Second column of soulbeast trait is a problem ...

why should I be limited to having to choose a build that has protection, quickness, or poison? If I do not use any of these, it ends up that my trait from the second column is completely useless and will not do any good, enough for one to have 7% damage we need to have fury, can someone from the arenanet balance this with changes when he has the next balancing?

Also, even if your build find a way to make use for any of them, all 3 have very small impact.

Second Skin : Lots of condi professions have ways to remove boons, biggest offender being Scourge and makes the trait useless. Used with Companion's Defense and Protective Ward. Skills : Protect Me, Stone Spirit and Moa Stance. Meant to be used with Eternal Bond ?

Essence of Speed : 5 secs internal cooldown (lol)... Only found it useful when used with Quickening Zephyr and other traits related to Quickness, such as Sword trait. Also, Dagger leap. Meant as a direct buff to Live Fast ?

Predator's Cunning : Used in condition builds and the heal/life steal doesn't help much. Should be ''If target has poison'', instead of every time you apply poison.

@Rap Tiger.1257 said:why should I be limited to having to choose a build that has protection, quickness, or poison? If I do not use any of these, it ends up that my trait from the second column is completely useless and will not do any good, enough for one to have 7% damage we need to have fury, can someone from the arenanet balance this with changes when he has the next balancing?

Second Skin is good like it is right now. Is very useful. The fact you don't use any trait or skill who gives you protection (maybe you use Marksmanship and Skirmish) doesn't mean the trait is not good. Every trait lines have some traits which at some point are useless due to your build.

The other 2 traits ... are somehow useless ... I mean even you benefit from them, 2 sec increase duration and 193 damage + 170 healing is quite small

@"Krispera.5087" said:Also, even if your build find a way to make use for any of them, all 3 have very small impact.

Second Skin : Lots of condi professions have ways to remove boons, biggest offender being Scourge and makes the trait useless. Used with Companion's Defense and Protective Ward. Skills : Protect Me, Stone Spirit and Moa Stance. Meant to be used with Eternal Bond ?

You can't say this ... because of some classes who can remove boons ... in this way you can say also the skills who give you boons are useless.

Predator's Cunning : Used in condition builds and the heal/life steal doesn't help much. Should be ''If target has poison'', instead of every time you apply poison.

And how do you want this "if target has poison" to work ? Every time someone put poison on him you benefit of healing and he get an extra damage even your build is power? If you change target 3 times or 5 times every target with poison should be affected by this trait ? How many times / minute do you want to get that healing from a target with poison on him ? No, I don't think your idea is good or could work.

@"Dragonzhunter.8506" said:Second Skin is good like it is right now. Is very useful. The fact you don't use any trait or skill who gives you protection (maybe you use Marksmanship and Skirmish) doesn't mean the trait is not good. Every trait lines have some traits which at some point are useless due to your build.You can't say this ... because of some classes who can remove boons ... in this way you can say also the skills who give you boons are useless.

Second Skin is the least useless from the second row. It has the most synergy with ranger traits and skills. When you don't know what to pick, you pick this one.

I'm just saying that in Scourge meta, Second Skin Protection can become a double edged sword. If you look at the theme of the trait, it's supposed to help the ranger when it has condition, but it needs Protection to make it work.

Predator's Cunning

: Used in condition builds and the heal/life steal doesn't help much. Should be ''If target has poison'', instead of every time you apply poison.And how do you want this "if target has poison" to work ? Every time someone put poison on him you benefit of healing and he get an extra damage even your build is power? If you change target 3 times or 5 times every target with poison should be affected by this trait ? How many times / minute do you want to get that healing from a target with poison on him ? No, I don't think your idea is good or could work.

Simply... If you hit someone that has poison, you get the lifesteal. Focused Siphoning is a good example of it (https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Focused_Siphoning_(PvP)).

Now you will think it's OP, but you need to look at the Poison application of Ranger. It's on Dagger AA and 2, Shortbow 2, Sword evade, Dagger OH evade, Vulture Stance, Viper Nest and Refined Toxins (Trait). TBH, the trait is hardly useful if you don't do Point Blank SBow 2 or use Vulture Stance. I think it's fine if it works on poisoned foes and not on poison application. At best, it will make Condi Soulbeast sustainable in PvP. It could give Power Soulbeast, who use WS + Refined Toxins, a trait choice to pick over Second Skin and Essence of Speed.

