Comp Arena builds

Competition arena builds are very different from Team Arena/Tombs/GvG builds because one can't rely on any competence in his teammates or healing support.

Post some of your comp arena builds. It'd be nice to add a rough explanation of how to play your build.

Old school Life Aura engine monk (Mo/...)
Word of Healing {E}
Mend Ailment
Healing Touch
Healing Breeze
Blessed Signet
Protective Spirit
Life Bond
Balthazar's Aura

15 (11+4) Healing Prayers
14 (11+3) Divine Favor
rest (X+3) Protection Prayers
+ Superior Vigor rune
Staff with +20% enchant duration wrapping

Yes, 4 Superior runes. You'll have 305 health which is why you need permanent Protective Spirit on you. This monk can spike heal teammates while keeping himself alive often with the 9 health regen from Healing Breeze alone. You will gain energy each time you or an ally is hit with an attack, plus you can gain 12 energy with Blessed Signet. This is more than enough to replace natural energy regeneration.

Rangers with Quick Shot and competent mesmers will kill you. It's still quite managable most of the time, you can hide in terrain from rangers and mesmers need to strip Protective Spirit before Backfire does anything.

In random arena I always expect the most dumb enemies, so I often run this smiting monk:

Balthasaars Aura
Zelots Fire
Shield Of Judgement
Orison
Healing Breeze
Drain Enchantment / Glyph of Lesser Energy
Inspired Hex / Balthasaars Spirit / Symbol of Wrath
Res Sig

depending on Mo/E or Mo/Me

I stay at front and expect all the warriors rush for me.
Than I cast Shield of Judgement (already casted Zelots at the start), most warriors will still run for me, than I'll cast balthasaars Aura when they first hit me.

I can heal a little bit with orison and breeze but it isn't enough to keep my team alive. The whole strategy only works against dumb people. But in random arena - that is a perfect

I'll kill most of the time one or two enemies and my team can then kill the other two.

Well i run a lot of different builds i go and make and delete 3 different pvp chars daily lol. Well i just run an axe warrior monk and then a life bond monk and some dark arua/saccing necro
Ill just post my warrior for now
Axe warrior
12+1+1 axe mastery (i don't want to buy runes ill just unlock it)
9+1 strength
10 or 9 i think in prot prayers

Eviscerate
axe rake/swift chop
executioners strike
frenzy
sprint
remove hex
mend ailment
ressurection signet

Basically this is supposed to self reliant. I unlocked a 3/-1 vampiric mod but i mainly use the zealous because mend ailment and remove hex i use alot and its pretty energy heavy.

I use ranger based on enemy enchantments. Many players use enchanments - that is why you can use this against them.

You need 1) melandru's arrows (elite) 2) dualshot 3)some attackspeed skill like light. reflexes or tiger's furry

other shots and skills are to your liking, preferebly dont take hunters shot, since melandru already gives bleeding. I personally use Savage shot - vs elementalist in the right moment it can deliver 100 dmg !!! This build is very good vs W/mo too, especially with penetrating shots.

Ive given up all hope in the arena, and my current build is:
Wa/Mo
Strength: 15
Swordsmanship: 15
(minor absorbtion on full glads, zealous sword(+'s with stances on shield as well)/mixed with another set with 3/1 vampiric, both fortitude +20)

Frenzy
Sprint
Res Sig

Even in arena, your a wa/mo, generally the lowest in the pecking order, so no self defense needed, if its just you youve lost, cept for ressing situations. The damage comes simply from high attribute, and frenzy. Youd be surprised, but i often smash through the enemies casters before the rest of my team has finished the r/e with troll unguent. Sprint for hunting. if your feeling swish, get protectors strike/sprint. Kiter whippage no less.

Quote:

they cost energy dont they? and spamming stances is energy intensive aint it -.-

and i know + defense is better. it just so happens i dont have any + defense, so something is better than nothing. im so poor

Me/N
12+4 Illusion
10+1 Inpspiration
8+1 Fast Casing
2+1 Domination

Fragility
Soothing Images
Phantom Pain
Shatter Delusions
Virulence*
Power Drain
Energy Tap
Ressurection Signet.

This is the fragger I use that owns arena. For those of you who don't knwo about this build, you do Fragility, then Phantom Pain + Shatter Delusions to create a Deep Wound, which allows you to use Virulence, which is bugged and actually adds 3 conditions. Soothing Images is the cover hex and hex breaker breaker. It also owns warrior. Power Drain and Energy Tap for energy management. Res sig because you'll lose without it.

