Guild Wars 2

I’d like to ask the ranger/druid community how often do you use Cosmic Ray and Seed of Life? Personally – not so much. I feel they are both very underwhelming tbh. They both suffer primarily from their tiny radius, the delay before impact and pretty low healing.

If these two skills would get the same radius as Lunar Impact, they would be in a much better position and I probably would start using them more. Cosmic Ray could use something more besides the straight up healing, be it damage, boon, condition, finisher, pet synergy… something.

But primarily – increase their radius!

Cosmic Ray would be fine if it was instant hit with an after cast.

Seed of Life I don’t know. Its numbers are good but unless they give it immobilize or knockdown on your own allies its hard to use ;-)
Perhaps if the seed could attach itself to an ally closest to its targeting centre it would be ok?

Aside from testing the #1 skill, I’ve only had one situation where I used it seriously, and that was today in spvp, used it to keep the lord (in the legacy map) alive long enough for our 2 cap to get us to 500 points. Given how much I’ve played Druid after HoT launch, it’s kinda pathetic that I’ve only had one situation to use it.

I still think they should merge the #1 and #2 skill for CA, animation of the #1 skill with the condi clear, radius and cd of the #2 skill. Then they could make a new “autoattack” (#1 skill), because the current one is plain terrible both balance wise and design wise. This would also fix the clunkyness of Seed of Life, I do like the field, but I’d rather have a faster and less awkward condi clear.

Justine.6351:

Cosmic Ray would be fine if it was instant hit with an after cast.

Better yes, fine – not sure. I still think the radius is way too small on both #1 & #2. Compare the feeling you get when you use Lunar Impact – that skill feels so nice; a very good heal, daze and blast finisher. I find myself using it many times for the daze alone, or the blast finisher alone.

1 and 2 just feels… meh. So, either increase their effectiveness (many ways to accomplish this), OR add something else to them. They could be merged like was suggested (but still improve them), then make #1 an autoattack that could behave much like axe #1, just to pick one example. It would primarily target allies, to heal each one it touches, but it could also bounce on enemies, making them burn or something. Just… something!

I only use Cosmic Ray and Seed of Life on myself, since I can predict my own pathing.

Both definitely need a radius increase if they are to be used on allies.

As others have said the long cast time/delay in heal/effect of these two skills, and the frankly sad radius on the cosmic ray means that the only time I have ever had success using them when the group stacks up to kill a boss in a fractal or dungeon.

Otherwise the skills are almost impossible to actually hit the mark.

Given Anet has said they wanted to lessen the stack and kill play style, I expect that I will never really use either of these skills in their current form.

The heal on cosmic ray is actually pretty good, it’s just really hard to hit. As I’ve said before, my biggest problem with it is that it is too similar to lunar impact. It’s the same thing minus the daze and blast finisher.

One cool thing I could think of for Seed of Life is either having a trait where, when it explodes, it attaches itself to allies who were in the area of affect and have it explode on them (maybe working on allies and enemies of 5 max targets, 2-3 second delay after attached to target with a maybe a 5 second IC?)

Or having the seed leave behind a pollen field that applies regen and/or clears conditions after the initial explosion. I think these would be awesome additions to the abilities.

The same thing could possibly be applied to Cosmic Ray where it leaves maybe a 2-3 second water field behind after it hits the ground, or leaves a healing aoe on the ground (like a guard) that remains on the ground until CA ends. Or have it leave behind like a “med kit” in the form of a seed that allies can pick up afterwards if they missed the initial heal.

pahahaha oh yeah lets buff druid even more, thats mental

If I could of I would have had cosmic ray basically be a purely healing but supercharged version of the staff one. it would be directed at mob your fighting and you would position yourself to heal anyone inbetween you and it.

Of course. That would also be VERY strong in pve. So I can see why they went with the way they did.

Always use CAF 2 before 3 for AoE retaliation

OGDeadHead.8326:

Justine.6351:

Cosmic Ray would be fine if it was instant hit with an after cast.

Better yes, fine – not sure. I still think the radius is way too small on both #1 & #2. Compare the feeling you get when you use Lunar Impact – that skill feels so nice; a very good heal, daze and blast finisher.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that Lunar Impact radius is borderline ridiculous. You don’t even need to aim the kitten thing and it will hit you, an ally, and half the enemy team in an spvp match. Surely you are not suggesting Cosmic Ray should be increased in radius to that point?

Justine.6351:

OGDeadHead.8326:

Justine.6351:

Cosmic Ray would be fine if it was instant hit with an after cast.

