Guild Wars 2

Chronomancer (Mesmer Elite Spec) is THE support role when it comes to using Shield. Granting Alacrity and Quickness to allies while supporting them with Boon Sharing through Signet of Inspiration makes them one of the most valuable supporters out there. They’ve got a steep learning curve however, and leveling Mesmer is a sloooow and ardous task because of their low personal DPS.

Guardian’s Shield is actually useful now, so it’s to be considered. Dragonhunter Elite Spec isn’t as Supportive as Core Guardian, but it does a well enough job if paired with Honor and Virtues still. Guardian is still good and typically a Zerg Leader, very hard to find too many Guardians on your team.
Not always that Shield is useful for them, however.

Revenant’s Elite Spec Herald is still useful since they can spread a lot of Boons around with relative ease, although their Shield Skills are more typically useful for Solo Play. Still, they have good sustain and decent Boon Support, some people even swear by Ventari (Not too shabby, just a lot of investment into it to be really good. And the micromanagement, but that’ll be nothing compared to Engi.)

Warriors can be Supportive, but not with Shield. Shield is a CC weapon for them, and a pretty good one at that, but won’t really help allies out at all.

Workable, yes. Granted, the Hambow build will be you opening with LB 4→2→maybe 3, then Swapping to Hammer for the rest of the fight. So it’ll mostly be “Hammer with a pinch of Longbow” more than anything else.

For Ranged DPS though, LB can’t begin to compete with Scepter/Torch.

The reason we see so many trenchcoats is because that’s how the Medium armor “Skeleton” has been designed, in the simplest of terms.

Basically, the armor is painted on a mesh, and this mesh far as I know is identical for each armor in a given Armor class (And also, why mix-and-match between armor classes won’t ever be a thing) and for medium armor, this Mesh encompasses a trenchcoat on the top outfit. Even on Armor that aren’t trenchcoats, there’s an invisible cape hanging out around the legs.

That’s what I recall it being last time this was brought up, anyways.

In terms of feminine medium armor, you’re oftentimes better off with Light Armor as that has the most dimorphism between male and female appearence. Newers Armor sets and especially Gemstore ones typically feature bigger differences, which is a bit hit and miss (Looking at you, Phalanx Armor) but sometimes they came out pretty good.

Otherwise there are outfits, which typically always have some differences such as Noble Count, Countess Anise’s Outfit, Ancestral, Wedding, Monk’s, Winter Solstice and Daydreamer’s Finery. Downside is there’s no mix-and-matching, upside is no armor restrictions or transmutation cost.

Soothsayer.9206:

UmbraNoctis.1907:

1. Condi ignores thoughness and protection – power ignores cleanses and resistance. The first two things are more common/passive/easier to use, the latter two can be more powerful though, because they can negate up to 100% of the dmg. Everything else (blocks, evades, blinds, …) works against both.

2. The side effects from condis are the same for power and condi builds.

3. Soldier amulet was a thing in the past, so power can work with only 1 stat. Power dmg benefits a lot from precison and ferocity, which makes those stats so strong but not always mandatory. Condi builds benefit from condi dmg and expertise and sometimes also from precision. 3 stats again. The gain from those stats might be less compared to power builds, because additional duration can be 100% negated by cleanses while critical hits deal always more dmg than normal hits.

Good post! Only direct damage benefits from critical; conditions cannot critically hit and that by design. Hybrids of this type are higher risk/reward builds (e.g. rampager’s, viper’s, etc.)

In return, there are plentiful traits and sigils that all proc additional Conditions on Critical Hits, allowing you to stack more Conditions on your target in bursts, for instance.

PierPiero.9142:

how many meta builds are based on conditions and how many are based on bunker/direct damage ?

Currently?

Only Chronophantasma Shatter among the meta builds uses Conditions for Damage, but you’re going to run into Rabid Macebow Burst Warriors, Carrion Procmancers/Corruptionmancers, Burn Guards and Evade-spamming Condi Thieves anyways because even if they’re not “Meta”, they work in solo and duo queue.

But in the meta, Condis have mostly been traded for massive Direct Damage burst specs such as GS/Mace Zerker Berserkers and Power Axe Boonstrip Reapers.

• Fractal cats! – Yes, more cats. Cats are the new endgame of GW2, and Fractals are ripe for a few more! Just place them on already existing islands, such as at the end of the JP in the Hub, somewhere along the way to Jade Maw, as a friendly summon from Bloomhunger that hangs around after the boss is dead, stuff like that.
• Food Recipes and Mats for making food with Agony Resistance and new stat combinations and/or effects. Specific Harvest Nodes could be found in certain fractals (Such as Fish clusters in Underwater, Destabilized Herbs in Chaos Fractal, Ascalonian Spices in Urban Battleground etc) and given as a possible rewards at the end.
• Buyable permanent Harvest Nodes of the above for your home instance using either Relics or Matrixes.
• Fractal Home Instance – Not as a drop or something you buy, but merely an achievement for Beating say Fractal Lvl 100. Just imagine having your own set of Islands full of merchants, unlockables and cats. Could get Fractal Vendors and a direct Portal to the Fractal Hub as an added bonus. (PvPers and WvWers should have their own unlockable Home Instances accessible from HotM/EB respectively, with their own exclusive Vendors, but that’s another topic altogether.)

The fact that fashion is a big thing in GW2 is by no means a secret. The sheer amount of screenshots and threads showcasing our creations speak for themselves, but throughout it all there seems to be something missing, and that’s the ability to effectively showcase a weapon and armor combo.

Sure, there are the idle animations to use for it and some poses are really good for showcasing matching weapons and armor, but that’s hardly universal for all weapons. Not to mention that there’s something a lack of punch to it, a lack of dynamic.

So what I propose is a specific Emote Command that’s tailored precisely for showing off a weapon along with your armor. The command, /pose, would prompt the character to enter a specific stance depending on weapon equipped that effectively showcases both weapon and armor.

Of course, making a different pose for every single weapon might be a tad bit too much, so merely condensing it to having a /pose1 and /pose2 for One-handed, Two-handed, Bows and Rifles each might be easier.

A few suggested poses would be the following:

• Over the Shoulder stance for one-handed, with the Main-hand weapon held downwards around the leg, and the off-hand seen over the shoulder instead.
• The “Open arms” stance with both weapons held on each side, angled downwards while the player seemingly approaches the camera (Or walks off if you take a shot from behind).
• For Two-handed: Weapon raised into the air with one hand, the other arm bent with the hand curled into a fist. The “I have the POOOOOWAH!” pose, perfect for Greatswords and Hammers, but also works with staves and rifles.
• Also Two-handed: Weapon struck into the ground, player character standing next to it with a hand on their hip and looking off into the distance or something.
• For Two-handed weapons and Rifles, the Shoulder lean is always an option, with the weapon resting casually over the shoulder of the player, similar to the walking animation with Greatswords and Staves for Humans and Sylvari.
• For bows, a simple pose with the bow in front of them and an arrow knocked could be enough.

Hate to break it to you, but a PvE “Tank” won’t really work as intended, because enemies have extremely varying Aggro parameters and triggers. Only a few select ones actually go with Toughness as the determining factor. Visibility, DPS and Vicinity typically factors in greatly.

There’s also the fact that Mobs try to split their aggro either evenly or randomly between all players within their Aggro range, so even when you’re the first to lay down the hurt you can’t gaurantee that all enemies will shoot for you.

The only Surefire way to get enemy attention is through Taunt, which only works on Non-defiant enemies. A Revenant with Jalis and Improved Aggression can theoretically keep Taunt up 80%-100% on a Single Target with some Expertize and a Sigil of Malice, but they’ll quickly go through their Energy at that rate. And even then, it’s no more effective than any other form of CC, such as Stun or Knockdown which completely neutralize the target for a short time.

Overall, you can build for sustain in Open World PvE, ain’t nobody gonna get on your case for that because it’s just open world PvE, very few actual DPS checks to be had and a bumload of AoEs thrown around everywhere so you can’t effectively dodge all of it.

But don’t kid yourself, or anyone else for that matter, that you’re actively “Tanking” in any way, form or function. You can easily make yourself unkillable, but that won’t help in keeping allies alive. Keep enemies CC’d and Conditioned while buffing allies with Boons and Healing if you wanna help them stay alive.

Because dark and edgy is kinda Necromancer’s schtick, with Revenant coming in a close second. Elementalists are displayed as Arcane masters and typical High Fantasy wizards, while Necromancers as brutish casters of the dark arts who eschew moral or conventional dictations for power. Mesmers on the other hand are not just noble and graceful, but also masters of misdirection, schemers and masterminds, the kinda people who are always 3 steps ahead of your every move. It’s all about dividing the professions equally across different themes and characterizations.

While the current Utility Skills might not be to your liking, I’d advice you to take a look at the Specialization lines, specifically Domination, Chaos and Illusions.
You’ll run into traits such as Rending Shatter, Mental Anguish, Power Block, Imagined Burden, Descent into Madness, Mirror of Anguish, Chaotic Transference, Illusionary Retribution, Maim the Disillusioned, Ineptitude and Malicious Sorcery.

Those kinda names definitely brings to mind the kinda stuff you just brought up, they’re just there as Traits rather than Utility Skills. We got Chronomancer this time as an E. Spec, but most likely we’ll eventually get an E. Spec that focuses more on mentalism rather than temporal manipulation. Maybe that’ll help too, who knows.

xXLuggXx.4018:

Like the idea of a support-necromancer while maintainng the “dark” characteristics
Also your e-spec made me think that torch (your oh-axe-skills could also be done with torch) won’t be toooo bad

Some of my thoughts, if you are interested:

The idea of a passive but also active party buff (shrouded killers) is really cool! It is really strong (so maybe it should be a major not a minor trait?) BUT in comparisson with GotL I would say it’s not broken.

The vampiric retaliation is cool too – you could think of it working like retaliation/ signet of vampirism instead. Being hit while under the effect siphones health. Would be more the “if you hit me you’ll have a bad time”-theme of retaliation and won’t overlap with vampiric presence f.e.

I like the pacts! This mechanic is already in game – hammer fractal (I know you had this in mind, din’t you? ). The elite could get an positiv effect while active, like crit damage or reduced incoming condiduration or … ?

But I’m not sure about the overall theme of the pacts tbh… they could use kind of a supportive character too. (But maybe you wanted them to be more selfish in balance with the support-mechanic -than it’s your design and it’s fine). I think I would have gone into the support-y way Like orders from gw1.

Allies do more dmg/ have higher cirt-dmg/ … for each hit you suffer 1% HP
Reduce incoming condi duration on allies/ condis on you last longer

I would like to see these benefits not as boons so the necro could offer something unique. It would change the debuffer to a buffer wihile keeping the necromatic-theme.
There’s still the option to “cancel” the pacts/ orders for an other effect – this one could be selfish or a PbAoE for example.

I could see a really cool BM/ SR/ Warlock -Support Necro. It’s about buffing the dmg and keeping your allies alive without beeing an active “healer” spec like druid. Not sure weather it would be viable but could be fun to play. Nice synergies with wells for example.

I did a few changes to make the Utility skills and Traits more supportive, but it bears mention that Necromancer and by extent Warlock focuses more on Debilitating Support, weakening enemies as often as or even more often than they Buff allies, although some levels are of course required.

The Elite has a really big and useful Pay-off in the Doom effect, which is why it lacks the buff aspect other Pact skills. I decided to focus on Pact Skills giving party Support on the end effect rather than while active, so as to not encourage just activating them and leaving them be for Team Buffing, rather than take the gamble of a long-duration debuff in return for an eventual spike.

And looking at it again, yes. Torch could definitely be a good or better fit than Off-hand Axe, with the skills being what they are. Of course, with Torch I’d feel obligated to toss in some Burning somewhere there.

Thanks for the input!

Yannir.4132:

The only thing I have a major issue with is the name. I cringe every time somebody comes up with an idea that reminds me of WoW. And I strongly associate warlocks with WoW. Fortunately the ESpec itself doesn’t remind me of it. So while I think another name would serve better, it’s your idea and you are in charge of it!

I actually based this E spec on the DnD Warlock, especially the Pacts and making deals with evil forces in exchange for power. I didn’t even know WoW had beat me to it, but I guess that’s not a big surprise after all, heh.

Carlin Sanders.3587:

phoenixwil.6071:

For the Revenant >

Vizier Khilbron

Weapon: Scepter (Scepter of Orr, duh) or a Focus (Lost Scrolls, duh)

Legendary Lich Stance gives you access to the Eye of Janthir which allows you to see and target stealthy enemies (e.g., Nuhoch Stealth Detection). Life steal and condition duration is increased.

