The Radiance specialization for Guardians is the backbone for the massive ticks of burning that a condition guardian can dish out. However, that’s the only way this trait line is currently truly effective. Some of the traits within this line are either too weak to ever consider taking or simply do not compete with the other choices. In this post, I will suggest a few tweaks to this specialization that will allow it to flow easier for more build variety while also suggestion new traits that could bring light to new playstyles.
The traits regarding burning in the Radiance line are easy enough to identify and flow with each other. Inner Fire helps proc more crits to activate Radiant Fire, which makes burning that much more accessible with Amplified Wrath.
The next major grandmaster, Perfect Inscriptions, revolves around signets, making their passive effects stronger while also granting light aura, an aura that grants the user retaliation and applies vulnerability to foes. Other parts of this tree work around retaliation, specifically Retribution, a 10% damage increase while the Guardian has the Retaliation boon on them.
This could possibly sync well with signets, but another trait in the same category, Wrath of Justice, fights for a spot. Wrath of Justice would activate the light aura from Perfect Inscriptions, but it becomes a choice of 10% damage vs more retaliation uptime and a possible immobilize. In my opinion, this choice shouldn’t even have to be made. They would synergize more together, not cutting off choices that a Guardian could have.
My solution to this would be merging the Adept Major trait Healer’s Retribution with the Master Major Retribution, then moving Wrath of Justice to the empty Adept Major category. With this set up, a signet Guardian doesn’t have to choose one over the other and instead gets the extra damage boost while getting that combo of Perfect Inscriptions and Wrath of Justice. This leaves an empty slot in the Master Major traits.
The last Grandmaster trait in this line is Radiant Retaliation. This trait conflicts with others on multiple levels. Perfect Inscriptions already works with Retaliation, so it’s a choice once again between more damage vs more retaliation. However, it also combats with Amplified Wrath. Why would you have retaliation scale with condition damage when you can just have your burning, your only damaging condition as a guardian, be more effective? RR is an already weak trait that fights both of the stronger ones in its line. I suggest removing it for something new and more useful.
With an empty Master and an empty Grandmaster major, a new set of traits could be added. To have this work more with the play on Radiance (something bright) and with the critical chance increase that Right-Hand Strength gives, I suggest a focus on blindness and critical hits for two new traits.
New Master Major
-A Light in the Darkness – Gain increased critical hit chance against blinded foes. (10% increased critical hit chance.) Critically hitting a blinded foe applies vulnerability to them. (1 stack for 8 seconds, no ICD)
New Grandmaster Major
-Blinding Blast – Critically hitting a burning foe triggers a blast of light on the foe that deals damage in an area and applies blindness. (Damage: 133 (0.375). Radius: 240. Number of Targets: 5. Blindness: 3 seconds. 10 second ICD.)
In PvE, this blindness combination would really dish out more damage for the smaller enemies around the world, keeping them locked down with the blinds and the added critical hits. This works especially well on enemies with defiance bars, since blindness never actually affects them and isn’t taken off when an attack is made. A very long, if not, permanent increased critical chance on the bigger enemies would bring the Guardian up to par with the other elite specializations when it comes to damage, like in raids.
In PvP, however, blindness doesn’t last long on enemies, so the effects of A Light in the Darkness won’t be too pronounced, but can be timed with various combinations for increased damage spikes. For example, with Wrath of Justice, the blindness would be applied with the immobilize, leading to a bunch of increased critical hit chances to a stuck target’s back. A greatsword’s pull followed by a blinding leap could leave enemies spinning (from Whirling Wrath, of course.)
The blindness from Blinding Blast wouldn’t activate nearly as much as a Thief’s, a Mesmer’s, or a burning Elementalist’s, but it adds to the idea of ‘Radiance’, blinding piercing light, and a more damaging playstyle, like the rest of the specialization.
These two together with the Zeal specialization’s Binding Jeopardy would lead to vulnerability application rivaling a Necromancer’s or Explosives Engineer’s, but would have to push into two offensive specializations, rewarding more risky playstyles.
With this post, I hope to bring more light to the situation behind the organization of the Radiance core specialization. With these suggestions, I hope to bring a brighter future to the older specializations that might not see as much love as the elite specializations.
Note that all puns were deliberate.
TL;DR
- Move Wrath of Justice from Major Master to Major Adept.
- Consolidate the Major Adept Healer’s Retribution into the Major Master Retribution.
- Remove Radiant Retaliation.
- Add new traits in the empty slots.
Suggested traits
Major Master
- A Light in the Darkness – Increased critical chance to blinded foes. Critical hits on blinded foes apply vulnerability.
Major Grandmaster
- Blinding Blast – Critically hitting a burning foe triggers a blast of light on the foe that deals damage and applies blindness in an area.