(edited by Obtena.7952)
What I would like to see in Hammer abilities
Have you used a Hammer in any kind of PvP content?
“Come on, hit me!”
I guess some of my suggestions make it clear that I haven’t. No honestly, I haven’t used hammer in PVP environment. I wouldn’t mind hearing how it performs compared to PVE. I can imagine with the large damage and CC capability to immobilize, interrupt and grapple with some, it’s a decent option.
- is an escape move. Use it when you’re overwhelmed, then jump out. Or use it as a poor man’s sanctuary.
Look up some crithammer builds and also try speccing into honor. Take some traits that buff retaliation and then try it again – this time with a lot of frontline friends that will be wailing on your target right beside you.
I guess some of my suggestions make it clear that I haven’t. No honestly, I haven’t used hammer in PVP environment. I wouldn’t mind hearing how it performs compared to PVE. I can imagine with the large damage and CC capability to immobilize, interrupt and grapple with some, it’s a decent option.
It’s almost invaluable for a point defense build. I know I couldn’t play my build properly without it.
- is a bit slow, but good damage and an important Symbol.
- is good damage and combos nicely with said Symbol, as well as other fields.
- can be used to keep a distance (which is good when someone is attacking the point your defending) or to catch up to someone.
- knocks someone of the point, which is useful for both defending and assaulting a point. I’ve captured and neutralized points with the defender still alive because of it.
- is a great control option that can be used creatively.
“Come on, hit me!”
It’s also a very fun weapon for dungeons. The blast finisher on 2 lets you set off all kinds of powerful combos, 3 and 4 let you control mobs to keep them off your allies and 5 is good for (among many other things) slowing down large pulls at choke points.
I will say that I am not thrilled with the requirement to STOP moving while using #5. I would like to see it be a MUCH faster cast or allow us to cast while moving. This might be more viability to it.
Number 4 is neat, but very troublesome as it generally knocks the mob/player out of range. Yes it is useful on a highly situational basis, but it costs so much DPS for a paltry hit, long(ish) cooldown, and time lost chasing the mob/player. If the ability did HUGE damage, I could justify it. If the damage were 100-150% stronger, sure.
As for the autoattack, I find myself tapping escape to prematurely end the combo so I can hit faster. The week long swing time on the third hit from the autoattack is painful.
-Hate
As someone who uses the hammer almost exclusively (possibly now exclusively after the greatsword changes), I am against pretty much everything you said.
1. There is too much happening in #1 You have good damage, symbol DoT and protection boon all in a single ability with the added benefit that you get protection %100 uptime if you just spam it.
I don’t really see how this is a bad thing. The high Protection uptime and added Symbol damage are the reason the speed of the chain’s third step is palatable in the first place; it’s also pretty much the defining point of the hammer (hybrid offense and defense).
2. There isn’t enough happening in #5 I have to admit, I don’t get this one, especially if you have a root ability in #3 that also does damage. When I use it in PVE, it’s in combo with #4 for fun.
5 is amazing in PvP, especially in conjunction with 3: root a running target, then trap them in the ring for more DPS time (as a bonus, most players don’t seem to understand our wards, so they just repeatedly run into the ring and stun/interrupt themselves instead of turning to disable the Guardian). It’s also very good for zone control in both PvP and PvE (dungeons, specifically); you can create chokepoints or AoE kill zones more effectively than any other class.
3. The combo finisher with Symbol of Protection and Mighty Smash is weak I guess I’m not a big fan of retaliation. It’s already weak damage and it’s usefulness in team based application is questionable.
Retaliation is very powerful, as can be evidenced by ANet turning the greatsword kit on its head in order to, ostensibly, nerf Retaliation uptime. I wouldn’t mind if they changed the effect to something like Protection or Quickness, but it’s definitely not week as it is. Also, Mighty Blow isn’t specifically meant to combo with Symbol of Protection; a great deal of the hammer’s power comes from the consistency with which it can be used to trigger other’s combo fields.
4. #4 has limited application I feel it’s way too situational. Unless I’m missing a trick, I’m only using it when I feel overwhelmed by too many mobs or want to buy some time with a single mob fight. Even then, I don’t see it’s advantage over exercising more effective mob control options or healing abilities.
In conjunction with 5, it can give you quite a bit of breathing room against a melee opponent. It’s also an interrupt. It’s also hilarious to send things flying.
1. Move symbol to #5. Would give option to bring symbol forward in rotation and get a little more burst. I don’t think it would be unreasonable given the execution times in #1.
The cooldown on 5 is very long; this would be a much bigger nerf than the greatsword change, and I don’t think I would classify Symbols as “burst” damage.
2. Replace Total Retaliation with a stability or swiftness boon I would prefer stability myself. Hammer damage and support falls behind when the long execution times/chains are interrupted.
Swiftness is taken by the Lightning/Blast Field/Finisher combo, and Stability is way too powerful in PvP to be granted with that kind of regularity. Protection and Quickness probably are too, but it might work if they were for very short durations.
3. Add chill to #4 This would make a very situational tool more effective.
As this is a straight buff, it’s hard to say that this wouldn’t be welcome, but it’s also probably unnecessary.
(edited by Fredlicious.7523)
As much as I’d love for the blast to cause AoE stability, it’d definitely be OP. I would prefer a chilled mechanism come from the traits to affect wards in general, or perhaps a trait to make them cripple/weaken. Since the change to MB a lil’ ways back, the hammer has been a superb weapon to utilize, though I doubt it’s truly overcome the GS in PvE.
Number 4 could be an AE knockback instead of single target…. I would so love that… pretty please?
Number 4 could be an AE knockback instead of single target…. I would so love that… pretty please?
Oh, please no, I don’t want to be discriminated against when I’m in a large event just because some immature Guardians decided to troll the entire event with mass AoE knockbacks. People already freak out when I hit one away….
Two things.
#1: I would love to see the #4 hammer ability (knockback) hit up to three targets instead of one.
#2: be able to use The Hammer #5 ability while moving.