Guild Wars 2

LameFox.6349

Seriously though… why, from a lore viewpoint, would any class have more or less innate ‘health’? I’m pretty sure the idea of stats is altogether external to lore.

How about:

Through rigorous training and countless battles, those who call themselves Warriors have honed their bodies to be the strongest in every facet of their mortal form.

The strength of a Guardian’s soul is unmatched by any foe they may encounter. An enhanced spiritual awareness, earned through intense meditation, has granted them the ability to draw upon power from beyond the mists to aid them in battle.

Use your imagination xD

MajorMelchett.6042:

How does it not matter?, your saying based on your experience the guardian is the most played class, but according to Anet it’s not the case.

All i was saying was, sure you may notice more, but it’s not actully true.
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Anyways, enjoy whatever class you have moved to, i’d suggest mesmer as they are the least played class.

Unless you PvP, then they’re everywhere. ;P

So you would rather play a profession that you enjoy less, so you can feel unique? There’s always going to be another player around you with the same profession. So it’s up to you make your character unique.

I would like to see a stat of the most popular weapon in the game. I see greatswords everywhere.

edit:

Tortoished.7986:

Playing a different build of the same profession doesn’t make me feel any more unique or interesting. Thanks for those statistics, but it doesn’t change the fact that I still see more Guardians than any other class overall.

And that is completely anecdotal evidence, you’re probably going to feel the same way with every profession.

If you’re having trouble staying alive you should’ve bought a trident as the spear doesn’t offer much defense outside of its blind, the trident however offers more support and survivability. Try using your spirit weapons when underwater. Underwater combat is a breeze when you use your spirit weapons and trident together.

Brigandier.3102:

@Brigandier
You completely missed the point O.o The thread isn’t about comparing the greatsword or other weapon sets, it’s about how Leap of Faith misses on uneven ground.

You must not have read my post. People cry about greatsword’s weaknesses like it is their only choice. Did it not occur to any of you that maybe they made Leap of Faith suck because they think it makes the weapon balanced?

Sword #3 roots me on the ground but I work with those requirements. Maybe GS users should think before blowing Leap of Faith on uneven ground? Maybe it’s not a bug, but a mechanic?

It’s just another “bawwwww I love X weapon and X weapon should be able to do everything” thread.

Ok, tell me where ProxiiG says that he’s only using the greatsword, or doesn’t want to use other weapons. You can have fun arguing with yourself about the weapon sets. I’ll just stay on topic.

Ghotistyx.6942:

Maybe Anet thought that always having a full power leap would end up being a design feature they preferred. I.e., possibly getting to the point of leaping to the far side of a target would be a wanted advantage to those who could pull it off, or being able to dodge/run somewhere mid-leap would be good for the player (or mob, but mobs don’t usually act outside their coding) targeted defensively. As long as those leaps are the same game-wide, then its fine. They could always just make every leap target-able if they really needed to.

That’s likely as well. There have been tons of times that I’ve used Leap of Faith to gain better positioning, to reach far away places for vistas, or to create distance when running away. So maybe a hybrid would be better, in that it acts the same as it does now with no target selected, but has a dynamic trajectory when a target is selected.

@Brigandier

You completely missed the point O.o The thread isn’t about comparing the greatsword or other weapon sets, it’s about how Leap of Faith misses on uneven ground.

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The problem is with these skills is that they don’t have a dynamic trajectory. These skills should essentially make your body act as projectile with a dynamic trajectory towards your target like an arrow.

Anet gave these leap skills static trajectories to limit the distance they could travel vertically. Imagine people aiming leap skills vertically to jump over objects and walls. This can be prevented by providing no movement to the character if nothing’s targeted, like teleports do.

Anyway, all the leap skills need to be reworked, because the current implementation is limiting and frustrating, but I understand how it isn’t a simple fix.

Tobeyeus.9376

You need a bursty build not a tanky build for Mesmers. Greatsword or Sword/Torch would also be a good option.

I agree that the best way to deal with mesmers is to go all out offensive, but you don’t necessarily need a burst build to do it.

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Even the best mesmer will react in some way if someone is charging at them full steam. You just have to notice the one that dodges / walks backwards / strafes / jumps / etc.

