02/22/2017 – February 22nd Release Notes
Profession Skills
General:
A note on target-cap increases: In this balance update, we’re increasing the target cap for a select number of skills and traits. When doing this, we must consider a variety of aspects, from game health to server performance. These changes are intended for the specific purpose of improving large-group compositions and to improve their general support capability. We’ll continue to monitor these changes as time goes on and will make changes as necessary. However, we will not be looking to increase our five-target-maximum standard for player skills and will seldom (if ever) increase existing skill/trait caps.
For the first time in a very long time, we’re changing what a specific combo finisher does. In the past, we made side steps from retaliation to a light aura that gives retaliation. In this update, we’ll be changing the blast finisher for light fields to directly remove conditions from nearby allies. The team will be analyzing the effects of this in each game type and will be following up with it if necessary.
- Rune of Lyssa: This rune will no longer trigger when the player has no conditions on them. This item will now use the standard “condition to boon” conversion table.
- Rune of the Krait: Fixed a bug in which the sixth effect of this rune would not properly apply torment to targets.
- Light Field: Blasting a light field will now cleanse a condition from allies in a radius of 360. This previously granted retaliation.
- Confusion: Fixed a bug in which the player could take a massive amount of damage if holding a ranged autoattack down while their target is behind them.
Elementalist
In this update, we’ve reduced quite a few recharges for many weapon and utility skills that felt too high in light of previous reductions to cooldown traits. With that said, we’re also looking to reduce the elementalist’s damage in high-level content, as this profession’s damage and utility mix currently crowds out other potential high-damage dealers.
- Arc Lightning: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now deal the higher damage values (25%) in all areas of the game.
- Ride the Lightning: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Frost Aura: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Cleansing Wave: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. The number of conditions cleansed has been increased from 1 to 2.
- Earthquake: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused the blast finisher to occur around the elementalist’s selected target rather than around their current position.
- Frozen Ground: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Healing Rain: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Static Field: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
- Meteor Shower: This skill now has a 0.5-second cooldown when hitting nonplayer targets.
- Armor of Earth: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 75 seconds to 50 seconds.
- Mist Form: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 75 seconds to 60 seconds.
- Ether Renewal: The healing of this skill has been increased by 6% per pulse.
- Arcane Brilliance: The radius of this skill has been increased from 240 to 360.
- Overload Air: The damage of this skill has been reduced by 7% in PvE only.
- Glyph of Elemental Harmony: This skill has been unsplit from PvP, and the cooldown of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds game-wide.
- Arcane Shield: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use the lower recharge (40 seconds) in all areas of the game.
Engineer
The goal for engineers in this update is to improve trait synergy, weapon usefulness, and kit purity of purpose. Both power and condition builds will be affected in this round of changes, with a focus on PvE group viability. Notable to this, the trait Pinpoint Distribution now grants a unique condition-damage bonus to allies around the engineer. The Flamethrower utility kit is now focused on burning and keeping that condition on your enemies.
- Blunderbuss: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now deal the higher (10%) damage values in all areas of the game. Increased bleeding stacks from 1 – 4 to 2 – 5, based on range. Increased bleeding duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.
- Fragmentation Shot: Bleeding duration has been increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Blowtorch: The number of burning applications that this skill applies has been increased from 1/2/3 to 2/3/4.
- Elixir U: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Toss Elixir U: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 50 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Super Elixir: Fixed a bug where this skill would display the wrong healing values underwater.
- Shredder Gyro Self-Destruct: Increased damage to match other gyros.
- Shredder Gyro: Increased damage by roughly 50%.
- Glue Bomb: Immobilize duration of this skill has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.
- Big Ol’ Bomb: This skill is now affected by Short Fuse. The visual size of this bomb has been increased by 33%.
- Short Fuse: Updated the Fuse Time to correctly display the fuse time reduction of 0.5 seconds. This trait now affects Big Ol’ Bomb.
- Glass Cannon: The threshold for damage increase has been reduced from 90% to 75%.
- Shaped Charge: The damage of this skill has been increased from 7% to 10%.
- Static Discharge: The damage dealt by this trait has been increased by 20%.
- Shrapnel: The chance for this trait to activate has been increased from 15% to 33%. Reduced cripple duration from 2 seconds to 1 second. Reduced bleed duration from 12 seconds to 6 seconds. Fixed issues with this trait that caused it to activate at lower-than-expected rates for some skills. Updated the description to specify that this trait only activates on hit.
