Guild Wars 2

I posted this also in suggestion forum but wanted to get the opinions of eles here.

I think we have only 1 lightning field in the game. So my suggestion is to make Swirling Winds to be a lighting combo field. I think it is the only skill that fits the role. We need more love for Ele Focus and we need more lightning fields.

More Lightning fields would be nice (though there are technically 2 if you count Lightning Hammer’s field ability, its still far too few) but I don’t know about Swirling Winds. Its already a pretty good attack as-is, and it doesn’t really make sense that a wind storm would create a lightning field. Air attune encompasses both lightning and wind, sure, but that doesn’t mean wind and lightning are one and the same. Perhaps they could make Glyph of Storms in Air attune create a lightning field or something. Or make Ride the Lightning leave behind a trail of electricity that would create a linear combo field ala Flame Wall or Burning Retreat.

The only way I can see it working with Swirling Winds is maybe they could have a “detonate” type ability where you could sacrifice your wind storm to instead create a lightning field (accompanied by the graphical effect turning to lightning and maybe some minor DoT). Would no longer block projectiles but would create a field instead. Actually, now that I think about it that would be a nice functionality change in general for enemies who don’t use projectiles, in which case Swirling Winds is currently 100% useless.

Or just start giving Lightning fields to other professions. Engineer seems like an easy choice, machinery that discharges an electric field would make perfect sense. Or perhaps a new type of Ranger pet (an Electric Fish is the super-obvious one, though that would only work underwater).

I was surprised to learn Engineer’s had no means to create lightning fields.

Air Glyph of storms really should create a lightning field, it’s utterly useless as is. And engineers really should have a lightning turret like the dredge do :p

Swirling winds is plenty strong without having a combo field. Perhaps a whirling finisher close to the epicenter, but nothing more than that. If you trait for air skill recharges it’s essentially immunity to projectiles 25% of the time. Look at skills that really need improvements, such as Flame Wall (super slow to cast, low damage, awkward field) and a possible recharge reduction on Gale. Focus is actually pretty solid; it wouldn’t take much work to get it in order.