Guild Wars 2

Hello fellow Guild Wars 2 players,

I am of opinion that there should become new elite skills for every class.
Why?:
Diversity: Adding a new elite skill would add more diversity. Choosing of more options that would fit in your build/strategy.
Skill combinations: Combining an elite with a weapon/utility skill for better build type (DPS/Condition/Support/Tank).
Purposes: Finding more purposes for each elite in certain situations.

My perspective on the elite skills:
I think the new elite skills should involve a “the missing elite”. Explanation: A class has 3 elites. This means it misses either way DPS, support, condition or tank elite.
This does have a backside: It has to be usable in more situations than only running this certain type of build.

I have seen many ideas but they were never put down in one thread: Only in the profession specific forum. So let’s put our ideas together. Post your suggestion for new elite skills!

Attention please: This is about new elites, not improving existing ones.

Greetings Fvux

Yea, I agree with this. If it was up to me, I would have done elites before healing skills since some classes are really pigeonholed into certain elites with almost every build (ex: Engineers and Supply Crate).

Dahkeus.8243:

Yea, I agree with this. If it was up to me, I would have done elites before healing skills since some classes are really pigeonholed into certain elites with almost every build (ex: Engineers and Supply Crate).

Not to mention elementalists can’t even use any of their elite skills in the water.

I have a few ideas/proposals for elite skills, but they’re only rough ideas:

Engineer: Rotary Cannon-
Summon a pair (ala conjured weapons so a friend can grab a gun too) of powerful, portable gatling guns which start slow but gain shorter cooldowns and activation times as it’s used. Also inflicts lots of cripple, vulnerability, bleed, weakness, and knockdown/knockback on foes, all topped with high damage.

Mesmer: Doppelganger-
Create a friendly Phantasm version of any targeted enemy or friend. Duration shortens based on the power of the enemy, being ultimately ineffective against massive world bosses and certain dungeon foes. (This is why you would also be allowed to use it on even downed or defeated allies, so even if the boss can’t be duplicated, you can use a team mate)

Necromancer: Aura of the Lich-
For the duration of this skill, any pets and henchmen you or other necromancers nearby would summon are doubled. Any standing minions gain a long lasting regeneration, protection, retaliation, and fury buff.

Thief: Impossible Odds-
For the next five seconds, you gain retaliation, and reflect all conditions and projectiles back on your foes, as well as gaining Fury and Haste.

Uhhhh….
http://pastebin.com/e9276EXr

I am really hoping something like this comes soon. What I imagine with new elites is that each one also be tied to an existing utility type so they can have some sort of synergy with existing builds. I’d really love an elite well on my necro, or maybe a good signet on my ele to encourage signet build play.

I’d also like to see some less powerful elites with lower cooldowns to help builds out.

Elite’s are broken by design and need to be completely redone, or replaced with a 4th utility slot.

The idea behind elites is that they are a ‘game changer’ when activated, but not an ‘I win button.’ So what’s game changer mean? Means you won when you otherwise would have lost. So it’s an I win button. In trying to ride the nonexistent line between the two, we’ve ended up with extremely weak skills on extremely long cooldowns.

They need to be re-thought entirely.

With the exception of Summon Flesh Golem I would gladly swap out the elite for all my toons with an ordinary utility skill. There’s something fundamentally wrong about that. And of course the only Necromancer elite that works underwater, Plague, kills all my remaining kitten minions.

Complete, total, and utter fail.

Deli.1302:

Uhhhh….
http://pastebin.com/e9276EXr

There are some very good ideas in this I think:
I really like the warrior most of all. Giving enemies quickness in adventage to damage themself more with the confusion, and not being hit much more by weakness. Very smart.
Elementalist: If the quickness is about 2s and it has internal cooldown: Yes.
Engineer: Don’t know: has to be more defined in transform skills
Mesmer: Hmm…Transform? Cool. Maybe just make skills in it that use much sort of illusion: Example: #1. Soundswave: Create a powerful single target sound wave that hits 25% more if the target has confusion. #2. Illusionary shockwave: Create a shockwave around you that dazes up to 5 enemies.
Guardian: Cool, encouraging people to use spirit weapons. I just think more burning does not make it attractive.
Necromancer: I do not think it needs more condition encouraging. I’dd prefer to see an elite which forfills the necro roll more like a tank/support. Example: Heal nearby allies by sacrificing 80% of your life points, giving yourself fury and might (5) for 10 seconds.
Ranger: This is already a trait, and I think it should stay a trait. Example: Nature’s bond: Surround yourself by plants becoming invulnerable, reviving your pets and heal for a small ammount. —→ You are immobile
Thief: Sounds cool, gives more CC

Yeah sometimes I’d rather have a 4th utility slot instead of an elite.

