Guild Wars 2

As the topic says. I guess this is largely a rant, but… I get that Stoneheads and Arrowheads have Breakbars as veterans (As opposed to Elite or Champion, which are clearly group enemies) because they’re supposed to be unstoppable juggernauts, and you can just get out of the way of their attacks because they’re highly telegraphed and occur in a straight, narrow line, with a single point of evasion needed. But Bristlebacks end up being able to spam a withering, high-damage, rapidly-redirected attack that outlasts evades, blocks, and reflects (To minimal effect on the bristleback itself in the case of evades), cannot be walked around, and, thanks to the absurdly durable breakbar, cannot be interrupted either.

I’ve never had a problem with Veteran bristlebacks. Yea they’re attack outlasts a reflect but it still hurts them a lot if you reflect it. And its pretty easy to strafe around them and just avoid the entirety of the attack. And if you play mesmer, ranger or necro you can have your pet/minions/illusions tank the attacks for you anyway.

Yeah I don’t get this at all. I think I got killed once by a veteran bristleback when I went AFK to get something out of the microwave.

I mean a bit annoying? I guess. If this is the worst thing you have to complain about though, I think the game is in pretty decent shape.

You’re just not supposed to try to facetank them. They’re easy enough to avoid and get around if you want to. I do it all the time…on every profession.

Bristleback breakbars bring better battles because besting brawny baddies better be backbreaking build betterment.

~EW

The only time they’ve been a pain is if you’re chasing the treasure mushroom in AB at weeping glade and manage to aggro the 3-4 roaming vets there. If it’s just you and 1-2 other players and that happens…you gun have a bad time son.

Vayne.8563:

You’re just not supposed to try to facetank them. They’re easy enough to avoid and get around if you want to. I do it all the time…on every profession.

Your right but there is a profession that can facetank them and you will not believe which one can. Surprisingly my daredevil can do that, but have to make a few adjustments to the build and skills used to do it though. My ele can do it also but a bit slower both can take on a vet and the two hatchlings my daredevil can take on two vets if done right. I know they are not important but learning some skills for that may help in other fights also. I am now trying other professions Mesmer failed at facetanking so did warrior.

Of course I haven’t tried running around for mesmer and warrior yet, but they do have a huge range which is hard to avoid lol.

The break bar isn’t really the problem it just makes the problem more obvious than on other mobs. What is the real problem? Well what happens if it didn’t have the break bar? You interrupt the attack and 2 seconds later it will go right back to doing exactly the same thing. What is the actual difference between having a break bar and not having one? At least with the break bar you do 50% more damage to it after the stun.

Chyanne Waters.8719:

Vayne.8563:

You’re just not supposed to try to facetank them. They’re easy enough to avoid and get around if you want to. I do it all the time…on every profession.

Your right but there is a profession that can facetank them and you will not believe which one can. Surprisingly my daredevil can do that, but have to make a few adjustments to the build and skills used to do it though. My ele can do it also but a bit slower both can take on a vet and the two hatchlings my daredevil can take on two vets if done right. I know they are not important but learning some skills for that may help in other fights also. I am now trying other professions Mesmer failed at facetanking so did warrior.

Of course I haven’t tried running around for mesmer and warrior yet, but they do have a huge range which is hard to avoid lol.

o.0 you’re having trouble with bristlebacks on a mesmer? Focus 5 can be traited to reflect projectiles, with its incredibly long attack this effectively blocks most of the britlebacks opportunity to hurt you plus hurts them at the same time. You have feedback. Shield 5 will destroy any projectile it hits as well as stuns the bristleback multiple times, shield 4 along with sword 2 will give you enough block/blur time to wait out his attack and if you screw up you have distortion you can pop whenever. What exactly are you having trouble with when trying to kill them with a mesmer?

EphemeralWallaby.7643:

Bristleback breakbars bring better battles because besting brawny baddies better be backbreaking build betterment.

~EW

But I like my Shortbow/Greatsword ranger.

I made this post as a rant after trying to fight around three of them supported by an army of Mordrem Guard snipers, punishers, and cavaliers.

Whenever I try to strafe around them, they just seem to follow me anyway.

Khisanth.2948:

The break bar isn’t really the problem it just makes the problem more obvious than on other mobs. What is the real problem? Well what happens if it didn’t have the break bar? You interrupt the attack and 2 seconds later it will go right back to doing exactly the same thing. What is the actual difference between having a break bar and not having one? At least with the break bar you do 50% more damage to it after the stun.

With the breakbar, if you’re running a build that isn’t dedicated CC, you never get the stun or interrupt (Seriously – I hit the kitten thing with two 2-second stuns, 5 seconds of cripple, and a knockback in quick succession and that bar’s still more than half full)

I don’t really “get” why Bristlebacks have breakbars either. As you said, they don’t really seem super sturdy like some of the other dinosaurs with break bars, it just seems like they stuck it on there randomly.

They’re still really easy to deal with most of the time, though. Terrain height differences completely wreck their attacks. Just get a little higher or lower than the bristleback itself and 90% of its attacks will miss you.

Everytime u kill a vet bristeback and the little ones in the back watch u kill their mama…. I say buff em! More hp,stronger breakbar,more dmg until the little ones are happy their mama not dead.

Bah! You’re all ignoring a much bigger problem. How the heck does the bristleback fire so many projectiles? Putting aside how it’s able to fire projectiles at all, how does it fire so many? Where’s the mass coming from? If they can just defy physics they can sure give themselves a breakbar.

Zoltar MacRoth.7146:

Bah! You’re all ignoring a much bigger problem. How the heck does the bristleback fire so many projectiles? Putting aside how it’s able to fire projectiles at all, how does it fire so many? Where’s the mass coming from? If they can just defy physics they can sure give themselves a breakbar.

A wizard did it.

~EW

EphemeralWallaby.7643:

Zoltar MacRoth.7146:

Bah! You’re all ignoring a much bigger problem. How the heck does the bristleback fire so many projectiles? Putting aside how it’s able to fire projectiles at all, how does it fire so many? Where’s the mass coming from? If they can just defy physics they can sure give themselves a breakbar.

A wizard did it.

~EW

That’s your answer to everything. :p

They got pretty high toughness but if you break them you’ll do higher damage on them.