Guild Wars 2

Recently (read: post-patch yesterday) I’ve been getting a lot of crying whispers after I killed someone of course using medi-guard, my main playstyle. One even coming from a scepter mesmer.

I honestly don’t know how anyone can consider medis overpowered. We have next to no soft CC, obviously no stealth, and little health. Of course, we do have a good amount of blocks and blinds for the “active defense” playstyle. But that’s beyond the point.

My point is that the changes made in yesterday’s feature patch do not “break” the class in any way, yet I do classify them as buffs and they make it far more fun to play in a group. Let’s take an honest look:

Renewed Focus: Cooldown reduced by 18 seconds, fury and 2k heal at the end. That’s nice, and actually saved my kitten once yesterday. But to think about it, that’s a 2k heal every 72 seconds, which comes out to be less than 30 health per second (and that’s assuming you pop it right off cooldown, too).

Merciful Intervention: ANet finally fixed the bug where you could bug it to give you a triple heal if you successfully teleported- instead, with Monk’s Focus, you should get a solid 4k heal for yourself every time, and that’s a functionality I really like. And don’t forget that this gives us disengage in a teamfight- of course, assuming one of my allies is faster. However, to take this, you have to replace one of your other meditations. No one is going to be replacing Smite Condition- low CD, great damage, sustain. So it’s between replacing your offensive burst set-up in Judge’s Intervention or your stunbreak+condi clear in CoP. I’ve been replacing CoP with MI and having some really fun times- however, I’ve been noticing the effects of losing the condi clear. Still, it’s really fun in a group to create some guardian shadowstep stomps. Just loads of fun, try it if you haven’t.

The biggest changes actually affect all classes, but us more than others:

Retaliation scaling and light aura: I don’t know if this change was needed to buff retaliation, but instead of being an afterthought, I now notice it much more, and it feels like an actual boon as opposed to a side effect of virtues/GS 4. Speaking of GS 4, I really like the light aura as well. You sure don’t want to hit the guardian (or anyone) a lot when they have that up. Gives us a nice extra source of vuln and retal.

Overall, medi guard still has an easy time against some builds, and a terrible time against others. However, these are the first real buffs to medi guardian in… over a year? I’ve lost count. And I can say they’ve really revitalized my desire to play the class both solo roaming and in a group. The shadowstep stomp for show, actually having to pay attention to retal, and the surprise new aura have made me log on the class even more. So thank you for that Anet, you didn’t disappoint me one bit. And to others disappointed by their class changes, I feel for you. Come on over here and roll a guardian for funsies

I dont think meditaion guardians are op ether…

But i havent seen that much “ooh medi guardian op” topics so why the bother?

I think people are more preoccupied with rangers being “OP”. I will say stealth buff to retal is a little strong. Stop trolling Mericakes we all know your bad at teh gamez anywayz <3

Medi guard was buffed where it didn’t need it. People are complaining because it’s extremely annoying to fight, even when played by mediocre people, just like d/d ele.

It still can’t kill anyone reasonably smart because the burst is too easy to avoid. But now it lasts even longer with the extra heal and faster virtue reset so eventually it will win through attrition, even with a damage-oriented amulet.

Instead, they should reduce the healing on Monk’s Focus so they can make it better at well-executed offense.

Exedore.6320:

Medi guard was buffed where it didn’t need it. People are complaining because it’s extremely annoying to fight, even when played by mediocre people, just like d/d ele.

It still can’t kill anyone reasonably smart because the burst is too easy to avoid. But now it lasts even longer with the extra heal and faster virtue reset so eventually it will win through attrition, even with a damage-oriented amulet.

Instead, they should reduce the healing on Monk’s Focus so they can make it better at well-executed offense.

Dumbest idea ever. Unlike warriors, Medi-Guards have no way of leaving the fight if things go south… they are “in it to win it” in every sense of the phrase. And when you factor in one of the lowest base healths of all classes, you can understand why Guards need every bit of sustain they can get.

