Guild Wars 2

This skill is an elite skill that stuns for 1.5 seconds on a 45 second cd with a 1 second cast time. It also doesn’t stack with other stuns. The problem is it doesn’t measure up to other stuns let alone other elites.

Examples of better stuns:
-Signet of Domination (3 second stun, 45 second cd, 1200 range, is a signet, 1/4 second cast)
-Magic bullet (2 second stun, other effects on bounce, combo finisher, 900 range, 25 second cd)
-Static field (2 second stun, 40 second cd, 1200 range, combo field)
-Earthshaker(1-2 second stun based upon adrenaline, 600 range, 3/4 second cast, 10 second cd)
-skull crack(1-3 second stun, 10 second cd)
-Whirling strike(1-2 second stun, 10 second cd)

Basilisk venom was fine as an elite when it was unbreakable, but as it is now, it’s meh as a stun and lacklustre as an elite (this is important as it’s thief’s only underwater elite).

I suggest either increasing the duration to 3 seconds, or reducing the cd to around 25-30 seconds.

There are other options of course – lowering the cast time for one. I understand why Anet doesn’t want BV to be instant cast, but a .25s cast time seems sufficient.

In addition, since BV is an elite with 1 application only, we can add some more powerful effects. Why not add a 5 second weakness to BV, so it has some utility beyond the breakable stun? Perhaps some poison as well – 5 seconds of Poison and Weakness on BV would come a long way into bringing it up to snuff as an “elite” skill.

Right now its only saving grace are Runes of Lyssa and Larcenous Strike (very situational). But it is horribly lackluster compared to all other class elites.

Lower the cast time, make it unblockable & immune to stability so that a skillful thief would be able to interrupt bunker heals (like Guardian Shelter).

Dakarius.3284:

This skill is an elite skill that stuns for 1.5 seconds on a 45 second cd with a 1 second cast time. It also doesn’t stack with other stuns. The problem is it doesn’t measure up to other stuns let alone other elites.

Examples of better stuns:
-Signet of Domination (3 second stun, 45 second cd, 1200 range, is a signet, 1/4 second cast)
-Magic bullet (2 second stun, other effects on bounce, combo finisher, 900 range, 25 second cd)
-Static field (2 second stun, 40 second cd, 1200 range, combo field)
-Earthshaker(1-2 second stun based upon adrenaline, 600 range, 3/4 second cast, 10 second cd)
-skull crack(1-3 second stun, 10 second cd)
-Whirling strike(1-2 second stun, 10 second cd)

Basilisk venom was fine as an elite when it was unbreakable, but as it is now, it’s meh as a stun and lacklustre as an elite (this is important as it’s thief’s only underwater elite).

I suggest either increasing the duration to 3 seconds, or reducing the cd to around 25-30 seconds.

I’d probably go for a minor CD reduction over stun duration.
Reasoning:
1) Of the above listed classes, not all can 100-0 inside of the stun if they lead with it, while most offense oriented Thief builds can.
2) If stun breakers are brought into play, it doesn’t matter if the stun is 1.5 seconds or 3 seconds, the stun will be removed before its full duration.
3) I think CD would be easier to balance on the Thief vs duration since Thieves as a class lean towards burst.

But you also bring up another decent point: why do some classes only have 1 under-water elite? Thieves Guild could work underwater: one with a spear, the other with a harpoon gun. Dagger Storm probably wouldn’t work well; throwing daggers in 3 dimensions sounds like a good way to not actually hit anything.

My two cents.

As long ANet doesn’t make out of Petrification an official Condition with an unique effect and red icon, I’m for a complete removal of that Skill and exchange with a complete new Elite Skill

it has to be super weak because of Venomous Aura
which is really stupid. If venoms have to be underpowered because of that trait, the trait should be removed.

reikken.4961:

it has to be super weak because of Venomous Aura
which is really stupid. If venoms have to be underpowered because of that trait, the trait should be removed.

Yup, that’s exactly the point and I totally agree with your suggestion.
What we truly need is some good way to defend ourselves – like a trait which boosts def while using venoms or something.

Dakarius.3284:

This skill is an elite skill that stuns for 1.5 seconds on a 45 second cd with a 1 second cast time. It also doesn’t stack with other stuns. The problem is it doesn’t measure up to other stuns let alone other elites.

Examples of better stuns:
-Signet of Domination (3 second stun, 45 second cd, 1200 range, is a signet, 1/4 second cast)
-Magic bullet (2 second stun, other effects on bounce, combo finisher, 900 range, 25 second cd)
-Static field (2 second stun, 40 second cd, 1200 range, combo field)
-Earthshaker(1-2 second stun based upon adrenaline, 600 range, 3/4 second cast, 10 second cd)
-skull crack(1-3 second stun, 10 second cd)
-Whirling strike(1-2 second stun, 10 second cd)

Basilisk venom was fine as an elite when it was unbreakable, but as it is now, it’s meh as a stun and lacklustre as an elite (this is important as it’s thief’s only underwater elite).