Trait(s): Hunger of the Lich [10 cooldown]
Your attacks steal 1 enchantment; steal 1000 health; gain 10 energy.

Heal: Life Vortex
Heal for XXXX. Steal 1 enchantment then steal 2000 health from target foe.

Elite: Soul Vortex [10 cost/.25 cast/10 recharge]
Shadowstep your target to your location and steal 4000 health. If successful, target is immobilized for 3 seconds. This skill is unblockable. Range 1500.

Don’t get caught up in the numbers. It is just a generalization that helps spark ideas for the devs.

Rodgort would be nice too and obviously the weapon is a torch and lots of burning.

I could see Vizier Khilbron working as a revenant spirit (Legendary Lich) but not as much emphasis on life steal, as Vizier Khilbron was also known to raise and control mass amounts of undead – something the Revenant can certainly benefit from as their only summon is in the form of Ventari’s Tablet. Obviously to be fair to necromancers they won’t have the multiple permanents minions necromancers can, but rather short lived minions focused on inflicting conditions or even as a heal skill for allies – sacrificing a minion you summon to heal yourself and allies near them while inflicting poison or something to enemies near it.

This is close to my own idea that I had a page back for Revenant, called Flameseeker

Though I went with titan echoes instead of undead, as they were distinct from undead and it was Khilbron who brought those into the world as well by opening the gates of Komalie.

My suggestion for making the Revenant “Summoner” elite spec different from Necromancers were to focus less on constant Minions, and instead swarming the field with minions over shorter times with portals that summon them.

• Borrowed Life – Healing Skill. Sign a Life Pact, reducing All Healing you recieve by 25% for each Stage, excluding Life Stealing effects. Steal a small amount of Health from nearby enemies whenever you gain a Stack of this debuff.
  • Life Surge – Healing Skill. Terminate your Life Pact, instantly regaining Health equivalent to the Stage you’ve accumulated, placing a constant aura of Healing around you that heals you and nearby allies.
• Unholy Strength – Sign an Unholy Pact, increasing All Damage that you take by 1% for each Stack. Your outgoing Damage and Condition Damage increases by 1% for each Stack as well.
  • Ruinous Envoy – Terminate your Unholy Pact, creating a summoning circle that spawns a Spirit of Ruin for a short time dependant on your accumulated Stage, Pulsing Damage to enemies near it and Absorbing Conditions from Allies with each Pulse. The Spirit will remain in place, shooting out orbs around itself that damages and Transfers Conditions from it to them.
• Sinful Burden – Sign a Sinful pact, decreasing your Movement Speed by 10% for each Stage. You are Immune to Movement Speed increases and Movement-impairing Conditions while under the effect of this Pact.
  • Absolve – Terminate your Sinful Pact, Converting Conditions on nearby Allies into Boons, and Corrupting Boons on enemies into Conditions, depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated.
• Malaise – Sign a Fetid Pact, causing you to stack Conditions every 2 stacks. Stacks Bleeding and Weakness during Stage 1, additionally Poison at Stage 2 and finally Torment at Stage 3. Condition Duration of all your skills is Increased by 25% while under the effect of this Pact.
  • Outbreak – Terminate your Fetid Pact, making nearby enemies unable to remove Conditions for a short time (2-4s), depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated. Also transfers up to 5 Conditions on you to each nearby enemy.
• Abyssal Gaze – Sign an Abyssal Pact, causing you to stack Blindness and Chill every 4 stacks. Every 4 stacks, you Reveal enemies around you in a limited area and make them Vulnerable.
  • Evil Eye – Terminate your Abyssal Pact, Breaking out of Stun and turning surrounding enemies to Stone for a short time, depending on which Stage you’ve accumulated.
• Possession – Sign a Demonic Pact, Constantly losing Health and Life Force depending on your accumulated Stage. Once this counter hits 30, you will instantly be downed after 3s unless you hit a target with the Termination Skill.
  • Condemnation – Terminate your Demonic Pact, Immobilizing and Dooming a target enemy for a short time, depending on which state you’ve accumulated. A Doomed targets takes Damage over time and grants you Life Force while you’re near them, and if they are Downed while Doomed they are instantly Defeated.

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

• Demon’s Deal – You gain access to Pacts and Death Shroud is replaced with Grand Shroud.
• Vengeful Protector – Allies affected by Lesser Shroud gain Retaliation (3s) when Shrouded.
• Shrouded Killers – You and your allies deal More Damage and Condition Damage while Shrouded. Personal Bonus: 7%. Ally Bonus: 13%.

Adept Traits

• Dark Riders – You, allies and minions gain Swiftness (5s) when you enter Shroud.
• Evil from Beyond – When you sign a Pact, Chill (2s) all nearby enemies and gain Life Force. Life Force gain: 5%. ICD: 10s.
• Bladed Cloak – Whenever you grant Protection to an Ally, they also gain Retaliation (3s). ICD per ally: 10s.

Master Traits

• Unfathomable Darkness – Blind (2s) enemies around yourself and each Shrouded ally when you Enter Shroud.
• Flesh of my Flesh – Whenever you Siphon Health from an enemy, heal nearby Allies for a Small amount. ICD: 1s.
• Share the Pain – Whenever you gain a new Stage of a Pact skill, you and nearby Allies gain Retaliation (3s).

Grandmaster Traits

• Empowered Shroud – Lesser Shroud is increased to 30% of your Accumulated Life Force and Minion Shroud to 15%. Grand Shroud’s activation radius is increased to 750.
• Soul Exchange – Gain Retaliation (3s) when Downed. Striking an enemy below the Health Threshold while you are downed Dooms them for 3s. Health Threshold: 25%. Doom ICD: 90s.
• Vampiric Vengeance – Retaliation you apply now causes allies to Siphon Health from enemies that strike them. ICD: 1s.

Wanted to create a more Supportive Necromancer Elite Spec, while still keeping true to the original Profession’s image and giving them a unique angle of Support.

Necromancer – Warlock
Weapon: Axe Off-hand
Utility Skills: Pacts (New)
Mechanic: Death Shroud is replaced with Grand Shroud, which expands the life force onto nearby allies and Minions, sharing a portion of the extra HP with them. Pact skills are brand new Utility Skills that further work with the idea of Sacrifice, similar to Corruptions.

Mechanic: Grand Shroud
The Warlock is a mage who walks a dark path, but uses said darkness in order to aid his allies just as much as he uses it to call unholy forces to rend his enemies asunder. The Grand Shroud is an enhanced Shroud that extends the effects to nearby Allies and Minions.
Allies within 600 radius upon entering Grand Shroud gain equivalent 20% of your Accumulated Life Force as their own Lesser Shroud, independant of yours, over their own current HP. Unlike the Warlock, their skills are unchanged and Direct Damage is only reduced by 25% rather than half. They still have access to their Utility Skills and can still be Healed, however replenishing your own Life Force while still shrouded won’t replenish Lesser or Minion Shroud. Up to 5 Allies can gain a lesser shroud like this.
Minions are also shrouded. This Minion Shroud is only 10% of accumulated Life Force and carries no additional Damage Reduction, however any number of Minions can be given this shroud.

Naturally, if the Warlock ends the Shroud or has their Life Force depleted, the Shroud effect for all allies or minions end immedietally.

Grand Shroud Skills

• Life Rend – Send a Spectral claw racing along the ground, damaging enemies in front of you up to 3 times, Crippling them if all 3 claws hit.
• Cursed Brand -> Fatal Allure – Brand a target, causing them to stack Vulnerability when Struck. Consume the Brand to Pulls your target to your position, transferring up to 2 Conditions from yourself to them.
• Inscribe Terror – Summon a terrifying visage at the target area, Fearing and Weakening enemies struck.
• Nexus of Pain – Channel, creating an area that pulses Torment to nearby Enemies and Stability to yourself, while transfering a Condition from nearby Allies to yourself with each Pulse.
• Blood Harvest – Target area pulses, Crippling and Bleeding all enemies caught within it every second, Granting Life Force to you with each Pulse. At the end of the Channel, Heal all allies within the area.

Weapon: Off-hand Axe
The off-hand Axe offers the Warlock a Sustain-centric off-hand through means of AoE denial and Conditions, creating zones where the enemy are at a disadvantage against allies.

• Blighted Ground – Tear open a fetid portal, creating a slowly expanding Poison Field that Corrupts Boons into Weakness. Everytime a Boon is corrupted, Allies within the field gain Retaliation.
• Soul Vortex – Channel and Surround yourself with a vortex of tormented spirits, Dealing Damage to all nearby enemies and pulsing Protection. The vortex destroys projectiles fired at it and lashes out with a Tormenting pulse whenever you’re attacked.

Utility Skills: Pacts
What would a Warlock be without their dark pacts signed in blood and allegiance pledged to forces from beyond the veil? The Warlock does not shy away from making friends on the other side… but these “friends” are rarely kind, and never misses a payday. The Warlock is not stupid, of course, and will readily manipulate these spirits for his or her own gain, a deadly gamble with their life on the line whenever battle approaches.

Pacts are Utility Skills that stick to the idea of Self-harm in exchange for boons, similar to Corruption skills. However, whereas Corruption skills are one-time use only, the Pact skills instead causes the Warlock to pulse a Unique Debuff over time with the option to “Terminate” the contract once activated. The longer the Pact Debuff is allowed to linger on the Warlock, the stronger the Termination spell becomes in return.
When first activated, the Pact stacks to 20 with 1 stack gained every second while in Combat, and 1 stack gained every 5s while outside of Combat. Every 10 stacks, the Pact skill progresses to the next Stage, resulting in a higher Pay-off when the Termination skill is used. There is a total of 3 stages (0-9, 10-19 and 20). Multiple Pacts can be held at the same time, and Pacts persists through Shroud (But you cannot end the Pacts while Shrouded as you have no access to Utility Skills). At 30 Stacks, the Pact will remain for an additional 5s before canceling itself, ending and placing itself on Cooldown without activating the Termination Skill.

All items in the BL store rotate in and out on irregular basis. It’ll come back one day, that’s a definite yes.

Wether that is two weeks, two months or half a year from now is entirely up in the air, though.

Hoaxintelligence.4628:

Wardancer? Are we playing gw2 or blade & soul?

Well, I choose the name primarily because of Sufi Whirling, the dance typically associated with Dervishes. Since the GW1 Dervish mixed martial prowess with these whirling feats of acrobatics to create a graceful and stunning combat style, I figured it made sense as a name when you scaled off the religious aspect.

Edit: Changed a few traits to make for more intuitive gameplay. Added some flavor to a weapon skill.

Utility Skills
Like Guardian Meditations, the Wardancer’s Meditations are all instant-cast effects. However, rather than creating an instant miracle, the Wardancer grants themselves Enchantments or other Over-Time effects through these skills. Enchantments gained through Meditations also carry an End Effect which kicks in when they expire naturally or are consumed for use with a Chain Burst Skill.

• Vital Boon – Healing Skill. Heal yourself over time and Gain the Vital Boon Enchantment for 4s, increasing your Max HP by 20%. End Effect: Heal Yourself and Remove a Condition for each Enchantment currently on you.
• Onslaught – Gain the Onslaught Enchantment for 4s, causing you to attack, move and gain Adrenaline 25% Faster. End Effect: Gain Endurance.
• Veil of Thorns – Gain the Veil of Thorns Enchantment for 4s, causing all attacks to Inflict Bleeding. End Effect: Cripple enemies around you, applying Torment if they’re Bleeding.
• Vow of Strength – Gain the Vow of Strength Enchantment for 4s, causing you to deal AoE Damage around your target on Critical Hits, copying 1 Boon to Allies every second. End Effect: Remove up to 3 Conditions, gaining Might for each Condition removed.
• Intimidating Aura – Gain the Intimidating Aura Enchantment for 4s, pulsing Weakness to enemies around you and Retaliation to yourself. End Effect: Fear all enemies around you and Break Stun for allies.
• War Incarnate – Elite Skill. Channeled skill. Break Stun and Transform into an immobile incarnation of War for 4s, lashing out at nearby enemies with a devastating chain of Attacks while being immune to all Control Effects, Blindness and Weakness. End Effect: Remove all Conditions from yourself and gain Stability.

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

• Mystic Warrior – Gain access to Chain Burst Skills. Meditations and Enchantments.
• Staggering Force – Gain Might whenever you successfully Knock Back, Knock Down, Stun, Daze, Pull, Fear or Taunt an enemy.
• Attacker’s Insight – Boon Duration is increased by 15%.

