Guild Wars 2

The Fiery Greatsword looks awesome, but it’s not really all that great, and it limits the Elementalist extremely, because it gives us only 1 skillbar to play with. And that 1 skillbar doesn’t give us much survivability.

What the Greatsword needs is to let the user change elements, like I can do with my regular weapons. The different elements of course should give it unique skillsets.
All of these attacks can borrow animations of already existing skills, the only thing it needs is different weapon skins for the elements.

Water:
1. Slash. Basic auto-attack, can have the same animation as the Fiery version, but slings Water projectiles (similar to those of dagger auto-attack, but without the returning). Sling like 3 projectiles for AoE, or have them heal nearby allies.
2. Make it like Fiery Greatsword skill #2, but have a big ice stalagmite appear from the ground to deal AoE damage.
3. Skill 3 would be like the Guardian Greatsword skill #3, but with different functionality. Sling projectiles around that heal allies, and creates a shield around the user that deflects projectiles (similar to Swirling Winds from Elementalist skill #4 on Focus).
4. This would be a charge skill, similar to the Fiery version, but leaves a path of icy stalagmites behind that damages and chills foes.
5. Skill 5 would be similar to the Fiery version, but calls down a Healing Rain instead.

Air:
1. A melee range attack that has a chance to stun enemies on hit.
2. Block the next attack. If blocked, teleport behind your opponent and stun him.
3. A aura similar to Shocking Aura on dagger skill #3, but instead reflects damage done to the wielder back to its source.
4. A charge attack similar to Ride the Lightning, but knocks back adjacent enemies when it ends.
5. Holds the sword up and have a lightningbolt strike it the tip of the sword. Then have lightning come off the wielder and spread out for an AoE effect. Adjacent enemies get hit hard and get stunned. Nearby enemies get hit less.

Earth:
1. Slash. Basic melee range attack that applies bleed on hit.
2. Rams the sword into the ground, and raises a wall of stone in front of you that enemies cannot pass and blocks any projectiles.
3. Magnetic repulsion, works similar to Updraft from Dagger skill #5.
4. Creates an eruption at target enemy location that knocks down and deals AoE damage.
5. Similar to Ice storm, but with stalagmites instead that bleed on hit.

This makes Fire and Water clearly the choice for ranged combat. Air and Earth are mostly for close range. Water still offers some support, and Earth still offers some defence, while staying true to the more offensive capabilities of the Greatsword as a weapon.

I think conjures, as a whole, should have their mechanics tweaked. Engineer’s kits are pretty much the more sophisticated and funnier version of conjures, but they also fit better their profession.

The problems with conjures are the same as a whole.

• They are environmental weapons, so they are limited to the restrictions of all environmental weapons.
  They could act like secondary weapon swaps, considering they solve the range problems we have, and it would be really fun for us to swap to burning greatswords or lightning hammers on the fly for combo fields/ finishers, etc; but:
• They have a casting time, which disrupts the rhythm of the entire profession’s playstyle.
• The moment you swap them out, and want them back in, you’ll have to catch them on the ground, which is a rather cool idea, but everyone else can also get them up and screw your plans.

I think the solutions for any conjure, not just for the elite, should be to fix those issues instead of making them crazy single skills that give 20 skills.

General solutions:

• Have them be instant-cast. Not through traits, but as an inherent mechanic detail. This makes them less clunky, and the time not wasted is valuable.
• Have them create an weapon on the ground that only you can use. Give us a trait option to create an additional weapon that only allies can pick, in addition to an extra effect.
• Improve our current conjure trait by also making the skills of each conjure 20% recharge faster.
• Add a stun-breaker trait like we used to have before in beta, so we’re not forced to take cantrips. Add an extra effect to that trait.
• Add an arcana trait which gives an initial effect to each conjure, depending on the element or the conjure.

It would also be much easier to balance and design than to create 15 new skills for a single elite, while all other conjures would remain lacking.

DiogoSilva.7089:

They are environmental weapons, so they are limited to the restrictions of all environmental weapons.
They could act like secondary weapon swaps, considering they solve the range problems we have, and it would be really fun for us to swap to burning greatswords or lightning hammers on the fly for combo fields/ finishers, etc;!

I like this idea.
This could be added in various different ways, but it’s an interesting thought.