Reimagining Willbender Physical Utilities

[oscuro.9720]

Currently, Willbender physicals are lackluster, to be nice. In my view, re-focusing them to provide hard CC lockdown (something guardian generally lacks) would better supplement the high-mobility play style and give more burst security to an already-squishy spec. This would make the wilbender not only focused on mobility, but mobility and lockdown. The utilities would look something like this:

Flash Combo: Teleport to your foe and deliver a flurry of strikes. Final hit stuns for 2s. Gives access to reposte.

Whirlwind Kick: Perform a sweeping kick that burns and knocks down foes

Heel Crack: make melee range, instant cast, daze on regular hit, stun on interrupt

Roiling Light flip skill (Quick Retribution): replace daze with stun.

Heaven’s Palm: make it a 600 range leap with an I-frame. Maybe replace the knokback with a pull so you can gather targets for a burst. 

That will give everything a clear role that is different than everything else; flash combo is a single target burst setup, whirlwind is pbaoe knockdown, heel crack is interrupt, high reaction speed based, Heaven’s Palm is for mobile area control and setting up multi-target bursts.

I would also add boon strip on Sword 5 so the guardian has a way to combat high-stability uptime, and maybe a trait to make F1 boon strip as well imo. 
I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts and opinions 🙂 

Edited October 28, 2021 by oscuro.9720
Wurds r hard

[Ezrael.6859]

Sounds good, let’s see if the end of Nov brings any serious changes to these utterly lacklustre Utility skills, Weapon skills and Traits.

Or, if they just try and tweak numbers to start.

I think Sword and Traits could be mainly fixed with numbers, but I agree that the Physical utilities and elite definitely need improved functionality on top of improved numbers.

 

For the Physical skills I previously posted the following ideas to be more in line with Daredevil strength:

Roiling Light ~ 20s cooldown Break Stun + 88dmg + Blind + Weakness + Cleanse 3 conditions + Evade backwards 450 //

// Quick Retribution ~ 600 range shadowstep to target + double the current damage + Daze 2s, gain 4s Protection, Stability & Resolution(Leap Finisher)

 

Heel Crack ~ 900 range shadowstep + 2s Stun, gain 8s Might (x10), 8s Fury (Leap Finisher)

 

Whirling Light ~ Same damage + 3s Weakness in all modes + 4s Burning + 3s Cripple per hit (Whirl Finisher)

 

Flash Combo ~ Instant 900 range shadowstep + 8s Vulnerability (x10) (to allow skill combos) Rollover skill becomes... 

// Pursue 1500dmg (x5) + 600 range shadowstep towards target (to continue the pressure)

 

Heaven's Palm ~ Same AoE knockdown as now + Mini palms strike the area (240) with rapid follow-up impacts - 500 damage (x10) (5 targets max)

 

 

Rationale - These skills are all meant to be selfish and grant no boons to allies, so the power needs to be increased.

Roiling Light now competes with Stand Your Ground as a good selfish solo skirmishing option.

Heel Crack can now be used as an engage skill.

Flash Combo made instant to allow combo synergy with Whirling Wrath, Mighty Blow, Heaven's Palm etc

Whirling Light given Cripple to improve the Willbender's ability to stick to mobile targets.

Heaven's Palm given added impacts to synergise with the Virtues.

Edited November 9, 2021 by Ezrael.6859

[oscuro.9720]

12 hours ago, Ezrael.6859 said:

Sounds good, let’s see if the end of Nov brings any serious changes to these utterly lacklustre Utility skills, Weapon skills and Traits.

Or, if they just try and tweak numbers to start.

I think Sword and Traits could be mainly fixed with numbers, but I agree that the Physical utilities and elite definitely need improved functionality on top of improved numbers.

 

For the Physical skills I previously posted the following ideas to be more in line with Daredevil strength:

 

Roiling Light ~ 20s cooldown Break Stun + 88dmg + Blind + Weakness + Cleanse 3 conditions + Evade backwards 450 //

// Quick Retribution ~ 600 range shadowstep to target + double the current damage + Daze 2s, gain 4s Protection, Stability & Resolution(Leap Finisher)

 

Heel Crack ~ 900 range shadowstep + 2s Stun, gain 8s Might (x10), 8s Fury (Leap Finisher)

 

Whirling Light ~ Same damage + 3s Weakness in all modes + 4s Burning + 3s Cripple per hit (Whirl Finisher)

 

Flash Combo ~ Instant 900 range shadowstep + 8s Vulnerability (x10) (to allow skill combos) Rollover skill becomes... 

