Self-Regulating Defenses nerf

• Self-Regulating Defenses: This trait has been renamed Emergency Elixir. Rather than using Elixir S, it now uses a new skill called Elixir E that grants barrier (3,000 at level 80) and protection for 3 seconds. The threshold that triggers this trait is now 33% health instead of 25% health. Elixir E's cooldown is 40 seconds.

My reaction to this nerf

Possible bug or inaccurate tool tip: HGH does not reduce the cd on Elixir E based on the tool tip. Should reduce Elixir E's cd down to 32sec but it remains at 40sec.

I'd call it a change, since it's even better in some situations right now. Especially with the lower CD (32sec with HGH) and trigger threshold + protection.

The only thing I find strange is that apparently (just skimmed over it) no other defense trait received a similar adjustment. Imo SRD was the best of them design-wise, because it also disabled the engineer using it.

@ejax.5170 said:Possible bug or inaccurate tool tip: HGH does not reduce the cd on Elixir E based on the tool tip. Should reduce Elixir E's cd down to 32sec but it remains at 40sec.

Either way, no more passive 3 and a half seconds of god mode for holosmith.

It seems like the support scraper got a hard nerf as well. Super speed gyros are dead.

@Jski.6180 said:It seems like the support scraper got a hard nerf as well. Super speed gyros are dead.

Moreover, on-demand stability from using gyros is gone.

Kinetic Stabilizers: This trait grants 5 seconds of stability (3 seconds in PvP) and 3 seconds of superspeed upon disabling an enemy or activating Function Gyro. It also deals 10% bonus damage when the engineer has stability.

Initially read this as ALL gyros grant stab and superspeed, then realized it only includes function gyro...I'm having a hard time seeing how these Scrapper changes are supposed improve Scrapper's lackluster state.

Kinetic Stabilizers might be interesting to see on a hard-CC Scrapper build in PvP though.

A survivability trait got replaced by a sustain trait in a place where people could already pick 2 sustain traits (altough pretty bad ones). If you dont slot Elixir S now, you are pretty much playing a zergfodder build in WVW. Core engi pays a hefty price once again to tone down the pay to win more elite spec. Meh, not that core engi is worth playing anymore anyway, not much point in complaining.

@ejax.5170 said:

@Jski.6180 said:It seems like the support scraper got a hard nerf as well. Super speed gyros are dead.

It may seem bad at first, but personally I don't see it as that big of a nerf. I prefer using tools over inventions for support scrapper in PvP. I use bulwark gyro and sneak gyro, while the rest of my utility skills include med kit, elixir gun and tool kit.

Tools gives me much more self sustain because of the Power Wrench trait, reducing the cooldown on Gear Shield. Combine that with the hammer and you've got a good balance of blocking and CC skills. Using Magnet every 13 seconds is a more reliable way of getting super speed, stability and the 10% damage increase. You have 3 CC skills: Thunderclap, Rocket Charge if used in Thunderclap's lightning field and Magnet.

@santenal.1054 said:A survivability trait got replaced by a sustain trait in a place where people could already pick 2 sustain traits (altough pretty bad ones). If you dont slot Elixir S now, you are pretty much playing a zergfodder build in WVW. Core engi pays a hefty price once again to tone down the pay to win more elite spec. Meh, not that core engi is worth playing anymore anyway, not much point in complaining.

Core engineer benefits the most from kits, not elixirs. Besides, other professions like guardian had their core specializations nerfed for firebrand. Core engineer is still worth playing, only if you're willing to learn playing with 3-4 kits, knowing every single thing about them and how to effectively use them at least in PvP, not WvW. It's a more engaging profession than holosmith.

I actually like this change to SRD -- SRD could be a curse before, now it's a guaranteed boon that won't interrupt other skills. Granted, this may suck for WvW'ers, but I don't care about WvW, so :tongue: .

Could get used to it. Some WvWers are going to get blown up to hell if they don't slot the elixir now.

@Hoodie.1045 said:Either way, no more passive 3 and a half seconds of god mode for holosmith.

Do you enter god mode by cutting your own hands off?

I'd be fine with this change if the similar traits (and arguably more power) traits like the automatic endure pain trait for warrior that makes him invulnerable and still able to use his skills had gotten changed, and if the replace wasn't terrible )even when fully geared in healing power gear it only gets a extra 500 barrier)

@MrForz.1953 said:Could get used to it. Some WvWers are going to get blown up to hell if they don't slot the elixir now.

@Hoodie.1045 said:Either way, no more passive 3 and a half seconds of god mode for holosmith.

