09/09/14 – September 9 Release Notes
Release Notes:
NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
New Trading Post UI
- The trading post now appears as one tab in the Black Lion Trading Company window.
- The trends page has been replaced by a new home page displaying recent views and recent trades links.
- Major trading post functions now always appear at the top of the window.
- Changing trading post sections no longer resets the view.
- The Pick Up tab has been replaced by the Delivery Box, which is visible and usable without leaving other trading post pages.
- Improved messaging and UI consistency in all trading post views.
- Added new and improved categories, search functions, and filtering options, including search by profession where appropriate.
- All potential fees are now shown before sales.
- Minimum buy and sell prices are now vendor value + 15%.
Wardrobe Improvements
- Added the Search by Name function to the equipment and skins pages of the wardrobe.
- Moved outfits to their own page of the wardrobe.
- Both locked and unlocked outfits are now shown and can be previewed.
- Switching outfits no longer requires an apply step or apply costs.
- Switching an outfit no longer resets dyes.
- Created a separate wardrobe page for PvP finishers.
- Finishers can now be previewed.
- Locked finishers now have markers when they are new or discounted in the Gem Store.
- Miniatures can now be added to the account wardrobe.
- All miniatures can now be previewed.
- Unlocking a miniature destroys the item but makes the mini available to all characters on the account simultaneously.
- Unlocked miniatures can be equipped per character and are now summoned automatically on every map entry.
- Locked miniatures now have markers when they are newly available or discounted in the Gem Store.
- As a result of being tracked by the wardrobe, miniatures can no longer be deposited into bank collections. Removing a miniature from the bank collection will hide that mini collection slot.
- Miniatures now stack in your inventory.
- Miniatures are now culled by the Character Model Limit option in the Advanced Settings menu in Graphics Options.
Item Rewards
- New recipes have been added to the Crafting tab for Crafter’s Backpacks, and crafting vendors across Tyria now sell Crafter’s Backpack components.
- New discoverable weapon and armor recipes have been added to support lower-level adventurers and allies. Some of these weapons have also been added to containers across Tyria.
Item Collections
- The new Item Collections set of achievements has been added to the game.
- Collections can be found in three different ways:
- Automatic: some collections are already viewable in the new Collections tab of the Achievements panel.
- Discovered: some collections are revealed when players make progress in that collection.
- Unlocked: some collections are unlocked by finding an item with the help of Rednax Youngblood in Lion’s Arch.
- Collections can be completed in three different ways:
- Skin unlocks: skins are collected as soon as they are unlocked in the wardrobe.
- Item binding: items that bind on acquire are collected immediately. Items that can be traded must be bound before they are collected.
- Item use: items that are used, such as containers and food, are collected upon use.
- A given collection can be made up of one, two, or all three types.
- Rewards have been updated.
- All collections grant achievement points and reward items.
- Several new titles can be earned as collection rewards.
- Achievements have been reorganized to make the panel easier to navigate.
- PvP, WvW, and Activities can all be found in the new Competitive category.
- Region and Dungeon achievements have moved to the General category.
- Achievement UI has been updated to more clearly display the rewards and allow space for collectible item icons.
- New Miniature Set Collections for series 1, 2, and 3 have been added.
New Runes and Sigils in PvE and WvW
- Superior Sigil of Cleansing:
- Remove 1 condition when you swap to this weapon while in combat.
- Superior Sigil of Cruelty:
- Gain a charge of +10 ferocity each time you kill a foe—five if you kill an enemy player.
- Superior Rune of Evasion:
- +25 Ferocity
- When executing a dodge roll, you gain 3 seconds of swiftness.
- +50 Ferocity
- When executing a dodge roll, you gain 3 seconds of fury.
- +100 Ferocity
- When executing a dodge roll, deal a crippling strike to nearby enemies.
- Superior Rune of the Trapper:
- +25 Condition Damage
- The duration of conditions you apply last 10% longer.
- +50 Condition Damage
- When you use a trap skill, gain 3 seconds of super speed.
- +100 Condition Damage
- Gain 3 seconds of stealth when using a trap skill.
- Superior Rune of Radiance:
- +25 Vitality
- When you receive an aura, you gain 5 seconds of swiftness.
- +50 Vitality
- When you use a heal skill, you gain 4 seconds of light aura.
- +100 Vitality
- The duration of auras you apply are increased by 33%.
- The recipes for these new upgrades can be found in various places throughout the game.
- Superior Rune of the Trapper recipes and Superior Sigil of Cleansing recipes have a chance to drop from champion loot bags in WvW.
- Superior Sigil of Cleansing recipes can also be found in Southsun Cove.
- Superior Sigil of Cruelty recipes can be found in event chests at Orrian temples.
- Superior Rune of Evasion recipes can be found in jumping puzzle chests.
- Superior Rune of Radiance recipes can be found in minidungeon chests.
New Combat Log
- The combat log channel filter now controls a variety of subfilters accessed via the Chat panel’s Tab Options menu under Combat Options:
- Incoming Buff Damage
- Incoming Heals
- Incoming Interrupts
- Incoming Damage Mitigation
- Incoming Hits
- Outgoing Buff Damage
- Outgoing Heals
- Outgoing Interrupts
- Outgoing Mitigated Damage
- Outgoing Strikes
- Added skill links to player skills.
- Added color-coded numbers.
- Added different colors to incoming and outgoing entries.
- Added entries for minion combat events.
Structured PvP
- New Reward Track: Glorious Reward Track
- Each time through the reward track will reward players with: 1 piece of the PvP-exclusive Glorious armor set, tomes of knowledge, transmutation charges, dragonite ore, empyreal fragments, champion bags, tier crafting materials, and much more!
World vs. World
- New WvW Ability Line: Siege Golem Mastery
- Gain increased offensive and defensive golem stats, a temporary speed boost, a healing shield, and an ejection seat.
