Guild Wars 2

I’ve been thinking about this and couldn’t settle on an idea yet, so here goes a strawpoll!

It’s always wonderful to see the community view about the future! Don’t forget to leave comment to support your vote, add possible missing features, and expand on your vision!

I think the only thing ele kind of lacks is a playstyle that doesn’t revolve around high target cap cleave or support. It’s kinda always been part of the elementalist identity, but also a big part of the reason we were tricky to balance, since all our abilities, both defensive and offensive tend to be aoe. (Think elemental attunement for example)

So if anything this would be the most logical next elite spec, since the idea is to open up some new ways to play the class.

Also, as the only class without a true melee weapon, I’m kinda hoping for a sword mainhand with a focus on positioning and solo/duo capabilities.

I have a draft of what I thought it could(/should) look like, but decided against posting it since there were so many being posted at the time.

yep
melee high speed single target

Tempest is slower than base ele and has more AoE, so this one should be faster and more single target

but inb4 it turns out to be some kind of archmage (no pls), since that’s the other thing new players wanted from ele back in the day. (tempest seems to be a response to people wanting a slower easier play style)

Yeah tempest I think is a bit of a response to the numerous threads over the years in the vein of

“What do all these buttons do/ele is super hard to play”
“Can I play with one attunement alone”
“The playstyle of attunement dancing turns me off from the traditional weighty feel of a mage archetype”

There’s not really anything of the common complaints left to be covered as far as I can see(maybe condi ele), so hopefully we can have some fun with the next one!

I want a melee (hopefully sword) ele with a focus on heavy cc and fast attunement changes. The mechanic could be that we get attunement change markers (up to 2) that are used up on attunement change and as long as we have them we can instantly change attunements. The new skills should be quick to cast and focus on synergizing with skills in other attunements.

I want a greatsword melee battlemage kind of spec, something that offers a balance of defense and offense so we have the option to do real magic melee like a real battlemage, of course this means less dps for the playstyle for obvious balance reasons.

Anything that doesnt necessitate me getting a new full set of ascended gear to play correctly

3 Elite spec I can think of:
(Crystal Mage) Greatsword or Axe Condition spec – It combines you attunements into a elemental veil gaining a new skill bar. You will not have to camp fire or earth to do condition damage. Example of some traits – Frostfire-burns chill enemies and chills burn enemies, Ulcer -50% chance for vulnerability to cause bleeding and bleeds do 25% more damage against vulnerable targets.

(Summoner) Mace-control spec – Has a passive Djnn focused on control effects. It can block terrain, taunt or knockback enemies and buff allies. Traits buff it and glyphs.

(Spellweaver) Sword – 5 attunement spec – The Spellweaver uses Physical skills. A new F5 skill called “Spellweaving”, which combines the elements of any Attunements currently on cooldown. It weaves them into deadly elemental dances that simultaneously entrance and terrify those who bear witness to it.

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Suggestions-Future-Elite-Specializations/first

While im not sure what I would want I personally can see it being a 2 hand wep most likely being shortbow, longbow, or greatsword as for the new elite spec mech no idea.

I 2 handed melee weapon would be a nice change

Ele base has the dmg and tempest is the melee tankly support so i am guessing a pet class (so a summoner like class shield or maces off hand) or high mobility melee (think thf mages with out stealth sword offhand). Any way its going to go odds are ele is getting off hand weapons only unless the new spec is losing its atuments.

I want minions, like more elementals.

Also better elementals

I once created this: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Suggestion-Elite-spec-Spellslinger/first

Basicallly it is an elite spec that uses a pistol and has a focus on combo fields and combo finishers.

All new elite professions of HoT shared the theme of “help allies” (e.g. passive boon sharing + boon enhancements) & “affect areas” (more AoE skills than the base classes).

A new Ele specialization will heavily be influenced by the new common theme. Until we know that, we can just look at stuff Ele currently lacks (outside of inner class imbalances).
I would say Ele still needs a reasonable Condi based option other professions have. In terms of range, I think we actually need another long range option (against the common wish for a melee weapon). As a profession specific option, perhaps something like the old Exhaustion mechanic would be a good F5 ability.

