Guild Wars 2

omg please don’t let it be melee staff, 1.I thought revenant was getting that in the expansion, 2. It does not fit the play style , i don’t see a lot of stealth or other thief like ability’s coming with a weapon set like this, 3. thieves are not monks -_- we are made to go in battle with the advantage and put pressure on enemy’s, and going back out if needed, then coming back in to finish the job, but still depends on how you play our beloved backstabbers. I spent my first year playing engineer, and it didn’t feel right, then i checked out thief and have been playing it ever since, don’t make me regret it.

Kadsik.9281:

don’t make me regret it.

I’ve seen a similar sentiment before. People who say “if my profession gains an elite specialization that does x and y I will stop playing”. I do not understand that position at all. The elite specialization that a profession gets has zero influence on how the core profession plays so you can just keep playing without the elite specialization as you have for the past years. Furthermore, in the future there will be more elite specializations. As a final note, them getting staffs is far far from confirmed.

One of the Thief traitlines is acrobatics and many acrobats use a staff in their manoeuvres.

Elite specs are supposed to bring NEW playstyles on the table. Anyone who thinks the elite should do the same old stuff without bringing any changes, is going to be almost guaranteed to get disappointed. Like Diovid pointed out – if you want to keep doing the same old stuff, nothing’s keeping you from it. The elite specs are aimed for people who want to explore some new aspects of the class. There’s a reason why they basically give a new class name. Think of them like advanced class from other games. I’m pretty sure druid isn’t going to feel the same as ranger.. but I’m looking forward to seeing how it’s done and what it offers.

I would love the Staff… it has a bit Cantha style. Though I wonder what would be the Lore behind it? Staff reminds me of Bo Staff, so would it be a monk?Ninja?

Could we get a Melee/Range combination? Like Son Gokus Staff which can elongate?

I would like a Staff more so than a rifle. Though that is just personal preference.

Edit: one thing I hope: Elite Specs are not stronger than core specs, just different

I would prefer a staff to rifle, personally, though I can see either working well with the thief. Regarding staff, I am imagining some kind of dark shadow monk type character. And like Rai, I also think it would be interesting if staff was a hybrid melee and ranged weapon.

I also agree with Diovid and Kistune, about elite specs giving you something new.

Kadsik.9281:

3. thieves are not monks -_-

I think you need to think outside the box a little. By the looks of it, you’re thinking Monks as in Guild Wars 1 monks, but monks don’t have to be just that.

Can’t remember what game it was, but there was one that I tried where the monk was not the same style as a GW1 Monk, was more a brawler type, martial artist without weapons, or perhaps knuckle dusters.

I am so hopeful that it will be Melee staff. Also, if it is staff, doesn’t mean that the elite spec for thief will be called Monks, just because a Monk Outfit was data mined.

Bo staff is a pretty classic weapon for martial arts, and that kind of combat style would in my opinion fit thief class quite well. Different from current blade-and-pistol styles, certainly. But fitting nonetheless. It could be more defensive and control oriented than current weapons.

Mordeus.1234:

One of the Thief traitlines is acrobatics and many acrobats use a staff in their manoeuvres.

Except acrobatics is not the elite spec, and since the new weapon comes with the elite spec then I think your logic actually rules out staff.

Everyone keeps acting like elite specializations are supposed to be the same class as the original. When you spec for an elite you are NO LONGER whatever the original class was. Your class even changes in game. A ranger specing druid is no longer a ranger. Druids and Rangers are two entirely different beasts. The same goes for Monk and Thief (assuming it actually ends up being staff monk type elite). You’re not a thief anymore. No one seems to understand this. If you choose the elite in game you have a completely different class icon and it will say “level 80 monk” or “level 80 druid” not ranger or thief anymore. So elites can be whatever anet wants them to be.

My guess is still that Thief gets Rifle. Druid is already getting staff, and I don’t think Anet would give multiple Elite Specializations the same new weapon this go around.

sevenDEADLY.5281:

Everyone keeps acting like elite specializations are supposed to be the same class as the original. When you spec for an elite you are NO LONGER whatever the original class was. Your class even changes in game. A ranger specing druid is no longer a ranger. Druids and Rangers are two entirely different beasts. The same goes for Monk and Thief (assuming it actually ends up being staff monk type elite). You’re not a thief anymore. No one seems to understand this. If you choose the elite in game you have a completely different class icon and it will say “level 80 monk” or “level 80 druid” not ranger or thief anymore. So elites can be whatever anet wants them to be.