I would like to toss in my hat that Elites as a whole need not only significant reworking, but also for the elite slot being in need of the option to place more standard utility slots. I mostly posted my suggestions since the OP did say “no reworking”, otherwise I could spend all day in this thread with suggestions on reworking existing elite skills. (so why can you dodge using Warrior Whirling axe without interrupting the skill, but thief Dagger Storm does cancel? And as mentioned before, the issue with elementalist elites all being unusable under water.)

As Deli’s pastebin goes, some of those ideas for elites are good, others, are not by any stretch of my imagination. (The Empowered Suffering and Repel trap come strongest to might.)

Elric.6971:

Not to mention elementalists can’t even use any of their elite skills in the water.

Only Tornado (Whirlpool), but yeah, thats not an elite, i eat my breakfast with it.

Warrior
Save Yourselves! – Elite shout. 60 second recharge, instant activation.
Allies in earshot (1200) gain 800 toughness for 10 seconds. Does not stack, the same shout would reset duration.
Guardian
Signet of the Ancestors – Elite signet. 40 second recharge, 1 second activation.
Passive – Apply 1 second of chill every time you inflict blind.
Active – Gain 4 stacks of might (15 seconds) every time you gain fury. Lasts 10 seconds.
Ranger
Signet of Melandru – Elite Signet. 30 second recharge, instant activation.
Passive – Your other signet passives are increased by 50%.
Active – Breaks stun, cures a condition, and gives all allies in earshot (1200) 4 seconds of stability.
Frozen Soil – Elite trap. 25 second recharge, 1/2 second activation, 180 trap radius.
Up to 5 enemies become encased by ice. Effected enemies cannot be ressurected, but can still be healed. Lasts 5 seconds, applies 1 second of chill every second. Frost field.
Engineer
Reflective Armor – Elite Gadget. 40 second recharge, instant activation.
Reflect conditions back to their source over the next 8 seconds.
Thief
Shadow Form – Elite deception. 20 second cooldown, 1/2 second activation.
Enemy utility skills and profession mechanics cannot target you for the next 8 seconds. Gain 4 seconds of protection when Shadow Form ends.
Signet of Critical Defenses – Elite signet. 30 second cooldown, 1/2 second activation.
Passive: You gain aegis when you interrupt a foe.
Active: For the next 10 seconds, critical hits provide 1 second of protection. 1 second ICD.
Mesmer
Mantra of Destruction – Elite mantra. 15 second cooldown, 2 3/4 second activation.
Target foe and up to 5 nearby foes take 850 damage (0.3). Foes with protection take double damage. 3 seconds cooldown between casts.
Field of Transference – Elite manipulation. 60 second cooldown, 2 second activation.
Boons in target area (300 radius) are transferred to allies each second. Lasts 5 seconds. Chaos field.
Elementalist
Signet of Life – Elite signet. 20 second recharge, instant activation.
Passive – Your other signet passives are increased by 50%.
Active – You become overwhelmed with the font of life, increasing your healing power and revive speed by 100% for the next 6 seconds.
Arcane Barrier – Elite arcane. 30 second cooldown, instant activation.
Your party takes half damage from all AoE and ranged attacks for the next 3 seconds. Effects siege.
Necromancer
Well of Denial – Elite well. 40 second cooldown, 1/4 second activation.
Heals allies 60 (0.02) and transfer 1 condition from them each second. Lasts 4 seconds. 300 radius. Breaks stun and provides 1 second of stability. Dark field.
Corrupt Enchantment – Elite corruption. 15 second cooldown, 1 second activation.
Convert 1 random boon in the target area (240 radius) into 1 random condition. 900 range.

