Wulfhearth.7962

If the main feedback is "this sucks, i want a completely different weapon concept", then yes. It's probably way too late in the development process for that.

I was definitely expecting a melee condi and/or support weapon rather than another power weapon as well. It's weird how for some classes they chose to give them what they lack and fill in niches, and for other classes they give them more of what the class already has a lot of...

Yep, there's a serious risk they'll either be permanently dead or immortal. Neither would be good. 😅

These look spicy. Sacrificing health has been something necros have been excited about for a while, so it's nice that we finally get that playstyle. Could be quite fun if it's balanced right (which might be hard to achieve). I am a bit cautious about how swords will fit in with the other weapons too, as there is quite some overlap with Dagger, Axe and GS. Hopefully it won't be stepping on the toes of the other weapons too much and manage to find a healthy niche. Poor dagger just recently managed to find a niche for itself... Mobility, self-sustain, and damage also sounds like a very scary combination for pvp.

Pugs in PvE be like...

Additionally, there is already a dedicated boonsupport elite specialisation for elementalist. If that is not being played, it needs buffs not more boons on pistol.

Yes, i think traits are the biggest aspect restricting what the elements can do in their current state. Currently traitlines tie specific themes/roles to specific elements and the minor traits require you to be in/attune to a specific element to get their bonuses, rather than having the minor traits be atunement neutral and the traits requiring a specific element being opt-in via major traits. They have recently been working on removing weapon and utility skill specific traits, so maybe there's hope for ele in that department as well, though it would be a bigger enterprise. As it's a condition weapon, they probably wouldn't expect you to pick up the air traitline. The few condition traits that are in fire and earth are decently atunement-neutral; increasing burn/bleed duration and dealing more damage to burning/bleeding foes. Looking over the traits again, i did however notice that all of the traits/traitlines are geared heavily to hybrid damage, so that's interesting in view of us getting a pure condi weapon.

I don't think air always HAS to be (or should be) the damage element. Having it focus on utility, mobility and CC is equally fitting for the element and provides some variety. But yeah, then other elements, like water, would have to pick up the damage instead rather than following their more "traditional roles", otherwise it just lowers the DMG of the weapon. The way ANet interpreted and implemented Purity of Purpose for the elements is one of the biggest things bothering me about the class. It becomes stale fast and is likely an artifact from the times traitlines were tied to specific attributes they carried on throughout the especs.

They did do the thing where they show the same skill from multiple angles/perspectives for some of the other classes too, so i assume it is that rather than ammo. (Unless all the skills they repeated have ammo)

If anything, more other classes should get a bigger radius for their support stuff as well, rather than nerfing Herald.

I guess it's safe to assume they would have mentioned it on the blogpost if there were more than 4 arrows and engis could choose which one to slot outside of combat like ranger (non-UT) hammer? Maybe it could still happen after the betas and feedback, if necessary? I feel like that could give the rather straightforward weapon more depth and flexibility, letting you adapt it for different builds or gamemodes. Would feel quite on theme for engineer as well.

I do like the idea and visuals of it, leaning into the more alchemist-y side of engi, but i'd have to see how it feels to play in game. I feel like it could either be fun and offer interesting decision making, or be kinda boring or impractical and clunky to use.

I'm sure there's gonna be plenty of projectile finishers at the very least. As for conditions, if the skills are ice themed bleeding and vuln would work well for water and burning and/or torment on air.

I'm actually surprised that it's not a hybrid weapon. I'm getting my hopes up for offensive water/ice skills actually being allowed to do good damage rather than the just usual healing. 👌

Yeah, a shout would be cool. Or it's gimmick is that the heal can actually crit and benefits from offensive stats as well as healing power. (If that's able to be coded, that is)