Bladesworn Feedback Thread

[Red Haired Savage.5430]

12 hours ago, Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365 said:

welcome to engi life

You at least get it on grenade barrage.

[Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365]

3 hours ago, Red Haired Savage.5430 said:

You at least get it on grenade barrage.

welcome to mechanist life?*

[Red Haired Savage.5430]

3 minutes ago, Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365 said:

welcome to mechanist life?*

Then make that feedback for engi/mechanist. If Anet gives it to us great if not oh well we tried.

[Ovalkvadratcylinder.9365]

Just now, Red Haired Savage.5430 said:

Then make that feedback for engi/mechanist. If Anet gives it to us great if not oh well we tried.

its been asked for since launch 

[anbujackson.9564]

So I just started elden ring and played around with the controls. I started with a katana. Every weapon has unique skills...

And after I saw L2+R1 I got painfully reminded of dragon slash. In elden ring you press F2, sheathe your sword while STILL being able to move. Or you can backstep and the character goes right back to it. Thats how movement should be. If you dodge, you dont loose any ressources. 

And in gw2 I loose everything for taking a single step. Please consider your technical options...

 

Edited April 8, 2022 by anbujackson.9564

[PseudoOAlias.4279]

So Like, what if This: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sight_beyond_Sight

Was on this instead?: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22On_My_Mark!%22

 

Unrelated, if someone can tell me how to target someone while they're invisible so I can reveal them let me know! 😄

Edited April 14, 2022 by PseudoOAlias.4279
links

[oscuro.9720]

2 hours ago, PseudoOAlias.4279 said:

So Like, what if This: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sight_beyond_Sight

Was on this instead?: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22On_My_Mark!%22

 

Unrelated, if someone can tell me how to target someone while they're invisible so I can reveal them let me know! 😄

You hit them before they stealth. Most stealth requires an activation animation (think thief using death blossom in smoke field). Use it then. The reveal on On My Mark is lengthy, so you have a fair margin of error. You can also time it situationally, based on what’s happening in the fight.

[Dante.1508]

Its too slow between attacks.

[Hotride.2187]

On 4/14/2022 at 7:46 PM, PseudoOAlias.4279 said:

So Like, what if This: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Sight_beyond_Sight

Was on this instead?: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22On_My_Mark!%22

 

Unrelated, if someone can tell me how to target someone while they're invisible so I can reveal them let me know! 😄

Its simple, you have no slot to run either. Even on shout core bulls charge is way more valuable. I dunno about bladesworn but I doubt it runs on my mark. Spb definitely has no slot.

Against thief you are better off trying to hit them in stealth, cause they think they are invuln then and their reaction time is lower. Also good thieves space you and stealth only for the backstabs. Against deadeye only magebane tether helps anyway.

For stealth from other professions its usually used to stall or setup a burst you can mitigate with kiting. Maybe trap DH would be a good matchup for the reveal but on bladesworn I imagine you drop gunsaber aoes on top of the traps and heal through LB5 (if you fail to dodge) and trueshot. Or just dt (or whatever the stab gain skill is) and dodge.

Edited April 21, 2022 by Hotride.2187

[CaffeeCup.5742]

I got back to sPvP (unranked) past couple of days, it's been rough but I'm getting the hang of it again.  I started with non-shout builds, but yeah, shouts are the only way to go. Still deciding between Discipline vs Strength.

 

Feedback:

PLEASE MAKE BREAKSTEP DIRECTIONAL...

PLEASE MAKE BREAKSTEP DIRECTIONAL...

PLEASE MAKE BREAKSTEP DIRECTIONAL..

Just do it please, just like WB F2 or GS Whirlwind.  Make us agile please. (De-targeting is a clunky mess)

 

Also, been using dragonspike mine as replacement for Bulls Charge alongside SiO and FGJ, I kinda like it.  Getting tossed around, pulled , immobi-locked, floated, etc. it's an okay Oh Crap button, plus the DT reset means you get a Ferrari Bull's Charge after.

