End of Dragons: ideation for new elite specs (thief, ranger, mesmer)

[Desaita.3792]

I saw a lot of this on reddit and I was hoping to start something similar on gw2 specific forums.It is an exciting topic and I'm really excited to see what the team releases, but I'm dying of anticipation.

Some thoughts on potential new elite specs (borrowing the idea of ronin from a reddit post)The concept of ronin the wandering samurai seemed like a very cool suggestion for potential thief specIt would be crazy to see a thief wielding a dai-katana. a suggestion of this being condition damage iscool but there are a lot of viable thief condition builds out there. It might be cool to introduce thievesto the world of melee and give them a tankier set of skills that they have not seen yet.

I will use a system of 1-10 to rate damage

Theif - Ronin Weapon Skills1 Eishin Slash: 3, Eishin Stab: 4 + bleeding, Laijutsu: 4 +block2 Battle Scar: 4 + 2 (life leech) (reference to skill of shiro from factions)3 Saya Guard: Resistance+ Block 2 seconds4 Furious Arcs: 2 x 3strikes + bleeding each strike5 Slice the Mists: 6 + burning + 1 condition transfer

utilizing stances (also suggested by reddit)heal - braving storms: heal 2 and increase the duration of boons on you at intervals (3 intervals)utility - wanderer: gain swiftness and regeneration then remove a condition at intervals (3 intervals)utility - shadow riposte: gain retaliation when delivering attacks (reference to shiro again) (5 seconds)utility - tagachis heart: break stun, gain stability when blocking attacks (reference to shiro again) (5 seconds)utility - unforgivable: gain aegis and inflict poison on nearby targets at intervals. (3 intervals)elite - Impossible Odds: all attacks inflict a second leeching strike for a short duration. +1(life leech) (5 seconds) (reference to shiro yet again)

This next idea is something also mentioned on the reddit but not with reference to its roots many years previousin guild wars 1. This build was created mostly as a joke pvp build but was semi-effective and it is the Thumper. A rangerwielding a large hammer. In the reddit it was ideated as a minion mastering build which I don't really know howI feel about a minnion spamming ranger build. Pvpers are annoyed enough already that I have one pet. I thought wellsmight be a great opportunity to get some power based AOE damage onto a ranger that is currently lacking.

Ranger - Thumper Weapon Skills1 Wump: 4, Bump: 4, Thump: 5 + Remove boon2 Wild Swing: 7 + might3 Uppercut: 3 + knockback4 Bunny Smash: 6+ short distance leap finisher + 2 if knocked down5 Thumping Ring: 1 at intervals while preventing entry or exit (3 intervals)

utilizing wells (4 intervals each)heal - Jackalopes Hope: initial heal 5 + swiftness at intervals /combo field light
utility- Dazzling Well: inflict daze then remove boons at intervals /combo field lightutility- Well of Quakes: 3 at intervals inflicting knockdown on final pulseutility- Kicking Pit: 4 at intervals granting allies might per intervalutility- Stomping Ground: 1 at intervals allies gain stability per interval, break stunselite - Alls well that ends well: leech life 2 at intervals, final pulse blast finisher

utilizing minionsheal - Jackaloper: summon a harmless jackalope that heals allies at intervals and grants protectionutility - Pack Mentality: gain 2 weaker versions of your pet (with an inability to use f2 skills)utility - Coordinated Strike: 2 +leap to a target, cause all pets to leap at the same target dealing +2utility - Masters Call: call your secondary pet to your aid for a short durationutility - Thumpers Call: grant might to allies, break stunelite - Wild Tactic: select a location you and your pet(s) teleport to the location, transfer 3 conditions to targets in the area.

This next idea is an original and it comes from a place of disliking illusions and phantasms. By this point you realize I'm speakingabout the mesmer. An elite spec could be the Possessed, this specialization would utilize a system that replaces illusions with ghostlyfigures that lash out from their body. This could create problems with weapon swaps which is why I suggest this specialization use a similarsystem to the elementalist and attunement swap rather then weapon swap. This spec could utilize dagger/dagger and utility skills of "hexes" thatappeared commonly in guild wars 1.