Warrior:
New Elite Shout: Kitten Off!!!
Makes every stealthed player log out and uninstall the game.
Range: Map wide
Cooldown: 10 sec
Does only work in wvw and pvp.

Deli.1302:

Uhhhh….
http://pastebin.com/e9276EXr

those look horrible tbh.

Step 1: Make all elite skills into normal utility skills. Rebalance as needed.

Step 2: Make the elite slot a utility slot.

Step 3: Allow each character to designate one of their equipped utilities as “Elite”, increasing it’s effect and reducing it’s cooldown.

Inspired by GW1 elites, which were usually super powered normal skills that you could only have one of at a time.

Please stay on topic. If you think new elite’s are not desired explain it then! Why don’t you want this? What is wrong with it now?
Be straight to the point, bring evidence and and example supports your arguement better!

I would like to see more variety of Elite skills and specifically a long hard look at having more options in that slot while underwater.

I’d also like a better understanding of how good elite skills are actually supposed to be – on most professions they are a decorative footnote – the single least important choice in setting up a build. Usually due to a gross lack of synergy with other skills and traits.

What I think would be viable for the necromancer:
Sacrifise Death
Sacrifise 80% of your Death Shroud pool to heal up to 5 allies. Heal yourself when you gain Life force. 10s stability
( This gives you Sacrifise, an unremovable effect that dures 10s. In these 10s you get healed for the life force you gain)
Requires you to have at least 80% Life force.

This skill would involve support and tank, which the necro doesn’t have yet. It also gives stability. The necromancer doesn’t have much acces to stability yet (Useful for stomping people in PvP and WvW). It also requires more skill to use it because it involves life force using. This would also improve the life force mechanic out of Death Shroud.

Oh! The things I would do if I had a 4th utility slot on my thief!

Warrior: Absorb 50% of incoming damage up to XXXX damage. Release the absorbed damage in an AoE.

Elementalist: Lay down a large field of magma and steam. Causes each enemy within the field to take XXXX burning damage each second and give allies 2 might each second. Last for XX seconds.

Mesmer: Link a bond between three enemies. Any damage taken by the three enemies is split between them. Last for XX seconds.

Another Idea for Engineer: Sharpshooter kit.
#1: Precise shotFire an aimed shot at your that does more damage on long a longer range. Fire rate: 1¼s.
#2: Heart shotTake a long breath and fire at your foe. Does 40%(?) more damage if you don’t move while channeling. Channeling time: 2½s. Recharge time: 10s.
#3: Silent shot Fire a shot in quick succession that dazes(2s) your foe.
Recharge time: 12s.
#4: Dragonbullet Fire a bullet at your foe that explodes after 2 seconds. The explosion applies Vulnerability(5 stacks for 10 seconds). Radius: 180. Recharge rate: 12s.
#5: Glass shot Fire a glass filled bullet that explodes in glass shards that blinds enemy in a small radius. Disappear in stealth(3s) when detonates. Radius: 180. Fire time: ½s. Recharge rate: 15s.

Wearing this kit applies Weapon Heat on the user. You can use 25 skills, counting from 0 to 25. When 25 is reached the weapon is overheated and unusable and it goes on cooldown (180s).
Elite Supplies trait will let the weapon go up to 35 charges untill overheated.

Any more ideas?

I think a balance pass on the elites is in order.. some of them are simply not “elite”.

I just put it in another thread, so I’ll add it here:

Gem store elite, same strength as a racial or the Mistfire Wolf:

Hero support: Summon a random alt from your account for thirty seconds. Uses generic class skills or those associated with its primary weapon if possible. For players with no alts, a generic NPC is summoned.

The V.8759:

Another Idea for Engineer: Sharpshooter kit.

That is very clever. I like it!

CrashTestAuto.9108:

I just put it in another thread, so I’ll add it here:

Gem store elite, same strength as a racial or the Mistfire Wolf:

Hero support: Summon a random alt from your account for thirty seconds. Uses generic class skills or those associated with its primary weapon if possible. For players with no alts, a generic NPC is summoned.

Except these elites aren’t related to your race nor your profession.. simply generic. Why would my human thief help my sylvari elementalist? It makes sense when a sylvari elementalist summons a fire elemental, or some plant thing. It makes sense when my human thief summons a thieve guild’s help, or gets “possessed” by a human God. But why would one of my toons summon another?

