Guild Wars 2

I know that not giving Elementalist weapon swapping was done in order to balance it with other classes, since have all four of the elements plus weapon swapping would be extremely over powered, however, after talking with a lot of other players, including other ele players, a common theme I have noticed is that they wouldn’t want weapon swapping because it would be “too complicated.” By that, they mean that having to micromanage both your elements and your weapons would be very difficult in the middle of harder fights.

Something that has crossed my mind several times (and would apply to Engi also) is if Anet were to add in a Grandmaster Trait — most likely for the Arcana line — that allowed Weapon Swapping. This would allow players who desired this extra dimmension to gameplay and were skilled and comfortable enough to micromanage the four elements and two weapons, the opportunity to spec into a weapon swapping build.

I understand that not all traits would work with such a system and that the idea will most likely never be available in-game due to the terrible balancing issues that would arise from it, but I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter. Weapon swapping for elementalists: A good idea? Yes or no, and why do you think so?

I just want in combat weapon swapping for scenarios where I change situations where one weapon is vastly inferior in one scenario and superior in the other and I can’t get out of combat in between. Take for example in wvw, staff gets murdered in 1v1 roaming so dd or sd is necessary when away from the zerg. However if you wish to join the zerg, staff is the best way to go with water fields and lots of aoe. Put the swap on like a 40 second timer or more so one can’t essentially get 8 weapon sets at once but don’t make us get out of combat every time situations change.

I like the idea, if anything not because I want to play an overpower character (I only play PvE), but because I enjoy the possibilities weapon swap brings into my game, I think it would be awesome!

Whenever this subject pops, Devs goes blind, deaf and mute

Nah, they’re already lowering cds on attunements.
Also combos.

Oh how I’ve been wishing this could be possible with the profession.

This would be insane for balancing and is a terrible idea. With any given weapon combination there are 20 skill choices, lets work on making quality weapon skills rather than giving us access to 40 terrible ones that have to be terrible because we’re balanced around having so many choices.

The problem with elementalist isn’t having too few choices of what to do at any given time.

cheshirefox.7026:

i don’t know where you’ve been for the last year
but it’s an un-written rule that you can’t let an elementalist bring a gun to a gun fight

Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.

other classes have glass cannon specs, we have glass slingshot specs. Even if they gave us the ability to swap weapons, we’d still be the weakest class in game. We need a significant boost in our base damage of all our abilities and our base HP, armor, and healing ability. Even if they doubled our stats, i’m still certain we’d be the weakest class in game, that’s just how bad ele is at this point after all the nerfs. Ele has never been strong, it’s always been the weakest class. People were just really terrible in the past and had no idea how to counter an ele, some people still can’t just because they’re terrible players.

ArthurDent.9538:

I just want in combat weapon swapping for scenarios where I change situations where one weapon is vastly inferior in one scenario and superior in the other and I can’t get out of combat in between. Take for example in wvw, staff gets murdered in 1v1 roaming so dd or sd is necessary when away from the zerg. However if you wish to join the zerg, staff is the best way to go with water fields and lots of aoe. Put the swap on like a 40 second timer or more so one can’t essentially get 8 weapon sets at once but don’t make us get out of combat every time situations change.

I agree with the problem here, but I think the solution is to make characters exit combat faster. The amount of time we remain in combat currently if we don’t kill the enemy feels absolutely absurd, especially in PvE situations where you don’t know why you’re in combat.

We don’t need a full weapon swap, but a staff swap would go a long way to bring Eles in line with what other classes are capable of.

How about an elite skill that allows us to swap weapons? Then people have nothing to complain about, and we aren’t stuck helpless when we get stuck in combat with the wrong weapon set on.

Primernova.5791:

We don’t need a full weapon swap, but a staff swap would go a long way to bring Eles in line with what other classes are capable of.

Agreed.

Like I said before, Elementalist don’t seem to have weapon set that utilizes melee and range as efficient as the other professions.

We’re the only range locked profession.

For better or worse, the expectation from the devs appears to be that we will use conjured weapons to fill in the gap.

It’s obviously OP. Just imagine we are able to equip 4 on swap sigil, 1 on-kill stack and 3 others (on crit or perma bonus)? Also if we swap on water attunement, we can change to weapon that gave healing power, earth for something that is heavy condi damage.

SimpleCrow.5309:

they wouldn’t want weapon swapping because it would be “too complicated.”

The complication lies not with the playstyle, but with the balance. Instead of having to look at 20 skills for potential overpowered combinations, you’ll get 40. For example, just imagine an ele blasting away with daggers at their own staff water fields for massive healing. Which, incidently, is why I think the Ice Elemental only has an ice combo field and not a water one.

An elite with 1 second rooted cast (and Aegis)with a proper CD would prevent OP stuff.
@Jacks swap sigils don t stack, also they have ICD..not to mention what you say is what all other professions do usually….

Well, at least an out-of-combat weapon swap button.

