Weasels God.8296

"I only do fights where I outnumber my enemy to such a degree that I can walk out of combat, wait 30 sec and come back with my 3 super busted buttons with long cds" - Assuming your saying this from Guardian's perspective since its the cry of "3 super busted buttons with long cds" - 30s of kiting isn't really that hard to do. If the only thing you can think of as healthy competitive fights is ones where you push, push, push to no end then its no wonder you think CC's are the problem. If increasing the size of stab on engis Defense Field (not even increasing duration, amount or cap of people) kills firebrand then my god firebrand would already be useless and unseen. Putting it on the same size as shouts isn't unreasonable, but in compromise - at least in a 360 radius for the stab, and just to clarify the reflect should definitely stay the smaller 240 radius. Honestly if your group is tight enough anyways you don't even see benefit from this change, it is more of a help for less organized pug groups. I did wiki "Arcane Shielding" but now it is changed to "Elemental Shielding" which makes a big difference. Unfortunately since you know so much about the game you mistook the name and didn't crosscheck what you said before you post. Can't take you seriously when you don't even crosscheck your facts or your own posts. Yes, the 1 stack of shared stab from Bountiful Disillusionment on its own is low and wouldn't be impactful. It would be there in place with literally all the other changes proposed. More classes with access to stab. You don't get the picture that having stab tied to literally one spec, one class is why balancing it is impossible. Since it is one class they have to have higher stab duration and higher stab counts. Lowering the amount and duration across the board but making it so multiple classes can overlap gives you the ability to work around CD's and duration. I believe you completely read the section on Guardian wrong. That or you literally don't understand Guardian as a whole and should read the wiki a bit more to learn it since that is where all knowledge comes from apparently. What trait do Core and DH run if they want stab on F3? Indomitable Courage. What trait does FB run? Battle Presence. They don't run Indomitable Courage because it is only on opening the book, and they already get low stab in book. They should remove the stab from within the book, add it to the trait Indomitable Courage and increase the stab count to compensate for the loss of taking Battle Presence inside the tome. I wouldn't even care if you kept the stab on entering tome in first place, plus increased stab while in tome.

Way too much to read thru to see if any of this has already been suggested but here is my opinion from a WvW standpoint : Chrono is basically unplayable without distort on f4, I'd like to see that back personally and the distortion to be back to f5. It already has its other shatters changed as it's "compensation". Make it so signet doesn't recharge the f5, and that you can't precast skills then go into continuum split. That would solve a lot of the issues around using continuum split without having a proper setup of clones for duration. I'd also like to see Chrono's "wells" work similar to scrappers "gyros/wells" where they follow the mesmer. Most of the support aspects of the wells is on the last tick of the well and 90% of the time your not going to be on or around the well anymore - especially in WvW. Only one that might not be super good on is the Gravity Well but even that one I don't think is really a bad idea. Mirage definitely needs to have the second dodge back, and the only trait that was really causing issues with the second dodge is Infiinite Horizon - so maybe attach the loss of second dodge directly to that trait and leave the second dodge if using one of the other grandmasters. I don't think I ever really saw much complaint about power mirages, almost entirely condi mirage and mostly due to Infinite Horizon stacking so well with ambush skills on clones.

The heals overall are too low. The other support options that mesmer brings are also fairly lacking and fills very niche rolls. They can be used in WvW but your only going to bring a small amount compared to other classes. Mainly your looking for CC's and boonstrips in larger groups and the side healing is just a benefit if it happens in cases when the other traits just aren't good in the line at all.

