How to Improve GS (pls read)
one, single change would make GS an awesome and BALANCED weapon. for those wanting to try, a full berserker + GS with pets and quickness does very decent direct aoe damage. but GS is reduced to a mere escape weapon for condi builds (if that)
add 1 short bleed per 1st attack of GS #1 skill. why this works:
- thematically, it makes sense that a large weapon that’s slashed around cuts and bleeds targets in its way
- synergy with condition specs. stacking 3-4 bleeds with #1, along with maul would give about 7 stacks of bleeds, which is very reasonable. this is enough to support other bleed combos such as x/dagger, axe/X, and SB.
- currently, the only viable build in spvp that includes the GS is a bunker build, and GS is used almost solely for its defensive utilities. in wvw, the only use for GS is as an escape tool on long range SB or LB builds. this small change would make GS a strong choice for condition builds as well, thus greatly expanding variety and not upsetting balance.problems? the only situation in which this would be OP is for trap/entangle condition bombs on tightly packed targets. solution: simply make the bleed a shorter duration so the user is forced to stay on the GS and spam #1 if he wants to keep up bleeds via GS. GS would not be the best bleed stacking weapon.
Thematically every weapon and it’s skill should cause bleeding then.
daggers and short swords stab, arrows pierce, hammers/maces crush, long swords and axes maim and lacerate. techincally, it all causes bleeding in some way, but in games it likely just means exteriorly, meaning lacerations and such.