Guild Wars 2

Hello! Since the first preview week-end, lots of details emerged on the soulbeast, so I wanted to use that occasion to give some clarification on beast abilities, as they are now unique to soulbeast – since the most recent balance patch, core traits descriptions now use the term ‘beast ability’

I just created a wiki (rough version) to define that term, and include an extensive list of all abilities!

wiki/Beast Abilities

In short, beast abilities are the player controlled F skills

• When un-melded (or core ranger, or druid) the F2 is the beast utility, as it is the only pet ‘skill’ we can control- other F keys are profession mechanic ‘control’ keys and the other pet skills are ‘automatic’
• As soulbeast, when melded, F1-F2-F3 become player controlled skills, so they are the beast abilities

That means there are numerous traits that affect synergize with those skills!

Such traits are

• Invigorating Bond
• Go for the Eyes
• Wilting Strike
• Beastly Warden
• Live Fast (this one also works on un-melded F2!)

One minor trait I’m not sure yet if it affects melded soulbeast is the beastmastery minor Pack Alpha which reduces all pet skills (including F2) – logically, it should reduce melded F1-F2-F3, but the description does specifically mention pet skills and not beast ability, but we’ll have to wait for this weekend to know for sure!

I wasn’t too hyped by the Soulbeast but given the knowledge I’ve gained about it, its become my 3rd most hyped elite (behind scourge and deadeye).

How are the traits and utilities going to work into this?

The reason I ask is that on a pet some are fine, but if they scale up to use players stats will be intersting.

Like Sic Em – 40% dmg, 40% movement speed. For 10 seconds, on a 40 second cd. 2000 range.

As I main Ranger / Druid this is all very interesting. I’m more excited for this than I was Druid tbh.

ProtoMarcus, thank you so much for your work on the wiki, I know you have done things before for our class and it helps theorycrafters like myself and others immesurably when we are trying to find combinations to put together.

Cheers!

Oh, hahaha, Wilting Strike is definitely going to get a cooldown now! And Invigorating Bond may actually be useful now… May.

Are we sure about that ? I remember very well on that AP raw video that when she hovers on Crippling Anguish of the Iboga in BeastMode, it doesn’t say ’’Beast’’, but when she does on the F3, it’s written ’’Beast’’. Balance wise, it would make sense.

If it’s like you say OP, then yes, Beast traits are getting way more interesting, but harder to control the effects from the traits. Exemple, Crippling Anguish is a 5 sec cooldown skill, will I want to waste my Beastly Warden just because I want to spam the skill ?

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Crippling_Anguish

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Invigorating Bond may actually be useful now… May.

Was thinking using it with the Owl or other supportive related pets, like the Jacaranda. Spiritual Reprieve + Invigorating Bond = 6.8k heal, Photosynthesize + Invigorating Bond = 5k heal.

While I can’t be sure of it myself I think you got one big thing wrong:

F1 F2 F3 were not called “Beast” skill in their tooltips while I was looking through all the pets. Only F4 had “beast” written in the tooltip.
I think for a good reason. They don’t want us to spam our enemys with all these perks we get with them the whole time.

Krispera.5087:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Invigorating Bond may actually be useful now… May.

Was thinking using it with the Owl or other supportive related pets, like the Jacaranda. Spiritual Reprieve + Invigorating Bond = 6.8k heal, Photosynthesize + Invigorating Bond = 5k heal.

Mmmmmhmmm! Looks pretty nice eh? Semi-support is a nice option.

Ranys.4028:

While I can’t be sure of it myself I think you got one big thing wrong:

F1 F2 F3 were not called “Beast” skill in their tooltips while I was looking through all the pets. Only F4 had “beast” written in the tooltip.
I think for a good reason. They don’t want us to spam our enemys with all these perks we get with them the whole time.

So much this.

The tooltips I recorded from Peachy’s video alone indicated only 1 Beast skill; the one granted by the classification of the pet merged (supportive, etc).

Beast skills aren’t the skills the pet gives us when they merge, they are only a single skill that the pet gives us. The game also appears to classify the F2 as a beast skill now iirc from the demo.

In the demo you couldn’t actually merge with your pet but the pet panel listed all the Soulbeast skills from each pet when selected and showed which Beast skill they gave the ranger when merged and which stat buffs they gave. I’ll use the example Irenio gave in the blog, the fern hound gives the supportive beast skill (the same Beast skill given by the Jacaranda) and gives support stats iirc. The drake hound gives the Worldly Impact Beast skill when merged and the Ferocious buff. The white moa gives the Primary Cry beast skill when merged and the Deadly buff.

Another example is the brown bear. When merged with it, you get Defy Pain as one of your skills but it is not labeled as a Beast skill. The brown bear’s beast skill when merged is Spiritual Reprieve and it gives the Supportive buff (vitality and healing).

The F1 and F2 skills when merged are not classified as Beast skills, only the F3 skill when merged or the pet’s F2 skill are Beast skills. You won’t be causing AoE blind or weakness or taunt every time you hit F1 or F2 while merged, it’s only when you use a Beast skill which is either F3 when merged or F2 on your pet.

Ranys is correct.

Ranys.4028:

While I can’t be sure of it myself I think you got one big thing wrong:

F1 F2 F3 were not called “Beast” skill in their tooltips while I was looking through all the pets. Only F4 had “beast” written in the tooltip.
I think for a good reason. They don’t want us to spam our enemys with all these perks we get with them the whole time.

I believe you are absolutely correct, was super tired and really didn’t double check, what a horrible mistake O_O

I’m correcting the page to list the Unique F2 pet skills (unmelded beast skills) and edit the description

Thanks a lot for the feedback (and gods, my bad)

Update – Done. Whew. All unique F2 skills.

Also, I’m pretty sure the F3 melded beast abilities will have differences underwater

Guys, don’t forget to test underwater stuff during preview!

Huh, none of the skills seem to grant stealth. Was hoping my Jaguar would be useful for something again.

Great job on the wiki. Fantastic work and effort.

Chiming in on the underwater information collection; you’ll only be able to get that info from WvW for people not aware. No elite specs for PvE and no underwater in PvP.