- New Traps and Tricks Consumable: Siege Disabler
- The Siege Disabler is a thrown trick that temporarily disables all enemy siege weapons in range.
- This trick is available at any Traps and Tricks outfitter in World versus World.
- Account-Wide Commander Unlock
- New and existing commander unlocks are now applied account-wide rather than on a per-character basis.
- Yellow, red, and purple commander icon colors are now available to all commanders.
- The price of the Commander’s Compendium has been increased to 300 gold and 250 badges of honor.
- Fall WvW Tournament
- The tournament will last for 4 weeks (9/12/14 – 10/10/14).
- The league structure from the previous tournaments will remain.
- Worlds will receive points based on their placement in each matchup to determine world rankings. Worlds receive 5 points for first place, 3 for second, and 2 for third.
- Players earn WvW tournament ticket rewards weekly, based on the standings of the previous game. Players receive 200 points for first place, 150 for second, and 100 for third.
Level-Up Guide
- A new teaching and reward system has come to Guild Wars 2. Check out the blog for more details.
- Skill unlock requirements for some professions, such as elementalists (attunements) and necromancers (death shroud), have moved. Elementalists in a moved attunement will remain in it until they change. That attunement will be reacquired upon reaching the new level requirement.
New Player Experience
- Content Direction System
- Added a system in the top-right corner of the UI that points out nearby level-appropriate content.
- Low-Level Experience Curve
- Reduced the amount of time it takes to reach level 15.
- Reduce Low-Level Complexity:
- In an effort to reduce early game complexity, enemies that cause conditions, enemies with attacks that require players to dodge, and bundle items were removed from low-level areas.
- Dodging Tutorial:
- Added a simple dodging tutorial to the racial starting areas.
- Improved Level Flow:
- Improved the level flow in some of the starting maps.
- Low-Level Difficulty:
- Reduced the difficulty of some low-level veterans and champions.
- Story Chapters:
- Personal story steps have been more clearly broken up into chapters that unlock every 10 levels so that each chapter can be played through immediately once it’s unlocked. Players that were already partway through a chapter may find themselves underleveled for any of the story chapters or overleveled for some of the chapter 7 and 8 steps that have moved.
- Chapter Focus:
- Chapter 7 is now focused on helping Trahearne cleanse Orr.
- Chapter 8 is now focused on defeating Zhaitan.
Hardware
- Added context-specific support for AlienFX hardware.
Guild Unification (North America and Europe Only)
Instead of having a separate guild chapter on each world, everything in your guild—your vault, merits, influence, and upgrades—is now global and shared across all worlds.
- The price of starting a new guild has been raised to 1 gold.
- The influence and the merits that your guild earned in each world will now be combined into your global guild. To make sure that you’re not losing any merits, the combined merits quantity can go over the normal limit of 250. However, your guild will not be able to earn more merits until the count gets back under that threshold.
- Any upgrade you’ve unlocked on any world will be available in your global guild. If you’ve unlocked the same upgrade on multiple worlds, the influence and merit cost will be refunded. Again, the refunded merits will be allowed to exceed the normal limit, but you will be unable to earn more merits while over the limit.
- All guild consumables unlocked on any world will be available in your global guild. For this purpose, the number of consumables in stock can go over the usual limits, but you will not be able to build new consumables of the same type before going back under the usual threshold.
- Guild boosts that are enabled will be returned to your guild inventory and you will have to reenable them from your global guild to activate them.
- The guild vault from the world that had the highest number of slots will become your global guild vault. If your guild had the same number of slots on multiple worlds, your guild vault will become the one with the most items. However, the items from other worlds’ banks will not be lost—instead, their contents will be put into extra slots, which will only be available for withdrawal and will disappear once empty.
BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
World Polish
- Gendarran Fields:
- The Harathi centaurs and their allies have called in elite reinforcements and champions to assist them in capturing Nebo Terrace from the Seraph.
- The event “Prevent the centaurs from capturing Nebo Terrace” has been upgraded to a group event.
- The event “Prevent the centaurs from capturing Nebo Terrace” now grants a daily reward on event success.
- The Harathi centaurs and their allies have called in elite reinforcements and champions to assist them in capturing Nebo Terrace from the Seraph.
- Kessex Hills:
- Guard Barnaby now sells appropriate-level logging axes for karma.
- Fixed a bug that prevented Lieutenant Gregoire from spawning and halted the Fort Salma event chain.
- Sparkfly Fen:
- Fixed an issue that prevented Tequatl’s Fingers from leaving poison clouds on the ground.
- Queensdale:
- Marcus [Retrainer] no longer appears in the inn in Shaemoor.
- Fields of Ruin:
- Added a missing defense icon to the Iron Legion soldier gathering wood in the “Protect the soldiers as they gather wood to rebuild Skoll’s Bivouac” event.
Crafting UI
- Added various layout and readability improvements.
- Ingredients created from recipes can now be inspected recursively without losing the previous recipe.
- Recipes visually stack, and players can now return to recipes by clicking on them.
General
- Updated the text on the Lifetime Survivor achievement to better describe how it is obtained.
- Players are now moved to valid positions on entering maps, preventing players from being stuck inside structures built while off-line.
- Fixed an issue in which players sometime remained in combat after dying.
- Removed the commander buff.
- Improved world boss targeting:
- Increased tab selection priority for world bosses.
- Improved in-world click selection for world bosses.
- World bosses can now be selected by clicking on the corresponding health bar in the event panel.
- Increased automatic deselection range for world bosses.
- Fixed an issue in which damage floaters for world bosses would appear in the wrong location.
- Fixed an issue in which beam effects from skills used on world bosses would draw to the wrong location.
- Fixed an issue in which fireworks at the end of all guild races were audible across the entire map.
- Fixed an issue in which check boxes and text remained yellow after hovering over them.