To a large degree I agree with the sentiment. However the elite specialization still has to fit to some extent with the core profession. For example. the elite specialization has to work with all core weapons and all core specializations. Thus probably all thief elite specializations will have access to stealth and steal. Just like probably all ranger elite specializations will have access to pets. This to some extent limits what an elite specialization can be.

Vavume.8065:

Except acrobatics is not the elite spec, and since the new weapon comes with the elite spec then I think your logic actually rules out staff.

That’s like saying that because Deadly Arts is already a specialization, the new elite specialization logically can’t be anything deadly.

Some people might like Pom-Poms to be added as a thief weapon, but I’d venture that they’d be a minority.

Kadsik.9281:

omg please don’t let it be melee staff, 1.I thought revenant was getting that in the expansion, 2. It does not fit the play style , i don’t see a lot of stealth or other thief like ability’s coming with a weapon set like this, 3. thieves are not monks -_- we are made to go in battle with the advantage and put pressure on enemy’s, and going back out if needed, then coming back in to finish the job, but still depends on how you play our beloved backstabbers. I spent my first year playing engineer, and it didn’t feel right, then i checked out thief and have been playing it ever since, don’t make me regret it.

daggers are not a thief’s only weapon. I think mace i a better fit, but imo staff is as workable as most other legitimate weapon choices.

edit: a word

I thought each class was getting a different weapon with their specialization, so ranger has been confirmed to getting staff so wouldn’t thief get something else?

MCHarris.5648:

I thought each class was getting a different weapon with their specialization, so ranger has been confirmed to getting staff so wouldn’t thief get something else?

That’s based on speculation, not on anything Arenanet has said.

Staff thief makes me think of Xiao Long from Mace: The Dark Age. Very acro based melee staff.

http://youtu.be/rcy13L8inpg

MattyP.6954:

My guess is still that Thief gets Rifle. Druid is already getting staff, and I don’t think Anet would give multiple Elite Specializations the same new weapon this go around.

I would have agreed with you, until I saw the datamined images (possible thief elite spec image & ascended staff ([&AgFgEQEAAA==])) by that_shaman.

Now I am not so sure.

Rin.1046:

MattyP.6954:

My guess is still that Thief gets Rifle. Druid is already getting staff, and I don’t think Anet would give multiple Elite Specializations the same new weapon this go around.

I would have agreed with you, until I saw the datamined images (possible thief elite spec image & ascended staff ([&AgFgEQEAAA==])) by that_shaman.

Now I am not so sure.

That is pretty compelling, though I have to note that if that’s concept art, they could be keeping it in their back pocket for a future release. That being said, either might actually inspire me to make a Thief.

We are not martial artists, there are zero skills at the moment that show that except for dodges, i just cant see the stealthy thief being turned into some guy running around flinging his staff everywhere. And im not just voting rifle, i would like a stealthy mace type thug character. And dual swords.

Kadsik.9281:

We are not martial artists, there are zero skills at the moment that show that except for dodges, i just cant see the stealthy thief being turned into some guy running around flinging his staff everywhere. And im not just voting rifle, i would like a stealthy mace type thug character. And dual swords.

This is the problem with the thief. Anet has pushed the stealth angle so much that a lot of people think that is all they are good for. No, the thief DOES have a martial arts theme, hence the acrobatics line. In fact you could also link both Deadly Arts and Critical Strikes to martial arts.

As to skills that can feel martial arts like, we have the following:

Weapon Skills
Death Blossom (whats not martial arts about a spinning leap over your opponents head?)
Heart Seeker (a leaping dagger strike, seems pretty martial arts to me)
Flanking Strike (another dodge roll with sword in hand)
Disabling Shot (a backwards leap while firing a bow)

Other Skills
Withdraw (another dodge roll)
Roll For Initiative (yet another dodge roll)
Dagger Storm (spinning and throwing daggers)
and I would consider Scorpion Wire as kind of martial arts skill too.

