Guild Wars 2

Where it matters, PvP and WvW, currently, it’s 20% condition reduction to Rangers and 80% on the pet. That’s it. Basically a Grandmaster trait that gives 20% condi reduction. Is it really worth it? Why should we have to equip certain runes and food buffs to make this trait even remotely worthwhile?
….In my opinion? It’s pretty fvcking trash on its own. Just like 2 of the SoulBeast GM traits.

Discuss.

Well, it is rather lackluster. Of course, you can’t stop people from thinking that stacking as much -% condition duration with this trait is great. It’s a heavy investment just to ensure your pet stays alive which, by all means, is a solid concept. Unfortunately, having to build around that doesn’t amount to much.

Now, if EB provided condition reduction while increasing pet survival against conditions, then that would be a different story. Considering that Soften the Fall’s change paired with Wilderness Knowledge once again trumps Empathic Bond, the attempt to make EB better was appreciated, and could still use refining.

^Well, that’s the thing too. They made the Wilderness Knowledge (+ Soften the fall + Zephyr’s Speed) sinergy pretty much mandatory for how good it is. In addition to that they basically destroyed Empathic Bond with the nerf bat. Talk about build diversity right?

Khenzy.9348:

Where it matters, PvP and WvW, currently, it’s 20% condition reduction to Rangers and 80% on the pet. That’s it. Basically a Grandmaster trait that gives 20% condi reduction. Is it really worth it? Why should we have to equip certain runes and food buffs to make this trait even remotely worthwhile?
….In my opinion? It’s pretty fvcking trash on its own. Just like 2 of the SoulBeast GM traits.

Discuss.

Well the original problem is still the problem. Competing 2 condition cleanses on ONE traitline and ONE tier.

This here is the problem.

The other problem is still a problem, which is this trait places the pet in danger. If both could be solved, preferably, at the same time – awesome.

I wonder how this would even interact with Soulbeast. What was supposed to be loaded off onto the pet doesn’t happen, so it just becomes a neglected trait – or will it be bugged and copy lesser duration conditions onto the player?

Find out this weekend!

StickerHappy.8052:

Well the original problem is still the problem. Competing 2 condition cleanses on ONE traitline and ONE tier.

This here is the problem.

That doesn’t matter now, in its current iteration you wouldn’t even take it even if it switched places with some other trait. It’s just THAT bad now.

I find it to be absolutely worthless, quite possibly the worst GM trait ever in the history of this game.

They made a bad trait worse.

StickerHappy.8052:

Khenzy.9348:

Where it matters, PvP and WvW, currently, it’s 20% condition reduction to Rangers and 80% on the pet. That’s it. Basically a Grandmaster trait that gives 20% condi reduction. Is it really worth it? Why should we have to equip certain runes and food buffs to make this trait even remotely worthwhile?
….In my opinion? It’s pretty fvcking trash on its own. Just like 2 of the SoulBeast GM traits.

Discuss.

Well the original problem is still the problem. Competing 2 condition cleanses on ONE traitline and ONE tier.

This here is the problem.

I dunno that is is such a problem, if they were both purely condi removal, then I’d agree, but WK reduces CD and gives fury on survival skill use. I you don’t want to use Survival skills, then you can choose EB.

But you can’t really, since it’s pretty useless atm, It doesn’t even remove the condi… I don’t know how they managed to think of a way to make it worse than it already was.

I wonder if changing it to be something like “Ranger’s cannot be affected by conditions already on their pets” would work.

I don’t know. They obviously want the trait to be a pet-centric condition management trait, and that’s all I can think of that’s not just another “remove X conditions”.

It might make using your pet and getting it right in there a good tactic, and in the process buff tankier pets, and have interesting play with SoR. Or it might just be kitten

Empathic bond would be better if it would actually increase the bulk.of the ranger and its dmg. Maybe your pet get a stacking defensive buff for every hit one of you make and the ranger the aggressive buff. Defensive decreases dmg and condi dmg and aggressive increases dmg and condi dmg.
It would give the trait a better niche and some usability for bearbowish builds.

condis r deadly from the very getgo so Id rather get rid of them asap via other means (which u should have anyway, cant really rely on this trait to save u) and the other gm traits are better

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Wait, so it transfers the opposite direction now too? From the pet to the Ranger? The pet that has no clue where AoE fields are and runs straight through them or just stands in them while attacking?

Priceless, it’s even worse than I previously thought. Who would actually look at that trait and think it’s fine to send out to a live game?

I’ kinda tired of repeating the same every time: EB must go away from WS trait line.
Simply it can’t compete with Survival Skills in any situation. We need that trait to actually be useful and cleanse/transfer/whatever and it must be in another trait line.

right now if you want to cleanse your only choice is WS.

This is a complete disaster. Seriously the balance team should begin to play their own game…. But well what can you expect from someone which ship an update which breaks the ranger in the most obvious way (and i’m talking about the pets…. 3 days and no fix yet)

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Wait, so it transfers the opposite direction now too? From the pet to the Ranger? The pet that has no clue where AoE fields are and runs straight through them or just stands in them while attacking?

Priceless, it’s even worse than I previously thought. Who would actually look at that trait and think it’s fine to send out to a live game?

If it were a 50/50 split I’d be more willing to use it as a melee tanky ranger since it seems if you’re both in the same field or getting hit by the same attack you’ll both only be affected once, IE you both get by an attack that applies 18s of burn you’ll both only have 9.

But if only one of you gets hit you’ll both get 9 regardless. I can only imagine the bull kitten of getting hit by 80% of the condi duration from something my pet kittening stands in though in PvP/WvW

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Rofl OMG!

If this is true, they (Anet) surely outdid themselves this time, and not in a good way! What a joke!

OGDeadHead.8326:

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Rofl OMG!

If this is true, they (Anet) surely outdid themselves this time, and not in a good way! What a joke!

Yeah I haven’t tested it in PvP, but I was throwing my bear into all sorts of fields with it in PvE to see how it worked lol.

That’s actually worse than I could have imagined. Wow.

Durzlla.6295:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Wait, so it transfers the opposite direction now too? From the pet to the Ranger? The pet that has no clue where AoE fields are and runs straight through them or just stands in them while attacking?

Priceless, it’s even worse than I previously thought. Who would actually look at that trait and think it’s fine to send out to a live game?

If it were a 50/50 split I’d be more willing to use it as a melee tanky ranger since it seems if you’re both in the same field or getting hit by the same attack you’ll both only be affected once, IE you both get by an attack that applies 18s of burn you’ll both only have 9.

But if only one of you gets hit you’ll both get 9 regardless. I can only imagine the bull kitten of getting hit by 80% of the condi duration from something my pet kittening stands in though in PvP/WvW

Actually, that would be hilarious to record a video of in WvW. Send your brown bear in to the opposing zerg with the trait on and watch the Ranger just blow up hahaha!

Durzlla.6295:

If Empathetic bond was a 50/50 split like PvE, it would be alright, just alright, not great, however in PvP it’s kittening hot garbage, it not only barely reduces condis on you, but in PvP our pet gives US 80% of its condi durations, that means if your pet runs through a fire field we’re getting 80% of that.

Lmao.

It’s even report worthy by now.