Thoughts on Nov. 7 profession changes?

[Geikamir.6329]

Reaper is significantly worse now. Much worse. They just melt to pretty much everything and are too slow to chase or disengage. Gigantic step back.

[Alehin.3746]

> @Alatar.7364 said:

> I am a long time Anet Apologist, but this....

> Everything, and I mean **Everything** is wrong with this Balance patch and the PvP is now 90% Unplayable.

> I feel a Major let down, it is just a Company, but I feel **literally** betrayed.

> None if this makes sense... It' lost

>

 

The pain! The horror! Bravo!

[SStelter.4712]

The amount of conditions is laughable, what are you even supposed to do in pvp anymore? Scourge can blanket a point in conditions, essentially forcing everyone off of it. Mirage can dunk just about anyone in stacks of confusion and torment. Why haven't conditions been addressed yet?

 

Please, for the love of god, Scourge does NOT need corrupt on every single skill they have. Conditions NEED a way to be mitigated, make weakness affect them! Make protection work against them! Change talents so classes can get some condition damage reduction or something.

 

PoF pvp is just a joke currently, on par with the HoT bunker meta.

[roamzero.9486]

Some of the Daredevil changes feel like they were done to make Deadeye look better by comparison, since that's the latest expansion.

Same for them opting to change core warrior stuff instead of properly nerfing Spellbreaker (would have been better to remove Resistance from Revenge counter and Featherfoot).

Scourge should have been addressed more directly.

[LUST.7241]

> @Undo.5091 said:

> > @Chaith.8256 said:

> > 70% of readers think that they buffed Holosmith damage, yo, it was sword they buffed

>

> Aaaaand to clarify, that means that nothing has changed.

 

To be specific, for the non-Engis: It was mostly beneficial to **Sword and PVE**.

**tl;dr -** PvP Holosmith didn't change. PvE Holosmith did.

 

**Sword (Main-Hand) Changes:**

 

* Sun Edge/Sun Ripper/Gleam Saber (Sword chain skill 1) - Crit Heal Bonus replaced with Damage Heat Bonus

* Gleam Saber (Skill 1 - Chain 3) - damage increase

* Refraction Cutter (Sword 2) - Projectile Damage, projectile finisher, size increase.

* Radiant Arc (Sword 3) - No more getting stuck in the aftercast animation.

 

**What SWORD means for PvP:**

 

* Sword won't replace Rifle if the Holosmith needs to be the bursty-roamer (think DD).

* Can it be used? Well sure...but the "buffs" it didn't change their value for PvP. It CAN work...but then you'd be sacrificing Range.

* The range and CC of rifle coupled with mobility that Jump Shot provides is far more useful for Holosmith to kite and stay alive than a buffed up sword.

* Radiant Arc is not really an effective engage/disengage versus Jumpshot.

 

**Photon Forge Changes:**

 

* Photon Blitz has a 20% chance to be a projectile finisher. This was an oversight to Holosmith's design--Holosmith severely lacks combos. Unless we run Elixir Gun and drop Super Exilir before going into Forge or use Hard Light Arena...that 20% won't fight off condi heavy matchups, but it will give us a slight chance. [same goes for the value in any other field](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Projectile_finisher "Same goes for the value in any other field").

* 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." Combo-finisher, same idea behind the Photon Blitz addition. The interrupt change is just like getting interrupted with any other skill. Plus, in PvP Holosmith usually runs the trait 'Config: Eclipse' which allows Holosmith to start with Corona Burstfor stability, then going into Shockwave. Meaning, this change didn't really change anything to how PvP was already running

 

**What else...**

 

* Photon Wall got a reduced aftercast...no one used this in PvP for good reason (as mentioned in the following bullet-point)

* Other Exceed skills weren't changed, so those likely won't replace the benefit of mobility with Rocket Boots or survivability/surprise of Elixir S/U.

* Coolant Blast is now a blast finisher and chill now lasts 4 seconds. Cauterize removes more conditions (but still applies burn per condition). All this does is make it contend with Healing Turret. Will it replace Healing Turret? There are pros and cons to both.

 

**Traits:**

 

* The damage increase of 'Solar Focusing Lens' - is reportedly bugged...Plus, even theoretically: 10% is at most ~200 more added damage for the next 2 (or 5 attacks) within 4s... It's not like they undid the ~20% nerf to overall Holosmith damage like they did before PoF was even live. Meaning, this just adds incentive to picking this trait over Prismatic Converter.

* Crystal Configuration: Storm - all it got was a Projectile Finisher. It is still inferior to the damage of Photon Skill 1 chain.