- Explosion: Skills that count as explosions for the traits Steel-Packed Powder, Explosive Powder, and Shrapnel are now marked with a skill fact. Scrapper gyro detonations are now considered explosions. Skills that do not hit the enemy, such as Smoke Bomb and Magnetic Bomb, are no longer considered explosions for combat clarity reasons.
- Pinpoint Distribution: This trait no longer grants condition damage based on precision. This trait will now instead grant up to 150 condition damage to nearby allies.
- Flame Jet: The duration of burning inflicted on the final hit of this skill has been increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Flame Blast: Reduced the base damage of this skill by 66%. This skill now inflicts burning for 3 seconds.
- Detonate Flame Blast: Reduced the base damage of this skill by 57%. This skill now inflicts 2 stacks of burning for 3 seconds.
Guardian
Improvements to underused base skills have been the general focus for the guardian in this patch, but we are also giving the dragonhunter specialization a little bit more counterplay in PvP scenarios. We’ve unsplit a few of the changes introduced this winter, taking either the more powerful option or compensating to a more powerful level than is available in most game modes.
- Virtue of Resolve: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 30-second cooldown.
- Virtue of Courage: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 45-second baseline cooldown_._
- Signet of Courage: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 120-second cooldown.
- Spear of Justice: The casting time of this skill has been increased from 0.25 seconds to slightly under 0.75 seconds.
- Deflecting Shot: The missile hitbox has been improved.
- Whirling Wrath: Reduced recharge from 10 seconds to 8 seconds. Increased damage by 20%. Projectile damage is now listed separately from melee damage.
- Leap of Faith: Reduced recharge from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.
- Symbol of Wrath: Increased damage by 22%.
- Binding Blade: Reduced recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
- Purification: The trap heal on this skill has been reduced by approximately 16% in PvP only.
- Litany of Wrath: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
- “Receive the Light!”: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
- “Feel My Wrath!”: The quickness duration granted by this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP only.
Mesmer
The mesmer is receiving a few different additions and reworks. Time Warp is one of the select skills and traits in this update, which is being changed to affect ten targets. Also in this update, we are implementing initial attacks on several phantasm skills, allowing the mesmer to deliver a primary attack in addition to the summon in order to provide a bit more constant pressure on your targets.
- Arcane Thievery: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
- Null Field: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds.
- Feedback: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
- Signet of Midnight: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
- Phantasmal Defender: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
- Time Warp: The interval of quickness and slow that this skill applies has been increased from every 1 second to every 2 seconds. Quickness and slow duration have been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. This skill now affects up to ten targets. This skill will now apply slow through an unblockable attack rather than directly applying through all defense.
- Portal Exeunt: This skill now has a 1-second recharge after Portal Entre is used.
- Well of Action: Increased the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
- Chaos Armor: Reduced recharge to 30 seconds. This skill now applies a random condition (confusion, cripple, or weakness) to nearby foes when activated.
- Illusionary Counter: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.
- Illusionary Riposte: This skill now evades attacks during the counterattack animation.
- Phantasmal Duelist: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now fires a slow-moving homing bullet that cripples its target if it hits.
- Phantasmal Mage: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now burns nearby foes when activated.
- Phantasmal Warlock: In addition to its previous effect, this skill now also fires Winds of Chaos projectiles at up to 3 unique targets within a radius of 600 of the caster.
- Wells: Fixed a bug that caused wells to display their effects incorrectly while under the effects of quickness or slow.
- Gravity Well: Fixed a bug that caused this well to be destroyed prematurely when used with Continuum Shift.
Necromancer
One of the major goals for the necromancer during this update has been to improve the reaper’s greatsword weapon in all game modes, without blowing its power out in the ones where it was already good. In addition, we’ve also been looking to improve a few baseline utility abilities.
- Gravedigger: The aftercast of this skill has been reduced by 0.2 seconds.
- Death Spiral: The damage of this skill has been increased by 20%.
- Nightfall: This skill now converts boons into conditions from enemies it hits.
- Well of Darkness: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds.
- Spectral Wall: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Spectral Grasp: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
- Grasping Darkness: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds. Increased damage by 30%.
- Well of Blood: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 35 seconds to 30 seconds.
