Regina Buenaobra.6193

**Bug Fix:**

* Fixed a server crash.

The team is aware of a bug related to this event and we are actively working on resolving it. The resetting of this unlock is not intended behavior, as such please stop donations while the issue is under investigation.

**Bug Fixes:**

* Eternal Coliseum: Removed a shortcut to the Field (middle) capture point from the Red Base.

* Engineer—Gyro Skills: Fixed a bug that prevented several of these skills from working underwater.

* Engineer—Jump Shot: Fixed a bug that could prevent this skill from going on cooldown when it was used on some inclines.

* Thief—Steal: Fixed an issue in which Steal's cooldown would not be appropriately reduced by the Sleight of Hand or Swindler's Equilibrium traits.

* Warrior—Banners: Fixed a bug that could prevent banners from appearing in certain circumstances.

# 04/23/2019—Late Notes

## Profession Skills

### Elementalist

- Woven Stride: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from granting regeneration correctly.

### Warrior

- Savage Instinct: This trait no longer removes conditions. In addition to breaking stuns, it now provides a 100% damage reduction when berserk mode activates. The damage reduction lasts 2 seconds in PvE and 1 second in PvP and WvW.

# 04/23/2019—April 23 Release Notes

## No Downed State Returns

Crush your enemies—or be crushed by them—when No Downed State returns to World vs. World!

- This event runs from 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on April 26 to 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) on May 3.

- While playing WvW during this time, you'll earn an additional 25% reward track progression and an additional 100% world experience. You'll also gain 50% magic find.

## World Polish

- Fixed a bug that prevented the health of the Champion Branded Riftstalker in a Mists Rift from scaling up if more than five players were fighting it.

- Fixed a bug that applied the daily limit on Riftstone Satchels per character instead of per account.

## Items

- Superior Rune of the Earth: The incoming healing effectiveness bonus has been reduced from 10% to 5% in PvP only. Players no longer gain magnetic aura when struck by a foe in PvP.

- Mystic Forge vendors will no longer sell stacks of ten WvW blueprints since players can select the quantity.

- Salvaged rare Elonian weapons will now have the same chance of granting Globs of Ectoplasm as other rare items of the same level.

- Eyes of Kormir can no longer be acquired by salvaging items.

## Profession Skills

Elite specializations were introduced with the _Heart of Thorns™_ expansion and have become a regular sight throughout Tyria. These specializations have sometimes come with trade-offs, and sometimes they've been purely beneficial compared to a core specialization, often because they add something on top of everything the profession already does. We believe that elite specializations are a more meaningful choice when they have some trade-off or change some core part of a profession's mechanics.

To use the example of necromancer, by choosing an elite specialization, you lose access to your core Death Shroud abilities, but you gain different abilities. This is a clear trade-off. In the case of elite specializations like druid, herald, chronomancer, berserker, or scrapper, this type of trade-off isn't possible because the specialization adds a completely new ability. With this update, we're targeting a few elite specializations to receive trade-offs, and we expect to continue doing this in future updates. As for general changes, we've made a few consistency updates to aura naming and introduced dark auras to the game. We also changed a number of abilities that would destroy missiles, making them block missiles instead.

### General

- Dark Leap Combo: Performing a leap finisher from a dark field will now grant players 5 seconds of Dark Aura.

- Dark Aura: This new effect reduces incoming condition damage by 20% and inflicts 2 seconds of torment when you are struck (1-second cooldown per attacker).

- Fire Shield: This effect has been renamed Fire Aura.

- Chaos Armor: This effect has been renamed Chaos Aura. Fixed a bug that prevented this effect from triggering some elementalist traits.

- Skills that destroy missiles will now block missiles instead. This change affects the following skills:

- Elementalist: Swirling Winds

- Engineer: Launch Wall

- Guardian: Deflecting Shot, Refraction, Sanctuary, Shield of the Avenger, Zealot's Defense

- Mesmer: Illusionary Warden

- Necromancer: Corrosive Poison Cloud

- Revenant: Inspiring Reinforcement (Underwater)

- Thief: Sniper's Cover, Smoke Screen, Concealed Defeat

- Warrior: Winds of Disenchantment

### Elementalist

With the addition of the weaver and sword abilities in _Path of Fire™_, the main-hand dagger weapon set has been struggling with its identity. The weaver's sword is intended to be a single-target, high-DPS weapon that relies on direct hits to deal damage. In this update, we're leaning into the dagger's close-range area-of-effect damage and burst attacks.

- Cone of Cold: The base healing value of this skill has been increased by approximately 20%.

- Cleansing Wave: The base healing value of this skill has been increased by approximately 20%.

- Evasive Arcana: The base healing value of this trait has been increased by approximately 20%.

- Arcane Abatement: Cleansing Wave: The base healing value of this trait has been increased by approximately 20%.

- Swirling Winds: Reduced the radius of this skill from 400 to 360. The visual effect of this skill now displays a red ring for enemies and a white ring for allies.

- Vapor Form: Fixed an issue in which this skill would sometimes fail to revive a poisoned player. Fixed an issue in which applying barrier to an elementalist in Vapor Form prevented them from being downed when the skill ended by timing out. Removed an unlisted function of this skill that caused it to apply regeneration to nearby allies.

- Dragon's Claw: Projectiles from this skill now pierce enemies.

- Ring of Earth: This skill has been slightly reworked. It now delivers an attack early in the animation, and then another attack upon impacting the ground. Bleeding duration per impact has been reduced from 12 seconds to 6 seconds. Initial impact damage is 27.5% of the final impact. Final impact damage has not changed from the skill's initial value.

- Magnetic Leap: This skill has been renamed Earthen Rush and reworked.

- Earthen Rush: Quickly dash along the ground, summoning damaging spikes along the way and then delivering an area attack, immobilizing any enemy struck.

- Lightning Whip: The range of this skill has been reduced from 300 to 240.

- Lightning Touch: This skill has been reworked and renamed Convergence.

- Convergence: After a 1-second delay, lightning strikes the elementalist, dealing damage and weakening foes in a 240 radius while granting the elementalist fury for each foe struck.

- Invoke Lightning: Fixed an issue in which this skill ignored the Disable Player Camera Shake option.

- Glyph of Storms (Air): Fixed an issue in which this skill ignored the Disable Player Camera Shake option.

- Imbued Melodies: This trait now uses the Lesser Sand Squall skill instead of the Sand Squall skill.

### Engineer

Following the previous gyro updates, we've had the opportunity to update gyros for underwater use as well. With the change to Blunderbuss, we're aiming to give clarity about the best-use scenarios for this skill by reducing the size of the tooltip and making it clear that closer is always better, rather than using complicated, staggered range thresholds. If this goes well, we're likely to update other abilities in a similar fashion to provide more best-use clarity in future updates.

- Blunderbuss: Rather than inflicting between 1 and 4 stacks of bleeding for 7 seconds based on range, this skill now inflicts 3 stacks of bleeding with a duration of between 3 and 9 seconds based on range. This skill has been reworked to scale damage dynamically based on distance rather than at various tiers so that closer is always better, not just when the engineer crosses a particular range threshold. The range of this skill has been increased from 700 to 900.

- Jump Shot: This skill now animates more smoothly when used to reach a lower elevation.

- Poison Dart Volley: Projectiles fired by this skill no longer fire in a randomized cone. Updated skill facts to show the full attack damage rather than the damage of individual darts.

- Holographic Shockwave: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill to fail to hit targets at the center of the attack.

- Shredder Gyro: Reduced the casting time of this skill by 0.3 seconds, and increased the damage inflicted by 33%.

- Experimental Turrets: Fixed a bug that caused the underwater Supply Crate's Rocket Turret to apply might instead of retaliation.

- Gyros can now be used underwater.

### Guardian

This update focuses primarily on tuning up core guardian skills and traits that haven't aged very well. Mace skill improvements and some fixes to how torch skills interact with the Radiant Fire trait should help these aspects of guardians fit in better with new specialization options. We're also extending ground-targeting functionality to all spirit weapons to give players more precise control.

- Hammer Chain Skills: Adjusted attack animations and damage to get a smoother attack sequence. The full attack chain is slightly faster with less damage, resulting in a small increase in overall damage per second.

- Faithful Strike: Lowered the full casting time by 0.3 seconds. Increased damage by 10%. Lowered healing slightly.

- Symbol of Faith: Increased damage by 30%.

- Protector's Strike: This skill now uses full-body animation for the finishing strike, even while the player is moving. The recovery animation is now shortened if an attack is not blocked. If this skill does not block an attack, it fully charges Virtue of Justice.

- Zealot's Flame: This skill now displays an effect when it pulses to show the effective radius.

- Zealot's Fire: This skill now uses the ammunition system. The Radiant Fire trait now adds 1 cast to the skill if it triggers while Zealot's Flame is active.

- Spirit Weapons: These skills are now all ground-targeted while the player is on land.

- Shield of the Avenger: Reduced the range from 1,200 to 900. Reduced the explosion radius from 1,200 to 360. Reduced the projectile speed by 25%. Added missing skill facts for shield radius and explosion radius.