@"Krispera.5087" said:Second Skin is the least useless from the second row. It has the most synergy with ranger traits and skills. When you don't know what to pick, you pick this one.

I'm just saying that in Scourge meta, Second Skin Protection can become a double edged sword. If you look at the theme of the trait, it's supposed to help the ranger when it has condition, but it needs Protection to make it work.

lol, ofc it need Protection, I didn't mention this in my post above ?! I did! But that's the idea ... other way you can make a build with no protection (so more damage based) and still benefit from this trait ... then wouldn't be too OP ? This is not the only trait who need something to trigger his benefit .

Predator's Cunning

: Used in condition builds and the heal/life steal doesn't help much. Should be ''If target has poison'', instead of every time you apply poison.And how do you want this "if target has poison" to work ? Every time someone put poison on him you benefit of healing and he get an extra damage even your build is power? If you change target 3 times or 5 times every target with poison should be affected by this trait ? How many times / minute do you want to get that healing from a target with poison on him ? No, I don't think your idea is good or could work.

The second trait-line in general is decent across multiple game-modes. You rightly point out though, that it is very limiting. I personally think that in addition to the boon-duration when gaining quickness, that trait-line should do something additional for power builds.

@Darkened.4076 said:I personally think that in additional to the boon-duration when gaining quickness, that trait-line should do something additional for power builds.

Agree with you.

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:Yes Focused Siphoning it's like you said, but the healing and damage is almost 3 times less ... If you want that Predator's Cunning be the same, then they must diminish damage and healing too ... I am agree with this.

I won't mind a reduced damage and healing.

Vulnerability is also way easier to apply across all professions than Poison and Focused Siphoning is also a minor. Assassin's Annihilation is a stronger life stealing trait, a GM, but with an ICD of 1 sec. I wouldn't like Predator's Cunning to receive an ICD.

@Krispera.5087 said:

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:Yes Focused Siphoning it's like you said, but the healing and damage is almost 3 times less ... If you want that Predator's Cunning be the same, then they must diminish damage and healing too ... I am agree with this.

I don't think they will put vulnerability instead of poison, because vulnerability it is too easy to apply from Ranger POV.

Layout and general traits of Soulbeast could use some shifting or slight tweaks in my opinion. Unfortunately, since Soulbeast currently hits that sweet-spot of being strong but not overly powerful so the traits will most likely stay as-is.

Personally, I think Essence of Speed could be tweaked to bolster the Beastmode stat bonuses by 20% while under the effects of quickness instead of extend boon durations. Small boost that doesn't do a whole lot but has some better and longer-lasting synergy with Live Fast and all the other source of Quickness Ranger has.

@Wondrouswall.7169 said:Personally, I think Essence of Speed could be tweaked to bolster the Beastmode stat bonuses by 20% while under the effects of quickness instead of extend boon durrations. Small boost that doesn't do a whole lot but has some better and longer-lasting synergy with Live Fast and all the other source of Quickness Ranger has.

Yes, good idea too.

Problem i have with these trait is that it has poor synergy intraline even though it has nice synergy interline.

The traits needs some tweaks and personally i want fresh reinforcement and unstoppable union to be minors and work both ways. So you share boons when unmerging to pet or copy them when merging and breakstun when leaving or entering.The unblockable attack from unstoppable union could be shifted to another power based trait.

These two would give soulbeast an edge if they constantly shift or give them am insentive to use the shift to save their butt.Other traitlines should either be condition, boon/utility and power dmg oriented.Atm it feels rather unorganized.

@InsaneQR.7412 said:The traits needs some tweaks and personally i want fresh reinforcement and unstoppable union to be minors and work both ways.

I'm on the other side of a fence on another lawn. I see Live Fast and Furious Strength as better minors, being usable in all modes without modifying much, only bumping Furious Strength to Grandmaster minor and increasing the bonus from 7% to 10% and Live Fast as a Master minor.

From there the lines could be better adjusted for more synergy depending on certain aspects/styles.