Edited May 3, 2022 by CaffeeCup.5742

[cryorion.9532]

Unseen Sword - please change this trait to activate only when in combat. It is quite annoying getting into combat beacuse of random mobs or rubble/structure when dismounting, using kits and some consumables, etc.

Edited May 6, 2022 by cryorion.9532

[Foxtou.3489]

Dragon Slash—Boost should be directional (like GS Whirlwind).

 

It is frustrating to use, as in its current form it gives you poor control over your own character. Say you've entered Dragon Trigger and are about to use Boost, but a mesmer pulls your target side-ways the moment you press it. Your character goes flying off in an unintended direction. Even worse if you go flying off a ledge you had no intention of even moving towards in the first place.

 

Or you're in Dragon Trigger and charging up before using Boost, but the thief you're fighting pops stealth. You have a good idea of where the thief is, but because you no longer have a target, you have practically no way of directing your Boost. And if you try to rotate your character in place, you automatically break out of Dragon Trigger and your charges are wasted.

 

Dragon Slash—Boost is frustrating and clunky to use in its current incarnation. Please let me have control over my own character.

 

In fact, the specialization would benefit from having all three Dragon Slashes be direction. But it is especially true for Boost.

[cryorion.9532]

1 hour ago, Foxtou.3489 said:

Dragon Slash—Boost should be directional (like GS Whirlwind).

 

It is frustrating to use, as in its current form it gives you poor control over your own character. Say you've entered Dragon Trigger and are about to use Boost, but a mesmer pulls your target side-ways the moment you press it. Your character goes flying off in an unintended direction. Even worse if you go flying off a ledge you had no intention of even moving towards in the first place.

 

Or you're in Dragon Trigger and charging up before using Boost, but the thief you're fighting pops stealth. You have a good idea of where the thief is, but because you no longer have a target, you have practically no way of directing your Boost. And if you try to rotate your character in place, you automatically break out of Dragon Trigger and your charges are wasted.

 

Dragon Slash—Boost is frustrating and clunky to use in its current incarnation. Please let me have control over my own character.

 

In fact, the specialization would benefit from having all three Dragon Slashes be direction. But it is especially true for Boost.

This would be actually quite huge QoL for Bladesworn. It is so annoying having to click on mobs because tab target change is sometimes random and clicking doesn't always work reliably if there is gazilion players and mobs.

Visual aoe indicators on top of ability to better control direction of all Dragon Slashes and also Break Step would be so gooooooood and useful.

[Fueki.4753]

8 hours ago, Foxtou.3489 said:

Dragon Slash—Boost should be directional (like GS Whirlwind).

 

It is frustrating to use, as in its current form it gives you poor control over your own character. Say you've entered Dragon Trigger and are about to use Boost, but a mesmer pulls your target side-ways the moment you press it. Your character goes flying off in an unintended direction. Even worse if you go flying off a ledge you had no intention of even moving towards in the first place.

 

Or you're in Dragon Trigger and charging up before using Boost, but the thief you're fighting pops stealth. You have a good idea of where the thief is, but because you no longer have a target, you have practically no way of directing your Boost. And if you try to rotate your character in place, you automatically break out of Dragon Trigger and your charges are wasted.

 

Dragon Slash—Boost is frustrating and clunky to use in its current incarnation. Please let me have control over my own character.

 

In fact, the specialization would benefit from having all three Dragon Slashes be direction. But it is especially true for Boost.

Instead of being directional, I'd prefer for it to home in on the target, even if the target activates stealth after you activate the trigger.

Directionals can still miss if your target moves out of your chosen direction.

[Foxtou.3489]

4 hours ago, Fueki.4753 said:

Instead of being directional, I'd prefer for it to home in on the target, even if the target activates stealth after you activate the trigger.

Directionals can still miss if your target moves out of your chosen direction.

For me it's not about missing or hitting, but to have better control over my character.

 

I don't think I'd want homing. I want to go in the direction I choose.

[Doggie.3184]

I really wish the Gunsaber had a more samurai-like posture when holding it. The default Greatsword animations are just so boring with it.