- Hammer of Wisdom: Updated the tooltip to display the sink effect instead of the knockdown effect while underwater. Fixed an issue in which the sink duration was 1 second instead of 2 seconds.

- Right-Hand Strength: This trait no longer gives a flat critical-hit chance. Instead it gives an additional 80 precision, plus an additional 80 power while wielding a one-handed weapon.

- Zealot's Defense: Damage has been increased by 50% in PvE only. Fixed a bug that caused some visual effects to display on the player when enemies were hit.

### Mesmer

Mesmer traits that influence shatter skills typically affect all shatter skills, which has caused a lot of design bloat over the years. In this update, we're moving to change some of these traits to affect specific shatter skills in a stronger way, in order to both cut down on this bloat and to make the individual trait selections more meaningful. Other traits, such as Flow of Time and Seize the Moment, have had their boons changed from multiple stacks to a single stack in order to make it less likely that rapid shattering will cause the mesmer to run over the stack cap. Finally, Mass Invisibility has fallen behind other mesmer elite skills—as well as other sources of stealth over the years—so we're giving it a boost to help it compete.

- Magic Bullet: Stun duration for this skill has been increased from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds.

- Counter Blade: Daze duration for this ability has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds.

- Illusionary Counter: This skill now uses an 8-second cooldown in all game modes.

- Confusing Images: The physical damage of this skill has been split and reduced by 50% in PvP and WvW.

- Signet of Illusions: This skill's recharge now begins at the same time shatter skills are recharged.

- Mantra of Distraction: Daze time for this skill has been increased from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

- Confounding Suggestions: This trait no longer increases daze and stun durations. Instead, Diversion stuns foes for 1.5 seconds and no longer dazes foes.

- Blinding Dissipation: This trait no longer blinds foes on the activation of each shatter skill. It will now cause Cry of Frustration to blind every target it strikes. Blindness duration is split between game modes, lasting 1.5 seconds in WvW and PvP and 3 seconds in PvE.

- Dazzling: This trait now applies vulnerability when stunning a foe, in addition to when dazing them.

- Flow of Time: This trait now grants the full alacrity amount as soon as it is activated instead of waiting for illusions to shatter.

- Seize the Moment: This trait now grants the full quickness amount as soon as it is activated instead of waiting for illusions to shatter.

- Master of Manipulation: Instead of granting the mirror effect, this trait now grants superspeed for 3 seconds. This superspeed is also applied to allies affected by your manipulation skills.

- Mass Invisibility: Reduced the casting time of the land version of this skill to match the underwater version. Increased the base stealth duration from 5 seconds to 6 seconds. Reduced the recharge from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.

- Evasive Mirror: Increased this trait's cooldown from 1.5 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.

### Necromancer

Necromancers have some solid roles right now across each game type. With this update, we're touching on a few core weapon abilities whose functionality had not been updated in a long time. We're also reworking the reaper's Soul Eater trait into a more general trait that can be more competitive with the other damage options in its tier. Since this trait previously affected greatsword skills, we've done a pass on the weapon skills to keep them up to par.

- Gravedigger: Increased the range from 170 to 180 to make the range a standard multiple of 60.

- Crimson Tide: This skill now grants 2% life force per hit.

- Locust Swarm: This skill will now inflict its effects every 0.5 seconds instead of every second. The duration of this skill has been halved, so the same number of attacks will occur, but they will occur faster. The radius of this skill has been reduced from 210 to 180 to make the range a standard multiple of 60. Finally, rather than inflicting damage on each pulse, Locust Swarm will now siphon health from enemies within its area of effect.

- Reaper's Touch: This skill has been significantly reworked, and it has been renamed Soul Grasp.

- Soul Grasp: This skill has two casts. Each cast sends forth a disembodied hand to inflict vulnerability on foes, grant the necromancer life force, and steal health from a foe.

- Death Spiral: Reduced the recharge time from 12 seconds to 10 seconds. Increased the range from 220 to 240 to make the range a standard multiple of 60. Adjusted the visual effects of this skill to be more pronounced. Narrowed the attack cone so that this skill's attack region more accurately matches its animation. Removed bonus damage to targets above 50% health. Increased base damage by 28% in PvE and 6% in PvP and WvW.

- Grasping Darkness: Increased the range from 750 to 900 to make the range a standard multiple of 60. Fixed issues that caused this skill to unexpectedly fail when hitting some objects. This skill will no longer be stopped by projectile blocking or reflecting.

- Sand Swell: Fixed a bug that could prevent movement for a short time when the skill failed due to targeting an invalid location.

- Soul Eater: This trait has been reworked. It now increases the strike damage dealt to all foes within a range of 300 by 10%, and it causes the reaper to heal for 5% of the damage dealt to foes within that range. It no longer reduces greatsword-skill recharge by 20%.

### Ranger

With this update, druids, who gain a new mode and access to additional abilities by slotting the specialization, get the trade-off of their pet becoming a bit weaker than a core ranger's pet, as their focus on celestial magics means less time strengthening the bond with their pets. At the same time, druid glyphs have been reviewed and brought in line with design standards. Glyph of Empowerment has been replaced by the former druid elite skill, Glyph of Unity, as Glyph of Empowerment was deemed too passive. Glyph of Unity's radius has been reduced to a standard radius (a multiple of 60), and its duration has increased. Finally, we've introduced a new elite skill, Glyph of the Stars, which you can read about in its note below.

- Nature's Renewal: Added an additional ring visual effect to indicate the range of the toggle skill.

- Druid: The base attributes of pets have been reduced by 20%.

- Glyph of Unity: Reduced the radius of this skill from 400 to 360, and increased its duration from 6 seconds to 8 seconds. This skill is no longer an elite skill, and it replaces Glyph of Empowerment.

- Glyph of Rejuvenation: Increased the healing multiplier across both versions of this skill by 40%. In celestial avatar form, the base healing to the druid and their pet has been increased by 50%. Outside of celestial avatar form, the base healing to allies has been increased by 50%.

- Glyph of Alignment: Outside of celestial avatar form, this skill no longer inflicts 5 seconds of cripple or 2 stacks of poison for 8 seconds. Instead, it now inflicts 1.5 seconds of immobilization and 3 stacks of bleeding for 8 seconds.

- Glyph of Empowerment: This skill has been replaced by Glyph of Unity.

- Glyph of the Stars: This new elite skill heals, prevents allies from being inflicted with conditions, and removes conditions already on allies at range. In celestial avatar form, it heals, prevents downed allies from losing health while being revived, and grants boons at range.

- Pack Alpha: This trait now grants its attribute bonus to condition damage in addition to the attributes it previously affected.

- Poison Master: This trait no longer grants poison on the next attack when swapping pets. It now grants this effect upon the use of a beast skill.

### Revenant

In the case of revenant elite specializations, we felt that the herald and renegade didn't necessarily need trade-offs. Instead, we felt that the core revenant was missing something. To address this, we've added a new F2 skill that is only available when players aren't running an elite specialization that grants a boost to energy and a legend-specific effect. Heralds and renegades won't have access to this skill as they have their own unique specialization F2 skills.

This update also sees a large overhaul of revenant healing builds through changes to the staff weapon and the Salvation trait line. Revenant healing is heavily focused in Legendary Centaur stance and suffers greatly when the need to swap legends presents itself. We're leaning into the unique healing-orb mechanic of the staff's weapon-slot 1 sequence and spreading it around to other skills and traits. This should allow revenants to have better healing to fill the gaps when they're not channeling Ventari. Salvation traits have been reworked to focus around more cohesive themes in order to better allow revenant players to tailor their experience to the style of healer they want to play.

- Ventari's Tablet: The tablet will now display a red, glowing visual effect to enemies.

- Energy Expulsion: Updated the description of this skill to refer to the created objects as "healing fragments" rather than the misleading term "energy fragments."

- True Nature: Fixed an issue that prevented this set of skills from being considered Legendary Dragon consume skills for the purposes of traits.

- Drop the Hammer: This skill now displays a red ring visual effect to enemies. Fixed a bug in which this skill would rarely display its effects a second time.

- Ancient Echo: This new baseline revenant skill grants the revenant 25 energy and a benefit based on the current legend. When not using herald or renegade elite specializations, this skill will be available in the second slot of the profession mechanic bar.

- Legendary Assassin Stance: Gain 2 stacks of the Unblockable effect for 5 seconds.

- Legendary Centaur Stance: Gain 3 seconds of the Alacrity effect.

- Legendary Dwarf Stance: Gain 3 seconds of the Rite of the Great Dwarf effect.

- Legendary Demon Stance: Gain 3 seconds of the Resistance effect.

- Healing Orbs: These objects were previously dropped only by the staff's weapon skill 1 attack, but they have been reworked and are now created by other skills and traits.

- Increased the size of the healing orbs' visual effects for better visibility.

- Healing orbs now heal up to 5 allies in a 120 radius when picked up.

- Healing orbs now activate even if the character that triggered them is at full health.

- Healing orbs now activate if they appear on a character.

- Increased the healing of the orbs.

