Sooo, Heart of Thorns hasn’t even been released yet and I am already fantasizing about possible cool future elite specs. Thought it might be fun to share some ideas, even though new elite specs isn’t what Anet is looking for atm of course. So here are my ideas!
Lingering elementalist:
Remember the trait Lingering Elements? (Attunement bonuses linger after leaving that attunement). This elite spec will cause attunements to linger whenever you swap out of them for say 3 sec. As long as an element is lingering, you will not be able to swap to the attunement, but it will not be on cooldown either. After the linger duration expires, or when you press the skill button, it will stop lingering and go on cd. Each of your weapon skills will have additional effects to them for each lingering element, for example, Cone of Cold will apply some burning if Fire is lingering. This would allow the elementalis to combine elements to make their skills more potent and to make them feel like a true Avatar! The spec could have traits that increased the duration of lingering, making the ele able to cast 4-element spells. Another trait could create a spell whenever an element stops lingering similar to the minor masters of each element, making you able to spam out twice as much lightning bolts with a Fresh Ari build!
Rider:
Woodenpotatoes talked about this one in a Ranger speculation video, and it made me think, what if? Riders would have acces to mounts! How would it work? They gain an F skill that would cause their pet to rush towards them, then the ranger will climb on its back. Some of the weapon skills will stay the same, mainly ranged ones, but positioning-oriented skills will change and involve the mount. Only specific pets will be rideable of course. Depending on the pet you are riding, they provide bonusses (extra movement speed, toughness on a bear? etc) and a special mounted skill. The Rider willbe able to use the underwater-weapon spear as a regular weapon.
Master of Deception:
Right now, mesmer clones are not very deceiving in pvp, they are used as a way to deal damage. This elite spec will copy any animation you are making to all existing clones (not phantasms). This means dodge rolls, weapon skills and utility skills. The Master of deception could then gain traits that made clones able to evade, or go into stealth whenever the Mesmer does. This would be moslty a pvp spec, but as we have seen on Scrapper, it could work.
Cultural Elite Specs:
Remove all elite utility skills, instead rework them into an elite spec. The spec will focus on your race rather than your profession. To unlock these specs, you will have to aquire cultural armor for the race you are playing. T1 for the first past, T2 for the second and T3 for the third. Thes will be harder to obtain. Like other elite specs will gain acces to a two-handed weapon, only when equipped in the first weapon slot (which means that a greatsword/greatsword warrior would have two different weapon skill bars), a trait line and a full set of utility skills. Example: Golemancer: Asura will have acces to staff skills that have skills that daze or put down radiation fields etc (see the current utilities). For utilities they will gain access to golems. Right now the elite golems already exist, but the spec will also gain acces to a smaller healer golem and utility golems. They can be improved in the trait line. These specs will only be usable in pve.