Guild Wars 2

the lower the original cooldown for the skills, the less “worth” the percent cooldown reductions become, especially since the trait does 15% instead of 20%

Torch is good but I never take that trait, it barely does anything for me

with those kind of traits you cant really give up the focus because its #5 is gonna give you might as it blocks (hopefully youre using shelter for heals too i love that thing blocking tons of attacks and giving me 25 might haha)

which makes sense why youre disappointed with the shield.
if youre looking for a 1 hander replacement to GS its going to have to be scepter. If you dont like scepters at the very least torch can do multi hits with its #5 and the aoe burn of #4 helps trigger what i assume is your zeal 10 trait (10% more damage to burning enemies)

Difference between opposing extra ranged options and knowing what is REALISTIC when it comes to what can possibly happen considering arena net is already swamped with stuff to fix about the game.

I will welcome with open arms a new ranged weapons when the expansion comes. For now, I am asking for something more possible and realistic, and that is to fix the scepter.

Guardian needs fixing on the ranged attacks departure yes.
Hence why i advocate fixing the scepter.

What I am against is adding a new weapon that will further complicate balance of the game. I would rather have them add that later on expansion when they have time to actually balance things out.

Its just not feasible right now when theyre busy fixing bugs, banning bots, changing up skills and traits to be balanced, etc etc etc

we dont “cry” its all fine.
you dont whine that because “its all fine” isnt a complaint.

youre using the word wrong

and im not even gonna try to argue that health pool topic here since its a longbow topic

“has decent range and an autoattack that doesn’t move in slow motion, preferrably a chained attack”

this can be done with the scepter without having to add a weapon in game when its not feasible to do so atm

“he just needs some weapon that actually looks like a weapon, "

this bothers me so much. A scepter looks like a weapon.
it is a weapon in the hands of other classes who can use it. its a weapon in a guardians hands.

Ynna.8769:

@Chii:
1) Scepter buff would indeed be enough. It would keep our ranged options very limited, but improve things a lot. And I’m not sure if buff is the right word for it. Change might be better.
2) I don’t understand this, actually. How does a Scepter not fit a Guardian?
3) I’d kill puppies for a Longbow as a ranged support weapon.

1. As long as it becomes a usable weapon. Im fine with being limited on options as long as theres a usable option. Expansions are gonna bring more to come eventually.

2. Dont ask me, there are several people here who thinks their manliness is challenged because they hold a scepter instead of a manly manmade for men longbow or rifle.

3. Im not against this really. The problem are people wanting longbows that function like the warrior’s longbow. Which reeks of I rolled the wrong class syndrome

You choose what is appropriate. Aegis is fine, you use it to block huge attacks.

Rapid fire attacks go on bursts, dodge it. If its just sustained attacks, use protection.

The reason why guardian is fun for me is because you have to think what skills to use at the right time and not just use everything on cooldown.

There are actually several different sides clashing in this thread. Its not as simple as “Yay Longbow” and “Nay Longbow”

1. For you guys who are actually concerned of the lack of ability to do ranged combat. A scepter buff should be fine. No need for a longbow. New weapons quite possibly will be added on expansion, lets just work with what we have.

2. For you guys who are insecure about your character’s masculinity that a scepter becomes a questionable weapon, find a scepter skin that looks like a mace. I’m sure theres one somewhere.

3. For the people who argue that the longbow should exist because Guardians can summon it as a spirit. Then by that logic you should agree that it should do the same general concept as the spirit itself right?
What I mean by that is if they do add longbow for this reason. it has to be a support weapon. #1 skill is definitely an attack, maybe #2 as well but 3 4 and 5 has to be some sort of support skill and one of them is the healing arrow rain.

The reason I am very very against Longbows as an amazing offensive range weapon for guardian is because I am against anything that pulls the class towards becoming Warrior #2. I like the fact that I am a guardian and every. single. bit. of uniqueness it has as a class. I dont want to be just a flashier looking warrior in the end.

If the shield #4 did aoe rather than cone I can see it be good.

Right now im gonna be honest, focus is just way better.
Im saying this and I’m a shield user.

I use shield for aesthetic/flavor reasons. I just like shields.
They were useful in Crucible of Eternity but thats the problem, its niche while focus is just good all around.

The D series golem was a godsend in Crucible of Eternity Dungeon.
Their shield reflects so it mitigated a ton of damage (and hurt enemies). Especially the annoying slow moving tracking ball of lightning some mobs fire.

The 7 Series are good in general PVE exploring as its extra dps no matter how you look at it.