I find the greatsword or hammer is the best way to deal with them, but instead of the aoe damage, I think the control skills help the most.

You’re both right. The 15 hits totals to the amount stated in the tooltip, but Smite fails to hit the targets in the area 15 times. It usually only hits 7-10 times. Go test it for yourself in Heart of the Mists on the test dummies.

I don’t know what you’re expecting to hear, but they’re two different weapons, so use them accordingly. Neither beats the other flat out.

The mace has a wider arc and symbol, but at the cost of less range at 130~. The sword has a longer reach with it’s last auto-attack at 300, and it’s other skills at 600, but only hits targets that are in front of you. The mace provides close range aoe and healing, the sword provides single target dps (generally speaking) and burning.

I think you’re underestimating Protector’s Strike a bit. A block is a big deal if you use it correctly, and if you don’t get attacked you give protection to allies which is even better in a group. Also, I’ve saved countless people from attacks with Protector’s Strike, which is its intended use.

The scepter #1 doesn’t need more damage, it can do a ton of damage if the projectiles connect. The issue is that they don’t connect at far distances on moving targets. As it is right now, the scepter is a sub 600 range weapon for kiting moving targets, or for hitting tower cannons and the like.

I agree with StugLyfe, that I never felt that the scepter and torch fit well together. I always used it with either a sword or mace. I love Cleaning Flame, leave it alone.

Cultrix

A consecration that burns foes around and removes condition, stays on the ground for 3 seconds

We already have that skill, it’s called Purging Flames. O.o

Retaliation can be completely removed from the game for all I care. It’s just a side-effect to me, so I really don’t care about it. However, a guardian can’t sneeze without gaining retaliation from something right now, and it has always been a damage source for us in some way. So despite its significance (or insignificance), if Anet ever decided to remove it , I think the the damage output should be transferred to something else.

It’s a kiter’s weapon. It works well if you use your signets or spirit hammer. For melee attackers, cast Line of Warding after you knock them down, and dance back and forth over it, and keep your speed up with the symbol.

Orb of Light hits hard, just make sure you’re close enough so it connects, and don’t detonate it. You’ll be able to cast Orb of Light continuously if you’re close range and have the two-handed 20% reduced cooldown trait.

Use a hammer or a scepter and shield as a backup and knock them away with Banish or Shield of Absorption if they get close, then immobile with Zealot’s Embrace or Chains of Light.

edit:

I don’t use it much, because I have an aggressive playstyle don’t like constantly “running away.” Most guardians I see with the staff are tag teaming with a thief and giving them loads of might.

As always, I agree with everything Eveningstar. Smite becoming a symbol will always get my support. I’m not sure how powerful builds would become if the spirit weapons traits were combined, but I definitely agree that they should be. I’d even trade some of the stats effectiveness (e.g. +40% duration, -15% recharge) if they were combined.

I have mixed feeling about your grandmaster traits. Although I was brainstorming about using your Exalted Spirit with Bow of Truth and Purging Flames for stacking burning, healing, and condition removal… and maybe giving double area might with another spirit weapon and equipped hammer.

Yeah, Zeal isn’t a bad line, it’s just the leftover pile where the misfit traits go xD

Voodoo.9745

There is still a big difference between choosing not to, or simply seeing the massive grind as just bit too much. Hell, if i could grind my dungeon gear on 1 character and level all others to 80 i would.
He wants to, but sees the grind as bit too extreme.
You choose not to, that fine.

Ok, it would have to apply to all gear, not just dungeon gear then. Any weapon or armor skin unlocked on any character, would be available for use by all other characters.

I’m not supporting the idea, but it wouldn’t make sense for a person to be able to use dungeon gear on multiple characters, while a person with rare crafted gear could not.

Nope, I don’t agree. No one is making you run a dungeon a ton times to get dungeon gear on every one of your characters. You’re deciding to do that. There are still other options available and the stats are the same. I decided not to run dungeons at all, because I don’t enjoy them. As a result, I won’t get the dungeon gear or the legendaries, and I’m fine with that.

kousei.5914:

I don’t know why the scepter gets so much hate. I do quite a lot of damage with my scepter. It’s an excellent kiting weapon. I do wish a few things about it would be changed but the damage isn’t one of them.