Then you have the ninja style skills (a ninja is a martial artist that often used staff as a weapon):

Blinding Powder
Smoke Screen
Caltrops
Venoms
Traps

Overall, I think the thief would fit the shadowy staff wielding martial artist very well. I also think they would fit the sniper theme too, but personally I would prefer staff.

Rin.1046:

Kadsik.9281:

We are not martial artists, there are zero skills at the moment that show that except for dodges, i just cant see the stealthy thief being turned into some guy running around flinging his staff everywhere. And im not just voting rifle, i would like a stealthy mace type thug character. And dual swords.

This is the problem with the thief. Anet has pushed the stealth angle so much that a lot of people think that is all they are good for. No, the thief DOES have a martial arts theme, hence the acrobatics line. In fact you could also link both Deadly Arts and Critical Strikes to martial arts.

As to skills that can feel martial arts like, we have the following:

Weapon Skills
Death Blossom (whats not martial arts about a spinning leap over your opponents head?)
Heart Seeker (a leaping dagger strike, seems pretty martial arts to me)
Flanking Strike (another dodge roll with sword in hand)
Disabling Shot (a backwards leap while firing a bow)

Other Skills
Withdraw (another dodge roll)
Roll For Initiative (yet another dodge roll)
Dagger Storm (spinning and throwing daggers)
and I would consider Scorpion Wire as kind of martial arts skill too.

Then you have the ninja style skills (a ninja is a martial artist that often used staff as a weapon):

Blinding Powder
Smoke Screen
Caltrops
Venoms
Traps

Overall, I think the thief would fit the shadowy staff wielding martial artist very well. I also think they would fit the sniper theme too, but personally I would prefer staff.

Furthermore, a specialisation has it’s own trait-line and set of utilities to add a martial artist vibe to the character. I’ve never really liked the mace idea for thief and I can see how rifle would be problematic from a balance standpoint, at this point staff make far more sense to me than any other possibility.

Maybe i just think they would be stupid not to listen to alot of thier theif players, lots of people want either dual sword or rifle mostly.

Kadsik.9281:

Maybe i just think they would be stupid not to listen to alot of thier theif players, lots of people want either dual sword or rifle mostly.

Or greatsword….

Zero Day.2594:

Kadsik.9281:

Maybe i just think they would be stupid not to listen to alot of thier theif players, lots of people want either dual sword or rifle mostly.

Or greatsword….

Or Staff…..

In guild discussion this came up as a possible way one of our Thieves would use a staff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cuihrjLNAo

TL;DR – Thief’s superior Mobility, Stealth and Disengages make a Long-ranged Burst Playstyle impossible seen from a Balance Perspective.

Rangers have long range but nowhere near the Mobility of thieves and their disengagement options are very limited in that regard.

Warriors have long range but lack any form of utilities to support such a playstyle.

Engineers have long range but their attacks on that range are very slow and they also lack to mobility of thieves.

The only way a 1200+ Ranged Playstyle for thieves would be balanced would require ANet to curb their access to Stealth and Shadowstepping, which they obviously won’t because that’s not how Elite Specializations work.

People -already- whine about how Rangers Pew-pewing at 1500 range is “OP and unbalanced”, just imagine what a Thief popping in and out of Stealth every 3s at that range would do. At close range, it has the added risk of them having to be on top of you to backstab, you can counter with AoE’s and CC around your character. However, by each Unit that the Thief gains in Range, the Radius at which they can play around grows substantially. Just increasing the Range by 100 results in a 3.14*100^2 larger area for the Thief to hide in and to avoid counter-play. That’s 31 400 times bigger than before, imagine what’d happen of the “Backstab” radius increased from 130 to 1500 or even just 900 range.

We could, just for the heck of it, imagine that the Rifle Thief Doesn’t get a Powerful Burst a la Killshot from Stealth. But then people would whine because they don’t “Get to be a Sniper!”. Say a Stealth attack instead stacks Vulnerability dependant on range, people will still be all like “This Stealth Attack Sucks!” and “Change it to a Ranged Backstab or I quit!”. Maybe that’s not true for You who are reading this, but you can’t lie and say that most of the Pro-Rifle crowd isn’t after just a Ranged Backstab.

