Guild Wars 2

Via one trait.

Preparedness.

Making this baseline means we can get more traits. +1 if agree XD. It’s all I got. It’s the sole reason my DD is meh and not YEEEE. Anywho….

Serious Thought.5394:

Via one trait.
….

Impossible.

While I support the “Campaign to Increase Build Diversity”, it will take a whole lot more than one trait to make a meaningful difference.

Actually scrap that, I support the “Campaign to Increase Role Diversity” which does impact build diversity, but on a much wider scale – as in build diversity might mean that you can have different flavors of DPS builds, whereas role diversity means different roles (support, dps, bunkering) accompanied by a build (or two).

I would see the following:

Make baseline:
- Preparedness (+1)
- Bountiful Theft

Nerf:
- Vault: Reduce damage by 15-20%

Buff:
- Dust Strike creates a smoke field
- Reveal lasts 3 seconds
- Black Powder costs 5 initiative
- Cloak and Dagger costs 5 initiative
- Withdraw: apply the promised and apparently forgotten healing increase

Arguably either I suppose, but in my opinion buffs:
- Debilitating strike evades to the side just within melee range so you don’t have to try and gap close when having to use it while pursuing or pressuring
- Blinding Powder: Remove blast finisher and increase stealth duration granted to 6 seconds.

Although of course, if we’re being extremely optimistic and not trying to reduce it down to what might be possible to see done, I would see us get a second profession skill so we don’t have to keep beefing up Steal. (That being said, I have a feeling Deadly Arts is going to fall from meta).

Impact.2780:

Make baseline:
- Preparedness (+1)
- Bountiful Theft

And -5 CD on Steal.

It’s amazing what a few traits rolled into baseline could do.

Impact.2780:

I would see the following:

Make baseline:
- Preparedness (+1)
- Bountiful Theft

Preparedness is debatable… but I’m positive Bountiful Theft is not a good balancing idea to have as baseline at any rate.

Impact.2780:

Nerf:
- Vault: Reduce damage by 15-20%

Buff:
- Dust Strike creates a smoke field
- Reveal lasts 3 seconds
- Black Powder costs 5 initiative
- Cloak and Dagger costs 5 initiative
- Withdraw: apply the promised and apparently forgotten healing increase

I think Vault is perfect for what it’s worth, nerfing it will greatly damage the intent of the staff daredevil playstile in my opinion.

I don’t support dust strike creating any smoke field. Staff is not about active stealth use at all. You might want to use it through weapon swapping if you want to insist on a different playstile imo.

My only suggestion for dust strike would be at most a slight increase in range, only slightly. It has it’s uses if you know well your opponents… by no means it’s a spammable skill tho.