[Cloud Windfoot Omega.7485]

On 5/13/2022 at 2:18 PM, Doggie.3184 said:

I really wish the Gunsaber had a more samurai-like posture when holding it. The default Greatsword animations are just so boring with it.

Agreed, it should feel like something else, because it is. Absolutely lazy to sell warriors this.

[Ellye.9123]

My feedback is that Dragon Trigger feels extremely satisfying.

I'm not talking about hard numbers or anything like that, but the whole "charge up and unleash a powerful strike" feels really cool, the voicelines and the sound effects are great, the charge up time feels just right, etc.

Bladesworn became my favorite spec to play because of that.

[God.5728]

Unyielding Dragon needs to be baked into base Dragon Slash and not a trait.

[Kunavi.2407]

BLADESWORN SUGGESTIONS

 

THE GUN-SABER

BS should only use their Saber, automatically equipped on slotting the spec. Any other weapons should not be available to use while the spec is slotted.

...Not offering skins for the Saber nor dye customization, is definitely a missed opportunity. Further, I would suggest the following; A toggle to have the Saber stowed on the back and a toggle to hide or show the sheathe for both positions- As well as the ability to actually sheathe it out of combat.

New weapons, or access to existing weapons not previously available to the class, should be considered separately of BS getting access to the Saber as part of their kit. 

...To which I wouldn't object as it would give more options and value to other specs.

With the BS spec slotted and the Saber available, Weapon Swap should be replaced by DT, consolidating key binds and presses, as there would be no need for Sheathe/Stow as a mechanic(Not to be confused with simply stowing a weapon out of combat). Abilities that trigger by swapping weapons, should still trigger in this case, upon entering DT- Which IIRC is the case currently.

 

DRAGON TRIGGER

I would suggest retaining the Boost as is, though I'd change the other two DT abilities; Instead of Reach, a static 360 degrees cleave... And instead of Force, a single target strike which moves the BS to the target.

...These changes would justify a damage increase to Force, consolidate abilities, offer meaningful and different options, and provide QOL to the spec.

 

GUN-SABER ABILITIES

- Cyclone Trigger : I would suggest replacing this with GunStinger(From OH Pistol).

- Break Step : I would suggest removing this and adding Dragon Roar(Also from OH Pistol) here.

...Blooming Fire and Artillery Slash are simply too cool to suggest that they are replaced by the OH pistol abilities, but I have not considered whether or not they need balancing.

 

...At the bottom of this text I've dedicated a bit of space to discussing what could possibly happen with pistols in regards to Warriors having access to them, now.

- Flicker Step : Since I have suggested that a limited form of this be incorporated into DT Force, I would suggest replacing it with Flow Stabilizer.

- Trigger Guard : I would suggest removing additional charges(No Ammo*) while increasing its duration.

...I would also suggest that the Saber benefits from both GS and Rifle related traits(For example FGS from the Strength spec), slightly increasing Build options when it comes to traits and core specs choices.

THE KIT

Abilities

- Flow Stabilizer : As per my suggestion above, this should be moved to the Saber. Further, I would remove additional charges(No Ammo*) and balance it with that in mind in terms of strength and duration.

...Turning it into a Saber ability might mean it will be interrupting other abilities on use, which should be taken into account when balancing it, if that's the case.

...Below I suggest a Combat Stim alternative which passively heals the BS based on available Flow. It would seem only logical to balance these two with each other in mind, to allow for synergy and Build options to suit more play styles.

- Combat Stimulant : I would suggest turning this into a new Heal ability with two alternatives in how it functions; Either it should passively heal the BS, with its healing potency increasing based on Flow available... Or it should passively heal the BS every time an Ammo charge of any ability, is replenished. The latter would require certain abilities' Ammo count to be adjusted, especially since some of my suggestions remove Ammo from a couple of abilities.

...Whether or not any of those alternatives should offer further boons or have additional effects on use, I haven't considered yet, as they were hastily conjured. I might return to these alternatives to Combat Stims when I have more suggestions to make.