The Hazmat….eh. I dont get it. It needs to have a purpose. If its going to be that weak at least make it so if it loses its HP, you dont die and get “ejected” back out with full HP.

shedim.8504:

Staff and scepter do not only look incredibly hideous in a knight’s hand, they are also the by far most lackluster and unfun weapons in the entire game! Every class has the possibility to adapt its weapon choices to match the player’s preferrence. Every class but the Guardian! It’s not that we would become imbalanced powerhouses when they handed us rifles or bows. Every weapon is a gain but also a sacrifice to some extent. If you get a focus instead of a torch you lose the fire condition and the AoE cone damage/cleanse, but gain a shield and a blind. The weapon is a tactical choice as well as a matter of preferrence. Bsically we can pick either a lackluster staff with pathwtic ofnaive abilities and mediocre support (that renders you quite useless until your cooldowns refsh) or a mediocre, hideous fairy wand that hast the most ridiculous and undun autoattack in the history of video games. I don’t know about you but I didn’t roll a Guardian to wield a wand or a staff and have some ultimates that would suit a skirt wearing princess much better. I want a real man weapon. A kingdom for a rifle…

Yes because were wearing heavy armor we have to be the manliest of man to ever man the manly men army of man

I for one am glad that the class is unique that its a knight who can use magic. Scepter and Staff just needs to be buffed for better ranged options.

If you wanna be a man, get in there and melee and die for your server. Thats the manly man way for men who are the manliest of all men

Farzo.8410:

Shadow.3475:

I think its fun to shout Retreat when you chase someone

You obviously tell the one you chase to retreat!

This is what i have been saying all along.

There is zero problem with the name Retreat. People are just not being imaginative enough.

Yeah i dont think the greatsword heal trait is even any good. But then again its in Zeal, zeal has major issues.

I mean its nice in pve when you mob 6 things so the “20” procs several times but in the end you invested in zeal grandmaster, that itself is already a kitten

Svarty.8019:

A quick semi-fix would be to allow us to use the elite slot for regular skills.

thats kinda whats sad, as a guardian it would actually make me happy to just remove the elite skill slot and have a 4th utility skill instead

This forums gets people who posts threads asking anet to turn guardian into a class you can play with one hand without having to pay attention to the game.

Whatever they want to do with their other hand is up to you to speculate.

Retreat is fine, just do what i do.

Imagine youre telling the enemy that they should retreat when you charge towards them

Neat but im not very hopeful since the change isnt a necessity.

Not Happy, as much as i like the tomes, theyre unusable underwater

Ang.2157:

How can people say that it makes more sense for a heavy plate armor soldier to run around with a little wand than a real ranged weapon?

it makes as much sense as why a tiny asura guardian is doing the same amount of hurt as the tallest norn.

Think outside the box, I for one am glad that theres a weird “Magic Knight” class around

Bleh. Any more HP given to me will just make the class boring, I can already tank well without having to bring protection utility skills since its built in the weapons themselves, Blind and Range Shield on sword, Mace has blocks and heal, GS has Blind and combo condition removal, hammer has prot and control, staff has control and heal, scepter has control.

EDIT, if people really want the boring stand-there-and-take-damage style, Just let them have it through traits or whatever. Put some +HP mods on some zeal traits
Add that to the fact that theres passive regen and aegis that you can activate on necessity.

But I dont agree with anything thatll increase the base HP naturally. I dont care if other people get the option to have higher HP, but at least let me have the option of playing the guardian as is right now

Its meant that way
To be able to survive as a guardian youre gonna have to start using some weapon skills, traits or utility to mitigate damage.

Using those skills properly at the right time lets a guardian win out in the end in survivability despite low hp.

Honestly I like this style better, you dont mash #1 and forget, you have to pay attention, and it keeps me awake when i play late night

Warrior has better burst, Guardian has better sustained damage.
Warrior has the highest tier hp, Guardian has the lowest tier.
Support wise I think theyre pretty equal, I really like banners but I think it favors guardian
Warrior has more potential with weapons as they have variety of weapons to choose from and be good at both melee and range. Guardians has one ranged weapon, the scepter.

Thats roughly what i know off the top of my head

Million times no, Anet mentioned they made guardians to be more of a Magic Knight to distinguish it from Warrior.

Scepter and Staff is fine, just make them viable with a little tweaking

I use it, if Im running away i tell allies to retreat.

If im charging in, im telling the enemies they better retreat or theyre dead.

Reihert.1509:

Healing breezing is healing you during those 3 sec cast and you can cast your 789 skills while at it.

So you can hit it and do something else.

