Guild Wars 2

Hey, I like playing the mace on my Guardian, i just think it fits the class and like the way it’s intended to work
anyhow the mace is kinda lack luster compared to the sword or the scepter
so i was thinking

1. Slightly increase the autoattacks dmg OR attack spead
2. Increase the radius of Symbol of Faith
3. Grant Protection to Protectors Strike no matter if you get struck or not

just some simple ideas, would like to hear your guys’ opinion

Mace is already absurdly good.

How on earth do you think that it’s “kinda lack luster”? Especially compared to Sword, which got nerfed into the ground (removal of Powerful Blades as a trait) at the same time Mace got a buff from Symbolic Avenger?

I’m considering the Roam aspect of Guard, not zerg fights, and in most cases the scepter or sword is always better than a mace fighting someone 1v1 or in an outnumbered fight

but this is only my point of view and I haven’t played the Guardian for too long post patch, so if you could tell me how it got bumbed infront of sword that would be nice

1. It needs cleave on its final attack no increased damage
2.There’s a trait for taht
3.Make it like the warrior mace skill and allow us to cancel it early. It would be way to powerful btw if we got a block a burst and a protection.

I know about the trait but I can’t take it with my build, but that’s not the point
It’s that i have the feeling the radius is smaller than it was before the patch, or is that just me? :/

Zui references the PVE uses where it’s the top dog right now. With Symbolic Avenger (zeal GM) you get extra 10% while the enemy is in the symbol as well as the minor 10% boost to your symbol. And, you can run Honor tree for the larger/longer symbols. It’s just a PVE powerhouse, but a lot of that relies on more or less stationary targets staying in your field. That said, the block and healing it provides have always been pretty nice regardless of the damage.

Obviously PVP is different. Just from a practical stand point something is always going to be the best option. Mace and hammer by design do best against immobile enemies with their high reliance on field damage, scepter is like this too though being a range weapon has it’s own benefits.

So basically, just like Meditations are weak in PVE the mace and symbols are pretty unimpressive in PVP.

The only thing on mace that can stand to be changed is the number 3 attack.

They really should make it a personal block instead of the current anyone nearby block.

Jerus.4350:

Zui references the PVE uses where it’s the top dog right now. With Symbolic Avenger (zeal GM) you get extra 10% while the enemy is in the symbol as well as the minor 10% boost to your symbol. And, you can run Honor tree for the larger/longer symbols. It’s just a PVE powerhouse, but a lot of that relies on more or less stationary targets staying in your field. That said, the block and healing it provides have always been pretty nice regardless of the damage.

Obviously PVP is different. Just from a practical stand point something is always going to be the best option. Mace and hammer by design do best against immobile enemies with their high reliance on field damage, scepter is like this too though being a range weapon has it’s own benefits.

So basically, just like Meditations are weak in PVE the mace and symbols are pretty unimpressive in PVP.

Are you referring to PvP in general, as in both sPvP and WvW? Right now, the Mace is a popular choice on the meta bunker builds in sPvP, since its lack of mobility isn’t a huge problem when you’re fighting on capture points, and you can run a Staff and/or “Retreat!” to move quickly between teamfights. It provides fantastic sustain and great support/area control, and since you’re not usually trying to kill things quickly as a bunker, it’s a solid choice all around.

Mace is definitely the least effective in WvW, where its short range, poor mobility, and lack of CC become significant issues. Like you said, though, certain weapons are bound to just be naturally stronger or weaker in different game modes, so I don’t see this as a specific reason to buff the Mace (especially when it’s part of the meta in the other two modes).

The only changes I’d really agree with for the Mace would be letting the final hit in the auto-chain cleave, and allowing for early activation of Protector’s Strike. I think that the Mace currently only needs quality of life changes, and not a straight-up performance boost.

I just meant in general for PVP field damage isn’t as easy to use as just hitting. But you’re right, they can be nice on bunker.

Zui.9245:

Mace is already absurdly good.

How on earth do you think that it’s “kinda lack luster”? Especially compared to Sword, which got nerfed into the ground (removal of Powerful Blades as a trait) at the same time Mace got a buff from Symbolic Avenger?

even righ hand stenght inceases crit damage on mace.

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

The only thing on mace that can stand to be changed is the number 3 attack.

They really should make it a personal block instead of the current anyone nearby block.

Thats actually the best feature of the skill, as it helps proc the damage burst, or can be used to cover allies from CCs. Combine with Communal defenses and it can effectively double up AEGIS.

And I agree with the others that needs to cleave. Its a problem common to mace AAs (including engineer’s wrench), as the single target DPS isn’t high enough to warrant the loss of cleave. Though there are a couple options to play with- such as increased toughness while casting Faithful strike, so we can afford to follow through while under attack.

starlinvf.1358:

Ragnar the Rock.3174:

The only thing on mace that can stand to be changed is the number 3 attack.