Adept Traits

• Guiding Hands – When you gain a Full bar of Adrenaline, gain the Guiding Hands Enchantment for 4s. Guiding Hands removes and makes you immune to Blind, while also increasing Critical Damage by 15%. ICD: 10s
• Featherfoot Grace – When you use a Movement Skill, gain the Featherfoot Grace Enchantment for 4s. Featherfoot Grace makes you immune to incoming Movement-impairing Conditions. ICD: 16s
• Mirage Cloak – When you Block or Evade an Attack, gain the Mirage Cloak Enchantment for 4s. Mirage Cloak reduces incoming Damage and Condition Damage by 20%. ICD: 24s.

Master Traits

• Radiant Scythe – Staff Attacks have a chance to cause Burning (1 stack, 1/2/3s base) on Critical Hits. Intensity increases the more Endurance you have. Staff Skills recharge 20% faster. Trigger Chance: 50%.
• Conviction – Regenerate health while under the effects of Vigor. Gain Vigor (4s) when you gain 0 Endurance. ICD: 20s.
• Rending Aura – Whenever you perform a Chain Burst Skill, recharge all Meditation Skills by a small amount. Gain Retaliation (2s) when you activate a Meditation Skill. Recharge Reduction: 5s.

Grandmaster Traits

• Whirling Charge – Movement Skills now destroy projectiles.
• Eremite’s Zeal – Burst Skills now Break Stun. Endurance regenerates faster depending on Adrenaline Level. Level 1: 10%. Level 2: 20%. Level 3: 30%.
• Mystic Twister – Chain Burst Skills has a chance to not Consume an Enchantment upon Activation, dependant on Adrenaline Level. Chain Burst Skills recharge 33% Faster. Level 1: 25%. Level 2: 50%. Level 3: 100%. ICD: 20s.

Warrior – Wardancer
Weapon: Staff
Skills: Meditations
Mechanic: Wardancer, inspired by the Dervish of old, gain access to unique Enchantments, which are unstrippable buffs gained through Meditations and Minor Traits usage. These Enchantments can then be spent to activate new Chain Bursts on old and new weapons.

Mechanic
As spiritual successors to the Dervish of the old times, Wardancers keep the heavy reliance on powerful Enchantments without all the religious baggage of its precursor. From their Adept Traits in the Wardancer Specialization line, the Wardancer gains access to 1 out of 3 “Aura Enchantments” that are activated by performing certain actions:

• Guiding Hands – When you gain a Full bar of Adrenaline, gain the Guiding Hands Enchantment for 4s. Guiding Hands removes and makes you immune to Blind, while also increasing Critical Damage by 15%. ICD: 10s
• Featherfoot Grace – When you use a Movement Skill, gain the Featherfoot Grace Enchantment for 4s. Featherfoot Grace makes you immune to incoming Movement-impairing Conditions. ICD: 16s
• Mirage Cloak – When you Block or Evade an Attack, gain the Mirage Cloak Enchantment for 4s. Mirage Cloak reduces incoming Damage and Condition Damage by 20%. ICD: 24s.

Furthermore, Wardancer gain access to something called “Chain Burst Skill”, which is exactly what it sounds like. After they activate a Burst Skill, If they have an Enchantment active, they can combo the Burst skill into a devastating Chain Burst Skill which consumes 1 Enchantment (Prioritizing lowest Duration). You must connect with the Burst Skill to activate a Chain Burst Skill.

• Sword: Rupture – Strike your target and rupture their wounds, dealing increased Damage and stacking Torment for each Stack of Bleeding on them.
• Axe: Overkill – Leap at your target a Second time, striking them down with a powerful blow that Cripples them and Finishes Downed Opponents.
• Mace: Banishing Strike – Strike your target with a Brutal Uppercut, Launching them backwards. If they were Stunned, this attack deals double damage.
• Greatsword: Vicious Descent – Leap into the Air and strike your blade into the ground at the Target Area, creating a Shockwave that Cripples enemies and grants Might to Allies. Acts as a Blast Finisher.
• Hammer: Champion’s Stand – Strike the ground with your hammer, sending out a Weakening Shockwave that grants Stability to allies, before letting loose a resounding bellow that Taunts all surrounding enemies.
• Longbow: Hidden Charge – Detonate a second explosion at the impact point that sends shrapnel flying, Bleeding and Crippling enemies within range. Acts as a Blast Finisher.
• Rifle: Double Tap – Quickly pull the trigger a second time, firing a brutal and piercing shot that will Knock Down enemies in its path. Acts as a Projectile Finisher.
• Spear: Mariner’s Fury – Twist around, creating a shockwave of energy around you that Damages all nearby enemies and grants you Fury for each one struck.
• Speargun: Retreating Shot – Fire a piercing shot while falling back that Knocks back and Weakens all enemies struck.

Weapon
Of course, as the spiritual successor to Dervish, the Wardancer wouldn’t quite fit the role without an impressive Polearm to dismember enemies with. As such, they get Melee Staff as a Balanced Weapon focusing heavily on Sustain, CC and Boon Support. Their Unique skin would obviously be a Scythe skin, and their Animations would be fitted to work with such.

• Rending Sweep -> Crippling Sweep -> Twin Moon Sweep – Chain Skill. Strike your foe and inflict Vulnerability, then swipe their legs to Cripple them, before unleashing a Twin strike that grants Might to yourself with each strike.
• Eremite’s Attack – Rush your target with your weapon and strike them Down with a powerful sweep, gaining Retaliation if they were using a Skill.
• Mystic Sweep – Create a sharp gust of cutting winds in front of you that Destroys Projectiles and Blinds enemies.
• Shield of Force -> Reap Impurities – Prepare to Block incoming attacks. If this skill Blocks an attack, you gain access to a Counter-attack that transfers 1 Condition from yourself to your target, Dealing increased Damage if you have a Condition.
• Aura Slicer – Strike your target with a powerful strike that Stuns them and then sends bouncing Projectiles towards enemies behind them that cause Weakness. Each projectile then returns to you, granting you Vigor and Adrenaline for each enemy struck.

• Burst Skill: Irresistable Sweep – Spin around, Pulling enemies towards you with a vortex and Crippling them.
• Chain Burst Skill: Victorious Sweep – Strike all enemies around you, Healing yourself for each enemy struck.

Looks good, but a few pointers:

You don’t need the Strength Sigil on GS, you’ll crit enough to grant Might all over with it alone. Use Air Sigil instead.

Sword is not a good In-combat weapon for a Zerker/Direct-Damage build, since it’s a Condition Weapon. Keep it around for skips if you want, but grab a Mace instead to use in Combat for CC.

Aside from that, it all looks good.

Here’s the Meta Build:
http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Berserker_-_Phalanx_Strength

If you don’t have HoT, Berserker won’t be available to you though.

But Strength and Tactics are needed at just about all times in Group Content, along with banners. It’s your role as a Warrior to stack Might on the party and make everyone hit harder.

Strength – Restorative Strength, Forceful Greatsword, Berserker’s Power
Tactics – Empowered, Empower Allies, Phalanx Strength

Weapons – Greatsword (Building Might), Mace/Shield (CC/Breakbars), Axe/Mace (Personal DPS, rarely needed), Sword/Warhorn (Skips and runs, replace Empowered with Quick Breathing while equipped for this), Rifle (When you end up with teammates who insists on fighting at Range or when you lack the sustain to remain in Melee). Force sigils on GS and Mace, Strength sigils Shield, Axe, Warhorn and Rifle, Whatever sigil on Sword.

Berserker Stats with Assassin Weapons are the best DPS and typically all you need cause warriors are tough by default. If you need more sustain go Marauder.

Once you’ve got those down, you’re pretty much set to go. You can fiddle around a bit or look up a full meta build for maximum potential, but it’s generally to each their own. If you’ve got HoT then Berserker is often given as the third Specialization line.

Cansire.5079:

Hornet.6357:

If healing isn’t your thing, Condi ranger can arguably be one the best DPS options for raids and even fractals. Rotation isn’t very difficult or demanding either.

^ This
Yes, you should consider running viper’s ranger instead. I still remember when I run the build for the first time its feels really unbelievable. Skills are super easy to land and most probably the easiest condition stacking rotation among all the classes.

The fact that it’s the current top Condi DPS (if I’m looking at the most up-to-date DPS benchmark) and doesn’t lag too far behind Condi Engi in terms of realistic DPS just makes it even more useful.

Randulf.7614:

What is the outfit she is wearing out of curiosity?

The human uses Reading Glasses (Gemstore), Krytan Top (Gemstore/Medium Armor Skin choice for new Players), I think Scout’s Gloves (Human Cultural t1), Duelist Pants (Common, found on the TP or as loot) and Assassin’s Boots (Human Cultural t3).

The norn uses Reading Glasses, Wolf Shoulders (Norn Cultural t3), Glorious Top (PvP Glorious Reward Track), Wolfborn Braces (Norn cultural t1), Predatory Leggings (Norn cultural t2) and Wolf Boots (Norn cultural t3).

The sheer Massive amount of rebalancing that’d follow a patch like this…

First, you’d have to rework every Profession from the bottom up, starting with accessible Boons and conditions, then Specializations, then Weapon Skills, then Utility Skills.

Then you’d have to rework all the Runes, Sigils and Available Food relating to Conditions.

Then you’d have to rework Condition interaction and stacking, test it internally against every Boss of every part of the game, from the common Champions to the World Bosses to the Raid Bosses, and once that is done you can start the internal testing in a PvP environment, both small-scale and WvW.

Then you’d have to deal with an entire forum of people unhappy with the changes.

Lotsa work there.

I can see what he’s shooting for with this. Using Force of Will together with Wurm Runes to increase Vitality and Ferocity at the same time, synergizing it with Marauder Amulet.
Theoretically, 2050 Power, 54% (74% with Fury) crit chance, 21k HP and 203% Crit Damage is all good. You’ll be able to take a few hits and Spike for some nasty damage if you hit home with Whirling Wrath.

In a bulletin format, allow me to compare this build to other similar ones:

• You lack access to Chill, Cripple or Immobilize to slow down enemies and prevent them from disengaging or kiting you. Power Rev does not but can spam Chill with Precision Strike, which is part of the reason why they don’t need a ranged weapon on their kit.
• You lack reliable in-combat Mobility, which is the determining factor when it comes to dictating who commands the flow of a fight. Power Rev will catch up to you anywhere as long as they’re in Shiro and you’re not a Thief, a Mesmer with a portal or invisible.
• Unlike Warrior, you lack the CC means to Negate your opponent’s mobility. You have a single Knockback on your Shield… which isn’t helping at all because you’d be knocking them out of your effective range anyways. Binding Blade might seem useful, but it’s a low-range, slow-moving projectile followed by a well-telegraphed one-time pull, easily dodged.
• At the same time, you have low access to Stability (Which also costs you your Virtue of Courage) and only 1 Panic Button in your Elite Skill. Your main source of sustain comes in the form of self-healing and Aegis, which matters absolute jack to Warrior or Revenant who will blaze right through you with Unblockable attacks and CC you to death.
• You’re very vulnerable to Kiting and Poison, so fighting Reapers won’t be easy unless you get the drop on them while they’re asleep at the keyboard. Your few and precious Condi Removals will be going to cleansing Poison and Chill, only to be met with more Poison, Chill and a ton of Bleeding on top of that. You’ll have a real hard time catching even a Reaper in a straight-up fight, which is actually quite a feat in and of itself, considering Reapers are just marginally more mobile than the Arctic iceflow.

Now, there are a few modifications you could do to help the build out, primarily making sure to have some CC added in along with a ranged weapon. If you don’t have HoT and access to DH, that means you’re kinda stuck with Scepter which doesn’t have awful synergy (Symbol of Punishment -> Chains of Light -> Judge’s Intervention -> Whirling Wrath) but it’s still not LB. Rune of Surging will probably serve you better than Rune of the Wurm, since you’ll get kitten Shocking Aura with every other Renewed Focus.

Gear
Magi (Full Healer druid)
Zealot (Healer/DPS mix)
Zerker (Direct Damage DPS)
Viper (Condition Damage)
Cleric (Always have options to Cleric available, but if you have a Minstrel or Commander-specced Tank then you can generally run a few Cleric Pieces without worry.)

Specializations
Skirmishing (Must-have for Spotter and Quick Draw)
Druid (Must-have for Healing and Grace of the Land)
Marksmanship offers higher personal DPS.
Nature Magic offers slightly lower personal DPS in favor of better Party Support.

