Guild Wars 2

I’ve been thinking about ways to improve the staff auto-attack. The short range on it has always bugged me. However people often use the current version to tag multiple mobs at once and probably wouldn’t be too happy about losing that. So I came up with an idea to allow for both.

Basically the staff #1 skill gets a range boost with a variable arc. If used without a target or on a target within 600 range the skill will behave exactly the same as it does now. If used on a target further away the arc will decrease so that the skill still covers the same area. At 900 range the skill would cover an 80 degree arc while at 1200 range the arc drops to 45 degrees.

If someone wants I can post the math for the new arc values but not going to bother unless someone asks.

I don’t think staff is ment to have 1200 range but 900 range I can get on board with, although I think variable arc is not the answer. Why not have it just hit a single target within 600-900 range, and 4 additional targets within 600 range? That wouldn’t change any of the current mechanics but would bring more versatile range. Having a varying arc would mean 3 basically different AA skills which change according to where your target is. That would just bring a whole set of new problems.

I don’t mean to put you down or anything, I just don’t think this would work.

The arc would vary as a continuum I just used discrete values as an example.

Fjaeldmark.9043:

The arc would vary as a continuum I just used discrete values as an example.

Well that would be better, thanks for clearing that up. Still not on board with 1200 range, though. We already have scepter and longbow for that purpose, even if they have their issues. I’d much rather like them to do something about those issues than plaster staff with 1200 range.

Staff 1 is arguably the best auto attack when it comes to zerg v zerg in WvW. A change is unnecessary.

It’s boring and it’s out of theme with what the rest of the weapon is (support), a change is very necessary. Auto-attacks aren’t there to be farming tools.

The 1200 range would be nice but it still doesn’t really solve the issue of it not doing anything supportive.

I’d prefer to give the wave a returning effect.

Outgoing wave → Damage
Returning wave → Minor AoE Heal

Think along the lines of the Chronomancer Shield #5 but as an auto-attack.
Of course numbers will have to be tweaked for it to not be an OP passive heal.

To address the range issue, you just need to fix staff#2 so that it doesn’t get stuck, forcing you to use #2b and put it on a 12sec CD.

I hope you are aware on how many guardians run staff in WvW…..

I would imagine it’s used a lot in WvW because of the semi-broken synergy it has with AH rather than what the staff itself does. Also because it’s a good farming stick.

Honestly one suggestion I have had for quite a while would be to do the following

1: Move the AA to the second spot, increase the CD to 3 seconds then increase the damage by 2-3 times and give it a beneficial effect.

2: Copy paste the trident #1 onto the number one staff spot then increase the healing and damage to a good level.

3: Make number 4 usable while moving & give it some offensive effect at the end (say an AOE blind or weakness)

4: Reduce the cool down on line of warding then give wards some damage or burning effect when an enemy crosses/tries to cross them (with all the stability/teleports in game anymore they could use some love)

Fashion Mage.3712:

I would imagine it’s used a lot in WvW because of the semi-broken synergy it has with AH rather than what the staff itself does. Also because it’s a good farming stick.

^ this.

The only place staff is really any good is wvw and mass open world due to the cleave.
(cleave which could easily have a low Cd if its damage numbers were increased)

Even then its a gimmick as unless your completely burn spec the damage is laughably low.
& if your completely burn spec GG that is the one place you will ever use that spec and gear.

Fashion Mage.3712:

I would imagine it’s used a lot in WvW because of the semi-broken synergy it has with AH rather than what the staff itself does. Also because it’s a good farming stick.

Might I remind you of Empower , Line of Warding, + Symbol of Swiftness?

Infusion.7149:

Might I remind you of Empower , Line of Warding, + Symbol of Swiftness?

Yes, I’ve considered those already. I use the staff quite a bit (in all gamemodes) even though I think it’s a mediocre weapon at best.
Ignoring AH, Empower is okay-ish (with healing power and % outgoing healing), and Line of Warding is also okay, but I’m not gonna pretend that SoS is any good. Other classes can already easily apply swiftness or just have a passive 25% movement speed buff, especially in WvW where you can just swap out weapons momentarily to cast a swiftness ability. On top of that, they can apply swiftness without having to stand on a stationary AoE. SoS is just a poor man’s Temporal Curtain to me, although at least it actually does something supportive unlike Wave of Farming.