* Vent Exhaust - This just happens on evade (in combat)...and unless you thought Engis had Thief/Mesmer levels of evade... 125% may seem like a lot, but that just brought it up to 651 damage specing Power and the burn really didn't change. It's not that different core engi's Explosives trait Evasive Powder Keg...but spec'ing Explosives would make Holosmith even more glass-cannon.

* Photonic Blasting Module - The 25% damage buff to this is only triggered IF the Holosmith overheats...but even that damage won't change anything in PvP.

 

Again...PvP Holosmith didn't change. PvE Holosmith did. Sword with Off-hand Pistol/Shield still is quite poop.

[Cynz.9437]

> @Lilyanna.9361 said:

> > @mrauls.6519 said:

> > > @NotASmurf.1725 said:

> > > Warrior: good.

> > >

> > > DP thief: deleted

> > >

> > > Everything else: literally nothing.

> >

> > How was DP thief deleted?

>

> Anet did the daring move of nerfing their main trait in Daredevil.

>

> Unhindering Combatant.

>

> Now thieves won't sit there and jam there thumb on the Dodge key, now they are just like everyone else ;3

>

> Gotta deal with the fact they won't pump themselves up with endurance and actually have to think when they Dodge now.

 

Too bad thieves don't have trillion invuls/heals/perma protection/res/passives etc. like other classes that can literary afk and still stay alive where thief dies instantly if they get hit once. The only reason devs nerfed UC is to force thieves to play DE, except DE is such garbage spec that nobody in their right mind will play that trash, even with UC nerf. What will mostliekly happen is either people will run bound or reroll other classes. Either way it is really bad change considering they didn't address aoe/condi spam in this game. Worse, they actually added more powercreep instead of reducing it.

[NotoriousNaru.1705]

Best balance patch in awhile.

[Ludus Rex.1562]

> @vorpal.1497 said:

> Core warrior got badly nerfed by the stance nerfs. The axe buffs don't really help because axe was and still is going to be a "overwhelm them with damage, or else die with no options" weapon.

 

Core warrior didn't get nerfed THAT bad. I'm a core warrior, and the biggest thing that is instead of resistance for 9s on a 60 second timer, we get it for 5s on a 30 second timer. It's actually MORE resistance over a shorter period of time, you just can't chain together one huge long string all at once. And you know what? That's fair enough, because having a massive stretch of time where you're entirely immune to the main damage component of a significant % of opponents is like...absurd by any metric.

 

If you absolutely needed 9 seconds of near damage immunity to fight the enemies on reasonable terms, you didn't deserve to win the fight anyway. Also, if conditions do become too bonkers and need to be toned down, now warriors can add their voices to that argument as appropriate, rather than pretending things are fine just because we have busted immunity mechanics.

 

I'm a core warrior and I approve these changes.

 

...also, thanks for buffing my main-hand axe. <3

 

Edit: and when I say "5s on a 30 second timer", it obviously means that I'm running it traited. I understand the baseline is 4s. At least now the 25% increase actually benefits Berserker stance, where it didn't before.

[Ziggityzog.7389]

Are we all really surprised about this? The game is ment to make money and that's why they keep releasing skins. In guild wars 1 pvp was a top priority. In guild wars it's the last priority. If anet made a gem store purchase for pvp stuff , then pvp will improve because they will make money off it.

 

Sadly right now the only hope for guild wars pvp is for it to be completly reworked and toss out circle dancing conq or make a new guild wars game with guild wars 1 gameplay and guildwars 2 graphics. Sadly the time invested on horrible non competitive maps with circle dancing has ruined pvp for good in gw2. I fear there is no hope at recovering now.

[vorpal.1497]

> @"Ludus Rex.1562" said:

> Core warrior didn't get nerfed THAT bad. I'm a core warrior, and the biggest thing that is instead of resistance for 9s on a 60 second timer, we get it for 5s on a 30 second timer. It's actually MORE resistance over a shorter period of time, you just can't chain together one huge long string all at once.

 

It got nerfed bad. One of (core) warrior's main roles is to cleave downed and deny a rez. With the 4 seconds (because nobody above silver will use the trait for 1 extra second) that's only enough time to get on top of the downed for 2-3 hits, and then withdraw. Also core warrior couldn't and still can't "chain together" resistance, Healing Signet is a panic move to facilitate your exit from a fight because if you stay in a fight with 20 seconds of no healing, you're dead even in most 1v1s.