- Ritual of Life: The well created by this trait has been renamed to the Lesser Well of Blood and will continue to use a 35-second recharge.
- Deathly Chill: Increased bleed stacks to 3 for 5 seconds in PvE only.
- Reaper’s Onslaught: Now grants up to 225 bonus ferocity while in a shroud, based on effective level.
- Life Rend: Increased damage by 17%.
- Life Slash: Increased damage by 17%.
- Life Reap: Increased damage by 12.5%. Increased life-force gain from 1.5% to 2%.
- Death’s Charge: Increased damage by 30%.
- Chilling Scythe: Increased life-force gain from 3% to 5%.
- Wells: Fixed a bug that caused wells to display their effects incorrectly while under the effects of quickness or slow.
Ranger
The ranger will see a variety of changes during this update. Of particular note, we are reducing Grace of the Land’s damage bonus and reworking it so that it’s compatible with all Celestial Avatar abilities and affects ten allies around the druid. We hope this improves the value of a single druid in large-group scenarios. Many pet attacks have had usability and movement enhancements in an effort to improve general damage against moving targets. The greatsword has had a couple of improvements for better damage and pet synergy. Finally, a few underused (and even some meta) utility skills have undergone general quality-of-life improvements.
- Maul: This skill now grants an Attack of Opportunity to the ranger’s pet, causing its next attack to deal 50% more damage.
- Hilt Bash: This skill should now land more consistently when used at max range. This skill no longer grants a damage bonus to pets, but it will now refresh the greatsword’s Maul skill when striking an enemy.
- Throw Torch: The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 33%.
- Sharpening Stone: The number of stacks that this skill applies has been increased from 6 to 10.
- Muddy Terrain: Immobilize duration applied by this skill has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
- Soften the Fall: Immobilize duration applied by this trait has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
- Lightning Reflexes: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
- Spike Trap: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only.
- Signet of the Wild: Fixed a bug that caused the ranger to be unblockable.
- Sharpened Edges: The chance to bleed a target on critical hit has been reduced from 66% to 33%.
- Grace of the Land: Damage per stack of this trait has been reduced from 3 to 2. The number of targets affected by this trait has been increased from 5 to 10.
- Natural Convergence: This skill will now provide Grace of the Land on every pulse when that trait is equipped.
- Avian Pets: Updated on-land nonbasic attacks so that they more consistently hit enemies and can be executed from farther distances.
- Canine Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to more reliably hit enemies, with their executable attack range being increased from 130 to 240.
- Crippling Leap: Increased the attack range of this skill from 130 to 180. Also increased the reliability of this skill by increasing the movement speed and duration. This skill will now be affected by quickness.
- Brutal Charge: Reduced the warmup casting time by 0.5 seconds. This skill will now be affected by quickness.
- Smokescale: Updated on-land basic attacks to move slightly toward the target when executing attacks on land. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.
- Takedown: Updated this attack to have a slight movement toward the target. Reduced aftercast by 0.25 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 240.
- Wyvern Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target on each swing. Greatly increased the attack speed of this skill from 3.3 seconds to 2.2 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.
- Tail Lash: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target when executing. Reduced the attack of this skill from 3.6 seconds to 1.2 seconds. Increased the range at which the creature will attack from 130 to 200.
- Wing Buffet: Reduced the initial casting time of this skill by 0.5 seconds. Increased the attack radius from 240 to 360.
- Drake Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.
- Chomp: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target when executing on land.
- Tail Swipe: Increased the radius of this attack from 225 to 280. Greatly increased the attack speed of this skill.
- Feline Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.
- Bite: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target on land and have a faster recovery once the skill has been executed.
- Maul: Updated this attack to move farther toward the target on land and have a faster recovery once the skill has been executed.
- Moa Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.
- Pig Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land. Increased the attack range from 130 to 200.
- Maul: Updated this attack to move toward the target when used on land. Reduced the start-up and aftercast by around 0.5 seconds each.
- Brutal Charge: Reduced the start-up of this skill by 0.5 seconds. Reduced the aftercast by 0.5 seconds.
- Bear (Ursine) Pets: Updated on-land basic attacks to move farther toward the target when executing on land.
Revenant
In addition to bug fixes and quality-of-life changes, we’ve been looking to improve the support role for the revenant. Alacrity will now be available through the Salvation specialization line, allowing Ventari’s Tablet to project it at a constant rate. We’re excited to see it in play!
