Guild Wars 2

Well I just want to put some ideas in the devs their heads inb4 it is too late and they do more unimaginative buffs and also to prevent receiving “Buffs” that are arguably nerfs like the “Jump Shot” damage transference.

Rifle buffs:

“Overcharged Shot”:

Changes:
Make this skills AOE with a decent spread (3 targets) non projectile (non reflectable) and when you are knocked back enable a STUN BREAKING follow-up skill (like ranger greatsword #4 block/throw).

Results:
That way the self knockback of “Overcharged Shot” can still be used to propel yourself out of sticky situations (eg. DH bow #5), the soft cc cleansing utility remains and one can choose to immediately stunbreak to burst the enemy.

“Jump Shot”:

Changes:
Add an evade frame, Buff the “Leap Damage” (“Landing Damage” is fine).

Results:
Increases survivability of rifle builds, Increases damage done by the reliable damage part of the “Jump Shot” skill and counter pressure when kiting.

Other toughts:

-Maybe speed up “Jump Shot” but I still want this skill to be decently telegraphed and dodge-able. (0.75s cast time, aftercast nerf?)

-If they increased the self knockback of “Overcharged Shot” to lets say 500-600 range, people would (in combination with the stunbreak) start using this skill for mobility. That would also be pretty handy and welcome when fighting warriors now that they are less suceptible to soft cc than they used to be(resistance).

Post your own suggestions below.

My only things I would like for rifle is to have evade on jump shot and, Skilled Marksman to be baseline.

Rifle can never really be viable without a change to skill #2, Net Shot.

Across just about every weapon in the game, skill #2 is a low recharge attack with extremely high damage. In many instances, this is the skill that defines the weapon. Maul, Gravedigger, Mighty Blow, Rapid Fire, Electro Whirl, Split Blade, Ghastly Claws are but a few examples. These are all high damage, low recharge attacks and just about every other weapon in the game follows this format.

Not on Rifle, however. On Engineer Rifle we receive a 0 damage immobilize that is largely useless in PvE, and can’t reliably hit moving targets in PvP/WvW.

If you truly want to fix Rifle you must start wth Net Shot first and foremost.

I kind of want some unimaginative buffs with a few tweaks. Like:

Blunderbuss
- range thresholds reduced from 4 to 3 (0-200, 200-400, 400-600)
- range reduced from 700 to 600
- 0-200 range: same damage as 0-250, 6 bleed stacks
- 200-400 range: same damage as 250-400, 4 bleed stacks
- 400-600 range: same damage as 400-550, 2 bleed stacks

Makes BB more straightforward and easier to use. Less thresholds and a small range reduction with an overall buff to the point blank range.

Overcharged Shot
- pierces up to 5 targets

Not necessary, but I’d like to be able to go bowling with this skill.

Jump Shot
- ½s evade during the leap portion of the attack
- range increased from 800 to 900
- vulnerability stacks increased from 3 to 4 per hit.
- vulnerability duration increased from 7s to 8s.

Placing an evade on this (as many others suggested before) helps this skill out a bit. Increasing the range and vulnerability a hair should round it out and give it slightly more impact for a #5 skill.

Skilled Marksman (Trait)
- Rifle skills recharge 20% faster. Deal +10% more damage against moving or immobilized foes.

Gives SM synergy with Rifle (Net Shot), while making it flexible with other setups, and a bonus that retains the trait’s thematics (name-wise, at least).

My rifle changes.
Netshot:
- Upon landing a successful netshot, can reactivate the ability to temporarily daze the target and apply vuln.
Overcharged shot:
- Is now unblockable
Jump shot:
- 1/2 second evade during leap
-Now knocksdown enemies upon successful hit.

Net Shot

• Fire a net that tethers up to 3 targets to you, periodically immobilizing them.
  Release the net to apply a longer duration of immobilize.

Net (6s): Periodically apply immoilize as long as your target(s) is within range.
Immobilize (passive) (1s)
Interval: 3s
Immobilize (activated) (3s)

Blunderbuss

• Fire a cloud of shrapnel that causes more damage the closer you are to your foes. If you are within the range threshold, stun your target.

Slightly more damage, bleed removed
Slightly more damage, bleed removed
Slightly more damage, bleed removed
Slightly less damage but adding a 1 1/2 second stun to up to 5 targets within the radius of the attack. Let’s say it’s a small radius, something like 120, to prevent it from being an OP stun machine.

Overcharged Shot

Same as it is but make it pierce up to 3 targets.

Jump Shot

• Blast the ground, damaging nearby foes and leaping to your target gaining Stability. Gain an extra stack of Stability if you hit your target.

Same effects as it currently has but add 1 stack of Stability for 3 seconds on cast and an extra stack if you hit something.

So this is my take

Hip Shot

• Now is skill #2, swaping places with net shot.
• Reduced cooldown to 6 seconds.
• Removed bleed from the skill, now does 10% more physical damage.

Net Shot

• Upon impact immobilizes enemies next to target in small AoE and inflicts 8 stacks of vunlerability.
• Increased cooldown to 12 seconds.
• Increased projectile speed.

Overcharged shot

• Instead of self – knockback, now inflicts self push-back. (Push effect has much faster recovery time)

Jump Shot

• While mid air evade attacks.

Unblockable Overcharged Shot would be too good. As much as I’d like this, it would leave the skill with no counterplay. It’s basically instant already. I prefer the self-pushback, maybe with an evade.

Jump Shot 100% needs evades mid-air. It’s too slow and too risky to attempt most of the time. It’s been this way so long that I’d have to un-train old habits and force myself to use it for engaging. Usually I avoid it and use it as repositioning because leaping into combat usually eats a Headbutt or other stun.

Net Shot doesn’t do enough. It’s a really short immob, and immob is cleansed by practically everything these days. Thieves just dodge. Warriors just use a movement skill, etc. Even with the speed increase, it’s pretty hard to land at range.