Guild Wars 2

I’ve played around with conjures since beta. Right now I think conjured weapons still need a little help so I’ve come up with a few changes. Most of the big changes are overall issues with conjured weapons but there are a few weapon specific tweaks as well. Especially Earth Shield.

Overall Changes:

Remove the charge system and time limit from the normal conjured weapons completely. None of them are versatile enough or powerful enough to need this limitation. You place them, you use a few skills, you drop them. Because doing anything else actually makes you less effective. Keep this limitation on Fiery Great Sword however because the great sword DOES need this limitation.

Switch the http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Conjurer and http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Burning_Fire trait order. This makes Conjurer a 10 point trait and Burning Fire a 20 point trait. Make Conjurer reduce the cooldowns of all conjures by 20% except Fiery Greatsword which gets 10 extra charges AND 20% reduced cooldown.

Modify the Burning fire to give 1 second of burning on all Lava Axe and Greatsword attacks that currently don’t cause burning. For multi-hit attacks this only procs on the first hit per person for balance purposes. This also helps condition builds use them viably.

Make sure that any channels conjured weapons use apply http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Obsidian_Focus trait Currently I believe there are a smattering of channels not benefiting and I believe conjured channels are among these.

Remove ground targeting. Make conjured weapons placed at your feet. This is an impediment that slows down their quick use that stacks with the cast time. Elementalist are mobile and can place weapons near allies themselves if needed.

Weapon Specific:

Lava Axe

Skill #1 – Lava Axe: Give this skill a projectile finisher. It begs for it and it only makes sense.

No other changes, Lava axe is useful if a bit underwhelming. Still a solid all arounder with good combo field potential. The mentioned changes to burning fire and the projectile finisher on Lava Axe is all this weapon needs to be viable.

This would also make the fire line a bit more synergistic with having conjured weapons traits as well as Persisting Flames.

Ice Bow

Skill #1 – Water Arrow: This skill needs to heal in a 180 radius. This shares the same issue as staff water blast. The radius is too small and often you can melee an enemy without being inside the heal radius. This should be a reliable heal for people in melee range of the mob.

No other changes, Frost Bow is viable and it’s only real issue is the too small heal radius on Water Arrow.

Lightning Hammer:

Skill #4 – Lightning Storm: This skill needs a bit of a boost. It needs higher damage, a bigger radius, an added blind, etc. SOMETHING. Right now there isn’t much reason to use this skill at all instead of the auto attack.

No other changes, Lightning Hammer is viable and give a reason to actually use Lightning Storm it should be in a good place.

Earth Shield:

Add condition damage to the stats buffs. I’ll be adding bleeds to this weapon because earth is about bleeds AND defense. This lacks bleeds and even the vestiges of damage.

Skill #1 – Shield Smack: Add 2 seconds of bleeding and 2 seconds of weakness. Lower the direct damage slightly but leave the overall damage higher than it is by a good bit. This skill needs some serious help. It’s slower and lower damage than all of the others with no saving grace. It’s melee range to boot. The bleed helps the damage and provides a use for condition builds. The weakness fits with the defensive nature and must be spammed to be effective so it’s not OP.

Skill #2 – Crippling Shield: Add 4 seconds of bleeding. This adds a bit of damage, helps make an earth weapon useful for condition builds, and gives you a reason to use it outside of the cripple.

Skill #3 – Magnetic Surge: Add 3 seconds of reflection. This is intended to be a gap close that disables and positions you for your PBAOE pull in skill. As is it’s definitely lackluster with low damage and range to achieve a daze. Adding reflection keeps in theme with magnetic powers reflecting projectiles and gives you a little bit of help survive closing the gap you desperately need to close to make use of this conjured weapon.

Skill #4 – Magnetic Shield: Fine as is. Alternatively you can give the reflection to this skill instead of Magnetic surge, but I felt staggering them was a bit better.

Skill #5 – Fortify: – Add 1 second of bleed damage every time someone attempts to strike you. This is a nice little invulnerability but it forces you to be immobile and channel it. Even considering the synergy with the other skills this is underwhelming. Considering the limitations a damage return wouldn’t be horrendous and would again make this an EARTH weapon which synergizes with condition damage.

