Guild Wars 2

Everyone knows we’ve wanted more freedom of action for the 1H sword auto since the game’s launch. We’re still waiting on that, but there’s another skill on the sword that could use some love to make the weapon feel better. Button 2 could be far more useful and fun to use with one small change: make the dodge roll portion of the skill behave like the regular dodge roll and follow your character’s current direction of movement, defaulting to rolling backward if the player is not moving of their own accord.

Button 2’s Hornet Sting/Monarch’s Leap combo is useful for dodging certain boss mechanics, assuming 1H sword auto doesn’t prevent you from using it in time, if you can use it at all. It’s also useful for travel, so long as you’re willing to detarget, about-face, 2, turn your camera during the animation, and then 2 again to keep moving forward. This combo requires skill to execute properly, but like most skill-based actions with the sword is inconsistent—not because of the sword itself this time, but because of the timing of the sword skill and about-face. Sometimes, the game will inexplicably play the sword 2 animation and THEN turn your camera around when hitting the buttons in quick succession.

Changing Hornet Sting to roll in the player’s current direction of movement would allow rangers to hit 2 to move forward while running, to more easily close the gap on targets that are trying to run away without messing with the clunky, failure-prone about-face method, and to give the player more control of their own positioning to avoid the most embarrassing aspect of playing the ranger: hornet sting off a cliff. In its current form, your character’s movement in melee combat is controlled by enemy positioning rather than your own control, and that’s just a bad feeling.

-hornet sting more instant (like staff #3 for thief).

It evade after the little “backward animation” and should evade during because thats where you want to evade usually.

If Hornet’s sting didn’t root you but took effect instantly – it would have been a much better weapon.
Serpent’s Strike rooting you at the end of the roll is a pain, too.

Just make it a standard AA chain and give the last attack a short burst of Super Speed.
Other option is to make only the 3rd attack a mobility-lock.
Yet another option is to proc Aegis/Evade while being locked.

Current “pass by” with turning off auto-cast is just wrong. I already had to fix my #1 button. And it’s not cool to have it break on Jade Eye fractal, believe me.

Yeah … I really dont have a problem play sword on condi builds but at the same time I don’t like the auto and am all for a change.

It just makes you jump around in an unreliable fashion. I would take warrior sword over ranger sword any day from a pvp perspective.

man, don’t get me started on sword improvements. ok, if you insist:

sword 1 – increase damage by about 10% and allow us to cancel animations; otherwise it’s nice

sword 2: Hornet’s Sting should have a reduced cast time, and should leave a trail of actual hornet that pulse torment x2 stacks 3 times
– Monarch’s Leap should pierce and be a nuke that crit about 4.5k with marauder stats. this is a decent change because the animation can be dodged

sword 3: renamed to Poison Spray; does the same thing except sprays poison in a cone

/sword buffed for both condi and power builds, fixed forever

IMO, what sword needs is a complete rework.

FriendlyInvader.3126:

IMO, what sword needs is a complete rework.

I do agree.
But I’d like to keep it a mobility weapon of sort. I like the idea of acrobatics. The problem is that the current versions are clunky.

About increased damage of Monarch’s Leap.
I suggested a “Strider’s Defense” change that would increase Monarch’s Leap and Serpent’s Strike damage by 50% and make both of these abilities destroy projectiles. (in addition to CD reduction).

Sword could be a good weapon if all the clunkiness disappeared. The DPS and mobility is nice to play around with and is rewarding to execute at right times. But now you cannot because you are locked to your target jumping off cliffs.