Possessed Weapon Skills

Atunement 1 (condition damage)1 Poltergash: 4, Ghast Slice: 4 + agony, Murder: 6 + bleeding2 Clawing Skin: 1x4strikes causing agony per strike (with illusion effect of hands coming out of the body)3 Horrors Descent: 6 + poison leap finisher
4 Unwieldy Power: 2x4strikes gain 2might per strike(with illusion effect of characters wielding weapons swinging from out of the body)5 Chaotic Host: 3x3 whirl finisher

Atunement 2 (crit damage)1 Subtle Strike: 3, Repeated Strike: 5, Ghost Stab: 7+distortion2 Slashing Demons: 3x2 strikes whirl finisher (with illusion effect of hands coming out of the body)3 Ghoulish Scream: 3+ freezing, give allies fury
4 Phantasm Slice: 8 + distortion (with illusion effect of a large character swinging from out of the body)5 Beckon: 2 + pull target and inflict freezing, gain fury.

hexes

heal- Parasitic Infusion: when a foe suffers from damage you heal for a percentage of that damage (5 seconds)utility- Viral Shock: when a foe suffers from a condition give them an extra stack of that condition. (4 seconds)utility- Fel Hex: 1 at intervals the final interval will cause knockdown to surrounding targets. (3 seconds)utility- Devouring Hope: steal boons at intervals and cause bleeding (4 seconds)utility- Hexers Veil: gain a small amount of shield each time your target gains a new stack or condition (6 seconds)elite- Endless Gouge: 1 per interval + agony (8 seconds)

This is about all the energy I have for ideating new stuff tonight but I would love to see anyone else's ideas who wishes to post!

[huluobo.7036]

I hope to switch more weapons and templates during the battle. The difficulty in Guild Wars 2 is not the dungeon, but a group of ten experienced players to fight. In the dungeon, the team will die or leave the battle to change the template weapon, which requires a lot of waiting time. , I think template communication will cause serious quarrels among players. If you can switch at will, players can quickly know whether the current template is valid, and there is no need to make the whole teammates wait for discussion.

[Sindrela.1846]

i wish mesmer gets a master class thats all glammer... i miss the days of casting and watching someone spam skills and kill themselves.

[Desaita.3792]

I think confusion was the replacement of empathy and backfire. but it could be cool to have these brought back.

[Redfeather.6401]

A non clone/phantasm mesmer would get me to stick with mesmer. I mained mesmer in guild wars 10 years ago but cannot play gw2 mesmer without hating it.

[Desaita.3792]

Thankyou Redfeather, I feel very much the same way. Having clones is cool and all but when it is the only viable source of damage for the mesmer its a little annoying. It would be like if a necromancer was only strong when using minions.

[Desaita.3792]

Something off brand and unique for a necromancer would be introducing a Rifle or a Longbow, giving them better dueling capabilities and less obnoxious area crowd control. Currently the best necromancer builds are all aimed towards crowd control or area condition damage. There is an exceedingly low ability to duel well, this comes from a lack of any kind of invulnerable evade invisibility or block. So I propose the Deaths Harbinger with a rifle and to stop this from being ridiculous remove lifeforce transform and replace it with a single lifeforce skill shot.

Necromancer - Deaths Harbinger Weapon Skills1 Grenths Bullet: 5 + life force 3%2 Deadly Recoil: 3 + daze + evade backward.3 Skyfall: 2x5 ranged area damage + 1% life force per strike4 Underworlds Reach: 7 + 10% lifeforce5 Unholy Haste: 3 + evade + finisher leap + quickness

Life Force Attack - Grenths Claim: 9 +finishes downed, line missile, consumes all life force.

utilizing deceptions inherently given to thiefheal - Messengers Path: heal 6 and gain invisibility (3 seconds)utility - Bringer of Bad News: inflict vulnerability and Reveal in a targeted area. gain 2 life force per target struck. (4 seconds)utility - Dark Tidings: create a smoke field that inflicts poison and breaks stun (3 seconds)utility - Barrel of Death: your next 3 attacks will critically strike. (5 seconds)
utility - Dont Shoot the Messenger: remove conditions and gain boons.elite - Six Feet Under: 6 + knockdown, attacks against this target will give allies quickness for 2 seconds (marked 3 seconds)

[Psycoprophet.8107]

Hoping for gs ronin for teef, greatsword modeled as just a shorter version of balindas gs with a left side stow instead of on the back. Many ronin resorted to becoming bandits and thieves to get by before being hired by another lord. A kimono may be more light armor but could still be considered medium for the sake of the espec theme or armor similar to what ashigaru wore if they wanted a slightly armored look. Be cool in my opinion atleast.

[Mungo Zen.9364]

I like the framework for the Thief and Ranger ideas.

