Guild Wars 2

I’ve noticed that Mesmers ranged greatsword attacks cannot be reflected like other ranged attacks, does anyone know the reason for this (has it ever been explained?). Are there any other ranged attacks that surpass this mechanic?

Yes they can but you have to be traited for this. Just as the other ones are traited.

Its not a projectile. There are a few others that I can think of off the top of my head that are just like it. Guardian staff, Mesmer greatsword, and Necromancer axe are all not considered to be projectiles and so are not reflected. Mesmer GS is a beam, Guardian staff is a wave, and Necromancer axe is… I don’t even know what it is. But it isn’t a projectile if it is a solid line or it starts at the target. Ranger warhorn bird call is another example. The birds just fly down, are ranged, but are not projectiles. Reflects only work on projectiles, but not on constants, instant spawns, or certain bosses that spam projectiles too often.

You can only reflect projectiles. Anything thats not a projectile goes through the reflect barriers. Like Spatial Surge of the mesmer GS, or Arc Lightning of the ele scepter(air) or the Flame Jet of the engineer flamethrower. Also any meteor coming from Meteor Shower. Even the various Arrow Cart arrow showers wont be reflected, a ballista shot however, will.

Some attacks are unblockable, typically siege weapons.

BigfootArisen.6509:

Its not a projectile. There are a few others that I can think of off the top of my head that are just like it. Guardian staff, Mesmer greatsword, and Necromancer axe are all not considered to be projectiles and so are not reflected. Mesmer GS is a beam, Guardian staff is a wave, and Necromancer axe is… I don’t even know what it is. But it isn’t a projectile if it is a solid line or it starts at the target. Ranger warhorn bird call is another example. The birds just fly down, are ranged, but are not projectiles. Reflects only work on projectiles, but not on constants, instant spawns, or certain bosses that spam projectiles too often.

Those non-projectile attacks have certain pros and cons that set them apart from projectiles. The first pro is obviously that they can’t be reflected. Mesmer GS pro is higher damage at long range. Con is low damage at short range. Necro axe pro is fast strikes (i guess?) con is limited range. Guardian staff pro is wide cleave, con is low range.

Anyway, variation is what makes the game interesting. If you made every class have the same projectile-type attacks and equal access to reflects, then there would be no point in multiple classes.

Xenon.4537:

BigfootArisen.6509:

Its not a projectile. There are a few others that I can think of off the top of my head that are just like it. Guardian staff, Mesmer greatsword, and Necromancer axe are all not considered to be projectiles and so are not reflected. Mesmer GS is a beam, Guardian staff is a wave, and Necromancer axe is… I don’t even know what it is. But it isn’t a projectile if it is a solid line or it starts at the target. Ranger warhorn bird call is another example. The birds just fly down, are ranged, but are not projectiles. Reflects only work on projectiles, but not on constants, instant spawns, or certain bosses that spam projectiles too often.

Those non-projectile attacks have certain pros and cons that set them apart from projectiles. The first pro is obviously that they can’t be reflected. Mesmer GS pro is higher damage at long range. Con is low damage at short range. Necro axe pro is fast strikes (i guess?) con is limited range. Guardian staff pro is wide cleave, con is low range.

Anyway, variation is what makes the game interesting. If you made every class have the same projectile-type attacks and equal access to reflects, then there would be no point in multiple classes.

Another con of non projectile range attacks is they cannot take advantage of combo fields eg shoot a ranged projectile through a fire field and add burning to your attacks