Guild Wars 2

What are your predictions for the sandshroud skills (1-5) and Torch skills (1-3, assuming mainhand weapon)?

My prediction:

• Sandshroud

1) Life Blast changed to Sand Blast
A 600 frontal cone shaped sand wave attack, something similar in design to the Guardian’s torch 5 skill, that applies bleed and cripple on hit

2) Dark Path changed to Sand Burrow
A 900 range traveling skill that allows you to burrow underground, granting invulnerability for the duration of the travel. Can be interrupted though during the burrowing phase. Does 180 radius AOE blind while burrowing, and a 180 radius AOE blind again when coming out of the ground. Similar to the scorpion siege in EOTM workshop.

3) Doom changed to Sand Cage
A versatile skill that has a double cast, similar to current Reaper Shroud 3. First cast grants the user a Sand Cage armor that applies protection boon and bleeds enemies who attacks you while the armor is active. Second cast transfers the Sand Cage armor to the opponent and becomes a 600 range 300 AOE prison for 4 seconds that an opponent will need stability to get out of, something similar to the DH’s Longbow 5 or hammer 5. Opponents take bleed and burning damage per pulse if they remain in the AOE prison.

4) Life transfer change to Sand Storm
Transform into a spinning sand storm nightmare. Grants stability for the duration of the storm. Opponents are crippled and bled per hit from the sand storm.

5) Tainted Shackles change to Sand Tomb
Opponents hit by this skill are encased in a sand tomb, stun duration of 2 seconds, bleed and poison stacks on hit.

• Torch (assuming mainhand weapon)

1) Soul-fire link
A 900 range channeled continuous attack that hits by pulses, similar to the druid staff 1 or mesmer GS 1. Causes a flaming link animation that does burning damage per pulse.

2) Soul-fire chains
A 600 range 300 radius AOE immobilize skill that causes chains to erupt from the ground, tying the enemies down and setting them on fire. Causes burning and immobilize on hit.

3) Soul-fire thirst
Set yourself alight with your torch, doing 180 radius aoe burns per pulse, consume 1 condition and heal per pulse.

This is what i see coming:
Wraith shroud – based upon the icon for the 1st minor trait we saw which shows a fear looking icon with jagged teeth

-life blast becomes a 3 chain 600 ranged aa similar how scepter works. The chain deals low power dmg and is super fast, taking 1 sec to complete, the 1st and 2nd chain skills apply cripple and the 3rd a short burn and torment.

-dark pact becomes a 600 range inverse rush (like ele has on staff in fire attunement) that evades for 0.5 sec and leaves a trail which causes blindness and torment to enemies who cross it.

-doom becomes a two part skill (like reaper s. 3 is), on 1st activation you gain a buff for 5 sec which causes all enemies who hit you in melee range to get weakness and torment. You can detonate this skill (again like reaper) to place a aoe smoke field on top of you that pulses blindness and burning. this can last for ~3 sec.

-file transfer becomes a channeling skill that makes you unable to move (like churning earth for ele) and pulses conditions in a large aoe around you(larger than life transfer). the closer the enemy is to you the more conditions he gets: enemies that are 300 or less units of you get burning blindness and torment with each pulls, 300-600 get burning and torment, 600-750 get torment(the range is just to give an idea of how it would work do not take the numbers literally).

-tainted shackles become a single target ranged debuff you place on 1 enemy. When ever this enemy misses an attack due to the blind condition he gets feared for 1 sec. the debuff has an icd of 2 sec (so the enemy cannot fear himself more than once ever 2 sec) and lasts for 8 seconds or until the enemy moves 600 units away from you.

Trait would involve augmenting blindness (for example ‘blindness deals dmg when it causes an attack to miss – scales of your condition damage stat’),traits that help you stay mobile and survive soft cc (cripple, chill, ect), as well as traits that are to do with condition damage.