I really do not get the Mesmer idea. What happens to all the Illusion skills we would typically have? What about the Shatters? How would all the Traits that empower Shatters and Illusions be utilized with your new idea?

The Necro feels a little too all in on the Lifeforce to DMG conversion, perhaps something similar to Warriors Adrenaline where you get 2-3 bars to fill and can spend 1 or all to empower a specific skill or F1-F3 types ability. Going a step further, why not have them include party support of some kind?

[Kodama.6453]

@Psycoprophet.8107 said:Hoping for gs ronin for teef, greatsword modeled as just a shorter version of balindas gs with a left side stow instead of on the back. Many ronin resorted to becoming bandits and thieves to get by before being hired by another lord. A kimono may be more light armor but could still be considered medium for the sake of the espec theme or armor similar to what ashigaru wore if they wanted a slightly armored look. Be cool in my opinion atleast.

I would prefer to see a one handed weapon for thief next, tbh. Thief already got 2 2handed weapons with both elite specs (staff + rifle) and especially on thief it would be interesting to see a new one handed weapon because of the dual attack mechanic.

[Psycoprophet.8107]

@Kodama.6453 said:

@Psycoprophet.8107 said:Hoping for gs ronin for teef, greatsword modeled as just a shorter version of balindas gs with a left side stow instead of on the back. Many ronin resorted to becoming bandits and thieves to get by before being hired by another lord. A kimono may be more light armor but could still be considered medium for the sake of the espec theme or armor similar to what ashigaru wore if they wanted a slightly armored look. Be cool in my opinion atleast.

I would prefer to see a one handed weapon for thief next, tbh. Thief already got 2 2handed weapons with both elite specs (staff + rifle) and especially on thief it would be interesting to see a new one handed weapon because of the dual attack mechanic.

I'm easy..... off hand sword still would work for ronin spec :)Call the spec the sword saint or kensei lol.

[Desaita.3792]

@Mungo Zen.9364 said:I really do not get the Mesmer idea. What happens to all the Illusion skills we would typically have? What about the Shatters? How would all the Traits that empower Shatters and Illusions be utilized with your new idea?

The shatters could be replaced by a system of spiking targets if they are under effects of one of your hexes.F1 damage and shatterF2 confusion and agonyF3 slow/alacracityF4 blind/distortion

as for other weapons thats why I made up the attunement rule

[Dadnir.5038]

@Desaita.3792 said:

@"Mungo Zen.9364" said:I really do not get the Mesmer idea. What happens to all the Illusion skills we would typically have? What about the Shatters? How would all the Traits that empower Shatters and Illusions be utilized with your new idea?

The shatters could be replaced by a system of spiking targets if they are under effects of one of your hexes.F1 damage and shatterF2 confusion and agonyF3 slow/alacracityF4 blind/distortion

as for other weapons thats why I made up the attunement rule

You're not answering Mungo Zen's question here. And in fact he point out the true issue with mesmer's mechanism, it's incredibly rigid due to it's traits. There is a need for illusion/clones because traits support illusion/clones. There is a need for the shatter to be very close to their current design because traits support what their current design.

I'm pretty sure this "rigidity" is part of the reason mirage ended up focusing on dodge instead of shatters. After chrono, there is just not much that ANet can do with the shatters. I know it's frustrating but that the truth of the mesmer's design.

[Psycoprophet.8107]

warrior---->samurai. I know that's not thief, ranger or mes but it needed to be said.Thank u for ur time.

[Kodama.6453]

@Psycoprophet.8107 said:warrior---->samurai. I know that's not thief, ranger or mes but it needed to be said.Thank u for ur time.

Thematically fitting, but it is unlikely to happen imo. As long as Anet doesn't want to break the mold and design their version of the samurai with a spear instead of a sword.

Adding to this: engineer ----> plaguedoctor. No, it's not supposed to be a necromancer elite spec.

[Psycoprophet.8107]

@Kodama.6453 said:

@Psycoprophet.8107 said:warrior---->samurai. I know that's not thief, ranger or mes but it needed to be said.Thank u for ur time.

Thematically fitting, but it is unlikely to happen imo. As long as Anet doesn't want to break the mold and design their version of the samurai with a spear instead of a sword.

Adding to this: engineer ----> plaguedoctor. No, it's not supposed to be a necromancer elite spec.

True plus the spear along with lb were the main weapons used by samurai, katana although cool asf was only a secondary weapon until it was glorified during peacetime when samurai weren't really participating in battles anymore.