The reason hand sword 2 is the way it is is very simple. Drop fire field, dodge backwards. leap through it. Is actuality, the 3rd attack on the sword should be a leap finisher as well. It actually makes me very angry that it is not. you have to go through the entire attack chain to get it, and because it moves you you would likely be out of the field you are standing in. There is no reason to change 2 because it works perfectly with the ranger. i for one very much like to wield my sword and torch, drop the field and backwardness. from their i can swap to short bow and apply burning, leap through and gain might, or even swap to long bow and rapid shot through it. just fix the 3rd attack in the 1 chain and it would be perfect. As it is it is one of the stronger sword skillets in the game. Seriously, two evasions, the ability to block projectiles, condis and a leap finisher? If you want to fix ranger, you will have to look somewhere else aside from their weapon sets (not counting staff of course). try looking at the utility skills, as they are what is truly hampered by uselessness. Two shouts that are useless, one that is very nearly so because a signet does the same thing better, an entire skill set that has had it’s only utility removed, the druid stuff is not balanced correctly yet so, far the only thing that is worth taking is survival skills and signets.

you could also make the argument that ranger pets need an AI overhaul. or a major speed boost. Right now necro minions are FASTER than pets in every sense of the word. Half of my pet is useless if it cannot catch up to the enemy.

Tragic Positive.9356:

FriendlyInvader.3126:

IMO, what sword needs is a complete rework.

I do agree.
But I’d like to keep it a mobility weapon of sort. I like the idea of acrobatics. The problem is that the current versions are clunky.

About increased damage of Monarch’s Leap.
I suggested a “Strider’s Defense” change that would increase Monarch’s Leap and Serpent’s Strike damage by 50% and make both of these abilities destroy projectiles. (in addition to CD reduction).

Sword could be a good weapon if all the clunkiness disappeared. The DPS and mobility is nice to play around with and is rewarding to execute at right times. But now you cannot because you are locked to your target jumping off cliffs.

I don’t think projectile destruction is a good idea, would remove the synergy between Hornets and Primal Reflexes. Evading projectiles on Monarchs would be far better for that synergy, too.

Other than that I agree with what you are saying.

Imo, Monarchs (base) needs a 1s Stun or KD on it, short one.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I don’t think projectile destruction is a good idea, would remove the synergy between Hornets and Primal Reflexes. Evading projectiles on Monarchs would be far better for that synergy, too.

Other than that I agree with what you are saying.

Imo, Monarchs (base) needs a 1s Stun or KD on it, short one.

You don’t evade on Monarch’s Leap. And Hornet would not be affected by the trait.
I do agree that Serpent’s Strike destruction would hinder the trait synergy. Didn’t think of that.
I’m sure there is a way one could get past this with both synergy and on-demand projectile denial but you made a fair point.

Tragic Positive.9356:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I don’t think projectile destruction is a good idea, would remove the synergy between Hornets and Primal Reflexes. Evading projectiles on Monarchs would be far better for that synergy, too.

Other than that I agree with what you are saying.

Imo, Monarchs (base) needs a 1s Stun or KD on it, short one.

You don’t evade on Monarch’s Leap. And Hornet would not be affected by the trait.
I do agree that Serpent’s Strike destruction would hinder the trait synergy. Didn’t think of that.
I’m sure there is a way one could get past this with both synergy and on-demand projectile denial but you made a fair point.

I know you don’t evade on ML, which is why I’m saying that adding a projectile evade to it with Strider’s Defense would add synergy, whereas adding projectile destruction adds no synergy.

I think this is also the reason LoYF needs to be an evade and not a dodge. Then Primal Reflexes, Strider’s Defense and LoYF would have massive synergy, but now, they are kinda, meh.

This is how I would “adjust” the sword;

Kick and Pounce would have code added to them. If the target is within 150 range, then the animation for the kick and leap on pounce are not used. That would make it usable for both mobility and for spamming, while being able to move around in melee range.

Hornet’s Sting & Monarchs leap I would make these seperate skills, so that Monarchs leap does not time out, it just flips over and stays there until you use it. That would allow it to be used as an opener as well. ML would get the same CD as HS. I would also put a 3/4s Stun on ML.

Hornet’s Sting, Monarchs leap and Serpents Strike need the code from weapon swapping that cancels animations added to them, so even if you are mid animation, you can break it with these skills.

Strider’s Defense – I would make this trait add +10% damage to sword, recharge 20% faster and Monarch’s leap becomes a projectile evade.

That would make for a strong weapon with much utility.

@Heim
There is still one problem.
Even if you can break through the animation with evades… You’ll still be just sucked back in with the chain (since Pounce is 450 range). We need a solution for that one, too.

