Guild Wars 2

Looks like maybe the power scaling isn’t as bad as we thought. Maybe we just weren’t grabbing the right traits. Either way, I still think some of the auto attacks could be a tad bit stronger as well as Fire 2 or Air 2.

I’m also still convinced our barriers could be better but anyway, enjoy this dope gameplay by Phantaram!

https://youtu.be/uup_8zWedo4

The sword itself is really not that great damage wise. Combined with the ridiculous amount of damage modifiers I take in this build and with the lightning rod synergy with the amount of CC sword/focus has it works out though.

Thanks for the shoutout

I must add that Tempest Defense does not increase damage dealt against CCed target. The damage modifier only applies to Stun, Knockdown, and Daze (not specified in the tooltip).

Additionnally, Lightning Rod + Tempest Defense synergy had been fixed a while ago. But, it used not to deal the extra damage because the Rod procced before the crowd control. Now, the issue is generally fixed, with the exception of the daze caused by leap attacks on lightning fields. The daze will proc lightning rod, but will not increase its damage.

A warm welcome to Phantaram to the Lightning Rod club. xD

P.S. The conjured weapon overhaul is actually a nerf to Conjure Earth Shield.

Edit: The Weaver multiswap synergy with the air strike on swap seems pretty good.

Phantaram.4816:

The sword itself is really not that great damage wise. Combined with the ridiculous amount of damage modifiers I take in this build and with the lightning rod synergy with the amount of CC sword/focus has it works out though.

Thanks for the shoutout

I did a similar thing with a Marauder D/D build in sPvP too and it’s pretty decent also. Lightning rod/Tempest Defense dont see enough use despite being pretty good traits.

I thought it was worth sharing this video to see the potential that Power Weaver has! It still needs a little love in some places to be a big threat imo but it looks cool. Can’t wait to see what other cool builds you come up with once PoF is out, Phantaram!

Did the same thing but with scepter and arcane shield instead. I died extremely fast to condi bomb though. The range helps a bit, but still, it’s best to just run away from necro. Immune Spellbreakers can give you some trouble when they pops immunes, but running away and come back works. One interesting case I didn’t expect to be a good counter is P/P power thief. They hit Unload for 2k each, constantly. If you got caught off guard it’s GG.

I still hope the global cooldown is 2.5s so it’s on par with core Ele, which can switch through attunements in 10s.

Alekt.5803:

I must add that Tempest Defense does not increase damage dealt against CCed target. The damage modifier only applies to Stun, Knockdown, and Daze (not specified in the tooltip).

Additionnally, Lightning Rod + Tempest Defense synergy had been fixed a while ago. But, it used not to deal the extra damage because the Rod procced before the crowd control. Now, the issue is generally fixed, with the exception of the daze caused by leap attacks on lightning fields. The daze will proc lightning rod, but will not increase its damage.

A warm welcome to Phantaram to the Lightning Rod club. xD

P.S. The conjured weapon overhaul is actually a nerf to Conjure Earth Shield.

Edit: The Weaver multiswap synergy with the air strike on swap seems pretty good.

Weaver also synergizes really well with One with Air. Basically anything that was good with Fresh air is also good with weaver in the air trait line and it really makes Fresh Air seem like it hardly even helps. Other air traits are just strait up better, maybe even with scepter. I’m quite tempted to try basically this exact build but with scepter. I just feel like while I’m in anything but air with scepter I’m gonna be itching to get back in air so bad especially with how atrocious earth and water auto attacks are.

So I guess the only time my tempest defense damage modifier will help is against someone I have hit with Gale? Cause even the new Gale Strike is a Float so I guess I don’t get that damage modifier either. Taking Aeromancer’s training may be better. Reducing the CD on #2 air would be very helpful as well as Gale of course.

Nice that we might see a return of lighing rod. I could not get warm with fresh air in the past but played a lighting rod tempest for fun with lots of shock aura and earth shield …

Some quick testing on golems in the mist have revealed to me that the 20% damage on Tempest defense almost definitely applies to every single Lightning Rod.