- Punishing Sweep: This skill is no longer a sequence skill and has been renamed Mender's Rebuke. This skill's functionality has changed.

- Mender's Rebuke: This skill strikes foes in melee range, and then heals allies in the area after a short delay. The healing is increased by 50% if a foe was struck during the attack.

- Warding Rift: Clarified the description to specify that this skill blocks incoming attacks. Instead of shooting projectiles, this skill now blinds foes in front of the revenant when it ends. Increased the number of targets from 3 to 5. Increased damage by 100%.

- Renewing Wave: When this skill removes a condition, it now creates a healing orb near the target.

- Ventari's Will: Reduced base healing by approximately 25%. Reduced healing-power scaling by 18%.

- Salvation traits have been reworked and repositioned within the specialization. The new structure is as follows:

- Minor traits:

- Healer's Gift: This new trait causes a healing orb to be created near your location when you finish a dodge roll.

- Life Attunement: This new trait grants 120 healing power and converts 7% of healing power to concentration.

- Serene Rejuvenation: This trait's functionality is unchanged.

- Adept traits:

- Vital Blessing: This new trait allows healing orbs to grant 2 seconds of vigor to affected allies.

- Blinding Truths: This trait's functionality is unchanged.

- Tranquil Balance: This trait's functionality is unchanged.

- Master traits:

- Words of Censure: This new trait creates a healing orb near foes when blinding, immobilizing, or affecting them with a control effect. This trait has a 0.25-second cooldown but can create multiple orbs if a single skill hits multiple foes with a single strike.

- Resilient Spirit: This new trait causes the revenant to gain barrier every 3 seconds while in combat, based on the number of boons they have (to a maximum of 5 boons).

- Invoking Harmony: Icon updated. This trait's functionality is unchanged.

- Grandmaster traits:

- Generous Abundance: With this new trait, Legendary Centaur skills create 3 healing orbs by the tablet. All other legend skills create 1 healing orb by the revenant.

- Unyielding Devotion: With this new trait, revenants gain 15% damage reduction for 2 seconds when they heal themselves and 5 seconds when they heal an ally.

- Selfless Amplification: Moved to bottom row. Icon updated. This trait's functionality is unchanged.

### Thief

Our focus on the thief in this update has been toward daredevil, its traits, and the trade-off that it was inherently built without. Daredevil traits have been reworked to focus on three categories: choosing your defense in the Adept tier; choosing your damage in the Master tier; and choosing your dodge maneuver in the Grandmaster tier. With this update, we are adding a trade-off to the profession skill that keeps the theme of a melee-oriented specialization.

- Repeater: Initiative cost of this skill has been reduced from 4 to 2 in all game modes.

- Staff Strike: The damage of this skill has been reduced by 6.5%.

- Staff Bash: The damage of this skill has been reduced by 6.5%.

- Physical Supremacy: This trait now causes Steal to become Swipe, which reduces the range from 1,200 to 600 and makes the attack unblockable.

- Marauder's Resilience: This new trait converts 7% of power to vitality while reducing incoming damage from foes within 360 range by 10%.

- Weakening Strikes: This trait has been moved from the Adept tier into the Minor Master tier and has had its functionality changed. This trait will now cause the daredevil's next strike after dodging to weaken enemies. This weakening effect can be applied to multiple targets at once if the skill used is an area-of-effect skill. Reduced the weakness duration from 5 seconds to 3 seconds. Increased the damage dealt to weakened foes by 7%, and reduced damage taken from foes by 10%.

- Escapist's Absolution: This trait has been merged with Driven Fortitude and renamed Escapist's Fortitude. It is now an Adept-tier trait.

- Staff Master: This trait no longer grants a percentage damage increase based on endurance. Instead, it grants 120 power, and grants an additional 120 power when the thief wields a staff. The endurance gain per initiative point remains the same.

- Havoc Mastery: This trait has been renamed Havoc Specialist, and it has been moved to the Master tier. This trait now grants 5% bonus damage for each bar of endurance that is not full.

### Warrior

In this update, the warrior's berserker elite specialization is seeing a drastic overhaul. The goal of these changes is to give the specialization more compelling and thematic core gameplay that better distinguishes it from base warrior and spellbreaker gameplay.

To this end, the first major change is that we're moving the berserk-mode activation to the F1 slot and removing the F2 slot entirely. In order to use primal bursts, a berserker must now activate berserk mode first. Removing access to normal warrior bursts and putting primal bursts behind berserk mode focuses the specialization around its unique mechanic.

Additionally, berserk mode itself has been changed and will grant power and condition-damage bonuses in exchange for a toughness penalty. We're doing this in order to solidify the berserker's identity as a powerful but fragile combatant. Those willing to take the risks should find higher damage output than other, more durable, warrior options.

Another major change is in how berserk mode is managed. Previously it was a limited-time mode with a set duration. This update changes the primary functionality of rage skills to extend berserk-mode duration rather than granting adrenaline. While they are still useful skills outside of berserk mode, proper use while in berserk mode can dramatically extend the damage window to use primal bursts.

Finally, we're making some changes to several berserker traits and primal burst skills in order to allow power-berserker builds to exist alongside the more popular condition damage variant.

- Double Chop: Adjusted the attack timing so that the hits occur later in the animation. Adjusted the damage so that the second hit deals more damage than the first. Total damage and casting time are unchanged.

- Battle Standard: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have a shorter casting time while underwater than on land. Adjusted the timing of the visual effects so that the attack lines up properly with the banner's arrival.

- Banners: Adjusted timing for skill warm-up visual effects.

- Magebane Tether: Fixed a bug that could cause this trait to fail when the warrior used an unblockable burst skill against a blocking foe. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to fail if the warrior was airborne.

- Rampage: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to show an incorrect duration in PvP and WvW.

- Berserker elite specialization changes include the following:

- Berserk:

- This skill has been moved to slot 1 of the profession mechanic bar. Slot 2 of the profession mechanic bar has been removed when warriors use the berserker specialization.

- Berserk mode is no longer instant and has a casting time.

- Entering berserk mode now initiates an attack that damages nearby foes and inflicts burning for 3 seconds.

- Berserk mode is no longer a rage skill. Instead, it is considered a level-3 burst skill.

- Primal Bursts: Removed some visual warm-up effects from these skills that could obscure the character.

- Decapitate: This skill has been reworked. It is now a long-range melee attack that does not leap forward and only hits 1 target. This skill recharges instantly if it hits and can be affected by quickness and slow.

- Arc Divider: This skill has been reworked. It no longer deals bonus damage to low-health targets. Instead, it now spins and strikes 3 times. Each strike increases in radius.

- Rupturing Smash: Cleaned up animation, and reduced casting time by approximately 0.1 seconds.

- Flaming Flurry: Updated the description and tooltip of this skill to clarify that it blocks missiles.

- Rage Skills: These skills no longer restore adrenaline by default. Instead, rage skills extend the duration of berserk mode.

- Wild Blow: This skill no longer gives adrenaline or removes conditions. Instead, it extends the duration of berserk mode by 3 seconds if it hits. It also grants 8 seconds of fury if it hits.

- Sundering Leap: Cleaned up animation, and reduced casting time by approximately 0.1 seconds. This skill no longer grants adrenaline. Instead, it extends berserk by 5 seconds if it hits.

- Outrage: This skill no longer grants adrenaline. Instead, it extends berserk by 1 second. It extends berserk by 5 seconds if a stun is broken.

- Blood Reckoning: This skill now only recharges primal burst skills instead of all burst skills. It extends berserk mode duration by 2 seconds.

- Shattering Blow: This skill no longer grants adrenaline. It now extends berserk duration by 2 seconds on hit.

- Head Butt: This skill extends berserk duration by 2 seconds in addition to its previous effects.

- Dead or Alive: This trait now increases incoming healing by 10% in addition to its previous effects.

- Bloody Roar: Increased the damage bonus of this trait from 10% to 20%. It no longer causes berserk mode to taunt.

- Eternal Champion: This trait no longer grants stability when first entering berserk mode. Instead, it grants 300 toughness in berserk mode.

- Savage Instinct: This trait no longer removes conditions. Instead, it gives 100% damage resistance for 1 second when activating berserk mode, in addition to breaking stuns.

- Fatal Frenzy: This trait no longer gives boons. Instead, while in berserk mode, this trait reduces toughness by 300, increases power by 300, and increases condition damage by 300.

- Always Angry: This trait has been reworked and renamed Burst of Aggression.

- Burst of Aggression: Grants quickness and superspeed for 3 seconds when berserk mode is first activated.

- Smash Brawler: This trait no longer reduces recharge of berserk mode and primal bursts. Instead, it extends the duration of berserk mode by 5 seconds.

## Structured Player vs. Player

- Djinn's Dominion: Fixed a bug that prevented the skill granted by capturing the lamp from matching the skill displayed on the objective. Added a wall to further separate the team spawn points.

- Eternal Coliseum: Added a large number of obstacles around the map to break the line of sight and add jump areas. Additionally, each half of the map is now more identifiable.

- Heart of the Mists: Added a small dueling area and a few practice golems to Champion's Rest.

