Guild Wars 2

What kind of content are you using the builds for?
I think the second build is better overall, since it has a lot more focus and will support your team better, which is what you’re shooting for.
What I find a bit weird is that you have traits for both Consecrations and Signets and talk about using “Save Yourselves!”. This means you’ve taken traits that will only affect one skill, which I wouldn’t do.
Also note that you’re trying to do two things in one build, which will never be as good as fully focusing on one thing.

As pointed out: the skill is amazing and doesn’t need changing, apart from the fact that it works differently in PvE from PvP.

My only problem with this skill is after first half second the bubble can be walked through even while you’re channeling. I always evade roll right after I cast it because there is no point channeling it.

Working as intended. It’s actually meant to stop projectiles. The knockback is a bonus.

@AndrewSX: You get Bronze if you focus too much on support.

I like Wall of Reflection, Line of Warding and Ring of Warding.
I like leading a charge after popping all my Shouts. (“Retreat!”)

It is so satisfying to charge at the front lines knowing that YOUR buffs fundamentally changed the outcome.

My only complaint about the Guardian is that other players cant really tell in the heat of battle just how much you have increased their effectiveness and protected them from harm.

I don’t find it satisfying, actually, since I have no way of knowing if my buffs actually changed the outcome. And the game doesn’t reward me for it anyhow. Just like other players don’t have any idea, I don’t have any either. Yeah, I can feel good about using my boons and heals, but I have no way of telling if I used them properly.

So far, nothing has been announced.
If you want to discuss the lack of ranged options, we’ve got a thread for that already. The Question-format of the forum isn’t really for all types of questions, just the one with a definitive answers.

Mesmers. But it could be a personal failing, and not one of the profession, as I’ve also faced Mesmers who went down easily.

I’ve used it in all my PvP builds so far. Often use it in PvE as well. I just love it.

station.6421:

Zeal traits as a whole really need to be worked on again. There are a lot of bland traits already, but 25 hp is definitely not worthy of a Grandmaster trait.

This. I’ve been saying this since the trait-lines were released.

Dragonhero.1852:

I never said that the whole idea of a guardian revolves around them needing to block, However not allowing a class to block especial one revolving around protection makes no sense. Its a poor design choice. Next why the heck do I need to use four different skills when all I need is one option? Finally Swapping those to skills would not mess up the Sword/Shield or Scepter/Shield builds it would make them more viable. As far as builds with the mace in the main hand and a focus or torch in the off-hand. The Torch skills really aren’t for up close and you guys leep saying you can block with a focus.

Furthermore the focus 4 is a ranged ability that does not suit a melee style. So You have to choose between a block and a useless skill. Or a useful up-close skill the shields number 5 without a block. I don’t even see why your arguing this point. Most the guardians I’ve asked in-game want a shield block. Furthermore just because you can do x with a b and c build choices this doesn’t mean anything when you should be able to do it with a single build choice.

Looks like your sample size of “Guardians I’ve asked in game” isn’t representative.
And the Torch if perfect for an up-close playstyle. As is the Focus.
How is the Focus unsuited for a melee-Guardian?

Only actual projectiles get blocked. Things like the AoE arrowstorm thing don’t. The Firebreathing skill on the Guardian’s Torch are also not blocked. If it doesn’t combo, it gets through.

Sword and Shield is an excellent combination that can be used in pretty much any type of content.
It’s flexible and doesn’t sacrifice power for being that. It can also be feasibly used with pretty much any weapon combination that doesn’t focuses on Symbols.

Targeted healing is terrible in the game anyway. I don’t think the Orb of Light is intended to save dying players. I think it’s more for delaying the time before they need to press their own healing skill.
That being said, Orb of Light is the worst ability on the Staff and bugs out on my occasionally.

You can block with: Mace, Focus, Shelter and Aegis.
The Mace isn’t a very logical choice for a block, but it does fit the Mace-playstyle. Swapping the ability with Shield of Judgment would screw anyone who uses a different combination than Mace/Shield over.

I really dislike any kind of “But X-weapon is supposed to do Y”, or “X-weapon works like that in real life, so it should do the same in game”-debate.

I don’t see how your suggestion for an AoE that heals nearby players differs from the current implementation.
Arenanet has played around with different variables of Line of Warding after player feedback in the Beta Weekends. If I recall correctly, we either have instant-cast, ground targetability or cast while moving, but we can’t have two of them for balance reasons.

Banewrath.5107:

Ynna.8769:

Curious. I wonder what you will change, since the Hammer is in my opinion, quite adequate.

The hammer may be adequate as a utility tool for situations. But for people who prefer it as a main weapon just because they like hammers instead of blades, the hammer is horrible to use. The hammer just has a horrible #1 combo and the #2 hit misses half the time unless you are right up in the mobs face. For some reason fighting with blunt weapons in this game feels like you are watching your character attack in slow motion.