- Adjusted the warmup times on the Coiled Watch event chain in Frostgorge Sound.
Megaserver
- Joining a map while representing a guild that has an active mission now triggers a special algorithm that dramatically increases the likelihood of joining the same map copy as your fellow guildmates. This works by reserving a certain number of spaces in that instance for your guild members. The duration and total number of spaces that can be reserved are limited, and this system works better with small- and medium-sized guilds.
- When the overall population of a specific map decreases and the number of copies of that map needs to be reduced, the players on copies that will be closed will now receive a notification inviting them to join a different map copy. Volunteering to move maps rewards players with the Volunteer’s Blessing, a boon that increases movement speed by 15% (in PvE only), karma gain by 5%, and experience from kills by 10% for 10 minutes.
Dungeons
- Dungeon instances no longer close when the original creator leaves the party.
Fractals of the Mists
- Cliffside:
- Fixed an issue that prevented the Cultist Hammer from respawning correctly when players fell off the platforms around the chest and arms of the colossus.
Items
- Items with skins applied through the wardrobe now use the name of their skin.
- The mystic forge will show a warning in the tooltip with the item a transmuted item will function as.
- Fixed a bug in which some item effects did not apply properly when equipped while downed/defeated (for example: runes, sigils, agony resist).
- Selecting a salvage kit now highlights all salvageable items in the inventory.
- Double-clicking a stackable item to deposit/withdraw from the bank will now attempt to merge it with existing stacks first and place any remainder in the first empty slot.
- Two-handed Giver’s weapons now give +20% condition duration.
- The following ascended back items now appear in the wardrobe:
- Book of Secrets
- Tome of the Rubicon
- Symon’s History of Ascalon
- Fixed the names of several tray of compote recipe items.
- Created a new mystic forge recipe that accepts Mini Risen Priests of Balthazar.
- Increased chance of Monkey King loot drops from bosses in Dry Top.
- Steel and Seasoned Wood weapons are now properly named and have a new set of skins associated with them.
- Miniatures now stack in your inventory.
- Many miniatures now carry their weapons sheathed instead of wielded to correct clipping problems with idle animations.
- Fixed a bug in which some rare and exotic miniatures could be deleted without name verification.
Profession Skills
General
- New Aura: Light Aura
- Gain 2 seconds of retaliation when struck. (Cooldown: 1 second)
- Apply 8 seconds of vulnerability when struck.
- Light Field:
- Leaping through a light field now grants 5 seconds of light aura.
- Fixed a bug that caused revive-speed bonuses to work incorrectly on NPC allies.
- Rune of Perplexity:
- Fixed a bug that caused the rune to apply confusion to the player when interrupted by a basilisk’s gaze.
- Fixed several bugs in which players would become unable to move and/or execute a skill after executing another skill or teleporting.
- Fixed a bug in which the client would become out of sync with the server and continue to loop skill animations after they were cancelled or stop playing animations while a skill was still executing.
- Fixed a bug in which players would incur the backpedalling speed penalty if they executed a skill while running directly away from their target.
- Hit flash effects now only play for hits landed on enemies. This resolves an issue in which creatures would glow white during busy battles where many players were attacking the same monsters.
- Turrets now attack world bosses and other turrets properly.
- Fixed an issue where item bundle markers randomly appeared on creatures and objects.
- Blocking a player now hides their /me emote commands.
- The experience bar no longer displays for players spectating in PvP.
- Adept Line 3 (Toughness) Trait 2:
- This trait has been moved from the personal story in “The Battle for Claw Island” to the Blazeridge Steppes and will now be awarded by defeating the grawl shamans at the Tail of the Star God who are attempting a summoning ritual.
- Adept Line 4 (Vitality) Trait 1:
- This trait has been removed from the personal story in “A Light in the Darkness” to assisting Legionnaire Boneflayer crush the renegades in Thunderbreak Hills of the Fields of Ruin.
- Adept Line 5 (Profession) Trait 3:
- This trait has been moved from the personal story in “Retribution” to the splendid chest within the Shattered Keep of Sparkfly Fen.
Elementalist
- Blinding Ashes:
- This trait now properly blinds all affected targets when used with skills that inflict burning in an area.
- Fixed a bug that allowed players to blind themselves in a scenario where they also apply burning to themselves.
- Lightning Rod:
- Lightning Rod now triggers on any form of disable rather than on interrupt.
- Elemental Contingency:
- This trait now has a separate cooldown for the effect granted in each elemental attunement rather than a single cooldown for all attunements.
- Whirlpool:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
- Tornado:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
- Tornado now counts as a lightning field.
- Vapor Form:
- Updated visuals to indicate that this skill has different properties from Mist Form (specifically, this skill does not prevent crowd-control effects).
- Fiery Rush:
- Fiery Rush no longer generates fire fields if the character’s position does not change significantly (for example, running against a wall).
- The number of fire fields created by this skill has been reduced by 50%.
- Reduced damage of fire fields by 70%.
- This skill now ignores the movement penalties from chilled and crippled conditions.
- Increased damage of the leap attack by 140%.
- Burning Speed:
- Burning Speed no longer generates fire fields if the character’s position does not change significantly (for example, rolling against a wall).
- Burning Retreat:
- Burning Retreat no longer generates fire fields if the character’s position does not change significantly (for example, rolling against a wall).
- Glyph of Lesser Elementals:
- When activated, this glyph now becomes a command skill for the player’s elemental.
- Glyph of Elementals:
- When activated, this glyph now becomes a command skill for the player’s elemental.
- Fixed a bug that allowed players to have the elemental from this skill active while using a different elite skill.
- Renamed some of the skills used by these elementals.
- Fixed a bug which prevented the Fire Elemental’s Flame Barrage skill from inflicting burning.
- Glyph of Storms:
- Fire now inflicts 1 second of burning on hit.
