Guild Wars 2

Just doing my part to up the message: virtues (tomes) cooldowns on Firebrand, particularly F2 and F3, are too long for what you get, especially for being the whole point of the spec.

Been seeing the idea on Reddit that the cooldowns should be reduced based on how many charges you actually used; makes a lot of sense to me. But either way, they are too long as they are.

I rather like the spec otherwise!

And tome Cast times are awful as well.

Even with quickness, tome cast times are pretty terrible. Just an example earlier from wvw:

I see a deadeye stealth and team mate gets marked. I use elite mantra (since im traited, I gain quickness) —> f3 —> attempt to use skill 3 (bubble).

Deadeyes DJ (rifle 4) landed (from 1200 to 1500 range) before my bubble was even up. Keep in mind this was with quickness on the entire time.

The tome skills just are not usable reflexively and it really kills the elite spec in pvp and wvw. I hope they do one or more of the following:

• Remove cast time to enter a tome: seriously…. everything inside the tome already has a cast time…

• Lower CDs of tomes – even with virtues line and relevant tome traits in FB traited, I have to wait too long in between tome uses. It really discourages me from using the tomes as much as I would like to.

• Add some instant and 1/4s cast skills: not every skill needs to be 0.75 to 1.25s casts. It wouldnt be overpowered if say, the #3 or #4 skill of each tome was instant cast.

I would argue that the right answer is to keep the cast time on entering the tome but lower the cast time on the tome abilities.

So you have to think about and plan the tome to use, but once you are in it you can react to the battlefield.

Either that or the tome abilities need to become far more powerful than they are now.

Tiresias.6473:

I would argue that the right answer is to keep the cast time on entering the tome but lower the cast time on the tome abilities.

So you have to think about and plan the tome to use, but once you are in it you can react to the battlefield.

Either that or the tome abilities need to become far more powerful than they are now.

I would actually like the tome casting itself to be lower, it’s very important imo so you can choose which role you want to fulfill that moment

Attunements, Shroud, Celestial Avatar, Berserk, Photon Forge. If every single bundle-like profession mechanic in the game can afford being instant cast, so can Tomes. This is ridiculous, it’s to the point that you start to thing the devs are doing this on purpose, like how guardian is never allowed to have a low cooldown heal, even when we get a mantra and our Resolve has 45s cooldown.

Tome cd too long → deal 30 stacks on burning to a whole group in a short time at an insane radius.

Ok then, this is gw2 forum, so who cares, people will always say their main is underpowered.

Just grab Firebrand and Vitrue and Radiance and watch things explode.

Aomine.5012:

Tome cd too long -> deal 30 stacks on burning to a whole group in a short time at an insane radius.

Have you played condi guardian before? That’s nothing new. Heck, even condi tempest can do the same.

Tome of Justice is nice for burst condi, but firebrand seems overall weaker at sustained condi damage because the passive VoJ is 50% weaker in pve and 70% weaker in pvp.

RabbitUp.8294:

Aomine.5012:

Tome cd too long -> deal 30 stacks on burning to a whole group in a short time at an insane radius.

Have you played condi guardian before? That’s nothing new. Heck, even condi tempest can do the same.

Tome of Justice is nice for burst condi, but firebrand seems overall weaker at sustained condi damage because the passive VoJ is 50% weaker in pve and 70% weaker in pvp.

If it’s single target, the burn can go up to 50 stacks thanks to torch 4.

But the problem of Permeating Wrath shows up all over again thanks to Tome of Justice. (8 pages, virtue passive remains even using tome of justice, big radius for burning )

I won’t say it’d be a perfect pvp spec, but it’d be new meta in raid/ fractal/ wvw.
It’s not only a spectacular supporter in those contents (pulse aegis 3 times with one healing skill, pulsing group stability and so on), but also do insane damage too.

Aomine.5012:

RabbitUp.8294:

Aomine.5012:

Tome cd too long -> deal 30 stacks on burning to a whole group in a short time at an insane radius.

Have you played condi guardian before? That’s nothing new. Heck, even condi tempest can do the same.

Tome of Justice is nice for burst condi, but firebrand seems overall weaker at sustained condi damage because the passive VoJ is 50% weaker in pve and 70% weaker in pvp.

If it’s single target, the burn can go up to 50 stacks thanks to torch 4.

But the problem of Permeating Wrath shows up all over again thanks to Tome of Justice. (8 pages, virtue passive remains even using tome of justice, big radius for burning )

I won’t say it’d be a perfect pvp spec, but it’d be new meta in raid/ fractal/ wvw.
It’s not only a spectacular supporter in those contents (pulse aegis 3 times with one healing skill, pulsing group stability and so on), but also do insane damage too.

With 4 other people to proc Ashes? Otherwise, it’s impossible to do 50 stacks by yourself.

Agreed with the OP. Too long.