// Pursue 1500dmg (x5) + 600 range shadowstep towards target (to continue the pressure)

 

Heaven's Palm ~ Same AoE knockdown as now + Mini palms strike the area (240) with rapid follow-up impacts - 500 damage (x10) (5 targets max)

 

 

Rationale - These skills are all meant to be selfish and grant no boons to allies, so the power needs to be increased.

Roiling Light now competes with Stand Your Ground as a good selfish solo skirmishing option.

Heel Crack can now be used as an engage skill.

Flash Combo made instant to allow combo synergy with Whirling Wrath, Mighty Blow, Heaven's Palm etc

Whirling Light given Cripple to improve the Willbender's ability to stick to mobile targets.

Heaven's Palm given added impacts to synergise with the Virtues.

I think your version of heel crack is a bit op. It’s basically Bulls Rush as an instant teleport instead of long range evade leap. Basically there’s little counter play in competitive, which would be a bad thing. 
Im also fairly confident that will bender needs some sort of area pull to combo with the core class’ burst skills. Playing will it seemed inordinately hard to land a GS2. Add in symbols, other stationary damage sources and the pull would really help will bender pull off big finishing combos in competitive modes. Idk if this should go on heavens palm, or perhaps Courage active instead, but I think it’s pretty important based on how the class played in beta. 

[Ezrael.6859]

I agree with your idea for a pull rather than a push from the elite.

A pull or an AoE float would be nice.

As for the Heel Crack opener, yeah it's probably too strong, perhaps a Daze only would be better balanced. 

I would like to see the Guardian get a decent opening ability amongst the Physical utilities, with some CC and self offensive boons, rather than always having to rely on the usual suspects like Meditations for Fury or Resolution with radiance. 

[Kodama.6453]

You guys realise that this means all these skills will get their damage removed in PvP?

[oscuro.9720]

12 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

You guys realise that this means all these skills will get their damage removed in PvP?

Yes. I don’t think that’s a problem for me. 

[quaniesan.8497]

They tried to shoehorn in the "monk" theme in to the blender that already has  ninja/thief/swordmaster  in it.  What a  *cough* ...willbender... (sorry I always have problem saying these names Anet comes up with) needs as a  daredevil-like fighting style  is reliable sustenance.  Current healing skill is just stupid, can't justify over Shelter. None of WB utility provide any good level condi removal, because you know...who would have thought physical fronliers would get bombed with cesspools of condis.  We are forced to use some core skills to make up for it, than thus removing slots for these physical skills.  They are way over their head in design theme  rather than considering the practicality in real play.  Utilities i want to see should have some condi removal build-in, even if it's conditional.  Maybe dodge-frame in that fancy spinning kick thing, that also remove cripples/immo/ at least.

Edited November 13, 2021 by quaniesan.8497

[oscuro.9720]

1 hour ago, quaniesan.8497 said:

They tried to shoehorn in the "monk" theme in to the blender that already has  ninja/thief/swordmaster  in it.  What a  *cough* ...willbender... (sorry I always have problem saying these names Anet comes up with) needs as a  daredevil-like fighting style  is reliable sustenance.  Current healing skill is just stupid, can't justify over Shelter. None of WB utility provide any good level condi removal, because you know...who would have thought physical fronliers would get bombed with cesspools of condis.  We are forced to use some core skills to make up for it, than thus removing slots for these physical skills.  They are way over their head in design theme  rather than considering the practicality in real play.  Utilities i want to see should have some condi removal build-in, even if it's conditional.  Maybe dodge-frame in that fancy spinning kick thing, that also remove cripples/immo/ at least.

Fair. I believe the heal during beta was completely bugged. If they did something like full counter (which is their intention), where the heal healed for the incoming damage of the next hit plus a base, gave an Iframe plus a frontal cone animation the healed and cleansed a condition per for hit (300 range), you would have a VERY useful heal for being in constant melee pressure. 

Numbers could be something like this;

Base heal: 2000

Heal on trigger: 2000

Heal per target hit: 750

Conditions cleansed per target hit: 1

Max targets hit: 5

This would give a 4K heal w/ 2 charges if it’s triggered with no foe hit, a cap of 7750 if you hit 5 targets, as well as potentially 5 conditions cleansed. And it gives a nice 1/2 sec Iframe during the animation.

It requires and heavily rewards well timed usage that scales it’s effectiveness against more opponents, as well as giving a brief period of relief.

What do you think?

Edited November 13, 2021 by oscuro.9720