...Currently Combat Stim is pointless; In groups, the boons it gives are almost certainly going to be provided. Outside of groups, it won't keep the BS alive, especially not during DT, with the boons expiring too fast and the two phase healing having no pay off, when compared to similar mechanics(Such as that of the Engineer's version of this ability, which is far superior and yet still not quite desirable, optimally). 

...Compared to Berserker's own self healing method, this one offers nothing to the BS and in fact ends up being detrimental, forcing the BS to slot core spec healing abilities, detracting from the value of the BS spec and offering no novelties.

- Tactical Reload : I would suggest turning this into a normal ability as it is overly simplistic and underwhelming for an Elite. I would also suggest that it offers a passive reduction to how long it takes for Ammo abilities to replenish a charge, on top of its current function.

...Since I have already suggested that Flow Stabilizer be moved to the Saber, there is space enough for TR to be turned into a regular slot ability. Further, the change to TR I suggest, makes it a good pair for one of my Combat Stim alternatives mentioned above.

- [Name Place-Holder] : I would suggest this new BS Elite ability, which on use will allow the BS to strike back when stricken during DT. Such an ability would help increase BS damage output without hindrances, in a simple and efficient way. 

...I have not yet worked out any details or limitations such as CD, whether or not it is an Ammo ability ETC but I feel it fits the theme and would be a viable alternative to such strong contenders as Signet of Rage, and that it might end up being as crucial to any BS Build as Head-Butt is for Berserker, making BS thematically consistent and self reliant in terms of abilities(As opposed to resorting to core spec abilities for various slots).

Traits

- Fierce As Fire : I would suggest that it builds up damage by the BS blocking attacks. The more attacks blocked(For example through Trigger Guard), the more it increases damage.

...Currently FAF is very unintuitive, requires max stacks to offer any significant increases and wears off too quickly, but it seems to have been designed to be the main source of personal damage increase for the BS- Plus it requires the BS to switch weapons to make the most out of it(Through OH pistols), elements that my design is attempting to move away from.


- Swift As The Wind : I would suggest that this is changed to complement remaining stationary for Dragon Trigger; Swiftness and Flow rate increase start accumulating after stopping moving for 1". The longer the BS remains stationary, the more potent Swift as the Wind will be. Swiftness specifically, should be applied once the BS starts moving again. Damage received should interrupt Swift as the Wind, perhaps by putting it on an internal CD.
 

....This change may potentially help with situations in which cancelling and entering DT due to positioning constantly changing, would otherwise stagnate BS resources and DPS.
 

- Unseen Sword : Above I mentioned a possible new Elite Ability which would allow the BS to strike back at attackers, during DT. I would reinforce the possibility and viability of a reactive, or Offense-Through-Defense play style as BS Build option, by changing Unseen Sword thus; In combat and when stationary for longer than 1", any strike against the BS can trigger a counter strike, while specifically counter strikes generated by the new nameless Elite I suggested, will be guaranteed Critical Hits and will ignore Block.


...The original Unseen Sword would be pointless without weapon swap. Since Unseen Sword in my iteration needs to compete with an improved Swift as the Wind, its benefits should be significant and synergize well with other changes. As above with Swift as the Wind, I am also attempting to compensate BS in situations where they know they would need to change positions or dodge out of DT frequently. I avoided adding any form of interruption or internal CD to this one in particular, since in my opinion it helps DT feel busy and juicy, even if in a passive manner.

...As per my suggested changes both Swift as the Wind and Unseen Sword would be based on the BS not moving, so being stationary for longer than 1"- That does not mean not otherwise acting. I felt this needs to be clarified. As an example, entering DT would not interrupt Swift as the Wind nor trigger its internal CD... By stationary, I definitely do not mean idle!

...While at first glance both Swift as the Wind and Unseen Sword as I would change them, seem to go against my goals and accentuate the problem of BS IE standing still and fumbling with DT, my combined changes would make BS more mobile and versatile, which allows me some wiggling room for adding these "Stop Moving To Self Buff" Traits. Besides, after 1-2" the BS would reap the benefits- A time length that is largely insignificant, especially if the BS is entering DT.

