Guild Wars 2

I had actually posted not but 2 days ago I beleive a post similar to yours on a potential Ranged weapon. Although my choice was simply a shortbow. I choose this becuase even with 900 Range, thats range, but as a guardian we can not be “to” far from our teams. If we are, we simply become less usefull as a whole.

Shortbows are the happy medium. Enough range to keep us alive and usefull at a distance. Without so much range that we become “solo” when guardians are designed to be best in group settings.
The shortbow had a very similar concept, except unlike your longbow. It did more in terms of Boons, conditons, and damage. Rather then straight up heals. I feel the staff already does that quite well.
1. Arrow of Truth-Shoot an arrow in a straight line at the target hitting all enemies in the line of the arrow.(This skill is very simple. Decent range and a peirce effect that way it deals decent damage. The peirce effect makes it very unique among the guardian weapons as nothing else of ours does that.)
2. Alignment-Fire multiple arrows at the target, each arrow dealing damage and stacking a single vunrability(7 stacks). Allies caught in the way of the arrows are healed for each arrow that hits them.(Minor healing).(This is a skill that is always usefull, but becomes even better when used in conjuction with position. As guardians we must be aware of our surroundings. This skill is perfect in that nature…)
3. Symbol of Zeal- Lay down a symbol at target area that gives allies Vigor and damage foes.(symbol-simple. Grants allies the power to move, and hurts foes.
4. Beacon-Arch an arrow into the sky creating a brightlight under the target area. Enemies directly under the aoe are burned and allies receive fury.(Gives it a nice damage, and a lovely boon.)
4-a. Illuminate- The beacon expands all of its light in a final burst, blinding enemies and granting regeneration to allies. Increase the recharge of Beacon(Simple, at the expense of a heavier cooldown you can do some minor control and grant your allies some regen)
5. Zealot’s Arch- Send an arching arrow into the field that explodes in flames creating a fire field and burning enemies.
5-a. Zealot’s Intervention- Port to the fire-area made and send out a wave of flame that purifies a single conditon from each ally in range, and burns enemies caught in its wave. Creates a blast finisher.Increases the Zealot’s arch cooldown.(A port combined with a heavy aoe. This skill is all about choice. It has a very long cooldown naturaly becuaes of its AOE, but combine that with it’s extended cooldown and you have a 50 second cooldown max. This skill offers mobility to the stalwart class, letting her grace into combat when she needs to. Or out of it. Although she would forfit damage.)

The point of this weapon is choice. It has lots of diffrent abbilites..and some of them come at great costs. If you want to give your allies that regen, youll have to live without beacon for a little bit more. Its very AOE intensive, and has great range. But becuase of tis shortbow-life it makes it also right on the Backside of the feild where most ranged attackers are without makeing the Guradian so far away she becomes only a damage dealer. The guardian needs the Bow to have some heavy support, and some decent damage. But Pure heal-damage is to staff-like, and too much control nets it a hammer-range look alike. I think this set just offers plenty of choice and costs. You can play it heavily “supprot” wise, but then you also have very heavy cooldowns for playing it like that. So you could use your beacon to just help your team, or sacrafice it to really “Help” your team. Same with the mobility. Use it to get into the fray of battle when you need to. Or just use it as a heavy damage feild. To balance this weapon is its cooldowns, and it’s lack of great control. With blind and vunrability being its only conditons besides burn(damage). It won’t knock anyone away from a wall anytime soon.
Though any weapon could truely fit these skills. I like your skills alot to!

I do not see how bandwith would effect weapon amount. But in the end, I think they will add weapons at they have time to do so. What good is adding another weapon when you still have current weapons to balance. Although I’ll cry if they add some more ranged to the guardian. It would make me the happiest guardian in the universe…Becuaes frankly that scepter gets boreing, old…and annoying fast.

Umm, In my experience there is both good and bad to the Guardian in WVWVW. Setting myself up now, Im a pure Health and toughness build. Im not ment to deal damage, Im ment to survive and make all my allies survive to.

I have the hardest time surviving in wvwvw. I utalize the staff to its fullest. But in wvw we only have one weapon set for range. The scepter. Which has so little support it kind of makes it worthless. Yet I have to run with it if I want to do anything except sit back and buff allies.

The amount of AOE and damage in wvw discourages Guardians from useing 90% of our equipment. Since Sheild of absrobtion has no protection against a magma font, or metoer swarm. I find that as a guardian I am only best in large groups.

On my own, a theif can gank me without effort. And even with all my healing, rolls, and defensive skills. The theif will normaly always win. I can not get away, and I can not “Sheild” against enough of those aoes to make being anything other the scepter/staff viable. Espeicaly since Ive tried really hard to be a mace sheild guardian in wvw. Even one on one. I threw up a shield of absrob, and an ele just blasted me down with aoe.