Better yes, fine – not sure. I still think the radius is way too small on both #1 & #2. Compare the feeling you get when you use Lunar Impact – that skill feels so nice; a very good heal, daze and blast finisher.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that Lunar Impact radius is borderline ridiculous. You don’t even need to aim the kitten thing and it will hit you, an ally, and half the enemy team in an spvp match. Surely you are not suggesting Cosmic Ray should be increased in radius to that point?

I’m not sure what I’m suggesting, I just feel that #1 and #2 as they are now aren’t working quite right. I like the idea of merging them, and give druid a new ‘autoattack’ for their #1. What that should be I honestly don’t know.

LegallyBinding.4937:

Always use CAF 2 before 3 for AoE retaliation

Good! And tbh, something I haven’t payed attention to. +1

OGDeadHead.8326:

Justine.6351:

OGDeadHead.8326:

Justine.6351:

Cosmic Ray would be fine if it was instant hit with an after cast.

Better yes, fine – not sure. I still think the radius is way too small on both #1 & #2. Compare the feeling you get when you use Lunar Impact – that skill feels so nice; a very good heal, daze and blast finisher.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that Lunar Impact radius is borderline ridiculous. You don’t even need to aim the kitten thing and it will hit you, an ally, and half the enemy team in an spvp match. Surely you are not suggesting Cosmic Ray should be increased in radius to that point?

I’m not sure what I’m suggesting, I just feel that #1 and #2 as they are now aren’t working quite right. I like the idea of merging them, and give druid a new ‘autoattack’ for their #1. What that should be I honestly don’t know.

I wouldn’t mind seeing a jesus beam that is channeled where ever you move your mouse ;-)

So instead of a ping, ping, ping CAF aa, it would be:

Channel for 3sec. Allies standing in target area you are channeling jesus beam are rapidly healed and enemies are rapidly minor damaged. Ya know, so I can go rampager/sharpended edges with jesus beam ;-)

The idea of rapid pulsing wrather than 1sec pulsing would be you landing much more frequently like a garden hose instead of a bucket.

OGDeadHead.8326:

LegallyBinding.4937:

Always use CAF 2 before 3 for AoE retaliation

Good! And tbh, something I haven’t payed attention to. +1

Don’t forget you can do this with traited glyphs, too, since they create a Seed of Life!

I almost never use skills 1, 2 or 5. When I use CAF it’s usually 4 then 3 then 4 then cancel CAF.

(#1) very rarely, I’d say never but that wouldn’t quite be accurate, it’s just very underwhelming.

(#2) depends, it’s 100% useless in PvE, and very situational in pvp, they need to make the thing blossom instantly.

My most common behaviour when dropping into CAF is to make Signet of Courage look like a joke with a Quickdraw Rejuvenating tides > Natural Convergence > Rejuvenating tides. Lunar impact is another reason I’ll use CAF.

Seed of Life I’ll use infrequently to cleanse condis. As a Ranger/Ele main I’m not too familiar with light fields, but I know they cleanse more condis so that’s good. Cosmic ray is a decent auto attack for burst healing/CC mode, if I feel I need to stay in CAF for longer than a short burst then I’ll weave Cosmic rays and seeds of life together as an “auto-attack”. That means I’m providing a small amount of healing to keep the team together the skills I’m banking on come of cooldown.

Put simply, #1 and #2 are perfect when it comes to purpose, I would argue that Cosmic ray is too difficult to hit with, but that’s the only problem I have with CAF itself. Seed of life is great as is.

Llethander.3972:

I almost never use skills 1, 2 or 5. When I use CAF it’s usually 4 then 3 then 4 then cancel CAF.

We’ve more than 2 skills in avatar form? Ooops I’ve never noticed :P
Just pushing 3 and 4 and fall out of my avatar form ^^

i use cosmic ray more for myself since i can predict my own pathing… i use seed of life seldom.
for the seed i would suggest this: whenever the seed is spawned, it spreads pollen in its radius to do the same effect it has now, but instantly. the pollen dissapears when the seed explode.
lunar impact and the #4 skill are perfect as they are imo.
i hardly ever use the #5 skill, excep for when i’m really confident that we’re winning the fight.

Cosmic Ray is completely useless and you should never ever use it. it’s a crappy 1k heal with 560 HP. I asked Irenio to increase its range, or eliminate the cast time. but for some strange reason, this skill was left untouched.

I was hoping SoL would receive a slightly increased range as well, but it’s overall very solid. it helps you bunk a point with its blinds. I spam it after LI if I’m getting trained.

Celestial 2 is the sleeper hit of Avater Form I think. Heal. Blind. Condi Cleanse. Light Field. 1 skill.

It could be made better with a small tweak or two. Larger radius would be nice Quality of life.

Celestial 1 needs a complete redesign. You’re wasting your and your groups time using this one.

I use 2,3,4,3,5

4 for the %15 more damage/condition damage.

I use 1 only if all other are on CD.