Guild Wars 2

I’m kind of surprised we got sword instead of GS. With GS we could’ve potentially had a dervish-like PbAoE playstyle. Will sword feel unique, or maybe just a more condition heavy version of dagger?

Potentially yes.
Mostly due to chain auto attacks and lower range.

Dagger has mostly 600 range, while sword 130.

Absolutely. Sword 2 is a leap, water 2 is an evade, air 2 is a shadowstep and earth 2 is an evade. It seems like its a get in and get out concept.

FrownyClown.8402:

Absolutely. Sword 2 is a leap, water 2 is an evade, air 2 is a shadowstep and earth 2 is an evade. It seems like its a get in and get out concept.

This. Looking only at #2 skills gets me so excited, they’re far from a real #2. Fire 2 is a leap and a fire field, so you can use it defensively, to simply run away. Or even use air 2 in said fire field to get fire aura, proccing aura traits (Protection/fury/might swiftness depending on traits) and dazing the opponent. Earth 2 in fire field also works well, as it gives you an evade, might, cripple and bleed. And those are just a couple tiny combos off of one skill. Same goes for water, though it combos even better. And that’s only a couple skills!! Really feels like they put a lot more thought into this spec than past ele stuff

Wulf.5431:

FrownyClown.8402:

Absolutely. Sword 2 is a leap, water 2 is an evade, air 2 is a shadowstep and earth 2 is an evade. It seems like its a get in and get out concept.

This. Looking only at #2 skills gets me so excited, they’re far from a real #2. Fire 2 is a leap and a fire field, so you can use it defensively, to simply run away. Or even use air 2 in said fire field to get fire aura, proccing aura traits (Protection/fury/might swiftness depending on traits) and dazing the opponent. Earth 2 in fire field also works well, as it gives you an evade, might, cripple and bleed. And those are just a couple tiny combos off of one skill. Same goes for water, though it combos even better. And that’s only a couple skills!! Really feels like they put a lot more thought into this spec than past ele stuff

Fire #2 is only 450 range with no evade frames. Not what I’d consider useful for “running away”. You’ll probably go farther by just running with swiftness or superspeed XD.

As much as I like the Weaver, they basically made another melee oriented elite spec. Tempest pretty much had to run dagger and max out sustain because the overloads were close range and removed out ability to dodge. Hilariously, they also added vigor related traits…vigor…in the trait line that can’t dodge half the time.

But then they add Weaver, which at least allows us to dodge, but then its weapon is a melee range one. We already have a melee range weapon! This was their chance to give us a 1200 range one hander (that would have hopefully not overshadowed staff or sceptre too much). But at least it appears that we aren’t restricted to melee range because we can use other weapons and they would work with the new profession mechanic. Already, in spite of receiving another melee weapon, this spec is far better than Tempest.

Zintrothen.1056:

As much as I like the Weaver, they basically made another melee oriented elite spec. Tempest pretty much had to run dagger and max out sustain because the overloads were close range and removed out ability to dodge. Hilariously, they also added vigor related traits…vigor…in the trait line that can’t dodge half the time.

But then they add Weaver, which at least allows us to dodge, but then its weapon is a melee range one. We already have a melee range weapon! This was their chance to give us a 1200 range one hander (that would have hopefully not overshadowed staff or sceptre too much). But at least it appears that we aren’t restricted to melee range because we can use other weapons and they would work with the new profession mechanic. Already, in spite of receiving another melee weapon, this spec is far better than Tempest.

Fresh air builds with weaver is still going to require scepter friendo.

Zintrothen.1056:

As much as I like the Weaver, they basically made another melee oriented elite spec. Tempest pretty much had to run dagger and max out sustain because the overloads were close range and removed out ability to dodge. Hilariously, they also added vigor related traits…vigor…in the trait line that can’t dodge half the time.

But then they add Weaver, which at least allows us to dodge, but then its weapon is a melee range one. We already have a melee range weapon! This was their chance to give us a 1200 range one hander (that would have hopefully not overshadowed staff or sceptre too much). But at least it appears that we aren’t restricted to melee range because we can use other weapons and they would work with the new profession mechanic. Already, in spite of receiving another melee weapon, this spec is far better than Tempest.

Tempest is support (and will be more and more with the inc changes) and support needs to be close to where it is needed (melee).

The dagger is not really melee, its a mid-short weapon (600-900 range). Sword is actually melee (130 range) with good evades movement skills.

Maybe you don’t like the theme of a spellsword but a lot of people were really waiting for it since elite specs were announced.
You can still use weaver with staff and have a long range high dmg long cast skills. Just look at the numbers on those dual skills and the weaver mechanics and dmg bonus.

I can’t see the ele getting a one handed long range weapon (what would that be?). But I hope for a arcane archer type espec sometime in the future, with longbow and 1200-1500 range single target skills (so staff remains the AoE long range weapon), where attunements become weapon enchantments.

Arcane Archer or Gun Mage sound good, but Sword Mage can also be nice, wait and see i guess. Sword is more single target duel, dagger is more aoe hit and run. Maybe we will have auto to rival those of other melee class for once.

But swords are cool! We also get more options with how to customize our class. We could do a dagger offhand or focus. With the element combination mechanic of weaver, we could mix in obsidian flesh with burst skills on fire. Think of the possibilities!

Sword are definitively Epic,
but you’re not obligated to pick it if you wanna play a more ranged style.
Weaver Trait line seems to bring an interesting new perspective to S/x Fresh Air.

Personally I didn’t really want sword, but I can live with it if it pairs nicely with OH Dagger. I absolutely hate Focus, beyond Swirling Winds and Earth 4 all the other skills just feel bland and unexciting to use. Otherwise I guess I’ll just stick to Tempest, WH is awesome and I enjoy the Spec a lot anyway.

The best visualization I can say is a slow necro power dagger user with some skill that hit Axe range. Some of the skills mimic Mesmer gs but way less range. if there are enough blocks in sword Defender rune maybe be viable. regen in blocks leads to condi clear if trait in water.