As you can see shield is in desperate need of help to be a viable weapon. Hopefully all or at least most of these changes will be considered.

Fiery Greatsword:

Skill #2 – Fiery Eruption – This should gain a short lived (2 second) fire combo field. It only makes sense for this skill and it would allow a little synergy including using Fiery Whirl on it.

Fiery Greatsword is in a good place, the Fiery Eruption fire combo field is more of a small thematic touch than anything. My change to the burning fire trait would also leave condition damage users slightly less hosed on this compared to power damage users as well.

In Closing:
Well that’s it. Some fairly significant overall changes, minor tweaks to each weapon, and major help for Earth Shield. I feel like conjured weapons are close to being viable and this would accomplish that. Let me know what you think.

Conjureds need more revamp/rework on mechanic than buffs or tweaks.

rhodoc.2381:

Conjureds need more revamp/rework on mechanic than buffs or tweaks.

Actually they are not too far off from viable. With the changes I’ve listed I’m sure they could become viable in at least WvW and PVE. sPVP will always be it’s own very select beast.

What are you smoking how is water arrow ever viable in any situation,ever?
I agree with the rest,i use conjures in pve quite a bit since i am bored with the lack of variety of our weapon skills,but they need some more love.

rhodoc.2381:

Conjureds need more revamp/rework on mechanic than buffs or tweaks.

I agree. I feel the current approach to conjures is all wrong. If all they do is buff or tweak conjures, I doubt I’ll use them.

As I wrote in another thread, if they made them easier (quicker) to access and fixed the range on the bow, then there could be some use. A 1200 (or 1500) range bow (a real long-bow) could be a great utility for a D/D locked into melee. A quick-access hammer might give staffies some teeth up-close, and a quick-access shield would be great if it helped them survive and get back to a ranged spot. Maybe the axe would be great for a quick barrage or something, I don’t really know what it’s use would be.

Windwalker.2047:

What are you smoking how is water arrow ever viable in any situation,ever?
I agree with the rest,i use conjures in pve quite a bit since i am bored with the lack of variety of our weapon skills,but they need some more love.

Water arrow would be viable for healing if it had a larger raidus. Currently 120 is too small and misses even melee alot. 180 would make it at least a reliable constant heal on melee. Combine that with your other water abilities and soothing mist and you can get a good level of healing.

The single target attack is respectable, the frost fan is really good used right, and the AOE damage is really good honestly. 5 is interesting because it stacks chill well with frost fan and makes a decent stun, but landing it against other players requires some finesse in WvW and will be difficult or impossible in sPVP.

Ralathar.7236:

Earth Shield:
Skill #1 – Shield Smack:

Also, how about making this attack cleave? It’s a melee attack and it’s not like the weapon is tiny, just let it cleave for 3 targets.

Ralathar.7236:

rhodoc.2381:

Conjureds need more revamp/rework on mechanic than buffs or tweaks.

Actually they are not too far off from viable. With the changes I’ve listed I’m sure they could become viable in at least WvW and PVE. sPVP will always be it’s own very select beast.

I think you’re very wrong. Case in point: noone ever uses them in PVP (except FGS which often gets used for its mobility skills). As others are saying, conjures need a mechanics overhaul – they are just too clunky to use in current form. The consensus position seems to be that they shouldn’t lock out other attunements and IMO that seems pretty reasonable.

I agree the charge concept needs to go.

Ralathar.7236:

Windwalker.2047:

What are you smoking how is water arrow ever viable in any situation,ever?
I agree with the rest,i use conjures in pve quite a bit since i am bored with the lack of variety of our weapon skills,but they need some more love.

Water arrow would be viable for healing if it had a larger raidus. Currently 120 is too small and misses even melee alot. 180 would make it at least a reliable constant heal on melee. Combine that with your other water abilities and soothing mist and you can get a good level of healing.

The single target attack is respectable, the frost fan is really good used right, and the AOE damage is really good honestly. 5 is interesting because it stacks chill well with frost fan and makes a decent stun, but landing it against other players requires some finesse in WvW and will be difficult or impossible in sPVP.

