User:GW-Cardsharp

The goal of this paragon is to replace a damage dealer middle with its ranged versatility. It's been used by many top 100 guilds. This build does work well with similar characters middle. This build revolves around maintaining Aggressive Refrain and pumping out Anthem of Flame.

Equipment

 * Centurion's Armor
 * Generic Swap: Vampiric Spear of Fortitude, Shield of Fortitude ("I Can See Clearly Now" inscription)
 * Aggressive Refrain Swap: +5e Spear of Fortitude, Focus ("Live for Today" inscription)
 * Elemental Swap: Elemental Spear of Fortitude, Shield of Fortitude ("I Can See Clearly Now" inscription)
 * Anti-Cripple Swap: +5e Spear of Fortitude, Shield of Fortitude ("Swift as Wind" inscription)

Usage
Cast Aggressive Refrain at the beginning of the match, and before entering combat, use Anthem of Flame to maintain it. In battle, feel free to burn skills such as Barbed Spear to burn out your Anthem of Flame, especially if you're using this build in conjunction with another similar character. Harrier's Toss is used as a spike follow-up or as general damage. Cruel Spear and Harrier's Toss synergize well during a spike as one penalizes the target if it's moving, the other, if it isn't. If your Aggressive Refrain, for some reason, goes down during the fight, use your +energy swap to recast, and slowly Anthem of Flame to gain energy when it's up (because it nets you 6 energy around enough teammates). Use your Remedy Signet to remove long duration blinds or other conditions.

Variants

 * Cruel Spear can be swapped for another elite such as "You're All Alone!" or Crippling Anthem.
 * Barbed Spear can be replaced by another damage skill such as Wild Throw or Blazing Spear but it's not recommended.
 * Replace Resurrection Signet with Signet of Return
 * Barbed Spear can be replaced by Wearying Spear if accompanied by a -duration weakness rune, in addition to shield inscription.

Counters

 * Obstacles
 * Kiting
 * Block

This build relies on the Nightfall skill Steady Stance and other Tactics skills to lay down high damage. On top of providing steady damage, it also has energy denial, has an Unblockable attack, and gives a constant +24 armor, to everyone within earshot. With all that, this build also has great energy management and lots of adrenaline gain.

Equipment

 * Sundering Axe of Axe Mastery or fortitude
 * Radiant Insignia on all the armor
 * Superior Vigor,Superior Absortion, and a Rune of Attunement

Usage
Steady Stance--> Drunken Blow or Desperation Blow--> Soldier's Strike--> "Watch Yourself!" (While Soldier's Strike is Activating, because shouts can be used while other skills are activating)--> "Fear Me!"
 * The best combo to use is...
 * By that time, Steady stance should be recharged (the whole combo takes 5 seconds), and you can go at it again

Even if you miss with desperation blow or drunken blow with Steady Stance active, you will still get the adrenaline and energy gain, so that can still be used without fear of wasting energy, and to keep up energy management
 * If you run low on energy (You get rezzed, or just have low energy), a good way to regain it is to take Soldier's Strike out of the rotation until you can get your energy back up with steady stance

Another decent combo is to use "Fear Me!" to drain lots of energy from enemy troops. Use "Fear Me!" then while shouting use the steady stance combo, once you strike "Fear Me!" would have been recharged and shout it again, then use Soldier's Strike to recharge "Fear Me!". Within five seconds every nearby enemy just lost 12 energy which can be quite devastating to elementals because of some of the large energy requirements.

Variants

 * Use a hammer for more spike damage
 * Use a Sword and switch out a skill for Riposte
 * Switch healing signet for Lion's Comfort
 * If using a sword, you could switch out a skill for Final Thrust since you build adrenaline so fast
 * If you know you will be healed, then switch healing signet out for an attack skill. this build gains lots of adreniline fast, so choose an adrenal skill
 * Sun and Moon Slash can be used
 * Assassin secondaries can use Signet of Malice. With all the conditions you are spreading, you will remove many from yourself if this is used right
 * If using an axe, you can use Critical Chop
 * If using an axe, Disrupting Chop is a good, spammable interrupt.
 * Change to W/D and use a scythe instead. Scythes will condition all foes hit with the AoE of the scythe.
 * Mesmer secondaries can bring Epidemic to spread the condtitions you put on an enemy to all the enemies adjacent to that one.
 * Switch Soldier's Strike for Thrill of Victory

Counters

 * Standard Warrior counters (eg Mesmers, Crippling)
 * Knockdowns can delay the combo, but not by much
 * Energy denial can be easy, because 2 pips of energy can easily be taken away, and if the warriors' energy is constantly below 5, they can't use steady stance and Drunken Blow or Desperation Blow for energy management