Buran.3796

Has also the limitation that quickness souces for Rev in WvW are severely reduced compared to PvE. Even with 50% boon duration the most you can expect is 4.5 seconds after Phase Traversal or 3 seconds with Scavenger Burst. A vanilla Guardian with Stand Your Ground! provides 6 seconds with 5 stacks of stability, and that being naked with 0 gear. Brutality sounds so good on paper which earns a spot as contender to "most awesome trait which in reality does almost nothing". In PvE is uneeded and competes vs much stronger traits. In PvP is weak, as the decaffeinated Roiling Mist; in WvW is very situational and at the end you're spending resources to grant a cc which won't do damage but is needed to land the real damage... Instead seems just more pratical to focus on land the cc and burst your damage, or to have a high dps over time...

...But is a very good and reliable sample of the reality, since most of players doesn't even do instanced content nor run with builds and skills able to perform well at them, as the nerfs of the dificulty in the last EoD main event proved. I think that we even have statistics about how much % finished the mian campaign and/or adquired the turtle and were stunningly low. I myself did neither of them despite being 9K hour into the game with full leg armors (I still finishing the Skyscale quest, lol... ).

Both provide the same stats but with more focus on either precission or ferocity; I'm not ware of how much accesible is extra crit chance with Thief (with fury or other sources) so I would like to known which would work the best.

Objetively the number is even lower since the basic unit is a 5 character squad and most of boons are being tuned to only reach that cap, so 5 alone is enough. And that's what the charts are suggesting: since 3-4 professions alone are able to stack all the roles in the game you don't need the other 5 and that's what we are looking at. The only question for the average player is: is my class amongst the ones which the ANet designers do play or in the discard drawer?

This won't make quarum but I would like a new core weapon + either a new core legend or a new skill for legacy legend (to chose 3 between 4 utilities) for the next expansion instead of a new spec kitten hard just a few months after the release. The game currently is structured in instanced content around having providers of shared quickness, alacrity, plus a provider of cleanses/healing and a few sources of stability, aegis or some slected utilities as projectile negation/reflection or fast barbreaking utilities. Since stacking max might, condition caps, fury, etc. seems trivial for most squads and every character provides damage the three main roles are either being a perma-quickness or aliacrity provider, an excellent healer or just having extra tricks to play on top of having very high dps. Since currently there's a lot more competition in providing quickness, alacrity or dps now the fight translated to "who provides the most of those which the least effort", which lead us to having a couple of professions filling 50% of those roles. Rev already provides alacrity, quickness and healing (not the best at any of those) so I struggle to find out a reason to want another spec, since roles won't play and the only change would be rotations and gameplay (and we are moving to either afk LI builds on one hand as Mechanist or Specter, to wonkiness and clunky rotations at other as Vindicator and Untamed in another).

Sadly it works best with condition builds, this is the one I'm running in WvW/PvP: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PmABw6l7lxQKsOyixRXMPCjRSiMCqgjqUX7F-z1IY14/MiUC0p6SyDA-w http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PmABkex7lxQKsO6ixRYMPyiRSiMCqgjqUX7F-zZxsQisCyMB6NE8aA I've also used power Herald with shield in PvP but in a hammer build ith less tha stellar performance aiming to pressure at range and tank in nodes but I doubt would work well for roaming: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PmwAIx7lxQKsO6ixRYMPyiRSiMCqgl+UVrD-z5gfKNqAyUE0rQogJgGGAA

Snow Crows only list builds which they find optimal for each role but Wingman frames a good picture of the overall spec usage across instanced game modes and the numbers for Vindicator are just awfull, well below 1% even at Strikes (its most "succesfull" endevour). Yesterday, by the way, was the MAT with 0 Vindis and a couple of underperforming Heralds (which anyway wasn't used at semis or final). Again, since PvP/WvW was a lost cause for Vindi since its conception, ANet should focus into making Vindi to shine at something in PvE (damage, or support of any kind maybe) before evrything beings diluted inside the Mechanist/Firebrand/Virtuoso. GW2 maybe "is designed to play what you want" but 5 professions are just falling apart as buildings in flames...