- Lightning strike now inflicts 2 stacks of vulnerability for 8 seconds.
- Signet of Air:
- Lowered recharge to 25 seconds.
- Signet of Earth:
- Lowered casting time to 0.5 seconds, lowered recharge to 25 seconds.
- Signet of Earth now inflicts 5 stacks of bleeding for 7 seconds in addition to immobilize.
- Signet of Fire:
- Lowered casting time to 0.5 seconds.
- Increased initial hit damage by 100%.
- Signet of Water:
- Lowered casting time to 0.5 seconds
- Lowered recharge to 25 seconds.
- Tornado:
- Electrified Tornado:
- Added a Number of Casts skill fact and a Number of Bounces skill fact.
- Dust Tornado:
- Added a Number of Casts skill fact.
- Debris Tornado:
- Added a Number of Casts skill fact.
- Electrified Tornado:
- Added a Range: 900 skill fact.
- Dust Tornado:
- Added a Range: 900 skill fact.
- Debris Tornado:
- Added a Range: 900 skill fact.
- Electrified Tornado:
- Conjure Earth Shield:
- Replaced icons for the following skills:
- Shield Smash
- Stone Sheath
- Magnetic Shield
- Replaced icons for the following skills:
- Arcane Wave:
- Fixed a bug in which this skill would not trigger the Arcane Energy trait.
- Arcane Brilliance:
- Fixed a bug in which this skill would not trigger the Arcane Energy trait.
- Fireball:
- Added a Number of Targets: 3 skill fact.
- Lava Font:
- Fixed an issue that caused this skill to function incorrectly with Persisting Flames.
- Water Blast:
- Added a Number of Targets: 5 skill fact.
- Water Blast:
- Fixed a bug that caused the center of the healing effect created by this skill to be positioned off-center.
- Healing Rain:
- Fixed a trait that caused this skill to remove conditions around the elementalist when traited with Cleansing Water.
- Gust:
- Fixed a bug that occasionally caused the effect of this skill to end early.
- Added a Number of Targets: 5 skill fact.
- Whirlpool:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from granting stability to the player.
- Conjure Flame Axe:
- Burning Retreat:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to only last for 5 seconds instead of 6 when Persisting Flames was traited. Updated skill facts to indicate duration when traited.
- Ring of Fire:
- Fixed the skill facts to indicate the correct duration of the fire field. Added functionality for Persisting Flames, which will allow the skill to be increased to a duration of 7 seconds.
- Burning Retreat:
- Hurl:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from cooling down if cast at the very end of Rock Barrier.
- Lightning Whip:
- Updated the damage skill fact to display that the skill hits twice.
- Final Shielding:
- This trait now works with Arcane Mastery and Arcane Energy.
- Arcane Retribution:
- This trait now works with Arcane Mastery and Arcane Energy.
- Ring of Earth:
- Added a Blocks Missiles skill fact.
- Deep Freeze:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from dealing damage to a foe that was already frozen by another player’s Deep Freeze.
- Magnetic Aura:
- Added a unique skill fact icon for this skill.
- Fire Aura:
- Added a unique skill fact icon for this skill.
- Frost Aura:
- Added a unique skill fact icon for this skill.
- Phoenix:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from granting vigor and removing a condition in some situations.
- Zephyr’s Focus:
- Fixed a bug that caused Cone of Cold to grant endurance regeneration after the ability ended. This trait no longer displays on the buff bar when active.
- Shard of Ice
- Fixed a bug that prevented the vulnerability applied by this trait from appearing in the skill facts of signets.
- Soothing Disruption:
- Fixed a bug that caused Cleansing Fire’s skill facts to be listed incorrectly when this trait was equipped.
- Drake’s Breath:
- Fixed a bug that prevented the damage from Drake’s Breath from counting as a multihit attack.
- Ring of Fire:
- Fixed a bug that caused the effect from this skill to last for an incorrect duration when traited with Persisting Flames.
Engineer
- Power Wrench:
- This trait now increases the base damage of Tool Kit abilities by 10% instead of adding the crippled condition to wrench attacks. The crippled condition for wrench attacks is now baseline for the kit.
- Always Prepared:
- This trait now creates oil slicks near the engineer’s location for 4 seconds in addition to dropping med packs.
- Elite Supplies:
- Elite Supplies no longer grants extra duration to Elixir X. Instead, it now gives 50% increased movement speed while transformed.
- Accelerant-Packed Turrets:
- Knock-back distance of this trait has been reduced from 300 to 150.
- Rocket Turret:
- Explosive Rockets:
- Increased the velocity of this attack by 50%. This missile now tracks targets.
- Explosive Rockets:
- Flamethrower:
- Flame Jet:
- Increased damage by 33%.
- Detonate Flame Blast:
- This skill is now a blast finisher.
- Air Blast:
- This skill is now more visible when used. The attack of this skill has been delayed by around 0.25 seconds.
- Napalm:
- This skill now delivers a damaging attack on each pulse.
- Flame Jet:
- Elixir R:
- Casting time of this skill has been reduced by 0.25 seconds. This skill now removes immobilize.
- Toss Elixir C:
- This skill now converts 2 conditions on allies into boons. Increased radius from 180 to 240. The underwater version’s radius remains 240.
- Tool Kit Wrench Combo (Smack, Whack, Thwack):
- These skills no longer require Power Wrench to cripple enemies.
- Throw Wrench:
- This skill now cripples as a base mechanic and no longer needs to be traited with Power Wrench.
- Launch Personal Battering Ram:
- Increased damage by 20%.
- Utility Goggles:
- Analyze:
- This skill now places 6 seconds of revealed on the target in addition to vulnerability.
- Analyze:
- Med Kit
- Antidote:
- This ability will now be consumed if the engineer drops the vial while immobilized.
- Antidote:
- Glue Shot:
- Increased projectile velocity by 50%.
