The Sword and its Much needed buffs...

So, we all know that Sword is kinda lacking here and there, in some ways its good. In other ways its not so good. I am finding the damage scales REALLY badly with like 2k Power and 200% Crit damage, it still hits like a wet noodle with crits :/

Fire:Fire Strike/Fire Swipe/Searing Slash: Increase the direct damage. I would also say increase the Burning to 4 stacks but lower the duration.Flame Uprising: Decrease the cast time, its SO hard to land with it, Maybe increase the Range or the Radius of the attack as well a little.Cauterizing Strike: Increase Burning from 2 to 5 stacks, decrease duration down to 2seconds

Water:Seiche/Clapotis/Breaking Wave: Damage is fine, healing is fine. Maybe reduce the Cast time for the chain a little. make Breaking Wave a1/2second cast time (currently 3/4second)Riptide: Fine. Good skill, do kinda wish it went in the direction you're aiming at timesAqua Siphon: Another solid skill.

Air:Charged Strike/Polaric Slash/Call Lightening: Kinda feels like it needs a damage increase, not too much but just a little bit. Rest is finePolaric Leap: Remove the cast time. Whats the point of a shadow step with a short range and a cast time!?Quantum Strike: Increase Light Strike damage

Earth:Crystal Slash/Crystalline Strike/Crystalline Sunder: Damage kinda sucks, the conditions kinda suck. Cripple is nice on the 3rd hit, the bleeding is kinda weak.Earthen Vortex: Too easy to avoid. It should allow movement underground , other than that, decent evade.Rust Frenzy: Add either Evade or projectile reflection/destruction

Dual attacks:Lava Skin The Barrier flat out sucks! 2.9k Barrier is really weak for a 18second cool down. The base amount of barrier needs to be increased.Additional: Elemental Refreshment added effect: Remove a Condition when you grant yourself a Barrier.

Natural Frenzy: Swap the Bleeding for Cripple, or maybe another condition like Torment.

Gale Strike: Decrease the cast time, another control ability that has too long a cast time, with an easy visual tell so easily avoided alot

What would you guys like to happen if the stars align and the heavens open and Anet grant us the wish of improving the Sword?

My big thing playing on sword was not only the low damage but the small hit boxes of the skills. Don't know why, but sword skills have such a hard time actually hitting a target if they're just moving around (not even dodging). I'd make some of the skills a bit easier to land and then with some damage increases you're solid.

For a weapon that hits at 130 range in the hands of the squishiest class ever, with only one 15s gap closer (i don't count flame uprising, you do faster by running), no reflects, no blocks, no unblockables, no range, no invulns, no stealth, no blinds, no weakness, there needs to be more utilities than damage and spinning around. Sword weavers are too easily kitable and yet they struggle to land a single hit. Some professions aa do more damage at 900 or more range. I think the spec is pretty balanced, but something still feels wrong. Maybe the risk/reward ratio.

@Ario.8964 said:My big thing playing on sword was not only the low damage but the small hit boxes of the skills. Don't know why, but sword skills have such a hard time actually hitting a target if they're just moving around (not even dodging). I'd make some of the skills a bit easier to land and then with some damage increases you're solid.

Yeah i have had that as well, Some times it works well. Other times you could be inside someone pretty much and still miss them :/

Yeah its not HUGELY under powered, it just needs some tweaks to a few skills and some damage increases because you should have to go full Zerk gear to actually do decent damage.

@MyPuppy.8970 said:For a weapon that hits at 130 range in the hands of the squishiest class ever, with only one 15s gap closer (i don't count flame uprising, you do faster by running), no reflects, no blocks, no unblockables, no range, no invulns, no stealth, no blinds, no weakness, there needs to be more utilities than damage and spinning around. Sword weavers are too easily kitable and yet they struggle to land a single hit. Some professions aa do more damage at 900 or more range. I think the spec is pretty balanced, but something still feels wrong. Maybe the risk/reward ratio.

Well, too be fair Ele/Weaver DOES have blocks, reflects and invuls. They just arent on the Sword. The other problem is, none of them will help against Range spamming because we lack (outside of Lightening Flash) good ranged movement. RtL i think needs to be made an evade, This would at least allow us to get into melee without being instantly knocked back or CC while inside it.

