Guild Wars 2

This is a re-post from the suggestion forums, share your opinions!

I have battled my guild mates for a while using DD elementalist, and I have come into conclusion that in its current state, churning earth is not worth using. It is really easy to dodge at the right time.

What I suggest is making it again a charge skill, or make it a 2 phase skill with first one activating the skill and the second skill stopping it early, with a minimum cast time of 1/4 seconds.

The damage could be split so that if used immediately (1/4 sec cast time) it will deal only 2 stacks of bleeding and 1/4 of the direct damage that it deals now.

Every second channeled after the 1/4 cast time (+3 seconds when fully casting) would add 1/4 of its current damage and 2 stacks of bleeding resulting in 8 stacks of bleeding and 1/1 of its current damage when fully casted.

The damage and cast time would be the same when fully casted, but having the ability to cast it early would make it viable against skillful players and make some interesting choices for the DD player.

NOTE: The damage could also be added in 1/2 sec intervals with 1 stac of bleeding and 1/8 of churning earth’s current damage added every extra half sec casted, resulting in the same total damage as now but rewarding for every half second instead of full second casted.

Original thread:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/suggestions/Churning-Earth-1/first#post2758892

Or just reduce the cast time to 1.5 seconds. If anybody is slow enough to get hit after not only knowing you are in earth attunement but watching you stand still to cast; they deserve to get blown up. This is one of the few skills that is extremely well-telegraphed yet doesn’t blow up your screen with flashing lights.

Please (everybody) stop trying to justify a 3 second cast-time skill; it’s going to remain non-viable in fast paced play until that happens since it will never gain the ability to move while casting.

Lightning Flash.

FirstBlood.7359:

Lightning Flash.

Doesn’t change the fact that it’s incredibly easy to dodge. Even after you force 2 dodges out of your opponent, the long cast time + vigor being so easily obtainable to so many classes means they’ll probably have another dodge ready before it lands.

FirstBlood.7359:

Lightning Flash.

Having to use a util just on the off chance that you can make CE hit, is terribad & doesn`t guarantee it does.

Aren’t people asking for TOO MUCH these days?
I would love some changes for my favor, but I mean, what’s next? Warrior’s Kill Shot (yes, the one doing easy 10k damage) instant, Guardian’s tomb full heal instant and heck, spammable, Ether Renewal with 0.25 cast time?
It’s not like this skill melts people once it crits and doesn’t deal 6k damage from bleeding. Oh, wait…

I’ve always been of the position that canceling CE early for any reason should still deal partial damage rather than do nothing.

Blaine Tog.8304:

I’ve always been of the position that canceling CE early for any reason should still deal partial damage rather than do nothing.

This is exactly the thing I mean, and still if you are willing to take your chances (or have a buddy to cc your opponent), you can go for the full cast.

I think churning earth just isn’t the best skill for 1v1. It’s got it’s uses, but like the staff, it shines under the right circumstances, which isn’t typically 1v1.

You can lightning flash into a group with churning earth, or even use churning earth for area denial (because people will move away from it). But, like most of the staff skills, the attack is predictable and anyone with half a brain will avoid it. So, like the staff, don’t use it for 1v1s, lol.

Instead of making it a charge skill I think it could do damage every second while channeling it. For example, if your Churning Earth would do 9K damage during the 3 second cast time it would do 3K each second, and apply 3 bleeds each second

great ideas here … but I doubt Anet will ever implement something that was suggested by the community

What you want to do is get 1 Mesmer and 4 elementalists.

The Mesmer puts down entrance portal where the eles are.
Then finds some foes within its range.
The eles start casting churning earth and the Mesmer opens the exit portal ontop of the foes
You can guess what happens next.

Churning Earth doesn’t need any buffs. It’s actually a really great ability.

Yeah, I agree. Churning Earth is really neat. Not easy to pull off against skilled opponents, but with strategy and planning, it works wonders. One of the more entertaining skills to be sure.

Magnetic Grasp (for the 2 sec immobilize, not the leap)—>Churning Earth—>Lightning Flash if they move out of range.

the major problem isn’t that the cast gets outranged …

FirstBlood.7359:

Lightning Flash.

The skill is broken and having to use Lightening Flash in the CHANCE for it to hit its target shows it. The cast time is simply to long. No need for it to be so long. Should be 1.5seconds at the most that is still plenty of time to get out.

You could use Earthquake and then use Churning Earth and they would STILL get up and get out of it before the skill goes off…

Helix.4183:

Magnetic Grasp (for the 2 sec immobilize, not the leap)—>Churning Earth—>Lightning Flash if they move out of range.

So using TWO other skills to make it work and even then, plenty of classes have ways to get out of the immobilize and out of the radius of it before it goes off Worst comes to worst plenty of classes have the “Oh kitten” button that will make the skill USELESS

Malcastus.6240:

Yeah, I agree. Churning Earth is really neat. Not easy to pull off against skilled opponents, but with strategy and planning, it works wonders. One of the more entertaining skills to be sure.

Neat does not mean efficient. I’m just not really seeing how its cast time can be justified. The skill is telegraphed before you even start casting because you have to enter Earth Attunement. It’s the equivalent of watching for Burning Speed when the ele enters Fire, only the skill has 3 seconds of sitting-duck mode, meaning you MUST burn at least 1-2 other skills for it to even have a chance of hitting. Counterplay is fine, but your opponent should be making a quick decision to either get out of there or stun/cc you, not wail on you for 3 seconds and then dodge. Sure, you can pop shocking aura, but this at best creates a stalemate situation for a few seconds, and if your foe has stability up you lose again.