Utility skills would have something to do with touching enemies (basically melee ranged touch spells, a call back to gw1 and also cos lots of leaked icons have skeletal hands in them).
Think something like ‘touch a target enemy and mark him for 4 sec, causing all critical hits against him to apply torment for 2 sec’ or ‘touch a target foe, blind him and heal yourself, gaining additional health for each unique condition that is on him’ or maybe something like this for the elite ’ touch a foe to mark him for 3 sec, apply x stack of burning, and deal y damage for each burn stack that is on him. If he gets downed while he is marked he instantly dies’ and call it touch of death.

Idk about torch, you poke enemies with it and light them on fire?

I would say things will stick to a trend we have seen in general:

• Shroud 1: Generic attack. Either without a condi and a high power coeff or vica versa. If its no condi then it will be fast, if it is it will be medium or slow because dhuumfire.
• Shroud 2: Movement skill with condi attached.
• Shroud 3: Fear/ flip skill with fear.
• Shroud 4: Multihit attack because transfusion.
• Shroud 5: Some form of CC either soft or hard.
• One of the above will grant LF.

@EremiteAngel : Sroud skills seem legit, though shrd#1 would most likely be like guardian staff#1. Torch main hand is unlikely but we can dream.

@Foste : that would make the specialization absolutely worthless against anything that got a breakbar… Seem legit!

@Sigmoid : that’s the gist of it.

Let’s try my own fantasy :

Shroud come with the ability to maintain up to 3 demons (same as mesmer with illusions). Sand demon are like clones while greater sand demon are like fantasms. Sand demons disapear upon leaving the shroud. A trait bleed enemies close to the sand demons when they disapear or are killed.

Shrd#1 : 3 hit chain auto attack like the mesmer’s scepter auto attack. Leave a sand demon on third hit.
Shrd#2 : summon a sand demon next to your foe. Allow you to switch place with this demon.
Shrd#3 : Shatter your sand demons inflicting fear to your foe and your sand demon’s foe if it’s in mele range.
Shrd#4 : Summon a sand storm around you, doing damage and blinding your ennemies with every tic. very long CD.
Shrd#5 : Summon a greater sand demon that blind it’s foe and do medium damage (rebound 2 time).

Torch (off-hand)
Skill#4 : send a green fire bolt that corrupt up to 3 boon and blind the foe (alos does minimal damage.
Skill#5 : cleanse 1 condition to up to 5 allies in the radius and remove 1 boon to up to 5 foes in the radius.

All I want is useful and viable options and don’t care even if they are boring or lack finesse. A lot of burning and cc and defensive options on torch and shroud to make condi crazy op is all I wanna see.
Want necro best pve/pvp damage, anything less I already have…

All I want is a pure condi spec, so they can then make a few changes to Reaper and make it a pure high damage power spec.

I think the utility skills might be “Desecrations” like guardian consecration only the exact opposite and tuned for condi’s and group support. What i would love to get are interesting skills that are usefull for condi soloplay as well as group play, as well as being meaningful even in pvp. Desecrations would have a 5-7 sec base duration (increased by traits maybe?), would cause negative and unique effects while foes stand inside and also an effect if a target inside the desecration gets hit:

Heal:

• Lair of the Beast: Heal for yourself. Reduces healing for all enemies inside by 20%. Allies that hit targets siphon life (icd per attacker)

Utility:

• Tainted Ground: Incoming Condition Duration increased by 20%. Allies that hit targets in the area cause Torment.

• Unholy Sanctuary: Boons expire twice as fast, allies hitting foes in the area corrupt a boon (icd per attacker)

• Blighted Field: Enemies can’t evade or block, hitting enemies causes a blight fiend pet to spawn for a limited time (icd per foe, minions all under necro controll) the attacks of the fiends cause poison, looking like small scorpions that attack ranged

• Corroding Conflagration: Weakness and Vulnerability is 50% more effective, enemies are burned on hit.