There are mesmers?? 😉

I listed a lot of short duration stabs that can be applied by multiple classes since if stab is WIDELY available you NEED shorter durations or you'll have permanent stability. I listed a couple of changes to give it out to classes, doesn't mean it needs to end there either or that the durations, cd, and stack sizes are perfect. There is a fine line to balance your CC and Stab arms race. CC's need to still be impactful when you make mistakes but there should be good rotations to engage with. Longstanding slugfests because perfect uptime isn't ideal imo, I like the ebb and flow with momentary regroups waiting for cd's and baiting. That is in itself part of combat. I brought Core F3 into it simply for CD standards, if you feel that it is a worthless skill and its CD is LONGER than the tomes which even by your standards offers more then the CD on f3 for core would definitely need to be changed to lower than your new proposed tome change. That could potentially end up just being stronger than tome at that rate by having a 20s cd instant cast f3 on core for stab with trait. I think that would be broken AF. Also to mention you stated that core f3 is only good for carrying effects from other traits, so what prohibits your precious f3 tome from needing the same. I agree 100% that the stab in tome 3 isn't the best - which is why I believe that boosting the amount given by the trait isn't a terrible idea but that the stab in the tome should be tied to the trait not just handed out like literally every other spec for guardian has to do. Engi's defensive stab field should definitely get an increased radius though. 240 is stupid small, buff to 600 like guardian shout. Arcane Shielding? There isn't a trait or skill under that name but going by the naming scheme I'm assuming your referring to Elementalist in some way (guess you don't play the class - tehe) but there is Final Shield trait for ele, as well as Arcane Shield skill (not shielding but just regular shield) but a 1 stack of stab on a 40s cd skill couldn't POSSIBLY be impactful so that surely isn't what your meaning. My proposed change for ele, specifically focused on its current support spec, if you share 2 stacks of stability every overload (didn't ever list a duration cuz I didn't know the exact timing in between overloads at the time) which can occur after 6s being in the attunement promotes playing the class mechanics. Each overload has a CD of 20s so if your doing a rotation threw all elements the stab would be off CD by the time you finish a full rotation. Even if you only do a 3 elemental rotation you only have a 2s downtime before using an overload again. I'd say 2 stacks for a 3-4s duration would be reasonable. That alone gives good stab uptime not withstanding strips. You are opposed to having Firebrand be a Stab bot but Chrono's being CC and boonrip bots is fine! The buff suggested there was imo fairly minor (1 stack of stab is a joke but it can still be used for a cover stack) but it at least gave chrono some boonshare with might, vigor , fury , regen and resistance depending on shatter used. But mesmer does already have access to stab mantra (which btw mesmer mantras get the short end of the stick again by still only getting 2 charges and no option to trait for a 3rd anymore) so I didn't want to load too much stab into it. Lastly, the stab changes I listed were meme material and if your asking for stab to change is what anet would likely change it to. They wouldn't even change the duration off CC's so it'd really be a face to the floor. Be careful what you wish for or that is what you might get. xD

I guess as an alternative since working around the current stab seems to be your only real complaint here, make stab a "chance to resist CC" instead of a full immunity to it. Or something like "reduced duration on hard CC skills by 33%" to make it basically the protection/resolution of hard CC skills. Both pretty garbo option in my opinion and would just exacerbate the hard CC's unless all hard CCs got reduced durations down to manageable amounts or we had higher access to stunbreaks.

So listing options for possibly giving out stab to other classes does anything. Got it. Also adding more stab into Tome 3 by changing the trait to give more stab doesn't give it more stab. Got it? Giving some of the underperforming abilities in tome 3 some additional functionality doesn't do anything. Got it. So basically you just want guardian to be a do it everything instead so no other classes can fill in its role. I'm fine with guardian being the best at boons but it has its hands in way to much forms of support on top of being the only real stab source. Scrappers have top heals and cleanses (only really boons since PoP is overtuned and needs some form of change). Tempest is a bit lacking in its support imo but it does bring decent heals and cleanses too just not as much as scrappers. Chrono support is basically all about its utility skills rather than ability to apply any kind of boons or clears honestly. I am more interested in getting more viable specs across the field instead of stacking firebrands cause stab is needed. Also, I included your "cd reduction" idea but 30s is way to low since not even core guards is up that fast. Even traited it is only at 38.25 and it brings nothing but aegis if not traited for stab and only gives the protection and resolution for being in virtues line. Makes literally zero sense to reduce it to that.

