Guild Wars 2

I have a suggestion to improve warrior banners. This addresses the issue of the lack of mobility with banners, a primary reason why banners are not used as often.

Instead of a place-able pickup with skills I suggest the following changes.

- Banners are always attached to the warrior (on the back) but does not replace weapon skills (i.e. a kind of aoe passive signet)
- Restrict banners to one per warrior (i.e. only one banner can be placed in the utility slots)
- Battle Standard skill upgrades any currently equipped banner with the effects of the current battle standard (i.e. swiftness, fury, might boons with revive on summon) while retaining previous banner buffs. Also can be used without equipped banner.
- Using the active skill on a banner has the same effect as using skill 2 & 3 as with current banners. (i.e. grants swiftness and banner specific boon) while retaining banner buffs
- Traits that affect banners. Cooldown and effect range trait remain unchanged (cooldown now would apply to active skill on banner). Banners granting regeneration trait instead applies a similar effect as healing signet instead of regeneration boon as aoe effect. Banners causing damage on summon now work off active banner skill.

I say no to all of that.

For one, banners not being mobile is one of the key defining characteristics of them. It’s also the price you pay for them providing some pretty good bonuses.

For two, banners being mobile and not replacing your skills? That’d go over very well with the Engineers, since, you know, they can’t do that either.

And wait, did you just suggest that using the elite banner would give all banners the passive fury, might and swiftness? Yeah, that’s totally not overpowered.

Olba.5376:

I say no to all of that.

For one, banners not being mobile is one of the key defining characteristics of them. It’s also the price you pay for them providing some pretty good bonuses.

For two, banners being mobile and not replacing your skills? That’d go over very well with the Engineers, since, you know, they can’t do that either.

And wait, did you just suggest that using the elite banner would give all banners the passive fury, might and swiftness? Yeah, that’s totally not overpowered.

completely agree. @OP, no, no and no to the rest.

Why do people discredit suggestion posts so quickly? People I mention this to in-game seem to like the idea.

Olba.5376:

I say no to all of that.

For one, banners not being mobile is one of the key defining characteristics of them. It’s also the price you pay for them providing some pretty good bonuses.

For two, banners being mobile and not replacing your skills? That’d go over very well with the Engineers, since, you know, they can’t do that either.

And wait, did you just suggest that using the elite banner would give all banners the passive fury, might and swiftness? Yeah, that’s totally not overpowered.

Maybe I should have said more mobile and not just mobile, since anyone can just pick up a banner and bring said pretty good bonuses with them already.

What do Engineers have anything to do with this? Kits and Turrets are completely different than banners.

Obviously Battle Standard has a limited time and would still have a limited time.

geekFace.7314:

Why do people discredit suggestion posts so quickly?

They only discredit suggestions that look like “give moar damage to my class”.

I actually think that banners are right where they should be. Things to consider:

• They cannot be destroyed
• The only counterplay by your opponent is to move you away from them
• They can be moved by the character when needed (one per player with no meaningful weapon skills while moving)

That’s actually pretty darn good. It’d be more nice if other similar boosters like Spirits were as globally useful as banners are. If you removed the only counterplay to a banner, you’d have to nerf the banner significantly, and I don’t think that makes them any more interesting or fun. As they are, however, they can be strong area-supporting skills, and that’s enjoyable.

Rising Dusk.2408:

I actually think that banners are right where they should be. Things to consider:

• They cannot be destroyed
• The only counterplay by your opponent is to move you away from them
• They can be moved by the character when needed (one per player with no meaningful weapon skills while moving)

That’s actually pretty darn good. It’d be more nice if other similar boosters like Spirits were as globally useful as banners are. If you removed the only counterplay to a banner, you’d have to nerf the banner significantly, and I don’t think that makes them any more interesting or fun. As they are, however, they can be strong area-supporting skills, and that’s enjoyable.

Alright, I can see what you mean. Though I think it’s much to easy to counterplay banners since all you have to do is move away from them. My suggestion would add counterplay by killing the warrior to remove the banner buffs. Maybe making banners mobile would need a slight nerf, certainly not a significant one, but I don’t think they do given that a warrior would only be able to equip one banner at a time.

Most PvP fights I see are very mobile and never stay in once place more than a few moments, whether banners are there or not. I think it’s because of this banners are not used that much, I certainly don’t use them because of it. Only in certain situations, like a tower siege or on a point are banners used and even then I don’t see them that often. Now maybe that is the intended point of banners. However, I find using a shout build fills the support roll much better than banners. The main reasons are that shouts are mobile, the cooldowns are short, and better support effects can be applied with shouts. All shouts can heal instantly and remove conditions in addition to the standard shout bonuses.