Elite:

• Devouring Sands: Conditions expire twice asfast, but deal 125% increased damage, attacks cause heave bleeding, fear(icd) and immob (icd)

Torch of course would have a decent stun or root to synergize with the utilities, maybe a skill #4 like agonizing flames: enemy suffers burning and torment each second for 4 seconds, the target gets CCed in sequence: first tick cripple, then chill, then immob, then stun. And a skill #5 that causes a fiery sandstorm with heavy conditions, or some fiery ritual circle on the ground.

We can still dream :P

inb4 Gaara from naruto

I highly doubt it would be a mainhand weapon.

Skill 4: Some sort of fiery aoe condition cleanse/boon corrupt
Skill 5: Create a square shaped field of green fire below you causing burning, chill and damage with each pulse.

I saw a image of the specializzation and if i don’t remember wrong it was in the right hand. But the img could be as a mirror, then it could be a offhand…

I read in a leaked link that the elite will cast a “jar” that will adsorb all the LF you collect and the soul of every enemy that die near it. Then tehre will be skills to move it and an Fx that will grant you all the LF collected, granting you a sort of Shroud that will empower you (but don’t know if it will reduce the damage or will adsorb the damage as the actual shroud do).

Said that, it will be similar to the revenant Legendary centaure stance with the Tablet. But don’t know if it will be more moveable or lesser.

Basicly, for what i read (and that was really poor informations) we’ll obtain a strong but extremely immobile elite specializzation, maybe able to ground control effects, as the engi turret was tome ago, or as the centaur stance had to be for the revenant.

if that will be true, we’ll obtain a broken unworking mechanic for a new elite specializzation and another mechanic that will be bad, then will be really extremely strong and then again nerfed to the ground.

And no, i don’t think ANet will ever fix all our movement and defensive problems. We’re supposed to be slow, with no/low stability and with mediocre damage. We’re an attrition class, and the Only chained to it’s theme.

Silv.9207:

I saw a image of the specializzation and if i don’t remember wrong it was in the right hand. But the img could be as a mirror, then it could be a offhand…

I read in a leaked link that the elite will cast a “jar” that will adsorb all the LF you collect and the soul of every enemy that die near it. Then tehre will be skills to move it and an Fx that will grant you all the LF collected, granting you a sort of Shroud that will empower you (but don’t know if it will reduce the damage or will adsorb the damage as the actual shroud do).

Said that, it will be similar to the revenant Legendary centaure stance with the Tablet. But don’t know if it will be more moveable or lesser.

Basicly, for what i read (and that was really poor informations) we’ll obtain a strong but extremely immobile elite specializzation, maybe able to ground control effects, as the engi turret was tome ago, or as the centaur stance had to be for the revenant.

if that will be true, we’ll obtain a broken unworking mechanic for a new elite specializzation and another mechanic that will be bad, then will be really extremely strong and then again nerfed to the ground.

And no, i don’t think ANet will ever fix all our movement and defensive problems. We’re supposed to be slow, with no/low stability and with mediocre damage. We’re an attrition class, and the Only chained to it’s theme.

The soul jar leak was a fake. That entire leak was just a ploy for the poster to gain a killing flipping sawgill mushrooms.

Silv.9207:

I saw a image of the specializzation and if i don’t remember wrong it was in the right hand. But the img could be as a mirror, then it could be a offhand…

I read in a leaked link that the elite will cast a “jar” that will adsorb all the LF you collect and the soul of every enemy that die near it. Then tehre will be skills to move it and an Fx that will grant you all the LF collected, granting you a sort of Shroud that will empower you (but don’t know if it will reduce the damage or will adsorb the damage as the actual shroud do).

Said that, it will be similar to the revenant Legendary centaure stance with the Tablet. But don’t know if it will be more moveable or lesser.

Basicly, for what i read (and that was really poor informations) we’ll obtain a strong but extremely immobile elite specializzation, maybe able to ground control effects, as the engi turret was tome ago, or as the centaur stance had to be for the revenant.

if that will be true, we’ll obtain a broken unworking mechanic for a new elite specializzation and another mechanic that will be bad, then will be really extremely strong and then again nerfed to the ground.