As it should, which is why I feel it should lose the healing in favor of slightly better stab. Mainly what needs to happen is for stab to have more sources so that one class isn't "oppressive" in the support role for being able to do something none of the other specs can. Just some ideas, and I know people would probably argue that they aren't balanced and I'm definitely not going to claim they are but maybe something like this? Tweaked if needed for balance sake. Change Purity of Purpose to give stab (1-2 stacks for 4s) when removing movement impairing conditions, on a 5s ICD and remove all other boon conversions. Give Tempest the ability to share stab on overloads. (1-2 stacks at a time). It kinda already would have a built in ICD with the time it takes for overloads to come back up. Maybe like Harmonious Conduit trait just add in that it gives it to up to 5 nearby players. Maybe even make Bountiful Disillusionment on Mesmer share the 1 stack of stab it gets on shatters, with the other boon it gives so it can be a bit more viable in a support role. Also, assuming it firebrand did lose Battle Presence and had to trait for stab (with the other additional changes I stated) I would be perfectly accepting of reducing tome CD by like 10s on F3. Main problem is that most of those tomes do come with a good deal of other utility and I don't think tome 1 or tome 2 need a cd reduction. Though tome 3 is definitely lacking for a 75s CD - hence my original proposed change to increase its potential. With a 65s CD (thats 10s shorter by default which would put it closer to a 55.25s cd with virutes traitline), and 2 stacks of stab on tome skills (if traited with the version of Indomitable Courage I proposed) and slight tweak on those two skills I feel it would bring just as much value as before, perhaps more but still leave room for more build diversity since it wouldn't be dipping into the healing pool as much.

I agree that Stab is mandatory and I think there needs to be more than just Guardians with the ability to apply it in a group application. More stab access across multiple classes, for lower stab duration and stacks to make up for increased application ability. If we are looking specifically at why Firebrand is "oppressive" though is that unlike every other guardian spec that has had to trait to get its Stab application, it gets it for free and instead gets extra support in other area's. When DH came out it didn't have "better support" over Core Guard. It still had to take the same trait for stab on F3. It didn't gain free passive healing for allies thru Battle Presence since it still required the stab trait. It is a bunker with way too much support built in. Scrappers are only really good at Healing and Condi Clears. Temptests are much in the same boat. Firebrands? Heals, clears, stab, blocks, might not be as good at healing or clears as scrappers or tempest but if you stack enough firebrands you get it anyways.

FB is honestly oppressive in WvW and is considered mandatory in groups because of its strong support skills despite its longer CD on tomes compared to other guardian specs. It gets its stab without having to trait for it on F3 unlike core and DH - then on top of that gets to take the extra free healing from Battle Presence. I'd like to see stab removed from F3 tome skills UNLESS traited for with Indomitable Courage like all other guardian specs. If that is the case as well since it is being traited specifically for gain 2 stacks of stab instead of 1. The loss in passive heals is plenty to justify the increase in stab stacks even if only slightly and would give reason to use the number 1 for stab. In place of the current stab on bar give it resistance since it only blocks movement impaired conditions. Only two real changes needed here, for the skills that currently give stab by default. Chapter 1 : Unflinching Charge - Grants swiftness and resistance(my suggestion in place of stab). (Stab if traited) Chapter 5 : Unbroken Lines - Grants "Unbroken Lines -300 Toughness", Protection, Resolution(my suggestion in place of stab), and Aegis. (Stab if traited)

It's not like Scrapper suddenly stops clearing conditions because there is an ICD on PoP. Just means that the boon conversion only happens once in awhile. I do think that a 5s ICD might be to long, but maybe a 1-2s ICD (per person) just to keep in line stronger cleanse skills like gyro. Otherwise I do think that giving "Purity of Purpose" some actual purity of purpose and streamlining it into one or two boons would be a great idea. Regen, Vigor, and Resistance would be good choices for converts with the line being a more defensive option. "Purity of Purpose" could be interpretted as being unhindered in your pursuit with renewed vigor. It reduces the amount of possible boon/condi conversions, say for instance you convert 5 conditions to 2 boons and a necro immediately corrupts again they will only have 2 boons to convert instead of 5 to put you right back where you started.