Yet you want to nerf one of the most vital things keeping Guards in the fight… their healing ?

I repeat… dumbest idea EVER ! (and I don’t even main a guard and normally don’t see medi’s as that much of a threat). Which means we can probably look for this recommendation to implemented next patch !

ppl go cry about it cause medi guards are extremely strong at 1v1 , especially if ppl dont know how to avoid it, and most of the ones who cry about it dont know how to avoid it

but the game is not balanced around 1v1, and medi guards die too easily in group fights.

A small heal on the freaking elite skill that you’ll most likely get to pop only once during a fight because of the long cooldown now suddenly makes mediguards OP?
Impressive!

Vikkela.7261:

A small heal on the freaking elite skill that you’ll most likely get to pop only once during a fight because of the long cooldown now suddenly makes mediguards OP?
Impressive!

the heal is barely something, i think the cd reduction is a great buff tho

Guards going meditations sacrifice alot, … guardian sacrifices alot in any role, even if going for bunker that role is also almost useless, some classes to ir better and guardian sacrifices all the damage…

Hexalot.8194:

Dumbest idea ever. Unlike warriors, Medi-Guards have no way of leaving the fight if things go south… they are “in it to win it” in every sense of the phrase. And when you factor in one of the lowest base healths of all classes, you can understand why Guards need every bit of sustain they can get.

Yet you want to nerf one of the most vital things keeping Guards in the fight… their healing ?

I repeat… dumbest idea EVER ! (and I don’t even main a guard and normally don’t see medi’s as that much of a threat). Which means we can probably look for this recommendation to implemented next patch !

QQ, don’t nerf me, I like ez mode!

I play a guardian, I’ve played medi in the past, I’ve played against medi guards as other professions. I laugh every time I see one and then sigh in frustration as they continually try to hurt me, fail miserably, yet never die. You simply avoid their burst and they can’t do crap to hurt you. But they live forever in smaller fights and that healing has next to no counter-play. The change to renewed focus makes that zero-skill aspect of medi guard even worse.

Again, nerf the healing on Monk’s Focus to get rid of the zero counter-play sustain and then add options for offense which require more thought and execution. Then they can actually be a threat and be more than that fly you can’t shoo away. It makes for a much better build and a much more enjoyable game (unless you like your ez mode builds).

Yeah I’m glad all the QQ shifted away from medi guard when the patch went live. There were countless threads about their “buffs” before the patch but none of them are significant. Cooldown reduction and small heal on renewed focus, along with smoke and mirrors on merciful intervention which NO ONE will ever use seriously.

And in fact, as a medi guardian main, I’m disappointed by the changes. Those “buffs” are justification enough for ANET not to give us any soft CC or mobility to stay in a fight. A niche shadowstep and 18 seconds.

Exedore.6320:

Medi guard was buffed where it didn’t need it. People are complaining because it’s extremely annoying to fight, even when played by mediocre people, just like d/d ele.

It still can’t kill anyone reasonably smart because the burst is too easy to avoid. But now it lasts even longer with the extra heal and faster virtue reset so eventually it will win through attrition, even with a damage-oriented amulet.

Instead, they should reduce the healing on Monk’s Focus so they can make it better at well-executed offense.

Win through attrition?

I thought we were talking about meditation guardian here.

Shanks.2907:

Yeah I’m glad all the QQ shifted away from medi guard when the patch went live. There were countless threads about their “buffs” before the patch but none of them are significant. Cooldown reduction and small heal on renewed focus, along with smoke and mirrors on merciful intervention which NO ONE will ever use seriously.

And in fact, as a medi guardian main, I’m disappointed by the changes. Those “buffs” are justification enough for ANET not to give us any soft CC or mobility to stay in a fight. A niche shadowstep and 18 seconds.

