End of Dragon changes

[NICENIKESHOE.7128]

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/guild-wars-2-end-of-dragons-strike-missions-balance-and-rewards/

 

"Forming a Squad: Skill Target Caps in PvE

Currently, forming a squad for 10-player content requires juggling specific roles between subgroups based on target caps. Some roles, such as alacrity and warriors’ banners, have a target cap of 10 players, while almost all others–such as most healing, quickness, and other boons have a target cap of 5.

Originally, the 10-target cap on renegade (and later mirage) alacrity were because there were so few options to fill this essential boon role. Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons will give engineer, guardian, and thief support builds access to alacrity; and elementalist and necromancer will be able to provide quickness. With these added options, now is the right time to simplify this aspect of squad formation.

Most 10-target skills and traits in PvE will have a maximum target cap of 5 in the expansion, matching their current target caps in PvP and WvW. Generally, this’ll mean that for each subgroup in a squad for strikes or raids, you’ll want a healer, a source of quickness, and a source of alacrity, though we expect expert theorycrafters to find ways to combine some of these roles!"

 

Also "Ritualist's equipment provides a large increase to condition damage and vitality, and a small increase to concentration and expertise."

Pretty handy for chaos/illusion/mirage though that's an unusual build in PvE setting, would've been better if its condi/precision/concentration/expertise like many were requesting

 

TLDR version is MOST 10 men cap skills will be reduced to 5 men and raid/strike will play similar to fractals

Probably won't affect alacmirage so much as revenants given alacmirage are mostly used in largos/SH fights which are already heavily stacked with mirages.

But would mean alacmirages need to slot more concentration on other bosses given you can't rely on other alacmirage on 2nd group

Well I guess we should start theorycraft a heal/quickness/alacrity chrono now because quickness/alacrity chrono is going to be more non-essential as those 2 boons are handed out like candies

Edited February 12, 2022 by NICENIKESHOE.7128
weird dot points

[mungozen.2379]

Unless we see changes to existing eSpecs with EoD, the meta will wait until the Sunmer Profession review they mentioned in that article. I get where they are going and what they are trying to do, but if we really have to wait months for changes to existing eSpecs, then we wake up March 1st with Chrono still bottom of the pile. 
 

I am betting we hear something like ‘we wanted to see how the Meta sorted itself out with the new eSpecs, and we found x, y and a underperforming’ so we nerfed Mesmer….

[Puck.3697]

1 hour ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

Unless we see changes to existing eSpecs with EoD, the meta will wait until the Sunmer Profession review they mentioned in that article. I get where they are going and what they are trying to do, but if we really have to wait months for changes to existing eSpecs, then we wake up March 1st with Chrono still bottom of the pile. 
 

I am betting we hear something like ‘we wanted to see how the Meta sorted itself out with the new eSpecs, and we found x, y and a underperforming’ so we nerfed Mesmer….

Ironically. without change it'll actually get worse.

This is a 50% Nerf to both Tempest and Druid while passively buffing both Scourge and Firebrand.

Firebrands Downfall was its weak ability to provide boons in a 10man enviroment, this suddenly is no longer a limitation as now its on par with the new standardisation, Scourge will now because of its mechanics be the only 10 man barrier in the whole game which puts it in a place which will be untouchable regarding its barrier providing which will already passively nerf Machinist and Spectre as they simply cannot compete on this downfall.

THis will spread the Fractal meta into the 10 man content meta as Firebrand and Scourge will become of higher demand in those enviroments.

we know theres a Significant balance pass they're doing on existing Elite speccs and Core speccs on both a Mechanical and numbers bases coming which by the sounds of things just got its Rough date of release: Summer 2022. however prior that. This litterally replicates the Fractal Meta ontop of the Strike meta.

So no. the Raid meta is going to change even without changes. the issue is, the enforcement of playing the Big 3 just got alot larger. the only area this may create some grey area of is Simply ur Alacrity provider.. but given the DPS Renegades capable of it'll likely hold its Seat of demand there.

