Guild Wars 2

I just really wanna know why Lightning Flash isn’t 1200 range? All other utility teleports are.

I think Lightning Flash is in an awkward position. In its current state, I think it’s one of our best utilities. And yet you’re right when you compare it to the other teleports (Blink and Shadowstep) it’s lacking. Here’s how I crudely score them:

Shadowstep:
-1 points for cooldown (50s)
+1 for Condi cleanse
+1 1200 range
+1 for Breaks stun
= 2

Blink:
+1 for Cooldown (30s)
+1 for 1200 Range
+1 for Breaks stun
= 3

Lightning Flash:
+0 for Cooldown (40s)
+1 for Damage
= 1

And so while I would gladly take 30s cd, 1200 range or stun break (just one, not all) added to Lightning Flash (and would replace the damage for another in a heartbeat), I’m not sure it’s needed because it already competes for our best utility skill. It would be nice but personally I’d prefer to see the weaker utilities brought up to par (and not just for Ele but for all classes).

I don’t think it’ll be a good idea to buff LF to 1200 range. Teleports are already amazing skills, and every profession that has them uses them in pretty much all PvP builds. If anything, teleports are ruining balance because Anet needs to balance around them. Lightning Flash is about as close to a balanced teleport as you can get. It’s a long(ish) CD (40 sec), not a massive range, and that’s about it. It’s useful as a teleport and can do a little damage too. It can be used while stunned, but it doesn’t break stuns. Blink on the other hand has a 1200 range, a 30 sec CD, a stun break, but doesn’t do damage to a any targets. So why hasn’t it been nerfed? Blink is far too powerful compared to Lightning Flash, and buffing LF just makes it more mandatory. Basically the only reason LF has a longer CD is because it deals damage to one enemy. There’s no reason why Blink shouldn’t have a 45 second or higher CD. In fact, I’d actually like to see it at 60 seconds, Lightning Flash at 45 seconds, and Shadowstep at 75 seconds. Then, if the skills are used, they’ll have to be used carefully, and maybe Anet can balance around them only being used one, maybe twice in a fight, instead of two or three times. My CD suggestions are a bit exaggerated, but it gets across the point that better teleport skills should have longer CDs, regardless of profession.

Glacial.9516:

I think Lightning Flash is in an awkward position. In its current state, I think it’s one of our best utilities. And yet you’re right when you compare it to the other teleports (Blink and Shadowstep) it’s lacking. Here’s how I crudely score them:

Shadowstep:
-1 points for cooldown (50s)
+1 for Condi cleanse
+1 1200 range
+1 for Breaks stun
= 2

Blink:
+1 for Cooldown (30s)
+1 for 1200 Range
+1 for Breaks stun
= 3

Lightning Flash:
+0 for Cooldown (40s)
+1 for Damage
= 1

And so while I would gladly take 30s cd, 1200 range or stun break (just one, not all) added to Lightning Flash (and would replace the damage for another in a heartbeat), I’m not sure it’s needed because it already competes for our best utility skill. It would be nice but personally I’d prefer to see the weaker utilities brought up to par (and not just for Ele but for all classes).

Shadowstep can be used again shortly after its first use, to teleport back to your original location, and this counts as another stun break and the condition cleanse. I’d say that adds another point. To me, Shadowstep is still slightly better than Blink overall because it offers greater mobility, which is what teleport skills are best for. Personally, I see Lightning Flash as a 1, Blink as a 3, and Shadowstep as a 4.

I think the other shadowsteps should have their range nerfed.

LF should, however, have its stunbreak added back in. The days of d/d ele being an unstoppable tank are LONG gone (d/d isn’t even viable), and cantrips aren’t even taken outside LF anymore. Ele has below-average mobility too, even with LF. Adding the stunbreak would also help dps ele more than anything, as support ele generally is fine with a properly placed blink to get out of dodge already.

It was reduced along with rtl because the old d/d meta 3 years ago was to run out of fight, heal and continue. Its a product of an old meta that anet will never revert

It needs to have an aoe stun (a daze will do too) as well as the dmg needs to be aoe.

Most don’t seem to realize that trait an elementalist can (and will likely always) use with cantrips on their bar. Soothing Disruption in the water line gives lightning flash both a shorter cooldown, and access to Vigor and Regeneration, making it a very potent defensive tool in repositioning and sustain.

This skill doesn’t need to be changed in any manner imo. As durable as a good elementalist is and with their access to nearly every boon in the game they can use LF very easily and to reliably strong effect.

Some of the previous nerfs, certainly needed at the time, should be reconsidered nowadays and possibly be reverted. ArenaNet is notoriously bad at doing judt that.
They decided to nerf cantrips across the board at some point a long time ago. The idea was to make players use different utility types, as most were running tripple cantrips.Took us about three years and the addition of the tempest to start doing that.

Right now LF is a offensive tool that most ppl use as a def tool. For a class like ele your going to use it for a burst scpter and dagger main hand or def mostly staff. The big thing is that LF is not a leap the main tool for offensive jump tool i think that LF needs to lose it dmg become a bit longer ranged and add a new tool that is a leap say an elite signet activation or elite arcain that is aggrieve as in it dose a leap stun dmg but only works on targets. Even though LF has dmg most ppl will use it as a def tool and it is best to use it as such this is ture for all port skills but leaps you want to be the main tools as aggressive.

I’d be happy if they added an unblockable stun on it so you could actually land your burst on someone with all the other classes billions of passive defensive procs, blocks, and invulns you have to get through now.