Who Actually Wanted Hammer?

[Downstate.4697]

Its kind of irritating that we didnt get a ranged weapon. Who actually wanted a hammer?

[anduriell.6280]

Longbow would be definitely better but hammer doesn't mean it should be bad (which unfortunately it is).

Even the idea of bouncing the ball like a tenis or baseball game using the hammer seems like a lot of more fun than the current implementation. 

[AshenOwl.2485]

I didn't want hammer, but I actually like the idea behind hammer. A weapon with multiple ranges is a good idea and adds versatility the Elementalist needs since we can't switch weapons. But too much of hammer is tied into Hammer 3, and they forgot to give us the utility skills we NEED on a weapon, since Elementalist defense is more active than passive. I think hammer can be saved, and while it still wouldn't be my first choice for aesthetics or class fantasy I don't think it's an innately bad choice.

[Ashantara.8731]

55 minutes ago, FrownyClown.8402 said:

Who actually wanted a hammer?

No one. That's why we got it, I guess. "Different for different's sake" is GW2's credo, which they seem to be taking too far at times.

Edited November 8, 2021 by Ashantara.8731

[skunkstank.6128]

First things first longbow is definitely the winner in my book. On the other hand I actually enjoyed hammer, at least some of the skills. I love the idea behind it like @tesnow.4721 said. It just feels like they had the idea of hammer having multiple ranges and then they just had a brain fart while making the utilities. I hope that by the time the expansion rolls around they will completely recreate them.

[X T D.6458]

I wouldnt mind hammer if they increased the range on the skills and buff some of the damage. I dont understand why water skills are in melee (130). I cant see myself using catalyst with its current mechanics unless they make major changes. 

[Gorani.7205]

Not voting, because there are two completely different things mixed here:

1. Aesthetic preference for a hammer skin (or other other weapon of choice)

2. Wanting a weapon with a true effective ranged capacity, after we saw hammer having only 600 range (which is neither close combat nor true ranged ability)

[Infusion.7149]

If hammer called down storms it wouldn't be bad (Hurricane of Pain is essentially this, just with near meteor shower cast time without the damage). Don't fixate on what the weapon looks like, more on what it does.
It was a wasted concept because they had the more range = less damage mechanic on harbinger / virtuoso and even on ranger shortbow in the past (fan out attack) so I don't see why they need to make hammer half melee. On earth maybe but water really shouldn't be since it isn't damage reduction only healing.

At the very least hammer 3 orbs should hit everything within 200 radius and not exactly at 200 radius...

Edited November 8, 2021 by Infusion.7149

[Dadnir.5038]

It didn't even crossed my mind that elementalist could get hammer as it is one of the conjured weapon.

I would have prefered guns (pistol or rifle).

[TheQuickFox.3826]

Give me a torch and an elite spec that involves spammable elite fire magic skills like Searing Flames in GW1.

Edited November 9, 2021 by TheQuickFox.3826

[Liewec.2896]

forget new weapons, i wanted STAFF back.

ele is the quintessential "mage" class, we should be standing far away hurling deadly spells from afar.

 

i was really hoping the new spec would be an "acolyte" type of spec,

were you focus on one element and lose the stance dancing.

so for example you could be a pyromancer and become the ultimate fire mage with heavy nukes.

 

instead we got another melee spec, making this the 3rd CQC elite spec in a row...

[Fueki.4753]

If the hammer had been used as a Catalyst to cast magic at range, rather than being swung as usual, I wouldn't mind it too much.

But the way Hammer currently is, it's probably only a handful of people at Arenanet who wanted it.

Edited November 9, 2021 by Fueki.4753

[draxynnic.3719]

On 11/9/2021 at 1:28 AM, tesnow.4721 said:

I didn't want hammer, but I actually like the idea behind hammer. A weapon with multiple ranges is a good idea and adds versatility the Elementalist needs since we can't switch weapons. But too much of hammer is tied into Hammer 3, and they forgot to give us the utility skills we NEED on a weapon, since Elementalist defense is more active than passive. I think hammer can be saved, and while it still wouldn't be my first choice for aesthetics or class fantasy I don't think it's an innately bad choice.

 

21 hours ago, Infusion.7149 said:

If hammer called down storms it wouldn't be bad (Hurricane of Pain is essentially this, just with near meteor shower cast time without the damage). Don't fixate on what the weapon looks like, more on what it does.
It was a wasted concept because they had the more range = less damage mechanic on harbinger / virtuoso and even on ranger shortbow in the past (fan out attack) so I don't see why they need to make hammer half melee. On earth maybe but water really shouldn't be since it isn't damage reduction only healing.

At the very least hammer 3 orbs should hit everything within 200 radius and not exactly at 200 radius...

These pretty much span my thinking. I was talking about the possibility of having a weapon that fought at different ranges depending on attunement before the leak, and when hammer was leaked, I started getting excited about the potential.

