Does this look familiar in light of the news from Pax South?

The New Masters
“I haven’t seen that trick before!” — famous last words

The fighting spirit of Tyria has lead to countless styles and techniques, handed down through the centuries like ten-thousand streams of courage. Its time for you to drink of these waters. Welcome as Guildwars 2 reveals the next level of horizontal gameplay in this permanent Living World release.

Just Something I Picked Up
‘Class Mentors’ have been added to the world. Each of these masters belongs an existing Profession but has their own unique take on what that means. They may hold lost arts, be privy to the secrets of foreign lands, or simply picked up ‘a little something special’ along the way. Each mentor offers players a series of tasks throughout their zone, culminating in a new mini-dungeon. Characters of any class can answer these challenges and collect the new instance rewards… But for characters whose class matches that of the mentor, there are even greater benefits.

Completing the tasks of your class mentor will immediately unlock a new weapon type for you to use. It will also reveal three new utility skills (listed on a line between the 6-point utilities and the elite skills). These skills typically cost 15 skill points to access and often share tags with existing skills allowing you to blend them into and enhance many existing builds or combine them to unleash entirely new creations!

Now I am the Master…
Once a mentor’s tasks are complete, they will also become a karma vendor offering three new weapons skins for the weapon type they teach and specifically themed to go with the skills they reveal. Show off your new moves in style!

Master kitten-Li (Elementalist)
While the lands of the Tengu remain shrouded behind secrecy and vast stony walls, there are still those who feel wisdom must be shared or it is not wisdom. Meet Master kitten-Li a Tengu elementalist who needs your help finding a scroll lost since the Rise of Orr…
Weapon Granted: Main-hand Sword
Skills Revealed: Conjure Night’s Sword, Riddle of Silence (cantrip), Signet of the Starry Heavens

Centurion Crushstone (Engineer)
Looking for special detached duty, Legionnaire? Word’s come down from HQ that Centurion Crushstone needs support at the Nolan Hatchery. An infestation of spiders threatens to cut off this crucial component of the Black Citadel’s supply chain. If an old hand like Crushstone can’t handle it alone, you know something’s up…
Weapon Granted: Hammer
Skills Revealed: Signet of Progress, Signet of Synchronicity, Signet of the Forge

Roabb the Sunchaser (Guardian)
The ancient Way of the Paragons has not been forgotten! Help this traveler from afar fulfill his ancient oath and bring lasting peace to the tortured spirit of another age…
Weapon Granted: Terrestrial Spear (2-handed)
Skills Revealed: “For Honor, Forever!”, Sunshield Signet, Welcome the Dawn (meditation)

Singing Crystal of Marith (Mesmer)
Come, listen to the mysterious music that pours from this recently uneathed stone. If you listen closely, you might even begin to hear words…
Weapon Granted: Main-hand Pistol
Skills Revealed: Double Trouble (phantasm), Rippling Shock (glamour), Who-What-Where? (clone)

Ogenvar Ravensbite (Necromancer)
Come swiftly! Raven has discerned the form of Jormag’s next scheme to consume the spirit world. Where Wolf might rush in to face the Serpent of Black Ice head-on, Raven speaks to me of a more indirect solution. Why just beat a foe when you can play him for a fool? But first, we’ll need some feathers…
Weapon Granted: Greatsword
Skills Revealed: Spectral Voices, Succumb to Despair (corruption), Summon Blood-haze (minion)

Anne Ocke-Linn, 3rd Lionguard Skirmishers (Ranger)
“Bows aren’t for me. Too much twanging and thwiping. But rifles? After a few rounds of being shot up by Skritt, I thought ‘hey now’…” Help Anne clear out a little Skritt problem and she’d be happy to show you some durn-fine shootin’!
Weapon Granted: Rifle
Skills Revealed: “Brace for it!”, Deadly Aim (survival), Hunter’s Blind (trap)

Maintainer Tassi (Thief)
It started out as a little bet to see who could clear more elemental parasites from Rata Sum’s core… And nobody said she couldn’t get help! Meet Tassi, but don’t be fooled. Under her sweet demeanor, this Asuran thief has ruthless moves that more than make up for her… absolutely perfect size.
Weapon Granted: Off-Hand Mace
Skills Revealed: Mirror Trap, Revealing Dust (trick), Two-Man Job (deception)

Sashean the Black Arrow (Warrior)
There is no blade so sharp it couldn’t benefit from a little natural augmentation. Sashean is determined to combine Sylvarii arts with martial prowess to bring something new into Tyria. Here’s what he needs from you…
Weapon Granted: Shortbow
Skills Revealed: Banner of Serenity, “I will have Revenge!”, Venomous Pouch (physical)

So, ArenaNet went with shield for Mesmer, which makes sense in light of Alexandra Duet already being in game, but quite few of the others are lining up (not surprising – they were culled from a lot of popular requests from the boards at that time). There was a lot of good discussion in that CDI – it’ll be interesting to see how much influence it has had on the expansion and specialization in particular.

Well it’s been interesting to see this shake out against how they actually implemented things.

Necro – Greastsword turned out correct and rumor has it Elementalist main-hand-sword is a thing.

That all new skills for each Elite spec belong to one skill type the class didn’t previously have is not something I expected but they may still line up somewhat with Engineers (finally) getting Signets.

I’d like a rifle as a ranger. . . .

Would have loved a 2 handed spear.

I don’t exactly know what a sunshield signet might be, but it would probably have been useful farming long hours in drytop without the need of copious amounts of Ambre Solaire

Tarsius.3170:

Would have loved a 2 handed spear.

I don’t exactly know what a sunshield signet might be, but it would probably have been useful farming long hours in drytop without the need of copious amounts of Ambre Solaire

Yeah. Personally I’m glad they’ve held off on the eagerly awaited Paragon Elite spec for Guardians just so they have a little more experience under their belts when it comes time to give us our winged land-spear butt-kickers.

Some of the utility skills I suggested I had very definite ideas for, but others were just meant to sound cool and intriguing. The sunshield signet would definitely involve the blind condition…