Guild Wars 2

I posted in a sPvP some suggestions on how to improve the Ele focus and make it a more desirable offhand choise in all aspects of the game. As I posted in offtopic mode, after a couple PMs, I decided to post here to better and openly discuss it among other Ele folks.

Let’s talk about balance. Imagine a good old weighing scales with two plates.
Now think about why everybody takes offhand dagger instead of focus. Superior mobility, superior healing, and sinergizing burst or control skills. That wheights much more than Focus’s unreliable and poor sinergized burst/damage potential.

What would I change:

Offhand dagger:
Ride the Lightning range reduced to 1000. 30s CD at all times

Scepter:
Shatterstone removed (piece of kitten skill, go away!)
Water Trident moved to slot 2. CD reduced to 10 seconds, healing reduced by 30%, damage increased by 30% (made up numbers, you get the point).
Alternative Water Trident moved to slot 2. CD reduced to 10 seconds. No longer heals. Damage increased by 30% (made up number, you get the point), it now applies 10 stacks of vulnerability for 10 seconds.
New skill Freezing Speed. Water. slot 3. CD 15 seconds. 600 range. Slide forward and strike the area leaving your foes vulnerable and leaving behind an icy line that chills foes. 10 stacks of vulnerability, 15 seconds duration.
New skill alternative Slippery Speed. Water. slot 3. CD 15 seconds. 600 range. Slide backwards and do an area burst heal leaving an icy line that chills foes.

^basically an improved water version of Burning Speed for Scepter.

Dagger mainhand:
Burning Speed charge range increased to 600, blast area increased.

Focus:
Freezing Gust revamped. Is now a targeted area (same area as dragon’s tooth, possibly smaller). It no longer requires you to face your enemy to cast it, still affected by LoS. It lasts 3 seconds, it pulses direct damage every second as well as chill, it now does a final burst heal at the end (heal similar to Cleansing Wave). CD increased to 30 seconds, casting remains the same. Moved to slot 5.
Comet damage increased by 33% (or whatever, by a lot), area increased to 180. Moved to slot 4.
Swirling Winds In addition to its current functionality, now gives you and allies in the area swiftness on cast. 10 seconds duration.
Gale Now affects a small area (120) around your target. No longer requires you to face your enemy, still affected by LoS.
Flame Wall this skill is now three times as broader, now lasts for 5 seconds, its persistent direct damage has been doubed. Cast time reduced to ½s.

Reason behind the changes: Elementalists as squishy as they are, really need the mobility they are going to lack without Ride the Lightning, the additional healing from Cleansing Wave or additional burst rotations to punch their foes down; that’s why I shared out some of the mobility around (improved mobility on scepter and dagger mainhand while reducing offhand daggers’s) and tweaked the Focus to have it’s own utility and damage that diferentiates it enough from the offhand dagger. It now has added healing and damage, but not overdoing it as it has Obsidian Flesh and other strong defensive skills.

What other suggestions would you make to improve the Focus and make it more desirable/viable over offhand dagger?

Thanks for reading!

PS. TGSlasher, ty for your input.

Agree. Eles just need more weapon mobility in general, not just RTL or burning speed. (only two mobility gap closers if you didnt know, both on daggers.)

From PM:
The swirling winds change I’ve seen requested before. The Slippery Speed and Freezing Speed sound like cool abilities, though on the sceptre I’m not to sure. Most of the sceptre is ranged based.

I assume for Gale you mean that it now works similar to Fire Grab? Or would it still be targeted? The Fire Grab type skills I hate as they always miss. Focus skills used to fire backwards, that was removed a long time ago (so did most of the signets now they have long casts and will miss when you try to cast behind you even if the enemy moves infront of you when it would have ended).

In any case I believe that the Focus needs to be made more viable outside of certain instances in PvE. Personally I try to use it, but the moment I’m up against a x/D ele I pretty much lose, due to the 2.5k extra heal (not to mention water swap heal + dodge heal). Before my 100% protection got nerfed I could beat most eles with S/F, not so much anymore.

@: “The Slippery Speed and Freezing Speed sound like cool abilities, though on the sceptre I’m not to sure. Most of the sceptre is ranged based.”
The disengage from this skill would be a welcome option as it is sceptre is a midrange weapon, but no disengage skills.