- Searing Fissure: This skill will now more reliably hit enemies on slopes.
- Temporal Rift: This skill will now more reliably hit enemies on slopes.
- Legendary Centaur Stance: Project Tranquility will now instantly activate when invoking this legend. The cost of this skill has been removed.
- Serene Rejuvenation: In addition to its current bonus, this trait will now cause Natural Harmony to apply alacrity to allies for 3 seconds.
- Natural Harmony: The base healing of this skill per level has been reduced by 30%. The healing contribution of this skill has been increased by 180%.
- Forced Engagement: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 35 energy to 25 energy. The recharge for this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
- Rite of the Great Dwarf: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 50 energy to 40 energy in PvP only.
- Vengeful Hammers: Increased the base damage of this skill by 100%.
- Ventari’s Will: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 10 energy to 5 energy.
- Purifying Essence: The cost of this skill has been reduced from 30 energy to 25 energy.
- Unyielding Anguish: Increased the base damage of this skill by 20%. The duration of torment inflicted by this skill has been increased from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.
- Burst of Strength: Increased the base damage of this skill by 25% in non-PvP only.
Thief
Quality-of-life improvements and PvP health have been our focus for the thief, mainly for daredevil. As such, we’ll be looking to reduce endurance from a few different areas to target survivability through evasion but also compensate for it a bit with extra utility and condition removals.
- Infiltrator’s Strike: This skill has been unsplit from PvP and will now use a 900 maximum range. Immobilize duration has been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds game-wide.
- Vault: The code functionality of this skill has been updated. The user will now more accurately travel to the targeted destination when under high-latency situations, in most scenarios. This skill is now affected by quickness. This skill now requires a line of sight to the target point in order to cast.
- Bound: This trait will no longer trigger the damage and bonus portion if the dodge is canceled or interrupted.
- Signet of Agility: The endurance gain from this skill has been reduced from 100 to 50 in PvP only.
- Signet of Agility: Condition cleansing has been increased from 1 to 3 in all game modes.
- Channeled Vigor: The endurance gain from this skill has been reduced from 25 to 20 per pulse in PvP only.
- Hard to Catch: The internal cooldown on this trait has been increased from 30 seconds to 45 seconds in PvP only.
- Upper Hand: The internal cooldown on this trait has been increased from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP only.
- Body Shot: The duration of immobilize inflicted by this skill has been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds in PvP only.
- Cloak and Dagger: The vulnerability inflicted by this skill has been increased from 3 stacks to 5 stacks.
- Assassin’s Signet: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
- Needle Trap: The poison inflicted by this skill has been increased from 1 stack to 3 stacks.
- Caltrops: The duration of bleeding inflicted by this skill has been increased from 3 seconds to 5 seconds.
- Tripwire: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
Warrior
Warrior’s banners are the final recipient for our target-increase update, with the unique enhancements from each banner increasing to ten. After that, we’ve mostly focused on improving weapon and utility effectiveness, with some significant increases to underutilized areas.
- Deep Strike: This trait has been altered and will now grant condition damage to the warrior whenever they have fury. Condition-damage gain has been increased from 150 to 180.
- Eviscerate: Lowered the aftercast by 0.25 seconds.
- Hamstring: This attack now applies 1 stack of bleeding for 8 seconds in addition to its previous effects.
- Fierce Blow: The base damage dealt by this skill has been increased by 28%.
- Hammer Shock: The base damage dealt by this skill has been increased by 25%.
- Combustive Shot: This skill now has a radius of 360 at all adrenaline levels.
- Rupturing Smash: Increased damage by 50%.
- Counterblow: This skill now applies 10 stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds in addition to its previous effects in all game types. Lowered the damage of this skill by 12.5% in PvP only.
- “To the Limit!”: The endurance gained by this skill has been increased from 25 to 50.
- “Shake It Off!”: The number of conditions removed by this skill has been increased from 1 to 2.
- “For Great Justice!”: The might granted by this skill has been increased from 3 stacks to 6 stacks.
- Mending: The recharge of this skill has been reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only.
- Blood Reckoning: The amount healed by this skill has been increased from 10% to 20%.
- Vigorous Shouts: The effect of healing power on this trait has been increased by 20%.
- Banner of Defense: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.
- Banner of Discipline: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.
- Banner of Strength: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.
