The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good
Focused on: Condition damage, Control and Sustain
Designed for: PvP Conquest
Expansions required: End of Dragons builds Secrets of the Obscure builds
Difficulty: Easy
This build was last updated on January 18, 2025 and is up to date for the June 2, 2026 patch.
Overview
A condition Virtuoso duelist build for PvP with great sustain. Meant to win 1v1s and other smaller skirmishes over time by outlasting its opponent in a battle of attrition.
Skill Bar
Skill Variants
Elite
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时间扭曲 - sometimes the signet can be hard to utilize on a condi build especially in 1v1s (you don't always have the damage to finish off the target on your own before the Moa form runs out). Time Warp is much easier to get value from but the signet could potentially be more game changing if used right. -
群体隐形 - low CD escape tool (for an elite) that could also help you and your allies get around the map undeetcted or get the jump on the enemy team.
Weapons
Shield requires the Secrets of the Obscure expansion, if you don't have it then your options are:
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Torch - defensive weapon with condi cleanse, stealth and a delayed AoE CC.
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Pistol - better damage and a quick stun that could be used to set up burst.
Template Code
[&DQcXORgtQhUjDwAAggEAAGUBAACDAQAA7RIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA=]Specializations
Variants
同情容貌 adds more cleansing to the build at the expense of group utility. It's slightly better in 1v1s but above that the loss of rez power could sometimes cost you fights.
Equipment
Equipment Variants
Runes
If you don't mind sacrificing some mobility, you could replace Lynx with one of the following runes:
Sigils
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洁净法印 - could replace Doom and Confusion sigils if you need more defense against conditions. -
厄运法印 over Confusion - if you prefer extra healing reduction and better condition variety to longer burst duration.
Usage
Elite specialization basics
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Shatters are replaced by Bladesongs (we're still going to refer to these as shatters).
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Instead of generating clones in combat you now stack Blades and Blades persist even after combat. The maximum count is 5 instead of 3.
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Bladesongs are a bit more clunky than regular shatters. They require you to face the target to activate and have a cast time, therefore cannot be used defensively while stunned.
General
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Role: look for 1v1s and smaller skirmishes, your damage isn't enough to be relevant in teamfights.
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闪光传送 is a very simple yet versatile skill allowing you to chase enemies, retreat to the safety of the highghround, break stuns, or get around the map faster. -
When you can't count on your team to assist with a kill,
谦逊纹章's more about securing a kill on an already pressured target rather than setting it up. The Moa doesn't last long and the Moa'd player has access to a few defensive/mobility skills to avoid your followup attacks if played well. This however is still great for denying low HP enemies access to their heals and cleanses inbetween two bursts. -
幻象纹章 is perhaps the most versatile skill in the build. While the passive is nice, its best part is the active - refreshing shatters is useful in just about any situation whether you need burst damage, CC or even the sustain of F4-5. Activating the signet itself also grants 1 second of 
失真 via 
模糊铭文.
Mobility
- Use
相位撤退 for mobility while roaming between capture points or chasing after targets. PR teleports you in the opposite direction of where you're facing, so in order to teleport "forward" simply turn around and use it then turn back. We recommend that you set up a bind for about face to do this in a fluid manner (Options ⇒ Control Options ⇒ Movement).
- About face ⇒ 相位撤退 ⇒ about face is the rotation.
- Make sure that you don't have an enemy targeted when doing this!
- About face ⇒
Sustain
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For Virtuoso the best defense is a good offense. Bladesongs/Shatters are crucial for sustain.
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Shatter skills grant
圣盾 from 
旋刃和声 while blocking an attack procs 
决斗逆转 and 
灵能回应, applying boons and generating 3 Blades. This is the important part. -
Stocking a Blade heals you from the passive of
幻光纹章, while using a shatter skills heals you via 
幻象回复 and even removes a condition. -
Try not to use the active of
幻光纹章 unless you're in serious trouble as the passive is way too valuable. -
Every Signet skill grants
失真. 
午夜纹章 is your panic button: breaks stuns, applies 
潜行 + 失真 and cleanses 5 conditions thanks to 模糊铭文. SoM is the only mass condition cleanse in the build, keep that in mind when facing condition specs. Correcting mistakes or recovering from bursts becomes harder while this is on CD. -
旋刃魂曲 acts as an instant cleanse and source of 圣盾, plus the multiple hits could rip Aegis from enemies and get rid of 
目盲 in you so that your more important skills can connect. Aside from that it doesn't do much, it's by far your weakest shatter. -
If taken
灵刃新生 is your time-out, protecting you from both strike damage and condition bursts while also stocking Blades (and that has further synergy with the Signet heal). -
The build has plenty of ways to deal with conditions:
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混乱护甲 can be used even while stunned, blinding nearby enemies and giving you a chance to gain 
保护 whens struck. -
Same goes for
相位撤退, you could use it to get out of harm's way even while stunned. -
回忆幻像 needs to block an attack otherwise its chain skill (a copy of this skill) won't become available. Make sure that this happens even if your opponent is trying to play around it by briefly moving into hostile AoE fields or using the Echo of Memory right in the middle of an enemy's attack animation so they can't cancel in time.
Damage
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Try to use shatters with 4-5 Blades stocked if possible for maximum effect.
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悲伤咏刃 is your main burst skill. -
和谐咏刃 is burst skill #2 but also more of a filler for dumping your Blades. -
As for weapon skills Scepter/Torch is the primary damaging set in the build.
幻象反击 is a block with Blade generation that has nice synergy with all the other block related traits, you can always follow up here with a shatter. -
困惑镜像 is best used after blocking so you can have 
激怒 and 
急速 for its entire duration.
Related Builds
- Virtuoso - Celestial Roamer - WvW version of the build.
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