- A.E.D.:
- In addition to healing, this skill now removes all damaging conditions if the engineer would take a lethal blow.
- Explosive Elixirs:
- Removed a confusing bleeding trait fact when Shrapnel is equipped.
- Jump Shot:
- Updated the skill facts to display the correct amount of damage with the Rifled Barrels and Rifle Mod traits equipped.
- Mortar:
- Launch Mortar Shot:
- Updated this skill to benefit from traits that improve explosives.
- Launch Ice Mortar:
- Updated this skill to benefit from traits that improve explosives.
- Launch Ice Mortar:
- Updated the damage skill fact for this skill to be more accurate.
- Launch Concussion Barrage:
- Updated this skill to benefit from traits that improve explosives.
- Launch Concussion Barrage:
- Fixed a bug that caused each shell fired from this skill to explode twice.
- Launch Concussion Barrage:
- Updated the damage skill fact for this skill to be more accurate.
- Launch Mortar Shot:
- Mortar Skills:
- Fixed a bug that would cause the global cooldown for mortar skills to vary.
- Fixed a bug that would cause the mortar to occasionally jam.
- Torpedo Shot:
- Updated the damage on the skill fact to correctly scale with the Rifle Mod trait.
- Grenade Barrage:
- Added Number of Targets facts to the underwater and traited versions of Grenade Barrage. Fixed the listed radius of the underwater traited version to its actual radius (120).
- Blowtorch:
- Fixed a bug that caused the untraited version of this skill to hit twice.
Guardian
- Elite Focus:
- This trait now grants stability to tome elite skills. Each tome will gain stability at the time it receives its associated boon (retaliation or protection).
- Glacial Heart:
- The cooldown of this trait has been reduced to 15 seconds. Chill duration has been reduced from 4 to 3 seconds.
- Eternal Spirit:
- This trait has been renamed to Expeditious Spirit and now reduces recharge of spirit command skills.
- Hammer of Wisdom:
- This spirit weapon is no longer destroyed when the Command skill is used.
- The Command skill now initiates a Blast combo finisher on the spirit weapon.
- Sword of Justice:
- This spirit weapon is no longer destroyed when the Command skill is used.
- The Command skill now applies 5 stacks of vulnerability to the enemies it strikes.
- Removed the pulsing camera shake that this skill caused.
- Shield of the Avenger:
- This spirit weapon is no longer destroyed when the Command skill is used.
- In addition to striking and bouncing to enemies, this ability will now bounce to allies when the Command skill is used, granting them aegis.
- Bow of Truth:
- Added Healing, Radius, Duration, Number of Targets, and Number of Hits skill facts. This spirit weapon is no longer destroyed when the Command skill is used.
- When the Command skill is used, this ability can now be cast at a range of 1200.
- Merciful Intervention:
- This ability is now a ground-targeted skill and will shadowstep the guardian to an ally in the targeted area, healing allies around the guardian.
- Renewed Focus:
- This ability is now a Meditation and will function with Meditation Mastery, Focused Mind, and Monk’s Focus.
- Conflagrate (Tome of Wrath):
- Damage of this ability has been increased by 10%.
- Judgment (Tome of Wrath):
- Reduced casting time by 1.5 seconds.
- Purifying Ribbon (Tome of Courage):
- Increased the number of conditions removed from allies from 1 to 2 per bounce.
- Shield of Absorption:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill’s projectile absorption to persist after the skill was cancelled or interrupted.
- Spirit Weapons:
- Fixed an issue that caused spirit weapons to receive an incredibly long recharge if they were active when transitioning into water.
- Resolute Healer:
- Fixed a bug that caused this trait to block unblockable missiles.
- Symbol of Protection:
- Updated the damage skill facts to display Hammer Damage and Symbol Damage separately. Added a Number of Targets: 5 skill fact.
- Light of Judgement:
- Added a Number of Bounces: 4 skill fact.
- Weight of Justice:
- Added a Damage and Pulses: 2 skill fact.
- Pillar of Light:
- Updated the damage skill fact for this skill to scale correctly.
- Purging Flames:
- Added a Number of Targets: 5 skill fact.
- Symbol of Protection:
- Updated Number of Target skill facts to correctly indicate the maximum number of targets.
- Wrathful Spirits:
- Updated spirit weapon skill facts to indicate the damage increased when this trait is equipped.
- Scepter Power:
- Fixed a bug in which this trait failed to update associated skill facts.
- Revenge of the Fallen:
- Fixed a bug in which this trait failed to update associated skill facts.
Mesmer
- Triumphant Distortion:
- This trait now gives summoned phantasms 1 second of distortion on creation, in addition to the existing distortion on kill.
- Debilitating Dissipation:
- Bleeding on this trait has been reduced from 3 stacks for 5 seconds to 2 stacks for 4 seconds.
- Prismatic Understanding:
- This trait is now applies swiftness for 3 seconds and might for 5 seconds in addition to its previous boons.
- Illusionary Elasticity:
- This trait now functions with clones using Winds of Chaos.
- Maim the Disillusioned:
- Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.
- Illusionary Leap:
- This skill now creates the clone adjacent to the mesmer’s target instead of at the mesmer’s location. The initial cast of this skill no longer acts as a Leap finisher, though Swap retains its leap functionality. Added messaging if the skill is cast out of range of the target.
- Illusionary Warden:
- Fixed a bug that caused this phantasm to follow one target while trying to attack another target at the same time.
- Fixed a bug that caused the projectile absorption from this skill to last longer than its animation.
- Fixed a bug that caused this phantasm to reflect unblockable missiles.
- Mind Stab:
- Increased the radius of the attack to 240. Increased the damage of the attack by 17%.
- Mantra of Pain:
- Power Spike:
- This skill now affects up to 5 foes within 240 units of the target.
- Power Spike:
- Mantra of Distraction
- Power Lock:
- This skill now affects up to 5 foes within 180 units of the target.
