Guild Wars 2

Do any of you think it would be a good idea if certain triggered marks/scepter effect would stay longer on the ground, even if a trait choice is needed?

If the first runner of a zerg triggers your mark of blood/Chillbains, he’s the only one getting the effect. Instead of chilling 5 peoples, you only get the first one. So instead of using it as trap to be effective, you gotta stay in range and drop it on top for maximum effectivness.

A spell like those necro in TA, where Scepter #2 sticks on the ground for 5 sec, reapplying bleed and cripple to anyone in the area, is a fun ability and is devastating if you stay in it. Chillbain, instead of just a poison field, could stay 3-5 sec as a Ice field to chill people going through it. People would need to actually evade marks, right now they just trigger them( or even evade-trigger them, which waste all the mark’ AoE potential), run through and cleanse.

Been watching the ele video, and IMO what makes them better for AoE against zerg is the fact that it sticks for a while, really denying a place.

It is not to replace Wells, but to add even more Area Denial in a spec where wells are not really used.

I think the staff/scepter as a whole would bring more meaningful area denial.

Food for thoughts?

I like this idea just because if you don’t trigger a mark by casting it right on someone it is basically wasted as you can dodge trigger it with no consequence.

if not this then something needs to be done

maybe greater marks include undodgeable a well as unblockable.

perhaps allow players to dodge the direct damage but still apply the conditions

I would agree, if they would only apply once to each person, and not reapply or if they reapplied their own stacks. Taking Mark of Blood as an example, if you stood in its effect area for the full duration (lets say 5 seconds), you wouldn’t end up with 15 stacks of bleeds, but the 3 stacks of 8 seconds would be “refreshed” with each pulse. Otherwise these AoE effects become far too powerful for area denial.

You have to remember that they are currently balanced around the idea of a single application, if they could stack with themselves, then you start hitting issues. MoB again as an example, in PvE you could stack 25 bleeds on an area permanently. You could easily keep full poison, chill, and bleed uptime just using staff with some decent condition duration. AoE immobilize + Reaper’s Mark = 5 seconds of fear and 5k+ damage with terror.

So while I would agree if there were strict limitations put in, this very easily could become incredibly strong.

Yeah Mark of blood as is I can deal with it, non damaging effect could reapply though, like Regen. Just the chill of Chillblain etc. Reaper’s Mark would maybe be a little too OP if it reapplies constant fear, although peoples would need those stun breaker and evade at the right time, which frankly right now I dont think anyone need stunbreaker against us, it doesn’t do anything against our Immobilize/well bomb combo anyway.

Scepter #2 could be like the one in TA though, where it reapplies one bleed/cripple each sec. Peoples would actually need to get out of the zone. If I cast it at my feet, it would be acting as an offensive/defensive zone.

Limitations would be needed I can’t argue, it would be easy to go over the top.

If it reapplied stacks I’d be okay with it, otherwise the abilities would end up being nerfed in their instant use for the duration use. The problem being; is the area denial more useful and interesting as a gameplay mechanic than the way scepter 2 is now (damage and other things can always be fine tuned to balance, whereas mechanics are more about the gameplay). Not a bad idea at all, but it would involve a lot of thought on ANets part as to whether it warrants a change, and if this is the right change to make.

Truth is, I sometime wonders if our spell weren’t tone down in animation and execution at some point.

Just look at those Orr Necro, with multiple Bites animation, TA with those killer scepter moves, Traeherne with his multiple summoning and greatsword wielding skills, Fractal boss with hammer and marks

I wouldn’t even mind a damage nerf to compensate for cool animation that brings fear into the heart of our enemies, even if it’s mostly psychological damage hehe. Wasting a dodge because it looks threatening would be great!

It’d be nice when it happens once. It wouldn’t be so nice when you finally face someone who isn’t dumb and realizes you hit like a wet noodle, lol.