Contemplation of Purity)

Enchantment Removal (e.g. skills like Shatter Enchantment, Drain Enchantment and Well of Profane)

Caster Shutdown/Interupts/Energy Denial (These are skills that make it tough for monks to heal. They can also prevent damage by disrupting spikes. These skills can include Shutdowns like Blackout & Diversion, Interupts like Cry of Frustration & Gale, or Energy Denial skills like Energy Surge & Signet of Weariness)

"Warrior Hate" (e.g. skills like Blinding Flash, Shadow of Fear & Snares listed above)

Spike Capability (ability to deliver a lot of damage to one or more players in a short time, e.g. Eviscerate + Executioner's Strike or Phantom Pain + Shatter Delusions)

Damage (surviving is one thing, but you gotta be able to kill stuff too!)

Healing (options generally vary between 3 monk backlines and 2 monks backlines with the other characters having self-heals or support skills like Heal Party)

Resurrect Skills (e.g. Resurrection Signets & re-useable skills like Resurrect which are usually on a Mesmer for fast casting)

So without further ado...

The Build:

# 1 Warrior/ Elementalist
1) Charge [Elite]
2) Sever Artery
3) Gash
4) Final Thrust
5) Frenzy
6) Healing Signet
7) Shock
Rez Signet

# 2 Elementalist/Monk
1) Ether Prodigy [Elite]
2) Heal Party
3) Lightning Orb
4) Blinding Flash
5) Enervating Charge
6) Windborne Speed
7) ???? (possibly Convert Hexes? or Gale?)
Rez Signet

# 3 Mesmer / Assassin
1) Mantra of Recovery [Elite]
2) Energy Burn
3) Diversion
4) Siphon Speed
5) Drain Enchantment
6) Shame
7) Shatter Hex
Rez Signet

# 4 Monk/Mesmer
1) Mantra of Recall [Elite]
2) Reversal of Fortune
3) Gift of Health
4) Inspired Hex
5) Mend Condition
6) Protective Spirit
7) Divine Boon
Contemplation of Purity

# 5 Warrior/ Mesmer
1) Bulls Charge [Elite]
2) Crushing Blow
3) Hammer Bash
4) Irresistable Blow
5) Inspired Hex
6) Frenzy
7) Healing Signet
Rez Signet

# 6 Mesmer / Monk
1) Energy Surge [Elite]
2) Energy Burn
3) Shame
4) Mend Condition
5) Mind Wrack
6) Drain Enchantment
7) Signet of Weariness
Resurrect

# 7 Elementalist/Assassin (Primary Flag Runner)
1) Water Trident [Elite]
2) Ice Prison
3) Armor of Mist
4) Shadow Refuge
5) Dark Escape
6) ????
7) ????
Rez Signet

# 8 Monk/Mesmer
1) Mantra of Recall [Elite]
2) Reversal of Fortune
3) Signet of Devotion
4) Inspired Hex
5) Mend Condition
6) Protective Spirit
7) Divine Boon
Contemplation of Purity

Observations on the Build

Mobility
There is plenty of mobility with everyone having a running skill except the monks and the Mesmer/Monk. The Warrior #1 has Charge and the Ele #2 had Windborne speed to help make the players without running skills more mobile.

I especially like the use of Dark Escape on the Flag Runner #7. Dark Escape is a stance that activates instantly giving a 25% speed boost and reduces damage by 50%. Its like Life Bond + Sprint. It ends if you attack. It fits very nicely with Armor of Mist which has a long duration but takes 2 seconds to activate.

Ability to Split
You can tell by the line-up of this build that it is ready for a 4-4 split. The top 4 toons have a bit more skills for mobility with Charge & Windborne Speed and are ready to attack. The bottom 4 toons have a bit more defense, the flag runner and a fast cast rez.

The nice design of this build is that the two teams compliment each other instead of simply being two duplicate teams of 4. The attacking team mesmer uses more shutdown skills with Diversion & Shame. The defending team mesmer has more energy denial. So they can work well either together or apart.

The two Elementalists also work nicely together with one blinding enemy warriors with Air Magic and the other snaring them with Water Magic.

Snares
I love skills that serve multiple purposes. Shock on Warrior #1 is a great one as it knocks down foes, interupts them, snares them for a moment and does some damage. Of course shock is touch range, so you have to have a run skill to catch up to a target and then Shock it.

The Mesmer/Assassin on the attack team also has Siphon Speed which can be used as a snare or a run buff to flee dangerous situations.

The defending team has a Water Ele with Water Trident for constant knockdowns, Ice Spikes and Ice Prison. Warrior #5 also has a great combo skill in Bulls Charge which gives a speed boost and knocks down fleeing foes.

