Guild Wars 2

A look at Dragonhunters from BW1 with regards to DH Virtues, Longbow, Traps & Trait interaction & some ideas of improvement.

Dragonhunter’s Virtues
First Virtue traits should state when their triggered or the effect occurs, on activation (instant cast when skill pressed or when an effect occurs) or after channel (effect on channel completion or after an effect occurs) this provides clear understand on how virtue traits will interact with virtues be they instant or channelled.

Secondly all traits, modifiers that provide an instant effect (stun break, boon, condition, etc..) should place any ability (skill, trait) on cooldown as soon as the instant effect is applied.

• Spear of Justice - Targeting issues as range increases due to projectile speed. Feels very ranged limited when using LB & counter to Trap game play making foes want to run away to break tether.

Changes
I would love to see the loss of burning on the active & the addition of a short duration Taunt keeping the same skill functionality.

This plays into the aggressive feel of the DH as it causes enemies to focus on you. It also plays in to Trap gameplay providing a means of forcing your enemies into your traps no matter what weapon set chosen. Also helps set up Longbow skills lining up foes for piecing & bouncing shots as well as providing time for skill casts.

I would keep a cast time & a good projectile speed that allows for counter play as taunt is a strong control skill.

• Foes only tethered while effected by Taunt.
• Supreme Justice changed to increase applied active condition/boon duration allowing for future F1’s actives.
• Permeating Wrath changed to apply passive condition/boon AoE around targeted foe again allowing for future F1’s passives.

Next

• Wings of Resolve - This skill feels like a core part of all DH’s gameplay allowing for positioning, set ups, kiting & escape with extensive use with LB builds, Trap builds & all other DH builds. But feels very limited with the listed cooldown, cast time & ranged.

Changes
I would love to see this being the core defining virtue for the DH out of all the DH virtues really providing that aggressive attacking feeling. This provides the positioning a DH needs to fully use Traps & the Longbow, as without this position your effectiveness with Traps & the Longbow is greatly reduced.

As such I would look at making this skill more about positioning then VoR supportive native.

• Reducing the active heal.
• Greatly reducing the cooldown of this skill allowing for more frequent use.
• Have the leap occur instantly at the start of the cast & the skill finish at the end of the cast similar to Ranger’s Greatsword #3 Swoop.
• Absolute Resolution remove 3 conditions from nearby allies could be a bit strong & need to be a factor in balancing WoR’s cooldown but I feel with a reasonable cooldown should be fine but still allow for frequent active use of WoR. This would also providing a great condition clear option for DHs when looking at condition sustain when using either or both the Longbow &/or Traps.
• Soaring Devestation is a great trait but if we keep a longer cooldown on WoR this could be the option providing the ability for more frequent use of WoR when used offensively. To do this I would look at adding the Elementalist’s Off Hand Dagger Ride the Lightening treatment were WoR has a shorter cooldown if used offensively but keeps the longer cooldown if used defensively.

And

• Shield of Courage - Would provide that frontline relief needed to to continue the aggressive native of DH’s, but requires a bug fix for it to apply to the DH & again is plagued by a cast time & a long cooldown limiting use and meaning it most like will not be available for the next fight.

Changes
This is the DH’s panic button, providing that much needed relief giving time to analysis & the ability to survive with an aggressive playstyle especially when using Longbow &/or Traps. It needs to be available at each fight.

I would look at making the block occur on the activation of SoC & also making the whole block a channel. With the ability for unblockable attacks I believe this provides the ability & counter plays to continue attacking through or interrupting SoC.

• Reduce cooldown to a state were it most like will be available at the next fight.
• Indomitable Courage SoC goes on cooldown as soon the stun break is applied.
• Bulwark with the increase block duration could require a slightly increasing SoC cooldown due to the AoE native of the block (eg. long block at the cost of greater cooldown).
• Fix the issue with Aegis also being consumed when invulnerable, evading or blocking as this greatly reduces Aegis effectiveness & gameplay.

With these changes I feel DH virtues tie in so much better with the gameplay one would expect with Longbow &/or Traps, giving a more cohesive DH experience.

Traits – Minor

• Virtuous Action - Only changes virtues, no other base benefit. Other then changing a profession’s mechanic I would also like to see the adept minor’s of elite specs giving a benefit.
• Pure of Sight - Work great with Longbow but I don’t like this minor as it only benefits range gameplay. I would change this to has a lingering effect that’s applied whenever you cross the range threshold & fades after a time & is applied whenever a virtue is activated.

Traits – Adept

• Zealot’s Aggression & Dulled Senses - Should be combined & change it so the cripple is applied on all control effects.
• Soaring Devestation - Refer to Wings of Resolve changes.

Traits – Master

• Heavy Light & Hunter’s Determination - Increase knock back to 300 & add Longbow cooldown reduction.
• Defender’s Dogma & Bulwark - Combined. DD is actual quite a nice trait but feels out of place as a minor in the DH spec as if using Longbow & Traps SoC can be your only block available.

Traits – Grandmaster

• Piercing Light & Hunter’s Fortification - Combined & add an initial stack of 2 -3 bleeds on the first Trap strike. Now also applies protection to allies around DH (600 range) when a Trap is triggered (effects also applied to DH). Activating virtues reduce Traps cooldowns.
• Big Game Hunter - Also applies 5 stacks of Vulnerability when SoJ first strikes foes & changed to 2 stacks for each hit while foes tethered. (Change uses Taunt version of SoJ).

Through the combining of existing traits we now require 1 new minor, 1 new adept, 1 new master & 1 new grandmaster DH traits.

Longbow
Dragonhunter’s Longbow feels well design overall, with most issues due to targeting problems. Most happy with overall design but the Longbow does requires targeting bug fixes, balance & some more fine tuning, but are left wondering what is the primary function of the Longbow (Condition, Physical, CC).

• LB#1 Puncture Shot - targeting issues.
• LB#2 True Shot - Risk/Reward, is the root worth it.
• LB#3 Deflecting Shot - targeting issues, feels lacking.
• LB#4 Symbol of Energy - targeting issues.
• LB#5 Hunter’s Ward - targeting issues, when should the ward activate.

Changes

• LB#1 – Increase projectile speed so that it require a dodge or skill use to avoid & not just side stepping.
• LB#2 – Overall fine, I like on call damage provided by the cooldown that’s limited by requiring good positioning, setting up or surprise for the shot to hit.
• LB#3 – I like the idea behind the skill but feel it just doesn’t preform. I would look at changing the shot to a small wall that travels at a relative slow speed that’s similar to Chronomancer’s Shield Tides of Time when travelling out but doesn’t return.
• LB#4 – Fix targeting behind issues & this be a great skill.
• LB#5 – Again fix targeting behind & a slight cooldown reduction (if ward applied on last impact) or apply ward effect on first ground impact.

Traps still to come, but what are players thoughts so far? What theme / playstyle should the spec lines have in DHs?