They really should make it a personal block instead of the current anyone nearby block.

Thats actually the best feature of the skill, as it helps proc the damage burst, or can be used to cover allies from CCs. Combine with Communal defenses and it can effectively double up AEGIS.

And I agree with the others that needs to cleave. Its a problem common to mace AAs (including engineer’s wrench), as the single target DPS isn’t high enough to warrant the loss of cleave. Though there are a couple options to play with- such as increased toughness while casting Faithful strike, so we can afford to follow through while under attack.

If mace cleave is low then they need to increase sword cleave by a metric F ton.

I say this because its damage is lower then the mace, it has less survivability and it cannot actually block or trigger block effects (only destroys projectiles.)

Not to mention the last AA can be reflected/destroyed or just plain miss allot meaning your damage either gets neutered or sent back in your face.

The sword cleaves like crazy. 3 targets on AA 1 and 2, and 3rd fires 3 projectiles (which count as 3 attacks for Justice and other effects), which pierce up to 3 hits each. If thats not cleaving, I don’t know what is. "Cleave"is NOT a problem for the sword.

In order to bring the sword’s power back up, it NEEDS trait synergy again. The weakness of the Crit chance modifiers in traits is the binary nature of crits itself.

Long term DPS it makes a difference, but in short term (which is how most of our fights tend to be balanced), its either not significant enough to matter (low crit), used only for prots (which 40% is more then enough with most cool downs), or high enough that crits almost all the time (60% or higher). +10% on its own is meaningless, as Sword Wave’s number of attacks pretty much ensures a crit proc… but we only have 2 Traits that rely on Procs; One is Glacial heart (which excludes the sword), and the other “Radiant fire” syngerzies and easily procs off of Torch.

What 1-handed strength needs is a conditional buff like Bulwark or Fencer’s Finesse. The Proc effect could be bound to blind application for stack effects, or a bigger effect if blinds you apply cause an enemy to miss. I can see Ferocity, Condi damage, or procing a burn effect given its assignment to Radiance. (If you wanted to get really creative, it could proc confusion).

There is really no way anyone can justify buffing Mace right now. It’s got the fastest symbol, it’s got the heal, a block, good base damage. I mean … suggesting that the Mace needs a buff is implying that every other weapon Guards have are insufficient.

I would like only mace 2,symbol cast time reduced,its very longish cast time.And i understand it has low CD,but mace aint that great overall,so at least for symbol spaming it might be good.

starlinvf.1358:

The sword cleaves like crazy. 3 targets on AA 1 and 2, and 3rd fires 3 projectiles (which count as 3 attacks for Justice and other effects), which pierce up to 3 hits each. If thats not cleaving, I don’t know what is. "Cleave"is NOT a problem for the sword.

In order to bring the sword’s power back up, it NEEDS trait synergy again. The weakness of the Crit chance modifiers in traits is the binary nature of crits itself.

Long term DPS it makes a difference, but in short term (which is how most of our fights tend to be balanced), its either not significant enough to matter (low crit), used only for prots (which 40% is more then enough with most cool downs), or high enough that crits almost all the time (60% or higher). +10% on its own is meaningless, as Sword Wave’s number of attacks pretty much ensures a crit proc… but we only have 2 Traits that rely on Procs; One is Glacial heart (which excludes the sword), and the other “Radiant fire” syngerzies and easily procs off of Torch.

What 1-handed strength needs is a conditional buff like Bulwark or Fencer’s Finesse. The Proc effect could be bound to blind application for stack effects, or a bigger effect if blinds you apply cause an enemy to miss. I can see Ferocity, Condi damage, or procing a burn effect given its assignment to Radiance. (If you wanted to get really creative, it could proc confusion).

Cone is so narrow on AA#3 that it rarely hits more than 1 target unless they are standing on top of each other IF it’s not obstructed (which real cleaves never are)

Thanks for all the replies, i did not know that mace was so strong in PvE, my post was only centered around WvW, but after reading it being meta even in other gamemodes I don’t see a buff as neccessary anymore
But to Ragnar saying the swords survivability isn’t that great i kinda can’t agree with, your #2 is a blind and a teleport, meaning you can either get out of combat fast or engage and instablind the enemy, IMHO blind is always very strong.
and #3 destroyes projectiles, yes it won’t send them back to the enemy, but for that you attack while the shield is up, being a ranged tracing attack, (about 6-8 hits if I’m not mistaking), the only buff to that skill could either be that it doesn’t root you, meaning you can walk while using the skill, or make the light thingies you shoot travel faster so they’re ot that easy to evade
I used to play sword, yes the cleave isn’t outstanding, but it’s a onehanded weapon and for that it does good imo.
But i could be wrong, if anything changed in that regard since the patch pls let me know