Would add also Blindside, which both produces videos for YT and streams in Twitch, 100% centered in PvP: https://www.youtube.com/c/Blindside_TV/videos

Yes, and means nothing: Herald used to have quickness in Impossible Odds, which both felt and was stronger at the time than the current Vindicator (or Herald). Vindicator's poularity in instanced content is already below 1%, which reflects fairly how is perceived by both Rev mainers and other players... https://gw2wingman.nevermindcreations.de/popularity

In overall I agree with all your post, but I don't see how "every other Rev spec is feeling kind of weak at this point", lol. ANet just deleted both Renegade and Vindi from the game (Core never was a thing). The other Rev builds doesn't exist in the same galaxy as Herald variants.

As sad as it sounds, having a niche to fill with a specific specialization is a bless: a lot of the 27 specs in the game does fulfill 0 roles. Think about it: Firebrand is mandatory in WvW zerging and godlike in instanced PvE, but at PvP is REALLY BAD (I still play it sometimes, I think is a kink on mine). Mechanist has 2-3 variants which are top tier at PvE, yet is not that good at PvP (since balancing pet classes at that game mode is a mess). Now tell me at what game mode are Chronomancer or Deadeye meta. Before EoD only two core professions (Guardian and Necro) were meta at PvP; currently the number of core builds that have a role in PvP is 0: core Guardian is still good, but Tempest auramancer is just better at that role due how much ranged attacks are used. I don't have any hopes/interest in seing "viable" PvP/WvW versions of Vindicator, the same as Willbender, being designed to lose team support and being a selfish spec, has 0 chances to be "a thing" in WvW zergs, or a PvE healer. Which is fine: not every spec has to have builds which are meta at everything. But seems reasonable to thaink that every spec should have at least a niche in which is good. Vindicator, by nature, is bad at dealing condition damage, ranged damage, and dealing with unpredictable attacks or cc saturatio, so since is already bad suited to fight vs players, or to provide support, why not at least make it to shine as a power PvE dps? That would set Renegade as condi dps for PvE, Vindicator as power dps for PvE, and Herals as best Revenant spec for WvW/PvP and team support. Currently Vindicator does nothing, is only good for roleplaying a schyzo since the voices inside the head...

You need to be full Diviner (except boots or gauntlets or shoulder armor pieces) + to have Superior Sigil of Concentration in the weapon to reach 100% boon duration (with Fireworks runes). With Scholars runes you won't even reach 100% (maybe with food?). That 100% will grant you 8 seconds of quickness via Scavenger Burst, leaving you with 16K HP, 2.2K armor and less than stellar power, crit chances and crit damage values. And the need to spam your jump to generate damage, in a mele build. Also disagree about people only caring about big stats of condition damage: power Mechanist (in both mace and rifle variants) is currently extremely popular, whithout the need to deal with wonky gameplay, lack of ranged damage, or cc, or team support. But why would a designer care about a profession which doesn't play if the ones they main work well?

Don't fool yourselves with excuses. Currently Willbender doesn't rely in providing quickness/alacrity to team mates, yet works extremely well in both goups/solo as condition dps. You can be a selfish spec and still be practical, instead of just being a Vindi. My condi WB in Dire + TB kills things ~35% faster than my power Vindi (Dragon + zerk) despite as average only stacks ~18 might compared to 25 with Vindi. It also has 1K more HP (~20.5K and 900+ armor (~3.3K). It also has better mobility, cc and much more versatility in skill selection. Plus two dodges. For the sort of things Vindi gives up, it should hit like a nuke. Instead is just a worse core Revenant.

Currently I would say that staff is useless in every game mode outside conformed AT teams (for power Herald), since power Herald doesn't work in ranked with pugs. The backup weapons for gs are swords or sword + axe, since everything else just gives up too much damage. Talking about PvP, pre-nerfs Vindi worked only for maybe 50 players in the world. Then turned the heals which heal for 700 HP and were designed to be be spammed oftenly in a 700 HP heals with a 30s cooldown which finally sunk the ship. I won't run any Vindi build in any game mode anyway; mine is serving as a mule/alt parking character since May...

