Guardian Scepter Rework

[losmuertes.7285]

I've seen a few posts asking for a rework on the staff and I agree. However I think the guardian weapon most in need of some changes is the scepter.

 

I would love a change like they did with Mesmer scepter. Guardian could use a ranged condi weapon and the auto attack on scepter is its biggest problem. I suggest an auto attack chain much like mesmer scepter with condi. Maybe a 1 second burn, 1 second burn and a 2 second chill and blind? Thoughts?

[Mea.5491]

I wouldn't mind some Scepter burns! :D I really want Chains of Light to change, especially now that skills are separated in PvE and PvP, the cooldown is too long for what it does. Keep the vulnerability stacks and immob effect because it's in the name (chain) but make it bounce between 3 targets, increase damage and lower cooldown to 15 sec. 20 sec cooldown for 2sec immob and crappy damage is pretty useless in PvE. In PvP, it should stay the way it is now.

[Opopanax.1803]

No thanks. Dont change our only working ranged weapon for base guardian. Too dangerous.

[phokus.8934]

Change the animation.

[Hoodie.1045]

> However I think the guardian weapon most in need of some changes is the scepter.

 

I think the scepter is fine as it is. It's not like the staff which is really bad that it needs a complete rework.

 

> I suggest an auto attack chain much like mesmer scepter with condi. Maybe a 1 second burn, 1 second burn and a 2 second chill and blind?

 

You already have an offhand torch and the burn guardian build which in itself is fine as a condition build without the need for scepter. Making the scepter a condition weapon is an interesting idea, but that would probably make burn guardian a more powerful condition build than it currently is. Just increase the auto attacks' projectile speed, reduce the cooldown on Chains of Light from 20 seconds to 15 seconds and overall increase the damage on all scepter skills.

[ReaverKane.7598]

Sure we could use a ranged condi weapon, maybe that would be the best suggestion for the staff rework. As it stands scepter is the best power-based ranged weapon for guardian, outclassing even DH's longbow.

Guardian was always heavily gimped in ranged options, sceptre used to be crap before they increased attack speed and the symbols rework, and even now it's still kinda short-range as it is, with the only viable 1200 range weapon being longbow and that's a elite exclusive weapon.

[Hoodie.1045]

> Sure we could use a ranged condi weapon, maybe that would be the best suggestion for the staff rework.

 

I did make a few proposed changes about the staff [here](https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/499981#Comment_499981 "here").

 

> As it stands scepter is the best power-based ranged weapon for guardian, outclassing even DH's longbow.

 

I have more respect for power scepter guardians than DHs. At least scepter guardians can still support their allies compared to DHs.

[Martimus.6027]

> @"phokus.8934" said:

> Change the animation.

 

Yes. This.

 

What it does is just fine and great. The animation and speed is what bothers me. Would it really be that difficult to make them swing left, then right, then left again rather than just RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT? PEW PEW PEW??

[CptAurellian.9537]

Don't screw with a weapon that does what it is supposed to do. Scepter is fine, both for power and condition builds.

[Hoodie.1045]

> Don't screw with a weapon that does what it is supposed to do. Scepter is fine, both for power and condition builds.

 

In what way is it fine for condition builds? You only have a ranged auto attack, a symbol that strikes foes and grants might to allies and an immobilize. In what way do condition builds benefit from the scepter because to me it seems more of a weapon for power builds.

[otto.5684]

> @"Hoodie.1045" said:

> > Don't screw with a weapon that does what it is supposed to do. Scepter is fine, both for power and condition builds.

>

> In what way is it fine for condition builds? You only have a ranged auto attack, a symbol that strikes foes and grants might to allies and an immobilize. In what way do condition builds benefit from the scepter because to me it seems more of a weapon for power builds.

 

All condi builds use scepter in every game mode. Guardian condi damage not is reliant at all on MH weapons. Even axe, most of its damage is power based.

[FrizzFreston.5290]

Guardian isnt really a condi class, so it doesnt really need a ranged condi weapon.

 

Though it could be an idea for a next elite specialisation. I would like to see a direction that goes more into the ritualistic/spiritualistic side of the guardian. That could deal with confusion/blind and/or weakness.

[CptAurellian.9537]

> @"Hoodie.1045" said:

> > Don't screw with a weapon that does what it is supposed to do. Scepter is fine, both for power and condition builds.

>

> In what way is it fine for condition builds? You only have a ranged auto attack, a symbol that strikes foes and grants might to allies and an immobilize. In what way do condition builds benefit from the scepter because to me it seems more of a weapon for power builds.

 

Hit frequency compensates for a lack of direct condi application. And beating scepter's hit frequency is gonna be difficult due to the symbol.

[Falseprophet.1502]

I think scepter just needs an autoattack chain that is not projectile based (which is the biggest problem of the whole weapon, in my opinion.) It really needs to latch onto the target. I would like to see a rework of the Chains of Light (#3) because it's pretty useless.