Utility Skills
Frost Spirit (Must-have) or Sun Spirit (In case of more Condi Damage on your subgroup)
Glyph of Empowerment (Must-have)
Stone Spirit (Party-wide Protection, good for PuGs)
Glyph of Alignment (Good heal in CA)
Glyph of the Tides (Knockback for seekers against VG)
Healing Spring (Regeneration, Water Field, quick CAF generation)
Water Spirit (W/ Nature’s Vengeance places a lot of Regeneration around, quicker CAF generation available then)
Glyph of Rejuvenation (Good default Heal, powerful and quick)
Glyph of Unity (Only to spread GotL, but can be cast before leaving CA to regenerate CAF faster)
Spirit of Nature (AoE Rez, good for clutch saves when Pugging)

Weapons
Longbow + Sword/Axe (Meta, Direct Damage Druid)
Shortbow + Axe/Torch (Meta, Condition Druid)
Staff + Sword/Axe (Hybrid Direct Damage/Healer Druid, such as Zealot)
Staff + Staff (Full Healer Druid, such as Full Magi)
Staff + Longbow (More DPS for Full Heal Druid, or for Hybrid Druids when you need to stay at Range)

Reviving this thread because I’ve got a couple of new ideas!

Longbow: Stargazer
Another cosmic Legendary, the Stargazer bow I envision to fit both druids and dragonhunters equally.
The bow itself is made out of stone, however only the handle itself is solid in structure, for as the bow stretches outwards towards its edges, it breaks into a floating collection of smaller rocks, similar to an asteroid belt. However, once drawn the empty space is filled with a brilliant, blue-white flames taking the form of an edged bow.
The projectiles fired by this bow are of course smaller meteors followed by a cluster of miniature asteroids, surrounded by the same blue-white flames as the bow possesses.

Hammer: Tesla Core
A mechanical monstrosity, as there are too few of those legendaries around, that is sure to fit any budding scrapper perfectly. As the name implies, it has Electricity as its element.
At rest, the Hammer is merely a tall metallic rod with a spherical generator at the top, from which several coils protrude. However, once drawn these Generators pull out of their sockets and hover around the generator in a static field, the spherical generator rotating slowly and whenever a matching socket and coil meet again, a beam of electricity is fired into the socket, energizing it further.
Visually, the wielder also gains arcing electricity around the hands and electrical footsteps.

Torch: Althea
For those who do not know of her, Althea was the love of Prince Rurik who perished in the Searing. Now, she’s been immortalized as a Legendary torch, which might be a bit ironic, but hey it’s something!
This torch is unique in that it changes appearence slightly depending on which race is wielding the torch. In its resting state, the Torch is merely the image of Althea’s upper body made from stone, eyes closed and hands brought together in prayer. But when drawn this image changes:

Humans and Norn know Althea for her beauty, it was what she was reknowned for after all. To them, the image lights up in a radiant shine, her hair regaining a golden, shimmering luster and her eyes glowing in golden light.

Charr, Asura and Sylvari know her as a victim of the Searing, one of many, and take more factual approach. In their hands, a screech (similar to Necromancer’s Unholy Feast) echoes when drawn as Althea’s visage is consumed by flames, leaving behind a skeletal bust with flame burning in her eyes and down her withering hair.

Warhorn: Hamelin
Not an actual warhorn, but instead a straight flute. You can probably guess the theme from the name, as it’s taken from the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
The flute itself is black and slick with golden images of rats and their tails coiling around it. Whenever it’s drawn, the wielder for some reason starts to attract all manners of critters to themselves, gaining a trusty following of rats that scurry behind them and around their feet.
The sound when it’s blown is also changed from that of a typical warhorn to more melodic flute tunes, which causes the critters around your feet to shoot up and squeek a bit, before going back to scurrying. Once stowed, the disappear as if they were never there to begin with.

Yannir.4132:

So what’s the difference between Living Fire and Heart of Fire?
Also, does it cleanse or pull conditions? It says both right now.
Am I understanding correctly that the OH Mace abilities don’t do damage?
Turn the Tides – Does the effect apply as you remove 3 conditions at once, or after removing 3 conditions?

- Daunting presence is a bit too strong, the taunt should be applied only once per enemy.
- Martyr’s Vow is completely OP in an organized team, I’d suggest just making it give 2-3 boons. You can increase duration to compensate. Also, how wide is the arc?
- Burning Heart is a bit too strong for an adept trait, or maybe altogether. Consider how well it will synergizes with Renewed Focus and Monk’s Focus. That’s about 6k healing right there without healing power.
- First In, Last Out. Quickness doesn’t really work here. It feels like you dice-rolled which boon to throw here.

As a concept I love this, and I think you have created something beautiful here. However, there are always a few kinks to work out.

Thanks for the input!

• 1. Daunting Presence might be a bit strong, considering the removal of agency that comes with Taunt. Perhaps the stance should stack Weakness rather than Taunt on enemies attacking the Auspice while active, instead?
• 2. The counter to Martyr’s Vow was, in my head, Unblockable Attacks aimed at the Auspice himself, as they only Pulse Aegis and not Invulnerability. I think changing it to only give a Damage Immunity (A la Warrior’s Endure Pain) to allies behind you will help balance it, as opposed to straight-up invulnerability.
• 3. Heart of Fire is a construct of sorts created with the Weapon Skill Living Fire. The Traited version is pretty much exactly the same and I agree that it’s very powerful, which is why I decided to place it at a 50s Cooldown. Perhaps swapping places between it and Unbreakable Shield might be prudent. As for the Heart itself, I shall add to the OP that it can be destroyed by enemies to prevent the final Heal, but like a Pet it has a high Resistance to AoE damage so Focus Fire will be necessary.
• 4. The idea for Quickness on First in, Last out is that as a Bunker Guardian, your first reaction when an ally goes down is obviously to get them back up on their Feet. Movement Speed helps make sure you’re the first into the fray, Quickness on downed ally helps make sure you’re the last one to leave alive. I thought it was clever, at least.
• 5. Mace OH does not have any skills that causes Damage, nope, aside from the Heart of Fire causing AoE burning (I believe it does).
• 6. Turn the Tides procs when 3 or more Conditions in total are removed. Wether they’re from the same source, or 1 Condition from 3 different players, doesn’t matter (Which is why the Serenity grant is its own AoE centered around the Auspice, yepyep.)

So, new PvP season, new shinies to get. Incredibly rusty me has trudged through my placement matches and all that, but I feel a bit out of the loop, gameplay-wise.

First things first, I haven’t played PvP since Season 2 or 3, I think. I’ve followed up on the Meta (more or less) since, of course, and avidly read the patch notes. What I cannot scry from mechanical changes however is how it affects gameplay.

So here I am, ready to drop a load of questions about the game:

1. Has there been any major overarching changes in terms of splitting on specific maps? Do you still occasionally split 1-3-1 on maps like Niflheim, or is it better to always advocate a 1-4 split now that Full Teams aren’t available anymore?

2. What’s the status on side objectives on each of the Ranked maps, when/if should they be considered? Specifically: Lord Rushing on Foefire; Beasts on Niflheim; Skyhammer on… well, Skyhammer; and lastly Trebs on Kyhlo. I mainly (read: So far Only) play Bunker Druid, should I concern myself with any secondary objective at all?

3. As a Bunker Druid, what match-ups should I search for? What match-ups should I strive to avoid?

4. Rotations. Should I endeavour to focus on Close and Mid as a rule of thumb? How long can I stay on a “capped” point that is empty before I’ve stayed there too long?

5. Common Scenario: My team has Mid (I am here). Home is Neutral and Contested, but we have a 2v2 there with a +1 halfway there, going from Mid. Last player on the team is going Far to Decap, but the enemy team will respawn and reach the Point before the Decap will happen, they also have 1 more player alive and roaming somewhere. What do I do in this scenario?

6. Another Common Scenario: We have Mid, 1 Teammate is 1v1-ing on Home and seemingly winning there. Rest of the team overextended to Far and one of them got stomped early, currently respawning. They’re fighting a losing battle 2v3 currently, soon to be a 2v4. What do?

Thanks in advance for any responses!

For PvE, Staff Tempest (Elementalist E. Spec) has the title of “Best Direct-Damage DPS available in-game”. That’s not “Best Ranged DPS”, but “Best DPS whatsoever”, they’re only rivaled by Thieves on smaller targets.

Elementalist might seem daunting at first with all its attunements, but playing Staff Elementalist in PvE typically means camping Fire and just nuking everything with Fireball, Lava Font and Meteor Shower. If you do get hurt, you can use Water to heal back up, Air for AoE CC and Swiftness to run off, and Earth for more CC and Projectile Hate. It’s one of the easier professions in PvE once you know your stuff, and they’re indeed very Meta, not a single Raid group that will say “No Thanks” to a Tempest unless they already have 3-4 of them.

Fashion Mage.3712:

Seems more like a tank elite spec than a healer. It certainly doesn’t offer any better healing than the guardian can currently do.

Certainly doesn’t give as massive of a boost to healing as Druid gave Ranger, but the reason for that is quite simple:

Guardians already have a load of party support and healing. There’s only so much that can be added to that without making it entirely broken. For Druid, it was relatively easy since Ranger had very limited AoE healing in the Core Spec. So I had to take care and consider all the Trait interactions, Weapons Combos and Utility Choices while coming up with this idea.

Naturally, some numbers will need tweaking, but that was given from the start, heh. Can’t get everything right in one go.

Gwaihir.1745:

Lol had to wiki that warriors have oh mace, in years of pvp and wvw I’ve never seen a warrior use it.

Serenitous Impact I assume to be a symbol from the 5 pulse standard. I’d change it to act like less like one and have it pulse from the guard like protection field on a scrapper.

Not surprised, OH Mace is a typical PvE weapon. Little incentive to use it in PvP or WvW where you need the defensive options from Shield or the Mobility from Warhorn.

As for Serenitous Impact, It’s quite different from the Symbols already, actually.

It creates 1 Node at a target area, and another Node at the Auspice’s position. The Nodes then send waves of healing in between eachother once every second, Healing any ally that stands in between the two nodes. This allows it to have a greater range than an AoE circle’s Radius Coverage could potentially have (I just forgot to add that range, mea culpa.)

Gwaihir.1745:

Some mechanical problems with this:

1. No oh mace in game; designing it is outside anets ability right now.
2. Only 1 symbol is allowed per guardian weapon set. Having it on OH breaks that rule.
3. Stances are selfish by design (no team support). Rename it.

Unbreakable shield would be a great adept but unless the icd is per ally it would be insanely weak due to aegis already being negated by fast hitting attacks since hot. I like warding serenity though.

I’ll adress these one by one:

1. Mace OH does exist. Warriors have Mace Off-hand, so it’s not a Main-hand exclusive weapon at all.
2. You must’ve misread somewhere. Mace Off-hand, while creating AoE fields, does not have any Symbols attached to it.
3. Fair Point, but I saw stances more as in Instant or nigh-instant effects that pulse over time, and decided to work from that angle to put a unique spin on the Utility Skill while maintaining the overall core aspect of Stances. What’d another name be? “Presences”?

As for Unbreakable Shield, I figured that having Aegis Self-refresh is an extremely powerful ability, especially in PvP and WvW. Indeed, the ICD is per Ally and not universal for all Aegis you apply.

Thanks for the input!

Utility Skills: Stances
The Auspice’s stances differ widely from that of the Warrior. Whereas the Warrior enters a stance purely from a martial stand-point, the Auspice does it for an entirely different reason: To become a presence on the battlefield, one that inspires and protects her allies while simultaneously telling the enemy that they will need to go through her if they want a shot at those under the Auspice’s protection.

