Can we remove the rooting from Whirling Defense?

I mean why is there in the first place? We're talking about a melee skill and not a ranged attack, that rooting makes no sense, you could easily reduce the dmg and remove the rooting.

I also wish they'd let us move whilst using it but I really don't want them to reduce its damage.

The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it. Probably wanna buff the damage too.

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too).

Agree.

People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

Guardian GS Whirling Wrath is on a shorter cooldown, so it does more damage (count the projectile damage) than Whirling Defense and is mobile. Warrior OH Axe Whirling Axe do more of less the same damage, but hits 5 target and is mobile too. They are both on shorter cooldown and are mobile. Only thing that differentiate them from Whirling Defense is the projectile hate and the vulnerability.

It doesn't make sense that a longer cooldown and stationnary skill does less damage than a shorter cooldown and mobile skills. Either buff Whirling Defense as suggested by Lazze and also its damage or up its speed, or completely make it mobile.

I can see nice things with Prelude Lash.

I actually prefer that we either have 75% chance of block effect or pulsing Aegis during the channel, in addition to stability.Back in GW1, Whirling Defense is actually a very strong block skill that blocks multiple incoming attacks within the duration, so I don't find adding some block effect to it is strange. The duration is pretty low, so it shouldn't be a problem adding this defensive option if we're going to stay rooted.

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

Correction - the root would be fine if the skill also granted stability. It's not fine now.

Stability would be pretty good if the rooting stays, otherwise I'd be fine if we had same effects with movement, even if it means 50% slower movement speed when casting it

@Aomine.5012 said:I actually prefer that we either have 75% chance of block effect or pulsing Aegis during the channel, in addition to stability.Back in GW1, Whirling Defense is actually a very strong block skill that blocks multiple incoming attacks within the duration, so I don't find adding some block effect to it is strange. The duration is pretty low, so it shouldn't be a problem adding this defensive option if we're going to stay rooted.

I second this. The damage is low and the rooting counter-intuitive plus makes the ranger to be an sponge punch which is never good.

This skill giving pulsing stab and protection should make it usable. Increase the vulnerability applied to 2 stacks by impact, number of targets to 5 and some moderate leeching health effect by impact and the skill will be fine.

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

I couldn't agree more with this opinion as well. Opportunity cost and counterplay is not a bad thing and thanks to our pets we're not stuck doing nothing while in Whirling Defence. Since we can cancel it early there's no real commitment either outside of the cooldown. The skill as it stands certainly has power as well, projectile reflects are obnoxiously overpowering. While other reflect skills are certainly more crippling than whirling defence because they lack any of the opportunity cost inherent to the skill because of its self root, the solution is not to make Whirling Defence like other skills.

Whirling Defence can be an awesome and deadly skill that is fun to use, it just needs more impact. I certainly don't see the benefit of more Crippling thrusts and Precision strikes.

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

I second this as well. I don't feel the need to make it hit harder/more things while we move, but it should not be a smart decision for anyone to stand there and eat a full whirling defense. At the very least it should truly force player opponents to pop damage-eliminators (invulns, blur, signet of stone, endure pain, etc) while giving the ranger some buffs. We're soft enough targets as it is.

The beauty of Whirling defense in Guild Wars 1, aprox. 1 min into the clip:

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

Give him resistance instead of protection. We really need a good source for resistance, especially as a ranger who should be good against conditions lorewise! (And gameplaywise by the current condi meta in wvw)

@psizone.8437 said:I also wish they'd let us move whilst using it but I really don't want them to reduce its damage.

Um, thief staff autoattack does more damage and is mobile, has no cooldown, and has a built in reflect on the last part of the chain.

@OGDeadHead.8326 said:

@Lazze.9870 said:The root is fine. Give it stability and protection alongside the retaliation (and boom, you got rugged growth and second skin synergy too). People shouldn't be incentivised to stand next to or attack a ranger using it. They should be punished for it.

Well, I would think it obvious I meant it is fine assuming those buffs. I mean, I obviously don't think the skill is fine as is when I suggest buffs for it. But being rooted isn't a problem in itself if you gain something back. Currently you don't gain enough.

But ye, sure. The root would be fine, assuming the buffs I suggested. In my opinion.