Guild Wars 2

There are a variety of glaring issues with DPS Guardian at the moment. The most significant currently is the severe lack of mobility. Are there any plans to have another look at the capabilities of our damage and mobility options?

I’m currently forced to use runes of speed and hydromancy sigils to offset some of my handicaps… nevertheless, it’s still a far cry from where I think the damage spec should be.

Regards

The damage of offguards are good enough, maybe a bit too high.

I know a trait was suggested that a guard applys 1s immob on blend. I know thats not mobility, but u want mobility to chasing kiting foes and thats a good way.

DPS Guardians have some of the most painful damage in the game, in my experience, partly due to the way it’s applied, particularly in a meditations build.

I don’t think damage needs to be buffed. Mobility? Eh, sure, I guess.

I’d still take a Thief or Mesmer over a good zerker Guard to fight, any day.

Yeah, guardian damage is top tier; guardian just has a big problem with being able to make it all hit the target. Being very limited in mobility and soft CC makes it difficult to play a guardian as anything but a bunker, which is a shame when you take into account the fact that any class should be able to at least somewhat spec for any role when built for it.

Mobility isn’t the problem, it’s the lack of soft CCs so it makes it difficult to stay on target. DPS guard is more then viable, but it could use a buff in this area. However they have to be careful about it. Too much, and it would be completely op.

One idea I had was change the trait, Defender’s Flame, from burning on block to chill on block.

Black Box.9312:

Yeah, guardian damage is top tier; guardian just has a big problem with being able to make it all hit the target. Being very limited in mobility and soft CC makes it difficult to play a guardian as anything but a bunker, which is a shame when you take into account the fact that any class should be able to at least somewhat spec for any role when built for it.

This says it all we have no soft CC and our mobility isn’t really that great either.

Guardians are in a good place right now. They could use a little more mobility and soft CC, they are a little slow on the battle field. Giving them access to a viable condition build would bring them closer to Anets original vision of every class can fulfill any role and make them as versatile a warriors are now.

Guardian burst comes every 45 seconds and requires you to not be looking at us

Every other dps spec (including some condi specs) can burst every 15-20 seconds. So when you talk about Guard burst, the way to counter it is one dodge roll OR improved situational awareness then they are easily telegraphed for the next 45 seconds.

Harbinger and Zelcova are right. Soft CC is our biggest problem. Defender’s flame being changed is one of many good ideas ranging from lowering the cooldown of Glacial Hammer from 30 down 10-15 (thus making it viable) to combining our symbols traits and making a new one that adds 1 second of chill per symbol pulse that way it improves the zeal trait line (which is terrible right now) and adds some more dynamic play to the Guardian. The only soft CC we currently have is water combat downed state…that doesn’t make sense considering our only hard CCs are either: telegraphed, long cooldowns, on weapons that don’t work properly, requires the enemy target to run into the ward, or a combination of these.

The problem is we’ve been voicing these concerns for over a year now only getting small buffs to meditations and stealth nerfs. So I don’t know what we can do anymore to explain how pigeon holed/far behind Guardians currently are

Basically in spvp/wvw roaming you need at least two of the Holy Trinity of Movement for dps Guardians to function well. Greatsword 3, Sword 2, Judge’s Intervention with meditation cooldown. Pick two and your mobility is ok, pick three and its better but still far from other classes.

IMHO current issues with DPS Guardian are more about other classes offering too versatile and well rounded builds.

Guardian autoattack damage is quite high and allows an insane pressure at melee range. The class offers a fairly good gap closing skillset but, in the other hand, is completely lackluster, in terms of both speed boosting and soft CC, at keeping enemies close.
Most of the hard hitting moves are channeled or highly telegraphed, thus easily dodged without the aid of some controling tool, and it’s easy to mitigate symbol/smite damage just by moving out of the AoE.

All of this makes Guardian somehow reliant on soft/hard CC, something the class is arguably lackluster at, which IMHO is a good design in the sense that it requires an ally to provide it (just like the Guardian can provide those precious cleanses and stabilities other allies could be lacking) and promotes teamplay.

Some kind of speed boost / soft CC choices would be appreciated, specially for solo roaming purposes, but they should require sacrifices (having them on the underused Zeal traitline would prevent the Guardian from picking them on top of the current popular choices) and be overall inferior to the current teamplay reliant build (as long as that teamplay is properly done).

Guardians can have decent mobility. But they can escape a lot of bad situations as well due to the nature of the class.

They have protection, dodge roll heals, aegis, blocks, decent condi removal etc. Even if a class like a thief has more mobility then a guardian, based upon how tanky they can be they can survive those type of situations and perhaps run to their own supply camp, keep, tower or base.

Weapons like hammer can also help, with the ring it creates which can in certain situations slow down targets as well as the staff line of warding or whatever it is called.

But I agree though, Guardians lack a lot of soft CC, have highly telegraphed skills and can’t reliably stick on a target despite their gap-closing ability. However, their ability to shrug off damage and heal it back remains unparalleled and often times this is the way that they kill you. Unless of course you are a DPS full meditation build.

Mobility comes in many forms: Leaps, ports, swiftness, ect. Most DPS Guardian’s play Meditation which offers little boon access. Outside of VoC(if you invest 5 pts), you have no access to protection. Not only is mobility a problem, but the ability to stick to your target is an even bigger problem.

