I wanted to see what ideas might be floating around for making spirit weapons (other than shield) viable for the guardian. Personally I think they are our weakest utilities next to a few signets. What would you like to see?
Here is my idea I already posted the following in the guardian collaborative development thread:
I would honestly love a complete rework on spirit weapons. What I would do with them:
Remove health, like the good old days. Reduce passive utility speed/effect, increase active skills effect/damage. Make weapons stay close to guardian (about 150 to 200 units of distance) and only attack the guardians targets. Reduce passive effect frequency. This makes them more like signets than pets with higher active/passive risk/reward than before. All caster traits and sigils should effect spirit weapons, including crit chance/proc. No boons or conditions (stun/daze/knockdown etc. would remove all but shield commands from caster for duration) should effect the spirit weapons themselves.
Sword of Justice:
Passive- Have sword attack casters target at a maximum range of 600 with a reduced frequency of 1 every 5 seconds. Sword launches from its resting position next to the caster towards the target for a very quick strike, then returns to resting position for next attack. Each attack is telegraphed by a pre-strike swoop. Same damage as before with 1 stack of bleed for 3 seconds per hit.
Command- Sword strikes target and hits enemies in a small aoe (3-5 enemies at a range of 150-200) causing increased damage and 5 stacks of bleed for 5 seconds. If too weak, add 1 second daze. (I prefer to start cautious)
Hammer of Wisdom:
Passive- Same basic attack mechanics as sword, attacking casters target up 600 units distance every 7.5 seconds. Very slight damage increase but have it give one strike instead of 3 hit chain. Different telegraph animation before strike than sword. 1 second knockdown on hit.
Command- Launch single target on hit, just like hammer #4. Big telegraph.
Bow of Truth:
Passive- Attack casters target (allow it to also activate on friendly if targeted during combat) at a distance of 1200 every 7 seconds. Attack bounces 3 times between enemies and/or allies (like focus #5). Does very slight damage and 1 second weakness to enemies, cures 1 condition and heal (250 hp base to about 450 hp with high healing power at lvl 80) per ally hit.
Command- Similar to what it is now, but make it ground target and add the same condition duration reduction to the field of effect that they are giving Purging Flames. Reduce base healing per tick to 75, and top it out around 130 with with high healing power (because why even have healing power as a stat if it is not used?)
Shield of the Avenger:
Passive-This is tough because it is the only really useful one currently. Passive activation would have to be reduced a bit to make up for its indestructibility, sorry. I would however have it activate on or very near the casters position, making it more useful (I would also have any projectile blocks activate any blocking traits the caster may happen to have too, and have that carry over to shield 5, sword 3 and sanctuary as well).
Command- Shield erupts at casters location, damage and knock back at a distance of 300 from caster, 6 seconds weakness at a distance up to 600 from caster. Stun-break. Retain slight damage for on crit procs and burning procs.
Traits:
Leave all traits in Zeal. Combine ‘A Fire Inside’ from radiance with ‘Wrathful Spirits’ and maybe tone down the damage increase a touch. Combine ‘Spirit Weapon Mastery’ with improved spirit weapon duration trait from virtues. Make new traits for radiance and virtues that aren’t related to spirit weapons.
I believe this makes spirit weapons not only more active, but a great tool against kiters and gives us some non-boon related support. We get some slight condition application with traits and sword, cc from hammer, support from bow and shield. Less support than shouts, less utility than consecrations, more cumbersome than meditations and less persistent than signets. They would have a very different style to them. I like where they could fit.