Posted this in PvP area, but it effects WvW a lot as well so here it is:
Critical Damage
Crit Damage as a percentage stat will go away
Replaced by a numeric stat called Ferocity
Balanced to be about 10% less damage overall
PVP crit damage won’t change – they feel it’s in a good place already
Numeric amount same as “secondary stat” on gear (e.g. 90 power/60 prec/60 fero for berserker)
Opens up potential for Ferocity to be a primary stat on new stat combo
Sigils
Two sigil slots for two-handed weapons!
No more shared cooldowns!!
RNG reduced – percent chance on crit will probably just become 100% on-crit
Still only one stacking sigil type (bloodlust, perception etc.)
Dual swap sigils WILL both proc. (e.g. Battle + Geomancy or Air + Fire)
Runes
Adding strong bonuses further towards rune #4/5/6 to give more benefit of having full sets
Added more condi duration on early bonuses so 2/2/2 is still possible
Examples: Strength: 1) 25 power, 2) 10% might duration, 3) 50 power, 4) 15% might duration and 25% might proc on hit, 5) 100 power, 6) 20% might duration, +5% damage under might.
Fixing Rune #6 bonuses and other rune bugs (e.g. Ranger runes etc.)
They’ve done a balance pass over runes and sigils to try to improve diversity.
PVP
Adding new unlockable stat combos for PVP (similar to how new heal skills are being added)
This is more speculative / for future, probably not in next build
Balance Preview – There will be balance updates in the next build:
Elementalist
Signet of Restoration is restored to full power (no more pve/pvp split)
Armor of Earth cooldown goes from 90s to 75s (pre-cantrip mastery)
3 seconds of Regen added to Water Trident (for up to 5 allies) – supportcondi removal for scepter
Burning Speed now evades during cast! (more melee survival for d/d)
Frozen Burst is now a blast finisher! (can combo with Burning Speed)
Engineer
Net Turret immobilize reduced by 1 second
Poison grenades – poison applied per tick reduced from 5 to 3 seconds
Toolkit – Box of Nails/Piranhas cast time reduced from 1 sec to 3/4 sec
AED cast time reduced from 1 sec to 3/4 sec (may go to 1/2sec later)
Guardian
Litany of Wrath cast time reduced from 1 sec to 3/4 sec (may go to 1/2sec later)
Vigorous Precision cooldown increased to 10 sec (so only 50% vigor uptime)
Healing Breeze rescaled so 50% self-applies on cast, then 10% per tick for 5 seconds on allies
Mesmer
Critical Infusion cooldown increased to 10 sec (so only 50% vigor uptime)
Deceptive Evasion will no longer create a new clone if you already have full images (no overwrites) (yeesh, that’s huge. RIP clone-death builds.) :‘(
Necromancer
Putrid Explosion is no longer unblockable
Training of the Master damage bonus reduced from 30% to 25%
Dhuumfire changed to make only Life Blast apply 3 sec burning with 10 sec cd – no longer split pve/pvp
Less passive — controllable application, and makes for active counter-play possibilities
Vampiric Master rebalanced, so Mastery gives the biggest leech boost (thanks, /u/razinbread)
Ranger
Spirit of Nature healing was bugged – changing to 320hp / sec
Considering adding combo field to all trap skills (Viper’s Nest => poison field, etc.)
Empathetic Bond will no longer remove conditions when pet is dead
Making steps towards allowing dodge during sword auto chain (server-side fixes involved)
Thief
Positive things coming that won’t be discussed yet (same for ranger)
Pistol Whip possibly split into two-part skill with separate ini cost (stun and then slashes separated)
Warrior
Healing Signet passive reduced by about 8% (~30hps), active may be improved / altered
Pin Down has new animation / tell, cast time increased from 1/4 to 3/4 sec
Quoted from Valarauka on Reddit
Ones that I Like
Engineers Net has been nerfed
Necros Duumfire nerfed
Ele buffs
Think that was all I really like. Otherwise the healing signet has been reduced a small amount which is 30hps. Doesn’t seem like enough to me and they are talking about buffing the active. Thief has been nerfed in two ways, the first being the 10% crit damage nerf and then the poison fields and such. I pretty much stopped paying attention when they said nerf. Next being mesmer’s dodge mechanic that creates clones when traited. This is such a huge nerf. I agree that PU needs to be nerfed but not in this way. I don’t get it. Those clones are used to trick someone while in stealth to think that is you. They need to nerf the aspect of mesmers hiding in PU while delivering a lot of damage at the same time.
Other than that, there are some good things coming when it comes to runes and signets.
I really don’t understand how they don’t see how powerful conditions are in this game when it comes to PvP right now. That means sPvP and WvW. It seems all they are looking at is dungeons and PvE in general. There were no major nerfs to Conditions in general and there’s a nerf to DPS. Why?
Discuss.