The argument about Blocks, Aegis and dodge roll heals being something of a magnificent way to avoid damage is actually pretty funny. Timed blocks through Shield of Wrath and activation is what really helps. Self-less daring healing for an insignificant amount when, as a dps guardian, you’re not stacking HP.

Dynnen.6405:

Guardian burst comes every 45 seconds and requires you to not be looking at us

Every other dps spec (including some condi specs) can burst every 15-20 seconds. So when you talk about Guard burst, the way to counter it is one dodge roll OR improved situational awareness then they are easily telegraphed for the next 45 seconds.

Harbinger and Zelcova are right. Soft CC is our biggest problem. Defender’s flame being changed is one of many good ideas ranging from lowering the cooldown of Glacial Hammer from 30 down 10-15 (thus making it viable) to combining our symbols traits and making a new one that adds 1 second of chill per symbol pulse that way it improves the zeal trait line (which is terrible right now) and adds some more dynamic play to the Guardian. The only soft CC we currently have is water combat downed state…that doesn’t make sense considering our only hard CCs are either: telegraphed, long cooldowns, on weapons that don’t work properly, requires the enemy target to run into the ward, or a combination of these.

The problem is we’ve been voicing these concerns for over a year now only getting small buffs to meditations and stealth nerfs. So I don’t know what we can do anymore to explain how pigeon holed/far behind Guardians currently are

This guy hits the nail on the head.

NO NO NO NO NO NO.

DPS guardian is currently in a good place. The problems is we are playing in a meta where most builds are so broken they do not need to worry about the same problems. Buffing another class is not the fix to the issue, nerfing others is.

Once Anet learns that making classes have weak points like guardian soft CC is GOOD. It incentives team-play rather than the 1 man army kind of game-play this meta has breed. No build should be able to do everything, guardian gives up soft CC for its really good AOE cleave.

If you want soft CC do not push a point alone…

hehk.8705:

NO NO NO NO NO NO.

DPS guardian is currently in a good place. The problems is we are playing in a meta where most builds are so broken they do not need to worry about the same problems. Buffing another class is not the fix to the issue, nerfing others is.

Once Anet learns that making classes have weak points like guardian soft CC is GOOD. It incentives team-play rather than the 1 man army kind of game-play this meta has breed. No build should be able to do everything, guardian gives up soft CC for its really good AOE cleave.

If you want soft CC do not push a point alone…

Hehk is absolutely right, dps guardian builds are not too weak, power creep has been too prevalent. I would much rather see the so-called “apex-predators” toned down in a way that all builds have a weakness similar to ours with soft CC. Sure it’d be fun for a while if we were super OP, but I’d rather have a healthy meta where every viable build has a weakness.

I disagree. Everything should be as effective and fun as the warrior. Warrior should be benchmark and not the worst profession. Imagine the automotive industrie would benchmark with the worst car manufacturer. What weaknesses are having cars? I’d say the driver.

Run sword/shield, sceptre/focus full medi 10 30 30 0 0 or 0 30 30 10 0.
Sceptre is so underused. Full zerker stats or even knights and youll hit 2k with auto attacks. And the snare sets up a perfect focus 5/sword 3 JI combo. Play it well and people will really have trouble no matter what class. Especially with perma fury on medis.

But dps guard has awesome mobility if used correctly. 2 teles. Ranged hits. Snares. A leap. Just dont waste them

raubvogel.5071:

I disagree. Everything should be as effective and fun as the warrior. Warrior should be benchmark and not the worst profession. Imagine the automotive industrie would benchmark with the worst car manufacturer. What weaknesses are having cars? I’d say the driver.

Hehk, although we usually agree on a lot of things… I agree with this guy more. This way, it would highlight player skill moreso than innate profession counter classes.

Why should we glorify weaknesses and innate imbalances? Differences should be how they do it and not what they can actually accomplish.

mrook.4163:

hehk.8705:

NO NO NO NO NO NO.

DPS guardian is currently in a good place. The problems is we are playing in a meta where most builds are so broken they do not need to worry about the same problems. Buffing another class is not the fix to the issue, nerfing others is.

Once Anet learns that making classes have weak points like guardian soft CC is GOOD. It incentives team-play rather than the 1 man army kind of game-play this meta has breed. No build should be able to do everything, guardian gives up soft CC for its really good AOE cleave.

If you want soft CC do not push a point alone…

Hehk is absolutely right, dps guardian builds are not too weak, power creep has been too prevalent. I would much rather see the so-called “apex-predators” toned down in a way that all builds have a weakness similar to ours with soft CC. Sure it’d be fun for a while if we were super OP, but I’d rather have a healthy meta where every viable build has a weakness.

First of all, the “apex-predators” coughwarriorcough isn’t going to get toned down. We all know that. And Guardians wouldn’t be “super OP” if we had some of these holes filled.

mobility is probs the best part of meditation guard

The problem is that builds that don’t rely on many CDs for sustain will always dominate. I can outplay ppl till the cows come home, but in that big spammy, messy team fight sustain tends to win :’(

Plus warrior is god mode when played at the same level..