## World vs. World

- Players can no longer contest capture points while mounted on a warclaw.

- The Shadaran Hills and Askalion Hills capture points have been extended upward to cover the stairs leading down to the capture-point area.

## BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

### New Items and Promotions

- The new Ritualist Outfit is available in the Style category of the Gem Store for 700 gems.

- The new Ritualist Staff is available in the Style category of the Gem Store for 600 gems.

- The new Elonian Adversaries Dye Pack—a collection of Elonian Beasts, Elonian Landscape, Awakened, Zhaitan, and Kralkatorrik dye kits—is available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 500 gems.

- The new War Eternal Supply Drop Requisition is available in the Utility category of the Gem Store for a discounted price of 2,400 gems. To help gear up for war with Kralkatorrik, using this item enrolls your account to receive four weekly supply drops between now and mid-May.

- Here's what each War Eternal Supply Drop will contain:

- Week of April 23: One Elonian Adversaries Dye Pack (featuring the Elonian Beasts, Elonian Landscape, Awakened, Zhaitan, and Kralkatorrik dye kits), one Exotic Breeds Mount Select License, your choice of one Desert Racer, Distant Lands, or Istani Isles mount select license or an Exotic Breeds Mount Adoption License, one Mini Green Raptor Hatchling, one Mini Yellow Jackal Pup, one Mini Red Griffon Hatchling, one Mini Brown Springer Kit, and one Mini Blue Skimmer Pup.

- Week of April 30: One Black Lion Outfit Voucher, one Onyx and Gold Lion Weapon Choice, and two Black Lion Miniature Claim Tickets.

- Week of May 7: One Black Lion Backpack and Glider Voucher, five Black Lion Statuettes, one Communal Boost Bonfire, and two Heroic Boosters.

- Week of May 14: Five Black Lion Chest Keys, one Branded Weapon Select Box, and two Guaranteed Wardrobe Unlocks.

- Each week the discount of the War Eternal Supply Drop decreases, so the earlier the purchase, the lower the price.

- Week of April 23: 2,400 gems (20% discount)

- Week of April 30: 2,550 gems (15% discount)

- Week of May 7: 2,700 gems (10% discount)

- Week of May 14: 3,000 gems

- Note: Purchases made after week one **will** receive the supply drops from the previous weeks. Act early for the best discount and earliest possible delivery of your supply drops.

- For a limited time, the Enchanted Dragon Crown Package returns to the Style category of the Gem Store for 500 gems.

- To welcome returning players back to Tyria, a set of five transmutation charges is available for free via the Gem Store to all accounts for 7 days.

### Bug Fixes

- Fixed a Gem Store preview issue in which appearance packages with backpacks would sometimes not display correctly on female characters.

- Fixed an issue that caused several chairs to ignore underwater restrictions.

- The Black Lion Voucher Dealer in Lion's Arch has returned to work.

# Late Notes: March 26, 2019

# 03/26/2019—Late Notes

## World vs. World

### General

- The stealth effect can no longer be applied to players mounted on warclaws.

**Bug Fixes:**

* Fixed a client crash.

* Fixed an issue that prevented the “-email” command line option from working as intended.

Thank you everyone for your understanding and patience while we worked on this. :smile:

Most of the reports are coming from EU. If you are in NA, can you please provide your error message?

Hey all, we are aware of the login issues and investigating. Thank you.

**Bug Fixes:**

* The Head of the Snake—Breaking the Siege: Fixed a bug that caused the wrong cinematic to play.

* Fixed an issue in the Xera encounter in which side islands did not have their collision detection in place before players were teleported to them.

* Fixed a client crash caused by mousing over the Sticky Spider Web condition in the Deepstone fractal.

* Fixed a rare blocking issue in the maze section of Deepstone.

* Fixed an issue in which failing the maze event in Deepstone could block progress.

**Late Note:**

* Fixed an issue in which the Winterberry Bush Node was incrementing progress for the Daily Berry Acquisition achievement in the Bitterfrost Frontier.

We'll be pushing a hotfix live later this evening which is specifically directed at addressing some of the ongoing issues around the Living World story. There will be another build in the morning which will contain fixes for other issues, such as the one preventing progress in Stronghold of the Faithful.

Episode 3 has the largest story instance map of any we’ve ever attempted, and that large map size resulted in unintended consequences that were not detectable through pre-release testing but only became clear when the episode went live. We're prioritizing getting that fixed.

We're continuing to work on this through the evening and will provide more updates as we are able to share them. Thank you for your patience.

## **Bug Fix:**

* Fixed a server crash

# Hotfix Notes

## **Bug Fixes:**

- Fixed a client crash.

- Fixed a server crash.

- Updated the start conditions for the "Catch as many fish as you can" event in Sandswept Isles. This event now begins immediately on a new map, and as a reward for completing the Gathering Storms meta-event. Fixed an issue in which Teyrna would often display the event-start marker, even when the event wasn't ready to restart.

- Fixed a bug in which the camera would not properly collide with some objects.

- Raids: Mesmer and necromancer portals will now correctly detonate when an encounter begins.

- Raids—Bastion of the Penitent: Fixed an issue in which Samarog's Brutalize attack would not select new targets.

- Adjusted the mechanics of confiscated food in Champion's Dawn.

- Permanently enabled sitting in chairs across Tyria.

- Fixed a bug that prevented the dismount button for chairs from displaying for some players.

- Fixed a bug in which Vengeful Hammers would give Hardening Persistence even if the trait was not equipped.

- Bountiful Disillusionment: Fixed a bug in which this trait would not apply boons correctly in PvE.

- Desert Shroud: Fixed a bug in which this trait had the incorrect cooldown in PvP and WvW.

- Breaching Strike: Fixed a bug in which the skill facts displayed incorrectly in PvP and WvW.

- Virtuous Solace: Fixed a bug in which this trait had a longer cooldown than expected in WvW.

# Additional Late Notes

## **Structured Player vs. Player:**

- Rune of Surging has been removed from the PvP build panel.

- Magi Amulet has been removed from the PvP build panel.

> @"rapthorne.7345" said:

> April Fools aside, I hope this is actually seriously implemented. One of my long-term bugbears with the game is how little we can interact with the world's props. Being able to actually sit down in a seat might seem small, but it's a giant leap in a very good direction.

Why don't you login and find out?

**Bug Fixes:**

* Fixed a client crash.

* The Black Lion Trader in the Royal Terrace has given up their unhealthy obsession with Wintersday packages. Normal business has resumed.

* Revenant—Expose Defenses: Fixed a bug that allowed this trait to apply vulnerability to allies.

* Fixed an issue that caused Obsidian weapons to incorrectly change color.

* Fixed an issue with the Weapon Only view in the Equipment Preview window.

* Fixed a bug that prevented players from having the option to ask Drooburt about his holiday troubles if they generously supported him during this year’s Halloween festival.

* Fixed a bug that prevented the Bells of Wintersday achievement from progressing when songs were completed in the Bell Choir Ensemble activity.

**Bug Fixes:**

* New information about Kralkatorrik's whereabouts has allowed the Tyrian Explorers Society to update the world map.

* Palawa Joko's statue in Palawadan has been given some additional protection. Praise Joko!

* Raids—Hall of Chains: Fixed an issue in which the Eater of Souls could die early.

* Fixed an issue in which volatile magic that spawned from bounty bosses would persist indefinitely and was available to players who did not participate in the bounty.

* Fixed a bug with the PvP timeline in which capture-point status lines were not visible in rated matches.

* Scholar Fatima has noticed that the Brandstones falling on Istan now seem to take longer to disintegrate.

* Reduced the frequency of lightning flashes to assist light-sensitive players.

* Fixed a bug that could cause the Mordant Crescent Great Hall meta-event to never leave the "Waiting for Palawadan to complete" phase.

* Fixed a bug in which players could create a SCRAP 80-T invasion in Metrica Province.

* Supply chests in the Mordant Crescent Great Hall meta-event can no longer be looted without first participating in the event.

* Fixed a bug in which Corporeal Reassignment could get removed in the Shattered Observatory fractal.

* Fixed a bug in which the PvP League panel was blank when viewed through the scoreboard.

* Added the Dreamthistle Scepter and Dreamthistle Spear to the super-rare table of the Black Lion Chest.

* Fixed a bug in which the Gatekeepers of Palawadan could fail to clean up after the event completed, blocking completion of that event in future occurrences.

#### Living World

- As the gates to the Mad Realm fade, Halloween is drawing to a close. Finish your investigations and barter your Candy Corn Cobs, because the festival will end for the year on November 8 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC -8).

**World Polish**

Crystal Oasis

- Fixed a bug that allowed the choya pinata to be defeated after "[bonus] Stop the choya pinata before it gets away!" failed.

Domain of Vabbi

- Fixed a bug in which the Mastery-point djinn in the Brand would create multiple shield pylons.

Lion's Arch

- Fixed a bug that enabled certain NPCs to wander up onto the dais with the Black Lion Traders, making them more difficult to interact with.

#### General

- Some new collection achievements for *Path of Fire*™ skins have been added.