I’m just on my typical FA build I just swapped fresh air to lightning rod and swapped between Aeromancer’s and Tempest Defense only using comet on a light golem.

Aeromancer’s: Non crits hit for around 1250 and Crits for around 2500

Tempest Defense: Non crits around 1500 Crits around 3000

I probably only threw about 10 comets per trait but the chances that the variance of the ablities somehow came out this way seem extremely slim so I’m gonna go with Tempest Defense is working for lightning rod hits which makes it a no brainer trait over aeromancer’s with a Lightning Rod build.

Kind of forgot sword 2 had a daze, was thinking it was only a teleport. Thought that the only new hard cc for weaver would be the air-earth dual skills. Guess those short cd cc with sword really makes lightning rod work better than it did pre-HoT. Trying to think of a reason to take water with a lightning rod build but arcane provides greater burst.

Did the stability shutdown this build?

If you thought scepter burst worked well with lighting rod and tempests defense, you should have tried staff with an arcane air build.

Starting in earth/air, you fire an arcane blast to immobilize then start channeling pile driver and swap to air earth during cast.

This triigers: air minor bolt, pile driver hits, dazes 2 seconds, procs lighting rod, and you have 2 seconds to follow up with arcane wave arcane blast and lighting surge from staff 2 to get 20% more damage from tempests defense.

The initial arcane blast also gives Ferocity, and with berserkers amulet i was hotting almost 270% crit damage. Oh, we also get fury mid swap for bett3r crit chance on the burst..

I call this the Railgun combo.

This is the new king of range burst combos

I’m curious if anyone did any WvW playtest. Seems like a strong build for sPvP, but I felt like sword weaver was lacking in WvW.

Is there some kind of power difference between the two modes?

I did some testing in WvW and the feeling is very good, it looks effective as offensive build, and you can even balance it to be less glassy. But the higher condition pressure in WvW is simply unmanageable with it, lacking the condition cleansing.

Xunleashed.5271:

I did some testing in WvW and the feeling is very good, it looks effective as offensive build, and you can even balance it to be less glassy. But the higher condition pressure in WvW is simply unmanageable with it, lacking the condition cleansing.

Yeah that was my biggest complaint, just no chance against the condition meta. I’d like to at least have some options aside from the same old water trait line with focus, and cleansing fire.

I believe that is why there was such high hopes for Unravel Hexes ( I believe that was the GM trait).

I think they should flip Unravel Hexes:

• Currently: remove non-damaging conditions
• Should be: remove damaging conditions

I don’t even want to ask for a big buff to remove all conditions. I just want it to remove the damaging conditions.

With that change, this build will lose about 20% damage (losing a lot ferocity and raw damage buff since we will switch grandmaster trait), but then we gain a way to deal with conditions somewhat. That’s a fair trade off.

Sunshine.5014:

I think they should flip Unravel Hexes:

• Currently: remove non-damaging conditions
• Should be: remove damaging conditions

I don’t even want to ask for a big buff to remove all conditions. I just want it to remove the damaging conditions.

With that change, this build will lose about 20% damage (losing a lot ferocity and raw damage buff since we will switch grandmaster trait), but then we gain a way to deal with conditions somewhat. That’s a fair trade off.

Completely agree. I’d rather give it a 1s interval for all conditions instead of 1/2s interval as to not make bunker weaver too strong. Either way like you said you actually sacrifice a lot of damage to take that condi removal so it’s a large trade off.

I think Arenanets main fear, and this should be anyones fear when making this change to unravel hexes, is that it would make a bunker build too strong. I’d argue the only situation it would be better than Invigorating strikes would be when you are 1v1ing a necro which sounds like it would almost never happen. But that’s just my thoughts. There is always the chance that bunker weaver could become too strong with the unravel hexes change but I think it’s a risk worth taking to help the ele expand it’s build choices. Then from there maybe nerf the bunker weaver in some other way.

Phantaram.4816:

Alekt.5803:

I must add that Tempest Defense does not increase damage dealt against CCed target. The damage modifier only applies to Stun, Knockdown, and Daze (not specified in the tooltip).