• Beacon of Hope – Healing Skill. You enter into an inspiring stance that causes allies to surge with renewed hope for victory. Heals all nearby allies, before it Pulses Healing and Serenity (1s x3) around yourself.
  • Initial Healing (Base): 2.560
  • Healing per pulse (Base): 850
  • Duration: 6s
  • Pulses: 3
  • Initial Heal Radius: 240
  • Pulsing Heal Radius: 600
  • Activation Time: 1/2s. Cooldown: 30s
• Daunting Presence – Your presence instantly catches the enemy’s attention. Taunts (2s) all nearby enemies, granting you Protection (1s) for each enemy taunted. For a short time, enemies that attack you are Weakened (3s). Each enemy can only be affected by this once per intervall.
  • Duration: 6s
  • Initial Radius: 240
  • Weakness Intervall (per target): 2s
  • Activation Time: 1/4s. Cooldown: 40s
• Hero’s Charge – Take to the frontline and lead your allies to victory! Breaks Stun for all nearby Allies and grants them a burst of Superspeed (3s), before pulsing Swiftness (2s) around you with each Pulse.
  • Breaks Stun
  • Duration: 6s
  • Pulses: 3
  • Initial Radius: 600
  • Pulse Radius: 360
  • Activation Time: Instant. Cooldown: 30s
• Inspire Courage – For a short time, you Pulse Protection (2s) to and Cleanse 1 Condition from yourself with each Pulse. Whenever you take Damage while this stance is active, Allies within range gain Might (1 stack, 5s). Can only happen once per ally per intervall.
  • Duration: 6s
  • Pulses: 4 (Once on creation, then every 2s)
  • Might Intervall (per target): 1/2s
  • Radius: 360
  • Activation Time: Instant. Cooldown: 35s
• Guiding Light – Raise your hand, creating a beacon that draws the wounded towards you. Channel, teleporting a nearby Downed Ally to you with each Pulse, while also healing all allies around you.
  • Self-Root. Channeled Skill.
  • Allies Teleported per Pulse: 1
  • Duration: 6s
  • Pulses: 7 (Once on activation, then every second)
  • Downed Ally Healing: 4%
  • Healing per Pulse (Base): 578
  • Pull Radius: 600
  • Healing Radius: 240
  • Activation Time: 1/4s. Cooldown: 60s.
• Martyr’s Vow – Elite Skill. Stand tall against attacks and protect allies behind you. You pulse Aegis (1s) every second, while Allies in a Cone behind you become Immune to Damage as long as you channel, but can still be affected by Control Effects and Conditions.
  • Breaks Stun. Self-Root.
  • Duration: 3s
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 180
  • Activation Time: 1/4s. Cooldown: 50s

Specialization Line

Minor Traits

• Heroic Spirit – Gain access to Seals and Stances.
• Seals of Restoration – Activating a Virtue grants you Serenity (2s). Seals will now grant Serenity (1s) when passing through Allies.
• First In, Last Out – Increases Movement Speed by 25%. When an ally within range is Downed, you gain Quickness (2s). Radius: 240. ICD: 15s.

Adept Traits

• Anodyne – Healing to allies affected by Regeneration is increased by 10%. Regeneration you apply reduces incoming Damage on allies by 7%.
• Protective Healer – Grant Regeneration (3s) when granting Aegis to an Ally. ICD: 5s.
• Burning Heart – Create a Heart of Fire at your position when you activate an Elite Skill. ICD: 50s.

Master Traits

• Powerful Mender – Increases the effectiviness of Regeneration you apply by 50%.
• Courageous Defender – Activate Inspire Courage if your Seal of Courage affects the threshold of allies. Threshold: 5. ICD: 75s.
• Turn the Tides – Apply Serenity (2s) in an area when you remove Conditions from allies above the Threshold. Threshold: 3. Radius: 600.

Grandmaster Traits

• Repurpose – Granting Regeneration to an ally now stacks Might (1 stack, 5s) and continues to apply Might at a set intervall. Intervall: 3s.
• Unbreakable Shield – When an Aegis applied by you Blocks an Attack, target ally regains Aegis (3s). ICD per Ally: 10s.
• Warding Serenity – Serenity you apply now decreases Condition Damage on the target by 33%.

Weapon: Off-hand Mace
Skills: Stances
Mechanic: The activated portion of your Virtues are changed in function, becoming Seals that circle around you and aid allies while hampering enemies. They’re heavily focused around Regeneration and a new Boon called Serenity.

Role/Theme
The Auspice, as the name might suggest, is a Healer Elite specialization that, unlike the Druid, focuses more heavily on defensive aspects rather than offensive aspects. The Auspice has better access to Condition Control, Boon Application and is tankier than the Druid, designed to fill the role either of a full-fledged Healer or a Tank with Off-healer capabilities. In return, their access to Soft/Hard CC, Offensive Buffs and DPS through pets is lower.

Mechanic: Seals
Like the Dragonhunter, the Auspice can manifest her virtues into solid shapes, however unlike the Dragonhunter these do not carry a wide array of versatility. Instead, each Virtue will, when called upon, take the form of a flaming Seals that circle the Auspice, affecting allies and enemies within a short radius. Each Seal takes about 1.5s to make a full revolution around the Auspice and have a maximum of 10 hits before it expires, in return having a rather generous duration that can be pre-activated.

• Seal of Justice – Creates a Seal of Justice that circles around you, granting Might (1 stack, 5s base) to Allies and Burning (1 stack, 3s Base) to enemies it passes through.
  • Radius: 180.
  • Max Impacts: 10.
  • Duration: 20s.
  • Cooldown: 20s.
• Seal of Resolve – Heal yourself and create a Seal of Resolve that circles around you, Healing and granting Regeneration (3s) to allies when it passes through them.
  • Self Healing (Base): 2.490.
  • Base Healing: 421.
  • Radius: 180.
  • Max Impacts: 10.
  • Duration: 20s.
  • Cooldown: 35s.
• Seal of Courage – Grant Aegis (5s) to yourself and create a Seal of Courage that circles around you, granting Aegis (3s) to allies it passes through.
  • Radius: 180.
  • Max Impacts: 10.
  • Duration: 20s.
  • Cooldown: 75s.

Serenity is the anti-thesis to Poison, as it increases any Healing the target recieves by 20% in addition to giving them a slight Heal-over-time effect (Although weaker than Regeneration).

Weapon: Off-hand Mace
The Off-hand Mace is a Supportive Weapon, designed around Healing and Protecting Allies. It grants sustain to the Auspice through means of heavy healing and condition removal, and pairs well with just about any Main-hand weapon depending on intentions.

• Serenitous Impact – Strike the ground, creating a resonating node at your position and the target area. The nodes will send shockwaves in between eachother, Healing all allies in between them.
  • Duration: 4s.
  • Number of Pulses: 5 (once on creation).
  • Intervall: 1s.
  • Range: 900.
  • Healing (Base): 236.
  • Cooldown: 20s.
• Living Fire – Strike down and create a destrucible Heart of fire that Burns (1 Stack, 3s) enemies and Cleanses Conditions from allies with each Pulse in an increasing radius. Once the duration is up, the heart will explode, scattering flames that Heal allies and grant them Serenity (3s). The Heart is considered a Pet and can be targeted and destroyed by enemies before the final heal Triggers.
  • Duration: 3s.
  • Number of Pulses: 3.
  • Conditions pulled per pulse: 1.
  • Number of targets: 5.
  • Radius: 180/240/360.
  • Final Heal (Base): 2.570.
  • Combo Field: Fire.
  • Cooldown: 25s.

I can agree that Agent might be a bad name. I was kinda looking for something that wasn’t Assassin, as I guessed people would want a High Spiker/Direct Damage spec for Assassin rather than someone focused on slow kills.

“Saboteur” or “Poisoner” might’ve been better fits.

@Kocoff

1. Answered above.
2. As the Hexes are Debuffs, and there’s no real removal of debuffs in Gw2, the uncleansable quality comes from them. The conditions stacked by each Hex can still be cleansed, naturally, but for 6s a Hex will continue to re-apply Conditions. I figured the best way to Balance this out was to give them long Activation Times and Cooldown, while giving the Spec the advantage of casting them in stealth to halve activation times. This forces tactical play on the player, to choose between Stealth Skills or quick Hexes.

@King Kai

While our ideas share the same name alright, it would seem yours is decidedly different in execution (Focused on Ranged Power Damage instead) and uses different weapons. Cool idea, nonetheless!

As for Venoms synergy, there’s quite some already. Specifically, “Suppressive Fire”, “Hemolysis” and “Snakebite” synergizes particularily well with Venoms (Particularily Spider Venom, but the first trait also synergizes with Ice Drake and Devourer Venom).

Utility Skills
The Hexes available to the Saboteur are unique Debuffs that cannot be removed from the affected target, that pulses an effect on them over its relatively short duration. The most important part of these is that they forcefully keep the target stuck in combat, making escaping from an Saboteur once they’ve got a lock down on you a very difficult task. In return for these powerful effect, Activation and Cooldown Times often suffers, meaning the Saboteur must carefully plan and set up each Hex rather than mindlessly throwing them out there. Whenever a target has a Hex on them, it displays over their character similar to a Signet, only Red in colour with a black mark dependant on which Hex is in use. Latest applied Hex is the only one show, if multiple are stacked.

• Siphon Strength – Heal Skill. Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with a vampiric Hex for 6s. The Hex reduces their Damage and Condition Damage by 10% and pulses Weakness (2s) to them every 2s, Healing you whenever it damages the target.
  • Initial Self Healing: 4.320 (x1.0)
  • Healing per Pulse: 756
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 3/4s
  • Cooldown: 35s
• Enduring Toxin – Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with a venomous Hex for 6s. The Hex reduces Healing on the target by an additional 33% and pulses Poison (1 stack, 2s) every 2s.
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 1 1/2s
  • Cooldown: 30s
• Seeping Wound – Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with an insipid Hex for 6s. The Hex increases all Damage on the Target by 10% and pulses Bleeding (2 stacks, 3s) every 2s.
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 3/4s
  • Cooldown: 25s
• Shadowy Burden – Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with a burdening Hex for 6s. The Hex makes the target immune to Movement Speed increases and pulses Cripple (2s) every 2s.
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 1s
  • Cooldown: 25s
• Price of Pride – Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with a parasitic Hex for 6s. The Hex reduces Boon Duration on the target by 50% and removes 1 Boon from them every 2s.
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 1s
  • Cooldown: 25s
• Assassin’s Promise – Elite Skill. Hex. Damage and Mark your foe with a deadly Hex for 6s. The Hex stacks Torment (1 stack, 3s) on the target whenever they gain a Condition and pulses Chill (1s) every 2s.
  • Torment Appliance ICD: 1/2s.
  • Pulses: 3
  • Range: 900
  • Activation Time: 1 1/2s
  • Cooldown: 40s

Specialization Line
The Saboteur’s specialization line is of course centered around Conditions and Attrition, designed to compliment and support them during longer encounters. It also focuses heavily on the use of Stealth, but not for direct spikes like other Traits. Lastly, it gives the Saboteur the ability to make the best use of his or her allies, as the Specialization is designed more around team play than Core Thief.

Minor Traits

• Agent of Death – Replaces Steal with Mark of Death and grants you access to Hex Skills.
• Quick Hex – You cast Hexes twice as fast while in Stealth.
• Marked for Vengeance – Mark of Death now Breaks Stun for you.

Adept Traits

• Master of Disguise – Revealed duration on you is decreased by 1s.
• Suppressive Fire – While wielding a Longbow, the duration of Movement-Impairing Conditions is increased by 33%. Weaken (3s) your target whenever you Cripple them. ICD: 10s.
• Ambush Tactics – Stealth you apply now grants the Ambush Buff to affected allies, increasing their Damage and Condition Damage by 10%. Lasts 4s. ICD: 15s.

Master Traits

• Evasive Stealth – Gain Stealth (2s) when you evade an attack. ICD: 10s.
• Hemolysis – Bleeding Duration is increased by 20% against Poisoned Targets.
• Empathic Shadows – Whenever you gain Stealth, nearby allies gain Stealth (1s) as well. ICD: 10s.

Grandmaster Traits

• Unseen Tormentor – You gain 50 Condition Damage for 10s every second while you’re in Stealth. Stacks to 5.
• Snakebite – Daze (1s) your target when you stack Poison on them over the Threshold. Threshold: 4. ICD: 6s.
• Hidden Toxin – Stealthing an Ally will cause them to Poison (2 stacks, 4s) their target with their next Attack. Maximum Targets: 5. ICD: 10s.

Thief – Saboteur
Weapon: Longbow
Skills: Hexes
Mechanic: Steal is replaced by Mark of Death. They also gain access to all-new Hex Utility Skills.

Mechanic: Mark of Death
The Saboteur is a specialist in Condition Damage and attrition, forcing his enemies into a drawn-out and painful dance of death by branding them with Hexes, wearing them down slowly and tilting the tables in favor of the Saboteur’s own party. Steal is replaced with the hex Mark of Death, which is a 900-unit Hex that inherits traits affecting Steal.

• Mark of Death – Hex. Shadowstep to, Damage and Mark your foe for execution for 6s. The Hex increases the Duration of Incoming Conditions on the target by 25% and pulses Vulnerability (2 Stacks, 4s base) to them every 2s.
  Note: This bonus, as it’s a debuff, stacks with Expertize even if Condition Duration is capped at 100%, in which case the condition’s duration becomes 125%. Mark of Death increases Duration upon application, so a Condition’s duration won’t diminish by 25% in the case of the Hex’ duration running out before the condition does.

Weapon
The Longbow fires arrows coated with insipid venoms and other nasty surprises from a long range, allowing the Saboteur to set up a large area of operations from which they will rain havoc on enemy troops with debilitating conditions and sow discord with misdirection and deception.