Now, the Question is What does Melee Staff bring to the Thief? Well…

• The Prospect of Decent direct AoE Damage (Currently, the highest pressure the thief can have is Cleaving with a Sword Main-hand.)
• The prospect of Good AoE Pressure in the form of AoE DPS (Again, the Shortbow is primarily a Utility Weapon, no current builds use it for anything but Movement, Unblockable Poison, Blast-Spamming or in the odd case Venom Appliance)
• A Two-handed Melee alternative, which the Thief Currently Lack.
• A chance for ANet to showcase new animations instead of rehashing old ones.

Granted, Off-hand Sword could possibly, and probably, grant these same boons. But Melee Staff is something fresh and new, in comparison, and makes me more interested in the Elite Spec as a whole because I wonder what new kind of Mechanics they’ll get as a result of that.

TheSwede.9512:

People -already- whine about how Rangers Pew-pewing at 1500 range is “OP and unbalanced”, just imagine what a Thief popping in and out of Stealth every 3s at that range would do. At close range, it has the added risk of them having to be on top of you to backstab, you can counter with AoE’s and CC around your character. However, by each Unit that the Thief gains in Range, the Radius at which they can play around grows substantially. Just increasing the Range by 100 results in a 3.14*100^2 larger area for the Thief to hide in and to avoid counter-play. That’s 31 400 times bigger than before, imagine what’d happen of the “Backstab” radius increased from 130 to 1500 or even just 900 range.

Your math is completely flawed there, and the situations wouldn’t be quite that bad. For example if you made every 1200 range attack for thief to have a long activation time and self-root, it would change things a lot. Of course it would then feel pretty pointless for thief play style. But either way there’s plenty of ways it could be balanced.

The change from 900’ pistol to 1200’ rifle wouldn’t be quite so dramatic. You have to become visible in order to attack.. and you’ll remain visible for a while. The question is how long does it take for you between times you can consistently vanish, and how much head start you get to escape to random direction. The area isn’t really so important there, important is the 300’ longer attack distance itself (to counter, you have to be able to reach the thief from 300’ longer distance, before they vanish again and move too far for you to estimate where they went).

Kitsune.1902:

TheSwede.9512:

People -already- whine about how Rangers Pew-pewing at 1500 range is “OP and unbalanced”, just imagine what a Thief popping in and out of Stealth every 3s at that range would do. At close range, it has the added risk of them having to be on top of you to backstab, you can counter with AoE’s and CC around your character. However, by each Unit that the Thief gains in Range, the Radius at which they can play around grows substantially. Just increasing the Range by 100 results in a 3.14*100^2 larger area for the Thief to hide in and to avoid counter-play. That’s 31 400 times bigger than before, imagine what’d happen of the “Backstab” radius increased from 130 to 1500 or even just 900 range.

Your math is completely flawed there, and the situations wouldn’t be quite that bad. For example if you made every 1200 range attack for thief to have a long activation time and self-root, it would change things a lot. Of course it would then feel pretty pointless for thief play style. But either way there’s plenty of ways it could be balanced.

The change from 900’ pistol to 1200’ rifle wouldn’t be quite so dramatic. You have to become visible in order to attack.. and you’ll remain visible for a while. The question is how long does it take for you between times you can consistently vanish, and how much head start you get to escape to random direction. The area isn’t really so important there, important is the 300’ longer attack distance itself (to counter, you have to be able to reach the thief from 300’ longer distance, before they vanish again and move too far for you to estimate where they went).

Sticking to the idea that Rifle gets a Burst, Backstab-esque Stealth Skill with 1200-1500.

The difference is bigger than you think, especially with burst type skill sets. The Pistols are a Condi Weapon first and foremost (used with Dagger Off-hand) and It’s Stealth Attack is a Multi-Hit attack and not Single Hit. They don’t deal in burst Damage in the same vein as Dagger does, which is the similarity I’m trying to push through here.