Additionnally, Lightning Rod + Tempest Defense synergy had been fixed a while ago. But, it used not to deal the extra damage because the Rod procced before the crowd control. Now, the issue is generally fixed, with the exception of the daze caused by leap attacks on lightning fields. The daze will proc lightning rod, but will not increase its damage.

A warm welcome to Phantaram to the Lightning Rod club. xD

P.S. The conjured weapon overhaul is actually a nerf to Conjure Earth Shield.

Edit: The Weaver multiswap synergy with the air strike on swap seems pretty good.

Weaver also synergizes really well with One with Air. Basically anything that was good with Fresh air is also good with weaver in the air trait line and it really makes Fresh Air seem like it hardly even helps. Other air traits are just strait up better, maybe even with scepter. I’m quite tempted to try basically this exact build but with scepter. I just feel like while I’m in anything but air with scepter I’m gonna be itching to get back in air so bad especially with how atrocious earth and water auto attacks are.

So I guess the only time my tempest defense damage modifier will help is against someone I have hit with Gale? Cause even the new Gale Strike is a Float so I guess I don’t get that damage modifier either. Taking Aeromancer’s training may be better. Reducing the CD on #2 air would be very helpful as well as Gale of course.

It will increase the damage when the target is stunned, so the shock aura will work. The Tempest Defense was mostly laughable when considering the high-damage warhorn CC skills that never could be increased because pulls, launch. To be honest, I don’t think the devs are aware that the synergy is not working.

But for a Lightning Rod, the shocking aura portion of Tempest Defense is very effective against thieves for instance.

Edit: I’ve read above, and it’s possible that most of your CCs come from Stun, Daze and Knockdown, making Tempest Defense a no-brainer. For staff, it is full of those CC that will not apply (Earth 4, Air 3. so 2 out of the 3 CC don’t apply). For Warhorn, none apply. Earth shield, the pull does not apply. Focus all apply. I haven’t checked for the sword.

Alekt.5803:

Phantaram.4816:

Alekt.5803:

I must add that Tempest Defense does not increase damage dealt against CCed target. The damage modifier only applies to Stun, Knockdown, and Daze (not specified in the tooltip).

Additionnally, Lightning Rod + Tempest Defense synergy had been fixed a while ago. But, it used not to deal the extra damage because the Rod procced before the crowd control. Now, the issue is generally fixed, with the exception of the daze caused by leap attacks on lightning fields. The daze will proc lightning rod, but will not increase its damage.

A warm welcome to Phantaram to the Lightning Rod club. xD

P.S. The conjured weapon overhaul is actually a nerf to Conjure Earth Shield.

Edit: The Weaver multiswap synergy with the air strike on swap seems pretty good.

Weaver also synergizes really well with One with Air. Basically anything that was good with Fresh air is also good with weaver in the air trait line and it really makes Fresh Air seem like it hardly even helps. Other air traits are just strait up better, maybe even with scepter. I’m quite tempted to try basically this exact build but with scepter. I just feel like while I’m in anything but air with scepter I’m gonna be itching to get back in air so bad especially with how atrocious earth and water auto attacks are.

So I guess the only time my tempest defense damage modifier will help is against someone I have hit with Gale? Cause even the new Gale Strike is a Float so I guess I don’t get that damage modifier either. Taking Aeromancer’s training may be better. Reducing the CD on #2 air would be very helpful as well as Gale of course.

It will increase the damage when the target is stunned, so the shock aura will work. The Tempest Defense was mostly laughable when considering the high-damage warhorn CC skills that never could be increased because pulls, launch. To be honest, I don’t think the devs are aware that the synergy is not working.

But for a Lightning Rod, the shocking aura portion of Tempest Defense is very effective against thieves for instance.

Edit: I’ve read above, and it’s possible that most of your CCs come from Stun, Daze and Knockdown, making Tempest Defense a no-brainer. For staff, it is full of those CC that will not apply (Earth 4, Air 3. so 2 out of the 3 CC don’t apply). For Warhorn, none apply. Earth shield, the pull does not apply. Focus all apply. I haven’t checked for the sword.

Interesting, yeah still sounds like it needs to be fixed but it seems to be working for everything on sword.