Guild Wars 2

If, an’ hopefully when, we get ta Cantha, please make the War Fan a weapon option for one ah the classes. (assassin, if we get that, maybe) It’s such a beautiful design an’ so fitting for an Asian inspired setting it would be a shame not ta have them.

For suggestions:

It’s a stealthy weapon, so it could have ah quick, unseen strike.

Historically an’ Mythologically it was used ta block projectiles.

When close it can be used as a club.

Other ideas?:

oh god no.

they are the stupidest, most impractical weapons ever. making an entire weapon class around them would be just stupid. a dagger skin i can live with, or even a focus skin, but not a weapon class.

Look it up, they were actually used, often in places where other weapons couldn’ go.

Heck, I’ll give ya a link ta start with: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_war_fan

it’s not because it exists that it’s not a stupid, impractical weapon. i can link you to a myriad of other stupid and impractical weapons if you want to. and note how on your link they were always described as fans that, on occasion, could be used as something if you couldn’t bring anything decent to the fight.

it’s the equivalent of an umbrella with a sharp tip.

Actually, it could sort of fit in, since Tessenjutsu (martial art of the war fan) was, in legend, taught by a tengu.

Not only that, does it have to be a martial weapon? Can’t it be an off-hand only weapon? Maybe a two-handed weapon, since some of the signalling war-fans were huge.

Can’t an Ele use it to summon massive firestorms, tempests and dust devils (making it a weapon that has a lot of control utility [knockbacks, blind ect]?). Maybe a Mesmer can use it to distract (daze, for example).

I like your thinkin’ TDB, I was thinkin’ offhand too, but playin’ a thief our off hand choices – all two of them – are weapons so I overlooked that approach.

I want to have the Gunbai War fan as a one handed or two-handed sword.

Actually, I want Tobi’s war fan.

I realize that we are applying logic to a world of magic and endless arrow quivers, but seriously, fans? I know some could be used as weapons, but those were intended for unprotected targets. Try hitting bear with a block of hardened wood and some hardened metal. All you’ll do is piss it off.

If there ever is a Canthan expansion, best to stick to the stuff known to work:
1-handed swords- katanas
2 handed swords- Zanbaodao

Oh and Monk Spades. Gotta have monk spades somewhere.

MisterGumby.8924:

I realize that we are applying logic to a world of magic and endless arrow quivers, but seriously, fans? I know some could be used as weapons, but those were intended for unprotected targets. Try hitting bear with a block of hardened wood and some hardened metal. All you’ll do is piss it off.

If there ever is a Canthan expansion, best to stick to the stuff known to work:
1-handed swords- katanas
2 handed swords- Zanbaodao

Oh and Monk Spades. Gotta have monk spades somewhere.

Lol does a Guardian even hit anyone with their staff? I know my Elementalist doesn’t actually cut anyone with a dagger.

The viability of the weapon shouldn’t be a point since for every non-melee profession, they’re not actually using the weapon to harm someone but more or less using it as a kind of focus to channel power. I think the only oddball is Mesmer who actually use a scepter to smack someone after blocking them, everyone else shoots stuff out of their scepters. But yeah, no one uses a scepter, focus, staff, torch, warhorn to hit people with them.

As for a war fan, I’d say it’d depend how they handle the skills of the weapon type. It’d probably be a Mesmer/Elementalist/Thief and how each are handled would determine their viability.

-Could be their version of a Warhorn that summons and buffs allies.
-Could be a more controlly type weapon that moves and disorients foes.
-Could be a weapon that makes Air attunement crazy good damage (like it’s suppose to be)

I think the problem with this idea is that it’s not nearly broad enough as a weapon type. I could imagine fan-style skins on foci, but it’s just too specific. Even katana is too specific when we’ve already got “sword” and “big sword.”

Loic.4367:

I think the problem with this idea is that it’s not nearly broad enough as a weapon type. I could imagine fan-style skins on foci, but it’s just too specific. Even katana is too specific when we’ve already got “sword” and “big sword.”

Good point.

But that’s exactly why I’m more or less basing the validity of the idea on how the skills themselves are handled.

You say war fan is too specific and could be a skin of the focus? Well Thief doesn’t get a focus. Katana is too specific with Sword and Greatsword around? Well Elementalist don’t get any swords…

If the models and skills were handled properly, of course you can expand those into weapon classes of their own…but then this is hitting on the subject of “More Weapon Skins” vs “More Weapon Skills”. If the OP is primarily concerned with getting a fan in the hands of his character for looks then yeah, just roll that into focus.