• (Stealth Skill) Invasive Shot – Fire a deceptively quick arrow at your target’s kneecaps, causing Cripple (4s) and Torment (3 stacks, 4s). Acts as a Projectile Finisher.
  • Range: 1200.
  • Activation Time: 1/4s.
• Poison Tip Shot – Fire a Venomous Arrow at your target, causing Poison (1 stack, 1s). Acts as a Projectile Finisher (20%).
  • Range: 1200.
  • Activation Time: 3/4s.
• Barbed Fan – Fire a spread of 5 Crippling Arrows in a cone in front of you. Acts as a Projectile Finisher (20%).
  • Range: 900.
  • Activation Time: 1/4s.
  • Initiative: 3.
• Lacerating Barrage – Fire multiple Bleeding (1 stack, 3s x5) Arrows at your target. Acts as a Projectile Finisher (20%).
  • Range: 1200.
  • Channeled skill (1 1/4s).
  • Initiative: 4.
• Serpent’s Trail – Fire an Acid-laced arrow forwards that pierces through enemies, leaving behind a Poison Field that damages and Poisons them. Acts as a Poison Field. Acts as a Projectile Finisher.
  • Duration: 3s.
  • Pulses: 3.
  • Shape: Cylinder.
  • Range: 900.
  • Activation Time: 3/4s.
  • Initiative: 5.
• Rapid Sortie – Drop a smoke field and leap Backwards, Blinding (2s) enemies. Acts as a Smoke Field. Acts as a Leap Finisher.
  • Duration: 4s.
  • Pulses: 3.
  • Radius: 180.
  • Instant.
  • Initiative: 6.

I’m a veteran. Let’s get to it.

• Don’t use the Lvl80 Boost on your first character. You will have no gold, no karma, no materials, no nothing but the gifted gear you get with it. Not to mention you’re gonna wanna explore the world anyway.

• Golden/Yellow Hearts are the “quests” of this game, while “Personal Story” is exactly what it sounds like, Story Mode. These will be the brunt of your XP gain when new. When you get a “Ping” sound and see an empty heart in the upper right corner of your screen, that means you’re in the area to complete the heart by doing the tasks listed beneath it.

• Orange Circles with an icon means a Dynamic Event is happening. They happen from time to time and give a lot of XP when completed, even if failing the event. Participate in these whereever you can.

• Buy Gathering Tools (Pickaxe, Logging Axe and Harvesting Sickle) from the general vendor. Gather every node you run across while exploring, they’re marked on your map as rocks, logs and grass respectively.

• Even with the mats, don’t bother with crafting until you hit Lvl 80. There is no money to be had from Crafting in this game, sell the mats you’ve gathered instead if ingame money is an issue. When/If you start crafting, start with whichever you want and use a guide for quick leveling. Prioritize Weaponsmithing/Artificer/Huntsman to Max first.

• Do the dailies, everyday, if possible.

• Dodge. Dodge often. Practice dodging even against easy trash mobs.

• Save your Laurels for Lvl 80. Use them for easy access to Ascended (highest grade) Trinkets, prioritizing Amulets, followed by Rings, followed by Accessories. If you have a guild, do not use Laurels on Accessories.

• Stack up on Event Lootbags, such as for the upcoming Wintersday. They sell for good coin on the Auction House, sometimes more so during off-season.

• Asura Gates in cities, marked by large purple swirls, will take you to Lion’s Arch and from there you can go to any of the 5 major cities for free without unlocking waypoints.

• 100% Completion of a Zone nets you Transmute charges or Black Lion Chest Keys, along with a good chunk of mats and some level-appropriate gear. Some zones can be tricky to complete, but most 1-15 zones are easy. Completing cities only nets you a Transmutation Charge or a Key, however.

• Warrior, Ranger and Necromancer are the three easiest Professions of each Armor Class to learn and play with. Revenant, Thief and Mesmer are the hardest for beginners.

• Stun Breaks are specific Utility Skills that will remove all Hard CC effects from you (Except Frozen Solid), they are marked by a Broken Chain symbols in their description. Keep one of these on your Skill Bar at all times while new, preferably mapped to a Mouse key if those exist.

• Don’t worry about Items, Stats and Gear while leveling. Wear what you can buy from Karma Vendors (Unlocked by completing Hearts), Level-up Chests and Personal Story rewards. Tier 1 and 2 Cultural Armor is Rare quality, the first unlocked at Lvl 35 and the second tier at Lvl 60, which come at affordable Prices and can be bought from specific Vendors in your Racial City, and they last for a considerable amount of time. Cultural Armor is Species-bound, so Humans can only wear Cultural Armor bought in Divinity’s Reach, for instance.

• Dodge

• Skritt will hit you a lot harder than you think they will. Destroyers live up to their names until you’ve learned to fight them. Hyena’s will cripple you for eternity just to be annoying. Krait will make you hate life.

• Poison slows all kinds of Healing, including reviving of downed allies. Don’t use your healing skill while Poisoned. Enemies like Hylek, Spiders, Devourers, Green oozes and Necromancers love Poison and will stack it for days.

• Avoid red-lined circles.

• Stand in Golden-lined and Blue-lined circles.

• There is a combo system in place between Combo Fields (Of different elements, such as Light/Water, which are the aforementioned Golden and Blue circles) and Combo Finishers (Projectile, Leap, Blast and Whirl). Projectile and Whirl Finishers creates one or several Projectiles respectively when traveling through or performed in a Combo Field. Leap grants you a personal Buff when performed in or through a Field and Blast creates an AoE effect centered around the skill used when performed in a Field. Experiment with these when or if you can, but it won’t become imperative until end-game, mostly.

• DODGE

I could go on and on and on, but I’ve probably lost you somewhere already. Trial and Error will be your best friend out there though, so go out and get it done.

If you’re a Lore Junkie, it also bears mention that each of the three Colleges in Asura society carry different philosophies that might apply to your choice of Profession.

Statics: “Slow and steady wins the race. A careful and methodical approach is always preferable to creating on a whim, and we build to last.”

Synergetics: “Like, we need to have a greater Connection to the Eternal Alchemy and understanding of the nature of magic if we’re supposed to make progress, man.”

Dynamics: “MORE DAKKA! I made a gun shoots smaller guns, so it you shoot people while you shoot people!”

Other two: “Dynamics, no…”

Dynamics: “DYNAMICS YES!”

This has been a short demonstration of the three major philosophies found in Asura society.

You’re gonna wanna look into Marauder gear. For Guardian/Dragonhunter, the DPS loss is pretty much entirely negliable (6% DPS loss for a 50% gain in Max HP going full Marauder’s) and you get much-needed Vitality to make up for the Minimum Base HP that they carry.

Zeal/Radiance/Dragonhunter provides the most DPS and is the best when fighting large groups of mobs as you can consistently Blind them, but I’d suggest Zeal/Honor/Dragonhunter instead if you’re looking at taking on tougher enemies such as Champions or play 5-man instances. It gets you Vigor-on-Crit, Heal-on-Aegis and Increased Symbol Duration along with Healing Symbols (Which synergizes greatly with the Symbol traits in Zeal), alternately you can Buff your Shouts (Great for open world, just running around and fighting things or zerging) or your HP (+300 Vit and extra outgoing Healing, not really needed with Marauder gear).

However, in Dungeons/Fractals, people will expect you to either camp Hammer for Perma-Protection (Most likely) or Scepter for max DPS (Less likely that they’ll take a Guard for that DPS slot). Sword isn’t faaaaar behind Scepter iirc, but it’s still behind it in terms of DPS.

So keep a Scepter/Torch or Focus handy, alternately a Hammer. I personally like the typical cliché setup of a Sword-n-board + Longbow when running around in Open World. The Longbow’s Spike Damage and Range is a great opening attack that can take care of most weak mobs instantly.

Well, first things first: Chronomancer is typically the designated tank, if a Reaper isn’t present to tank instead. Occasionally I’ve seen a Guardian tank with the Hammer, but they’re rare.

Speed Runners will slap a +5 Toughness Infusion on their backpiece for 1005 Toughness for tanking.

Most regular Raiders will run with a couple of Knight or Commander Trinkets. Those who run training runs tend to top 1400 Toughness just in case the Warrior decides to rez someone (Since they get 400 Toughness while rezzing, thus stealing aggro) since training runs typically don’t worry much about breaking any records.

Generally speaking, try to keep Toughness as low as possible and keep Berserker or Marauder (Depending on how confident you feel in your Chrono play) around just in case you need to swap out.

So, I’m probably not the first one to mention or experience this, but I feel that the AI of the Svanir in particular is quite … odd, in Bitterfrost Frontier. But in some cases, this extends to all enemies you encounter there.

Primarily, they seem a lot less eager to run up and actually attack me even when that is their primary or only way to do it. I’ll go through the most obvious oddjobs one by one:

Svanir Brute
Giant greatswords, possess that nasty Wave Attack that really wreaks havoc if you eat it in melee range…

Where the Brutes rarely ever go. For some reason they seem entirely content keeping their distance from me, much like a Ranged Mob would, while I just pepper them with arrows. Occasionally they’ll pull off their wave attack again, and they do attack back when I get close to them, but it feels strange that these guys are so scared of a little intimacy that they’d rather stand and eat ranged attacks all day.

Veteran Corrupted Ice Elemental
These guys have the eyes of a hawk! No seriously, their aggro range is ridiculously sized compared to other enemies, which isn’t really that much of an issue to deal with really. But it gets a bit annoying when you’re out picking berries in the woods and charge into that group with a Veteran Troll and a wolfpack, only to suddenly get frozen mid-lunge and eating every last Wolf Leap, because that veteran Ice Elemental on the other side of the River is part of Jormag’s elite sniper force and has more than 300 confirmed kills in Frostgorge.

Corrupted Wolves
Kinda fickle, these ones. NEVER misses the chance to leap at you and Chill you so that they can… then prance about, sometimes completely ignoring you afterwards. It’s kinda 50/50 with these pooches, half the time they’ll happily try and rearrange my spinal cord, other half they seem to forget that I’m even there and start making their way back to their original position.

You sure these guys aren’t corrupted cats?

Corrupted Griffon Chick
Tangent, but to whoever came up with this idea: Who hurt you? And why?

Veteran Corrupted Trolls
Can these guys please get maybe Quarter/half a second’s longer channel on their “2-3s of stand right there and do nothing, please” attack? I know that it generally follows their “NOT IN THE FACE!” Ice burst skill, but it’s annoying to deal with 2s of being Frozen without a shot at Stunbreaking when it comes outta nowhere like that.

I’m just there for their berries, really.

Innuendo intended.

I think that’s about all I had to say about the strange AI. Wanna give some kudos as well to the guy who created the Veteran Ice Storms and reworked the Icebrood Colossus into a Glass Cannon that will murderfy you if not focused down properly. Good work on giving the mobs some diversity, took some time before I realized that those Colossi weren’t just big, dumb and harmless anymore.

First things first: If you miss the big tells and don’t dodge, block, aegis or otherwise completely avoid the blow, you’re gonna have a bad time. And by bad time I mean “You’ll eat more dirt than worm in potato field”, those attacks are designed to take you down no matter how tough you are. Keep practicing to dodge the tells and you’ll get better at it evantually, just don’t stop practicing because you find something that’s easy to play. Until then…

If you want to live forever but suck at evading, then Reaper is definitely the easiest thing to play. Scrapper is pretty much impossible to go down with as well if you’re using the HGH build with some Marauder gear. But neither of those bring a lot to the table in terms of party support, the Scrapper can cleanse a lot of Conditions from allies but that’s about it.

If we’re just talking Open World PvE, you don’t really have to worry much about Support. Most players in Open World build for self-sustain and generally can take care of themselves there, anyway. If we’re talking something like Fractals or Raids however, then you’re gonna have a problem if you don’t practice your evasion. In Fractals and Raids, you’ll want to play Condition Damage Reaper if anything, and if we’re talking Party Support then Vampiric Presence is not enough, no.

There’s a reason we’ll never see the Dervish, Monk or Ritualist as they’re remembered, because they’re too human. No Charr would ever think of the human Gods as something worthy of worship (Last time Charr worshipped something, it didn’t end very well either, for anyone involved.) Norn would never lower themselves to worship of something, reverence is one thing but outright worship? Never gonna happen. Asura would laugh at the idea that a bunch of human “gods” would have a greater part to play in the seams of the world than the Great Alchemy. And Sylvari would be too busy poking holes in the whole “Godship” thing to even have time for worship.

