Yeah, I'm a big friend of Marauder gear too, and the exotics are really not noticeably more expensive to craft than core stats. Also, the "viper's is as expensive as ascended" is hyperbole. It's just that when you're sinking that much into it, why not go all in and spend a bit more to get top-tier.
Ascended Gear is a must have for endgame content in Guild Wars 2. The armor, weapons, trinkets and the backpack give a good stat increase which can help you
Aside from using items such as Tomes of Knowledge, level 80 booster, etc., crafting is the fastest way to level a character. For your first character, just level through the story and various episodes while gathering mats. Fast leveling through crafting are often done for alts.
Here are some of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest ways to get Ascended equipment in Guild Wars 2 of every type—weapons, armor, trinkets, & back items!Ascen
Legendary equipment refers to equipment of Legendary rarity. It allows freely changing its attribute combinations and swap upgrade components, and can be equipped simultaneously on all characters on the account through Legendary Armory. Additionally, legendary weapons, armor, and back items feature unique appearance and visual effects and allowBsoqN.