Guild Wars 2

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy with the update, but so long as its on the table, can we do a little something better with this?

•Strider’s Defense: Increased block chance from 15% to 20%.

EDIT: Wanted to add this threads ideas to OP.

User ideas thus far, for a rework of Stide’rs Defense:

1. Skittles: 20% chance to block projectiles. Gain Health after a successful block.

2. Zatoichi (me) 100% chance to Reflect projectiles on evade. Successful Reflects transfer one condition (10 sec ICD on condi transfer only). Works on all weapons.

3. Holland & Rym. -5 seconds on weapon swap, works on all weapons

4. Raven: Strider’s wind: Gain 1 second of 100% movement speed and 1 second of quickness on weapon swap (10 sec ICD)

5. Atherakhia. -5 seconds on weapon swap with:

Swap to Longbow: Fury for 5 seconds.
Swap to Shortbow: Quickness for 3 seconds.
Swap to Longsword: Swiftness for 15 seconds.
Swap to Axe: Might for 5 seconds.
Swap to Sword: Next hit causes cripple.

6. LostProphet: -2 or 3 seconds on weapon swap. Gain Openening Strike on weapon swap

Agreed, more needs to be done if the devs want this trait to become viable. I love the idea of Strider’s Defence but even with the buff it will still be weak and not worthy of 6 trait points. 30% is the least I’d want for this trait.

Honestly, I think the talent would need a revamp.

As it stands now, you have an RNG dependant chance to block a projectile.

Even if they increased that chance or applied to melee attacks as well, it would still shift the outcomes of fights to RNG.

GW2 has been pretty good at avoiding RNG stuff compared to so many MMOs, so I’d hate to see a strong skill based around this.

RNG, boring, wrong traitline, laughable did I mention it’s boring?

In queue for revmap.

RNG-based dodge/miss has no place in this or any other genre.

It needs a complete rework.

like how about 100% chance to reflect projectiles while evading?

Zatoichi.1049:

like how about 100% chance to reflect projectiles while evading?

That…is actually a pretty good idea. I’m not sure if I would take that as a master trait, but I definitely like the idea behind it. The big question is: Would the devs be able to implement something like this or are the existing mechanics too restricting. =P

Dahkeus.8243:

Zatoichi.1049:

like how about 100% chance to reflect projectiles while evading?

That…is actually a pretty good idea. I’m not sure if I would take that as a master trait, but I definitely like the idea behind it. The big question is: Would the devs be able to implement something like this or are the existing mechanics too restricting. =P

probably not. It would be buggy as kitten,a t least at first

Keeping the current function, how about gaining health when you evade with some kind of ICD?

Skittles.7480:

Keeping the current function, how about gaining health when you evade with some kind of ICD?

If we’re going the healing route I’d much rather it cleanse a condition on evade, with an ICD of maybe 5-8 seconds or so. I just want some good condition removal I don’t have to go 30 points into a defensive tree to get.

If this trait triggers, there is good chance that it was already being evaded anyway, considering there are so many evades on Ranger melee weapons:

• sword 2
• sword 3
• dagger 4
• greatsword 1
• greatsword 3 (after update)
• greatsword 4 (block)

I’d rather have it work differently, like:

• 5s cooldown on weapon swap instead
• trait always works, even when not attacking
• trait always works, even when not using melee weapons
• 30s aegis every 30 seconds while in combat
• 10s aegis on weapon swap

Anything else really… the whole Skirmishing tree could use some serious upgrades.

“If this trait triggers, there is good chance that it was already being evaded anyway, considering there are so many evades on Ranger melee weapons:”

It still reduces your incoming damage from missiles by 20% compared to not having the trait.

The problem with the current trait is, either the effect is too low and noone want to use it or the effect is too good and you basically have to use it as melee fighter.
I don’t think that the current implementation can be balanced properly.

HHR LostProphet.4801:

The problem with the current trait is, either the effect is too low and noone want to use it or the effect is too good and you basically have to use it as melee fighter.
I don’t think that the current implementation can be balanced properly.

Ya this. I mean you could be look to the extreme at builds of GW1, where PvP rangers had like perma 75% chance to block everything all the time. “But it’s no where near that, idiot fluffball”, you say. And neither were GW1 skills, people just stacked things. We have the most amount of evasion already, so you have to be careful adding to it.

I don’t know what to do with this trait, but I’ve heard of or seen exactly one person advocate this trait since it was introduced*. There was one person on this forum that said he used it to reflect warrior hammers when stomping, which is quite possibly the worst misuse of any GM trait I’ve ever heard of. Keen Edge is of better use in a power build than that.

*Hearing of one person advocate this trait, and yet think of every other complete garbage idea you can possibly think of and dozens of people have made threads advocating that garbage idea. We occasionally — literally — have people advocating their bearbow builds for WvW and not Stider’s Defense.