- Power Lock:
- Illusion of Life:
- This skill can now be used underwater, centered on the mesmer’s location.
- Ether Bolt:
- This skill now inflicts 2 seconds of torment on hit. This change also affects mesmer scepter clones that use Ether Bolt.
- Ether Blast:
- This skill now inflicts 3 seconds of torment on hit.
- Mimic:
- Mimic now will copies all boons from the target foe to the player.
- Mesmer clones now spawn with the correct weapon even if the casting player swaps weapons.
- Confusing Combatants:
- The effects of this trait can now be blocked, dodged, or blinded.
- Crippling Dissipation:
- The effects of this trait can now be blocked, dodged, or blinded.
- Debilitating Dissipation:
- The effects of this trait can now be blocked, dodged, or blinded.
- Illusionary Whaler:
- Fixed a bug that allowed this ability to be cast without a target.
- Illusionary Mariner:
- Fixed a bug that allowed this ability to be cast without a target.
- The Prestige:
- Removed an unused range skill fact.
- Illusionary Duelist:
- Fixed an incorrect damage skill fact.
- Dazzling:
- Fixed a bug in which this trait would not display the vulnerability applied for Counter Blade, Diversion, Magic Bullet, or Power Lock.
- Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from functioning when used in conjunction with the racial skills Technobabble and Shriek (Become the Raven).
- Warden’s Feedback:
- Fixed a bug that caused projectiles reflected by Illusionary Warden to sometimes miss their targets.
- Mantras:
- Fixed a bug that allowed players to have mantra charges when the associated mantra was not equipped.
- Blink:
- Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to be equipped while underwater when traited with Far-Reaching Manipulations.
- Winds of Chaos:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to only inflict 5 seconds of bleeding instead of 7 when used by clones.
- Illusionary Counter:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from receiving reduced recharge when traited with Malicious Sorcery in certain situations.
- Decoy:
- Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to stealth the player when they were revealed.
- Desperate Decoy:
- Fixed a bug that allowed this trait to stealth the player when they were revealed.
- Confusing Cry:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from working in conjunction with Illusionary Persona.
- Shattered Conditions:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from working in conjunction with Illusionary Persona.
- Shattered Strength:
- Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from working in conjunction with Illusionary Persona.
- Maim the Disillusioned:
- Fixed a bug that caused the torment skill fact to display incorrect damage numbers.
- Slipstream:
- Added an Unblockable skill fact.
- Harmonious Mantras:
- Fixed a bug that caused mesmers to retain extra mantra charges after unequipping this trait.
Necromancer
- Last Gasp:
- Cooldown of this trait has been decreased from 60 seconds to 50 seconds. This trait is now considered a spectral skill.
- Unholy Sanctuary:
- In addition to healing while in death shroud, this trait will now activate the necromancer’s death shroud when they would take a lethal blow as long as their life force is above the threshold. This secondary effect has a 30-second cooldown.
- Death Shroud:
- Necromancers are now able to interact with NPCs and players while in this form.
- Spectral Walk:
- This skill now ends if the necromancer teleports to a waypoint.
- Corrupt Boon:
- Increased casting time from less than 0.25 seconds to 0.5 seconds. This change also reduces the aftercast of the skill by around 0.36 seconds.
- Well of Blood:
- Decreased the active time of this well from 10 seconds to 5 seconds. Increased base healing per pulse by 50%. Updated the skill to have the correct values when Vampiric Rituals is equipped.
- Signet of Vampirism:
- Increased the duration of the active effect from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.
- Spectral Armor:
- Cooldown of this skill has been decreased from 60 seconds to 50 seconds.
- Rending Claws:
- Reduced aftercast of this ability by 0.2 seconds.
- Ghastly Claws:
- Increased damage of this skill by 10%.
- Necrotic Slash (Dagger):
- This skill now strikes up to 2 targets.
- Necrotic Stab (Dagger):
- This skill now strikes up to 2 targets. Life-force gain will only occur once, even if both hits connect.
- Necrotic Bite (Dagger):
- This skill now strikes up to 2 targets. Life-force gain will only occur once, even if both hits connect.
- Locust Swarm:
- Increased base swiftness duration from 10 seconds to 15 seconds.
- Lich Form:
- The duration of this transform has been reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
- Charge (Summon Flesh Golem):
- Reduced dash speed by approximately 25%.
- Adjusted number of hits during the charge.
- This skill no longer deals damage if the golem’s position does not change significantly (for example, running against a wall).
- This skill now ignores the movement penalties from chilled and crippled conditions.
- Updated skill facts to more accurately show the damage of this skill.
- Locust Swarm:
- Fixed a bug which caused this skill to have incorrect skill facts and duration when traited with Banshee’s Wail.
- Added a range indicator for this skill.
- Flesh of the Master:
- Slotting and removing this trait now kills all previously summoned minions, preventing previous minions with incorrect health values from remaining.
- Plague Form:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in these transforms has been adjusted to compensate.
- Fixed a bug that caused the listed skill fact damage to be incorrect.
Ranger
- Read the Wind:
- This trait now grants a 10% attack speed increase while wielding a longbow.
- Signet of the Beastmaster:
- This trait has been replaced by Predator’s Onslaught.* *All effects from that trait have been rolled into the baseline signet abilities.
- Predator’s Onslaught:
- Rangers deal 10% bonus damage to enemies suffering from inhibiting conditions (cripple, chill, immobilize). Pets deal 5% bonus damage to these enemies as well.
- Strider’s Defense:
- Increased the chance to block projectiles while executing melee attacks from 15% to 20%.
- Rending Attacks:
- This trait now affects all pets.
- Intimidation Training:
- This trait now affects all pet abilities that deal direct damage. This effect can only occur once per ability.
- Stability Training:
- Fixed a bug that caused this trait to never activate. This trait now affects all pets.