Shield maybe sucks at instanced PvE, but in both PvP, roaming WvW and OW PvE performs fairly well. At this particular moment in the game, I prefer it, for sure, above running the staff. And yes, tecnically the best PvP build the Rev has for ATs is the eternal Herald's swords + staff of forever, but I no longer have interest into running that build, so whenever I run a Herald build and I want tankiness, I use shield, no matter if is a condi or power build...

As Vindis... 😄

In general terms I won't worry about gear before level 80. Then at 80 the TP is a good source of exotics, along dungeons, PvP and WvW rewards and HoT rewards. Them, for ascended trinkets (amulet + rings + ear rings + back pack and even the underwater respirator) the two best sources are farming winterberries in the Frostbite Frontier and the local currencies and volatile magic in Dragonfall & Sandswept Isles seasonal maps. Then, for armor ar gear (ascended) I would recomend you to up your crafting skills in the armor and weapons of choices up to level 500, and craft them. The you should focus in trying to complete your first legendary armor set: If you're playing PvP or WvW instead of rising your crafting you can save the tokens and Grandmaster Chest and use them to get the precursors (you SHOULDN'T change the stats of those armor pieces once selected, so be careful with your choices). Then you would need the crafting at 500 to complete those legendaries. Thief and Ranger share the same armor type: mid (leather), whereas Mesmer uese light (clothes). Unless you're decided to main Mesmer going with the others will allow you to share the armor.

Didn't known. That's huge. And also crushes the PvE/WvW method in terms of cost and value (as long as you enjoy PvP).

As a current owner of the three legendary sets from PvP (plus The Ascension and Trascendence) which has been close to plat 1 but never able to cross the line I don't think w/l ratio it matters too much: the main limiting factor are the Boxes of Grandmaster Marks. You need 20 for a full set and you can only get 3 x regular Season + 1 x mini Season, so it takes you ~15 months to get those. At that point, you will be flooded in ascended shards, even with sub 50% w/l ratio.

A dodge is a defensive action which performs an evade, a movement with a 0.75 seconds window in which the evader ignores any attack which has to hit or target him or the area in which stays (albeit don't prevent other effects as damaging conditions already on him). But a dodge doesn't grant pass through area effects which requieres a cc check as Guardian's Line of Guarding, Ring Of Warding, Sanctuary, Hunter's Ward or Necro's Spectral Ring. In order to be able to dodge across those effects you need to have at least one stability stack. Vindicator's dodge (jump) works as a longer evade, to some extent: has an animation and a window in which the target can't be hit by attacks or effects which otherwise would affect him or the area in which stays/moves across. But there's a few caveats: * The animation window is longer than the duration of the "i-frames" grated by the jump, so you're more vulnerable at the end, in the recovery animation (albeit was shortened). * The jump itself doesn't grant the right to cross through areas affected by a cc check as the already cited Line of Warding, etc. if you're not under the effect of stability. * The jump is bugged and oftenly having stability stacks on you doesn't grant you the right to ignore those cc effects. Can be tested casting Jalis Inspiring Reinforcement before the jump and then trying to cross an enemy Line of Warding. I don't known if this is still unfixed. I don't known if the reason is due along the jump (which is longer than a normal dodge) you're unable to be target of your own boons or what.

You can use ranged weapons at mele, and most of time you barely give up damage. And now you talk about the mechanics: some in the game forces you to disengage from stacking or retreat from foes, which will cause mele fighters to entirely cease to deal damage. Condition damage is supposed to act slowly but oh my! if some of the burstiest combos in the game don't came from conditions, specially burns... Condis also offer better ratios of damage and defense since condi only needs two stats and also has the advantage of 1) ignores armor entirely and 2) keeps dealing damage when you perform defensive actions as evading, blocking, etc., which isn't true most of the time with power builds.

I agree with the 4 first points and would also add that I miss the quickness from Impossible Odds. Related to the 23th August changes, I don't care them since I won't touch a power Rev with a 10 feet staff, and talking about staves, I won't use that weapon again.

