Guild Wars 2

With smaller more frequent patches coming, I thought it would be nice to open a discussion for thoughts on where the guardian should go. Ideally, we should be looking at the futures of both dps builds and support builds.

I’ll start things off with a look at the zeal trait line. Currently, beyond fiery wrath there’s not a whole lot to it. Split between symbol minors, spirit weapons and condition grandmasters. A couple changes that could make the line more appealing:

• Drop Kindled Zeal down to a master trait. It does nothing for condi builds to trait into zeal only to be able to take one of the two as a grandmaster and have nothing else related to conditions in the line. Drop it back down to 10%.

• Change Zealous Blade to scale with power. 25hp per hit is terrible and does nothing for sustain. As a master trait, it should be giving ~150hp/s.

• Grandmaster worth taking in a damage build.

Well, I could keep listing off suggestions I’ve thought up but I’d really like to see what the guardian community can think up.

I would completely agree with moving Kindled Zeal to Master. Considering the placement of Amplified Wrath, being able to take Fiery Wrath, Kindled Zeal (10%), and Amplified Wrath would be perfect synergy. Zealous Blade is probably the best contender for moving up to GM. I’d either double the scaling, make it heal in a 240 radius, or heal for ~5% of damage dealt. For Zeal I think that’d be fine. other traits aren’t necessarily underpowered, but they don’t look as appealing as others.

Radiance:

• Searing Flames needs to proc per target, not once per 10s.
• Shimmering Defense probably needs to be reworked. The cooldown, effect, and trigger are all too far off for what they bring. I could see an option being “Apply Torment on Blind”, probably mimicking the numbers from Virtues 1 (3 stacks for 5s).
• Powerful Blades is alright, but maybe having a different effect in exchange for that +5% we got not too long ago might be a bit better. Perhaps Bleed on crit could work.
• Retal and Signets traits are otherwise alright. Those are mostly limited by retal itself or signets themselves.

Valor: Valor is fine.

Honor:

• Wrathful Spirit doesn’t feel up to par, but I don’t really have thoughts for it. Retal for 3s is fairly lackluster, even if it does effect allies. Pure of Heart does the “on Aegis” effect much better (even Shattered Aegis too).
• Resolute Healer seems to have a far longer cd than it should. Mesmers can cause a Feedback bubble every 10s, while ours merely absorbs. Our bubble can also knockback, preventing stomps, but I don’t think that justifies 50s longer to recharge. I’m not asking them to be similar, but the gap seems a bit large. (Both Feedback and Shield of Absorption have 40s cd, but these traits have a 50s gap. Mesmers can even further enhance their Feedback on rez from glamour traits.)

Virtues:

• Unscathed Contender could afford to be reworked, but its not a huge problem. There’s some decent depth and synergy with this trait. I just don’t like it tbh.
• Retaliatory Subconscious is another trait that doesn’t really feel up to par. 3s Retal every 30s isn’t really what I’d call impactful. Even with all the other ways to apply Retal, the real kicker is the damage reduction in PvP formats. Maybe these traits were more effective before the reduction, but now they’re fairly lackluster. A Retal rework could fix this trait without other changes (and many others), or this trait needs to have a more powerful effect. Retal + Protection for 5s perhaps, or Retal + Aegis for a similar amount. 10% uptime on a neutered effect doesn’t really do the trait justice.

Other than those, I don’t know if I’d change any other traits. Maybe some small number tweaks could be in order, or changing other aspects could in turn make traits stronger, but for the traits themselves, this is what I’d do.

Well hammer #5 need to change to dmg. Ring is useless because everyone can teleport or get out of it using stability, it has some usage in pve but very limited (even light field is not welcome in pve).

It need to change to some aoe dmg or something usefull with dmg.

1. -> charge (600 range) + dmg (1 target) + aoe burn(5 targets 1.5 sec burn) cd 25s

or Aoe dmg + burn (5 targets 1.5s) + blind cd 30s

or maybe throw hammer to 5 enemies burning them and slowing them down + dmg

or even better make it a bubble that someone outside can’t dmg you if you are inside.

or something usefull for pve or pvp with dmg.

I’m just hoping for shield changes a some point, heck even torch. Please make shield viable! We are pigeon-holed into one offhand, focus, because it is so superior. The other 2 offhands being laughable other than some very situational occurrences. This has to change.

I’d like to see a change to Battle Presence. It’s just not worth taking as a grandmaster in honor. I’d like to see it either combined with Purity of Body in the virtues line, or have it swapped with writ of the merciful. Maybe buff WoM into a good grandmaster trait, as we already have to spend 6 points in honor to get the three traits.

Ghotistyx.6942:

• Resolute Healer seems to have a far longer cd than it should. Mesmers can cause a Feedback bubble every 10s, while ours merely absorbs. Our bubble can also knockback, preventing stomps, but I don’t think that justifies 50s longer to recharge. I’m not asking them to be similar, but the gap seems a bit large. (Both Feedback and Shield of Absorption have 40s cd, but these traits have a 50s gap. Mesmers can even further enhance their Feedback on rez from glamour traits.)