The only classes i really have trouble against is the brokenly unbalance Warrior who even in full Zerk gear have the best defense of any class in the game. Condi builds, can kill. Can also die to them the problem is having to work 10x more to counter them just mashing condis.

Hell, my Soulbeast can hit 5k+ Non crit hits from 1,500 range. If you're melee ONLY you SHOULD have higher damage. You should also have improved mobility to catch up and keep on your target.

Its balanced in a few ways, I dont think ALL weapons need a buff, Just sword because its damage is pretty bad, i see more Weavers running Scepter than Sword. Its like the WORST weapon we have at the moment and thats just a little sad :(

So basically buff damage.

I wouldn't oppose something minor, like a 15% damage increase.

@Razor.6392 said:So basically buff damage.

I wouldn't oppose something minor, like a 15% damage increase.

Yeah, with a few changes and buffs to help other skills that we need but arent quite right. Like Polaric Leap for example. A leap with that long a cast time makes no sense at all. A few changes to Burning, increases stacks. Lowering duration would be solid as well.

Nothing like game breaking. I am really enjoying Weaver at the moment, it just needs tweaks here and there. Not sure if any amount of buffs could really get it to the viable Vs Spellbreaker and such as it just is out damaged, out sustained, out healed and pretty much everything else.

RtL and Polaric Leap changes would also help when fighting against ranged users, we are a little too easy to kite which shouldnt be the case when you're 100% melee based.

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@Ario.8964 said:My big thing playing on sword was not only the low damage but the small hit boxes of the skills. Don't know why, but sword skills have such a hard time actually hitting a target if they're just moving around (not even dodging). I'd make some of the skills a bit easier to land and then with some damage increases you're solid.

@MyPuppy.8970 said:For a weapon that hits at 130 range in the hands of the squishiest class ever, with only one 15s gap closer (i don't count flame uprising, you do faster by running), no reflects, no blocks, no unblockables, no range, no invulns, no stealth, no blinds, no weakness, there needs to be more utilities than damage and spinning around. Sword weavers are too easily kitable and yet they struggle to land a single hit. Some professions aa do more damage at 900 or more range. I think the spec is pretty balanced, but something still feels wrong. Maybe the risk/reward ratio.

Yeah, all the lacking stuff I listed are available, but only through offhand/traits/runes/other main hand/utilities. The sword in itself is too offhand/trait/utility dependent. I understand it was designed this way to avoid being OP, but it's not like those weren't available with other more reliable mainhands.

@MyPuppy.8970 said:

Yeah, all the lacking stuff I listed are available, but only through offhand/traits/runes/other main hand/utilities. The sword in itself is too offhand/trait/utility dependent. I understand it was designed this way to avoid being OP, but it's not like those weren't available with other more reliable mainhands.

You could say that exact same thing about the Dagger MH. Without the right off hand, the dagger hasnt got much at all. You could also say that about the Scepter. All it really needs is a tweak to a few skills here and there to improve the quality of life Weavers need. Such as the leap not being nearly a 1second cast time and then an increase in damage because you shouldnt need to be full zerk gear to do damage.

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@MyPuppy.8970 said:

Yeah, all the lacking stuff I listed are available, but only through offhand/traits/runes/other main hand/utilities. The sword in itself is too offhand/trait/utility dependent. I understand it was designed this way to avoid being OP, but it's not like those weren't available with other more reliable mainhands.

Sure, but they hit more reliably. What's the point investing in a damage setup when you can't land said damage. It would be fine if we weren't eles and could afford many misses. Also sword AAs are chained -hard to land- attacks, making them chainable through attuning would already be a huge buff to sword, and in perfect harmony with the weaver theme, adding even more depth to the gameplay. More damage would be nice, but i'd rather have improved functionality before another powercreep.

@MyPuppy.8970 said:Sure, but they hit more reliably. What's the point investing in a damage setup when you can't land said damage. It would be fine if we weren't eles and could afford many misses. Also sword AAs are chained -hard to land- attacks, making them chainable through attuning would already be a huge buff to sword, and in perfect harmony with the weaver theme, adding even more depth to the gameplay. More damage would be nice, but i'd rather have improved functionality before another powercreep.

