Guild Wars 2

1. Scepter 2 ability gives Might when you stand in the symbol, which seems weird to me because this is a ranged + ground targeted attack. You want to cast this at range and you want to stay at range – this is the reason why we’re using ranged weapons in the first place. So i’m not sure why it’s required of you to walk in your symbol after you’ve cast it on a target, placing yourself back in melee range, in order for you to benefit from the Might stacks. Seems unintuitive to me. My suggestion here would be to provide one stack of Might for every time those fists deal damage to a target. Probably just your main target, not targets in a radius. This way you can cast the symbol, stay ranged, and still get the Might stacks.

2. The reduction in range from 1200 yrds —> 900 yards. Again, doesn’t make sense to me considering this is a ranged weapon. Makes even less sense considering everything I just said about Scepter 2 ability. The reduction to 900 yrds further promotes going closer to melee, which again, doesn’t seem like that’s what I want to be doing with a ranged weapon.

3. The changes to Scepter, IMO, feel like the only real viable “ranged” weapon is the Bow. If I choose a ranged weapon, I shouldn’t feel like my effectiveness is reduced unless I get closer to melee. This seems like bad design, because if you want a real “ranged” weapon, now you need to spec for it. This is something we’ve already been doing, but this change only pigeon-holes us that much more. And it’s not exactly fair because what happens when more Elite-specs are released and we no longer spec into DH. That means we lose our only ranged weapon by default.

The bow doesn’t make any concessions when it comes to being effective at maximum range, so why does the Scepter? Am I the only one who feels this way?

cletiscake.9173:

Am I the only one who feels this way?

Yes. None of what you said is universally, or actually for that matter, true.

cletiscake.9173:

2. The reduction in range from 1200 yrds —> 900 yards. Again, doesn’t make sense to me considering this is a ranged weapon. Makes even less sense considering everything I just said about Scepter 2 ability. The reduction to 900 yrds further promotes going closer to melee, which again, doesn’t seem like that’s what I want to be doing with a ranged weapon.

You never actually hit anything with scepter autos at greater than 400m anyway. Even more so back when the autos were even slower.

Have to agree with the others on this one. Scepter is a medium ranged weapon and is used as such. I find myself inside the symbol more often than not because I need my 1 orb auto to not just land but hit the 1 target i’m focused on. Everything about the changes was a huge plus.

I think its reasonable that we only get the boons when we are under our symbols, as the same way all of our symbols function. In scepter’s case, both melee and range have their advantages and disadvantages as others said: in range you are safer than in melee and have damage bonus from DH grandmaster minor trait but you don’t have might from symbol and your projectiles can be bodyblocked or missed, in melee you have might from symbol and your attacks have a much lesser chance to be bodyblocked or missed but you lose the safety of range and damage bonus from DH grandmaster trait.

Depending on your build there are even more tradeoffs, if you use Unscathed Contender you will have a better chance to keep it up in range while in melee you can use your traps more reliably. Or if you use torch (and trait too if possible) then being on melee burns more, you can proc F1 passive more often from it (and use the 5th skill if you choose) and your torch projectile has a lesser chance to be bodyblocked or missed – so from a total torch (and Radiance) standpoint melee has advantage. Even with the simple choice of using Fiery Wrath or scepter trait in Zeal adept traits can alter your playstyle significantly. There are many viable builds for scepter now that favor melee, range or a balance between the two.

Every other scepter weapon has 900 range as far as I know, so the change seems quite intuitive in that regard. Also, just because the symbol isn’t affecting you doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting anyone else; it being ranged just makes the boon aspect of the symbol more supportive.

cletiscake.9173:

1. Scepter 2 ability gives Might when you stand in the symbol, which seems weird to me because this is a ranged + ground targeted attack. You want to cast this at range and you want to stay at range – this is the reason why we’re using ranged weapons in the first place. So i’m not sure why it’s required of you to walk in your symbol after you’ve cast it on a target, placing yourself back in melee range, in order for you to benefit from the Might stacks. Seems unintuitive to me. My suggestion here would be to provide one stack of Might for every time those fists deal damage to a target. Probably just your main target, not targets in a radius. This way you can cast the symbol, stay ranged, and still get the Might stacks.

2. The reduction in range from 1200 yrds —> 900 yards. Again, doesn’t make sense to me considering this is a ranged weapon. Makes even less sense considering everything I just said about Scepter 2 ability. The reduction to 900 yrds further promotes going closer to melee, which again, doesn’t seem like that’s what I want to be doing with a ranged weapon.

3. The changes to Scepter, IMO, feel like the only real viable “ranged” weapon is the Bow. If I choose a ranged weapon, I shouldn’t feel like my effectiveness is reduced unless I get closer to melee. This seems like bad design, because if you want a real “ranged” weapon, now you need to spec for it. This is something we’ve already been doing, but this change only pigeon-holes us that much more. And it’s not exactly fair because what happens when more Elite-specs are released and we no longer spec into DH. That means we lose our only ranged weapon by default.

The bow doesn’t make any concessions when it comes to being effective at maximum range, so why does the Scepter? Am I the only one who feels this way?

Scepter is a short range weapon that works better when you are close to your target. In fact it is the single most powerful single target ranged weapon With torch for any power build and is guard strongest single target weapon. Just do not expect to use it at 600 plus range. Ideally, you want your target to stay in skill two symbol, which will require you to stay close.

Agree with everyone; and with zeal, it will still increase dmg/burning with out you in it; as I love choosing the spot of the symbol FOR supportive reasons for group. If you have HONOR spec’d there’s healing/boons for group there.

Once you change mindsent of thinking of it long range, and using it medium AND close range weap scepter becomes one of the best. View it basically like melee with more range. And an adaptive symbol with low CD.

The scepter buff made guardians incredibly versatile. With Right Hand Strength and a reliable source of fury, it is a beast of a weapon.