Guild Wars 2

Currently, banners are lacking in appeal from a gameplay perspective, which is a shame because the stats they bring to any group are stunning. For all they contribute to a group, however, they take little skill to use and prevent the warrior from taking other, more enjoyable skills. Even if they only take a single banner, picking up that banner to move it or keep it applied to a moving group is an exercise in banality. For those rare warriors who like to provide two, three or even four banners to their party, the fun-factor of being such a group asset quickly plummets. And it is fun this suggestion is intended to address; it is a game, after all, played for enjoyment.

It’s difficult to buff the 1-5 skills on banners without making them too strong, especially given that any profession can pick them up. For this reason, I suggest that banners give access to a burst skill when held by warriors. This limits this ability and the inherent ‘buff’ to a single profession. Banners retain their role as mobile buffs and powerful group assets, but warriors who bring them to the show can now wade into combat bearing their cross a little more enthusiastically.

I would theorize that this burst skill would be the same for each banner, even the warbanner, for the sake of simplicity. I would love to hear any suggestions for what this skill should be, as I have little idea beyond the notion that this change would improve quality of life for warriors who elect to bear a banner for their party. Perhaps a short rage leap strike that transfers conditions from allies to that foe? Or an AOE stun on par with that seen on spears? A move like this would make it attractive for warriors to bear their banners, which is nice for everyone.

Ideas, additions or vengeful peanuts from the gallery?

Note: Reposted here from the Warrior board, as I didn’t know about this section of the forum before I made that thread.

I really like this idea!

Maybe the burst could be a wider radius Staggering Blow (Hammer 4) type skill, so an additional blowout? It could also count as a Whirl finisher.

I think you could take the core idea further and use it to improve transforms such as Rampage. Rampage is in desperate need of improvement, and giving it a burst skill would make sense.

Mungrul.9358:

Rampage is in desperate need of improvement, and giving it a burst skill would make sense.

I hadn’t considered this, and it makes perfect sense. For a warrior elite, it seems silly to not have an accompanying burst ability. I also understand why utility skills are restricted while in Juggernaut form, but perhaps a reduced pool of moves could be available, like while underwater? Perhaps as a Burst Skill, Juggernauts could consume conditions to increase the duration of the form? This change would help them deal with the sacrificed condition removal inherent to the form, as well as letting them be stompy for even longer.

Barring that, perhaps physically throwing a target enemy away as a ground targeted projectile? (They’d be immune to fall damage, obviously) It would be a very characteristic way for a juggernaut to handle some puny assailant, as well as play to the core strengths of the form; disruption of the enemy.

As a third idea, have it convert adrenaline into a buff for giving melee attacks splash damage, it seems odd that the ‘Ultimate Warrior’ lacks the multi-target abilities of his less angry brethren.

What is a non-warrior picks up the banner..?

Mist Y.5214:

What is a non-warrior picks up the banner..?

As they can’t use burst skills, they’d simply have access to the same moves and buff as before. This helps limit this ‘buff’ to warriors only, allowing them to have more fun, without risking any potential balance problems?

Additional note: With ‘Cleansing Ire’ now in the game, the ability to spend adrenaline is crucial to a warrior’s sustainability. Locking this away in warrior-only forms and weapon packages is a serious problem, something this change would go some ways to address.

What about an impale skill? Or a jump skill similar to Dragoons in Final fantasy?

Conncept.7638:

What about an impale skill? Or a jump skill similar to Dragoons in Final fantasy?

That would likely be too much like the warhammer burst, which fills the role of AoE leap very nicely. In keeping with the spirit of banners, I believe it should be both an attack (as it is a burst skill) and a group asset. I had a thought that perhaps it could be a leaping strike, perhaps with a 600 range instead of Eviscerates 300, that inflicts vulnerability (not much) on enemies near the target and grants might to allies in the same area. It compels the user of the skill to do what warriors and banners should do best; get into the thickest part of the fighting.