The only reason I take signet over is because it’s 20% CD decrease.

not sure what you mean. When you use healing breeze, you can move but you cant cast any other skills other than shouts, but thats because theyre shouts to begin with

doesnt really need daze or cooldown reduction. Personally i really like that guardian skills have high enough cooldown that it makes players try to actually use their skills in the right timing in a reactive manner.

The whole problem I have with the #4 is the fact that most of the time, my squishy buddies are behind me, and on top of that are usually spread out so they dont get smacked by a powerful aoe. Having the wave actually connect to them is just unnecessarily annoying

Gulbrandr.9047:

I honestly hate skills you cant trait for like our elites

Er? http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Elite_Focus

But hey you got me, touche

Ynna.8769:

I still like my idea. Make Smite into a Symbol of some kind.

Yes this is what ive been saying too so we can use our traits to affect it.
I honestly hate skills you cant trait for like our elites

The blocks can stop a helluva lot more damage in the right situations. Plus you can even pop it just to stop a huge attack, like things that knock you down or something like a thief initiating their burst chain.
Theres more than just damage it mitigates, timed right it stops cc skills, is hard to be interrupted doing it, etc etc

The real problem is healing breeze, that one needs a buff

The protection skill is fine, it just needs to be aoe both so you can grant it to all your allies easily and so its more likely to hit enemies given the low damage it deals

Its not completely useless but it couldnt hurt for it to have some other use, maybe just like Honorable Shield, just merge this trait to the -20% meditations cooldown trait

ive said it before and ill say it again, we dont need anything drastic. Scepter just needs a buff.

Faster #1 cotton ball things
and #2 be buffed (I prefer it to be turned into a symbol so we can trait it to have vuln, heal, or be bigger)

I bring my shield for appearance. Focus is better hands down. The trait for +90 toughness and -20% cooldown isnt really enough.

All I ask for is for the #4 to NOT be a cone and be aoe so it actually helps my buddies behind me and the #5 to have a MUCH faster cooldown, or a WAY better heal, or a little bit of both.

If they do return the bow, its because of flavor reasons that the guardian can summon a spirit bow. But keep in mind that spirit bow is a support weapon.
If they do bring out a bow for guardian, id only be in favor of it if only the #1 and #2 skill is the offense skill #3 should be some sort of healing shot #4 some sort of condition removal shot and #5 be healing arrow rain.

Otherwise I think making the scepter not be just average on strength is good enough.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fUQQJARWlYgKD33RLE2NFRWBRafAg1HiH2DMmxPC;TwAA1CooMyYkwIrROjkGtoYQxmgJBA

Heres one I used to use. I focused on sword shield now but this build was great when I was all-in on greatsword.

-Purging Flames and Symbol of Wrath spam should keep your targets burning and youll do +10% damage against them. Symbol will add vulnerability for even more damage.
-Symbol of Wrath will heal you with the trait, Shouts will give you protection and regen, -20% cooldown on your signet of resolve should assist in your ability to stay alive.
-Activating virtue of justice will blind, and make enemies vulnerable, the same goes for Greatsword #4 skill, further assisting on damage and ability to stay alive. Virtue of justice will recharge per kill letting you have a lot of chances to activate and blind

I think its fine, could use a better heal on SoA detonate.

What I hate is the fact that the #4 skill is a cone in front of you. I have to Roll back use it then roll back in to apply it to my allies.
It should just be aoe around you rather than cone.

You should be switching weapons according to situations, each guardian weapon has its role.

In PVE i hold Sword+Shield and Greatsword, when I jump into WvW, I swap the Sword + Shield with a Scepter or Staff.
When I didnt have my shouts build I had Staff in my 2ndary slot for PVE for its symbol of swiftness.
I always have staff on sPVP 2ndary slot for symbol of swiftness to cap points.

drwookie.6391:

What EXACTLY do they absorb/reflect? Or better question…what don’t they absorb or reflect? I’ve set up a shield of absorption (or Sanctuary) with no conditions on me and I sometimes continue to take damage. It is hard to figure out what exactly is hurting me. Subquestions include:
a. Does it block only direct dmg attacks? Does it include ground targeted?
b. If the enemy has targeted someone BEHIND the shield (but not in it), will it block their attack? WHat if that attack is ground targeted? Like say can a Ranger shoot OVER the shield to someone behind it?
c. Does it block siege? Only siege that is targeted on the inside? What about a ballista targeting someone BEHIND shield? (Similar to part b)
d. Wall of Reflection: It’s a wall. It has a finite height. That makes me wonder if ground targeted “fire from above” type attacks get through. Yes/no?

