Quick and dirty feedback of my time with Soulbeast. Main hand dagger is a lot of fun. But yeah, in PvP/WvW off-hand dagger is pretty much mandatory.
You need that evade.
I could see maybe dagger/warhorn for blast finishing and finishing off low targets trying to run with hawks, but I felt safest with another dagger.
I would consider adding an evade to MH dagger 3 leap. It’d be in line with GS and Sword all having an evade in the weapon. Dagger/Axe might be fun in PvE.
The stance skills felt very weak, with exception to the heal. Bear Stance is pretty good.
But the star of the show and probably the reason why we lost stability on SoTW (though I’m okay with the replacement) would be Dolyak Stance and… it doesn’t work. It’s broken.
Soulmerging with your pet is a cool mechanic.
I like that I can combo with my pet more reliably and then soul merge to unleash a new torrent of skills, though some of these need an honest looking at.
Some pets could use more variety in the special skill they offer.
The few supportive pets that give you the support skill while merged is really good in melee for saving yourself and/or your friends in melee.
But in general it feels like most pets are deadly type and the special skill they give is often the same. But maybe that’s just me and the pets I pick.
I also like that I can use soulmerging to save a pet that’s critically low.
Soulmerge/demerge, pet is a-ok again. Or merge and use the situation and the added traits and skills to change your strat on a dime.
I love the versatility it offers.
Soulbeast has potential, it’s a lot of fun and dagger main-hand is a good addition for a melee condi spec or a condi/DPS hybrid. It just feels incomplete right now.
I’m sure it’ll be cleaned up before launch.
Also, please don’t change the aura you get when soulmerged. I like it a lot. If you based devs clean it up a bit to make it more soul-ish, sure, but please don’t get rid of the aura.
I like looking like a super saiyan. 