Warclaw resemblance to Temple Guardian (GW1) Yes, Cantha related!

[Aerick Blackmoore.8167]

Dear fellow Lore lovers,

 

I've been playing thourgh GW1 again with my new Ritualist and just recently arrived at the Tahnnakai Temple. Coincidentally at the same time the Warclaw was released. Now see for yourself; the Temple Guardian: https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Temple_Guardian

 

And the Warclaw: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Warclaw they look a like, no?

 

In my opinion the Warclaw is based off of the old Canthan Guardian, even in the achievement, Savage Scholar, it is said under; Mysterious Armor: "The materials used in the armor's construction appeared Tyrian, but its style seemed to correspond to several cultures throughout different points in Tyria's history." This might refer to Canthan culture?

 

For referance: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/The_Warclaw

 

So, what do you think, Warclaw related to Temple Guardian?

 

Second question;

 

Let's also not forget the Outfits: Ancestral, Hexed(female) looks alot like: https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Suun , Imperial, Imperial Guard, and Shrine Guardian, all very Canthan!

 

Merely hommages to GW1: Factions or hints of what's to come? Yes, I am aware of the difficulties provided by the mixed Asian cultures that GW1 Factions provided and NCSoft being Korean.

 

 

 

[Randulf.7614]

Interesting catch. I think it is more likely a consistency of art style showing through or potentially a deliberate homage to an older design as they fished the franchise for inspiration.

 

I don’t think it foreshadows anything though

[zionophir.6845]

cantha confirmed 2019++

[Aerick Blackmoore.8167]

> @"zionophir.6845" said:

> cantha confirmed 2019++

 

Although it is not very likely, the atmosphere in Factions is SO radically different from Tyria that, against better judgement, I do hold a tiny little candle burning for it !

[Bast.7253]

They might have considered the model just to be able to implement this as a gemstone skin and because it fits the griffon rig

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

They more resemble the two-legged horned [Nians](https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Nian) who's skin looks like armor and who's origin is unclear more than the six-legged stone construct. I had made this comparison almost immediately.

 


 


 

That said, we have lore on what the Warclaw is and "where" it comes from. Its armor is designed from multiple cultures and time periods, and the creature itself is a spirit bound to said armor. This makes it a Mists construct more than anything, as the armor is, like certain fractals, a mixture of multiple times and places merged into one. There is no direct relation between the two.

 

I doubt there was in terms of design either. There's is a statue in red keep in EB that looks a lot like the Warclaw too. But ultimately, it's just a beefy horned armored kitty, just like the Nian, Temple Guardian, and said statue (I think).

 

> @"Aerick Blackmoore.8167" said:

> Second question;

>

> Let's also not forget the Outfits: Ancestral, Hexed(female) looks alot like: https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Suun , Imperial, Imperial Guard, and Shrine Guardian, all very Canthan!

>

> Merely hommages to GW1: Factions or hints of what's to come? Yes, I am aware of the difficulties provided by the mixed Asian cultures that GW1 Factions provided and NCSoft being Korean.

 

There's no direct relation and it's far from hints of what's to come.

 

Most of those were made during Lunar New Year and Festival of the Four Winds 2014 which have a lot of Asian references/origins. The Hexed outfit was created for the China server to replace the Witch's Outfit because said Witch's Outfit has skulls on it. The Shrine Guardian was inspired by the Kyuubi, aka nine-tailed fox, from Japanese Folklore. Neither has any relation to Cantha.

 

Ancestral came out during Festival of the Four Winds 2014, which was celebrating the China release. Imperial and Imperial Guard were added with certain Lunar New Year, which is a reference to both GW1's Canthan New Years which in turn is a reference to the Chinese New Year. They're not strictly related to Cantha, but due to shared influences could be made related to if Anet wanted.

 

You're seeing things inspired by Asian cultures (mostly Chinese), and proclaiming them related to Cantha because Cantha was also heavily inspired by Asian cultures.

 

Besides, most of those things have been out for years now. It's long past time for them to be a "hint of things to come" without those things coming. This is just one more thing in a long, long, long line of Canthan threads.

[Vancho.8750]

There are some Warclaw statues in the Obsidian Sanctum arena.

[Tyson.5160]

> @"Vancho.8750" said:

> There are some Warclaw statues in the Obsidian Sanctum arena.

 

Are they new additions? I haven’t been there in years.

[Bast.7253]

What’s the statue of at red keep in ebg? Nvm. Someone mentioned it