- Consumable karma bonuses that drop from *Path of Fire* events are now automatically used when entering your inventory. Old copies will have to be used manually but will no longer drop.

- Rewards for several major events in *Path of Fire* have been overhauled, including Serpents' Ire and Junundu Rising.

- Right-clicking a bouncy chest will automatically take the contents if there is no selectable item for most achievements and reward tracks.

- Fixed a bug in which several ascended-armor recipe books offered exotic-weapon crafting recipes.

- Moved the Halloween achievement Lunatic's Fashion to the Fashion category so that it will be available while the Halloween festival is inactive.

- Several items can no longer be used in combat, by level-1 characters, or in the tutorial instances, as they can block player progress through the personal story.

- This includes the Lily of the Elon Pass, the Spearmarshal's Plea, and Portal Scrolls to Central Tyria.

- Pulsing Brandsparks can now be crafted by all crafting disciplines.

- The Primeval Steward in the Crystal Highlands now offers some additional crafting recipes, and some older items have had their costs rebalanced.

- A useless item called "Black Diamond," which was not actually used in crafting recipes, has been removed from loot tables and replaced with the useful crafting material of the same name.

- The old item, as well as the account-bound Brandspark Jewel and Sunset Jewel items, can be traded with some vendors in the Free City of Amnoon in exchange for the useful Black Diamond crafting material.

- Chests, including Buried Treasure and Superior Buried Treasure, have had some rewards changed.

- Fixed bugs preventing some of the collectibles related to the Funerary weapon and armor collections from awarding the right materials:

- The monster-specific Elegy Mosaics now can be consumed for a single Elegy Mosaic currency.

- Charged gems for the "Glorify the Golden Heart" collection now give 20 trade contracts when consumed.

- The material for crafting ascended Funerary weapons and armor has been added. You can find the new Intact Mosaic item wherever Elegy Mosaics can be earned: legendary bounties, Superior Buried Treasure, and certain large-scale events throughout the Crystal Desert.

- Renown merchants throughout the Crystal Desert have new recipes available.

- Priory Researcher Elisa now has new recipes available.

- Removed the ability to sell Piles of Elonian Trade Contracts to vendors.

- Scribing recipes for *Path of Fire* matrices now use 50 regular Quartz

Crystals instead of 1 Charged Quartz.

- Fixed a bug with the animation speeds of the Mini Springer Mount.

- Fixed a bug with the Marshal's stat combination (Power, Healing, Condition Damage, and Precision), which should now provide appropriate stats when selected or used in ascended-quality gear.

#### Fractals

- Fixed a bug in which Corporeal Reassignment would sometimes not properly trigger in the final boss fight of Shattered Observatory.

#### Personal Story

"The Sacrifice"

- Enabled stricter enforcement of rules regarding player and NPC mounting in the climax of this instance to prevent potential stalls.

"Beast of War"

- Sohothin skills will now remove stealth from the player.

- Players joining their friends can now earn the rewards for completing the chapter.

Items

- Updated art on the Shackles of Madness gloves to improve their chain physics.

#### Profession Skills 

###### *General:*

Several new enemies in *Path of Fire* have attacks that can launch the player into the air, so with this update we are changing several stun-break skills to be usable while in the air. Certain types of skills, such as shadowsteps and skills that summon creatures, are exempt from this change, as allowing them to be used in the air would create undesirable gameplay behaviors.

- Stun-Break Skills: Many stun-break skills have been reviewed and are now able to be used in midair. Stun breaks that could result in undesirable behavior are not able to be used in midair.

- Taunt: This condition now has a proper conversion and will transform into 2 seconds of resistance. Keep in mind that stun breaks take priority over condition conversion.

- Superior Rune of the Firebrand: Fixed a bug that caused the rune to indicate condition duration instead of condition damage.

- PvP: Added *Path of Fire* elite specialization runes to PvP.

- Rune of the Guardian: This rune now has a 2-second internal cooldown.

- Barrier: The duration before decay begins has been increased from 1 second to 2 seconds. The time for the barrier to decay has been reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.

##### Elementalist:

The weaver's sword has been underperforming a bit when compared to several of the core elementalist weapons, so we're tuning up several sword skills in this update to put their damage numbers in a better position. Additionally, Conjure Earth Shield is being updated to be a source of barrier, which we felt would be a good thematic fit for the earth skills it provides. Lastly, we'll be looking to tone down a few builds that increase damage exponentially against larger targets.

- Skills

- Polaric Slash: The casting time and aftercast of this skill have been reduced by 0.24 seconds.

- Crystalline Strike: The casting time and aftercast of this skill have been reduced by 0.24 seconds.

- Fire Swipe: The casting time and aftercast of this skill have been reduced by 0.24 seconds.

- Clapotis: The casting time and aftercast of this skill have been reduced by 0.24 seconds.

- Flame Uprising: Increased the physical damage for the initial impact of this skill by 50%.

- Cauterizing Strike: Increased the base physical damage of this skill by 20%. Increased the damage against burning foes by 14%.

- Pyro Vortex: This skill now pulses every 0.33 seconds, down from 1 second. Increased the number of pulses from 3 to 6.

- Fiery Greatsword—Flame Wave: This skill now allows other skills to be cast during its animation.

- Fiery Greatsword—Lesser Fiery Eruption: The cooldown of this passively activated skill has been increased from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.

- Conjure Earth Shield: This conjured weapon now utilizes a new enhancement, Tectonic Shift, which grants barrier every second it is active.

- Conjure Earth Shield—Stone Sheath: This skill now applies 2 seconds of Tectonic Shift in addition to its current effects when successfully blocking an attack. The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 100%.

- Conjure Earth Shield—Magnetic Surge: The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 100%. In addition to its current effects, the beginning of this skill now grants Magnetic Aura to the user for 4 seconds.

- Conjure Earth Shield—Magnetic Shield: This skill now applies 2 seconds of Tectonic Shift in addition to its current effects for each enemy struck by the attack. The casting time of this skill has been reduced by 0.4 seconds.

- Conjure Earth Shield—Crippling Shield: This skill now deals double damage and inflicts 2 stacks of bleeding for 10 seconds (per target) if the user is under the effects of barrier.

- Conjure Earth Shield—Shield Smash: Increased the physical damage of this skill by 17%.

- Conjure Frost Bow—Ice Storm: Against nonplayer enemies, this skill now has a 0.25-second cooldown on each enemy, during which the enemy cannot be struck again by the skill.

- Arcane Power: Reduced the number of stacks applied to allies from 4 to 2. The user of this skill retains 4 stacks on casting.

- Traits

- Final Shielding: The skill fired by this trait has been renamed to Lesser Arcane Shield.

##### Engineer:

Engineer updates are focused around the holosmith and improving the synergy of the Photon Forge mode with other skills. To that end, the sword is seeing some improvements to smooth out rotations and to make heat stocking more valuable. Additionally, several holosmith skills are gaining combo finishers to synergize with core engineers' variety of fields.

- Holosmith Rewards: Updated available stat combinations to use Berserker, Marauder, and Marshal options. This change will reset your current shoulder pieces and weapons and will require you to reselect your stat preference.

- Skills

- Sun Edge/Sun Ripper/Gleam Saber: Removed heat bonuses that increased critical-hit chance. Added a new heat bonus that increases damage by 10% while above 50 heat and 20% while above 100 heat.

- Gleam Saber: Increased damage by 10%.

- Refraction Cutter: Increased blade projectile damage by 25%. Projectiles fired by this skill are considered projectile finishers. Increased projectile width and effect size.

- Radiant Arc: Reduced casting time by 0.1 second. Reduced aftercast by 0.1 second.

- Holo Leap: The swiftness or superspeed applied by this skill is now applied at the end of the leap rather than at the start.

- Photon Blitz: This skill is now a 20% chance projectile finisher.

- Holographic Shockwave: This skill is now a blast finisher. This skill will now go on interrupt cooldown instead of full cooldown if it is interrupted before the shock wave is created.

- Coolant Blast: This skill is now a blast finisher. Chill duration increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.

- Cauterize: Increased number of conditions removed from 2 to 3. Conditions removed while above 50 heat increased from 4 to 6.

- Photon Wall: Reduced aftercast by 0.25 seconds.

- Traits

- Crystal Configuration: Storm: Projectiles fired by this trait are now 20% chance projectile finishers.

- Solar Focusing Lens: The effect granted by this trait now also increases the outgoing damage of your next few attacks by 10%.

- Photonic Blasting Module: Increased damage by 25%.

- Vent Exhaust: Increased damage by 120%. Lowered burning stacks from 3 to 1. Increased burning duration from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.

#### Guardian:

For this update, we are focusing on the usability of firebrand mantras, which we feel are currently underperforming. By increasing the radius of these skills, we hope that they will be easier to use to support parties in conjunction with the existing tome skills. A few firebrand traits are also having their internal cooldowns adjusted to better synchronize with each other.

- Firebrand Rewards: Updated available stat combinations to use Viper, Trailblazer, and Marshal options. This change will reset your current helm pieces and weapons and will require you to reselect your stat preference.

- Skills

- Firebrand tome skills now set each other on a 0.5-second cooldown upon

equip.