So at least put live fast or fresh reinforcement instead of essence of speed and second skin or predator cunning, it would be more useful and could synergy better, but if you think it's good this way, then ok

@Wondrouswall.7169 said:

@InsaneQR.7412 said:The traits needs some tweaks and personally i want fresh reinforcement and unstoppable union to be minors and work both ways.

Atleast we bith agree on the color of the grass, which means that the traits need improvements.Furious strength should also affect condition dmg IMO. Would make sense due to dagger and the hybridish layout of the spec.

Definitely. I'll raise an apple to that.

I already have a way, I will use sigil doom and put predator cunning because I find it more useful than any other as second skin and what to give 2 seconds in boons with use of quickness ....

@Rap Tiger.1257 said:eu já dei um jeito, vou usar a sigil doom e coloca predator cunning porque acho mais útil que qualquer outra como second skin e o que dar 2 seconds em boons com uso do quickness....

Ai mare dreptate ...

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:

@Rap Tiger.1257 said:eu já dei um jeito, vou usar a sigil doom e coloca predator cunning porque acho mais útil que qualquer outra como second skin e o que dar 2 seconds em boons com uso do quickness....

sorry my original language is not english

@Rap Tiger.1257 said:

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:

@Rap Tiger.1257 said:eu já dei um jeito, vou usar a sigil doom e coloca predator cunning porque acho mais útil que qualquer outra como second skin e o que dar 2 seconds em boons com uso do quickness....

This forum is. So even if you write in spanish, no body can understand what you wanna say, except spanish speaking ppl. So it is no use to not write in english.

Lately i thought about a possible trait idea for Soulbeast.How about: Activate Lesser wolfpack when activating or leaving soulbeast mode.So lets say for the next 2s you have the effect of one wolf pack active. If you activate the stance share trait it will also be shared by allies.Could be an interesting interaction and could lead to specialized dmg support builds.

Nah. At least, not OWP. I always thought if there was going to be a lesser stance being shared, it should be a line with the condition/hybrid area since that's where it shines in one mode. Imagine if a row was: Predator's Cunning (adept), Oppressive Supremacy (master) but changed to +5% damage & condition damage to foes with lower health than the player + cast Lesser Vulture Stance (4s) when striking a foe under 50%, then Leader of the Pack (grandmaster).

Top that off with shifting Live Fast as a master minor and bumping Furious Strength as grandmaster minor with a 10% modifier and things look a bit more cherry.

@InsaneQR.7412 said:Lately i thought about a possible trait idea for Soulbeast.How about: Activate Lesser wolfpack when activating or leaving soulbeast mode.So lets say for the next 2s you have the effect of one wolf pack active. If you activate the stance share trait it will also be shared by allies.Could be an interesting interaction and could lead to specialized dmg support builds.

I would like more to have Unstoppable Union in both way, when you go in and when you go out from beastmode. Because like it is now, the trait is almost useless.

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:

@InsaneQR.7412 said:Lately i thought about a possible trait idea for Soulbeast.How about: Activate Lesser wolfpack when activating or leaving soulbeast mode.So lets say for the next 2s you have the effect of one wolf pack active. If you activate the stance share trait it will also be shared by allies.Could be an interesting interaction and could lead to specialized dmg support builds.

I would actually like to see it as a minor trait but yeah both ways definetly.

@Wondrouswall.7169Yeah vulture stance could do it to. But i stand on the swap idea.This way soulbeast could be most valuable in group play by weaving in and out instead of camping. The duration could be increased by a small amount though and its duration should ofcourse increase when you take the correaponding GM.

Btw has any of you a clue when the new balance patch drops? Just in general including PvE?Traits could be something they are alread working on or something they should so i want to keep an eye on it.

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:

@InsaneQR.7412 said:Lately i thought about a possible trait idea for Soulbeast.How about: Activate Lesser wolfpack when activating or leaving soulbeast mode.So lets say for the next 2s you have the effect of one wolf pack active. If you activate the stance share trait it will also be shared by allies.Could be an interesting interaction and could lead to specialized dmg support builds.

The trait is fantastic as is. We can already get decent uptime on unblockables. I really don't think we need it when we leave Beastmode as well.