- Unshakeable Mountain : I would recommend changing this to granting Barrier to the BS and their allies in a relatively small radius, every time any Ability enters CD, with an internal CD of its own, to ensure that it can't chain infinitely(As in providing 100% self UT to Barrier). I would also swap the name with DragonScale Defense, as the latter suits a Barrier Trait better.


- Lush Forest : In the same vein, Lush Forest should heal the BS and their allies in a relatively small radius, every time any Ability enters CD, with its own internal CD for the same reasons as above.


...These changes will give the BS some support and self sustain options which at first glance may appear more potent than they should be- As is the case though, these options would be competing with Fierce as Fire as well as with each other. I ideally want to allow for a support oriented BS without sacrificing its trade mark burst DPS capabilities through DT, nor stepping too far into dedicated support and healing classes' territory. Plus, my suggested changes aim at eliminating ammunition mechanics where possible.


- Dragonscale Defense : I would suggest this should follow a logic similar to my iterations of Swift as the Wind and Unseen Sword; In combat and when stationary for longer than 1", the BS gains an increasing stack of Stability- If a stack(Or more) is depleted, an internal CD will kick in before the BS can accumulate Stability again. Moving should either immediately negate all Stability stacks, or time them out regularly; Both alternatives would be reasonable. I would also swap the name with Unshakeable Mountain, as that pertains to Stability.


- Pistol Proficiency and Gun X Sword : 

Scenario A : Pistols are here to stay- In which case Pistol Proficiency and Gun X Sword should not change. I would probably swap their places, as I feel that the spec is more about the Gun-Saber than it is about wielding a pistol, MH, OH or both doesn't really matter.

Scenario B : As per my suggestions about pistols, wielding pistols for Warrior would at the very least not be tied in any way to BS specifically. In this case, Pistol Proficiency should be changed to Gun-Saber Proficiency, otherwise remaining as is IE granting the Warrior a Gun-Saber(Again, as per my suggestions earlier on).

More interestingly, in this scenario Gun X Sword should be changed completely, towards which I would suggest that it randomly adds an explosion to any and all Abilities, perhaps starting at a low chance when Flow is low and having a higher chance when Flow is  high... Though the latter part, I am not too sure about, at the moment, as it may just be adding a layer of micro managing that is redundant for what would mostly be a visual enhancement of the BS, aesthetically mostly. After all, there is no choice here so Gun X Sword would have no competition.

- Immortal Dragon : While this Trait is potent in a vacuum, in practice it has extremely strong competition and no place in groups. Traits that are suited for exploration are very important as they cater to lone adventurers, but I believe that my iteration of BS(Including my ideas on how BS would Heal) would accommodate for that play style without having to turn DT into glorified self healing, in the process stripping it from its CC capabilities, immunity to Blind, ignoring of Block ETC.

So then, I would change Immortal Dragon to trigger a life leeching variation of DT Force whenever the BS activates a Heal skill, or perhaps whenever they are healed(That would definitely require an internal CD)... Alternatively offering a new Heal skill called Immortal Dragon, which would do what current Immortal Dragon does except without significantly weakening the core of BS(Its DT) nor competing with Unyielding Dragon.

- Daring Dragon : I'd change this to block incoming healing from all sources while in DT, at the same time granting x4 the DT charge rate.

...Current iteration of Daring Dragon is by far one of the worst options, especially considering what it competes with- Even if that's Immortal Dragon as it is now, more so if it's my Immortal Dragon iteration from above. With how I suggest Daring Dragon is changed, I wanted to offer a High Risk VS High Reward option that synergizes well with my suggested changes in terms of BS defensive and offensive capabilities, an option which changes the play style required to make the most out of it. An All Or Nothing style, so to speak, which requires "Both Feet In"... But enough with the euphemisms! I do not think that there is any way any choice in this tier would compete with Unyielding Dragon nor do I think the solution would be to weaken the latter. So I simply came up with an option that as said, offers a different and potentially fun approach- Not necessarily better or worse.
 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Changing certain abilities to no longer have Ammo, thus no longer increasing damage when spent, allows them to be used in a way that I can only assume was originally intended- Instead of being crutch damage increases. To compensate for it, I would suggest further balancing of the BS, damage wise.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

SIDE NOTES/OBSERVATIONS/CURRENT STATE

In its current iteration(Though perhaps even with some of the changes I am suggesting), BladeSworn is too stiff and dry- Unintuitive to use effectively and competitively.