- Mantras: Fixed a bug that prevented proper resetting of mantra charges

while mounted.

- Mantra of Flame: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Mantra of Lore: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Mantra of Liberation: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Mantra of Potence: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Mantra of Solace: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Mantra of Truth: Increased the range of this skill from 300 to 450. Increased the radius of this skill from 120 to 180.

- Traits

- Healer's Retribution: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from granting retaliation when using Mantra of Solace's active skills: Restoring Reprieve and Rejuvenating Respite.

- Liberator's Vow: Reduced the internal cooldown on this trait from 12 seconds to 8 seconds.

- Stalwart Speed: Increased the internal cooldown on this trait from 5 seconds to 8 seconds.

- Quickfire: Reduced the stacks of Ashes of the Just granted by this trait from 2 to 1. Reduced the internal cooldown on this trait from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.

- Retribution: Fixed a bug that was erroneously displaying increased damage on sword and spear attacks.

##### Mesmer:

Today's mesmer update is focused around the Mirage's Axe. We've cleaned up several bugs and animation hang-ups that could cause the weapon to feel less smooth than intended. Additionally, we are adding camera refocusing to skills that shadowstep you to points around your target. These skills will attempt to face your camera behind your character after the shadowstep occurs so that it's easier to keep focus on your target.

- Mirage: Added new UI effects to indicate when Mirage Cloak is active.

- Skills

- Axe Autoattack: Fixed a bug that could cause skills used in the middle of the attack sequence to have a noticeable delay before activating.

- Lingering Thoughts: Lowered aftercast by 0.1 second. Fixed a bug that caused this skill to show an incorrect casting time. Added a 0.25-second recharge between uses of this skill to prevent accidental double use.

- Axes of Symmetry: This skill will now rotate the camera to face your target after the shadowstep. This skill now performs a range check before casting. Shortened maximum distance to target after shadowstep by 20%.

- Illusionary Ambush: Increased Mirage Cloak duration to 1 second to be consistent with other skills. This skill now takes into account your currently wielded weapon when determining maximum shadowstep distance from the target. Updated minimum and maximum distances from target for random shadowstep calculations. This skill will now rotate the camera to face your target after the shadowstep.

- Imaginary Axes: Increased seek distance for the follow-up attack by 20%. Increased stacks of confusion for the player version of this skill from 1 to 2 (clones still apply 1 stack). Increased damage by 20%. This skill no longer requires you to face your target.

- Phantasmal Berserker: Reduced casting time from 1 second to 0.75 seconds.

- Chaos Vortex: Increased projectile speed by 25%. Increased projectile damage by 20%. Removed confusion and torment conditions. This skill now inflicts bleeding (2 stacks for 6 seconds), burning (1 stack for 3 seconds), and vulnerability (3 stacks for 5 seconds).

- Jaunt: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from being recognized as an elite skill for the purposes of some rune effects.

- Traits

- Mirrored Axes: Fixed a bug that prevented clones from generating the bonus axe.

- Phantasmal Seeking Axe: Increased seek distance for the follow-up attack by 20%. Increased damage by 33%. Reduced angle variance.

- Phantasmal Spinning Axe: Increased torment duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds. Increased damage by 33%.

- Sand Shards: Fixed the incorrect skill facts to show the actual value of 3 stacks of bleeding for 4 seconds.

- Desert Distortion: Fixed a bug that prevented mirrors from spawning if Distortion was activated while jumping.

##### Necromancer:

The reaper specialization from *Heart of Thorns*™ is seeing a few significant changes in this update, primarily centered around Reaper's Shroud. We drastically increased the damage of all shroud attacks while simultaneously increasing the rate at which life force is lost while in shroud. These changes are aimed at allowing the reaper to output more damage at the cost of some defense. In conjunction with these changes, we are also revisiting some underperforming shroud-based traits to focus their power into specific high points centered around entering or leaving shroud.

- Skills

- Blood Is Power (World vs. World): This skill's PvP split has been extended to WvW and will now use the lower 20-second cooldown.

- Deathly Chill (World vs. World): This skill's PvP split has been extended to WvW and will now apply 1 stack of bleeding for 8 seconds upon chill application.

- Manifest Sand Shade: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill's targets to be lost due to proximity between shades or the casting scourge. Made back-end changes to increase the priority of shade visibility.

- Nefarious Favor: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill's targets to be lost due to proximity between shades or the casting scourge.

- Sand Cascade: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill's targets to be lost due to proximity between shades or the casting scourge.

- Garish Pillar: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill's targets to be lost due to proximity between shades or the casting scourge.

- Desert Shroud: Fixed a bug that could cause this skill's targets to be lost due to proximity between shades or the casting scourge. Increased the damage inflicted per strike of this skill by 25%. Increased the duration of torment inflicted on each pulse of this skill from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE.

- Reaper Shroud: Increased life-force consumption rate from 3% per second to 5% per second.

- Life Rend: Increased damage by 25%.

- Life Slash: Increased damage by 30%.

- Life Reap: Increased damage by 25%. Reduced life-force gain per hit from 2% to 1.5%.

- Death's Charge: Increased damage by 25%.

- Soul Spiral: Increased damage by 40%. Reduced poison duration from 4 seconds to 2 seconds. Reduced number of whirl finishers on this skill from 6 to 4.

- Executioner's Scythe: Increased damage by 33% on targets above 50% health. Increased damage by 30% on targets below 50% health. Increased damage by 28% on targets below 25% health.

- Fading Twilight: Increased damage by 8%.

- Sand Swell: This skill can no longer be canceled by other skills before the portal is created. Fixed an issue where the displayed casting time did not reflect the actual casting time.

- Chilling Scythe: Increased damage by 21%.

- Traits

- Reaper's Onslaught: Recharge reduction on shroud skills is now calculated per target hit by Life Reap.

- Rending Shroud: This trait has been renamed to Awaken the Pain. This trait grants 5 might for 5 seconds when entering shroud and causes might on you to grant 40 power and 20 condition damage per stack at level 80.

- Reaper's Might: Fixed a bug that was preventing this trait from properly granting might on use of scourge shroud skills.

- Dhuumfire: Fixed a bug that was preventing this trait from properly inflicting burning on use of scourge shroud skills.

- Unyielding Blast: Fixed a bug that was preventing this trait from properly inflicting vulnerability on use of scourge shroud skills.

- Spiteful Spirit: The attack caused by this trait now converts 2 additional boons on targets below 50% health.

- Unholy Martyr: This trait's functionality has changed. It now causes the necromancer to draw up to 5 conditions from 5 allies within a range of 600 to themselves when entering shroud. When exiting shroud, the necromancer consumes up to 3 conditions, converting each condition into 7% life force.

- Signets of Suffering: This trait now grants the passives for all equipped signets while in shroud, regardless of whether those signets were on recharge prior to entering shroud. Removed 20% recharge reduction. This trait now causes all signets to recharge by 4% each second that shroud is active.

- Plague Sending: This trait has had its functionality changed. It now causes your first strike after entering shroud to transfer two conditions to your target.

##### Ranger:

In addition to improving the reliability of some of the new *Path of Fire* pet attacks, we also did a pass on the soulbeast stances, which we felt needed a bit more tuning. Core ranger is also seeing an increase in the number of targets affected by spirits, which we hope will help ease the burden for raid groups feeling they need to always take two rangers in every group for full coverage. Finally, we are making a big change to Grace of the Land and moving its unique enhancement to be a standardized might gain instead. This trait has been too dominant even after earlier reductions and is providing too much bonus damage to a group from a specialization that is otherwise focused around healing and support. Coupled with changes to the warrior's Phalanx Strength and the deadeye's Fire for Effect traits, we'd like to see more professions that are capable of providing significant amounts of might in group settings.

- Soulbeast Rewards: Updated available stat combinations to use Marshal, Viper, and Marauder options. This change will reset your current glove pieces and weapons and will require you to reselect your stat preference.

- Skills

- Beastmode: Mounting while merged will now preserve your state as having been merged so that when you dismount you will instantly reenter Beastmode. Fixed a bug that would temporarily stow a ranger's pet if downed when in the middle of merging.

- Call of the Wild: This skill now grants its unblockable enhancement to a ranger in Beastmode.

- Bonfire: Reduced the duration of burning from 2.5 seconds to 2 seconds.

- Whirling Defense: Increased damage by 15%.

- "Guard!": This skill now grants its enhancements to a ranger in Beastmode.

- "Search & Rescue!": Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from pulling an ally to you and reviving them while in Beastmode.

- Sharpening Stone: Decreased the duration of bleeding applied from stacks of this skill from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.

- Water Spirit: Increased the number of targets affected by the Water Spirit from 5 to 10 targets.

- Frost Spirit: Increased the number of targets affected by the Spirit of Frost from 5 to 10 targets.

- Sun Spirit: Increased the number of targets affected by the Sun Spirit from 5 to 10 targets.

- Stone Spirit: Increased the number of targets affected by the Stone Spirit from 5 to 10 targets.

- Storm Spirit: Increased the number of targets affected by the Storm Spirit from 5 to 10 targets.