The elites should be related to our character somehow (profession, race, living story achievements, personal story) or at the very least be a mystical creature like the mistfire wolf.

Alternatively, let me slot a normal utility in my elite slot, where it would automatically get a reduced cooldown. Much more awesome.

I liked how in gw1 the Elite you chose determined your build.

In Neverwinter, I’ve been enjoying the control wizard class. They can put one of their encounter powers into a special slot. Each power gains a certain bonus if it’s slotted here: extra damage, more range, etc.

I think this could be done in GW2 to merge the utility and elite systems. Have four utility slots. The fourth slot upgrades its skill to elite quality. The effect of the elite boost differs with each skill, (or at least each skill type).

If some of the existing elites can’t be realistically toned down to utility level, they could easily be made elite-only, that can only be used in that slot.

A signet for eles, the passive would be gain quickness on attunement switch and the active should recharge all attunement cooldowns, also I think the release date should be march 18th, that’d be perfect

I think people have many different ideas about how elite’s should be. I wonder how ANET describes Elite’s to be then. I hear people say they should be character style-ish. Connect with race, proffession, living story and personal story.

My personal opinion is that they should be very strong Utility skills that each of them can be exceptionally stronger in a certain situation. The point of Elite’s is then that you grab Elite’s in the situation what you are doing, and not with your build.

Xia.3485:

CrashTestAuto.9108:

I just put it in another thread, so I’ll add it here:

Gem store elite, same strength as a racial or the Mistfire Wolf:

Hero support: Summon a random alt from your account for thirty seconds. Uses generic class skills or those associated with its primary weapon if possible. For players with no alts, a generic NPC is summoned.

Except these elites aren’t related to your race nor your profession.. simply generic. Why would my human thief help my sylvari elementalist? It makes sense when a sylvari elementalist summons a fire elemental, or some plant thing. It makes sense when my human thief summons a thieve guild’s help, or gets “possessed” by a human God. But why would one of my toons summon another?

The elites should be related to our character somehow (profession, race, living story achievements, personal story) or at the very least be a mystical creature like the mistfire wolf.

Is it really so implausible that your alts might actually be on the same side? Its not like the thieves guild or the Mistfire Wolf are explained in game, or we see you meet them. We just accept that thieves have contact with the guild and that… something with the wolf.

Is it really pushing suspension of disbelief so far to think that our characters, all of whom are fighting in the battle against Zhaitan, are on the same side? Besides, I specifically said it was a gem store idea and intentionally weaker than class elites. If you don’t want your toons to be allies, then just don’t buy it.

There was a possible leak of new elites for every class. I posted them in the necro forum to discuss specifically that one and some good speculation was happening. Unfortunately the entire thread was just deleted

I always wanted something like this for the mesmer:
Mind Control (Elite Manipulation): Target enemy NPC of Elite rank or below temporarily becomes an ally. Duration 30s, cooldown 240s.

Sirius.4510:

I always wanted something like this for the mesmer:
Mind Control (Elite Manipulation): Target enemy NPC of Elite rank or below temporarily becomes an ally. Duration 30s, cooldown 240s.

This could be nice, but it could also be very limited. What can you do with it?

1. Bosses: How is the effect with bosses? Of course will it count as a crowd controll skill, just like Moa Morph doesn’t work on bosses.
2. PvP/WvW: I think this won’t have uses here, possessing a player to attack allies does sound quite too far out of the box.

So What are the uses left? I like the idea of being able to get reïnforcement, but I think this can better be done by some kind of Phantasm that changes with the envirronment maybe.

The purpose of the Elite-or-below thing was that it wouldn’t work on bosses, for much the same reason. If it counted as crowd control (which it probably should), then that would nix the original requirement – would let you use it on some champions. And no, shouldn’t work against players – the only way to get them to play ball is to switch them to AI-controlled and that would be amazingly annoying.

Basically, the main purpose is to use it on the most powerful enemy in the area (or tied for most powerful), which would presumably do some damage to the others as well as split their attention if you targeted it well. Kind of like a ranger’s pet, except you don’t care if it dies, and it probably does more damage before it drops.