At least ooc would be nice Even with high CD, to goes with our heavily high cd skills.
Anything given to us without major downside someday would be… anyway;

Sure beeing able to swap staff/x would’t make us any op.
It would just make staffies in WvW going from free to kill in 1onX to easy as kitten to kill. Obviously, sounds like asking too much

kythor.7650:

Well, at least an out-of-combat weapon swap button.

It would be great, if you can configure presets: You can save your chosen traits(not changing the trait points), weapons and armor. Out of combat you are able to switch to another preset.

Well, this should be possible for every class. Awesome…

Jacks.5367:

It’s obviously OP. Just imagine we are able to equip 4 on swap sigil, 1 on-kill stack and 3 others (on crit or perma bonus)? Also if we swap on water attunement, we can change to weapon that gave healing power, earth for something that is heavy condi damage.

Invalid comment.

Sigils come with an inherent cd built into them so this would be impossible. Also they only take effect if you have those weapons in use. Once you weapon swap, you lose whatever bonus those weapons sigils gave you & gain from whatever is on the ones you swap to.
Stacked ones such as Bloodlust etc only count whilst they`re equipped & you can only have one stacking sigil taking effect at a time.
(Also they`re on about removing stacks once a weapon is put into bags, so even worse for Ele when that hits).
P.S. Any other class right now can have a main hand/off hand in first weapon set & another two in their second weapon set, all with varying sigils on each, but you don`t see the effects you listed on anyone right now do you.

LordByron.8369:

An elite with 1 second rooted cast (and Aegis)with a proper CD would prevent OP stuff.

No it wouldn’t.

Sure beeing able to swap staff/x would’t make us any op.

Yes it would. Stop underestimating staff please, and especially stop understimating the combos you could pull of if you could use the staff’s fields as a D/D ele.

Off-combat weapon swap is something ele SHOULD have. Would help in wvw running etc. Right now i must open my bag and look for staff, than equip it and it’s kinda problematic when running with zerg.

I think eles should have an in combat weapon swap for convince as getting out of combat is not always possible.

however here is how i think it should work,
-weapon swap in combat is available
-once swapped ALL weapon skills are put on a 5 to 10 second cooldown, this would let eles adapt to a situation. however the cooldown would prevent you mixing fields from 2 different weapon sets and let all auras expire, and most weapon based boons expire.
-i think heal and utility skills should remain available as i don’t foresee a way of exploiting them.

ThiBash.5634:

LordByron.8369:

An elite with 1 second rooted cast (and Aegis)with a proper CD would prevent OP stuff.

No it wouldn’t.

Sure beeing able to swap staff/x would’t make us any op.

Yes it would. Stop underestimating staff please, and especially stop understimating the combos you could pull of if you could use the staff’s fields as a D/D ele.

I think you are just using improperly the word OP.
You could want to look at other profession elites before maybe…

ThiBash.5634:

LordByron.8369:

An elite with 1 second rooted cast (and Aegis)with a proper CD would prevent OP stuff.

No it wouldn’t.

Sure beeing able to swap staff/x would’t make us any op.

Yes it would. Stop underestimating staff please, and especially stop understimating the combos you could pull of if you could use the staff’s fields as a D/D ele.

Since every character in GW2 has to be balanced as a melee-healing-ranged-tank-mage… The concept of ‘OP’ kind of goes out the window.

LordByron.8369:

I think you are just using improperly the word OP.
You could want to look at other profession elites before maybe…

Some issues I can think of are using the same weapon set twice and resetting the cooldowns, or combining focus and staff’s anti-projectile skills to become immune to projectile users for around 20 seconds total. Or using magnetic aura in addition to the daggers aura in a powerful aura build. Or just stacking fury/protection in an on demand ice field.

Why complicate things with an elite when a simple out-of-combat swap would be much simpler and work just as well?

Using the same weapon set twice doesn`t work.
I had a lowish warrior (I think it was, not played in ages) & had equipped two sets of same weapons as was curious if this could happen, it didn`t.

I was wishing for having weapons assigned to attunement, having 3-4 weapons to choose from (1 two-handed/2 one-handed) or (2 sets of one-handed ones) then assigning each set to an attunement. When you switch attunement u switch weapon set.

Either that or conjure weapon utility which allow you to conjure a weapon according to your attunement.

These would help solve our ranged-lock skill set which hampers our combat.

ThiBash.5634:

Some issues I can think of are using the same weapon set twice and resetting the cooldowns, or combining focus and staff’s anti-projectile skills to become immune to projectile users for around 20 seconds total.

tell that to mesmer and guardians XD

Also you do that ONCE being an elite.
(not to mention focus can grant you near permareflect/invul with proper utilities).

You don t switch staff and other wepon back and forth..

You can get one weapon swap only…followed by the usual “elementlist cooldown”.
To prevent Burst you can work on casting time.

It can t be stronger than moa morph..