Guild Wars 2

Relentliss.2170:

Obtena.7952:

I don’t think that’s a fair statement. Why is DH not an exciting, well though-out spec? Aside from continuing calls for 25% RS buff, it delivers many things people have asked for PVP-wise. From a PVE view, I don’t think we needed anything so the fact that any of the DH spec is even useful in PVE is just icing.

In my mind many of the elite classes are opening up powerful and different play styles for each class.

For guardian, I don’t see what is being offered in the expansion as powerful at all. If anything I see a whole new level of mediocricty being offered to us.

Nor does it feel interesting at all seeing as how you could just roll a ranger to do what the DH does.

The guardian elite class is more of an afterthought than a powerful new way of playing guardian.

Again, I think that’s too general an assessment. There will be similarities for sure between tools on the various professions. A Warrior will not give Guardian like play because they share shouts and swords either so I don’t get how you would get a Ranger-play experience from a Guardian spec simply because they share a LB and traps.

I’m not sure it’s an afterthought but one thing I have noticed is of the three we have seen so far, the Guardian elite spec addresses players issues with the Guardian class the most directly. I think that’s just indicative of where the profession’s evolution in the game is as opposed to classes that have more serious deficiencies and issues.

I’ll stick to my Zeal/Radiance/Virtues build for pve unless my guildies are lacking vulnerabilty. But for WvW and PvP Ill probably use DH most of the time

I really doubt many will use the traps. All guards really needed was a viable ranged option and traps are way to situational, you don’t see rangers using them much for good reason and necros get a wep full without using up utilities.

Your build relying on the stupidity of your enemy to stand on your traps is WAY to situational for a big payoff. Relying on traps means relying on others to trigger them, the pacing alone is terrible.

I know this part may sound strange but also traps are completely unusable underwater. So the moment I enter water I ain’t even able to use 2/3 of what makes a dragonhunter a dragonhunter. So….those traps are even more situational than shouts, meditations and two consecrations. They have given me 0 reason to invest in traps at all.

I’m a bit reserved with regards to expectations on the Dragonhunter. Here’s my take on the new elite specialization:

• First and foremost I hope the developers will take another look at the traits. For example, 4 seconds protection on activating a virtue feels a bit weak for a grandmaster trait. Same goes for Piercing Light that gives bleed on traps.

• The longbow is a very welcome addition to the guardian’s weaponry. Scepter can be too easily kited and the staff is only good when you’re fighting a large number of enemies. Adding cripple gives guardians finally some of the CC that we needed.

• The traps fit well within the dragonhunter theme although I am hesitant of the utilization in a PvP surrounding. I was playing against a trap ranger today and I could easily see the ranger laying down the traps. Since most classes in PvP have at least one ranged weapon the traps are way too easy to avoid. Although I am interested in seeing the synergy between the longbow traits to keep your enemy at distance and traps to avoid enemies to close in.

• The theme of the Dragonhunter is unexpected and somewhat feels disconnected to the theme of guardians. Seeing how the guardian’s new specialization is so similar to rangers makes me wary. It’s not necessarily the name that bothers me but this specialization does not feel remotely close to the guardian’s playstyle. Also the synergy between the Dragonhunter specialization and the other guardian specializations is too divergent.

I felt to give some counter arguments to this post. however I do agree that overall DH is only worth taking if you want to go with LB and if you going heavy support with a twist.
I think this is because lets face it: being able to get three full trait lines as a guard was and is everybodies dream. Honor/virtures/valor will be a extremely hard to crack setup either with shouts or meditations.

Dom.4859:

• Defenders Dogma: Getting a free ‘5th attack’ proc on Virtue of Justice after a block is too niche, and while it may happen in PvE encounters, it won’t happen often and the result of it proccing will be underwhelming.

I think you underestimate what it potentially does. First you will open every fight with a burn attack as soon as your aegis gets removed. Depending on how much damage fire stacks wil cause this will be a huge boost especially combined with Amplified Wrath.

Dom.4859:

• Piercing Light: This feels like a trait thrown together to appeal to condi builds and to make it seem like traps weren’t shoehorned into the guardian class.

I disagree because basically the whole trait revamp folows the same mechanic. Sigils meditations, shouts all the stuff that boosts a specific type of utility are gethered in one trait (in general the grandmaster). the only reason Piercing Light seems lacking is that it only adds one kind of boost but because of that its an adept trait. If it had more like CD reduction and faster deployment or whatever it had to be a GM trait.

Dom.4859:

• Hunter’s Determination: I am truly struggling to work out how a brief bit of stability on a ranged weapon skill is useful.. Even assuming you’re in the fray, and that CC is being thrown your way, it comes after a cast-time skill.. which could be interrupted. I don’t like this trait at all, maybe put 2 seconds of stab on cast, and 1 extra per target hit? Though that’s potentially too powerful.

this does make more sense since 3 stacks of s2 stab wouldnt be all that helpful. We have good access to stab already which makes this trait in its current form not worth taking considering the options are far better.

Dom.4859:

• Dulled Senses: This trait feels like it was implemented purely to synergise with the bad GM trait that knocks back.. as is the guard has minimal knockbacks, certainly not worth traiting for.

this is not true. we have quite a few knockbacks IF line of warding, ring of warding, sanctury counts twords it. Shield 5 is a great knockback as well and this trait also makes protective reviver even better since it adds to securing a rez.

Dom.4859:

• Hunter’s Fortification: 4 seconds of protection in a TINY radius on virtues.. and it’s a GM trait? This is god awful protection up time tied to important CD’s, it’s only going to trigger passively, nobody would ever pop a virtue for this. Maybe virtue of justice spam on trash mobs would have some nice synergy, but it’s so niche, and requires 2 trait lines.. not even worth humouring. If you want prot uptime, take a hammer, not a GM.

Again this is potentially a awsome trait. Combine it with inspired virtues and indomitable courage your are looking at a 8sec protection, instant pbaoe stab, stun break. and you can reload it while being immune for another time. while blocking all attacks for your whole group in a front arc. I dare this is the strongest defensive combo in the game if abything it might be redundant in itself since one could argue who neets protection behin a guardian with VoC active.

Dom.4859:

• Heavy Light: Tiny knockback with a sizeable ICD that only applies to ONE weapon.. No thanks. What’s more it’s not even controllable, it could proc at a stupid time that serves you little to no benefit, passive rubbish at its finest.

Yes and no. even if the knockback is small if combined with cripple it leaves enough room to get off another control skill. with a shorter cd this could mean an easy lock down of your opponent.