Main Question: It blocks anything that is a projectile, easy way to tell, if you can see it physically fly through the air to hit something, its a projectile. Arrows, Thrown Axes, Magic that shoots like bullets or missiles etc.

a: It depends on the direct damage attack, see above. It has to be a projectile. Ground targetted attacks arent projectile so those go through.

b: even if their target is behind, instead of inside, it will absorb or in the case of wall of reflection, reflect it. As for shooting over it I have no idea, I have not seen any projectile go high enough to make it over.

c: I have not seen it do so, I have encountered seige sparingly because I always play gank-the-supply-camp in wvw. Sorry cant help here.

d: Ground targetted goes past the wall. It has to be a projectile, it has to physically fly through the air. like a missile

symbols doesnt need to be casted on your feet. See Staff #3 skill

yes most of the time its casted near feet for swiftness but ive casted it on the zerg several times for aoe damage

Its already in game. It just doesnt say so in the tooltips.

Hover over your toughness on the topmost tab of your Hero Window without the trait but with a shield it should say a number+a green number.

Now select the trait and re hover over your toughness on your Hero window and you will see the green number increase

tridents are really meh. I find that with spear i kill the enemies fast enough it would let me survive better than tridents ability to keep me alive

EDIT: The only time I use trident is sPvP at Raid the Capricorn. I use it for its #5 to sink targets for my army of sharks to feast on

The problem with concentrating your build on burn damage is that it may start to feel ineffective and redundant if theres another guardian or elementalist in your party.

However you can make your build use burning as a facilitator rather than the main source of damage.

My build does this, here it is
http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fUQQNAseRlYgiCnFyvD2NFh1DAeQ/VVIeYKwI8vK4QA;TwAA1CooMyYkwIrROjkGtoYQxmgJBA

You dont have to copy it point for point, it allows a bit of customization as long as you include at least
-10 zeal
-15 radiance
The reason for that is that I use burning to allow myself almost constant +10% damage with the zeal trait II Fiery Wrath
The 15 radiance is so that you get the minor trait Renewed Justice which refreshes Virtue of Justice every kill, allowing you to spam it and burn a ton

Using those i added in the ability to blind when i pop Justice since it refreshes and ability to do vulnerability when I apply blind

A couple of ways I can suggest you ad libbing this build would be
1. Go for a Spirit weapon set up using 30 Zeal and 10 Virtues for the Fiery Wrath, cooldown, duration and command spam traits and then get 20 radiance for “spirit weapons cause burning” then rest is up to you
2. Instead of going 30 radiance for the +15% 1 handed weapon crit you can go 30 honor for -20% 2 handed weapon cooldown if you prefer using greatswords

I prefer the 1h weapon crit boost to make the scepter which is otherwise just an ok weapon into something that hurts pretty bad.

Im only playing the devils advocate

Im fine with the scepter AoE mechanically but in the end a buff like making it a symbol instead wouldnt put things out of balance.

I say Mechanically because my REAL problem with the scepter attacks is aesthetically. its that they look boring and lame.

if the arguement is of an organized group wouldnt it be fair to assume that the opposing group is also an organized group?

With this in mind and opposing organized group probably would check what aoe it is since it would only take a split second, before dodging away.
and if they do dodge, an organized group would not dodge towards a cluster

Main reason id prefer elites that are of the same skilltypes as our utility is because of traits. I can grab a trait that extends the tomes duration but thats it. Id like an elite signet that goes with the signet traits, a consecration that gets -20% cooldown and extended duration with traits, a shout that gets -20% cooldown and condition converting to boon with those traits etc etc

@Tomkatt: If you ever need more power, rather than put more into zeal try the trait that adds +10% damage on burning foes if you have at least 15 radiance for the minor trait of virtue of justice refreshing every kill.

@akamon: Yes it counts for virtues too.
@akamon: You wont get really high stacks of vulnerability really but dont scoff at 1%. If youre in a full dungeon party for example and you got 5 people beating on a guy with 1 vuln. Thats easily a good 5% more damage

Ive always hated it when people compare everything in form of damage.
While I dont agree that damage isnt the only way to do things, I do agree that guardian underwater is meh

If damage improvement isnt the option anet wants to take, then I for me better skills in general would suffice.
For example spear #4 granting immobilize, shorter cooldown on spear #3 since it blinds. etc etc

i dont want a new weapon. I can see what kind of flavor anet is going for the guardian. A magic knight of sorts, so sceptre should stay.

it just needs to be not lame. Faster “cottonball” attacks and a better looking smite is all i ask

Im happy its not in any way shape of form mandatory.

Some people like crafting, im glad the option is there for them even if others dont like it. People should not expect every facet of the game to be something they enjoy.