Guild Wars 2

Ok, going out on a huge limb here but really am trying to get a handle on what to focus on what with PoF around the corner.
Have played cPS for all the HoT raids and am keen to keep on playing Warrior IF the new elite allows for such. Right now its fleshing out to be a full on pvp build but we don’t really know what the new stuff gonna bring in terms of mobs and boons and such. That said I fine if that’s the case as Renegade is looking to be a strong condi build and Rev was my first raid toon, so going back not an issue (kinda excited really).
But, what about Spell breaker looking to be another tank class? Lots of stripping and such, evades, regen, taunts, and all sort of very tanky stuff. And yea, I get that any class can tank in this game really, but that doesn’t really happen otherwise you wouldn’t see all the “looking for Chrono tank” posts now would ya?
But if Spellbreaker could possible be another class to really look at as tank, I could get behind that.
Again, speculating here and yea, really jumping the gun but the expac does have me excited for new builds and I am really keen to see what they all bring in terms of pve/raid usufullness, therefore all these crazy posts about classes and what will/may be what and all. I probally should just group up all my posts under one title such as “What does everyone else think is going happen?”….lol.
Ok, I promise, last post from around all the new stuff and builds and junk. I’ll wait til the big boys step up and test/theroycraft all this THEN I’ll make 4000 posts as to what/where and why?
Cheers!!

doubt it.

Memser (Chrono) is just too effective at the role that the only way another thing comes in is if it can also poop out invlunes, boonshare, alacrity.

TexZero.7910:

doubt it.

Memser (Chrono) is just too effective at the role that the only way another thing comes in is if it can also poop out invlunes, boonshare, alacrity.

The thing is, PoF is standalone and doesn’t require HoT. It would be really sad for Anet not to release a good tanking spec comparable to Chrono with PoF. What are they going to tell to their PoF-only players? Go buy HoT in order to tank in PoF?

I believe PoF specs should all have a rough equivalent to HoT specs. So you can do the PoF raids just fine without ever using a HoT-specific spec. That’s one of the main problems of a standalone expansion really.

maddoctor.2738:

TexZero.7910:

doubt it.

Memser (Chrono) is just too effective at the role that the only way another thing comes in is if it can also poop out invlunes, boonshare, alacrity.

The thing is, PoF is standalone and doesn’t require HoT. It would be really sad for Anet not to release a good tanking spec comparable to Chrono with PoF. What are they going to tell to their PoF-only players? Go buy HoT in order to tank in PoF?

I believe PoF specs should all have a rough equivalent to HoT specs. So you can do the PoF raids just fine without ever using a HoT-specific spec. That’s one of the main problems of a standalone expansion really.

Yea, that’s why I’m thinking that Spellbreaker and a few others just might be the ones,once the raids drop. Be fun to do HoT raids with new builds but as you said, if I don’t have HOT and I am new to POF, ANET cant really tell me sorry when it comes to the new raids.
Alas, its going to be a waiting game for sure.

maddoctor.2738:

TexZero.7910:

doubt it.

Memser (Chrono) is just too effective at the role that the only way another thing comes in is if it can also poop out invlunes, boonshare, alacrity.

The thing is, PoF is standalone and doesn’t require HoT. It would be really sad for Anet not to release a good tanking spec comparable to Chrono with PoF. What are they going to tell to their PoF-only players? Go buy HoT in order to tank in PoF?

I believe PoF specs should all have a rough equivalent to HoT specs. So you can do the PoF raids just fine without ever using a HoT-specific spec. That’s one of the main problems of a standalone expansion really.

Im just sayin’ i seriously doubt anet is going to make anything remotely close to what Chrono is currently capable of.

At best they’ll nerfbat chrono to the floor, but even then i doubt we’ll see warrior as its replacement tank.

TexZero.7910:

At best they’ll nerfbat chrono to the floor, but even then i doubt we’ll see warrior as its replacement tank.

That’s true.
I’m thinking that Firebrand will take the Chrono’s place with good Quickness uptime and offensive buffs. Maybe not as a tank but as an offensive buffer and healer

I believe Spellbreaker will become the go-to spec for Power PS. Berserker is taken for the damage and the CC, all the buffing capabilities of the PS are core skills. So Spellbreaker needs to be good at Power damage and offer reliable CC
Power PS: Spellbreaker, Condi PS: Berserker

And that leaves us with the Druid replacement.

maddoctor.2738:

So Spellbreaker needs to be good at Power damage and offer reliable CC
Power PS: Spellbreaker, Condi PS: Berserker

Ok, I like that and can so get behind it! A bit over condi right now anyways so heres hoping!