- Sic ’Em:
- Increased the duration of revealed from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.
- Long Range Shot:
- Increased damage at the 0-500 range by 17%. Increased damage at the 500-1000 range by 7%.
- Rapid Fire:
- Decreased casting time from 5 seconds to 2.5 seconds.
- Barrage:
- Reduced cast time by 0.6 seconds.
- Power Stab:
- Increased damage of this skill by 10%.
- Maul:
- Increased the range of this skill from 150 to 220. Increased the number of targets from 3 to 5.
- Swoop:
- The ranger now evades during the attack portion of the skill.
- Counterattack:
- Reduced the aftercast of the kick portion of this skill by 0.7 seconds.
- Hilt Bash:
- Increased stun and daze durations to 1.5 seconds.
- Entangle:
- Reduced recharge of this skill from 150 seconds to 60 seconds. Decreased the active duration of the roots from 20 seconds to 5.
- Ricochet:
- This skill now grants 3 seconds of might on hit.
- Path of Scars:
- Increased projectile velocity by 25%.
- Polar Bear:
- Icy Roar:
- This skill now deals a physical attack in addition to chilling enemies. Chill applied is now in the form of an attack rather than applying the condition through blocking and evasion.
- Icy Roar:
- Black Bear:
- Enfeebling Roar:
- This skill now deals a physical attack in addition to weakening enemies. Weakness applied is now in the form of an attack rather than applying the condition through blocking and evasion.
- Enfeebling Roar:
- Whirling Defense:
- Fixed a bug that caused the projectile reflection from this skill to last longer than its animation.
- Bonfire:
- Updated the number of strikes to correctly display 9.
Thief
- Panic Strike:
- Reduced the immobilized duration from 4 seconds to 2.5 seconds. Reduced the cooldown of this trait from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.
- Invigorating Precision:
- Increased life steal from 5% to 8%.
- Ricochet:
- This trait now increases the range of all pistol skills by 150 in addition to giving bullets a chance to bounce to another target.
- Fixed an issue that caused tertiary bounces to travel a much shorter distance than intended. These will now travel the full distance.
- Assassin’s Equilibrium:
- Increased the stability duration from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.
- Venomous Aura:
- This trait now maintains condition ownership when venoms are shared, using the thief’s condition damage and condition duration attributes instead of the condition damage and attributes of the player that poisoned the creature.
- The thief may trigger secondary effects off of these condition applications, such as weakening an enemy with Lotus Poison when an ally poisons an enemy with a shared Spider Venom.
- Healing effects, such as those from Skelk Venom or the Leeching Venoms trait, will use the thief’s healing power and power attributes but will continue to recognize the attacking player as both the healing source and healing target.
- Basilisk Venom still treats the attacking player as the source. This was done to maintain the ability for other classes to activate on-control and on-interrupt effects such as Halting Strike when using a thief’s Basilisk Venom.
- Instinctual Response:
- Fixed a bug that caused this trait to grant fury and vigor when triggered on cooldown.
- Whirling Axe:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to continue to channel while dodging.
- Double Strike, Wild Strike, Lotus Strike:
- This attack chain now hits up to 2 enemies.
- Black Powder:
- Increased the interval between pulses to 2 seconds. Reduced the duration of blind to 2 seconds.
- Unload:
- Increased the speed of this skill by 20%.
- Signet of Malice:
- Fixed a bug that caused the passive healing amount displayed on the skill fact to be lower than the actual healing amount.
- Choking Gas:
- This skill now deals a small amount of damage on the initial impact.
- Flanking Strike:
- This skill now must successfully hit a target before giving the thief access to Larcenous Strike. Initiative cost has been increased to 4.
- Larcenous Strike:
- Initiative cost of this skill has been reduced to 1.
- The Ripper:
- This skill now pierces. Increased the damage of this skill by 40%. Increased the speed of this skill by 50%.
- Deadly Strike:
- This skill now cleaves, hitting up to 3 targets. Increased the speed of this skill by 33%.
- Needle Trap:
- Increased the damage of this trap by 10%. Added 3 stacks of bleeding for 3 seconds on hit.
- Ambush:
- Increased the speed of the ranged thief’s unload skill by 20%.
- Thieves Guild:
- Increased the speed of the ranged thief’s unload skill by 20%.
- Hidden Thief: Fixed a bug that caused the stealth from this trait to be applied before the attack from Mug, causing this trait combination to always reveal the thief.
Warrior
- Adrenaline:
- Increased the adrenaline decay rate when out of combat by 100%.
- Adrenaline now begins to decay the moment combat ends.
- Adrenaline now displays as a numerical value (X out of 30 strikes) rather than a vague percentage.
- Adrenaline Burst Skills:
- Using these skills now causes adrenaline to be spent even if the skill fails to hit.
- Rousing Resilience:
- Increased duration to 8 seconds.
- Burst Mastery:
- Updated description and functionality to restore adrenaline on burst skill use rather than reducing the adrenaline cost of burst skills.
- Brawler’s Recovery:
- Brawler’s Recovery now removes any condition on weapon swap.
- Arcing Slice:
- Lowered base damage by 8%.
- Updated animation for this skill.
- Increased number of targets hit by this skill to 5.
- This skill now deals 50% more damage to foes below 50% health.
- Hundred Blades:
- Lowered damage of initial strikes by 5% each. Final strike remains unchanged.
- Whirlwind Attack:
- Lowered damage of each strike by 5%.
- Signet of Rage:
- Increased passive adrenaline gain effect by 100%.
- Reduced duration of might, fury, and swiftness from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
- Bleeding Shot:
- This skill has been renamed Fierce Shot.
- This skill no longer inflicts bleeding.
- Increased damage by 22%.
- This skill now generates an extra strike of adrenaline against vulnerable foes.
- Whirling Axe:
- Reduced recharge to 15 seconds. Increased damage by 17%.