I suggest either increasing the duration to 3 seconds, or reducing the cd to around 25-30 seconds.

i disagree completely. It’s an elite skill which extremely blows out every other one in terms of CD. kitten cd is amazing. the stun is at a good level, 1.5 isnt too little nor is it too high.
And i see almost every thief use it. Why buff something already widely used? so people can never use daggerstorm ever again? or thieves guild?

The Game Slayer.7632:

Dakarius.3284:

This skill is an elite skill that stuns for 1.5 seconds on a 45 second cd with a 1 second cast time. It also doesn’t stack with other stuns. The problem is it doesn’t measure up to other stuns let alone other elites.

Examples of better stuns:
-Signet of Domination (3 second stun, 45 second cd, 1200 range, is a signet, 1/4 second cast)
-Magic bullet (2 second stun, other effects on bounce, combo finisher, 900 range, 25 second cd)
-Static field (2 second stun, 40 second cd, 1200 range, combo field)
-Earthshaker(1-2 second stun based upon adrenaline, 600 range, 3/4 second cast, 10 second cd)
-skull crack(1-3 second stun, 10 second cd)
-Whirling strike(1-2 second stun, 10 second cd)

Basilisk venom was fine as an elite when it was unbreakable, but as it is now, it’s meh as a stun and lacklustre as an elite (this is important as it’s thief’s only underwater elite).

I suggest either increasing the duration to 3 seconds, or reducing the cd to around 25-30 seconds.

i disagree completely. It’s an elite skill which extremely blows out every other one in terms of CD. kitten cd is amazing. the stun is at a good level, 1.5 isnt too little nor is it too high.
And i see almost every thief use it. Why buff something already widely used? so people can never use daggerstorm ever again? or thieves guild?

Each of our elites has its uses, but I agree that BV could take some love.
I think even a 1s UNBREAKABLE stun would be ok.

The fact that most thieves run it does not qualify it for being good. Most eles use Tornado in PvP, yet all Elementalists’ elites are awful.

BV is usually taken in PvP for Lyssa Runes anyway.

I’m actually okay with Basi venom as long as Lyssa runes remain the way they are right now. The elite is terrible but the runeset makes it pretty good (but then you have to sacrifice a runeset of course).

So if Lyssa is nerfed, then Basi Venom will need a massive buff.

Venomous Aura appears to ruin all venom skills from a balance perspective.

No.

Basilisk venom is fine and balanced. No buffs no nerf. You don’t need Venomous Aura for Basilisk to be great.

It is an elite in a 45 second cooldown with a stun. That itself is great. I choose BV over the other two because of it.

You have one useless elite skill and you’re unhappy, I invite you to play a Guardian with 3 useless elite skills and share your opinion there

I’d reduce all venom cooldown from kitten to 30s (or even 25), extend basilisk venom’s stone effect to 3 seconds with a cd lowered to 30.

You have one useless elite skill and you’re unhappy, I invite you to play a Guardian with 3 useless elite skills and share your opinion there

Hope I could quote the way it should be done, no idea how to do it on these forums… why there isn’t a reply button next to each post?

Guardian elites:
A free use of all your virtues, gaining heal, burning, aegis, plus tons of other boons if traited, then instantly get back the virtues ready to use again. I just use the elite, F1 F2 F3, and when the cast time ends I have everything up and running again. Useless? Hardly?

Tomes: These are mainly for WvW enviroment and may feel useless in PvE (especially compared to virtue recharing elite), I give you that. But still good for massive events like Teq. turret / battery defense, Scarlet Invasions etc.

Im guessing this is a pve environment? Basilisk venom is very strong in the other two.
In PvE it’s not all that and I don’t really recall hearing about it used all that often as venom share support in pve either. Otherwise it’s a really strong elite.

Might as well remove the skill from the game and give us another.

SaltyDave.7346:

You have one useless elite skill and you’re unhappy, I invite you to play a Guardian with 3 useless elite skills and share your opinion there

Hope I could quote the way it should be done, no idea how to do it on these forums… why there isn’t a reply button next to each post?

Guardian elites:
A free use of all your virtues, gaining heal, burning, aegis, plus tons of other boons if traited, then instantly get back the virtues ready to use again. I just use the elite, F1 F2 F3, and when the cast time ends I have everything up and running again. Useless? Hardly?

Tomes: These are mainly for WvW enviroment and may feel useless in PvE (especially compared to virtue recharing elite), I give you that. But still good for massive events like Teq. turret / battery defense, Scarlet Invasions etc.