Which abilities are you thinking of in particular? For me theres only a few and they are easily fixed by fixing the cast times which on Mobility and Control abilities shouldnt really be that high. The rest of the attacks and such are all mostly fine to me

Chaining AA would be pretty cool, but why do you think it would make sure a big difference? None of them are really killer or anything. Decent mostly.

I have already pointed out several skills that are hard to hit that could use adjustments. Which ones do you think are too tricky to land?

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:

@MyPuppy.8970 said:Sure, but they hit more reliably. What's the point investing in a damage setup when you can't land said damage. It would be fine if we weren't eles and could afford many misses. Also sword AAs are chained -hard to land- attacks, making them chainable through attuning would already be a huge buff to sword, and in perfect harmony with the weaver theme, adding even more depth to the gameplay. More damage would be nice, but i'd rather have improved functionality before another powercreep.

I agree on a buff on the leap skills, polaric leap should be instant, we already had a range increase, maybe a cd reduced to base 12s? Flame uprising needs a range increase to make up for the cast time and slow animation/travel speed. The jump could also be higher. For visual awesomeness which is our main class mechanic. Or make it grant 2s superspeed. So tired weaver still tied to that old fire burns, water heals, air swiftness and earth bleed.

Chaining AA would make a difference because you would finish your chains more often, thus naturally increasing your dps without tweaking numbers. Also it gives strategical value e.g. aa in water to heal while ennemy is blocking and finish with searing slash when block/resistance is down.

Most tricky to land are pbaoes, nothing new since 2012 fire grab.

@ArmageddonAsh.6430 said:So, we all know that Sword is kinda lacking here and there, in some ways its good. In other ways its not so good. I am finding the damage scales REALLY badly with like 2k Power and 200% Crit damage, it still hits like a wet noodle with crits :/

Fire:Fire Strike/Fire Swipe/Searing Slash: Increase the direct damage. I would also say increase the Burning to 4 stacks but lower the duration.Flame Uprising: Decrease the cast time, its SO hard to land with it, Maybe increase the Range or the Radius of the attack as well a little.Cauterizing Strike: Increase Burning from 2 to 5 stacks, decrease duration down to 2seconds

Water:Seiche/Clapotis/Breaking Wave: Damage is fine, healing is fine. Maybe reduce the Cast time for the chain a little. make Breaking Wave a1/2second cast time (currently 3/4second)Riptide: Fine. Good skill, do kinda wish it went in the direction you're aiming at timesAqua Siphon: Another solid skill.

Air:Charged Strike/Polaric Slash/Call Lightening: Kinda feels like it needs a damage increase, not too much but just a little bit. Rest is finePolaric Leap: Remove the cast time. Whats the point of a shadow step with a short range and a cast time!?Quantum Strike: Increase Light Strike damage

Earth:Crystal Slash/Crystalline Strike/Crystalline Sunder: Damage kinda sucks, the conditions kinda suck. Cripple is nice on the 3rd hit, the bleeding is kinda weak.Earthen Vortex: Too easy to avoid. It should allow movement underground , other than that, decent evade.Rust Frenzy: Add either Evade or projectile reflection/destruction

Dual attacks:Lava Skin The Barrier flat out sucks! 2.9k Barrier is really weak for a 18second cool down. The base amount of barrier needs to be increased.Additional: Elemental Refreshment added effect: Remove a Condition when you grant yourself a Barrier.

Natural Frenzy: Swap the Bleeding for Cripple, or maybe another condition like Torment.

Gale Strike: Decrease the cast time, another control ability that has too long a cast time, with an easy visual tell so easily avoided alot

What would you guys like to happen if the stars align and the heavens open and Anet grant us the wish of improving the Sword?

Hey, was thinking to make a post like this, i play ele since launch. For me the priority tweaks for sword weaver in spvpare :(Add these to your post if you want)

Increase the range of quantum strikeIncrease the range of gale strike(So you have a chance to land them after ride the lightning on a running target)

Increase the range of Fire StrikeIncrease the range of Charged strike(So difficult to hit running targets with sword weaver)

Also fire/water dual skill increase direct damage.Rust Frenzy increase range so you can land it after stunning a target with earth/earth 4.