The soft CC is a guardian weakness by design. It’s the same with, for example, engineers being weak to conditions or necromancers with mobility.

If it were improved, medi guards would be much more difficult to fight and could launch them to OP status.

Exedore:

“QQ, don’t nerf me, I like ez mode!
I play a guardian, I’ve played medi in the past, I’ve played against medi guards as other professions. I laugh every time I see one and then sigh in frustration as they continually try to hurt me, fail miserably, yet never die. You simply avoid their burst and they can’t do crap to hurt you. But they live forever in smaller fights and that healing has next to no counter-play. The change to renewed focus makes that zero-skill aspect of medi guard even worse.
Again, nerf the healing on Monk’s Focus to get rid of the zero counter-play sustain and then add options for offense which require more thought and execution. Then they can actually be a threat and be more than that fly you can’t shoo away. It makes for a much better build and a much more enjoyable game (unless you like your ez mode builds).”

WHAT CLASS DO YOU PLAY? Guardian is anything but easy mode.

People aren’t noticing it, but the change to retal is making the spec a little over the top atm. I have seen many people playing this spec be very successful by spamming their skills off CD, not even anticipating or reacting to their opponent, and doing loads of damage as a result. This is helped by the change to light aura and increase in retal dps (which adds a lot to your damage).

Also, medi guard didn’t need to be “revitalized” as it was never dead pre-patch, and some high-end teams even ran 1.

Seriously, that basically changed nothing.

medi-guard does a bit too well against other dps builds. it’s fine everywhere else for the most part, but playing medi-guard against dps ranger, thief, mesmer, ele, etc feels easier than it should

Exedore.6320:

Hexalot.8194:

Dumbest idea ever. Unlike warriors, Medi-Guards have no way of leaving the fight if things go south… they are “in it to win it” in every sense of the phrase. And when you factor in one of the lowest base healths of all classes, you can understand why Guards need every bit of sustain they can get.

Yet you want to nerf one of the most vital things keeping Guards in the fight… their healing ?

I repeat… dumbest idea EVER ! (and I don’t even main a guard and normally don’t see medi’s as that much of a threat). Which means we can probably look for this recommendation to implemented next patch !

QQ, don’t nerf me, I like ez mode!

I play a guardian, I’ve played medi in the past, I’ve played against medi guards as other professions. I laugh every time I see one and then sigh in frustration as they continually try to hurt me, fail miserably, yet never die. You simply avoid their burst and they can’t do crap to hurt you. But they live forever in smaller fights and that healing has next to no counter-play. The change to renewed focus makes that zero-skill aspect of medi guard even worse.

Again, nerf the healing on Monk’s Focus to get rid of the* zero counter-play sustain *and then add options for offense which require more thought and execution. Then they can actually be a threat and be more than that fly you can’t shoo away. It makes for a much better build and a much more enjoyable game (unless you like your ez mode builds).

Poison and chill do not exist….NOPE, totes not counterplay! Neither do hard CC stun locks or soft CC + Kitting! Obviously the 2k heal on guard’s Renewed Focus is too much, which heals at the end of the channel. If you’re playing as a Warrior, that Signet of Might looks mighty handy against those pesky blocks! Meditation Guards have a pretty sizable advantage over certain builds but it’s not even the real majority. Team Fights they will go down if focused, or AoE, Spvp Bunker guard will remain the most useful until more competitive game modes are introduced.

sinject.4607:

medi-guard does a bit too well against other dps builds. it’s fine everywhere else for the most part, but playing medi-guard against dps ranger, thief, mesmer, ele, etc feels easier than it should

Those classes can still kite a guardian, unless the guardian is using Speed or Traveler’s Runes. Even then, if a guardian initiates with Shield of Wrath, judges Intervention, and WW, if you can’t see that then hey it happens. That combo is the equivalent to a Churning Earth Ele with Lightning Flash. Not to mention initiation with JI means they’re down 36-kitten CD heal and gap closer.