Guild Wars 2

Change aqua-breathers aka underwater helms so they are strictly cosmetic. Currently, they serve no important in-game function. At the same time, they

• Reduce stats (since there are no craftable exotics or rares and virtually no drops).
• Force players to buy a seventh rune, in order to maintain their (6) bonus.

Characters do not need the “breathing” apparatus to breathe underwater, so in a mechanical sense, the items are already “cosmetic” for wet work. By making them officially cosmetic, that allows a lot more options for customization and also removes some of the more annoying aspects of underwater combat.

I found it a pain having to fork out an extra few gold for an extra superior rune for my underwater helm so the bonuses worked underwater, but it isn’t one of the major problems for me personally. I find these more of an issue:

1) the fact you cannot dye them (I mean, it stands out like a sore thumb when the rest of my armour looks all coloured and awesome)
2) the fact there are hardly ANY skins for the underwater headgear
3) there aren’t rare/exotic/ascended versions for them (wtf!?)
4) we need more runes and sigils that deal greater damage underwater, or are specifically for underwater combat

Zaoda.1653:

3) there aren’t rare/exotic/ascended versions for them (wtf!?)

Actually, there are rare versions. You could look it up in the Trading post. It’s the aqua breather with the best stats available. But they’re ridiculously expensive though up to a point that it’s just not worth the gold. But it’s there.

But yes, we need Exotic and Ascended versions. (which are also affordable)