Guild Wars 2

I’m in love with the specialization rework, but I also think that a few of its traits could use work. And so… here’s my current wishlist. In every case, my suggested changes are intended to (and would) make the class stronger, though the main goal is build variety.

UNIVERSAL

All fall damage traits removed. Falling damage reduction moved to a Mastery Line (PvE) and a WvW Mastery Line (WvW). It allows incremental improvements in damage reduction, ending in a removal of self-knockdown time and a special effect when you take falling damage.

This frees up slots for more compelling choices.

WARRIOR

The Warriors traits are mostly solid, in my opinion, though it isn’t without its weak points.

Strength

Crashing Steel (Replaces Death From Above)
Reckless dodge deals damage throughout the entire dodge roll and applies a 1/4 second Daze to struck foes. The damage of this roll is also increased.
Has heavy synergy with Body Blow, Distracting Strikes, and other on-interrupt effects.

Discipline

Inspiring Battle Standard (Buffed, moved to Grandmaster)
Also improves Banner cooldowns by 20%, Banner Weapon Skill Cooldowns by 20%, and Banner Damage by 20%.
With this buffed trait, picking up Banners should get more purpose. Will it be enough? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Merciless Hammer (Moved to Master)
Damage increase lowered to 15% if necessary, though part of the goal here was to allow this to be used with Burst Mastery or Heightened Focus.

GUARDIAN

This section is huge, but not because of any favoritism to the Guardian. Most of these changes wouldn’t necessarily push their balance state up so much as make some of their really bad traits comparable to the rest of their traits.

There is also a significant effort on my part to suggest changes that would actually make Condi and Hybrid Guardians a thing.

Zeal

Zealous Scepter (reworked)
Smite now becomes a Symbol that grants Might to allies with each pulse and benefits from all Symbol traits. Scepter cooldowns are reduced by 10%.
This is done to help the Scepter synergize with the line that its trait is placed in.

Wrathful Spirit (Removed, merged into Shattered Aegis)

Shattered Aegis (Merged)
Aegis that you apply grants Retaliation and deals damage when it ends.

Harsh Justice (New, Adept)
When Virtue of Justice applies Burning, it also applies Bleeding.
(Passive) – 3 seconds, 1 stack
(Active) – 5 seconds, 3 stacks
*Each pulse of Spear of Justice’s Tether constitutes the passive effect.

Radiance

Healer’s Retribution (Removed)
Guardians already excel at Retaliation. This source seems unnecessary, and it doesn’t really stack up, especially given the high cooldowns on most Guardian heals.

Radiant Retaliation (Moved to Adept and Reworked)
Removed current effects. Retaliation now buffs your Condition Damage by 150. Your attacks apply 1 stack of Bleeding (3 seconds) while under the effects of Retaliation.

Divine Justice (New Grandmaster Major)
Deal more damage with attacks that trigger Virtue of Justice
(Passive) 10% damage buff
(Active) 25% damage buff
*For the Dragonhunter, this makes the Spear of Justice itself do 25% more damage.

Honor

Last Light (New Adept, Replaces Protector’s Impact)
When a Boon expires on you, deal minor area of effect damage around you and apply Vulnerability.

Purity of Body (Removed, merged)
This trait is mostly redundant with its own Adept Minor and is all around just not great. Its only real use is with Battle Presence, and it is thus better to merge it into Battle Presence.

Elusive Power (New Grandmaster Minor)
Deal 10% more damage when your endurance is not full.
Bringing back the old Minor will help this line out.

Virtues

While this line is not bad, per se, Indomitable Courage is just flat out better than the other options.

Battle Presence (Merged)
Now also gains the bonus from Purity of Body, applied to allies.

Permeating Wrath (Reworked)
Instead of the current bonus, it makes Virtue of Justice apply a small Fire Field around its target foe.
(Passive) – 1 second
(Active) – 3 seconds
*Removes the direct Burning effect from Virtue of Justice, but preserves all trait bonuses. The Fire Fields do apply Burning.
*Spear of Justice creates Fire Fields under all foes directly struck by the Spear.
*The tether from Spear of Justice still burns foes.
The goal here is to create a powerful, unique offensive support trait to compete with the other grandmasters here. It has heavy synergy with a lot of Guardian traits, and complements all types of Guardian builds – melee and ranged, condition and direct damage. The numbers here could be difficult to tune, however. Limiting the radius and duration of said fields should make this reasonable enough.

THIEF

With the Thief, I want to ensure the viability of their trap builds, while also buffing a few of their more lackluster traits.

Deadly Arts

Resourceful Trapper (Buffed)
Also grants 1 stack of Stability (3 seconds) while you place a Trap.
*Includes the Needle Trap set by Trapper’s Respite.