Stooperdale.3560:

“If this trait triggers, there is good chance that it was already being evaded anyway, considering there are so many evades on Ranger melee weapons:”

It still reduces your incoming damage from missiles by 20% compared to not having the trait.

It does not reduce damage by a flat 20%. Different skills inflict different amounts of damage.

Since in this game “20%” percent does not mean “1 out of 5” but rather “1 out of 5” on average, there is a possibility that you will evade all attacks in a fight and zero in the other and that is the problem with RNG. It would not be your skill that decides the outcome of the fight but rather how the RNG decides to play it out for you.

More RNG snacks:
It might happen that you evade 5 auto-attacks but then none of the next 15 attacks or that you only evade the first, fifth, tenth, 15:th and 20:th attacks but we can’t say if the enemy does a burst attack on the tenth attack, between first and fifth, you get the idea.

I saw some suggestion couple days ago to just make it Fast Hands trait for Rangers.

Engineers have other professions’ traits in Grandmasters, why shouldn’t we ?

Holland.9351:

If this trait triggers, there is good chance that it was already being evaded anyway, considering there are so many evades on Ranger melee weapons:

• sword 2
• sword 3
• dagger 4
• greatsword 1
• greatsword 3 (after update)
• greatsword 4 (block)

So revisiting my idea of 100% Reflect projectiles on evade ( reflects the attacks properties as well) wouldnt it be cool to have the ability to reflect, for example, a Pin Down, another rangers rapid fire, uhhh mesmer staff attacks, during those evades?

we could go even further with it and have a sucsessful reflect transfer a condition (10 second ICD)

Also, with this change, it should be active with all weapons. So shortbow 3 could see some use with it.

Rym.1469:

I saw some suggestion couple days ago to just make it Fast Hands trait for Rangers.

Engineers have other professions’ traits in Grandmasters, why shouldn’t we ?

Id take it, but as a gm trait i would want more out of it, not much more though.

Zatoichi.1049:

Dahkeus.8243:

Zatoichi.1049:

like how about 100% chance to reflect projectiles while evading?

That…is actually a pretty good idea. I’m not sure if I would take that as a master trait, but I definitely like the idea behind it. The big question is: Would the devs be able to implement something like this or are the existing mechanics too restricting. =P

probably not. It would be buggy as kitten,a t least at first

Probably could, mesmers have a trait that makes all distortion effects reflect projectiles, and warriors have all blocks reflect projectiles, I don’t see why evades couldn’t do the same thing.

Isn’t there a bug to this trait where the block chance increases the more enemies you have in a certain range? I remember hearing that on one of the Arrow to the Knee podcasts.

Change it to something pro-shortbow. No one with a sword is walking around swinging at air hoping to dodge projectiles “maybe.” They’ll either use swoop, block, or the evades on 1h sword for guaranteed dodge.

Strider’s wind:
Gain 1 second of superspeed (100% movement) and 1 second of quickness on weapon swap. 10second cooldown.

Idea from this trait comes from Warrior’s “Last Chance” grandmaster and elementalists “one with air.” I’d even be okay with it being shortbow only or bows only, but with the range on shortbow nerf it could really use a helping hand in the skirmish/kiting department since there is so little leeway.

Do as the above poster said. Just make it a fast hands trait and make it so whenever you swap weapons you (and your party?) gain a boon based on the weapon you swap to.

Swap to Longbow: Fury for 5 seconds.
Swap to Shortbow: Quickness for 3 seconds.
Swap to Longsword: Swiftness for 15 seconds.
Swap to Axe: Might for 5 seconds.
Swap to Sword: Next hit causes cripple.

Must be in combat for all but longsword.

Atherakhia.4086:

Do as the above poster said. Just make it a fast hands trait and make it so whenever you swap weapons you (and your party?) gain a boon based on the weapon you swap to.

Swap to Longbow: Fury for 5 seconds.
Swap to Shortbow: Quickness for 3 seconds.
Swap to Longsword: Swiftness for 15 seconds.
Swap to Axe: Might for 5 seconds.
Swap to Sword: Next hit causes cripple.

Must be in combat for all but longsword.

I would rather have smaller boons on weaponswap and no ICD, than this with long cooldowns.

I would suggest something like “reduce weaponswap cooldown to6-7 seconds, gain openstrike on weaponswap”.

Edited Op to include all users ideas thusfar

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Isn’t there a bug to this trait where the block chance increases the more enemies you have in a certain range? I remember hearing that on one of the Arrow to the Knee podcasts.

I prefer to think of it as a feature… but i’ve still noticed that it procs a LOT more than 15% atm when there’s more than 1 person in melee range of you even when the other people in range are melee.

Durzlla.6295:

Drarnor Kunoram.5180:

Isn’t there a bug to this trait where the block chance increases the more enemies you have in a certain range? I remember hearing that on one of the Arrow to the Knee podcasts.

I prefer to think of it as a feature… but i’ve still noticed that it procs a LOT more than 15% atm when there’s more than 1 person in melee range of you even when the other people in range are melee.