- Spirit of Nature: Increased the number of targets healed each interval from 5 to 10 targets.

- Seed of Life: Decreased the base heal value of this skill by 18.5%. Increased the healing scaling of this skill by 21.5%.

- Griffon Stance: Reduced the cooldown of this skill from 45 seconds to 40 seconds. Increased the might granted from evading a strike from 1 stack to 2 stacks.

- Vulture Stance: Increased the rate your strikes can trigger the hit effects from this skill by 100%. Reduced the duration of might and poison from 6 seconds to 4 seconds. Removed the health threshold component of this skill; this skill now grants might and inflicts poison each strike.

- Moa Stance: Added regeneration for 8 seconds to the boons granted by this skill. Increased the duration of Moa Stance's effect from 8 seconds to 10 seconds.

- One Wolf Pack: Increased the rate at which you could cause additional strikes by 100%. Reduced the delay before the additional strike lands from 1 second to 0.5 seconds. Reduced the damage of strikes from this skill by 10%.

- Pets

- Rock Gazelle—Headbutt: This skill now moves toward the target during the attack, allowing the pet to track the target better.

- Rock Gazelle—Charge: Reduced the activation period of this skill by 0.5 seconds and increased the movement speed so that it more frequently travels the indicated range of 900. The gazelle will now move through targets and may hit up to 3 in one charge.

- Rock Gazelle—Kick: This skill has been sped up considerably and will now start its attacks beginning at 0.5 seconds.

- Iboga—Consuming Bite: This skill now moves the iboga toward its target and recovers considerably faster between attacks.

- Wilting Strike: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from affecting the F2 skills of the rock gazelle, iboga, and jacaranda.

- Traits

- Pack Alpha: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from affecting the F2 skills of pets from the *Path of Fire* region.

- Unstoppable Union: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from stun breaking when activating Beastmode.

- Oppressive Superiority: Clarified the description of this trait to explicitly call out the percentile comparison for its bonuses.

- Leader of the Pack: This trait now increases the duration of stance enhancements applied to the ranger using a stance skill by 50% in addition to its previous effects.

- Verdant Etching: Decreased the base heal value of the skill activated by this trait by 18.5%. Increased the healing scaling of the skill by 21.5%.

- Grace of the Land: This trait no longer grants a unique enhancement. It now grants 4 stacks of might for 8 seconds to up to 10 allies in the area of your Celestial Avatar skills.

#### Revenant:

The off-hand sword weapon for the revenant had a bit of an identity crisis. While the main-hand sword is primarily an offensive weapon, the off-hand feels like it's trying to be both a defensive and utility weapon at the same time. We're reworking both skills on this weapon to be more accurately positioned as an offensive power option for the off-hand slot. We also took a hard look at the Invocation trait line and removed several of the harder-to-use traits based on energy thresholds. We've replaced them with new traits that reinforce the themes of energy management and legend swapping to strengthen the themes of this line.

- Renegade Rewards: Updated available stat combinations to use Celestial, Viper, and Grieving options. This change will reset your current helm pieces and weapons and will require you to reselect your stat preference.

- Skills

- Duelist's Preparation: This skill is no longer available on the revenant's off-hand sword.

- Shackling Wave: This skill has been reworked and will now deliver up to 5 strikes to random enemies in the area in addition to its initial impact. Immobilize duration has been reduced to 1 second and is increased by 1 second to all targets per target struck. Base damage of this skill has been reduced by 20%. Bonus strikes are equal to 25% of the initial impact each. The cooldown of this skill has been set at 15 seconds, while the energy cost is set at 10.

- Grasping Shadow: This skill has been renamed to Deathstrike and has a reworked functionality. Activating this skill will now shadowstep the revenant toward their target, up to a range of 600 away, and deliver a strike that chills and slows the foe for 3 seconds while gaining fury. If this attack successfully lands, the revenant will immediately deliver a second attack that deals large damage. The cooldown of this skill is 20 seconds, with the energy cost being 20 as well.

- Bloodbane Path: Increased the duration of bleeding per strike inflicted by this skill from 7 seconds to 8 seconds.

- Sevenshot: Increased the duration of torment inflicted per arrow from 4 seconds to 7 seconds.

- Spiritcrush: Increased the duration of burning inflicted per interval from 2 seconds to 3 seconds. Increased the duration of slow inflicted per interval from 1 second to 1.5 seconds.

- Heroic Command: Increased the base might granted by this skill per stack of Kalla's Fervor from 1 to 2 stacks.

- Orders from Above: Increased the duration of alacrity granted by this skill per interval from 1 seconds to 1.5 seconds.

- Echoing Eruption: Decreased the amount of torment inflicted by this skill from 5 stacks for 10 seconds to 4 stacks for 8 seconds. Fixed a bug that was causing inconsistency with moving toward your target. Fixed a bug that could cause attacks from multiple revenants using this skill to miss a target.

- Traits

- Lasting Legacy: This trait no longer increases your maximum potential stacks of Kalla's Fervor. It now increases the effect of Kalla's Fervor from 30 ferocity and 2% condition damage to 50 ferocity and 3% condition damage, and increases the might granted from Heroic Command per stack of Kalla's Fervor from 2 to 3.

- Radiant Revival: Fixed a bug that caused the effect applied by this skill to use the wrong icon.

- Charged Mists: This trait has been reworked. It now grants 25 extra energy to your new legend when you invoke while at or below 10 energy.

- Shrouded Mists: This trait has been reworked and renamed Song of the Mists, and it causes invoking a legend to cast a skill based on the legend you are invoking. This trait has swapped positions with Roiling Mists.

- Equilibrium: This trait has been reworked and renamed Spirit Boon and grants a legend-specific boon to yourself and nearby allies when you invoke a new legend.

- Cruel Repercussion: This trait has been reworked and renamed to Forceful Persistence, and it causes you to deal 7% increased damage while maintaining an upkeep skill. Herald upkeep skills grant a 2% bonus but can be stacked. This trait has swapped positions with Cleansing Channel.

- Incensed Response: Increased might stacks from 2 to 5. This trait now requires you to be the source of fury in order to gain might.

##### Thief:

This update for the thief is focused mostly around the deadeye specialization and fixing bugs that were hindering them from reaching their full potential. Fire for Effect has also been simplified slightly, as we felt the range restriction on the second set of might and short radius on might application made this trait difficult to use. This improvement, along with the changes to the warrior's Phalanx Strength and the druid's Grace of the Land, should offer multiple professions the opportunity to grant group might. One important balance change in this update is the change to Unhindered Combatant. While thieves, and by extension daredevils, are intended to be slippery combatants, the escape potential for this trait was a little too high.

- Skills

- Deadeye Stolen Skills: These skills can now be used while jumping or during skills that jump into the air. Fixed a bug that allowed stolen skills to be wasted by casting them on targets other than your mark. Stolen skills will now always be cast on your mark even if your mark is not your current target.

- Rifle: All rifle skills that fire projectiles will now attempt to face the target before determining if they should activate.

- Death's Retreat: Updated the description to indicate that this skill shadowsteps away from your current target. Improved the reliability of shadowstep in areas with complex terrain.

- Death's Judgment: This skill now only deals its bonus damage to your marked target. Updated skill description.

- Free Action: This skill can now be used to cancel Kneel if the player is sent airborne by an enemy skill. Fixed a bug that could cause this skill to not remove all instances of the listed conditions.

- Cursed Bullet: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from working with the Rending Shade trait. Boon steal from Rending Shade occurs before boon corruption.

- Bandit's Defense: The recharge of this skill has been increased from 15 seconds to 20 seconds.

- Binding Shadow: This skill now performs a range check before activating. Removed range and line-of-sight restrictions from the delayed attack.

- Shadow Meld: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from being recognized as an elite skill for the purposes of some rune effects.

- Traits

- Expeditious Dodger: Swiftness granted by this trait will now occur at the end of the dodge.

- Unhindered Combatant: Breaking inhibiting conditions with this trait now causes the thief to lose all endurance regeneration for 4 seconds. Direct endurance gains will still apply the full amount. Swiftness granted by this trait will now occur at the end of the dodge.

- Improvisation: Fixed a bug that prevented this trait from working with ammo skills. It now restores 1 use to affected skills.

- Renewing Gaze: Updated the text description for clarity.

- Don't Stop: Removed the erroneous cooldown skill fact.

- Perfectionist: Updated the description to clarify that boons are only gained when reaching full malice stacks. Gaining malice while at full malice stacks will not trigger this trait. Removed internal cooldown.

- Fire for Effect: Added a 1-second internal cooldown to this trait. This trait now grants might around the player and the marked target regardless of distance, but it can only grant might to the same target once per activation of the trait. Might applied has been reduced from 10 stacks for 15 seconds to 8 stacks for 12 seconds. Increased might application radius from 240 to 360.