I used the Hammer as my main weapon for the first 10-15 levels. I don’t think the #1 combo is that bad. It does quite a bit of damage and gives a useful Symbol. I don’t think I had the #2 skill miss in PvE actually. It’s slower than the Greatsword, but the overall damage is rather similar.
Also, they can’t cater to every playstyle with every weapon.
I also use the Hammer as my weapon in sPvP, again, it works fine. I’d be sad to see any skill change drastically.

What type of content are you talking about? Because for PvE I found it difficult to see how much impact my support was having, making it very unrewarding.
As for utilities: probably Shouts or Consecrations.

Disastersaurus.3146:

If only there were other weapons for you to use!

I really like the scepter. But I think the hammer and staff are incredibly boring. I know people who love them, though.

It’s playstyle, dude. Not every weapon will suit you, and that’s okay. But unless a lot of people hate the weapon [they don’t, the Scepter is crazy-popular], it’s a bit rude to want to change it.

Yeah, it might be playstyle, and I also don’t really enjoy the Focus (and I used to dislike the Hammer as well), but I can appreciate it and the abilities are interesting.
The Scepter isn’t bad, but the abilities are incredibly bland.
And I don’t know about the popularity of the weapons, because I don’t have any metrics on it, but couldn’t it be that the Scepter is popular despite it being boring? Like I said, it’s an efficient weapon, just boring. Or maybe it’s popular because it’s our only ranged option.

And the main purpose of making the thread was putting the idea out there, because I’ll probably be saying it a lot on the forum.

Melee in WvWvW required a completely different mindset than ranged. You have to be very aware of your surroundings and the enemy forces. You should try and flank and pick of the weakened players. You need to find a path through the AoE-spam and push forward, fully booned-up. It’s hard and thankless, but it can be fun.
Also, minor objectives like Supply Camps are pretty fun as melee.

As others have said, I do think there should be some reward for supporting. I understand it’s Arenanet’s philosophy that offense should win out, but that doesn’t mean support can’t be rewarded. As a Guardian I like to fall back and support with my Staff/Shouts in sieges, but my dislike of the Scepter makes me rather useless outside of buffing, which won’t even net Silver contribution.

That being said, most, if not all, of our issues in WvWvW stem from our lacking ranged options.

During the second or third Beta Weekend, someone from Arenanet said they also felt the Guardian’s ranged capabilities were lacking, but that we shouldn’t expect a new weapon before release. And then they upped the range on the Scepter/Focus/Torch.
That being said, we are less capable at range than other professions, but outside of WvWvW it doesn’t bother me too much.
I don’t see any improvements on the horizon unless they reconcept the Scepter, or give us a new weapon.
I’d really like to see a Rifle, both because I like how they look in the game, and because I think it would be interesting to see how Guardians use them.

An a related note: Other people have argued that all the defensive abilities of the Guardian (most notably: Wall of Reflection) would make the Guardian overpowered with a real long-range option. Would do you think about that?

I just noticed the forums are online, and I’m just making this thread, because it will be something I’ll be saying a lot.
The Scepter is boring.
The worst part is that it’s not bad, so it doesn’t actually ?eed¸change.
What would make the Scepter more interesting?
1. Make the first skill a combo of some kind.
2. Make Smite either a Symbol or a combo field.
There are probably other ways of making the Scepter more interesting.

1. This is indeed an issue. I can’t recall how many times I missed out on nice damage and retaliation because I started to move too soon.
2. I don’t think it really throws of a rhythm, it’s just a rhythm you have to adapt to. But I can’t say no to faster cast time, because I already dislike the fact that the Symbol is at the end of the chain.
3. I don’t think it needs a gap-closer. You’ve got the chains and the Ring of Warding. The Hammer works fine without it, and you can always use a Sword; Greatsword or Judge’s Intervention. I don’t think the Guardian really needs more gapclosers.
4. A lot of weapons don’t have specific traits, and I like it like that. I really dislike the traits that lock you into a specific weapon.

Hammer love is already in the works!

Curious. I wonder what you will change, since the Hammer is in my opinion, quite adequate.

The Staff is alright, in my opinion.
The first ability is a bit bland, and it would be nice if it could be traited to heal a little, or remove conditions, but as it it, it’s okay.
The second one has some problems, being very slow, and detonating doesn’t do all that much in most situations, but still, it’s a heal.
The Symbol is alright. Swiftness isn’t the best support a Guardian has to offer, but traited it still heals, and it’s a combo field, so with a few other players, it also brings condition removal and retaliation.
Empower is pretty powerful in bigger groups, but you can’t always find the opportunity to stay still for the entire cast.
Line of Warding is amazing.

It would make it completely useless in a lot of situations.
Is it strong? Yes.
Is it wrong that the Guardian is the only one with such abilities? Maybe. Probably.
Is it overpowered? No.

I used a Burning Build in the last Beta Weekend for sPvP. Worked pretty well, but it didn’t suit my playstyle, so I can’t remember the build.
Be sure to use a Sword, since it stacks burning from Virtue of Justice pretty fast.