No…I don’t like the idea of messing with the mechanics of #2. Reduced cast time would be ok (needed really, as it’s difficult to use the evade portion), but leave the rest alone.

Why? Because I like the option of leaping back out of battle to heal, and either staying there or leaping back through another field. Most often bonfire for me as we don’t have a whole lot of self fields to do that with.

Actually Healing Spring combo got much better with the trap delay, too.
I’m mostly searching for the quality of life options.
Cast Times adjusted into useful state is probably all we need. But well, why not brainstorm around a bit, right?

You have to admit that Strider’s Defense is horrible, too – and it could have much more synergy with our traits.
Yet another idea for Strider’s Defense that crossed my mind is that after successfully evading an attack through weapon-skill, you refill 33% of your endurance (8 sec CD).
You know. Synergy with LoYF.

Tragic Positive.9356:

@Heim
There is still one problem.
Even if you can break through the animation with evades… You’ll still be just sucked back in with the chain (since Pounce is 450 range). We need a solution for that one, too.

I would have thought it would reset the AA chain by itself, but that is another option, when you use #2 or #3, it just resets the chain to slash.

I’m still very happy with the sword on ranger. i understand people wanting some quality of life stuff on the ranger, but i just don’t believe that the sword is where it needs to start. The sword is an evasive condition weapon with lots of pressure as it is. and it works very well is all off hand weapons.

Dagger: Extra evasion for a total of 4 evasion (not counting utilities here)

Torch: Leaps fire field for might.

Warhorn: the swiftness is very nice for keeping up with the enemy and supporting the party.

If used properly, a ranger can remain in a fairly constant state of evasion while dealing damage to the opponent. The only thing truly hampering this is the ranger’s overall squishyness in melee.

My current build relies on signets and Vigor. I enter combat with shortbow, swap to sword, use well times evasions and drop my fire field to leap through it. from their i can switch to shortbow to apply burn through the field. I have also used the dagger to gain even more evasion. The sword is probably the most interesting and well designed of any sword skills in the game. maybe not the most powerful but the most interesting.

emkelly.2371:

I’m still very happy with the sword on ranger. i understand people wanting some quality of life stuff on the ranger, but i just don’t believe that the sword is where it needs to start. The sword is an evasive condition weapon with lots of pressure as it is. and it works very well is all off hand weapons.

Dagger: Extra evasion for a total of 4 evasion (not counting utilities here)

Torch: Leaps fire field for might.

Warhorn: the swiftness is very nice for keeping up with the enemy and supporting the party.

If used properly, a ranger can remain in a fairly constant state of evasion while dealing damage to the opponent. The only thing truly hampering this is the ranger’s overall squishyness in melee.

My current build relies on signets and Vigor. I enter combat with shortbow, swap to sword, use well times evasions and drop my fire field to leap through it. from their i can switch to shortbow to apply burn through the field. I have also used the dagger to gain even more evasion. The sword is probably the most interesting and well designed of any sword skills in the game. maybe not the most powerful but the most interesting.

I agree that its so interesting that the AA mechanics need to stay, its just a total pita when you cannot move because of the animations. For it to be competitive without being a liability, that needs to be fixed and the code already exists for them to do this. We just need them to see it as a problem like most of us do.

The AA is a down side, but so is the lack of being able to just leap forward without a work around.
I think something as simple as if by holding down sword 2 or even double tapping to bypass the hornet still back roll and just leaping forward would make it handy for wvw and pvp and add some more dynamic combat. It doesnt make sense that we can only leap forward after rolling backward.

EDDIE WRECKER.1375:

The AA is a down side, but so is the lack of being able to just leap forward without a work around.
I think something as simple as if by holding down sword 2 or even double tapping to bypass the hornet still back roll and just leaping forward would make it handy for wvw and pvp and add some more dynamic combat. It doesnt make sense that we can only leap forward after rolling backward.

That’s why I advocate for Hornet’s Sting and Monarch’s Leap to be separated, to a flip skill. So that Monarch’s Leap does not time out after using Hornet’s Sting. Best of both worlds.