Well I’ll tell you this. I’ve never been killed by a guardian scepter ;P

Go to the Heart of the Mists and test out all the weapons and skills, and decide for yourself. I’m not trying to be mean, but there’s no right or wrong weapon set or class for anything in this game. The guardian can be great at everything except long range damage. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t fight long range opponents, just don’t expect to be able to stand at the rear of the pack and dish out a ton damage.

I completely disagree. Downed state introduces new strategy in both small scale and large scale gameplay. My teammates and I have turned the tides countless times by knowing when and how to rally someone. Knowing when to knock enemies away and revive someone, or to kill their target to rally them can make a huge difference in a fight.

Flocke.8302

Just a suggestion but personally I feel the finish move takes too long and most classes have some kind of knock-down that makes it take even longer. So you potentially have your whole zerg trying to down one person instead of killing the rest of the enemy.

One mistake I see a lot people making is repeatedly trying to finish off players (mesmers and thieves) when half the time it’s faster for a group to just defeat them with pure damage. That’s not an issue with the downed mechanic, that’s a issue with the players.

Volrath.1473

Don’t get me wrong I think that the downstate is a great idea but in pvp it heavily penelizes small groups and small scale pvp encounters not only in wvwvw but in structured and tournament pvp in 1v2 or 2v3 encounters..

I don’t understand this comment, please explain further. In general a larger group should be able to defeat a smaller group with or without the down state. If anything I’d argue that the downstate gives the team with the lesser numbers a chance to come back.

@Rayya

No one said that making Smite a symbol would result in its loss or range ground targeting. Like I said before, you can already cast a symbol at range from the staff.

Lilbeezy.8134:

But about the Symbol thing it would also be cool because it would be the only symbol you can place around at rang its not PBAoE or at
least i would hope they keep it like this

Nope, you’re forgetting the staff can cast Symbol of Swiftness at range, although I rarely see it being used for damage. Smite becoming a symbol has been suggested a lot and I haven’t seen a single player disagree. I feel it has the best chance of actually being implemented. I thought about fury before, but I have a feeling that it would be smacked with an extra long cooldown, so I agree with Eveningstar on using vigor instead.

Daedalus.3954:

Clearly some of what’s been said has passed through the wrong kind of filter to you Kasei.

The intent was to move from complaining to constructive suggestions. No yammering about what’s OP. Just what would help, how we are dealing with what we have, and how we’ve turned our focus to adapt. Please, continue with that in mind.

Forums are for voicing opinions. As long as a post meets Anet’s standards, then it’s fair game. This thread is opinionated, just like all the others. It’s arrogant to tell other players to not voice their opinions, and dismiss them as complainers.

Daedalus.3954:

The same can be said now. Stop complaining. Take what you have, and tweak it until you can do what you need to get through to the next batch of nerfs. OR reroll.
…
Stop making useless complaint threads, instead make threads on ideas how to make the most of our current utilities.

If your were aiming to support guardian players in light of the recent changes, this thread should have been named “Guardian Greatsword Build Alternatives” and shouldn’t have addressed player opinions or WoW for that matter. Stop shunning away opinions that don’t massage your elitist ideal of the guardian, while hiding behind the banner of bolstering the guardian community.

I will be posting my guardian build insights in the sticky, where it’s more likely to be read by the people who are seeking the information.

I use my hammer in PvE when I don’t want to think. I can kill almost anything with auto-attack. It’s very fun to use in PvP, but I find it to be unreliable due to the fact that anyone with blinds/blocks/dodges (guardian) can negate all of the slow hammer attacks with ease.

I use all of the weapons (I even started to use scepter again) and switch weapons and builds all the time, even in the midst of a wvw battle if necessary. I don’t understand the players who only choose to use one weapon/build.

All you guys talk about is WoW ~ O.o

Animus.6073:

Most simple solution I can think of, and it has been stated before, is to change Symbol of Wrath to grant a different boon and/or inflict a condition. I would personally love to see it inflict a cripple, but that might be asking for a bit much.

No more than Ring of Warding if it works the same way as other symbols. It would only apply the condition every second at a one second duration. A person could just dodge/teleport out of it and be free, or stand there and waste their condition removals. Immobilize, on the other hand, would be OP.

