Power Guardian

Most of the damage is conditional, so read the conditions. Fiery Wrath needs the target Burning — Permeating Wrath supplies that by making Justice's passive burn in an area every third attack. Unscathed Contender adds strike damage while you hold Aegis, and again while you are above 90% health; it is not a flat multiplier. Righteous Instincts and Retribution both key off Resolution, which Virtue of Resolution hands you every time you press a virtue — one turns it into crit chance and Might, the other into raw strike damage. That chain is what lets the gear stay this offensive.

The utility bar is the other half of the case for the build. Renewed Focus breaks Stun, makes you invulnerable and recharges your virtues — not your utilities — so it is both a panic button and a way to run the virtue loop twice. Wall of Reflection handles projectiles, "Stand Your Ground!" is squad Stability and a stun break, and Sword of Justice throws Vulnerability onto the pile you are about to hit.

Berserker's, Dragon's and Marauder with Scholar. Scholar is a plain power-and-ferocity rune with no health condition on it, and it gives you no defence — the vitality on the Dragon's and Marauder pieces is what keeps you alive long enough to spend the power.

The consumables carry more than the gear admits. Mists-Infused Spherified Peppercorn-Spiced Oyster Soup is +45 to every attribute and, in WvW, -10% incoming damage — a mitigation line that appears nowhere on the armour. Writ of Masterful Strength adds 200 power while you are above 90% health, which is every moment before the bomb finds you.

Rage and Celerity both hand you Quickness — three seconds on a critical hit, five on a disable — so you get it without a support feeding you. Hydromancy damages and chills nearby foes as you swap in, and Bloodlust builds +10 power a kill up to 25 stacks. Thief rewards using real weapon skills rather than autoattacking: strike damage that refreshes every time you hit with a skill that has a cooldown.

Dragonhunter runs the same Zeal and Radiance damage and adds traps and Heavy Light on top of it, so when the fight will stand still long enough for traps to land, it is the harder-hitting version of this. What you keep here is a bar with no placement gamble on it and "Stand Your Ground!" — Stability for five allies, not just for you. If what the squad is short of is boons rather than damage, that is a Firebrand or a Luminary.