Condition Removal
There are 3 copies of Mend Condition (2 on the monks and one on the Mesmer/Monk). This is probably just barely enough. The Air Elementalist #2 can spam Heal Party (using Ether Prodigy for energy) to counter teams that use conditions for damage. Mesmer # 6 has the extra copy of Mend Condition to help keep the Warriors condition-free.

Hex Removal
Both monks have Contemplation of Purity & plenty of enchantments to keep themselves pretty much hex free. The monks also have inspired hex which is a very nice skill, but a long recharge (20 seconds).

The Hammer Warrior #5 had inspired hex to keep himself hex free and the Mesmer #3 has Shatter Hex to help keep Warrior #1 hex free.

I didn't see all the skills on #2 the Air Elementalist, but I have to imagine the Air Ele also had Convert Hexes.

Together this build seems to be a bit low on hex removal because their 4 single hex removals have long recharges. This team would need to use split tactics to counter heavy hexing teams and/or use their Heal Party spam to slow the pain of degen hexes.

Enchantment Removal
Both Mesmers have Drain Enchantment. Facing one of the new Air of Enchantment smiting teams would be very tough for this build with only 2 enchantment removals. Split tactics and snares would be needed to keep the Warriors with Balthazars & Zealots Fire away from targets. Shame, Diversion, & some Energy Denial could also be used to slow down the E/Mo smiters that are spamming skills to trigger Zealots Fire, but then the other teams monks would be free to heal.

Caster Shutdown/Interupts/Energy Denial
In addition to the knockdowns that both Warriors have, the mesmers have plenty of skills to make a monks life rough (trust me I know!).

Mantra of Recovery allows Mesmer #3 to cast Diversion every 5 seconds, and Shame every 15 seconds. It is a great skill to help with the long recharge times of the Domination Skills. Having Mantra of Recovery with Energy Burn is like having Energy Surge + Energy Burn (but with no AOE damage) because you can cast it twice every 20 seconds.

Mesmer #6 has Energy Surge + Burn + Signet of Weariness + Shame. Mind Wrack is also helpful here for punishing monks that focus swap to gain or hide energy.

Together these 2 Mesmers can effectively keep 2 monks busy, allowing the Warriors & Elementalists to get kills.

"Warrior Hate"
The Air Elementalist & Water Elementalist in this build are charged with keeping enemy Warriors in check. Neither monk has any blocking skills like Guardian or Aegis, so the team has to rely on the Water Ele's snares and the Air Ele's Blinding Flash & Enervating Charge which causes weakness.

They also work very well together because the Water Ele slows Warriors with hexes and the Air Ele uses conditions (Blind & Weakness) so they can stack a Warrior with both.

This team also has good mobility with Windborne Speed and Charge to help monks kite away from Warriors. The Mesmer/Assassin can also help slow a Warrior with Siphon Speed.

Spike Capability
Both Warriors have the ability to deliver a deep wound (Gash & Crushing Blow). A few hits from a Warrior + Deep wound usually equals a kill if there are no heals. This team has plenty of Domination skills to divert the monks attention and kills more by shutting down the monks than by big spikes on targets. Lightning Orb, Energy Surge, and Energy Burn can also deliver some nice fast damage.

Damage
2 Warriors and 2 Elementalists provide enough damage for this build to get kills. Split tactics and mobility allow this build to create mismatches like unprotected NPC's or out-numbered foes. The Mesmers also reduce the ability of foes to heal, which makes the damage here more effective.

Healing
There are only 2 Prot Boon monks to support this team and one Elementalist with Heal Party. The Warriors both have Healing Signet which allows them solo NPC's if needed and reduces the burden on the monks. The Water Elementalist runner also has Shadow Refuge.

Most top teams use 2 monk backlines these days and they can work well, but the rest of the team has to avoid damage and prevent damage as much as possible for this to work.

Resurrect Skills
I didnt observe all of the resurrection skills being used but I would guess there are 4-5 Resurrection Signets and 1 Fast Cast Resurrection Skill (Hard Rez).

Summary
Overall, this is a well balanced build that uses some of the nice new skills available in Chapter 2. It is a bit short on Enchantment removal and I saw it have trouble against a very good smiting team. The new increased mobility of Assassins and Warrior/Assassins could also provide some trouble as the "Warrior Hate" is more reactionary (e.g. blind the warrior thats hitting me) then preventative (e.g. spam Shadow of Fear on any Warrior or Assassin or chain cast Aegis).

The team does a 4/4 split nicely and also functions well 8 vs 8. Mobility and Tactics are the key to many Guild Battles and based on Group Therapy's rating this build has obviously fared well. http://www.theamazonbasin.com/gw/forums/index.php?showtopic=5675