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People just want to understand why the changes were made. The changes Anet made to the greatsword don’t accomplish their stated goal (yet). Until we know more, people will continue to be unsatisfied.

Also I know you’re trying to inspire people, but to me this is just a complaint thread complaining about complainers. This might as well be merged with all the other threads.

Snoflake.9087:

Has anyone here played the original Guild Wars? Particularly a Dervish?

If you have, then these changes are second nature. If ANet don’t like how something is working, they change it. End of story.

ANet didn’t like how Dervishes were operating, so THEY CHANGED THE WHOLE PROFESSION. Just about ALL the skills got re-worked.

These skill changes are a part of life in Guild Wars. You’d best get used to it.

And yes, I’d just started my guardian prior to these adjustments and yes it sucks to relearn stuff, but I’d rather play a good profession rather than suffer through a broken one.

I played GW1 and I’m used to regular skill changes. I rather looked forward to the skill changes and saw it as a challenge to quickly master the changed skills on all the professions, because we had secondary classes.

However, in GW2 we can’t use other classes’ skills, or put skills in whatever order we wish. So the skills and class balancing should be handled differently. Cooldowns were changed all the time in GW1, but that’ll be ridiculous in GW2 if that results skills changing positions every patch.

Secondly, in GW1 I always felt that Anet had a clear reason why they changed certain skills. This is the first time I’ve felt that they changed it on a whim. I honestly feel that they don’t know what they want to do with the guardian.

Animus.6073:

I’m probably going to take a hit or two on this one but I would personally like to see the Hammer ability, Banish, get removed and replaced with a Retaliation boon granting ability. That way, Retaliation building Guardians can use the more defensive two-hander since it requires being hit to proc anyway. I find that Banish has very few practical purposes (other than knocking a person off a node), but if there is another ability on the Hammer that is better suited to grant Retaliation, I’m fine with that, too.

I propose this because if you move Retaliation to the Hammer, it opens up the options of the Greatsword and puts the two two-handers more in line with one another. If you want to be defensive and take some hits, roll with the Hammer; if you want to be offensive and highly mobile, take the Greatsword. The Symbol can be reverted to its old recharge rate since it doesn’t grant Retaliation anymore, and instead should grant might, or perhaps even inflict cripple/fumble on enemies.

You can already easily get retaliation with the hammer from its blast finisher. Just auto-attack until you put down the symbol, then use the number two skill and you give retaliation to everyone around you.

There are a lot of uses for Banish. It can be used as a knockdown against a wall or within Ring of Warding, for a quick escape used in conjunction with Zealot’s Embrace. You can also use it with Judge’s Intervention to negate the distance. I think the cast time makes Banish difficult to use a lot of the time though.

Every champion I’ve killed has dropped a white. The time spent should net at least a green. The non-event champions difficulty and rewards should scale with the number of players. No normal player should be killing a champion over and over again for any reason, so I don’t mind if they have massive diminishing returns.

Every crafting station has a bank. It makes the game world feel more “alive”, they’re just as annoying as kids in real life :P

“RAWRRRR”
“AHHHHH”

“You can be my friend. I don’t care what you are.”
“Just don’t tell our parents that, they’ll kill us! (laughter)”

For context, I solo everything.

Ming.8139:

I was having a blast doing the quest and joining things I saw as opening maps. By level 80 I thought I had lots of money and Karma so bought nice armor.

Then it hit me.
1. No more things like ‘how many levels can I accomplish today.’

It’s not like levels matter much anyways, and there’s always been a level cap so it shouldn’t surprize you. I don’t understand this sentiment.

2. No more ‘wow, so much money I made today.’

Sure the waypoint costs are higher, but you should still be making a good amount of money. I do just fine without touching dungeons, and I don’t grind orr events either, I just play.

3. The higher the map the harder to run across maps opening it for if I try running I get too many after me and as they all seem to be able to stop me or yank me to them I get gang R.ped.

That’s why it’s a high level zone. Orr wouldn’t feel dangerous if the mobs were all spread out.

Cost of armor repair takes all the money I made while joining others doing special quest that pop up. And killing each thing a few at a time as I cross the map works only if I can void too many re-spawning or in the most places too many already gathered together.

I don’t know what class you play, but you might need to redo your traits for defense if you’re dieing a lot.