Joxer.6024:

maddoctor.2738:

So Spellbreaker needs to be good at Power damage and offer reliable CC
Power PS: Spellbreaker, Condi PS: Berserker

Ok, I like that and can so get behind it! A bit over condi right now anyways so heres hoping!

Another hint: Power PS was nerfed so even more reason for Spellbreaker to be power dps spec.

maddoctor.2738:

Joxer.6024:

maddoctor.2738:

So Spellbreaker needs to be good at Power damage and offer reliable CC
Power PS: Spellbreaker, Condi PS: Berserker

Ok, I like that and can so get behind it! A bit over condi right now anyways so heres hoping!

Another hint: Power PS was nerfed so even more reason for Spellbreaker to be power dps spec.

But my hoping is pve orientated…..is that what you reckon as well?
And yea, Firebrand is one of those that looks like it to might be a contender for a role as tank.

The tank will most likely always be rolled into another support class. The spot that having a tank only would take up is too valuable. This is y chrono tank is so good. They give up very little to cover the role. Druid tank is ok on most fights right now but chrono just does it better.

With all that said, scourge probably at the best shot at becoming a tank with what we know right now. It looks to be a support class that won’t give much up by covering the tank role. We should be able to get a better idea after this next weekend when we can play the new specs

If Firebrand takes over Quickness, you’d still bring a DPS Chronomancer for permanent Alacrity, and if you have a Chronomancer then it makes sense for it to tank due to its immense damage mitigation. That said, depending on what kind of DPS a condition Scourge is able to deal, it’s entirely possible it could use its excessive barrier mechanic to serve as an ideal tank as well.

It can. They just need to do 2 things:

• have alternative ways to get alacrity and quickness uptime (without replacing a DPS)
• have another class that can damage mitigate as well as chrono, and do something else significant — that could be either be providing their own class buff or be a DPS tank.

The current chrono tank meta is due to the fact that chrono as tank fills 2 roles (tank + class buff) instead of 1.

Rising Dusk.2408:

That said, depending on what kind of DPS a condition Scourge is able to deal, it’s entirely possible it could use its excessive barrier mechanic to serve as an ideal tank as well.

Not really. Scourge will never make a good tank because it lacks hard mitigation which means it will require significantly more healing to keep alive.

If scourge does anything, it will be as a druid replacement for very specific fights. Barriers are better than druid’s raw healing for fudging specific boss mechanics. While it lacks gotl it does provide notable might generation (via this, this, and this) which may allow a group using scourge to ditch the PS in favor of another full DPS. (note scourge probably can’t solo generate 25 stacks on 5 people but it should generate enough to make distributed might generation practical)

Firebrand makes sense as a tanking replacement for the following reasons:
- Their trait that gives stats while under quickness gives 250 toughness
- Anet has made all the mantras into cones, so the only explaination for this is that they want them to tank (if the FB is at the front and everyone else is behind the things will actually work)
- They can heal and buff at the same time while being smacked in the face.

The only things FB lacks compared to Chrono for tanking are a large evade, like blurred frenzy for Xera, and distortion for the group, which Aegis can mostly do and you can have a Mirage distort instead. I doubt FB will get used because the easy of use for Chrono buffs is way to easy in comparson.

Crinn.7864:

Not really. Scourge will never make a good tank because it lacks hard mitigation which means it will require significantly more healing to keep alive.

You might be right, but looking at the raw number of skills that can apply barrier on the Scourge and the base values of those barriers, it can use this mechanic to soak 20k+ damage without issue once every 14 seconds or so thanks to alacrity. I think you’d be surprised how effective a Scourge will be at keeping alive literally facetanking boss mechanics, but who knows. We’ll see!

Rising Dusk.2408:

If Firebrand takes over Quickness, you’d still bring a DPS Chronomancer for permanent Alacrity, and if you have a Chronomancer then it makes sense for it to tank due to its immense damage mitigation. That said, depending on what kind of DPS a condition Scourge is able to deal, it’s entirely possible it could use its excessive barrier mechanic to serve as an ideal tank as well.

