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.
Attributes and Skills
| Warrior / Any | Attribute Rank |
| Tactics | 12 + 1 + 1 |
| Axe Mastery | 12 + 1 |
| Strength | 3 + 1 |
| Steady Stance | Drunken Blow | Desperation Blow | Soldier's Strike | "Watch Yourself!" | "Fear Me!" | Healing Signet | Resurrection Signet |
Equipment
Sundering Axe of Axe Mastery or fortitude
Radiant Insignia on all the armor
Superior Vigor,Superior Absortion, and a Rune of Attunement
Usage
The best combo to use is...
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!"
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