Is nice to see the think process but outside the S tier (and some of those don't even qualify) everything else is just useless. I'll summarize: * Expansions and episodes are excellent due bring up content and new ways to play and to get value (farmable maps, etc.). * Character slots have insane value, at least untill you have 1 of each class (my advice is to mix gender and race because there's only 10 voice actors for them, so while in theory you have a favourite combo if you make 6 with the same voice it will be end being very annoying). * Shared inventory slots are excellent but you only need a very few ones, less than 10 (I have 6 but with 4-5 I still would be fine). *Gathering tools are excellent but very expensive, I already explained what I find out as the best combos. Is important to known that albeit expensive, some of those not only inproves your quality of life but also end paying for themselves very soon. My latest adquisition was a volatility glyph (faro 204 gold coins) and it will pay itself in less than 50 days at my current pace of use. * One permament pass of the preferred choice is extremely convenient. The globbers for buffs are the only one gem store items I didn't consider; seems to have a good value due their low cost, but I don't think they are mandatory. An spending gems in buying gold is just bad. Play the game and have fun, find out the way to make gold while having that fun. If you don't have fun then isntead play "the real life" and try to make more money and fun out there.

Yep, that's pretty much my modus operandi. When I farm nodes or places with high concentration of crops I follow some rules, based in two categories: A) Farms in which the goal is mainly the material, so the key aspect is the speed. B) Farms in which the goal is the extra proc (mainly volatile magic, due how profitable is). For the first type, the best tools are a sickle with the "golf swing" animation, due is the fastest at gathering, and the unbound axe and unbound mining pick due the same reason. As for glyphs, for the sickle the best choices are either industry (if the crops are sparse) or reaping (if they are together or in pairs as in Dry Top or Bitterfrost, respectively), whereas for logging and mining the industry glyph works the best. For the second kind of farming (volatile magic) the best tool is just a molten sickle (or similar) with the volatile glyph: harvesting plants is much faster than choping woods or mining ore and delivers way better vm x time, specially since almost every map in the game has a high density are for crops, with 8 to 20 plants in a small area (volatile magic sickles bought with karma in Dragonfall and other maps can work, albeit at way slower pace and less convenience). Then there's the "rules" for optimizing that farming: 1) Larger nodes, as Sweptsand Isles (20), Drizzlewood (15), Drytop (13-15) or Echovald Forest (12) are prioritized. 2) Nodes which are located pretty close to a teleport and with no foes or events that obstacle the farming have preference, as the Itzel crops in Verdant Brink (8), Beetletun (8-13) or the floating octogonal crop field in Metrica (8). 3) Crops with high value in the current market have preference as targets for a run, as happens with the seaweed at Ember's Bay or Thunderpeaks, carrots, lettuce, flax, etc. 4) Then I optimize teleport patterns to spent the less possible using the seasonal tomes. I usually do a volatile farming run from Sandswept Isles > Beetletun Fields (using Doric Lake tp) > Verdant Brink (using Bloodstone fen tp) > Dry Top > Metrica and Ember's Bay (sometimes I skip Metrica due the crops have low value). That using 5 characters (the ones which aren't lat parked) at 6 min x run gives me 1800-200 VM which means 8 leader/trophy chest, aka 7,5 gold coins once you count the benefits from both the VM and the crops sold. Another run I used to do was the rich orichalcum ore in PoF maps, focused in the five ones which were fastest to get; delivered ~2 gold coins x run (6 minutes) when the prices were higher. Usually I play ~1 hour a day so I got ~15/20 gc a day (between daily, alt parking, VM farming and a bit of PvP) but at weekends I have more time. As example: yesterday got ~50 gold coins in 3 hours and half and now I'm around 40 in 3 hours and half. All solo: no need for fractals, raids, strikes or even OW events.

Dragonfall and Drizzlewood still place very high, but the last two maps from EoD seems also great: https://fast.farming-community.eu/open-world/farmtrain Event farming aside, I find out farming crops with amolten sickle with volatility glyph in high rich nodes (Sweptsand Isles, Dry Top, Beetletun, Vendant's Brink Itzel crops, Drizzlewood and Ember's Bay) and alt parking amongst the most lucrative farming methods in terms of time/gold.