I’ve been putting together an elite spec concept called the Sear which essentially uses burns to purge conditions from allies and having an elemental adrenaline bar. Basically the bar fills up and you gain access to a powerful attack that changes based on attunement. Once it is used you enter an elemental exhaustion state which puts all skills on that attunement on a 10s cooldown.

Right now I am leaning more towards hammer for it, but am open to suggestions.

Gorani.7205:

As a profession specific option, perhaps something like the old Exhaustion mechanic would be a good F5 ability.

Wasn’t that already done with Tempest with Overloads locking you out of Attunements?

Anyway, I don’t think we’ll get any weapon that Conjures give us, at least not yet. So that rules out MH Axe, Longbow, Shield, Hammer and Greatsword.

-Rifles and Pistols do not match Elementalists thematically IMO; too much technology, not enough magic (Pistols work for Mesmers since they’re duelists)

-Maces are too much of a “soldier”-type weapon for mages to use; this is reinforced by the fact that no non-soldier class gets to use them

-Torches seem extremely redundant for a class that can conjure fire at will. Besides, how does a torch’s fire interact with dirt, air or water? All those three are used to PUT OUT fires, lol

-That leaves us with only one two-handed option, Shortbow; only one MH option, Sword; and two off-hand options, Axe and Sword

This, combined with the outcry about Tempest not getting MH Sword, leads me to believe that that’s what the new elite spec will get.

Personally, I’m hoping for a highly mobile, evade- or blocking-based melee spec focused on cleaving condition damage. Maybe then Scepter could be reworked to remove all the condis and buffed to truly be a viable burst damage weapon. Sword/Dagger or Sword/Focus would be really fun to use.

Glenstorm.4059:

I don’t think we’ll get any weapon that Conjures give us, at least not yet. So that rules out […] Longbow, […]

That leaves us with only one two-handed option, Shortbow;

pretty sure ice bow is a short bow
it has 900 range and is quite short

i want mainhand staff, offhand longsword, and a pet….like the Loremaster class in LotRO

A truebattle mage spec, real magic/melee, maybe change the conjured weapons to other kinds of utility or somehow put them with the new elite spec.

Well i would like an elemental specialist who can only trait one elmelement and gainst a weapon swap within this element that of course triggers swap and the spec has a CD reduction and it has a super excception which makes it special. It´s on top of an elite. So you can trait Element + Specialist + Elite (so tempest). / or you go arcane. So on one side it narrowes down what you can trait on the other its diffrent.
It might be a step more to a simplified ele, but it will allow to build eles bound to one element, which a lot of players would like! And it sounds very easy to implement.
For weapon i would eiter go with sword because many will enjoy it or go for offhand torch.

I only hope in something dynamic, dps based, High mobility spec.
Something that don’t rely into superspeed for outrun enemies like FA builds, but that have mobility skills.
So I would love a main hand sword.

I’d like to see a Conjurer spec – one which doesn’t give us a new weapon but instead removes/reduces the cooldown on and improves conjured weapons (maybe at the cost of the one you place on the ground, that others can pick up).

They’re a fun part of the class which you rarely see being used, so I’d love to see them being more useful.

Glenstorm.4059:

-Rifles and Pistols do not match Elementalists thematically IMO; too much technology, not enough magic (Pistols work for Mesmers since they’re duelists)

-Maces are too much of a “soldier”-type weapon for mages to use; this is reinforced by the fact that no non-soldier class gets to use them

-Torches seem extremely redundant for a class that can conjure fire at will. Besides, how does a torch’s fire interact with dirt, air or water? All those three are used to PUT OUT fires, lol.

Rifles and pistols can use magic bullets. It would be more concentrated than a scepter/focus. You are right it does not fit the theme of a elementalist. I always think of the caster from outlaw star.

I look at a mace elementalist as a less focused elementalist. Its more of you buffing your mace with the elements to strengthen it. I see it like your attune swaps animation on your wrist but on your mace.

Torch would be interesting too. Elementalist control the elementals so they can keep a fire going a torch and make it more interesting. Water/fire steam like attacks, Fire/air explosive like attacks, or fire/earth persistent lava like attacks.

Edit: Now that I think about it a torch could be one of the most powerful condition spec eles. All attune would have some burn skills. Scalding hot water burns, lava is just liquid earth and air just increase the flame.

Wolfric.9380:

And it sounds very easy to implement.

That is never, ever going to be true of adding a new elite spec to an MMO