Guild Wars 2

I know everyone is crying over the condi Necro so I guess my timing is bad, oh well.

Focus #4 is okay but #5 is not too useful in PvE because most mobs don’t have boons: Spinal Shivers – Chill your target and remove up to three boons, dealing extra damage based on the number of boons removed.

My idea: In PvE, this skill should deal the maximum damage and chill 2 more foes near the initial target (300 radius) IF the target has vulnerability!

Thoughts, ideas?

That does sound better, but my guess is that Anet would not want to drop the boon removal part. Also, the cast time is something that really kills the skill in all game modes imo. Should be 1/2 or 3/4 and not 1s. Wouldn’t even need to trade it for damage or anything because Corrupt Boon basically does the same thing better on a lower cooldown, just without the chill and damage. If necessary, could reduce the amount chill and/or damage it applies by a bit.

Focus is nice in my opinion, but it could use some love, making #5 aoe (affecting targets in 360 range of enemy hit for example) and #4 giving might or fury or vigor instead of regen.

Pelopidas.2140:

Focus is nice in my opinion, but it could use some love, making #5 aoe (affecting targets in 360 range of enemy hit for example) and #4 giving might or fury or vigor instead of regen.

4 has always been a hit or miss skill and honestly needs to be looked at how its projectile pathing works. IT could also be visually updated more so you can actually see it. the cast time on 5 should be shorter and the focus trait in spite has always been in question with me honestly :/

NovaanVerdiano.6174:

That does sound better, but my guess is that Anet would not want to drop the boon removal part.

They don’t have to drop it, I actually want them to keep it for PvP but add the extra effect I mentioned for PvE only… Because most mobs don’t have boons.

Also, I don’t PvP but I can imagine the annoyance because of the long cast time. It could be halved.

ZDragon.3046:

and the focus trait in spite has always been in question with me honestly :/

Exactly.

Personally, I like the AoE Chill. I honestly think that’s all it really needs, to be changed from a single-target skill to an AoE skill similar to Dagger 5. Keep the Boon removal, there are some PvE enemies that get/have Boons but keep the damage consistant and just make it an AoE that Chills and removes up to 3 Boons, rather than the damage scaling per Boon on the target.

As for Focus 4, I feel like instead of the Vulnerability it should be a Condition remover. Keep it how it functions now, make it easier to see of course, but allow it to remove up to 3 Conditions while we gain a stack of Regen per Conditions transferred. Honestly, Vulnerability is stupid easy for me to cap in any given fight and most of it primarily comes from Shroud (which is, of course, what I want to be in as often as possible), not to mention it’s a bit redundant to put Vulnerability on a skill that has a slightly hefty CD, which means you won’t be stacking Vulnerability and only using it to open up brief windows of slightly more damage opportunity. Axe 1 would be best at stacking Vulnerability if that’s your biggest concern, or Shroud 1 (with the proper Trait), or just being in Shroud near an enemy (with the proper Trait), or GS 3 (up to 12 stacks of Vulnerability per strike and can actually be spammed given the right Trait). Chill can even apply Vulnerability (which is a Trait I do run) so in all honesty it’s pretty stupid to put Vulnerability on any off-hand skill.

To recap (cuz I talk too much): Focus 4 should transfer up to 3 Conditions and give you a stack of Regen per Condition transferred (doesn’t increase the Regen amount, just the Boon duration per stack) and Focus 5 should be an AoE the size of Dagger 5 that Chills enemies within it and removes (or converts) up to 3 Boons. Seems pretty balanced to me.

I doubt they are going to change its functionality with a split. The game becomes a confusing mess when you do that like gw1 was.

IMO Focus need a bit buff across all game mode.

Skill4 projectile speed increase
Skill5 cast time reduce to 3/4s and hit ups to 3 foes