4. If I try to warp to join others the cost takes away any money I would get for the quest they want to do. And again armor repairs.

Suggestion:
1. Make it possible for a loner to accomplish things after level 80.

It is possible, there is a ton of stuff to do solo. Heck, you can make a guild with only 1 member and get all the rewards by yourself. However, you can’t expect dedicated group content to be easily soloable.

2. Perhaps, Stop all the mobs being able to stop us from running or give us skills to break out of the stuns, knockdowns etc that can be used without 45 sec delays etc. *We are attacked every 2 sec in the harder areas.

So, just make the game easier?

3. Or Give us more ways to get around. Fly, a mount or a least stop charging so much* for the warp. It would be fun to run across a map joining all the awesome things you have popping up and have money after. And in some cases just make it there with all my armor on.

I agree waypoint cost are too high, but being a GW1 player I love that we don’t have mounts.

I know I could join a guild and run the maps killing everything in our wake but I would like to relax and run my own chosen direction and feel I have accomplished something at the end of my day.

No one’s stopping you from going into a lower level zone is doing things there. The entire game is endgame.

They should swap both skills on both weapons. Aesthetically, it makes more sense that a shield would block attacks, absorbing projectiles doesn’t count as blocking.

However, I don’t think just swapping the skills is enough, they need to move some traits around. Why do we get a ton of blocking traits in the Valor line when the shield doesn’t block anything? Currently, the shield trait would fit better in the Honor line with the boon traits and healing. Why is the focus trait in the Zeal line when it would gain the most from being in the Valor line?

I hope this isn’t Anet’s way of balancing the class by throwing our traits around everywhere, because that method is just lazy and results in our trait lines and weapon skills being inconsistent.

I use both off-hands regularly and like their skills, but I’ve always felt that the two should be switched. Although I like the look of the shield, so I’ll use that the most regardless.

It better be, now my fingers are all confused…. I haven’t checked the other weapons/skills/changes yet, but I’m not happy >:O

Renewed Focus has saved me many of times, and completely shuts down burst sins, but I pretty much use Hounds of Balthazar all the time now. I know it’s a human elite, but I still find it the least finicky elite in my arsenal even with the long cooldown.

I don’t hate guardian elites, I hate all elites equally. In GW1 our entire builds were usually built around the elite skill, now they’re just extra. I wish I could use any additional utility skill instead of our elites.

In general I agree with most of this. Although, I think some of these ideas could be put into traits, and some of our current traits removed. I think the #3 hammer skill is fine, but I agree that the sword #3 should allow movement, or maybe be traited for it. I’ll have to spend more time looking at this later.

Zeal Grandmaster Trait – Extended Chains – Binding Blade now has a range of 800.

Zeal Grandmaster Trait – Symbolization – Smite becomes a symbol, allies inside gain fury.

Radiance Master Trait – Master Zealot – Zealot’s Fire hits foes nearby the target within 400 range, and no longer increases recharge time of Zealot’s Flame.

Valor Grandmaster Trait – Shield of Retaliation – All projectiles that hit Shield of Absorption are absorbed, and attackers are dealt damage equal to retaliation. The Shield of Absorption from Resolute Healer is also affected.

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The first one is self explanatory. Unnecessary, but I figured why not. It could be used to pull people off towers maybe, but it’s just out of range of some other classes range.

The others ones would help our ranged dps considerably, but we would have to dedicate ourselves for ranged fighting. Symbolization would allow smite to use all our existing symbol traits and could also be used to buff allies like other symbols. Using Symbolization and Shield of Retaliation would take up 60 points, but would make us better ranged fighters, but with low health and no Virtues advantages.

I was thinking about just making the shield reflect projectiles, but I’m not sure how that would affect mass projectile attacks from arrow carts, meteor shower, etc. Even with retaliation being a limiter, I’m not sure if this would just be OP vs Barrage.

Any ideas guys?

How about a trait that allows us to use #5 ToW instantly with ground targeting xD

I need 15 characters to post these images.

See two zergs in a stalemate in the distance. Swap out your skills. Target someone in the middle of the enemy line and use Judge’s Intervention > Hallowed Ground > Sanctuary > Tome of Wrath everything around you while your zerg rushes up behind you.