I think a 30s cooldown would be fair, seeing as team fight bunker should have more support access to reviving. It is a really strong skill though.

Tron.3471:

I’m just hoping for shield changes a some point, heck even torch. Please make shield viable! We are pigeon-holed into one offhand, focus, because it is so superior. The other 2 offhands being laughable other than some very situational occurrences. This has to change.

As long as it’s not just cooldown reductions on shield and is a well thought out change I can get behind that. Some people like the 5 skill, but the 4 really needs some help. Some sort of CC whether it be a knockdown/stun or a 10s cripple. Give an actual reason to take it over focus.

I like the shield 5 projectile absorb but the knockback is trash. I mostly PVE however where knockbacks are annoying. The knockback is semi useful/funny in Skyhammer though. I just really want a reason to craft Eidolon to go with my other Foefire weapons!!!

I’m not going to make a detailed list for the umpteenth time.

• Rework the traits, especially Zeal needs some work.
• Shield needs work. The 5 skill is alright, but could use some tweaking.
• Torch needs work.
• The Staff is kinda okay, but could have a “tighter” design.
• Scepter needs work.
• Spirit Weapons need some looking at.
• Signets need to become more interesting.
• Our Tomes need to be either redesigned or scrapped and replaced.
• Heals besides Shelter need to become more viable.

I’ve always felt the grandmaster Permeating Wrath from Virtues fell short, literally. It’s range needs to be a whole lot higher than 240 for me to like it.

What would be curious is if the range was huge, like using scepter and causing aoe burns from a distance. OR changing the trait where the target that is burning effects his surrounding targets as well. The tick can be similar to the torch skill#4.

That would be cool!

Where to start, Lemme find my old list.

Traits

1: Protectors Impact (pretty much useless, what if instead it triggered the same type of heal as selfless daring trait ?)

2: Shattered AEGIS (again useless, unless your abusing the lack of target limit in WvW when combined with communal defenses. What if instead it granted something useful like say dazing, blinding or even confusing the attacker when one of your AEGIS’s is broken)

3: Revenge of the Fallen (pretty bad trait, what if it was combined with strength of the fallen?)

4: Improved Spirit Weapon Duration (great trait but it should be in zeal)

5: Spirit Weapon Mastery (If spirit weapon duration is moved to zeal then move this to the master tier & tack on "Increases the health of spirit weapons by 100%)

6: Symbolic Exposure (extremely weak as is. What if it’s duration was increased to 5-6 seconds ?)

7: Scepter Power (The damage boost is nice but nobody really uses it. What if it also gave Some type of proc effect, or stat boost?)

8: Zealous Blade (As others have said its pretty bad. I agree with others who have called for its healing to be 3-5 ish % of damage done in a AOE around the guardian)

9: Focus Mastery (Again very lame duck with just having a CD reduction.)

10: Kindled Zeal (unless arena.net plans on giving the guardian 2-3 more damaging conditions there is just no point in using this. What if it gave Precision or Vitality equal to 10% of your power ?)

11: Searing Flames (The CD is quite long given other classes can spam steal, convert or swap boons. What if it had a 10second CD per target & procced damage when it removed a boon ?)

12: Signet Mastery (Kinda meh. Given so many other classses have the same trait with extra bonuses. What if you Combined it with Inscribed Removal ? Then you would be able to create a new trait say “Inscribed Healing” Heal yourself when activating a signet)

13: Shimmering Defense (Given the effect & the CD its very under par. What if instead it made the guardian apply confusion when blinding an enemy? Say 1 stack, 5 seconds, 5 sec CD ?)

14: Inner Fire (Only really ever used in 1 path of COF. What if instead it granted fury when you activate a virtue ?)

15: Powerful Blades (Its alright but kinda bland. What if instead it went back to the old +5% and also caused critical hits with swords to apply 4 seconds of torment ?)

16: Radiant Retaliation (Should be a base effect for all classes if their condition damage is more then 3/5 their power)

17: Perfect Inscriptions (Very meh given what most of the signets do. Lower the scaling slightly then give it a nice proc effect and it would be great. Say AOE fury when using a signet or AOE might stacks ?)

18: Glacial Heart (Make it a guaranteed proc chance)

19: Resolute Healer (IDK, maybe lower the CD to 30 sec.)

20: Wrathful Spirit (given how short the retaliation is maybe add another boon or 2 onto it. Say fury & might?)

21: Empowering Might (Nice as is, but would be much much better if base duration was a bit longer. Say 7 seconds ?)

22: Unscathed Contender (The uptime of this trait’s effect is very low in any serious battle. What if instead it gave +8% while effected by protection ?)

23: Retaliatory Subconscious (given the CD and the availability of retaliation it would be much better off giving protection during the CC, might or fury after the CC)

24: Purity of Body (Should be an adept trait)

There are also plenty of weapon skills, utilities & elite skills that could stand to be reworked.