Currently:
A boon duration focused Elementalist can “mix and match” 2 runes of each: Water, Monk, and Traveler for a combined 45% boon duration (15% from each 2-piece rune bonus).
Currently, general boon duration is rarer on items than specific boon (e.g. regeneration-only, might-only) duration bonuses. It is easier to increase the duration of a specific boon, and possible to increase in total by a larger amount, than to increase duration of all boons at once.
Proposed changes:
The 2-piece rune bonus on at least one (Monk) is being gutted to one-third effectiveness; see attached. Assuming the bonuses on Water and Traveler are retuned accordingly, the maximum possible boon duration from the traditional “mix and match” approach will plummet from 45% to 15%.
Arenanet’s stated goal with the changes is to discourage “mix and match” investment in runes and promote more 4-, 5-, and 6-slotting of a single rune set for the later bonuses. For other runes, this goal is accomplished by backloading boon/condition duration into these later setbonuses. See attached for the new Balthazar & Strength numbers, for example.
Maths:
The highest new proposed single-set boon duration – Might from Strength runes – is 45%. Given that presently it is easier to increase max duration of a single boon higher than max duration of all boons (at a general rate of 15% all-boon vs. 20% single-boon), it is likely that the new maximum all-boon duration bonus obtainable from runes will be less than 45%, most likely around 33.75% (if current ratios are maintained)
TLDR: proposed Rune changes will very likely result in uncompensated 25% nerf to boon duration builds.
Worst-case scenario: 2-piece bonuses nerfed and no boon duration included on later setbonuses to compensate = 67% nerf.
Dislike.
