Fix axe.

Do something. I don't care if you have to rebalance DPS, a power based weapon like scepter should not be outperforming axe as a condi weapon of choice for the firebrand.

We don't have an axe benchmark since the bug was fixed. Before the last patch, Symbol of Vengeance was effectively doing one fifth of the listed power damage, so it was a major dps loss.

Axe was designed with the damage values of a power weapon and was thus given minor condi access. Putting more condi to it without decreasing the physical damage would be a power creep to all our other weapons. I don't think it's a loss for the class if scepter stands toe-to-toe with the axe, quite the opposite, it would be bad for us to be struck with a single option as a condi weapon. We are not elementalists, we have weapon swap for a reason.

For the record, the last benchmark is using both scepter and sword, not just scepter, and I'm glad sword is seeing use in a pve meta build.

And keep in mind, the numbers scepter does on golem are always the best case scenario. In practice, scepter loses dps against multiple targets, as the projectiles of Symbol of Punishment are split across different targets. Axe is consistent, offers a good CC skill, and cleaves. If they balance it to be even slightly behind scepter/sword, it will still be used.

I would rather Axe 1 was increased to 300 range, before they considered changing the damage values.

@RabbitUp.8294 said:We don't have an axe benchmark since the bug was fixed. Before the last patch, Symbol of Vengeance was effectively doing one fifth of the listed power damage, so it was a major dps loss.

Axe was designed with the damage values of a power weapon and was thus given minor condi access. Putting more condi to it without decreasing the physical damage would be a power creep to all our other weapons. I don't think it's a loss for the class if scepter stands toe-to-toe with the axe, quite the opposite, it would be bad for us to be struck with a single option as a condi weapon. We are not elementalists, we have weapon swap for a reason.

For the record, the last benchmark is using both scepter and sword, not just scepter, and I'm glad sword is seeing use in a pve meta build.

And keep in mind, the numbers scepter does on golem are always the best case scenario. In practice, scepter loses dps against multiple targets, as the projectiles of Symbol of Punishment are split across different targets. Axe is consistent, offers a good CC skill, and cleaves. If they balance it to be even slightly behind scepter/sword, it will still be used.

I would rather Axe 1 was increased to 300 range, before they considered changing the damage values.

Scepter is a ranged weapon, it should never outperform a melee weapon.

Actually in the last battery of tests I remember reading that axe was a slight dps increase over scepter, scepter was just easier because of symbol uptime. Add to that that the cleave on axe and it's synergy with PW.... If anything I'd say just increase the range slightly and the cast speed of the symbol. I'd also say that unrelenting criticism should apply the bleed to all 1h weapons. It was bugged for a bit and was working with scepter, which was nice.

If axe auto had a 250 increased range radius, I'd use it in replacement of Scepter or in placed of my other weapon set. Range is the only thing that kills Scourge and FB lacks a lot of that. So Scepter is a must.

Also Axe is clunky. Quickness is needed on it for sure but I would need to sacrifice a lot of sustains (medi) for JUST 2 seconds of quickness (the mantra) ... I would rather remove might stacks completely for 8 seconds of Quickness (even if Allies only get 2seconds max).

I don't feel like i give up that much sustain for the quickness mantra - i mean, on demand quickness (especially if also traited for quickfire) is just that good, especially if paired with the stability mantra. Resses, stomps, burst, quicker tor heals. I would like a little more range on axe as well though, and I prefer axe to scepter.

@Zenith.7301 said:

Scepter is a ranged weapon, it should never outperform a melee weapon.

now that is a bs statement. Ranged should be able to stand toe to toe with melee. The amount of anti-range sentiment in this game is ridiculous and I have not anything this bad out of the 20-something MMOs I've played across different genres.. Especially considering how much range hate has been implemented into the game. You have skills that completely shut down range damage, skills that reflect range damage, and some enemies use your range damage to heal themselves now. The whole idea that a ranged weapon shouldn't out perform a melee weapon is completely out-dated since core gw2. Many of those who stick to melee have so many gap closers that being in range is often left pointless and barely contains any if at all tactical advantage.

-rant over-

Axe seems to be a hybrid weapon : if you run Viper's you get a much better result than condi alone.

I feel Unrelenting criticism maybe should be reworked. 3 seconds of 33% chance on hit bleeding is not worth taking over Archivist of Whispers , IMO.