A direct damage fight and a Condi fight takes different amounts of time. Against a Pistol Thief, who lacks significant Burst, tenacity will eventually run him down once his Stealth skills come to a halt, not to mention the way the Stealth move is designed as a Multi-hit attack makes it all the easier to avoid the brunt of it even if the first and second hits home. The same can’t be said for a Burst Thief.

Now, imagine of the Urgency of closing the distance wasn’t there. Suddenly, the Thief has a much great Area to move about, an Area that is -impossible- to cover with AoE’s as a single Player, because they don’t Have to retreat, they can move sidesways and even beyond you, if they wish. Against a Melee Thief, you know that he will Always come up in Melee Range, that’s the Counter-tactics vs Thieves’ absolute stealth: Awareness. That awareness becomes Null when the Thief No longer needs to be in that required spot. The window for a Backstab is relatively small becuase of how the Thief must Position themselves. As the Radius increases, so does the Arc Length from which they can hit the desired Point (Back or sides).

Now, as a disclaimer, I don’t believe that a 1200 Range weapon couldn’t work for Thief. But a 1200 Range weapon as a Burst weapon with Single-Strike High Damage would not. If the theoretical Rifle was instead used as a Set-up weapon with Vulnerability stacking on its Stealth move, focused on weakening a target before moving in for the Kill, then it’d prolly work. Or if its Stealth attack was divided among several shots much like the Pistol or a Ranger’s Rapid fire. But in either case, I doubt that’d satisfy the people who want the Rifle for their Thief so they can be Snipers.

PS: I did mess up one part of the math, I concede. The Area wouldn’t be 31 400 Times as big, it’d just be 31 400 Units Bigger. It was 2am, my math is horrible then.

TheSwede.9512:

Kitsune.1902:

TheSwede.9512:

People -already- whine about how Rangers Pew-pewing at 1500 range is “OP and unbalanced”, just imagine what a Thief popping in and out of Stealth every 3s at that range would do. At close range, it has the added risk of them having to be on top of you to backstab, you can counter with AoE’s and CC around your character. However, by each Unit that the Thief gains in Range, the Radius at which they can play around grows substantially. Just increasing the Range by 100 results in a 3.14*100^2 larger area for the Thief to hide in and to avoid counter-play. That’s 31 400 times bigger than before, imagine what’d happen of the “Backstab” radius increased from 130 to 1500 or even just 900 range.

Your math is completely flawed there, and the situations wouldn’t be quite that bad. For example if you made every 1200 range attack for thief to have a long activation time and self-root, it would change things a lot. Of course it would then feel pretty pointless for thief play style. But either way there’s plenty of ways it could be balanced.

The change from 900’ pistol to 1200’ rifle wouldn’t be quite so dramatic. You have to become visible in order to attack.. and you’ll remain visible for a while. The question is how long does it take for you between times you can consistently vanish, and how much head start you get to escape to random direction. The area isn’t really so important there, important is the 300’ longer attack distance itself (to counter, you have to be able to reach the thief from 300’ longer distance, before they vanish again and move too far for you to estimate where they went).

Sticking to the idea that Rifle gets a Burst, Backstab-esque Stealth Skill with 1200-1500.

The difference is bigger than you think, especially with burst type skill sets. The Pistols are a Condi Weapon first and foremost (used with Dagger Off-hand) and It’s Stealth Attack is a Multi-Hit attack and not Single Hit. They don’t deal in burst Damage in the same vein as Dagger does, which is the similarity I’m trying to push through here.

A direct damage fight and a Condi fight takes different amounts of time. Against a Pistol Thief, who lacks significant Burst, tenacity will eventually run him down once his Stealth skills come to a halt, not to mention the way the Stealth move is designed as a Multi-hit attack makes it all the easier to avoid the brunt of it even if the first and second hits home. The same can’t be said for a Burst Thief.

Now, imagine of the Urgency of closing the distance wasn’t there. Suddenly, the Thief has a much great Area to move about, an Area that is -impossible- to cover with AoE’s as a single Player, because they don’t Have to retreat, they can move sidesways and even beyond you, if they wish. Against a Melee Thief, you know that he will Always come up in Melee Range, that’s the Counter-tactics vs Thieves’ absolute stealth: Awareness. That awareness becomes Null when the Thief No longer needs to be in that required spot. The window for a Backstab is relatively small becuase of how the Thief must Position themselves. As the Radius increases, so does the Arc Length from which they can hit the desired Point (Back or sides).

