Shock warrior
From Guild Wars Wiki
Shock warrior refers to a flexible axe warrior build.
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[edit] General principle
The shock warrior is a frontline character which can slot into many different team builds. It uses Eviscerate and Executioner's Strike to spike targets with, and packs a healing skill, as well as speed and attack speed buffs to improve its performance and provide mobility.
[edit] Basis
Eviscerate and Executioner's Strike are used to spike a target down, and the adrenaline gain and unload speed are helped with an increased attacked speed buff, Frenzy. This skill carries a penalty of double damage, so a cancel stance is used. This doubles as a speed buff; Enraging Charge, Sprint and Rush all have their merits, Enraging Charge provides additional adrenaline on hit but ends on that same hit, Sprint is similar to Enraging Charge but allows chasing, at the loss of the extra adrenaline, Rush is long lasting and can be used with frequency but is fuelled by adrenaline so it cannot be used out of combat.
Bull's Strike and the elementalist skill Shock are used for disruption. These can be used to delay a target, such as a collapsing team in order to net a kill, or disable an opposing flag runner in order to secure a morale boost. With correct timing, the warrior can chain the 2 skills to shutdown the target in the form of a KD-lock, if a target receives no support, this can result in a kill.
Healing Signet provides healing, this is handy when splitting away out of monk range, or to provide relief when faced with health degeneration teams.
[edit] Side skills
Another elementalist skill, Grasping Earth is sometimes used to provide a snare, at the cost of Resurrection Signet or Bull's Strike.
[edit] Battle behavior
A "minute to learn, lifetime to master" build.
Random Arenas & Team Arenas: Shock warriors are popular in these 2 formats, the disruption skills are more valuable than the condition removal skills (such as Mending Touch) of other builds.
Alliance Battles: An unpopular build for alliance battles, due to the influx of Assassin gank characters and splittable nature of the format, a warrior with Mending Touch is preferred by many players.
Hero Battles: Heroes do not run the build well.
GvG & Heroes' Ascent: The most common formats. Healing Signet is not used in HA due to the compact maps and 3-monk backlines.
PvE: The KD effects are less valuable in PvE, foes do not usually last long enough to merit bringing the skills.
[edit] Disadvantages
The W/E can't use the advantages of other professions, such as the enchantment-stripping abilities of a W/D, or condition-removal skills of a W/Mo.
A Rune of Clarity and Rune of Recovery are used to compensate the lack of condition removal.