[crazyhusky.2985]

> @"FrizzFreston.5290" said:

> Guardian isnt really a condi class, so it doesnt really need a ranged condi weapon.

>

> Though it could be an idea for a next elite specialisation. I would like to see a direction that goes more into the ritualistic/spiritualistic side of the guardian. That could deal with confusion/blind and/or weakness.

 

 

Instead why don't they focus on improving the Longbow for DragonHunter

- increase firing speed (at the moment its slow)

- replace one trait for a new one that inflcts poison on all longbow skills (which could be used tuned for a poison burn condi build)

[Assic.2746]

I don't think that guardian's scepter needs any rework. It's a ~~decent~~ really good PvP/PvE weapon. The only anoying thing is AA animation. I think that **Scepter should have second AA animation variation just like Longbow has** (sometimes you lean more foreward and sometimes your character stands stright).

[Turkeyspit.3965]

I've grown to really like the Scepter as my secondary weapon, and find I use it a lot in melee unfriendly fights I open world and fractals. I just wish the projectile speed was faster

[Sindariel.2354]

STOP trying to mess with something that works perfectly fine. It **always** gets worse if ANET touches something.

[Ezrael.6859]

Both Trident and Spear are much better than before, so I wouldn't say that.

 

Done right the Staff and Scepter could be great.

 

*Scepter auto-attack should be a multi-hit chain very similar in style and graphics to the new Trident, that would be amazing.*

 

The new auto-attack chain on trident is so good!

 

1200 range, good damage, 5 hits per chain so 1 justice proc, adds lots of vulnerability and provides self-healing. It's so much better than both Staff and Scepter.

 

[Arcaedus.7290]

I don't think scepter is in as much need of balance as some other guardian weapons.

 

The third skill chains of light could stand to use a buff though. A single-target 2s immob, with a cast time with a cd of 20s is a bit undertuned. It could stand to have its cd reduced to 12-15s

[starlinvf.1358]

> @"Hoodie.1045" said:

> > Don't screw with a weapon that does what it is supposed to do. Scepter is fine, both for power and condition builds.

>

> In what way is it fine for condition builds? You only have a ranged auto attack, a symbol that strikes foes and grants might to allies and an immobilize. In what way do condition builds benefit from the scepter because to me it seems more of a weapon for power builds.

 

Guardians get the majority of their upkeep burns entirely from Justice virtues. This holds true even in DH and FB, as Radiance has a Minor trait that recharges Justice on Kill. The passive burns trigger based on number of hits, not number of attacks...... Sword auto chain hits 5 times per chain (matching the default passive burn trigger), and can hit multiple targets, triggering VoJ's Passive 3 times per chain if striking the cap of 3 targets. Despite having no Condi damage in the weapon, the Sword IS the Guard's condi melee in Core. Axe has a similar feature where it hits twice per attack, and cleaves.... allowing up to 6 hits per swing.

 

Scepter doesn't cleave, but its high rate of fire in both the auto attack and the Symbol can lay down a lot of burning at a distance. Its only real weakness is that of its vehicle for delivery. Its a weapon made to be used at <600 in while moving, but absolutely punishes a target thats pinned down or immobilized (which is why Skill 3 is a immob). Since Burn is the only condi Guardians have traits to improve, and VoJ is their main source of burning across the entire class, any situation that allows a Guardian to land multiple hits per second directly results in a proportional increase in burning. Even symbols contribute toward this. Back when Burns were duration stacked, there was no way to bolster DPS enough to make it worth while. But as a stacked condition, burning is insanely over powered in every game mode.

 

To this day, any build that has access to a lot of burning sources/stacks is automatically top tier condi DPS. Its damage just scales beyond any other condi currently in the game. When the change was first made, Guards had a notable bump in their DPS (without condi stats) just from burning being able to deliver its damage faster. They then reworked burn damage to make it more Stat dependent, but it still manages to scale faster then nearly twice the number of bleed stacks.

 

I'm running a Celestial Firebrand (a previous WvW DH front line build), and specing that with Condi traits (radiance/Virtues/FB) my Axe AUTOATTACK reaches 3-4k burn ticks as long as I'm hit 3 targets. Add the symbol and it maintains a healthy 4k burn stack with barely any effort. I haven't bothered to bench mark scepter, because I only use it to kite in PvE... but with a symbol, its easily 4-digits (over 1000 per tick). And having said all this....... do I even need to explain why https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Cleansing_Flame is just insane burn damage, despite not doing a lick of condi itself?

[Mea.5491]

> @"Arcaedus.7290" said:

> The third skill chains of light could stand to use a buff though. A single-target 2s immob, with a cast time with a cd of 20s is a bit undertuned. It could stand to have its cd reduced to 12-15s

 

Exactly what I said.

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

May be put immob/cripple on 2 targets near the target or something like.