Love the Virtuoso specialization. The spec feels fun while playing it. Though I like the animations I do think that some of them need to be toned down a bit as having multiple virtuoso's just turns the area into a purple field of raining daggers. Playing around in WvW was very fun, and this spec feels good to me. I roamed as well as followed a some zergs and had good experiences with the spec. Some of the feedback I read seemed to want to entirely remake the class which in my opinion does not need to happen. Aside from some skill or trait upgrades I think the spec is well designed and is intended to be played pretty differently then prior specs. I think I should add that I mostly do WvW, both roaming and zerging, and sometimes fractals with friends. I will list out some thoughts on the traits and skills.
Traits
Quiet Intensity – I have seen a few people say that this trait keying off vitality seems wrong, but I completely disagree. I love the design of this trait and think that keying off vitality is what makes it interesting, and could open up a variety of runes to use.
Deadly Blades – I think this minor trait is fine.
Jagged Mind – It’s incredibly easy to maintain a lot of bleed stacks with this trait, however I think that this could be added to Bloodsong and a new trait could replace it.
Bladesong Refrain – Good Trait
Mental Focus – Never picked this trait, just seemed lackluster compared to the other two.
Duelists Reversal – This, to me, is the trait of choice from this tier. Sharpening Sorrow only affecting one bladesong seems aweful and the use of phantasms on this spec is, in my experience, diminished (while using the dagger). Compared to duelists reversal’s reliable access to quickness the other two options seem mediocre.
Sharpening Sorrow –Am I missing something here, because this only affecting one song seems terrible.
Phantasmal Blades – Seems fine if you are trying to summon a lot of phantasms, but as I expressed earlier I think this spec is far less interested in them than other specs. Needs actual damage instead of 40....
The grandmaster traits are where I think some work could go into them. Bloodsong is only viable if taken with jagged mind, and those two traits taken together from my experience generate and incredible amount of blades essentially making the others feel like they do nothing. Combining the bleed on crit from jagged mind and bloodsong, while also reworking effects from the other two may be something to consider.
Infinite Forge – In my opinion this is a trap trait and should never be taken.. (I think I was incorrect in my initial assessment. However, I still don't think the grandmaster traits do enough.)
Bloodsong – The top choice for me along with jagged mind, these two traits give you access to huge amounts of stocked blades.
Riposting Blade – I think this needs an added effect, as well as doing real damage instead of dealing 40, something like if the blade hits your foe is weakened or crippled.
Skills
Overall the skills feel very fun to me. I like the implementation of the main hand dagger and that it is a ranged weapon. The dagger skills seem mostly fine to me with the following caveats.
Flying Cutter - Triggering a blade flurry could, maybe should, reward a boon. Might I think is the obvious choice for the boon.
Bladecall – I think this needs something like, “apply a boon to yourself for each blade that hits an enemy, this may only occur once per blade per cast,” and “remove a boon from an enemy on the return, this may only occur once per blade per cast.” This may not be worded correctly as the intent would be that a single blade can only remove or grant one boon for the first enemy it hits and subsequent hits from the same blade on other enemies would act as normal hits. This would allow limited boon hindrance in aoe situations but if you hit the same target on a single cast it could grant multiple boons/boon removal. Maybe regeneration protection and swiftness for the boons gained.
Unstable Bladestorm – I like this skill. Fun to cast, not sure if its actually good. Also bladenado applying some condition or something other then just being sharknado light would be in line with the mesmer's class identity.
I think that the utility skills have gotten a little too much undeserved negativity, they are still at least somewhat lackluster. Psychic force almost just seems like it reads give yourself some might stacks and fury for awhile with a cool down of 45 seconds, obviously I could be completely wrong though.
Twin Blade Restoration – I think this is fine and has some nice flavor.
Thousand Cuts – I like this skill a lot. As in it was fun to use.
I am looking forward to being able to play this permanently, and I hope it gets to retain it’s interesting identity.
Edit: The more I play the more I love this spec and the more I think the damage is fine.
Edit #2: The damage seems fine and there are benchmarks that show it, but the utility skills do need work. I am not entirely sure but when first taking the virtuoso into WvW the cool down of twin blade restoration was 20 seconds like indicated on the wiki. When I was able to play more on Saturday I noticed that the cool down was 30 seconds. This doesn't really seem necessary. I think Psychic Force should let you blink some amount of units, 600 or so, prior to the knock-back and boons take effect. Weaken could be added to Sword of Decimation. Rain of swords could also just add bleed stacks, even if you don't have jagged mind. I don't understand why the dagger skills don't actually do anything boon or condition-wise without jagged mind.