 

It's not more resistance over a shorter time. Current: 8 seconds resistance per 60 seconds, former: 12 seconds resistance per 60 seconds. It would have to be on a cooldown of 20 seconds to have parity with pre-patch. Again nobody sane will trait for stance duration because we are in a condi meta right now and Cleansing Ire is critical. Even Rousing Resilience is a better choice since it will shut down SBs in 1v1.... I seriously doubt you are above bronze by even suggesting the use of stance trait.

 

 

[Ludus Rex.1562]

> @vorpal.1497 said:

> > @"Ludus Rex.1562" said:

> > Core warrior didn't get nerfed THAT bad. I'm a core warrior, and the biggest thing that is instead of resistance for 9s on a 60 second timer, we get it for 5s on a 30 second timer. It's actually MORE resistance over a shorter period of time, you just can't chain together one huge long string all at once.

>

> It got nerfed bad. One of (core) warrior's main roles is to cleave downed and deny a rez. With the 4 seconds (because nobody above silver will use the trait for 1 extra second) that's only enough time to get on top of the downed for 2-3 hits, and then withdraw. Also core warrior couldn't and still can't "chain together" resistance, Healing Signet is a panic move to facilitate your exit from a fight because if you stay in a fight with 20 seconds of no healing, you're dead even in most 1v1s.

>

> It's not more resistance over a shorter time. Current: 8 seconds resistance per 60 seconds, former: 12 seconds resistance per 60 seconds. It would have to be on a cooldown of 20 seconds to have parity with pre-patch. Again nobody sane will trait for stance duration because we are in a condi meta right now and Cleansing Ire is critical. Even Rousing Resilience is a better choice since it will shut down SBs in 1v1.... I seriously doubt you are above bronze by even suggesting the use of stance trait.

>

>

 

You know that it was 9 seconds and not 12 seconds, right? Even traited.

 

I've tested and timed it.

[brannigan.9831]

I don't want to get into a long debate about it but yes Scourge needs more nerfs in spvp. For one thing they still corrupt boons far too easily. They still seem like they are about 30-40% of the classes in spvp and I am a big believer in class rep % as a very good indicator of what is op or not. There is a reason people flock to stuff. No I don't feel its good for spvp when 3 to 4 of a certain class and build are in 75% of the matches. Don't know what else to say really. More nerfbell please.

[Ludus Rex.1562]

> @"Ludus Rex.1562" said:

> > @vorpal.1497 said:

> > > @"Ludus Rex.1562" said:

> > > Core warrior didn't get nerfed THAT bad. I'm a core warrior, and the biggest thing that is instead of resistance for 9s on a 60 second timer, we get it for 5s on a 30 second timer. It's actually MORE resistance over a shorter period of time, you just can't chain together one huge long string all at once.

> >

> > It got nerfed bad. One of (core) warrior's main roles is to cleave downed and deny a rez. With the 4 seconds (because nobody above silver will use the trait for 1 extra second) that's only enough time to get on top of the downed for 2-3 hits, and then withdraw. Also core warrior couldn't and still can't "chain together" resistance, Healing Signet is a panic move to facilitate your exit from a fight because if you stay in a fight with 20 seconds of no healing, you're dead even in most 1v1s.

> >

> > It's not more resistance over a shorter time. Current: 8 seconds resistance per 60 seconds, former: 12 seconds resistance per 60 seconds. It would have to be on a cooldown of 20 seconds to have parity with pre-patch. Again nobody sane will trait for stance duration because we are in a condi meta right now and Cleansing Ire is critical. Even Rousing Resilience is a better choice since it will shut down SBs in 1v1.... I seriously doubt you are above bronze by even suggesting the use of stance trait.

> >

> >

>

> You know that it was 9 seconds and not 12 seconds, right? Even traited.

>

> I've tested and timed it.

 

Edit: I will say that Cleansing Ire is crazy good, and I will probably go back to it now, but for awhile Scourge builds were around so much that I was running with the Seeker amulet for the boon duration boost, which in conjunction with Berserker Stance, would actually let me "chain together" (each interval of Zerk Stance stacking with the next interval) about 12 seconds of resistance from a single button. I found this technique to be so obscenely effective at smashing Scourge heads, that I decided I could forgo having Cleansing Ire since 12 seconds of utter immunity usually did the trick. As I clicked this button and smashed the faces of condition users left and right, I constantly wondered when this stance would be nerfed. As a warrior, I enjoyed using it, but I can't see how anyone could possibly defend it as fair or something we 'need'.

 

2nd Edit: ...that derp when you try to edit your first post but post a second post proclaiming itself as an edit. Derp.