Guild Wars 2

Here’s a good one.

I was watching the intro to norns again on youtube, I just love the music, and one of the most striking pictures is of the norn warrior looking up as the shadow of Jormag is cast on him. He wields his shield on the right hand and axe on the left.

Ignoring that maybe he was left handed, it got me imagining why the shield is often relegated to the left hand in games. Sure, from animations perspective and normal limitations in older games, I can understand that, but since GW2 uses the key bundle system based on equipped weapons, and warrior has the largest selection of weapons for offhand combat, why not add the ability to use a shield in the main hand? Further expanding the options a warrior has for addressing combat, and maybe allowing em a bit more of staying power.

I’m not gonna pretend I know squat about game balance or even suggest 3 abilities that may scratch the general area of balance, I’m pretty sure ANet would need to do a good deal of reiteration on the skills and make sure they work properly. But when i ask as a player for more skills or weapons, there’s something I’m really after: flavor and versatility.

I remember several weeks ago, when suggesting new weapons, some veterans (or people who seem to know something we don’t) shooting those arguments down with “what function would the new weapon do that our current selection already doesn’t?” mind you not as politely worded.

In game we already see some interesting unique weapons and skills. Nightmare court enemies use a whip occasionally. The Warden in CoF path 1 uses a FIRE whip (thus making it twice as effective ). Undead thralls use unarmed combat, Again in CoF shamans have these glowing fire hands casting attacks (which is really cool), Centaurs use spears and javelins, Hylek too… and that’s just from the top of my head.

I don’t know if there are enough niches for each new weapon. Seeing some weapons have a broad range of utility, I shudder to think that this is the limiting factor of our options. I just want to have more options at our disposal, and if this is disruptive of sPvP due to balance, well, just don’t make these available in mists, and restrict the use to Open World/WvW.

So what are your thoughts on this? Would love to see some civilized discussion about Shields in main hand and more weapons added to the game.

Yeah, I want to be a dual shield wielding Asuran Warrior, preferably the big sized shield you can get from Honor of the Waves dungeon.

Main hand shield would totally make me delete my norn warrior, turn him into a charr, and then proceed to make him my main.

What I would really like to see in this game for warriors, guardians and possibly rangers, is the introduction of spears and/or polearms (or two-handed axes).

A spear could work as a high damage single target weapon that inflicts weakness or bleeds and has a bigger melee range compared to current one-handed weapons.

A polearm could work as a huge AoE powerhouse with high damage, but low mobility and average support (a middle ground between the greatsword and hammer).

The lefthanded weapon and righthanded shield could be done with an option to make your character right or left handed. The abilities themselves wouldn’t change, only the character would now hold the weapons according to his main hand.

Houdre.8145:

What I would really like to see in this game for warriors, guardians and possibly rangers, is the introduction of spears and/or polearms (or two-handed axes).

A spear could work as a high damage single target weapon that inflicts weakness or bleeds and has a bigger melee range compared to current one-handed weapons.

A polearm could work as a huge AoE powerhouse with high damage, but low mobility and average support (a middle ground between the greatsword and hammer).

I do believe spear is a member of the polearm family, with that said NO,
I personalyl would not like more weapons that root us as we attack, we already
got loads of them already, the rifle being one of the exceptions to the rule, if
not the only one.

I can’t remember what game it was, but there you wielded the shield in your right
hand because you had your weapon in the left, AND it served a purpose here,
because when clicking the left mouse button you attacked with the weapon,
clicking and holding the right mouse button you blocked.
This setup makes sense because usually we are more adjusted
to using the left mouse button, when clicking around.
(that is, if you are not left handed.)

I was actually thinking of a dual shield option the other day. I think it would look bad-donkey! Being able to block all attacks, smash people in the face, and just generally use them as kind of ‘fist weapons’.

I wouldn’t be so bothered about new weapons, but maybe have more skills based on each weapon. So you can select which particular skills a weapon has so you can mix and match the skills. Not too many skills, but maybe an additional 5 per weapon?

The shield for a main hand weapon sounds pretty cool. Personally I think it shouldn’t be a heavy damage dealer instead focusing on support or control. I see the warrior, in general, to be about mobility and the specialize into damage or control after that.

I still can’t think of a good 1 skill, but I’ve thought of a couple of others.

For a 2nd skill there should be some sort of mobility skill, maybe swiftness? I just can’t think how to balance it. If it is personal it makes signet of rage less useful, if it’s AoE swiftness it makes banners less useful. Barring that, maybe a longer range/stronger version of the shield 4 skill, but with no stun, maybe an AoE cripple instead. I think I prefer the latter rather than gaining swiftness, but it does need to have some form of movement skill.

Being a shield, there should be a block or block&counter, but both of these can already be done with other weapons. So for something new and different, what about a block that lets you use your offhand weapon skills. It’s just a thought, and does sound really powerful, but I’m thinking maybe a 1.5-2.0 sec block that lets you use skills 4 and 5 while blocking.

For a burst skill, what about a Captain America style shield throw. Let it hit multiple enemies (in an area maybe about the size of the bow burst skill) in a “bouncing” fashion with a small stun for each hit. I was thinking 3, 4, and 5 targets, with a 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 sec stun. While I think it should damage any creature it hits (not just the few targets), I think the stun should only be for the 3-5 enemies hit by it.

What do you guys think?

Dual Wield Shields! (?)

I would love to dual wield shields, that would be so cool

This just reminds me of how during the middle ages left handed people were held with superstition, primarily because a left handed knight fighting a right handed knight both using a sword and board would create a shield on shield and sword on sword match up when facing off.

So long as the main hand shield had some offensive kick.

Perhaps something like this! Call it an Iron Legion invention…