And no, i don’t think ANet will ever fix all our movement and defensive problems. We’re supposed to be slow, with no/low stability and with mediocre damage. We’re an attrition class, and the Only chained to it’s theme.

Well, Crinn said it it was a fake leak to change the market. However, I’m impressed, I didn’t thought about the ventari mechanism that almost every revenant already complain about. So it could actually be worse then the worst thing I could think about!!! Truly impressive!

I still hope the new shroud will be a mummy shroud that would fit thematically better then a simple “sandshroud” (and with that the sand theme would still be fine). Pure sand is more of an ele thing in my opinion.

My hope is that the torch is support focused, medium range AoE weapon creates damage shields which let the scourge heal shielded people by doing it’s own damage. Torch 4 will give an ally a sand armor or aura which provides boons fitting the theme (not sure what boons yet). Torch 5 will blast the area in AoE fire and change the sand armor into a diamond damage shield. (kitteneesy but working on it)

I hope the actual sand shroud brings a different feel of damage focus than core and reaper shroud. Maybe it could have a witch doctor, melee skirmish fighter style feel where you quickly engage, dehabilitate in some way (torment) disengage then repeat. Or it could be how I imagine Palawa Joko fights based on his image in the wiki. Melee fighter, not skirmish like, less tanky than reaper but torments and cripples. My vote is like Palawa Joko if it’s not too OP.

Edit: Why did it automatically change the word che eesy into kittensy? I never knew the meaning of that word till now.

So long as it can be used for both condi and power builds (even if catering to/favoring condi) and it’s “fun/interesting” I’m down with whatever.

i expect more plague and pestilence than sand
sand just doesn’t fit the theme of necro, we’re all about shadow blood and darkness,
sand is more eles thing.

i imagine we’ll be able to spread condis around quickly and be a real “scourge” to the enemy

i don’t really see the sand theme though.

The sand thing doesn’t really make sense, but it seems to be the route that they’re going in. According to leakers, the sand shroud thing is gonna give barriers which absorb damage to allies. So apparently it’s tank/support.

Fashion Mage.3712:

The sand thing doesn’t really make sense, but it seems to be the route that they’re going in. According to leakers, the sand shroud thing is gonna give barriers which absorb damage to allies. So apparently it’s tank/support.

kek, now I imagine something like: Absorb 33% damage for 5sec/5 players/360 radius/90sec cd
:D

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

Sigmoid.7082:

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

I’m ok with sand, but I still cringe when I see Dragon hunter, so unfitting for guardian… There is absolutely nothing dragon in the DH

mazut.4296:

Sigmoid.7082:

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

I’m ok with sand, but I still cringe when I see Dragon hunter, so unfitting for guardian… There is absolutely nothing dragon in the DH

I agree actually. Guard to DH was…hmm
Necro to Scourge…sounds great…but sand based? Hopefully like the other poster above mentioned, its more like pestilence egyptian style

EremiteAngel.9765:

mazut.4296:

Sigmoid.7082:

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

I’m ok with sand, but I still cringe when I see Dragon hunter, so unfitting for guardian… There is absolutely nothing dragon in the DH

I agree actually. Guard to DH was…hmm
Necro to Scourge…sounds great…but sand based? Hopefully like the other poster above mentioned, its more like pestilence egyptian style

If anything, that may come from the fact that nightfall’s undead are mostly awakened statues. Simply speaking the spirit possess a lump of sculpted earth/iron/gold. This could be a decent explanation. Hwever, I got no explanation or theory for them associating this thing to the name “scourge”. Thought I also got some issue associating “scourge” with any kind of support especially the forementioned support via “barrier” that absorb damage.

I think people are piling a lot of their idea onto a blurry concept from which we only reliably got the name. It’s fun to have some idea but it’s dangerous to take them from granted.