33% chance > @Infusion.7149 said:

Axe seems to be a hybrid weapon : if you run Viper's you get a much better result than condi alone.

I feel Unrelenting criticism maybe should be reworked. 3 seconds of 33% chance on hit bleeding is not worth taking over Archivist of Whispers , IMO.

33% chance of bleed... Zeal's adept trait 33% chance of burn on symbol...

Just get away with these statistical [% percentage] that may or may not happen in clutch situations. It's 100% a PvE addition that no one really wants.

We don't want uncertainty... These need to be exact numbers.

Axe is already superior to scepter.IT is 1k more dps then scepter, and 20x far superior to play with because synergy with updated axe animations.

Just a thought I've been having, but I would like to see staff take the scepter auto, and scepter worked out to be more of a condi ranged weapon. That way core guard still has a power ranged weapon without speccing into DH, and FB has a ranged weapon to synergize with the axe. If that happened, the range on the axe wouldn't seem like such a problem.

Dim, just something the went through my head while at work.

Axe is 1k more DPS than Scepter. Scepter is a good ranged alternative when you are forced out of melee. Also, Axe rotation is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. Much more fun than Scepter.

@Mikeskies.1536 said:Axe is 1k more DPS than Scepter. Scepter is a good ranged alternative when you are forced out of melee. Also, Axe rotation is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. Much more fun than Scepter.

Press 2 on cooldown while ensuring not to interrupt the third link on ability 1?

@dhupp.8103 said:

@Mikeskies.1536 said:Axe is 1k more DPS than Scepter. Scepter is a good ranged alternative when you are forced out of melee. Also, Axe rotation is pretty fun once you get the hang of it. Much more fun than Scepter.

Basically. Axe 3 is good for gathering adds and breakbar as well. I haven't tested if using Axe 3 on CD is a DPS increase or not. Axe has a nice weight behind each swing, whereas Scepter feels very light.

Either make it all burn, or double the duration of the bleeds on 1 and add another 2s of bleed to 2.

Axe 3 is fine as is. Good for gathering/breakbar, decent enough damage.

If they cast time of the symbol is reduced to 0.5 secs axe will be great.

I wish the axe symbol gave a boon of some sort, maybe resistance?

reduce symbol cast timeunrelenting criticism should either have longer duration bleeds or be 100% on-hit procbleeds on auto could use a duration increase (or just change them to 1s burns)

im not asking for all of the above, but axe certainly needs a tweak or two

@Zenith.7301 said:I wish the axe symbol gave a boon of some sort, maybe resistance?

All boons left (stability, aegis, resistance, quickness) are very powerful to be provided by a low-cooldown symbol, especially in pulsing form.

Too bad they had the perfect opportunity to implement these symbols through tomes. They already gave us pulsing resistance on F3, and that could have been treated as a symbol. Before the reveal, I personally wanted a quickness symbol on F1, a resistance symbol on F2 and a stability symbol on F3. Axe didn't need to have a symbol at all.

Then, in the future, we could get a tanky spec using spear with an aegis symbol.

Now, from the looks of it, we will never get a stability, resistance or quickness symbol.

Axe auto-attack chain should ideally become 300 range to give us a viable mid-range melee brawler that would link perfectly with our mantra range.

Firebrand feels like it should play a bit like a Dagger/Dagger Ele, but the Axe is currently out of place as Tomes are 240-900 range, Mantras are 300 range and Axe is slow casting and at 130 range.

Firebrand offers no additional combat mobility as using ToResolve or ToCourage for personal Swiftness stacking is a waste of a Tomes potential, the Swiftness on MoLiberation is the 3rd charge and infrequently used.

@Ezrael.6859 said:Axe auto-attack chain should ideally become 300 range to give us a viable mid-range melee brawler that would link perfectly with our mantra range.

Firebrand feels like it should play a bit like a Dagger/Dagger Ele, but the Axe is currently out of place as Tomes are 240-900 range, Mantras are 300 range and Axe is slow casting and at 130 range.

Firebrand offers no additional combat mobility as using ToResolve or ToCourage for personal Swiftness stacking is a waste of a Tomes potential, the Swiftness on MoLiberation is the 3rd charge and infrequently used.

Honestly I hate the fact that the animation for axe 1 is huge, but the actual attack range is small. It's suuuuuuuuuper jarring and tends to make me miss or lose my auto chain because it seems like I'm in range because of the animation, but I'm not.

So yes, 300 range on 1 would be nice.