Offhand Axe Viability

Anet, we appreciate the buff on damage for Axe #5 but please understand the lack of mobility with no valuable trade off and an easily counter-able skill leads to horrendous outplay capability against it to the point it's a detriment to use.

Many classes have projectile denial and I believe (could be mistaken) all of them can move while using them, even engineer had to stand in place for Magnetic Shield on shield for a while until it was adjusted to allowing movement while using the skill. I think it's time you enhance this skill and allow it some actual use in PvP/WvW because I honestly think with the below changes you will see use for the weapon to assist weapon viability with ranger in specific builds.

Adjustments To Offhand Axe

• Path Of Scars - Remove the point & click mechanic, make it heat-seeking like Warrior's throw axe.
• Whirling Defense - Remove retal (or keep it but I think introducing movement allows a good trade-off) -> Introduce movement while utilizing the skill , anybody hit with a reflected projectile gives them cripple for 2-3 seconds.

If you can please look into the possibility of this, and we can see how it pans out. For the most part your typical meta weapons will still be used by power rangers, but this might add some niche build capabilities.

Axe offhand is great.Sword mainhand has an autoattack and no abilities, it's boring and bland. I want sword to have buttons to press to increase my DPS.

@"Shiyo.3578" said:Axe offhand is great.Sword mainhand has an autoattack and no abilities, it's boring and bland. I want sword to have buttons to press to increase my DPS.

" I think it's time you enhance this skill and allow it some actual use in PvP/WvW"

It might be decent for PvE , although it's questionable if you're beating condi DPS numbers for a ranger build even after the "condi nerfs" with an offhand axe power build since GS / LB were essentially buffed for power in the last patch making MH sword, LB, GS most likely the top weapons of choice for power DPS builds (could be wrong though).

For PvE , there is one obvious flaw I see and that is rotation and consistent damage uptime - if your weapon doesn't have it , then it's not good for keeping DPS up in PvE rotations. Offhand axe is basically that, long cooldowns - no consistent damage uptime and 4 seems like it would only be used for break bar - you can get this from other weapons much easier without sacrificing damage consistency.

I could be wrong but those seem like my observations from the weapon in regards to PvE , but then again my changes don't do much to help that.

My changes are merely addressed for PvP/WvW in which they would help a lot.

Double-axe druid, here.

Movement would be nice. (Especially, I imagine, in PVP where all the enemy has to do is step out of range and stand there laughing at you.)

In PvE, I find it an extremely valuable attack. It is strong enough to be worth playing against a stationary boss, or when you are in a crowd of smaller mobs. (Pocket raptors, meet weed-whacker!) The lack of movement is frustrating, though, when the boss moves a lot, making your attack useless, or when visuals are bad, so you can't tell if you are in range when you hit the 5 and end up standing there spinning in space and doing no damage.

Cooldowns are not as bad if you use Beastmastery with its Honed Axes skill.

Re #4 Path of Scars, if I remember correctly, it's supposed to apply its attack to every mob in its path, which is why the cludgy targetting instead of auto-target.

(Additional note: though Whirling Defense does stop when you move, I think it does not always stop when you are moved. Knockback interrupts it, but some of the new 'tornado' attacks do not. So, getting caught in the swirly in Istan, it seems I am still hitting every mob the current takes me next to. Must research further to confirm this, though.)

+1 on being able to move while casting Axe 5.For Axe 4/Path of Scars, I dunno about single target homing. I think I'd want to try direction targeting first. Reduce the range back to 900 but make it go out in a direction and come back when it either hits a wall or max distance.

I liked the original axe 4targetting which allowed quick skillshots.

I really wish they’d just rework that #4 axe throw. It’s always felt very clunky positioning such a small target around. It just feels bad, in contrast to the rest of ranger weapons.

@Shiyo.3578 said:Axe offhand is great.Sword mainhand has an autoattack and no abilities, it's boring and bland. I want sword to have buttons to press to increase my DPS.

Yes please this.Axe OH is nice, not really viable for PvP but good weapon IMO for PvE or zergs. I like OPs suggestions and i would like to see them but i think sword needs more attention that axe OH.Sword has 2 skills that take tediously long to execute because of dodges but dont have a real use in PvE scenariosbecause of hinderence in rotation.I would like to see a change so that hornet sting is a standalone skill, so you can evade when you want. And monarchsleap is the #2 that does good dmg, poison stacks and the evading gap closer. So basically a merge of monarchsleap and serpent strike (they could keep the serpent animation though, that looks sweet). So you are not wiggling arround your enemy or double taping after rolling out of danger but can controllably evade and engage without loosing hybrid character.And before someone says this could be OP, think about guardian sword 2 which has a teleport a lightfield, a boon application and possible traits that come with the zeal it produces.

@Shiyo.3578 said:Sword mainhand has an autoattack and no abilities, it's boring and bland. I want sword to have buttons to press to increase my DPS.

I wish they'd swap sword 2s skills around so we can more easily use it as a gap closer and still have it as an escape option. Give Monarch's Leap a stunbreak and leave the evade on Hornet Sting.

For Serpent's Strike, I'd love for it to be a multi-hit attack during the evade, sliding your sword across your target as you move. Like the Thief skill 'Death Blossom' but instead of jumping over your target and applying bleeding, we'd be going around it and applying poison and doing decent power damage.

@ZhouX.8742 said:

@"Shiyo.3578" said:Axe offhand is great.Sword mainhand has an autoattack and no abilities, it's boring and bland. I want sword to have buttons to press to increase my DPS.

" I think it's time you enhance this skill and allow it some actual use in PvP/WvW"

It needs something. I always wanted added stability to it, but movement is probably the better option. Will gladly switch the retal for it, as much as I like it. Axe 4 is mostly annoying after the change. Clunky and small radius, although ground targeting it isn't without any benefits. Still, pulling in other players with axe and then bearhugging them with Maul was much more consistent prior to that change. I believe MH Sword/Off-Axe still has the most consistent PvE damage (at least with the axe trait), and #4 is still a dps increase if you hit twice as far as I know. #5 would definetely benefit from movement even in PvE. Not all raid bosses that allow you to channel the entire skill.

Sword needs faster skill casting. Like the daredevil staff. Shame they only did the buff on the third autoattack, the other things it needs seem so obvious.