Improvisation (Reworked)
Instead of instantly recharging a random utility category, it reduces the cooldown of all currently recharging utilities by 10 seconds.
This trait has proven unreliable in the current version of the game – even choosing utility types that you don’t have equipped, so this should make it more reliable while also reducing its potential power and furthering synergy with Traps – which frankly need it.

Critical Strikes

Ricochet
Bounce always occurs.
If this is to be a Grandmaster, it doesn’t need a % chance limitation.

Shadow Arts

Last Refuge (Swapped with Shadow Protector)
Who invited this self-harming Minor trait back?

Shadow Protector (Swapped with Last Refuge)

Descent of Shadows (Reworked)
Removed falling damage effect. Also buffs the damage of Stealth Attacks by 5%.

RANGER

I’m in love with the Ranger Specializations, but they aren’t without faults. As with the Thief, I wanted to ensure the competitive viability of traps while also expanding their build variety.

Skirmishing

Trapper’s Defense (Buffed)
Added effect – When a foe triggers one of your traps, gain 1 Stack of Stability (3 seconds).

Wilderness Survival

Muddy Terrain (Removed)

Windfall (New Adept)
Movement skills now grant Swiftness (3 seconds) when they end.
*GS – Swoop
*SB – Quick Shot
*Sword – Pounce, Hornet’s Sting, Monarch’s Leap, and Serpent’s Strike

Nature Magic

Nature’s Vengeance (Buffed)
Activated skills of spirits are larger and recharge 20% faster. When spirits die, they use their activated skills and their buffs persist for 5 seconds after death. Spirit cooldowns are reduced by 20%.

Invigorating Bond (Buffed)
Pet command [F2] abilities activate 50% faster.

Beastmastery

Honed Axes (Buffed)
Now grants 150 Ferocity for each axe you wield, rather than only counting MH Axe, matching the Warrior Axe Grandmaster.

Wilting Strike (Merged into Beastly Warden)

Beastly Warden
Now also applies the weakness from Wilting Strike when pets activate their F2 skills.

Response Training (New Master)
When you dodge roll, your pet also gains Aegis and deals 10% more damage with its next attack.

ENGINEER

Due to the current lack of information on Engineer specialization changes, I’m holding back here.

Explosives

As with all falling damage traits, I would suggest the removal of Explosive Descent.

Explosive Elixirs (Replaces Explosive Descent)
Thrown Elixirs explode for heavy damage and produce combo fields.
*Elixir B – Fire Field that burns foes inside
*Elixir C – Water Field that heals allies inside
*Elixir H, Super Elixir- Light Field that damages foes inside. Super Elixir already does this, but it gains a larger radius and benefits from the initial damage effect.
*Elixir R – Smoke Field that blinds foes at a slowly pulsing rate – a weaker version of Black Powder. The blinds and potential stealth blasts or leaps help the Engineer ensure ally revivals.
*Elixir S – Shadow Field that continually stealths allies.
*Elixir U – Ice Field that chills foes.
*Elixir X – Chaos Field that considerably damages foes and inflicts random conditions.

Duke Blackrose.4981:

All fall damage traits removed. Falling damage reduction moved to a Mastery Line (PvE) and a WvW Mastery Line (WvW). It allows incremental improvements in damage reduction, ending in a removal of self-knockdown time and a special effect when you take falling damage.

This frees up slots for more compelling choices.

The problem with this is the fact that people that don’t buy HoT will not have access to Masteries.

ELEMENTALIST

Fire Magic

Conjurer (Removed)

Fire Eater (New Adept)
Fire Fields heal you with each pulse.

Pyromancer’s Puissance (Removed, merged into Pyromancer’s Training)

Pyromancer’s Training (Merged and reworked)
No longer directly buffs damage with Fire Skills. This now Grants Might when using Fire skills. Cooldowns on Fire skills are still reduced.
While this may seem an odd change, it grants Fire Magic a greater identity, allows it to transition more effectively into an attunement swap, and buffs Condition Builds.

Noxious Fumes (Formerly Blinding Ashes)
Burning Foes applies Blind (5s) and Poison (5s). Cooldown of 3 seconds.
This should help out condition damage builds, also solidifying Condition Elementalists as particularly defensive among condition users.

Unlimited Blade Works (New Grandmaster)
Conjured weapon skills recharge faster and have unlimited charges. Conjured weapons provide greater stat bonuses.
Stat increase – 50%.
*Does not improve the cooldown of the Conjures, but rather their weapon skills.

Air Magic

Zephyr’s Speed (Removed)

Conduit (New Adept)
While attuned to air, you gain a 10% increased chance to critical hit.

Ferocious Winds (Removed)

Static Slide (New Adept)
Dodge rolling now casts Lightning Strike on all nearby foes.