Dadnir.5038:

EremiteAngel.9765:

mazut.4296:

Sigmoid.7082:

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

I’m ok with sand, but I still cringe when I see Dragon hunter, so unfitting for guardian… There is absolutely nothing dragon in the DH

I agree actually. Guard to DH was…hmm
Necro to Scourge…sounds great…but sand based? Hopefully like the other poster above mentioned, its more like pestilence egyptian style

If anything, that may come from the fact that nightfall’s undead are mostly awakened statues. Simply speaking the spirit possess a lump of sculpted earth/iron/gold. This could be a decent explanation. Hwever, I got no explanation or theory for them associating this thing to the name “scourge”. Thought I also got some issue associating “scourge” with any kind of support especially the forementioned support via “barrier” that absorb damage.

I think people are piling a lot of their idea onto a blurry concept from which we only reliably got the name. It’s fun to have some idea but it’s dangerous to take them from granted.

First thing I thought of when I heard Scourge was “the Scourge of Vabbi” aka Palawa Joko, the undead lich lord. I’m fairly sure that’s what Anet wants us to think.

Lahmia.2193:

Dadnir.5038:

EremiteAngel.9765:

mazut.4296:

Sigmoid.7082:

mazut.4296:

EremiteAngel.9765:

I’m guessing the sand theme probably has to do with the new leaked desert related maps.

Then how is Reaper tied to HoT ?!?! Chill and jungle, mhm but anyway, story driven skills sound cool. we had many such skills in gw1.

Well we did have dragon hunter as a name so why not sand as a theme.

I’m ok with sand, but I still cringe when I see Dragon hunter, so unfitting for guardian… There is absolutely nothing dragon in the DH

I agree actually. Guard to DH was…hmm
Necro to Scourge…sounds great…but sand based? Hopefully like the other poster above mentioned, its more like pestilence egyptian style

If anything, that may come from the fact that nightfall’s undead are mostly awakened statues. Simply speaking the spirit possess a lump of sculpted earth/iron/gold. This could be a decent explanation. Hwever, I got no explanation or theory for them associating this thing to the name “scourge”. Thought I also got some issue associating “scourge” with any kind of support especially the forementioned support via “barrier” that absorb damage.

I think people are piling a lot of their idea onto a blurry concept from which we only reliably got the name. It’s fun to have some idea but it’s dangerous to take them from granted.

First thing I thought of when I heard Scourge was “the Scourge of Vabbi” aka Palawa Joko, the undead lich lord. I’m fairly sure that’s what Anet wants us to think.

But then “sand” make a lot of sense

Brothers and sisters! Remember your vow to The Order. “Time, life, truth”. Our order experimented with elementals to create a new kind of minions. Have you forgot Aziure? Sand could be our future if our work succed! However The Order is ever advancing towards the depths of magic. We could possibly discover new ways of “tormenting” our enemies. Torment, poison, bleed and more formulas to block, stun, immobilize our future guinea pigs. Let the others play with their childish formulas. We shall illuminate the world with new life and knowledge and bring fire and death upon those who oppose us. “Time, life, truth” brothers and sisters. Remember the vow.

XD okok sorry but don’t forget the Order guys. In gw we helped Aziure during a ritual with icy elementals. Who knows if this sand rumor turn out to be real and we combine elementalism with necromancy? About the torch i think it will combine with scepter so it will be offhand. Looking what scepter does i say we get more condis and at least a 5 cc skill/high condition maybe an aoe that stun or immobilize. While the other a vulnerability skill that inflict poison or a new condition that they will introduce with this new elite. For the extra skills i think something like cleaning condis from ourselves and our allies and new condis included with the expansion.

I think that an utility that fit the scourge idea would be in between banner and spirits. I kinda like the idea of corrupting an area, weakening the ennemies that step in.

just pocket-sand.

No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI…… Pl0x?…

Famine.7915:

No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI… No AI…… Pl0x?…

But then how will I kill things with no skill?

How do I kill….that which has no life