The virtues unless traited for condi cleanse or stability are severely underpowered for the huge cooldown they have. None of the Guardian elites is a game changer, popping either of em isn’t going to turn the game around in a key moment, Thieves Guild seems to be doing just that in random roaming encounters. Hell I’d take Daggerstorm over what Guardian has.

Stun is a very powerful effect on thief and is balanced as it currently is.

Context = the reason why it’s not the same duration or access as other classes, and why it’s an elite.

Arlette.9684:

SaltyDave.7346:

You have one useless elite skill and you’re unhappy, I invite you to play a Guardian with 3 useless elite skills and share your opinion there

Hope I could quote the way it should be done, no idea how to do it on these forums… why there isn’t a reply button next to each post?

Guardian elites:
A free use of all your virtues, gaining heal, burning, aegis, plus tons of other boons if traited, then instantly get back the virtues ready to use again. I just use the elite, F1 F2 F3, and when the cast time ends I have everything up and running again. Useless? Hardly?

Tomes: These are mainly for WvW enviroment and may feel useless in PvE (especially compared to virtue recharing elite), I give you that. But still good for massive events like Teq. turret / battery defense, Scarlet Invasions etc.

The virtues unless traited for condi cleanse or stability are severely underpowered for the huge cooldown they have. None of the Guardian elites is a game changer, popping either of em isn’t going to turn the game around in a key moment, Thieves Guild seems to be doing just that in random roaming encounters. Hell I’d take Daggerstorm over what Guardian has.

Dagger Storm is a great elite you know…. probably the best Elite thieves have.

The Game Slayer.7632:

Dakarius.3284:

This skill is an elite skill that stuns for 1.5 seconds on a 45 second cd with a 1 second cast time. It also doesn’t stack with other stuns. The problem is it doesn’t measure up to other stuns let alone other elites.

Examples of better stuns:
-Signet of Domination (3 second stun, 45 second cd, 1200 range, is a signet, 1/4 second cast)
-Magic bullet (2 second stun, other effects on bounce, combo finisher, 900 range, 25 second cd)
-Static field (2 second stun, 40 second cd, 1200 range, combo field)
-Earthshaker(1-2 second stun based upon adrenaline, 600 range, 3/4 second cast, 10 second cd)
-skull crack(1-3 second stun, 10 second cd)
-Whirling strike(1-2 second stun, 10 second cd)

Basilisk venom was fine as an elite when it was unbreakable, but as it is now, it’s meh as a stun and lacklustre as an elite (this is important as it’s thief’s only underwater elite).

I suggest either increasing the duration to 3 seconds, or reducing the cd to around 25-30 seconds.

i disagree completely. It’s an elite skill which extremely blows out every other one in terms of CD. kitten cd is amazing. the stun is at a good level, 1.5 isnt too little nor is it too high.
And i see almost every thief use it. Why buff something already widely used? so people can never use daggerstorm ever again? or thieves guild?

I use it when roaming because it’s the best option, not because it’s good. Most thieves rotate their elites between situations. Just because it’s widely used doesn’t make it viable, it simply makes it the least kittenty of anything. Thieves Guild is OP in 1v1 situations, but has no place in any other application, while Dagger Storm is great for soloing camps and pairs well with signet of malice for zerg fights. Basilisk Venom is just the “go to” option when not a) dueling or b) capping a camp or in a zerg fight, which is a lot. I guarantee that if BV got any buff, it’s usage for the same situations would neither increase or decrease, and neither would the other two options. Hell, occasionally I even take the human elite Reaper of Grenth over Basilisk Venom, since you can upkeep permanent chilled and stack up to 40 seconds of poisoned, a far greater effect than a 1.5 second stun that I only ever use over Pistol Whip because it’s off cooldown and I could use a second or so to gather my surroundings before deciding my next move. Most fights don’t last long enough to need it twice, anyway. So the cooldown point is moot.

/rant

Arlette.9684:

You have one useless elite skill and you’re unhappy, I invite you to play a Guardian with 3 useless elite skills and share your opinion there

Say wut?

I play necro main but I have played thief and guardian extensively. In WvW, the invulnerability elite is god mode and the healing book is great for support.

Guardians have some excellent elites.

Replied to this kind of thing before; venom is fine. It works best in the builds that are meant to run it, burst builds.

With mug it becomes instant cast so you never have to worry about somebody dodging it. With bountiful theft it ignores both stability and aegis. It is long enough for even a d/d thief to get off a backstab, or an entire pwhip to land (purposely whiffing the first part). I wont mention venom traits cause they more or less lock you into silly builds (although stunlock into immob lock with say cluster bombs is hilarious)