Id like more range. If your looking for the class that can walk onto the field and make everyone that much more deadly. I think the guarian is perfect. I like feeling usefull to the armies of my world. But I never expect to be anything better then a support, or protector, or mildly “minor” damage. I think it has ups and downs like every class, and WVW is a very tricky bugger, espeicaly with the guardian since the lack of range places you at a deadly crossroads. “Save your friends and possibly die trying…Or try to run away and possibly die trying”.

As a support guardian, and a Burn guardian. I truely have a hard time understanding the dislike of the tomes. I can not tell you how awsome it is to be in WVW and just see your allies batter down people whithout fear of destruction. And my tome of wrath. Ive used it to become a litteral magical siege weapon.
“Ohh I see a cluster of folks over thier…” and then i litterly burn them to death, all while makeing my friends even more deadlier.
Also Being a guardian, I have learned to make use of "Rooted’ spells. I dont have to stop moveing to cast most of the skills on the tomes. I can move and cast. And when I get to a place where its safe, Ill usealy throwdown a root spell. I also tend to think about when its right to use them. In the middle of a hoard of enimies is a terrible idea. It leaves you so open. I normaly use them as they look to be made for. At a range. Get to the midlines with your allies, and really plaster your foes, or allies. Whichever you prefer. I love tomes.

I think renewed focus is incredibly boreing yes. Ive only used it underwater(since its the only elite a guardian has underwater). That is the only thing that disapoints me.

We have 3 elites…and only 1 can be used underwater. 1 that fits builds that would work on others. Its sooo annoying to run underwater and just sit thiere and be like. WOW I get to be invurable…while a channel. My lovely shelter does that already. Maybe not as long…but truely shelter seems just as powerfull and heals to!

I think overall im pleased. I would not want the tomes removed anytime soon. But Should they think of helping out Renewed focus? Defeintly give it some love. Next, add more elites that function on land in water. Elites are not evil, nor do the tomes need to be fixed or anything. They are certainly right where it feels comfertable to me. But defeintly need some new ones, and some love for renwed focus. Give the guardian more options with elites other then “Root and Burn, Root and Heal, or Root and Invulrable”…..There seems to be a pattern here…

I think the scepter could be fixed with a little buff to speed, Or damage. It feels really bad to send out an army of orbs, and yet you do as much damage as you would with the staff….Espeicaly when they are so slow and dodgeable…At least make them hurt a little when they hit.

I do not believe the Staff is truely that bad. It’s designed as the support weapon. It suits its role perfectly. I say that as both an extensive staff guardian(have been useing one since level 10), and as a support guardian. The staff is designed to be a heavy supporter, not damager. I agree there should be a buff in damage, but you have to take into context we do have empower. If you make the staff to strong normaly, buffing it with Empower would make it op. Its thin ice.

But the true point of this topic is to talk about more range options for the guardian. I think a bow, or gun of sorts is the perfect chance to add something to a class that has a lot of based covered. The only one not covered is “decent” ranged options and mobility. Which albeit as a heavy armor proffesion we dont move like theifs. We obviosly have lightspeed travel to a point, yet we have more “Buckle down and defend” abbilites, then “get out of the way” abillites. Which to me needs to be more balanced.

I said I did not balance the skills, and I did not for a reason. Those were just ideas to sort of warm the pot. The idea I had was a manuvarable damage dealer, that suits the guardian at range. But also offers abbilites to get the guardian INTO combat with its other sets. Which arguably do not function so well at a range. At a distance a guardian bombards with shortbow and magic, and when the team needs the extra frontline power, it bursts into combat and raises its weapon.

The guardian needs to always be close enough to allies for his Virtues. As a support guardian I can not describe how awesome it is to Pop an Aegis in a wvw battle and watch my world overcome a huge attack. The longbow would have to great of a range, and would make it very awkward for the guardian to use. We are meant to be in the front lines, meant to protect our allies, or burn our foes. We are ment to be the shield and the sword in battle.
The solution to me is simple, Short Bow!
I know like 12 people are going to fly off the handle and say “Well what pathetic knight is going to run around with a tiny little bow”. Or the “Why is a soldier running around with a dinky short bow?” Normally the short bow seems a weapon designed for speed and range in conjunction. Which is exactly why, to me, it fits the guardian.

When I’ve been playing the guardian, even with a “damage” or “control” or “support” build. It all feels the same. It feels like I am a turtle. I’m slow and ponderous, and when I get to it, Ill hit you hard, or protect my friends, or lock you down. But It takes me a minute, no matter how fast I press the buttons, or casts those spells. It takes a hot second. Sometimes I feel like a turtle…Even a high damage turtle…still a turtle.
The point is, A shortbow gives range and mobility to the guardian without placing it to far, or reducing its utilities to worthless.

I completely would love a longbow, or a Short, or even a crossbow. Even a rifle or pistol would be lovely. At this point I just want one weapon set that makes me feel someone useful in a siege that can really “hit at a range”.I agree more range…But I also think it will be something that will need to wait till more important matters are attended to. Mainly things that are important to the well being of the game, and take anet’s full focus(and that’s good!). One last thing to remember If you add a weapon set, you’ll need traits too! That is a whole new story!