I think god mode is perfect analogy for elixer s. No one can touch you and you cant touch them. Like the real god.

was a good change.

Makes Holos stronger for 1v1 and weaker vs multiple opponents.

SO happy for this nerf. It's annoying fighting against Holos with this...

@Milan.9035 said:

@MrForz.1953 said:Could get used to it. Some WvWers are going to get blown up to hell if they don't slot the elixir now.

@Hoodie.1045 said:Either way, no more passive 3 and a half seconds of god mode for holosmith.

Nah, its a defined videogame term and if it were someone else i would assume used wrong on purpose because it fits his narrative. But since its hoodie and he is constantly wrong about allmost everything on his personal vendetta against Holo maybe not ;)Like the change to S though. Some stronger options in this tier and the same treatment for other professions (EP, SoS eg.) would have been nice imho.

Well at least it didn't get the passive Defy Pain and Stone Signet treatment, but those still exist in WvW balance split for Warrior/Ranger.

@Noha.3749 said:was a good change.

Makes Holos stronger for 1v1 and weaker vs multiple opponents.

Can you explain where you think Holo is getting stronger for 1v1 out of this?

It would be nice if the new trait would give 1 second of evade, otherwise that barrier is going to evaporate instantly anyways. That said a major function of SRD is to act as a last chance stun break.

One thing about these nerfs is that some of them are pretty drastic, case and point Elixir U. With such a huge nerf to these skills it's just as likely or even more likely that engineers will swap out of this skill for something has better advantages.

@CallousEye.5018 said:

@Noha.3749 said:was a good change.

Makes Holos stronger for 1v1 and weaker vs multiple opponents.

Before, Auto-elixir S would make you immune to every attack, but at the cost of cutting off whatever action you were doing and not having your bar available. All enemy attacks would be wasted.

Now, we get a temporary heal (barrier) and damage reduction (protection). This means we can't ignore damage from multiple attackers, but in duels we can continue fighting while getting a pretty decent boost. It also can proc more frequently with a 40s cooldown.

@CallousEye.5018 what he said ^

@Noha.3749 said:@CallousEye.5018 what he said ^

Pretty situational... I've had SRD save me in a stun-lock chain (especially warriors) and I've had it interrupt my well timed heal while I had CC'd the enemy.

@CallousEye.5018 said:

@Noha.3749 said:@CallousEye.5018 what he said ^

Think of it like this:

While you were in elixir S (low health), your enemy could heal up, charge up his boons/buffs and get ready to burst you.... What are you doing? Running around, only capable of proccing dodge traits (and the evadeframe will be wasted even if you do so). You cannot trade after because the health/boon difference. There's high chance you will die in that 1v1 after unless you manage to LoS somehow.

imho opinion they should increase the barrier to 5k, 3k is gone insta in current burst meta, had the trait proc on me yday and died instantly to 8,5 k arcing slice from a war 1v1 xD i love how they reworked the trait dont get me wrong but 3k+prot just isnt enough trade for what was before 'full invulnerbility' . sure u can use skills now aswell but honestly only found the trait to be useful if u roll protection holo and had stupid sustain ontop of the 40% protection boon, but thats just my 2 cents ^^

@CallousEye.5018 said:

@Noha.3749 said:was a good change.

Makes Holos stronger for 1v1 and weaker vs multiple opponents.

Well I mean the Elixir U buff from July was pretty huge too and projected holo from just under everyone's radar to one of the best specs in PvP. Even after the reduction holo is extremely good with plenty of damage and CC chains while being resistant to conditions and sustained damage.

The problem isn't Elixir E being too little it's that damage across the game is too high. If you likewise believe in this don't keep asking for Elixir E to be buffed as that way of thinking is what has led to the current power creeped mess GW2 is in. Ask for damage to be nerfed across the board, you might say it's unreasonable but get a backbone and some principles, don't take the easy way out and ask just one thing to be buffed.

@toxic.3648 said:imho opinion they should increase the barrier to 5k, 3k is gone insta in current burst meta, had the trait proc on me yday and died instantly to 8,5 k arcing slice from a war 1v1 xD i love how they reworked the trait dont get me wrong but 3k+prot just isnt enough trade for what was before 'full invulnerbility' . sure u can use skills now aswell but honestly only found the trait to be useful if u roll protection holo and had stupid sustain ontop of the 40% protection boon, but thats just my 2 cents ^^

The issue is scaling, 3k+prot maybe nothing vs some specs, but a enough vs others.