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to continue to channel while dodging.
- Pulverize:
- Reduced casting time by 25%.
- Counterblow:
- Updated this skill to consistently grant 6 adrenaline if it completes and 0 adrenaline if it is cancelled.
- Adrenaline Rush:
- This skill now always grants 3 adrenaline.
- Riposte:
- Updated this skill to consistently grant 6 adrenaline if it completes and 0 adrenaline if it is cancelled.
- Parry:
- Updated this skill to consistently grant 6 adrenaline if it completes and 0 adrenaline if it is cancelled.
- Impale:
- Lowered the duration of torment from 12 seconds to 8 seconds.
- Signet of Might:
- Activating this signet now makes all attacks unblockable for 6 seconds.
- Berserker’s Stance:
- Lowered adrenaline gain per pulse by 40%. Added skill facts to show the number of pulses and the adrenaline gain per pulse.
- Sprint:
- This skill no longer attacks, but it now ignores the movement penalties from chilled and crippled conditions.
- Rampage:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
- This transformation now gives 25% damage reduction.
- This transformation now reduces the duration of immobilized, crippled, and chilled by 33%.
- Throw Boulder:
- Increased projectile speed by 33%.
- Arcing Arrow:
- Fixed an issue that caused the combo interact to incorrectly display at the start of the ability.
- Combustive Shot:
- Fixed a bug that caused the field to be created at the maximum range of the ability rather than at the point which the missile landed.
- Reckless Dodge:
- Updated the skill description to accurately describe its effect.
- Counterblow:
- Fixed a bug where this skill had a shorter cooldown if activated less than half a second before blocking.
- Cleansing Ire:
- Updated the description to clarify that conditions are only removed if the burst skill hits.
- Building Momentum:
- Updated the description to clarify that endurance is only restored if the burst skill hits.
- Healing Surge:
- Fixed a bug that caused this skill to heal for more than the listed value when adrenaline was at stage 0.
- Empower Allies:
- Fixed a bug that caused the buff from this trait to display the icon for Tactics II instead of Tactics VIII as appropriate.
Racial Skills
Asura
- Power Suit:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
Human
- Avatar of Melandru:
- This transform no longer increases power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in this transform has been adjusted to compensate.
Norn
- Norn Transforms:
- These transforms no longer increase power levels exponentially. The damage of skills in these transforms has been adjusted to compensate.
- Charge (Bear Form):
- Reduced dash speed by approximately 40%.
- This skill will no longer deal damage if the character’s position does not change significantly (for example, running against a wall).
- Reduced damage to nearby foes while charging by 80%.
- Increased damage of final strike by 100%.
- This skill now ignores the movement penalties from chilled and crippled conditions.
- Dash (Snow Leopard Form):
- Reduced dash speed by approximately 40%.
- This skill will no longer deal damage if the character’s position does not change significantly (for example, running against a wall).
- Reduced damage to nearby foes while charging by 80%.
- Increased damage of final strike by 100%.
- This skill now ignores the movement penalties from chilled and crippled conditions.
Structured Player vs. Player
- Fixed a bug where repair kits and spirit orbs were sometimes not visible on the map.
PvP Sigils Added:
- Bursting: Condition damage is increased by 6%.
- Impact: Deal 10% bonus damage to stunned or knocked-down enemies.
PvP Runes Added:
- Rune of Resistance (PvP):
- +25 Toughness
- -5% Incoming Condition Duration
- +50 Toughness
- -10% Incoming Condition Duration
- +100 Toughness
- When you activate a signet skill, you gain aegis for 8 seconds. (30-second cooldown)
- Rune of Altruism (PvP):
- +25 Healing
- When you use a healing skill, grant 3 stacks of might to nearby allies for 8 seconds. (10-second cooldown)
- +50 Healing
- +10% Boon Duration
- +100 Healing
- When you use a healing skill, grant fury to nearby allies for 5 seconds. (10-second cooldown)
PvP Amulet Added:
- Assassin:
- +650 Power
- +932 Precision
- +650 Ferocity
World vs. World
- Dead players can no longer linger on the ground indefinitely and will be forced to respawn at a portal keep after 5 minutes.
- Players can now continue gaining world experience rank rewards after reaching rank 10,000. However, they will gain no additional WvW ability points.
- Area-of-effect revive skills no longer revive NPCs from dead.
- Players no longer get stuck in siege weapons for a few seconds after building them.
- Fixed an issue that prevented objective upgrade events from displaying after a new build.
- All boons are now removed when entering a siege golem.
- World vs. World dialog polish:
- Fixed stretched texture on travel buttons.
- Travel buttons now accurately reflect status, including being disabled if clicking the button would fail.
BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions
- The Miniature Chieftain Utahein and Miniature Svanir 2-pack has been added for a limited time to the Toys category of the Gem Store for 700 gems.
- Random Mini 3-packs from Set 1, Set 2, and Set 3 are all available for a limited time in the Toys category of the Gem Store for 300 gems.
Improvements
Black Lion Chest Changes:
- Removed the following items from Black Lion Chests:
- Scroll of Knowledge (+1 skill point)
- Essence of Luck (50)
- Essence of Luck (100)
- Basic Dye Pack drops rates have been reduced by half.
- Added the following items as uncommon drops from Black Lion Chests:
- Flame Dye Kit
- Frost Dye Kit
- Deathly Dye Kit
- Toxic Dye Kit
- Metallurgic Dye Kit
- Lion’s Arch Survivor Dye Kit
- Lion’s Arch Commemorative Dye Kit
- Heavy Crafting Bag
- Large Crafting Bag
- Medium Crafting Bag
- Utility Primer
- Weapon Tickets and Weapon Ticket Scraps have increased drop rates.
- All minis, backpacks, endless tonics, and permanent contracts have slightly increased drop rates.
(edited by Moderator)