It would need to heal for 500hp a shot to be viable-it does ~200 dmg with 2k power
and has the longest flying attack of all the ele skills,along with that ridiculous arch it makes.

Windwalker.2047:

Ralathar.7236:

Windwalker.2047:

What are you smoking how is water arrow ever viable in any situation,ever?
I agree with the rest,i use conjures in pve quite a bit since i am bored with the lack of variety of our weapon skills,but they need some more love.

Water arrow would be viable for healing if it had a larger raidus. Currently 120 is too small and misses even melee alot. 180 would make it at least a reliable constant heal on melee. Combine that with your other water abilities and soothing mist and you can get a good level of healing.

The single target attack is respectable, the frost fan is really good used right, and the AOE damage is really good honestly. 5 is interesting because it stacks chill well with frost fan and makes a decent stun, but landing it against other players requires some finesse in WvW and will be difficult or impossible in sPVP.

It would need to heal for 500hp a shot to be viable-it does ~200 dmg with 2k power
and has the longest flying attack of all the ele skills,along with that ridiculous arch it makes.

You can get close to 500 healing if you’re attuned to water and stacking its healing with Soothing Mist. Considering the frostbow is augmenting Soothing Mist itself…

I really don’t know why people see Ice Bow as bad for any reason. It’s a stronger AOE than Glyph of Storms with some utility skills on around the same cooldown. Even if you use a few skills and drop it you’ve gained a greater effect than the Glyph of Storms.

Lava Axe I can see as it’s an all arounder weapon of moderate power, Lightning Hammer I understand why people don’t appreciate due to it’s niche uses, and Earth Shield is terrible. But the Bow is great for a utility skill lol.

I’ve only recently realized how you ought to work with the conjured weapons, you summon ’m you use ’m you drop ’m and pick up the summoned one when you think the recharges on the useful skills are up again.
Use it like an atunement swap instead of transformation ability.

Swimsasa Stoon.8936:

I’ve only recently realized how you ought to work with the conjured weapons, you summon ’m you use ’m you drop ’m and pick up the summoned one when you think the recharges on the useful skills are up again.
Use it like an atunement swap instead of transformation ability.

Which is sort of how I use them too, although depending on the situation, I might hang onto the weapon and wait out the cooldown and fling a few auto attacks…they could probably make all the auto-attacks on all the conjures a bit better by adding an extra effect…but a 1sec burn on Lava axe auto, give earth shield a 3-chain auto with weakness on the first 2 and bleed on the 3rd etc.

And that’s kinda sort of also why I suggested giving the act of dropping a conjured weapon some play…like putting them down breaks stun or buffs you and your group or creates a combo field…that is if they wouldn’t give the skills the functionality of being able to put them down and pick them up again.

…but yeah, I would definitely see the use of Frost bow on my scepter build if dropping the bow while it had charges created an ice field. 2 ice fields on a 60sec cooldown not including their other skills when you wield them? Seems like a perfect and easy add to me.

Leo G.4501:

Which is sort of how I use them too, although depending on the situation, I might hang onto the weapon and wait out the cooldown and fling a few auto attacks…they could probably make all the auto-attacks on all the conjures a bit better by adding an extra effect…but a 1sec burn on Lava axe auto, give earth shield a 3-chain auto with weakness on the first 2 and bleed on the 3rd etc.

And that’s kinda sort of also why I suggested giving the act of dropping a conjured weapon some play…like putting them down breaks stun or buffs you and your group or creates a combo field…that is if they wouldn’t give the skills the functionality of being able to put them down and pick them up again.

…but yeah, I would definitely see the use of Frost bow on my scepter build if dropping the bow while it had charges created an ice field. 2 ice fields on a 60sec cooldown not including their other skills when you wield them? Seems like a perfect and easy add to me.

I’ve toyed with the idea of effects on dropping, but ultimately felt that such thematic effects might be a little much. It would be a nice addition after addressing some of the bigger problems if conjures were still seen as lacking, but I wouldn’t add it into the first wave of changes by any means.