Will be funny when/if they “fix” it and people cry nerf.

“All they ever do if nerf the ranger class!” lol

I reckon; “Gain 3s of Aegis whenever you swap weapons in combat, weapon swapping is 30% faster.” Fits in nicely with the other swapping traits in skirmishing and also fulfils the defence part of the trait name. Choosing it would then give swiftness, fury and aegis on swap every 6s. IMO, ranger needs more boon traits such as this. My $0.02.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I reckon; “Gain 3s of Aegis whenever you swap weapons in combat, weapon swapping is 30% faster.” Fits in nicely with the other swapping traits in skirmishing and also fulfils the defence part of the trait name. Choosing it would then give swiftness, fury and aegis on swap every 6s. IMO, ranger needs more boon traits such as this. My $0.02.

Just one problem: the minor traits in the line have 9 second cooldowns.

Same issue if any fast hands style trait is implemented. Just remove the cd from them, they only work in combat anyway and you can’t swap much faster. You can’t really abuse them. Maybe just 20-25% faster?

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I reckon; “Gain 3s of Aegis whenever you swap weapons in combat, weapon swapping is 30% faster.” Fits in nicely with the other swapping traits in skirmishing and also fulfils the defence part of the trait name. Choosing it would then give swiftness, fury and aegis on swap every 6s. IMO, ranger needs more boon traits such as this. My $0.02.

I don’t think Aegis fits the ranger, especially not on weaponswap.
1) You have to be in combat to make use of this trait, so not an option for the initial engagement.
2) Aegis on 6 sec. cd is way shorter than the guard Aegis.
3) You have to make the decision if you want to block an attack or if you want to stay on your current weapon, which isn’t optimal.

I like the idea of reflecting while evading. It would certainly add a new depth to the Ranger’s gameplay, though may be a little OP in PvP.

HHR LostProphet.4801:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I reckon; “Gain 3s of Aegis whenever you swap weapons in combat, weapon swapping is 30% faster.” Fits in nicely with the other swapping traits in skirmishing and also fulfils the defence part of the trait name. Choosing it would then give swiftness, fury and aegis on swap every 6s. IMO, ranger needs more boon traits such as this. My $0.02.

I don’t think Aegis fits the ranger, especially not on weaponswap.
1) You have to be in combat to make use of this trait, so not an option for the initial engagement.
2) Aegis on 6 sec. cd is way shorter than the guard Aegis.
3) You have to make the decision if you want to block an attack or if you want to stay on your current weapon, which isn’t optimal.

I agree with this, aegis doesn’t really fit in my mind, though I appreciate your desire to keep within the “defense” flavor of the skill. And yeah, Aegis every 6 seconds, let alone 9, is incredibly OP and much more than a guardian gets.

I totally agree that this trait is, atm totally useless (from a spvp POV), because of it’s random nature and it’s low effectiveness and the fact that you cannot actually ’’afford’’ 6 points in skirmish without severe lack of survivability/sustain. There are some good traits in there, like the bleed on crit, the 30% extra crit damage on pets when combined with beastmastery, vigor when you get a critical hit, and minor traits are really nice imo.

For me, the “new” Striders Defense should be reworked with other changes: when you have the trait XIII on, the swiftness and fury that you get from weapon swap is also applied to your pet, and the actual effect should be reworked. I really like the idea of getting different boons on weapon swap, depending on the weapon you use, or it could be the same boon for all of them, i would really like 5 stacks of might for 9 secs or protection for 5 secs.

goda.3572:

For me, the “new” Striders Defense should be reworked with other changes: when you have the trait XIII on, the swiftness and fury that you get from weapon swap is also applied to your pet, and the actual effect should be reworked.

You already have that option: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fortifying_Bond

Skittles idea seems legit.
I would prefer to just add a proc to gain retaliation and Regeneration.
Rangers have no access to retaliation and a GM would be okay to gain some seconds

snow.8097:

Skittles idea seems legit.
I would prefer to just add a proc to gain retaliation and Regeneration.
Rangers have no access to retaliation and a GM would be okay to gain some seconds

Axe 5 gives Retaliation for its duration, so I wouldn’t say “no access”

HHR LostProphet.4801:

Atherakhia.4086:

Do as the above poster said. Just make it a fast hands trait and make it so whenever you swap weapons you (and your party?) gain a boon based on the weapon you swap to.

Swap to Longbow: Fury for 5 seconds.
Swap to Shortbow: Quickness for 3 seconds.
Swap to Longsword: Swiftness for 15 seconds.
Swap to Axe: Might for 5 seconds.
Swap to Sword: Next hit causes cripple.

Must be in combat for all but longsword.

I would rather have smaller boons on weaponswap and no ICD, than this with long cooldowns.

I would suggest something like “reduce weaponswap cooldown to6-7 seconds, gain openstrike on weaponswap”.

I like this.
But can we do that instead : Shortbow/ cripple & Sword/Quickness ?