Now, as a disclaimer, I don’t believe that a 1200 Range weapon couldn’t work for Thief. But a 1200 Range weapon as a Burst weapon with Single-Strike High Damage would not. If the theoretical Rifle was instead used as a Set-up weapon with Vulnerability stacking on its Stealth move, focused on weakening a target before moving in for the Kill, then it’d prolly work. Or if its Stealth attack was divided among several shots much like the Pistol or a Ranger’s Rapid fire. But in either case, I doubt that’d satisfy the people who want the Rifle for their Thief so they can be Snipers.

PS: I did mess up one part of the math, I concede. The Area wouldn’t be 31 400 Times as big, it’d just be 31 400 Units Bigger. It was 2am, my math is horrible then.

A spike damage with 1 skill would be excessive from 1200 range, let only 1500 – yes, that much I agree with. But I don’t really see a point to expect the most unbalanced and OP possibility. If it turned out to be rifle, I imagine they’d make it something more reasonable.

As for the math, 31,400 units bigger only holds if you start from zero. Adding 100’ at range 900’ for example would increase area from 2,543,400 → 3,140,000 or 596,600 increase. But I still think the area itself is not as relevant as the distance.. you know the point from which the thief attacked, and so when the thief vanishes, you know the exact point from which they start. The question is how fast you can attack to that point (or near it).

Staff is the new ranger weapon. Chill out

They’ll have no trouble finding animations for melee staff thieves’ weapon skills.

McWolfy.5924:

Staff is the new ranger weapon. Chill out

ArenaNet has also not indicated that there will not be overlaps in terms of new weapons granted by the e-spec. Regardless of whether or not the ranger gets a staff, it’s still possible for the thief to also get staff for their e-spec.

Staff certainly appeals to me as well, especially with new monk staff skin coming!

I will be sad if thieves get staves. I’ve been hoping for rifle just in the hopes that the rifle’s skills will have 1200 range or greater. I’ve been sad ever since SB #2 got nerfed from 1200 → 900 range. Currently, thieves are the only profession without a 1200 range weapon option.

I don’t think the balance issues with rifle and stealth are insurmountable, just have powerful rifle skills inflict 5-10 seconds of Revealed on the caster.

Bo Staff makes more sense than a rifle. Right now Thieves have 2 melee weapons Sword & Dagger and two ranged weapons Pistol & Short Bow. It doesn’t make sense to give them another ranged weapon making them more of a ranged class. Staff if a common weapon in many martial arts, rifle … not so much. Staff would make sense from an AoE/Block Standpoint, Rifle doesn’t doesn’t bring anything logical to the table that can’t be covered by Pistol or Bow.

MattyP.6954:

Rin.1046:

MattyP.6954:

My guess is still that Thief gets Rifle. Druid is already getting staff, and I don’t think Anet would give multiple Elite Specializations the same new weapon this go around.

I would have agreed with you, until I saw the datamined images (possible thief elite spec image & ascended staff ([&AgFgEQEAAA==])) by that_shaman.

Now I am not so sure.

That is pretty compelling, though I have to note that if that’s concept art, they could be keeping it in their back pocket for a future release. That being said, either might actually inspire me to make a Thief.

I haven’t seen the ascended staff in game but the weapon in that picture could be a rifle (it seems to have a shoulder strap and you can’t see his right hand).

Also it seems that the person in that picture is being shot in the head (it looks like there’s “blood splatter” at the back of his head). Which would support the idea of thieves getting a (sniper) rifle spec?

Anyway, I’m not that bothered about the type of weapon so long as the traits and skills are interesting.

Thanks to the datamined info, Thieves WILL get staff. I would’ve loved it to be rifle since pistols are useless now, but ehh, might be interested.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.

Any weapon can fit any class. The developers simply decide HOW it fits.

Yes, even Scepters and Foci on Warriors. There are lore-friendly, believable, practical ways to make these fit. And if these can, anything can.