Quote:

*lol sarcasm*

I play N/Me in random competition arena for fun.

Soul Reaping: 10 (9+1)
Curses: 16 (3+1)
Inspiration: 9

Spiteful Spirit *
Insidious Parasite
Enfeeble
Faintheartedness
Rend Enchant
Inspired Enchantment
Plague Touch
Rez Sig

Nothing really fancy here, Lol. I wouldn't even say its that great of a build, but its worked well for me versus the 9999 warriors you meet in comp. Throw enfeeble on any warriors, then insidious and faintheartedness on them. Spiteful Spirit on the other warrior (if theres 2) So while they stand there hacking away at their target they kill themselves to death. I must say it is hilarious to watch. :P There are some good warriors out there that stop attacking and fix themselves (mend ailment or hex removal like in the build above), but what I've found is that more often then not they don't.

Rend, and Inspired Enchant for when I run into a smiter or protection monk. Can strip down the called target. If I see someone throw up healing hands or other damage reversing elites.. use inspired enchant, and now look, i have their skill! Lol. I don't use rend unless I have a monk on my side. So often I will just switch it out for suffering or some other degen skill instead.

Hmm, I've played and played in the Comp Arenas (due to a mass exodus of people from my friends list + a 3-member guild, no chance of Team Arena, +being on European Server limits Tombs) and have had a few noticably more successful builds than others.

1 - Fragility Mesmer

Fragility
Phantom Pain
Shatter Delusions
Virulence {E}
Diversion
Shatter Enchantment
Energy Tap
Res Sig

12+1+3 Illusion Magic
8+1 Fast Casting
10+1 Domination Magic
X+1 Inspiration Magic (Whatever is left over gets dumped here)

Just a generic Frag Bomber with Diversion as my hex breaker-breaker, plus it's a damn useful skill. Shatter Enchantment to get rid of Mending on the hordes of W/Mo's. Energy Tap is 5 to cast, steal 10 - so not a massive amount, but useful when everything else is cooling down.

2 - Quickshot/Barrage Ranger

Quickshot {E} / Barrage {E}
*Whatever Attack Spell you want - Varies every version of build.
Troll Unguent
Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Favorable Winds
Winnowing
Res Sig

12+1+3 Marksmanship
10+1 Wilderness Survival
8+1 Expertise

I've had fun with this build, mainly because as a Ranger you're almost never targetted. I generally use a 5:1 Vampiric Shortbow with +While in a Stance to rack up some damage pretty quickly. Gets annoying when someone uses Greater Conflagration though

3 - Power Trapper

Spike Trap {E}
Flame Trap
Barbed Trap
Dust Trap
Troll Unguent
Whirling Defense
Lightning Reflexes
Res Sig

12+1+3 Wilderness Survival
10+1 Expertise
8+1 Marksmanship

Had alot of fun with this build, just set all 4 traps in places that you're expecting people to run accross. Can be great fun on The Crag with the 2 main bridges. I sometimes swap out Lightning Reflexes for Bonnetis Defense, although the short duration can be annoying.

****I am not claiming any of these builds to be "godly" - I simply use them to have fun. So keep the flaming to a minimum please****

I generally play an N/Me. I have a degen build and a minion master build. I have full scar pattern armor on both, except my minoni master which has bloodstained boots

Degen
Illusion Magic: 12
Soul Reaping: 6+1
Curses: 11+1+1 (need to unlock major curses)

Faintheartedness
Phnatom Pain
Conjure Phantasm
Parasitic Bond
Suffering
Wither
Soul Barbs
Rez Sig

I start with soul barbs then cast Wither (If it's a caster), Phantom Pain, Conjure Phantasm, Faintheartedness (this precedes conjure phantasm if I'm attacking a Warrior of Ranger), parasitic bond, then finally Suffering. By then Phantom Pain and Conjure Phantasm have run out so I recast them if the enemy is still alive. Only one self heal and it's terrible, but it works out fine since competition arenas is full of noobs anyway.

Minion Master
Inspiration Magic: 10
Death Magic: 12+2+1
Soul Reaping: 8+1

rotting flesh
energy drain
verata's sacrifice
death nova
animate bone fiend
'' '' horror
rez sig
taste of death