We might see Elite Specializations that change the way some professions work to have them fall more in line with older professions (Such as a Dervish-inspired Wardancer spec for Warrior with Enchantments, a Monk-inspired Healer for Guardian or a Ritualist-inspired Revenant legend, for instance.) but seeing the old professions back as entirely new things? Unlikely, ANet seems pretty content with the 9 Professions that we currently have.

Making particle effects is probably a demanding job, but Legendary weapons are where the creators get to go a bit crazy, so I don’t doubt we’ll see some interesting concepts in the future. I had a few in mind that I’d like to see implemented somehow:

Familiar Focus
Rather than having a small artifact or item, this Focus takes the form of a small, flying familiar that circles around the arm. It could be in the form of a flying squirrel, or miniature weasel, possibly even a bird of sorts. Something magical that fits in one’s pocket.
In any case, this little critter “hides in your pocket” or sticks to your hip while stowed, making some ambient animal noises every so often, maybe nibbling on a berry. When drawn, it showcases its potential by lighting up in magic runes and flies in circles around the wielders arm, possibly resting on top of it. When animations are made with Focus skill, the Familiar circles around the arm or flies outwards before returning.

Deep Ocean Sword
A 1-handed sword that is merely an embellished, decorated hilt when stowed. When drawn however, swirls of water or energy coalesce and form into a smooth, crystalline blade that has the shifting colours of a deep ocean bed. I imagine this to be a thinner blade, similar to a sabre or a kriegsmesser (A guy could dream). Like the existing GS, this blade is accompanied by a “Trail” effect, although this one would be coloured deep blue with tints of black and green.

The Mirage Greatsword
When sheathed, Mesmer-like shards form around the blade to create a jet-black Hilt with an illusionary, runic pattern in Pink and purple tones. Whenever the Blade is drawn, this hilt shatters like an illusion, revealing the blade.

Here’s the kicker: The Blade takes one of several different shapes. It could be a thin Flamberge, a thick Zweihänder or wavy Vorpal sword, the shape it takes is entirely random. Furthermore, every so often when you strike an opponent it causes a shatter-like effect and changes shape mid-combat. The Blade itself looks illusionary, though less foggy and more slick like glass with a somber glow to it.

Scepter of Possession/Snakecharmer
A scepter skin that goes a bit beyond a simple Scepter. The weapon itself is a thin rod consisting of 3 snakes coiling around eachother, meeting at the top and facing a small, hovering red orb. When drawn, however, the image of a demonic or ghostly being appears behind the wielder for a second as the Snakes’ eyes light up and venom bursts from their mouths, turning the orb into a green fireball instead. Venom also coils up around the wielders arm, giving their hand a burnt and demonic look while wielded.

foste.3098:

keep the initial on cast self heal but replace the healing tics with ‘’allies that are standing in this well siphon health equal to 20% damage they deal but deal 20% less damage’’ reduce cd to 30 seconds.
This plays more in to the whole vampire health siphon side of necromancer and makes the well unique compared to the mesmer heal well which your suggestion turns it in to.

Not gonna flame you, but this is a god awful idea. Reducing the damage allies deal in an area by 20%? For a measly 20% Damage-to-healing conversion? In PvE it’d be out the window instantly and in PvP you’d just get Stunlocked so the heal would be 100% ineffective, and when you do get to fight back you’ll deal 20% less damage than the opposing force.

Sure, it’d help thematically, but nothing good would come of it and in no way would it be anywhere close to competative in PvP.

Among the many ways the Well could be fixed, here are a few ideas.

Version 1: The Spike Healing Well

• Initial Self-heal remains the same.
• Healing Power scaling on Pulsing Heal increased by 25%.
• Initial Self-Heal and Pulsing Heal is now increased depending on Health Level of their targets. Base Healing increases by 25% When below 50% HP, and 50% when below 75% HP.
• Cast Time reduced to 1/2s. Cooldown remains the same.

Pros: High Healing at lower health levels to off-set the long Cooldown.
Cons: Long Cooldown, very timing-dependant.

Version 2: Reliable Healing Well

• Initial Self Healing (Base) reduced by 33% (Down to ~3500HP)
• Pulsing Heal (Base) reduced by 25% (Down to 210)
• Scaling with Healing Power increased by 20% for Initial Self Heal, 12.5% for Pulsing Heal.
• Cast Time reduced to 1/4s, Cooldown reduced to 25s.

Pros: More reliable uptime on the Well in return for lower Base healing. Short Cast Time makes it quick and reliable in a clutch team fight.
Cons: Lower Healing values over the board. Less instant healing in return for more sustainable healing.

Version 3: Boon Well

• Initial Self Healing (Base) remains the same.
• Pulsing Heal (Base) reduced by 30% (Down to 196).
• Scaling with Healing Power decreased by 12.5% for Pulsing Heal.
• Is now a Water Field. Grants Regeneration for 2s (Base) with each Pulse
• Cast Time reduced to 1/2s, Cooldown reduced to 30s.

Pros: Grants Necro access to a Water Field. Regeneration synergizes with Blighter’s Boon. Grants some sustain outside of Shroud and increases Party Support ability.
Cons: Would require further changes to other skills to be effective, such as giving the Necromancer access to more Combo Finishers.

Mesmer – Minstrel
Weapon: Mace Main-hand
Utility Skills: Shouts
Mechanic: Whenever a Shatter skill is used, an illusionary Melody starts playing, centered around the Minstrel.

Mechanic: Melodies
The Minstrel is no ordinary bard, they require no instruments to play their music. Instead, the shattered remains of the clones reshape into soothing or empowering tones of music that surround the Minstrel.

Each Melody plays for different times, dependant on how many clones were shattered with a skill. Only 1 Melody can be played at any time. Each Melody grants a unique, stacking Buff on Allies within 600 units of the Minstrel, and these stacks quickly fall off if they move out of range. Gaining a new Stack of the Buff refreshes the duration of all existing stacks on Players. In return, the base duration of these buffs is very low.

• Melody of Domination – Begins when Mind Wrack is used. Every 3s, nearby allies gain a Stack of Domination, which increases outgoing Damage and Condition Damage by 3% and stacks up to 5.
• Melody of Chaos – Begins when Cry of Frustration is used. Every 3s, nearby allies gain a stack of Chaos, which increases Boon Duration and Condition Duration by 5% and stacks up to 5.
• Melody of Inspiration – Begins when Diversion is used. Every 3s, nearby allies gain a stack of Inspiration, which Heals them over time and increases Incoming Healing by 4% and stacks up to 5.
• Melody of Illusions – Begins when Distortion is used. Every 3s, nearby allies gain a stack of Illusions, which decreases incoming Damage and Condition Damage by 3% and stacks up to 5.

Weapon: Mace Main-hand
The mace might strike people as a strange choice of weapon for a Minstrel. But it’s not so strange when it’s mixed with illusionary magic to become focal point for sounds and melodies, used to confuse enemies and sooth nearby allies.

• Bell Strike -> Reverberation -> Harmonizer – Combo that creates resounding distortion on the two first strikes, Confusing enemies struck. The last strike harmonizes the echoes, creating a shockwave that Cripples enemies and Heals allies.
• Distorting Wave – Create a wave of distorted sound that Reflects Projectiles and Torments enemies. The wave then harmonizes and returns to you, Healing allies around you.
• Hyper Voice – Use the mace as a microphone, creating an expanding area as your voice travels outwards. Enemies hear a Dazing cacaphony while Allies hear a rousing battlecry that removes Conditions and grants them Might, Fury or Vigor with each Pulse.

Utility Skills: Shouts
Minstrel Shouts are there to pump up their audience and change the tune, flow and tempo of their Melodies. A Melody does not need to be playing for a shout to be used, but the Shout’s effectiviness increases if there is.

• “Fortepiano!” – Healing Skill. Create a rousing roar that Heals yourself and nearby allies, then soften the current playing Melody. For a short time, each time your Melody grants its buff to nearby allies, they’re Healed for a moderate amount.
• “Diminuendo!” – Soften the melody that plays for a short time, Healing nearby allies and removing a Condition with each Melody Buff they gain, healing them additionally if a Condition is removed.
• “Marcato!” – Create a sudden rise in volume, Stunning all nearby enemies with the sudden change while Breaking Stun for allies. For a short time, nearby allies gain Stability with each Melody Buff.
• “Allegro!” – A fast, invigorating melody plays that grants a burst of Endurance to nearby allies. If a Melody is playing, Allies also gain Vigor with each Melody Buff.
• “Crescendo!” – Hasten the tempo exponentially, granting Superspeed to nearby Allies. Nearby allies also gain Alacrity each time they gain a Melody Buff for a short time.
• “Finale!” – Elite Skill. Channel and Build up towards a monumental final note, causing increasing Healing and Damage for allies and enemies respectively in an Area around you. If uninterrupted, this skill Ressurects fallen allies and finishes fallen enemies with the last pulse.

Thief – Shadowcaster
Weapon: Focus off-hand
Utility Skills: Shouts
Mechanic: Shadowcaster gains access to an F3 skill called Doppelganger, which separates their shadow from themselves to fight alongside them.

Mechanic: Doppelganger
The Shadowcaster is one who has mastered the control of shadows, able to bend them to his will, solidify them and even create a double of himself from his own Shadow. Shadows must move as their owners do, but if the shadows were to be moved themselves, wouldn’t the owner be forced to follow suit themselves? In case of the Shadowcaster, this is very much the truth, and the basis for their magic.

With F3, the Shadowcaster can split their shadow from themselves and cause it to engage the enemy. The Doppelganger will imitate their every moment, and unlike Mesmer Clones it cannot be targeted or damaged. In return, having the Doppelganger up constantly drains the Shadowcaster’s initiative. While the Doppelganger isn’t as powerful as the real deal, it nonetheless increases the damage and condition application of Weapon Skills remarkably, and through traits it can be made into a dangerous adversary of its own.
The Doppelganger only mimics Weapon Skills and always attacks the same target as the Shadowcaster, but will actively try to circle around them. The Doppelganger cannot normally gain Boons, Conditions or other Buffs such as Stealth.

Weapon: Focus Off-hand
The Focus is a tool that allows the Shadowcaster to hone his magical aptitude and control over shadows, granting him access to a plethora of utility effects such as stealth and mobility.

• Shadow Theft – Steal shadows from nearby enemies, gaining Stealth. Gain Additional Stealth duration for each nearby enemy. Initiative Cost: 5.
• Shadow Play – Meld with the shadows and evade attacks, moving quickly along the ground in the target direction. Enemies you pass through are Chilled for a brief time, while Allies are Stealthed. Initiative Cost: 6.

Dual Wield

• Dagger: Ambush Strike – Shadowstep to the Target Area, spinning around and striking enemies around you. Each enemy struck is Crippled. Initiative Cost: 6.
• Sword: Shadow Flurry – Stab at your target, creating several shadows that mimic the motion, hitting targets in front of you multiple times. Initiative Cost: 3.
• Pistol: Ebon Bullet – Fire a shadowy bullet at your target. If the bullet strike them, it will twist around and pierce through them several more times, stacking Bleeding with each strike. Initiative Cost: 4.

Utility Skills: Shouts
The Shadowcaster can command any shadow cast by any object, commanding them with his voice to take shape and assault his enemies or aid his allies in different ways. Although technically shouts, the subtle nature of the Shadowcaster has these be more akin to whispers than loud call-outs.

• “Restore” – Healing Skill. Command nearby Shadows to reshape, restoring health to their owners as well. Heal yourself and nearby allies, gaining increased Healing and removing 1 Condition for each nearby Ally.
• “Shackle” – Command shadows at the target area to twist around enemies’ bodies, Immobilizing them and making them Vulnerable.
• “Betray” – Command the shadows of surrounding enemies to transform into sharp spikes that shoot up and pierce them, Damaging and Crippling them. Betray does not break Stealth when used.
• “Silence” – Command shadows at the target area to rise and cover their owners. Allies within the area gain Stealth and Swiftness, while enemies are Blinded and Dazed.
• “Scatter” – Command nearby Shadows to scatter away from you and pull their owners with them, Breaking Stun for you and Knocking Back enemies around you.
• “Converge” – Elite Skill. Command nearby shadows to converge at your position. Steal up to 2 Boons from nearby enemies, before sharing Boons on yourself with nearby Allies.

Warrior – Weaponsmaster
Weapon: Dagger Off-hand
Utility Skills: Technique (New)
Mechanic: Gains access to an Off-hand Burst Skill.

Mechanic: Off-hand Burst Skill
While not particularily flashy and lacking aplomb or panaché, the Weaponsmaster nonetheless has spent time honing their skills with their weapons. Each weapon they wield now posess a Second Burst Skill (Activated with F2), depending on their Off-hand weapon if they have one.

