So, with the Dec 10th balance preview, we get Spirit Rangers being even more viable earlier on as well as allowing for more points to be spread around later game.
This makes me think of the potential of Banner Warriors since they can’t quite take around their minor army of banners. This got me to think about an idea that I’ve had before. Warriors should be able to trait into wearing one banner that they summon on their back, letting them carry the buff around with them while also retaining full use of their weapons. This would also allow them to carry up to two banners, letting banners carry a more general use feel while still not removing the ability to just drop four banners into a bigger battle.
This also got me thinking of more ways banners can be made useful, and it got me to think of an idea that it would be cool to allow for banners to be even more useful. Warriors should be able to equip banners they drop in an empty off hand. The idea is having nothing equipped in their off hand or having no weapon swap would give them the option to pick up the banner in just their offhand. This way, they can retain the combat viability they want (sword/mace/ax) while also carrying around a banner and not needing to baby sit it or dedicate themselves to moving banners around the battle field.
The game already seems to want to support odd amounts of equipment, for example you can equip a main hand and off hand in one weapon slot and you can also equip just an offhand in the other and when you switch, you keep your main hand and only switch offhand. This is stuff built into the game, but it doesn’t really support it by putting any interesting features into it and I think they should think about neat ways to use that unexplored system.
This also got me to think about the thief class, which has an even weird reaction to weapons. The third skill changes based on what you’re wielding in your offhand and there is one dedicated to not having an off hand.
I think that they should be able to equip bundles that they steal in their empty offhand and gain elementalist summon weapon style charges.
Imagine getting a Plasma and having 10 charges that all get wasted if you just eat it for all the boons, or you can use one charge and gain a random boon.
Or maybe the bone crack only dazes or weakens when it uses one charge. Or you can use all the charges for the full stun.
I think that change would make stealing more fun and viable as well as making main hand with no offhand something worthwhile.