Aeromancer’s Training (Reworked)
No longer grants Ferocity while attuned to Air. Instead, it grants 10% bonus damage while attuned to air.

Lightning Rod (Reworked)
Lightning Strike does 50% more damage and applies Weakness (3 seconds). Apply Lightning Strike when you disable a target (stun, knockdown, knockback, daze).
*Counts all sources of Lightning Strike – even the Sigil.

Earth Magic

Stone Flesh (Buffed)
Raised toughness bonus to 180.

Elemental Shielding (Buffed)
Now also applies Vigor for 3 seconds.

Rock Solid (Buffed)
Improved radius to 360. Improved stability from 1 stack (2 seconds) to 2 stacks (4 seconds)

Diamond Skin and Stone Heart (Merged into Stone Heart and reworked)
While above 90% health, you are immune to critical hits and conditions.

Rolling Stone (New Grandmaster)
Dodge rolls now inflict heavy damage on and knock down foes in your path.
Knockdown duration – 1 second

Water Magic

Stop, Drop, and Roll (Buffed)
Now also applies Burning and Chilled to foes at the end of your dodge roll.

Arcana

Arcane Abatement (Removed)

Final Shielding (Moved to Adept)

Arcane Bolts (New Master)
When you swap Attunements, cast Arcane Bolts, sending out five small homing projectiles at the nearest foe.
*Low damage per hit, but can critical hit.
*Benefits from Elemental Surge.

Elemental Attunement (Buffed to compete with Evasive Arcana)
Might stacks increased to 3.
Radius increased to 600.

MESMER

Dueling

Blade Training (Buffed)
Buffed Precision amount to 75. This stacks to 150 with two swords.

Deceptive Evasion (Buffed)
Also gains the benefits of the current Debilitating Dissipation

Chaos

Descent into Madness (Removed)

Chaotic Feedback (New Adept)
When you gain a boon, unleash a short condition on a nearby foe.
*Might, Fury, Retaliation – Bleeding (2s)
*Regeneration, Protection, Vigor – Vulnerability (3 seconds)
*Swiftness, Stability, Aegis – Crippled (2 seconds)
*Resistance – Poison (5 seconds)

NECROMANCER

This class certainly has some trait design flaws, so here’s my initial thoughts to help get the ball rolling.

Curses

Toxic Landing (Removed)

Corrupt Power (New Adept)
Corruptions apply an additional condition on affected foes. Corruptions recharge 20% faster.
*Blood is Power – Torment (3 stacks, 10 seconds)
*Corrosive Poison Cloud – Chilled (1 second) on each pulse.
*Corrupt Boon – Burning (5 seconds)
*Epidemic – Confusion (3 stacks, 3 seconds) to all foes it spreads conditions to.

Reaper’s Precision (Reworked)
Removed current effect. Critical hits against bleeding foes inflict Torment (1 stack, 3 seconds)

Death Magic

Armored Shroud (Buffed)
Improved to 250 Toughness

Soul Comprehension (Buffed)
You also generate 1% Life Force when struck (5 second cooldown)

Flesh of the Master (Buffed)
Also improves Minion cooldowns by 20%.

Death Nova (Buffed)
Skill is now Corrosive Poison Cloud and benefits from the new Corrupt Power trait.
Jagged Horrors buffed.

Blood Magic

This line is difficult to comment on without seeing how the upcoming Vampiric Aura effect will change it.

Transfusion (Buffed)
In addition to the heals/revives downed allies effect it will be getting, this should also benefit from the Life Siphon rework and heal you through Death Shroud.

Deathly Invigoration (Buffed)
Added effect – Life Blast and Plague Blast also provide Regeneration to you and other allies they pass through.

lordkrall.7241:

Duke Blackrose.4981:

All fall damage traits removed. Falling damage reduction moved to a Mastery Line (PvE) and a WvW Mastery Line (WvW). It allows incremental improvements in damage reduction, ending in a removal of self-knockdown time and a special effect when you take falling damage.

This frees up slots for more compelling choices.

The problem with this is the fact that people that don’t buy HoT will not have access to Masteries.

I’m pretty sure this is only true of the Heart of Maguuma mastery lines. I think the core PvE masteries will be given to everyone, much like the core specializations, whether they buy HoT or not. I could have misunderstood that though.

GameMasterZX.6294:

I’m pretty sure this is only true of the Heart of Maguuma mastery lines. I think the core PvE masteries will be given to everyone, much like the core specializations, whether they buy HoT or not. I could have misunderstood that though.

According to the Mastery blog post you need to have HoT in order to get access to Mastery Lines as seen here:

The ability to train Masteries is unlocked at level 80 for all players that own Heart of Thorns.