Melee Staff Rogues/Thieves are actually among the most sensible weapon options out there. It baffles me that anyone could think otherwise.

Pifil.5193:

I haven’t seen the ascended staff in game but the weapon in that picture could be a rifle (it seems to have a shoulder strap and you can’t see his right hand).

I agree that looking at the image alone it could be seen as a rifle. However, I have seen the in game staff and the pattern on it is identical to the pattern on the weapon in the artwork. I also think the thief in the image is holding the weapon in a defensive way, like he is blocking an incoming attack, and for those two reasons I am more convinced it will be staff.

That said, knowing Anet, they may well be trolling us with that image. It could be that we will get an ascended rifle, that has a similar pattern along its barrel. We won’t know for 100% sure until we get the blog post about it. But my money is on staff.

Either way, I’ll be happy with a new weapon, whatever it may be.

In the picture, there is no way that it’s a rifle, it simply don’t.
You clearly see the staff going from right top to bottom left.

Keep saying that it can be rifle in this picture is just bs. Open your eyes.

I would be happy to see a staff for thief, since it has a chance to be usefull, since rifle will propably won’t be used because it’s ranged, and we have already blast on demand.

Just curious – everyone is assuming this is the art for the elite specialization. There were two pictures that are not currently in use for the thief:

http://i.imgur.com/xA8qvVk.png
AND
http://i.imgur.com/rNAy4Jb.png

One would be for the new trait line and the other the accompanying new skill type. I’m not certain which is which because we’re missing important context.

I hope that ANet does not introduce a new class with a melee staff AND add staff as the specialization weapon to two other existing classes although its quite possible they will.

Arrow.4619:

Just curious – everyone is assuming this is the art for the elite specialization. There were two pictures that are not currently in use for the thief:

http://i.imgur.com/xA8qvVk.png
AND
http://i.imgur.com/rNAy4Jb.png

One would be for the new trait line and the other the accompanying new skill type. I’m not certain which is which because we’re missing important context.

I hope that ANet does not introduce a new class with a melee staff AND add staff as the specialization weapon to two other existing classes although its quite possible they will.

I always figured that that second picture was a couple of Rangers. Seems like a scouty-trackery type sort of thing.

I thought the new ranger specialization was a staff wielding druid, if so I can’t see them using a staff for a thief.

MattyP.6954:

Arrow.4619:

Just curious – everyone is assuming this is the art for the elite specialization. There were two pictures that are not currently in use for the thief:

http://i.imgur.com/xA8qvVk.png
AND
http://i.imgur.com/rNAy4Jb.png

One would be for the new trait line and the other the accompanying new skill type. I’m not certain which is which because we’re missing important context.

I hope that ANet does not introduce a new class with a melee staff AND add staff as the specialization weapon to two other existing classes although its quite possible they will.

I always figured that that second picture was a couple of Rangers. Seems like a scouty-trackery type sort of thing.

The images shaman presented are alphabetical by class, and those two images are the last thief images. The two standing don’t look like Rangers to me – no pets, now bows, but lots of knives and swords.

http://i.imgur.com/xA8qvVk.png Ive seen the chat code for this staff linked ingame.

This could just be the background art for a staff coming to the Gem Store, a nice bump in sales as players would buy a melee looking staff (for the Revenant or other professions) pre HoT.

Arrow.4619:

Just curious – everyone is assuming this is the art for the elite specialization. There were two pictures that are not currently in use for the thief:

http://i.imgur.com/xA8qvVk.png
AND
http://i.imgur.com/rNAy4Jb.png

One would be for the new trait line and the other the accompanying new skill type. I’m not certain which is which because we’re missing important context.

I hope that ANet does not introduce a new class with a melee staff AND add staff as the specialization weapon to two other existing classes although its quite possible they will.

The second image is currently being used by Thief. It’s the Deadly Arts specialisation line.

So, That_Shaman just tweeted this:

http://imgur.com/eB9Vfzs

Throwing knives and a pouch to carry them in.

Friggin shot in the dark, but… Thief Kits?

Weapon master

Kit 1 > Staff
Kit 2 > Rifle
Kit 3 > Throwing knives
etc…