Guild Wars 2

Dunno if this has been suggested before, but here it goes:

I propose axing the stabbing animation on Hornet Sting (renaming the skill to Hornet’s Defense or something appropriate) and merging the associated damage into Monarch’s Leap.

Why: If I want that evade, I want it NOW, not .5s later. I can’t really count on Serpent’s Strike due to the length of CD.

Other benefits: It also improves sword mobility. I mean, I find that people with swiftness can still outrun you even if you use HS+turn around+ML, assuming you don’t have swiftness yourself. This also gives sword some burst aside from pairing it with offhand axe. I think this will also offer some counter-play and even improve skill ceiling. The evade serves as a tell for ML, but you can HS, then attempt to bait out your target’s dodge, and finally hit ’em hard with the improved ML.

Potential downside: The improved ML will probably make GS look worse, but that’s a separate topic altogether.

Thoughts?

Sarision.6347:

Dunno if this has been suggested before, but here it goes:

I propose axing the stabbing animation on Hornet Sting (renaming the skill to Hornet’s Defense or something appropriate) and merging the associated damage into Monarch’s Leap.

Why: If I want that evade, I want it NOW, not .5s later. I can’t really count on Serpent’s Strike due to the length of CD.

Other benefits: It also improves sword mobility. I mean, I find that people with swiftness can still outrun you even if you use HS+turn around+ML, assuming you don’t have swiftness yourself. This also gives sword some burst aside from pairing it with offhand axe. I think this will also offer some counter-play and even improve skill ceiling. The evade serves as a tell for ML, but you can HS, then attempt to bait out your target’s dodge, and finally hit ’em hard with the improved ML.

Potential downside: The improved ML will probably make GS look worse, but that’s a separate topic altogether.

Thoughts?

I agree that the delay on the evade is annoying, but taking away the backward leap would be a mistake, this is where ranger mobility comes from in multiple game modes.

Remove the backwards leap all together, move the evade to the forward leap, lower the cooldown.

It would be better for mobility and you could remove the animations from sword 1 without losing the “stickiness” of main hand sword.

Someone mentioned once the idea of these 2 skills flipping until used. I really liked that idea. I also agree that cast time for the dodge roll sucks!

While I can appreciate the effort to bring additional mobility to the ranger, this change would hurt a great many players, myself included.

The current attack system has a great many uses. It can be used as a solid evade, a gap closer, a bigger gap closer, a gap maker, an escape, a great finisher, a kite method, etc.

The delay, while not ideal, is what allows this skill to have such a short cooldown and be so amazing. Please, please, leave it alone.

Sarision.6347:

Dunno if this has been suggested before, but here it goes:

I propose axing the stabbing animation on Hornet Sting (renaming the skill to Hornet’s Defense or something appropriate) and merging the associated damage into Monarch’s Leap.

Why: If I want that evade, I want it NOW, not .5s later. I can’t really count on Serpent’s Strike due to the length of CD.

Other benefits: It also improves sword mobility. I mean, I find that people with swiftness can still outrun you even if you use HS+turn around+ML, assuming you don’t have swiftness yourself. This also gives sword some burst aside from pairing it with offhand axe. I think this will also offer some counter-play and even improve skill ceiling. The evade serves as a tell for ML, but you can HS, then attempt to bait out your target’s dodge, and finally hit ’em hard with the improved ML.

Potential downside: The improved ML will probably make GS look worse, but that’s a separate topic altogether.

Thoughts?

I fully agree with this, and it has been brought up before. I want that evade NOW, and I’ll gladly get rid of the damage part if necessary.
All evades should be instant cast, and work instantaneously. They should be a mechanic to react to what your opponent is doing without some weird delays, and not only be useful in boring pve fights where you know what’s coming since you’ve learned the encounter(s).

This also carries over to the auto attack chain of sword #1 – evades and dodges should override the kitten chain, no excuses.

So yes, I’d give you a thousand +1 for this suggestion if possible.

I don’t think I have explained this properly, and I apologize.

When I meant axing the stab animation, I did not mean the rollback animation as well. In other words, the new HS will behave like Ele’s Burning Retreat.

Sarision.6347:

I don’t think I have explained this properly, and I apologize.

When I meant axing the stab animation, I did not mean the rollback animation as well. In other words, the new HS will behave like Ele’s Burning Retreat.

I for one fully understood that.

I think your statement might need additional clarification.

Current:
Activate Sting- Deal damage, evade back
(wait up to 2.5 seconds)
Activate Leap -Leap forward, deal damage, cripple.

Yours:
Activate ‘Sting’-Evade back
(wait up to 2.5 seconds)
Activate Leap – Leap forward, deal damage (Perhaps additional), cripple

Is that what you meant?

^Yeah.

TL;DR version: Remove the stabbing on HS and buff ML damage to compensate.

In that case, I’d even be fine with taking the hit to the damage. A low-cd evade with leap finisher and the utility mentioned before is worth the hit to the damage output imho!

Eurantien.4632:

Someone mentioned once the idea of these 2 skills flipping until used. I really liked that idea. I also agree that cast time for the dodge roll sucks!

I suggested that a while back.

You would use Hornet’s Sting, then it would flip to become Monarch’s Leap, but not time out and flip back to go on CD. Would basically be two skills in the same slot, each with it’s own CD.

That way you can use it as it is now or ‘setup’ a Monarch’s leap as an opener, in which case, after you used the opener, Hornet’s Sting would flip back and be ready for use immediately, only Monarchs would be on CD.

I would absolutely love that.

^That sounds interesting; it does give you more control.

And all they would need to do is give Monarch’s Leap an 8s CD and remove the time out after casting Hornet’s Sting. Literally no drawbacks to having it this way, well, you would need slightly more skill use awareness but you gain such great utility and control.

I’d rather add an effect to the stab instead of removing it. Poison, blind, confusion..something.

Gotejjeken.1267:

I’d rather add an effect to the stab instead of removing it. Poison, blind, confusion..something.

1/2s stun.

^Sure let’s add a tell and make the evade come in 1.5s!

Sarision.6347:

^Sure let’s add a tell and make the evade come in 1.5s!

I think a Ranger leaping towards you without a big eagle animation is a decent tell already.

Lower the casting time of hornet’s sting to 1/4 second imo. Sword has great mobility, wouldn’t want to lose the backward roll.

Anyone who has played Caithe in the living story knows that’s actually how our hornet sting should work. The evasion frames should begin as soon as the skill is activated/pressed so the evasion is actually reliable.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Sarision.6347:

^Sure let’s add a tell and make the evade come in 1.5s!

I think a Ranger leaping towards you without a big eagle animation is a decent tell already.

He’s asking for the stun to be on HS, not ML.

Sarision.6347:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Sarision.6347:

^Sure let’s add a tell and make the evade come in 1.5s!

I think a Ranger leaping towards you without a big eagle animation is a decent tell already.

He’s asking for the stun to be on HS, not ML.

Ah, well, that would be pretty great too!

+1 OP’s suggestion. This would make sword a much more valuable weapon for actually doing (some) damage, rather than just a tool to defend while your other weapon(s) come off CD.

Bump, I really want to see this change in-game.

^ What he said. With the amount of time it takes for the evade to happen after pressing the skill it all feels extremely clumsy.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I suggested that a while back.

You would use Hornet’s Sting, then it would flip to become Monarch’s Leap, but not time out and flip back to go on CD. Would basically be two skills in the same slot, each with it’s own CD.

I remember that thread. It makes everyone happy. I doubt it’s a big enough improvement to warrant dev time though. And knowing how GW2 works, it would probably break the way a champion ettin in timberline falls attacks every other Tuesday.