That being said keep in mind that the new raids will be designed without Chrono, since you can play PoF without HoT, so cant really require a HOT build for a POF raid. The new elites can be used backwards, in our current raids I am sure but doubt that they would design fights with Chrono, Druid and others in mind for the new ones else that would be requiring everyone to own HOT as well, which isn’t the case.

Joxer.6024:

Rising Dusk.2408:

If Firebrand takes over Quickness, you’d still bring a DPS Chronomancer for permanent Alacrity, and if you have a Chronomancer then it makes sense for it to tank due to its immense damage mitigation. That said, depending on what kind of DPS a condition Scourge is able to deal, it’s entirely possible it could use its excessive barrier mechanic to serve as an ideal tank as well.

That being said keep in mind that the new raids will be designed without Chrono, since you can play PoF without HoT, so cant really require a HOT build for a POF raid. The new elites can be used backwards, in our current raids I am sure but doubt that they would design fights with Chrono, Druid and others in mind for the new ones else that would be requiring everyone to own HOT as well, which isn’t the case.

That’s not how design works.

They will design the best case fight they can regardless of “specs”.

What becomes meta is a matter of what’s the most efficient. Chrono is simply the most efficient tank. Until something drastic unseats it, or the encounter doesn’t have a traditional tank you’ll still have at least 1.

If that means players ultimately have to invest in HoT, then oh well. More revenue for Anet.

“If that means players ultimately have to invest in HoT, then oh well. More revenue for Anet.”

Yea, but can they really do that? Telling people you don’t need HOT to play POF then making new raids that require a class build from HOT, hmm, doesn’t seem right does it? I could be way off though and maybe like you said….not so much you HAVE to have it, but that it is more efficient to have. I see your point now…..

I’m pretty sure raids aren’t designed with “you need this class to do this.” The whole reason people will still bring Chrono is because FB is aweful to use because of cone mantras and Chrono is totally OP in raid scenarios, it gives up damage to be able to do literally everything.

Keep in mind, Anet never explicitly said that chronomancer was ever required in raids. It’s mostly the few prestigious guilds exaggerating information that is meant more for speed clears than modest clearing.

Tbh if PoF players can’t unlock HoT masteries raids should require both expansions. It will give designers a lot more freedom.

TexZero.7910:

doubt it.

Memser (Chrono) is just too effective at the role that the only way another thing comes in is if it can also poop out invlunes, boonshare, alacrity.

Except that now chronomancers have some pretty good power builds with less than amazing quickness, but great alacrity and pretty good damage, and Firebrands have easy 100% quickness uptime.

It could very well be that Druids will take over.

i think firebrand can be awesome tank

honor+valor+firebrand can be awesome (altruistic healing <3)

SoliSnake.9457:

i think firebrand can be awesome tank

honor+valor+firebrand can be awesome (altruistic healing <3)

A healing tank class would be a sweet change! Much like Chrono is strong due to it being low as a dps dealer maybe a Firebrand type healer could be strong in healing as well as tank?

Coffietire.2783:

Keep in mind, Anet never explicitly said that chronomancer was ever required in raids. It’s mostly the few prestigious guilds exaggerating information that is meant more for speed clears than modest clearing.

Yeah, they aren’t required. They just make the fight much, MUCH easier.

Joxer.6024:

SoliSnake.9457:

i think firebrand can be awesome tank

honor+valor+firebrand can be awesome (altruistic healing <3)

A healing tank class would be a sweet change! Much like Chrono is strong due to it being low as a dps dealer maybe a Firebrand type healer could be strong in healing as well as tank?

a healer tank can replace chrono tank (firebrand got alot quickness) and the second druid healer so he can be replaced by soulbeast (full condi) or some other dps spec

I can’t see druid being replaced as a healer as long as grace of the land is unique to them without massive power creep. Chances are that firebrands will be damage dealers that give quickness, and chronomancers will go for a damage/alacrity build instead of quickness/alacrity, or a renegade will take over alacrity.

Eponet.4829:

I can’t see druid being replaced as a healer as long as grace of the land is unique to them without massive power creep. Chances are that firebrands will be damage dealers that give quickness, and chronomancers will go for a damage/alacrity build instead of quickness/alacrity, or a renegade will take over alacrity.

why 1 druid cant be replaced? grace of the land is 10 player capped