Neither its traits nor its abilities seem to fit the general pace of GW2, IE the tactics favoured(The need for mobility and for DPS classes to eliminate targets as quickly as possible).

The pay off for playing BladeSworn effectively, does not match the effort it requires to deliver these results, except visually- But while on this particular subject, it is worth adding that the current iteration with its weapon swap goes against BladeSworn's own lore, theme and philosophy.

Defensively, as well as in terms of Support functions, BladeSworn is terrible, in no small part due to it requiring that certain utility, defense and mobility abilities, even Mending which is a Healing ability, be used to boost damage to viable levels(Even so, it remains quite mediocre). This in turn means that when the BS needs those abilities to literally survive, they most likely will be on CD.

These characteristics don't make it desireable or comfortable for the larger part of GW2's combat design- Or at least not for any End-Game content.

In short, currently BladeSworn is "Style Over Substance" done wrong since it still relies on weapon swapping and other crutches and is in general a bad fit for GW2's combat. BladeSworn is a great concept, executed poorly and is in dire need of changes to its base design, while it is supposed to be competing with Virtuoso, WillBender, Catalyst, Chrono and Berserker(Berserker has only minimal DPS differences with BS and none of the clutter or inconvenience).

 

ON CURRENT OH PISTOL

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What I write below aren't actual suggestions, they are more rather loose thoughts and ideas about pistols since Warriors got them now, for better or worse. Take them lightly, I have no idea how to balance pistols nor would I care much about what happens to them, if my ideas on BladeSworn were to be implemented. I just felt it would only be fair if I tried to make them fit with my suggested BS/Gun-Saber changes. Still, it might be worth reading on. I might edit all this once I feel more confident in any alternatives I can think of.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Currently Warrior lacks in CDPS. That said, competing with Torch would not work out for OH pistol as a CDPS weapon. I therefore would suggest that in light of the changes I've suggested about BladeSworn(Hopefully putting it on the map proper as a competitive PDPS), the pistol is turned into a MH weapon, competing with the less desireable MH sword for a CDPS Berserker Build focusing on LongBow(As it always has) and Pistol/Torch. Pistol MH in this case, accentuates the ranged capabilities of this Build as well.

- [Name Place-Holder] : The Warrior jumps to a target location, knocking all enemies in a radius down and inflicting Vulnerability. Refreshes the duration of conditions on targets.

- [Name Place-Holder] : A COF ability which knocks enemies back and Cripples them. The closer the Warrior is to the targets, the longer the duration of Cripple. Refreshes the duration of conditions on targets.

- [Name Place-Holder] : Default/Filler. Refreshes the duration of conditions on targets.

- [Name Place-Holder Adrenaline Move] : Once activated, until all Adrenaline is depleted or the ability is used again, the Warrior becomes stationary and fires repeatedly at all targets within a medium radius around them. Every time this ability hits a target, it will inflict Bleeding and Burning. At the same time, targets within this ability's radius will accumulate Weakness and Slow.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Kunavi.2407
Numerous additions to the Traits section as well as some formatting and spelling checking!

[oscuro.9720]

On 5/10/2022 at 1:56 PM, Foxtou.3489 said:

Dragon Slash—Boost should be directional (like GS Whirlwind).

 

It is frustrating to use, as in its current form it gives you poor control over your own character. Say you've entered Dragon Trigger and are about to use Boost, but a mesmer pulls your target side-ways the moment you press it. Your character goes flying off in an unintended direction. Even worse if you go flying off a ledge you had no intention of even moving towards in the first place.

 

Or you're in Dragon Trigger and charging up before using Boost, but the thief you're fighting pops stealth. You have a good idea of where the thief is, but because you no longer have a target, you have practically no way of directing your Boost. And if you try to rotate your character in place, you automatically break out of Dragon Trigger and your charges are wasted.

