Guild Wars 2

I have tried some pvp with the warhorn and tbh its not that bad. Some nice survivabilty with just enough burst to get some kills. Sometimes i would be caught off gaurd and get rolled by 2-3 ppl but most the time i had enough tools at my disposal to either hold the line, fight to win, or bail.
I admit there are a few times i have just been face-rolled and left wondering were that came from, or seemingly one shoted by god knows what. Im only a casual player but i can see some joy to be had with the warhorn and tempest overall.

The overlaods are nice if you can time them right, a cpl times i have downed 2+ people by holding back a bit then opening the fight with Air or Fire overload straight away then into fire/air for clean up and stomp if need be. Water is also not as bad as ppl make it out to be, popping into water while your retreating and if possible getting to overload can get you back in the fight very quickly. It could cure condis a bit better and its not as good during a sustained battle. But it is useful.

Earth 4 and 5 are my openers if im going into a duel or (for some reason) im leading into the pack, If i can get to overload in earth for a quick cripple and bleed, thats good not worried about finishing the overload just want that initial debuff. But if not, all good, i go into Air next if im not taking a beating and if am i use Flash Freeze to give me some time and see what i need to do next.
I try and save Burning Speed for a kill/down shot, been getting 4-5k hits out of it and the mobility is great if your being chased while trying to kill someone.

Im using Sigil of Blood, Sigil of Energy, Strength Runes and a Marauder Amulet. Dagger/Warhorn. Build below.

Yeah this is the type of build that would do best with warhorn, focusing on more traditionally ele gameplay and using the overloads more I frequently.

“Not that bad” doesn’t really do for an elite spec weapon though, and that’s why warhorn should see buffs, preferably to fire and air. Earth is good on warhorn, but nowhere near focus, water is really nice, but fire and air are hilariously bad. Fire is focus fire level bad really. But focus makes up for really bad fire and water skills by the immense defensive power of air 4 and earth 4+5 especially coupled with our 33% cooldown traits. Air warhorn is really bad with the corridor for the 4 pull being SO tiny and the speed and damage and overall design of the air 5 ability so bad.

Offhand dagger of course, basically doesn’t have a single bad skill. Warhorn is in the middle of the sheer offensive and power and versatility of dagger and the cantrip-level defense of focus, with no real nichê of it’s own.

Warhorn once had a nichê, with fire 4 sharing all boons, and fire 5 stripping 1 boon of the enemies in the field. But both were SWIFTLY taken away making warhorn a rather uninspired weapon with no real use.

Ok fine I would say its good atm, not great yet still want more practice. Fire 4 still does in fact share boons with your allies but fire 5 has lost that perk. I think your looking at an Ele wrong when you talk about it having a nichê, Ele’s are meant to be versatile and do lots of things at once. Earth 4 is great and even better if used straight after fire 4 in a group the whole group has prot and might. Great just before a battle. Air 4 is a bit hit and miss yeah only realy useful at choke points. But i have had some kills as a result of the interuption, so not all bad. if nothing else you get the swiftness. Im a bit of a sucker for using my skills so i still fire of air 5 towards the enemy most times im in air unless under pressure. I’ll admit that it has not much use and is the worst abilty on the warhorn. Flash freeze is a great skill with only 25sec cd many times i have used that to get out, heal and return in fire to turn the tables. Water 4 and 5 are great for chasing down the enemy in a grp you can heal as you run then knock them down if you manage to get close enough, even overloading water, which gives you swiftness, allows you to catch up to him while healing well. Then earth 3 fire 3 5 2 or 5 3 2 depending on whats going on. Only cause of 3/4 sec cast time on 5 otherwise would be 5 all the time.

I find the warhorn to be very versatile and thats why i think ppl are struggling with it. Eles are the one class that i believe has no set role, unless you build it as such. I do think it will be long before people start showing an interest in the warhorn and see it for the dynamic weapon that it is. I would like some shorter cast times and cd’s though, everything is 3/4 of a sec or higher except for water.

Fire 4 shares might and fury, lol, we already share those boons left and right andway all the time, no matter what spec or weapon. It doesn’t even give fury, just 3 might, even more lol.

SchmendrickTheMagician.8247:

Fire 4 shares might and fury, lol, we already share those boons left and right andway all the time, no matter what spec or weapon. It doesn’t even give fury, just 3 might, even more lol.

After a little testing of my own i now see that’s right, which is a shame. It can be used out of combat to buff without wasting a fire field so i guess thats something. Im still enjoying my time though and i was just coming to share with you all, my experience.

Edit; The tooltip was misleading on fire 4 so i just presumed it spread all boons. Should never presume. Was hard to tell in pvp so went to the field and tried.

The warhorn has some potential in PvP, but it’s just so “slow”:

- In general longer cast times than for example offhand dagger.
- many effects, like the fire-field, the dust storm, tidal surge etc. just spread so slowly and because they are a rather small linear AoE, ppl will just move out of the way.
- The possibilities for interrupts are also very slim with tidal surge and cyclone.

I just feel like I’m playing in slow-motion when I’m using the warhorn. Currently, I never use it in Conquest and only sometimes in Stronghold.

As said before, Earth and Water are lovely on warhorn – fire and air not so much.

Edit: Though I’ll admit Cyclone is nice for interrupts. That’s about the only genuinely appreciated skill between fire 4, 5 and air 4, 5…

I am starting to warm to PVP Tempest. But Warhorn, nope. It’s simply terrible compared to other offhands, particularly Focus. Try your same build, again with Focus and you’ll just do better…

Warhorn does not excel at anything. It has average abilities but nothing really stands out. The support you get can easily be replaced. It has no burst potential. It has the lowest defense/mobility. If they increase the support it would have a good niche.

Actually it offers Magnetic Aura which no other offhand does, and a water field, which no other offhand does – they are both fantastic support (the aura skill more for it’s boon duration increase and aoe protection – but it goes well with ‘powerful auras’ if you’ve gone that route).

I’m not saying warhorn is in an acceptable spot overall, but I think you’re selling it short all the same.