Guild Wars 2

When the game launched, I learned shortly thereafter that only certain predetermined stat combinations would be available at launch. For example, I desired to itemize my ranger into condition damage, toughness, and vitality. The result would have been an extremely resilient attrition based fighter, but I found out that this combination is unavailable in Guild Wars 2.

I eventually accepted the state of things, but now I have come to a new issue as I attempt to fully gear my mesmer. My end goal is to have a full cond dmg, power, and vitality (Carrion) set and a full cond dmg, power, magic find (Traveler’s) set.

Originally, I found ways to do this through various dungeon jewelry pieces and named armor sets and was quite satisfied, but a few niggling little problems remain.
I am pretty OCD when it comes to itemization. I like to know that I have attained the maximum possible state for each stat I choose to spec in, so even 100 missing points of cond dmg could bother me even though it is of little consequence.

My problems are with the lack of available max stat back pieces, aqua breathers, and the strange stat combinations available on new ascended armor pieces.

Back Items

I didn’t even know these existed until well after my Ranger was level 80. I didn’t do my ranger’s personal story, I wasn’t in a high level guild, and there were no back items on the TP, so I assumed the back item slot was just there until they added them into the game.

Not only is it difficult to even acquire a back item, but once you reach max level and would like a max stat back piece your stat combination options are even more limited than other armor.

There are currently no exotic back pieces in the game that carry Carrion or Traveler’s stats. Even if there were a Traveler’s back item, there is no trinket upgrade that carries the traveler’s stat combination.

Aquatic Helms

This item occupies your helm slot when beneath water and there is not a single exotic aqua breather in the game that gives max stats. There are only a few masterwork aqua breathers available to choose from. The absence of an exotic option is strange. Also, I didn’t know about aqua breathers until well after my ranger was 80 because there were never any on the TP. I assumed everyone was running around with the same aqua breather they had at level one.

Why would an item slot that is so important be so devoid of options?

Ascended Items

Let me start by saying that I have no problem with the new ascended gear system. I actually like it because it gives a long term goal that is more attainable than a legendary weapon.

Also, I have yet to see the available stat combinations on ascended rings, so I will not comment on those.

Recently, ascended items have been added to the game and they are slightly better than exotics. Naturally, my desire to have max stats draws me to these new back pieces and rings. I go on the internet to find the recipe for my carrion or travelers stat combinations, and I find that they do not exist.

Condition damage is the stat I care about the most. I have been willing to get other combinations besides carrion so long as they had condition damage, but now the only condition damage ascended back piece has precision accompanying it. Precision and condition damage being on the same item should be a crime on its own, but seeing as it is the only option I think we can upgrade it to a felony. I cannot see the logic in the decision to release so few stat combinations at the start. Now if I want to progress into further levels of the FotM I must force myself to put hours into acquiring a back piece that I will feel a need to replace the moment they release an ascended back item with carrion stats.

Allow me to reiterate my point for effect. In order to progress deeper in FOTM, I must spend a great deal of time getting a back piece I neither want nor will keep as soon as a better option is put in the game.

My problem is that I am now in a lose lose situation because it was decided that releasing only these stat combinations was a good idea. My current options include:

• Waiting for Arenanet to release an ascended back item with the stats I desire while everyone passes me by in FotM difficulty levels.

• Spending the next few weeks acquiring the resources to obtain an ascended back item that I will immediately replace once a carrion ascended back item is released.

I know certain stat combinations were determined to be OP during beta and that is why they are not in the game. My commentary is more on the lack of consistency with the available combinations. My goal is to have a full set (armor, weapons, jewelry) of carrion and travelers stats, and I think the option to attain that goal should be available. Currently, it is not.

Please reply with your thoughts.

References:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/13gj0p/ascended_gear_and_infusions_how_to_make_them_and/

I completely agree. The lack of certain stat configurations in certain slots is baffling, as is the inability to get rare or better back slot items through the same means as every other slot.

Certain back slot stats? You need a guild armorer or a specific (random) dungeon drop.

Breathers? Just statistically inferior to helms due to their acquisition. Why?

Ascended backs? Why don’t they have the full range of stat combinations?

It doesn’t make a lot of sense.

mulch.2586:

Well PNinja, I’m glad you’re well.

You wrote that you didn’t know about the non-TP sources for backs and breathers. So look them up.

That you don’t get exactly the stats you wish you could is a constraint built-in to the system. It’s actually a big part of pvp, selecting the build and amulet, because it’s not going to be ideal.

What you can do (and with a lot of flexibility in pve) is select from the gear that’s in-game that best suits you. With such a radically flat itemization, I find that to be good challenge.

It seems you are misinterpreting my message. I’ll try to clarify.

I now know where to get all back items and aquatic helms as well as ascended items.

I am not concerned that certain stat combinations are absent from the game such as cond dmg, toughnes, vitality.

What I am concerned about is that the game teaches me that I can get carrion armor, carrion weapons, and carrion jewelry all at max stats, but I cannot get a carrion back item at max stats. Why?

Or that I can get traveler’s armor and weapons, but not a full travelers jewelry (there are no traveler’s trinket upgrades in the game that are max stats).

proteininja.5891:

What I am concerned about is that the game teaches me that I can get carrion armor, carrion weapons, and carrion jewelry all at max stats, but I cannot get a carrion back item at max stats. Why?

I’ve had a rabid back piece drop but its masterwork not rare or exotic.

morrolan.9608:

proteininja.5891:

What I am concerned about is that the game teaches me that I can get carrion armor, carrion weapons, and carrion jewelry all at max stats, but I cannot get a carrion back item at max stats. Why?

I’ve had a rabid back piece drop but its masterwork not rare or exotic.

I’m not sure what this adds to the conversation. I am looking for input on how people feel about the facts stated above.

At last someone talking about these strange armor stat combinations, as a Necromancer, we are already weaker in term of DPS than raw damage dealers when it comes to conditions. And yet we have poor stat combinations like precision and condition dmg, on the same piece.
Please implement new combination on ascended stuff so that we can continue to gear with Carrion prefix. It makes no sense that people can have ascended item to be perfectly optimised for their DPS, but not us poor condition damage DPS player out there…

actually conditon dmg and precision makes a lot of sense together since most if not all classes have a trairt that give a chance to proc a stack of a certain condition (usually bleeds) when you crit (i know necroes have a 35% chance to apply bleed on crit as a 5pt train in one of their lines, and mesmers have a trait to make their clones apply bleed when they crit)