• Sword: Steel Storm – Spin both weapons around yourself, Damaging nearby enemies while Blocking incoming attacks. Enemies attacking you stack Bleeding.
• Axe: Helm Splitter – Strike down brutally with your Axe, causing Vulnerability with an Unblockable attack.
• Mace: Dust Smasher – Strike the ground, wreaking up a cloud of dust that Blinds and Dazes nearby enemies.
• Shield: Shield Toss – Throw your shield at your target, causing Knock Down. Bounces to additional targets depending on Adrenaline Level.
• Warhorn: Hero’s Call – Blow the horn with all your might, granting Stability to nearby Allies while Stunning enemies around you.
• Greatsword: Thin Air – Your sharp blade splits even the air itself, sending a Crippling Shockwave at enemies that reflects Projectiles back at them.
• Hammer: Vengeful Guard – Prepare to block an incoming attack. Launch yourself at an enemy attacking you, causing Knockdown. You’re invulnerable while charging.
• Longbow: Master Archer – Become Immobile and gain Stability, firing several cones of 5 Bleeding Arrows in rapid succession.
• Rifle: Suppressive Fire – Unload your rifle at the target area, Weakening and Crippling all enemies in the area.
• Spear: Destructive Hurl – Hurl your Spear at your target, piercing through enemies and causing Cripple, Weakness and Vulnerability on all targets struck.
• Harpoon Gun: Anchor Shot – Evade backwards, firing a massive harpoon that lodges into the target and causes them to Sink.

Weapon: Dagger Off-hand
Dagger Off-hand is an evasive utility weapon designed around repositioning the Weaponsmaster quickly in a fight, while debilitating the enemy with conditions. It grants them access to Poison as well.

• Preparation -> Weaving Blade – Block incoming attacks with dagger, preparing an Evasive Strike that weaves around the target’s back, causing Cripple and Vulnerability if you hit.
• Viper’s Tactics – Quickly duck away, evading attacks, before dashing forwards and Poisoning your target with a dagger strike. Acts as a Leap Finisher.
• Chained Daggers – Off-hand Burst. Throw up to 5 chained daggers forwards, Pulling struck enemies to yourself. Number depends on Burst Level.

Utility Skills: Techniques
Techniques are special Utility Skills that are determined by the Weaponsmaster choice of weapon, wether it is Melee or Ranged. Each of them function as an extended weapon skill, allowing the Weaponsmaster to completely costumize their line-up, patching holes in their defenses or enhancing what they’re already doing well.

• Reposition – Healing Skill. Block incoming Attacks while healing yourself over Time and Removing Conditions. If attacked, you greatly heal yourself and quickly shift positions. Melee: Charge forwards towards your target. Ranged: Roll backwards away from your target.
• Cleave – Melee: Deal massive AoE Damage in a cone before you. Ranged: Deal massive AoE Damage at the target area. Bonus Damage is awarded if more than 3 targets are struck.
• Strikethrough – Melee: Charge forwards at lightning speed, piercing through enemies while evading Ranged Attacks. Ranged: Fire a spread of Piercing Projectiles that destroy enemy projectiles and Knocks Back all enemies struck. In both cases, Cripple all targets struck and Remove Swiftness.
• Sunder and Rule – Melee: Slam down your weapon, creating a shockwave that Knocks Down enemies around you. Ranged: Leap into the air and fire an Explosive shot into the ground that Launches nearby enemies. In both cases, Breaks Stun.
• Defender – Melee: Gain Stability and Retaliation when attacked for a short time. Ranged: Gain Swiftness and remove Movement-impairing Conditions when attacked for a short time. In both Cases, incoming damage is reduced by 50%.
• True Strike – Elite Skill. Melee: Raise your weapon and gain Might, Fury and Stability, before striking down a single Target dealing Massive Damage. Ranged: Take careful Aim, gaining Stability on activation and firing an Unblockable Projectile at your target. In both cases, this Skill Finishes a Downed Opponent.

Elementalist – Battlemage
Weapon: Mace Main-hand
Utility Skills: Traps
Mechanic: The battlemage can focus their attunements around themselves as Elemental Armor by pressing F5.

Mechanic: Elemental Armor
Elemental Armor is activated and cancelled by pressing F5 and depends on the Attunement of the Battlemage when pressing F5. While each Armor greatly enhances the Battlemage’s melee prowess, it also reduces their abilities elsewhere in return.

• Fireclad Armor – Clad yourself in a flaming Shroud, causing AoE Damage around you every second and drastically reducing incoming Condition Duration. However, you also gain stacks of Burning and Damage at set intervalls.
• Frostclad Armor – Clad yourself in an icy armor, causing AoE Chill to enemies around you while constantly Regenerating Health. However, you become more Susceptible to incoming CC effects.
• Thunderclad Armor – Surround yourself with howling winds, Destroying any incoming projectiles, gaining increased Movement Speed and striking enemies that attack you with Lightning Bolts at set intervalls. However, you take increased Direct Damage from Attacks.
• Stoneclad Armor – Surround yourself with a rocky Armor, drastically reducing incoming Direct Damage and incoming Stun Duration. However, you move slower while.

Weapon: Mace Main-hand
The Mace is a bruiser-type weapon focused around heavy sustained hybrid damage coupled with decent CC-capability.

Fire

• Raging Bash -> Infernal Smash -> Conjure Magma – Chain combo that summons a Magma puddle beneath your target on the final strike, which erupts after a short delay to Damage and Burn them.
• Scorching Deliverance – Smash your mace into the ground, creating an expanding field of Magma that damages and Cripples enemies within. Acts as a Fire field.
• Explosive Uppercut – Deliver a massive Uppercut that Launches your target and Burns enemies around them. Acts as a Blast Finisher.

Ranger – Hunter
Weapon: Rifle
Utility Skills: Game (New)
Mechanic: Hunters mark enemies targeted with F2 as their Quarry, gaining a damage bonus against them, along with further bonuses.

Mechanic: Quarry
The Hunter is an expert in his field and once he’s narrowed in on a target, the Hunter and his pet will pursue it relentlessly until it’s taken out.
Whenever the Hunter order his pet to attack with F2, that target is marked and becomes their Quarry. Hunters and their pet deal 10% more Damage and Condition Damage to their Quarry and hes plenty of Traits that further enhances focusing on their target. A Quarry remains marked until either they’re defeated or the Hunter finds a new enemy to mark.

Grandmaster Traits
Each grandmaster trait further enhances the Hunter while they’re gunning for their Quarry.

• Relentless Hunter – The Hunter and their pet take 15% less Damage and Condition Damage from their Quarry. The Hunter and their Pet also gains Immunity to Movement-impeding Conditions from their Quarry.
• Merciless Hunter – Increases the Bonus damage and Condition damage to the Quarry to 20%. Whenever a designated Quarry falls, the Hunter and their pet is Healed for a moderate amount.
• Patient Hunter – Condition Duration against your Quarry is now increased by 20% and Critical Hits by the Hunter or their pet causes Cripple.

Weapon: Rifle
The hunter’s choice of weapon is the Rifle, a long-range Hybrid weapon designed around slowing your target down, weakening them with conditions while the Pet distracts them, before finishing them off with a final, devastating shot. Its range is the same as Longbow at 1500.

• Burst Shot – Fire 3 shots in quick succession at your target, dealing Bonus Damage if all 3 hit.
• Knee Shot – Kneel down and fire a shot at your target’s knees that Immobilizes your target for a short time.
• Wounding Shot – Fire a wounding shot that grants a Debuff to the target enemy, causing them to Stack Bleeding overtime.
• Call-out – A sharp whistle gives Superspeed to your pet and causes their next attack to Cripple your target.
• Crown Shot – Fire a lethal shot after taking careful Aim. This skill deals additional Damage for each Condition on the Enemy and even more additional Damage if they are under any Control Effect. If fired from Stealth, this skill is Unblockable.

Utility Skills: Game
Game skills are Utility skills specifically designed to temporarily enhance the Hunter’s prowess against their Quarry. They’re quick and easy to use, gaining increased efficiency against enemies you mark.

• Bloodthirst – Healing Skill. You and your pet gain Health over time, gaining extra burst of Healing whenever you deal Damage. These bursts are larger if damage is dealt to your Quarry.
• Predator’s Prowl – You and your pet break Stun and gain Stealth for a short time. Attacking from Stealth will deal 20% Extra Damage, and Stun your target if they’re marked as your Quarry.
• Find Tracks – Mark your target, Revealing them for a short time. If your target is your Quarry, you and your pet will Teleport to their location if they move further than 2000 units away from you.
• Ensnare – Throw a length of rope around your target, Immobilizing them and removing Swiftness. If they’re your Quarry, they’re also Knocked Down.
• Exhausting Pursuit – Tether yourself to your target, stacking Weakness on them as long as they remain within Range. If they’re your Quarry, this skill also grants you Vigor with each Pulse and Copies any Swiftness they recieve.
• Mercy Kill – Elite Skill. Prepare to finish off your target with a holdout dagger. Instantly Finishes a Downed Opponent. If that target is your Quarry, you gain Quickness upon activating this skill.

Revenant – Flameseeker
Weapon: Main-hand Scepter
Utility Skills: Legendary Lich – Vizier Khilbron
Mechanic: The Flameseeker’s Utility bar consists of 3 Portals that can be summoned, and a new F2 skill called Energy Recall.

Mechanic: Energy Recall
The new mechanic gives the Flameseeker the ability to actively cancel any Upkeep abilities, restoring energy used for it while also healing themselves, allowing them to reset their energy level in a fight even without swapping Legends. Traits will further enhance this skill.

• Energy Recall – Cancel any Upkeep Skills and place them on 5s CD. You gain Energy and Health based on the Upkeep cost of cancelled skills. Cooldown: 10s.

Weapon: Scepter Main-hand
The Scepter is a heavy sustain weapon focused around debilitating conditions, life-stealing and boon-stripping, punishing enemies who rely too much on buffing themselves upbefore a fight.

• Ebon Sphere – Send an orb of Darkness at your target that causes Burning on Hit, sending out lesser projectiles chaining to nearby enemies that causes Torment to them. Acts as a Projectile Finisher.
• Life Vortex – Conjure a beam that pulses Poison to your target and all surrounding Enemies, stealing a Boon at the end of the channel and Healing you if it does.
• Dark Seal – Seal away your target’s power, Dazing them and turning them into a mobile Dark Field that Blinds enemies around them.

Legend: Vizier Khilbron
Vizier Khilbron was the man who condemned Orr to eternity beneath the waves, and the undead Lich that opened the gates of Komalie and brought forth the Titans. He has returned as an echo of the mists, possessing the same strength as he did before.

Aside from Healing and Elite skill, all 3 Utility Skills opens a “portal” to the mists as an Upkeep skill, each portal summoning an echo of a titan to attack enemies. As long as the portal remains open, it will continue to summon Echoes at a set intervall, allowing the Flameseeker to swarm his enemies through proper energy management. When a Portal is closed, however, each summoned Echo starts to degrade in health, eventually dying off completely. Neither are they as durable as other pets, owing in part to their swarming functionalities.

• Hunger of the Lich – Healing Skill (30 Energy). Heal yourself and steal 1 Boon from each nearby enemy. Each Boon stolen grants you extra healing and energy.
• Burning Portal – Upkeep Skill (-5). Open a portal at the target location acts as a Fire Field and spawns a Burning Echo on creation, and then one more every 5s. Burning Echoes causes Burning on enemies they strike.
  • Close Portal – Cancel Upkeep. Close the Burning Portal. All Burning Echoes will lose 20% of their Max HP every second while the portal is closed.
• Dark Portal – Upkeep Skill (-5). Open a portal at the target location acts as an Ice Field and spawns a Frost Echo on creation, and then one more every 5s. Frost Echoes causes Chill on enemies they strike.
  • Close Portal – Cancel Upkeep. Close the Dark Portal. All Frost Echoes will lose 20% of their Max HP every second while the portal is closed.
• Rotting Portal – Upkeep Skill (-5). Open a portal at the target location acts as a Poison Field and spawns a Rotting Echo on creation, and then one more every 5s. Rotting Echoes causes Poison on enemies they strike.
  • Close Portal – Cancel Upkeep. Close the Rotting Portal. All Rotting Echoes will lose 20% of their Max HP every second while the portal is closed.
• Gates of Komalie – Elite Skill (50 Energy). Tear open the gates, instantly Summoning 1 Burning Echo, 1 Frost Echo and 1 Rotting Echo. In addition to this, any Portal that is open summons another Echo of appropriate character when this skill is activated.