Build Creators: Where do you test your builds?

Title says most of it. Where do YOU test new builds you've created? What areas do you use as benchmarks? Do you test them with henchmen? Do you try to "kill" your build? Share your locations and methods in this thread!

I use Grothmar Wardowns and Dalada Uplands as my test areas, as they are some of the harder but still easy to warp to areas in Guild Wars. I test with the earth, interrupt, heal, prot henchies.

These areas test many aspects of a build; from Charr alone you have to deal with incoming AOE damage (meteor showers), mass degen hexes, healers, fast casting rezzers, blocking (aegis), ranger spikes (groups composed 100% charr rangers that will spike you down instantly), plus various annoyances like shatter enchantment.

Grothmar Wardowns starts with a group of mobs that daze/condition, then across the bridge is a Charr ranger spike group with a healer, then you have multiple mixed Charr groups running around in the vicinity. After that head immediately to the monk boss in the fort with the double healer group.

Dalada Uplands immediately by the town portal there are two charr groups, one of which is a mixed group with healers, rezzers, hexers, and meteor shower guys as above, and the other group right next to it is a ranger spike group with one fire ele. This is probably the quickest way to test both of those situations when you are mucking around with builds. Further down the road there are more mixed groups that include 2 charr melee guys.

Just get a good feel for how various builds compare against each other when fighting such groups (i.e. what your health bars look like, how fast you kill them), you don't need to vanquish the whole zone when just tuning skills.

Phase 1: Marga Coast HM

Phase 2: Wajjun Bazaar HM

Phase 3: Nahpui Quarter Mish HM

Phase 4: Unwaking Waters HM

Phase 5: Glint HM

Phase 6 (final): Tomb of Primeval Kings HM (this one is insane, watchout)

Testing with heroes+henchies until Anet releases all 7 heroes.

Anywhere I can.

In my mind (theorycrafting) In others' minds (see above) In Isle of the Nameless

In a normal run In a record run

I do all damage calculations and other related tests in my head, if you do it right you don't need to actually do a test against some foes, just sit back and watch it work flawlessly.

I test them in the area they are intended for, I design each of my builds for specific role, such as keeping the hexes off my party as a monk in a hex heavy area, or to keep damaging blocking foes as a sin in a block heavy area.

Fantastic. I've been using Vloxen Excavations, Jaga Moraine, Riven Earth, and Sparkfly swamp, however Giga, I like your suggestion for fighting against more balanced parties. Great idea! Record runs also seem like a great idea.

I also test calculations in my head, but sometimes a real run brings up information you may not have considered!

More often then not I don't test the builds I make. I'm pretty saavy with GW's system that I know what works and what doesn't work. I know it sounds a bit vain, but It works for me.

for pve builds dragon's throat
for pvp builds, isle of the nameless or jq

I usually test the builds on Nameless to see any early odd behaviors. As I make builds to use, I then test them during next progress keeping an eye on hero behavior and energy. As for personal builds, I just test them directly and usually get a pretty good feel on what's good or not before I go. I just follow a few guidelines, like never mix spammable foe/ally targeting skills during combat. If for outside or before battles, it's a different story.

dragon's throat in HM
and then rush like an total idiot, if you survive, defense is good.

For me a successful "test" is not failing what I wanted to do.
It's PvE.

i don't really go to a specific area, i just do what i do with it, so if i come up with 3 new hero builds then i will just play with them for a week or so, making changes as needed.

i find that just playing the game and seeing the weaknesses is easier and better than hunting them down with a stick (dragon's throat HM :P)

Depends on what the builds purpose is in the first place.

I mean if you make a team build designed to work in Fissure of Woe only it would be pointless testing it anywhere else.

If it's a more general build then I generally test it on HM vanquishes across a wide variety of areas.

I test my builds in RA, even if their farming/running builds. If you can kill someone with your farming or running build... Its a good build.

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