 

Dragon Slash—Boost is frustrating and clunky to use in its current incarnation. Please let me have control over my own character.

 

In fact, the specialization would benefit from having all three Dragon Slashes be direction. But it is especially true for Boost.

Just so you know, dragon slash tracks stealth if you had the target selected when they stealth. 

[Rishnock.6230]

Hi. Haven't read all other 38 pages of this thread. I just wanted to say one critique:
 

Pistol has an awkward time competing with offhand axe, even on single target.

 

• Offhand axe gets x15 strikes, each I believe has a whirl finisher.
• Pistol has no finisher.
• Offhand axe has more flow generation potential.
• Offhand axe's damage is comparable to pistol, even w/ "Fierce as Fire" trait.

Edit: So, while I went back to test what I mention in the below paragraph, I also tested Warhorn. In terms of raw DPS, pistol cannot compete with warhorn either.

• Warhorn gives a flat 25% bonus that can be cashed in on dragonslash. If dragonslash hits for 160,000, warhorn #4 can therefore do 40,000 damage per skill use.
• At 1/2 a second to execute the skill, that's 80,000 dps per skill use.
• Pistol can do 30,000 if fully loaded in the same execute time as warhorn.
• On top of that, warhorn has a blast finisher, pistol has no finisher.

 

This observation is from a PvE player. Thanks.

 

One final thing I would note, is that Bladesword traitline, column 2 row 3 "Lush Forest" provides 1 second cooldown reduction, but I'm not sure it provides CDR to pistol (or other wep) while gunsaber is out? I believe this makes it a bit clunky. I haven't tested it too much, but taking the trait doesn't feel like you get enough CDR on the weapon skills that matter to make impactful breakpoints. 

EDIT: I have tested now and can confirm, "Lush Forest" does not affect your unequiped weapon. That means all the ammo skills on gunsaber cannot be utilized with the trait.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Rishnock.6230

[Mesket.5728]

18 hours ago, Rishnock.6230 said:

Hi. Haven't read all other 38 pages of this thread. I just wanted to say one critique:
 

Pistol has an awkward time competing with offhand axe, even on single target.

 

• Offhand axe gets x15 strikes, each I believe has a whirl finisher.
• Pistol has no finisher.
• Offhand axe has more flow generation potential.
• Offhand axe's damage is comparable to pistol, even w/ "Fierce as Fire" trait.

Edit: So, while I went back to test what I mention in the below paragraph, I also tested Warhorn. In terms of raw DPS, pistol cannot compete with warhorn either.

• Warhorn gives a flat 25% bonus that can be cashed in on dragonslash. If dragonslash hits for 160,000, warhorn #4 can therefore do 40,000 damage per skill use.
• At 1/2 a second to execute the skill, that's 80,000 dps per skill use.
• Pistol can do 30,000 if fully loaded in the same execute time as warhorn.
• On top of that, warhorn has a blast finisher, pistol has no finisher.

 

This observation is from a PvE player. Thanks.

 

One final thing I would note, is that Bladesword traitline, column 2 row 3 "Lush Forest" provides 1 second cooldown reduction, but I'm not sure it provides CDR to pistol (or other wep) while gunsaber is out? I believe this makes it a bit clunky. I haven't tested it too much, but taking the trait doesn't feel like you get enough CDR on the weapon skills that matter to make impactful breakpoints. 

EDIT: I have tested now and can confirm, "Lush Forest" does not affect your unequiped weapon. That means all the ammo skills on gunsaber cannot be utilized with the trait.

This is exactly how to get axe nerfed, not pistol improved. Remember this is ANet. We know how they operate.

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

8 minutes ago, Mesket.5728 said:

This is exactly how to get axe nerfed, not pistol improved. Remember this is ANet. We know how they operate.

Maybe we can get OH Axe to be a ranged weapon...

[Mesket.5728]

Just now, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

Maybe we can get OH Axe to be a ranged weapon...

just give us a two handed catapult as range weapon. So we can throw axes, greatswords, hammers and even other players from 1200 range (?)