- Banner of Tactics: Increased the number of enhancement targets from 5 to 10.
- Earthshaker: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to hit 10 targets at level 1 adrenaline.
- Blaze Breaker: This skill will now attempt to face your target before firing instead of failing. If you cannot face your target, it will instead fire in your current facing direction.
- Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from being canceled when transitioning to gliding.
- Adrenal Health: The amount healed by this trait has been reduced by 10% in PvP only.
Structured Player vs. Player
- Birthday Boosters and Celebration Boosters can now be used in PvP maps.
- Wintersday Black Lion Chests can now be opened in PvP maps.
- Dabs, Globs, and Clumps of Destabilized Ectoplasm can now be used in the PvP lobby.
- The Bag of Spirit Shards given with the second birthday gift is now usable in PvP maps.
- Disconnecting from a PvP match will now add additional respawn time calculated from maximum possible downed bleed duration for a maximum of 30 seconds. Reconnecting to a PvP match with a respawn time will result in death.
- Mastery: Commander swiftness is now enabled in the PvP lobby.
Leagues:
- Losing a Ranked season match with a score greater than or equal to 80% of the winning team’s score will award a Near Victory bonus, worth 2 league reward pips.
- Added rating delta to game history for league matches.
- Ardent Glorious armor can now be used in the Mystic Forge.
- Ascended PvP trinkets now have proper icons.
- Ascended PvP rings can now be attuned.
- The Mini Emperor Llama is now available from the League Vendor.
- Significantly reduced the number of Transmutation Charges obtained through league chests.
- Reduced the number of unidentified dyes obtained through league chests.
- Reduced the number of Ascended Shards of Glory obtained through league chests, but added Ascended Shards of Glory to the repeatable Byzantium reward chest.
- Ascended PvP armor and weapons now require special currency that you craft along with Ascended Shards of Glory and gold.
- The recipes are available from the ascended vendors for league tickets.
- These recipes require fewer materials than normal ascended crafting, so they are a small discount from just crafting the armor and weapons outright.
- Ardent Glorious armor skins are now available from the ascended PvP vendors.
World vs. World
General
- Being killed while outnumbered no longer grants any war score to the enemy team.
- All siege devices and traps have been changed to gizmos that are consumed once they are placed.
- This change was made to help solve bugs in which siege devices and traps weren’t being granted back properly when they weren’t placed.
- Siege bundles now stay in your hands until players drop, cancel, or run out of siege.
- Changed the Potion of Ascalonian Mages to work similarly to combat tonics. The transformation now allows for all player skills to be used. The transformation is removed after 30 minutes. Clicking the potion again will remove the transformation.
Alpine Borderlands
- Garrison’s back gate that enters the lord’s room now has secured, reinforced, and fortified states like all other gates.
Desert Borderlands
- Removed the floating gargoyle at the Shrine of Fire.
Fractals
- The commands /resign, /qq, /gg, etc., may now be used in fractals.
- Ascended fractal armor and weapons now require special currency that you craft, along with Fractal Research Pages, Fractal Relics, and gold.
- These recipes are available from BLING-9009.
- These recipes require fewer materials than normal ascended crafting, so they are a small discount from just crafting the armor and weapons outright.
- Unwanted Integrated Fractal Matrices can now be converted to Fractal Encryption Keys at a rate of 10 keys per matrix at BLING-9009.
- Fixed a bug in the event UI that would cause two health bars to appear for the Thaumanova Anomaly.
Living World
- Players will now be able to enter Noran’s Safe Room with an oiled key.
General
- Fixed an issue where many mesmer clone-creating skills did not create clones for players using the Endless Miniature Tonic and Infinite Watchknight Tonic.
- Pact soldiers returning from the campaign in the Maguuma Jungle have created a monument at the entrance of the Grove.
BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions
- A new Bloodstone Ascender is available in the Toys category of the Gem Store for 250 gems.
- A new Shattered Bloodstone Glider is available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 400 gems.
- The Emissary’s Staff has returned for a limited time in the Style category of the Gem Store for 600 gems.
- Taimi’s Dye Kit has returned for a limited time, found in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems.
Improvement
- Six new and exclusive eye colors have been added to Total Makeover Kits, which are available in the Services category of the Gem Store.
Bug Fixes
- Scribe has been added to the Crafting Discipline filter on the trading post.
(edited by Moderator)