Rush in with a greatsword Binding Blade > Whirling Wrath > Wall of Reflection > Symbol of Wrath. Those who you just pulled are hurting and are running out of your symbol aoe, every ranged attacker nearby targets you and hits your WoR (hug that sucker), attacks that do get through are triggering your retaliation from your symbol. Your team rushes in behind you.

High risk, high reward.

shedim.8504:

Play with a group because the Guardian is neither viable solo, since everybody can outrun or kite you to death, nor is he decent in zergs because the Guardian is the only profession in this game that severely lacks any decent, viable and most important fun ranged combat.

The guardian is viable solo. I’m not trying to be elitist, but I seriously don’t know what else to tell you. If you’re losing to every class solo, then guardian is not for you, because the class is not that broken. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched someone try to kite away and attack, then I pop Wall of Reflection and they kill themselves.

In WvW my guardian is at the front of the pack using consecrations. Switch consecrations to ground targeting and spam spirit weapons if you want to stand in the back.

shedim.8504:

Quite honestly, you will not achieve anything unless you have a fortune to spend on siege weapons/arrow carts to make up for your design flaws. Don’t listen to the guys claiming you can support. Guardian support is pressing a couple of buttons a couple of tims in a minute while spending the vast majority of the time waiting for your cooldons to refresh. You can support, but it is boring as hell and not rewarded at all so it is pointless for you, unfun and a waste of time since there is nothing to gain for you.

No that’s for lazy guardians. Support is rushing in and putting up a barrier to revive someone before they’re defeated. Removing mass conditions with Purging Flames, Cleansing Flame, and Pure of Voice. Keeping people standing at the gate with Hallowed Ground. Taking out seige weapons with mass retaliation buffs. Protecting a singled out teammate with a mace and shield. If you’re worried about cooldowns on the staff, use the 20% reduced cooldown on two handed weapons.

shedim.8504:

Stick to spvp until they finally realize how ridiculous it is to be the only profession in this game with lame, unfun and not viable ranged weapons and finally give the Guardian something like a rifle.

I agree that the guardian doesn’t have a great ranged weapon, but we can do so much more than just dps. I’m not sure why you chose to be a guardian if you just want to dps.

@Pyrite, #5 Ring of Warding can be used well right after #3 Zealot’s Embrace or after your Glacial Heart chills your target. Most people don’t react fast enough to break out in time.

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When I use hammer I usually do: Bane Signet + Judge’s Intervention > Ring of Warding > Mighty Blow > Banish > Zealot’s Embrace (Chain)

Most people won’t notice the Ring of Warding after being suddenly [female dog]slapped and they will run into the line which gives time for Mighty Blow, but sometimes I skip right to Banish. Ring of Warding acts like a wall for Banish, so Banish bascially becomes another knockdown.

If I’m feeling extra mean, I’ll bring along Hammer of Wisdom ;P

edit:

or: Zealot’s Embrace > Mighty Blow > Banish > [wait a sec for them to stop, use a heal skill, etc] > Bane Signet + Judge’s Intervention > Ring of Warding

Sairenkao.6485:

kousei.5914:

I have told my guildies many times that I wish the orb on #1 was faster and that #2 was a symbol. Other than that, it’s a good weapon.

Honestly, I really only want #2 to be a symbol so I can get the symbol traits (larger, longer, etc) to work with it :P

Making it a symbol would lose it’s animation, I think. Or else all symbols need animations! Also, if scepter gets a symbol, it’s only fair that sword gets one, too…right..? ;x

I rather dislike the animation and the annoying noise it makes anyways, so I’m all for it becoming a symbol.

I never use the scepter anymore. If I need any sort of range I’ll use the staff. The scepter won’t hit anything at 1200, and the staff hits everything (figuratively, limited at 5) at 600. The staff’s 2 & 3 are just fine for immobile targets, i.e. cannons and oil. In those 600+ range battles of attrition, one Wall of Reflection will put out more damage than the scepter, and then I can use staff to heal and buff teammates who have the hard hitting ranged weapons/skills.

I would rather dual weild shields than use a scepter xD

I agree, there should defintely be a manual toggle for commanders on the map. At the very least remove them from the mini-map. I don’t need to see the direction of the commanders at all times, not even in WvW.