 

What we actually got, though...even putting aside the other problems with Catalyst, I think I'd rather just keep using dagger. Ranges on the ranged attunements are too short, skill 3 is a case of 'did we really need another cycle through the elements skill?', and by elementalist standards the skills just look pretty lacklustre. I was expecting more lightning on air, more slamming the ground for shockwaves and eruptions, and so on - hammer could have been awesome, but what we have feels like the minimum to be functional (for a certain value of 'functional').

 

On the other hand, I'm not exactly attached to longbow either. I can definitely see potential in other ranged weapons, and to be honest, I think there's actually more potential in rifle, even for that arcane attunement concept floating around.

[Jski.6180]

Hammer fine as long as it brings utility in combo as well as aggressive soft and hard cc sadly the hammer we have now dose non of these things.

[The Fear.3865]

I wanted hammer, didnt think we would ever have a hammer tho, cuz of mjolnir, but im glad we got it. I really hate the idea of an elementalist with a bow.

However, i was expecting a ranged or at least hybrid ranged spec. Catalyst right now is utterly garbage, it's not fun, it's clunky, poor designed and sad execution. 

The fact catalyst is a failed spec has nothing to do with their weapon choice. 

[Zergs.9715]

I wouldn't mind Hammer on a Geomancer/Earthshaker archetype, but I have no idea what Catalyst is...

[Dawanarth.4601]

What about Rifle ? Elemental Cartridges, maybe Traps or Preparation (Preparation could be quite fun if it remain in the element you prepared it even if you switched after)

[crosknight.3041]

while i woulda prefered longbow, i'm fine with getting hammer.....main gripes with it atm is an inconsistent range across attunements & lack of combo finishers

. if it had a standardized range of 600-900 across all attunements, i would love it a lot more. no reason for fire/air to be ranged but then water/earth to be melee, just felt awkward.

other weapon i woulda liked to see is pistol (duel pistols preferred)

[Xenash.1245]

Might sound generic but I was hoping pistols personally, since the concept of an elemental gunner has always sounded entertaining to me.

 

I don't hate the hammer though, but it's certainly something I'm gonna need to get used to over time.

[Widmo.3186]

I know a guy, that knows a guy, and this guy knows a friend that is a friend of a friend. And you know what, none of those people wanted hammer. If you know a single argument in favour of hammer over other weapons, pls tell me, cuz I havent seen a single one yet.

[fuzzyp.6295]

I would have preferred mace, but I have been really happy we got Hammer. I love the idea of an Elemental Wizard using such a brutal weapon and being a unmovable wall of elemental powers, its wonderful. The fact that it is also a mix ranged weapon instead of fully melee/ranged is also fantastic. That said, the weapon could use work and I hope it gets some changes. I'm still hoping it gets a fire field and I wouldn't be opposed to opening the range of either Fire or Air to 1,200 to give it even more overall flexibility for those who wanted a longer ranger weapon.

I know a lot of players feel Catalyst is lackluster, but I don't think that the fact that it was hammer is the major reason for this. The skills they chose for Hammer can use work, but that could have been the case if it was a Longbow or Rifle or whatever. I don't think the choice of Hammer was what is holding it back, but rather ANet not knowing what to do with the class overall and struggling to make a busier Ele that feels different from other classes.

So overall, yes, Hammer is fantastic I'm shocked we got it but in the best way possible. It started out rough but I think it can only get better from here.  I can't wait to use it. 🙂

Edited November 11, 2021 by fuzzyp.6295

[DemonCrypto.6792]

More than longbow, i would have been really interested in rifle elementaliste.
 

Like:
earth: mid-range shotgun mod
water: freeze long rang healer
elec: long range quick dps
fire: flame thrower condi mid range

with every thing quicker than normal because most of the spells would be amunitions utilitys

that could have been fun  to play, in comparison hammer is really unwieldy .
there is some good idea(triple fire explosions) but close combat is not the real strength of elemantaliste .

[draxynnic.3719]

51 minutes ago, DemonCrypto.6792 said:

More than longbow, i would have been really interested in rifle elementaliste.
 

Like:
earth: mid-range shotgun mod
water: freeze long rang healer
elec: long range quick dps
fire: flame thrower condi mid range

with every thing quicker than normal because most of the spells would be amunitions utilitys

that could have been fun  to play, in comparison hammer is really unwieldy .
there is some good idea(triple fire explosions) but close combat is not the real strength of elemantaliste .

...you know, that does sound awesome. I'd probably be inclined to make water more CC-oriented than healing-oriented, but that does look like a fun idea.

[Dawanarth.4601]

A healing gun would still be fun, maybe have the earth be Mid range CC while the Fire become Damage Shotgun

[Kodama.6453]

5 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

...you know, that does sound awesome. I'd probably be inclined to make water more CC-oriented than healing-oriented, but that does look like a fun idea.

Hm, dunno, it sounds like it will just try to copy literally all other rifle users at once with skills.

• earth shotgun -> engineer (has even AoEs and bleed + immob, all condis associated with earth)
• air long range quick dps -> deadeye
• flamethrower condi mid range -> engineer

Don't know, it doesn't actually feel really new, but just applies multiple concepts which are already there into one weapon.