##### Warrior:

Axe is a warrior weapon that is perhaps more damage focused than any other weapon in the game. However, in some cases it was actually a damage loss to use certain skills. The axe enhancements in this update are intended to make sure that every skill can be a damage increase over autoattacking to properly position the axe as a damage weapon for warriors. We are also normalizing the functionality of Berserker's Stance and Balanced Stance to be shorter with stronger effects, in order to prevent long stretches of stability and resistance chaining. Finally, we are making a reduction to the might duration of Phalanx Strength. This trait is a core component of many raid groups, but we feel that with the increased prevalence of other might sources, the power of this trait needed to come down a little bit in order to allow other options to be considered. We'll be monitoring them all closely and tweaking where necessary.

- Skills

- Cyclone Axe: The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 33%.

- Throw Axe: This skill now deals 50% more damage if the target is below 50% health, or 100% more damage if the target is below 25% health.

- Whirling Axe: The physical damage of this skill has been increased by 33%.

- Throw Bolas: Reduced the ammunition recharge of this skill from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.

- Balanced Stance: Reduced duration from 8 seconds to 4 seconds. Reduced stability duration from 3 seconds to 1 second. Reduced effect application interval from 3 seconds to 1 second. This skill now makes you immune to critical hits.

- Berserker's Stance: Reduced duration from 9 seconds to 4 seconds. Increased adrenaline gain per pulse from 3 to 7. Resistance per pulse has been reduced from 3 seconds to 1 second. Reduced recharge from 60 seconds to 30 seconds. Fixed a consistency issue where effect application would sometimes be delayed.

- Natural Healing: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to remove an incorrect number of boons. Also fixed an issue in which this gave fewer stacks of Attacker's Insight than intended when removing multiple boons.

- Decapitate: Fixed a bug that caused the shock wave from this skill to fail if the initial attack killed the target. Fixed a bug that caused the shock wave to deal less damage than listed. Fixed a bug that caused the shock wave from this skill to hit fewer than 5 targets.

- Throw Axe: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to not update its ammo recharge skill fact when equipped with the Axe Mastery trait.

- Winds of Disenchantment: This skill now has an alternate effect when used by enemies.

- Full Counter: Increased recharge from 8 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW only.

- Traits

- Peak Performance: This trait no longer increases the damage of physical skills, but instead increases the warrior's strike damage by 33% (10% in PvP) for 5 seconds whenever a physical skill is used.

- Phalanx Strength: Might duration granted by this trait has been reduced from 6 seconds to 4 seconds.

- Revenge Counter: Reduced the number of conditions transferred from 5 to 3 in PvP and WvW only.

#### Structured Player vs. Player

Season 9 starts today!

Players ranked Platinum 2 (1,600) and above can no longer duo-queue in Ranked matches while seasons are active.

The following amulets have been added:

- Avatar

- Power, Precision: 1050

- Healing, Vitality: 560

- Grieving

- Power, Condition Damage: 1050

- Precision, Ferocity: 560

- Harrier

- Power: 1200

- Healing, Concentration: 900

- Marshal

- Power, Healing: 1050

- Precision, Condition Damage: 560

- Swashbuckler

- Power, Precision: 1050

- Condition Damage, Vitality: 560

- Wizard

- Power, Condition Damage: 1050

- Vitality, Precision: 560

The following runes have been added:

- Weaver

- Holosmith

- Firebrand

- Mirage

- Soulbeast

- Deadeye

- Renegade

- Spellbreaker

#### World vs. World

###### *General*

- Proofs of Heroics and Testimonies of Heroics can now be used in the PvP lobby.

- Oil pot range is now 800.

###### *Eternal Battlegrounds*

- Ogrewatch Cut has had a large revision.

### BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

#### New Items and Promotions

- For a limited time, a new set of Shifting Sands weapon skins are available from the Black Lion Weapons Specialist for 1 Black Lion Claim Ticket. Black Lion Chest Keys are available in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems each.

- For a limited time, the new Reforged Warhound mount skin is available in the Style category of the Gem Store for 2,000 gems.

- The Black Lion Stables are pleased to open their doors and offer new mount adoption licenses. Each license will allow you to claim a random mount skin from the Black Lion Stables, and they are available in the Style category of the Gem Store for 400 gems each.

#### Improvements

- The Black Lion Chest has been updated to the Mysterious Sands Chest and can be previewed for a full list of its contents.

- The Black Lion Material Bag returns with the Black Lion Material Bag: Elona. It has been added as the new guaranteed item.

- The new Wild Magic Backpack Glider Combo is available as an uncommon drop for the duration of the Mysterious Sands Chest.

- The Fallen Balthazar Package remains available as an uncommon drop for the duration of the Mysterious Sands Chest.

- The Ley-Line Weapon Collection is now available as a rare drop for the duration of the Mysterious Sands Chest.

- The Dreamthistle Weapon Collection is now available as a super-rare drop for the duration of the Mysterious Sands Chest.

- For a limited time, the Maguuma Series 1, Living World Season 1, and Dragon Minion miniature collections are available when using Black Lion Miniature Claim Tickets. Black Lion Chest Keys are available in the Special category of the Gem Store for 125 gems each.

- Exclusive hair colors, eye colors, and accessory colors are now sorted by hue when using a Total Makeover Kit or Self-Style Hair Kit.

 **MAC CLIENT**

- Fixed a bug involving character portraits going missing from several UI elements.

- Fixed a bug affecting Intel HD Graphics 3000 hardware that could cause crashes in certain circumstances.

- Fixed a bug that could cause certain UI views with many elements (such as the Guild Decorations view) to crash.

> @Crise.9401 said:

> Can we have a griffon spotlight in an upcoming live stream then please?

>

> I feel kinda bad that the devs didn't get to talk about this mount during mount week. Besides it is a lot more than just the mount, I mean the instance where you get to go back to the place of one of major story moments is also cool. Not to mention the fact that you can even find a familiar face there if you go looking.

The griffon will definitely get featured on an episode of Guild Chat in the future. B)

**Bug Fixes:**

- Holosmith—Coolant Blast: Fixed an issue that caused the heated version of this skill to sometimes heal for different amounts on each pulse. Fixed an issue that caused this skill to pulse chill to nearby foes after the initial chill burst.

- Recipes for Spearmarshal's armor pieces are now account bound.

- Mirage—False Oasis: Fixed an issue that caused this skill to sometimes heal for different amounts on each pulse.

- The following traits will now be properly reapplied when the player dismounts: Brave Stride, Riddle of Sand, and Opening Strike.

- Spellbreaker—Aura Slicer: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to not display the "Removes Immobilize" skill fact when traited with Warrior's Sprint.

- Fixed a bug that allowed dodges to be queued while using the mirage specialization.

- Fixed an issue that caused an event chain in the Domain of Vabbi to sometimes stall out.

- Warrior—Combustive Shot: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have an incorrect radius and decal when used with the spellbreaker specialization.

- Fixed a bug that caused the recipe to craft the Brandspark ring (the version with Power, Healing Power, and Concentration) to identify the "Cursed Ring" instead of the "Brandspark Ring" as its item.

- Some recipes for Sunspear weapons have had their names clarified and updated.

Hi, I just wanted to link to Mike O'Brien's message regarding this issue in case people in this thread had not seen it: https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/4556/update-on-instance-creation-failure

> @"Mike O Brien.4613" said:

> Hi all,

>

> We hope you’re enjoying the launch of _Path of Fire_. We’ve been in the game with you this weekend, but also, tracking down and hot-fixing the launch issues that have come up. In particular we’ve been working on the connection and story instance creation problems that have been cropping up during peak hours in Europe. I’m writing to give an update on that.

>

> We quickly identified a root problem, a network connectivity issue between a group of game servers and their character database servers, but as we reconfigured the datacenter to avoid that problem, we introduced a configuration error. Now we’ve tracked down that second error. We believe the issue is resolved, but we can’t know for sure until tomorrow’s peak hours. In the meantime, thank you for bearing with us through this, and know that we’re watching closely and ready to jump in if anything else goes wrong.

>

> Mo

**Bug Fixes:**

* Fixed an issue in which map-completion awards were not granted properly. Returning to a completed map should trigger any missing rewards.

* Story chapter—The Sacrifice: Fixed an issue with Balthazar that caused the instance to stall.

* Story chapter—The Sacrifice: Fixed a bug in which some players were not being downed at a pivotal cinematic moment.

* Renegade—Lasting Legacy: Fixed a bug that allowed Improved Kalla's Fervor to remain when removing the trait.

* Leather synthesizers and cloth synthesizers have been added to the Windswept Haven guild hall.

* The entrance to a jumping puzzle area in Dredgehaunt Cliffs has been unblocked.

* Temporarily disabled the Bounty Board Contracts in the Lily of the Elon in the Crystal Oasis.

* Fixed a map crash.

* Fixed a server crash.

**Bug Fixes:**

* Fixed a bug in which some collection elements weren't properly credited toward the Tip of the Spear achievement.

* Fixed an issue in which the Shield Wall effect for Forged Assemblers would sometimes not appear.

* Fixed an issue that prevented some bags larger than 20 slots from sorting properly.

* Fixed a client crash.

* Fixed a server crash.

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that we are still working on this issue. Our engineers believe they have identified the problem and they're working on correcting it. We're working hard to get you into the game as soon as we can.