With Scourge holding the only 10 man Barrier avaliable in game, Firebrand just got ALOT more potent in raid content, while both Druid and tempest have just been 50% Nerfed realistically as they're effectiveness just got shortened to 5 man with no adjustments to what they do or their numbers, we're likely going to see Firebrand Renegade and Scourge become a increasingly larger dominant force in strike content going forward.

so we're now Likelyhood concrete confirmed to be awaiting Summer 2022 to hope for change now.

i dont entirely agree with the dooms talk, i doubt mesmers gonna get nerfed realistically. Chrono is still going to be the Best tank avaliable in Strike content and we'll likely see no improvements to its capabilities in fractals, Mirage will still remain a Excellent Solo build and still be great in the fights Alac mirage was great in.

but no these changes alone dont forsee any further improvements to other areas of mesmer. although tbh i havent given up on virtuoso entirely yet, the speccs far from perfect and its the closest this games gotten to releasing a Mage Specc realistically, in PvE Content its not hard to make virtuoso good. it'll just be a question if they'll do it or not.

I personally think they will: Virtuoso is Simplified compared to any other option for Mesmer, if they're looking at accessibility and giving out easier to play builds without complication to get players performing half decently in raids bringing virtuoso above the other 2 in regards to a DPS Role would be a positive step in the right direction in those goals, so part of me thinks at minimum we'll see virtuoso succeed in group/raid based content.

To weather virtuoso gets any use in any other game mode (Open world, SPVP, WvWvW) well thats going to be FAR more challanging as it simply hasnt brought enough in either beta to be of any use in those game modes.

so yeah unless they have a short term plan in place to launch with EoD to prevent this: the big 3 are about to get bigger for the launch of EoD, and things will still be drowned in blue green and red for a while longer which is kinda sad news. on the bright side long term its good they're finally addressing things such as Banners.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Daddy.8125

[Salt Mode.3780]

If these changes were to occur I wouldnt know who you would replace in a 10 man scenario, chronos are pretty much staple in every raid, DPS isnt really an issue in GW2 high end content, and Virtuoso brings nothing but dps which wouldnt help make the raid easier. 

Stuff like firebrand, scourge, revs can easily dish out dps maybe a couple thousand less but they provide raid wide utilities that Virtuoso has nothing of. 

[mungozen.2379]

5 hours ago, Daddy.8125 said:

i dont entirely agree with the dooms talk, i doubt mesmers gonna get nerfed realistically. Chrono is still going to be the Best tank avaliable in Strike content and we'll likely see no improvements to its capabilities in fractals, Mirage will still remain a Excellent Solo build and still be great in the fights Alac mirage was great in.

The migraine was strong earlier, so was the salt on my tongue.

I have never played a game that I can recall an expansion that didn't rework/rebalance the existing professions for the release.  Perhaps I am feeling let down by what we got in that post, but it is hard to be excited when one very real situation is EoD launching with no updates to existing Profs/eSpecs and then having to wait months for an update.

The other bit of fallout from the 10 to 5 man boon change + new eSpecs delivering Quick and Alac boons, is eSpecs like Virt, which are pure DPS, will be second class to anything that can boon share or heal.  The mantra of bring the player not the profession really means, bring the eSpec that fits the need.  Unless they actually balance DPS against Utility, and balance the fights to require DPS checks, we could see a lot of 5 and 10 man content excluding pure DPS specs in favor of Utility specs.

 

[Xaylin.1860]

4 hours ago, Mungo Zen.9364 said:

I have never played a game that I can recall an expansion that didn't rework/rebalance the existing professions for the release.  Perhaps I am feeling let down by what we got in that post, but it is hard to be excited when one very real situation is EoD launching with no updates to existing Profs/eSpecs and then having to wait months for an update.

It is even worse considering they haven't done very impactful changes for quite a long time. It is not said directly but I really hope that the Banner and Spirit changes won't be the only significant changes in Summer. 

 

That being said, when it comes to Mesmer, I really don't care too much for any changes unless they finally clear up their mind on what each spec should do. I still think Mirage is a mess and Alacrity just made it worse. And I still am salty about Mantra changes and Glamours remaining in the dust. I love Mesmers for it's uniqueness but I really kept losing my enthusiasm since they nerfed interrupt gameplay and messed up Mirage design (not performance!) so badly and so on.

 

Which doesn't mean other classes don't have issues as well. Don't get me wrong 🙂

[Infusion.7149]

Well pchrono isn't too bad it's just the rampup that hurts. The main thing holding back StM chrono is boon duration required and the lack of fury/might output.

RYAN's hybrid alac mirage also does 37K DPS. I don't think mesmer is going to be severely worse off at least in the raid/strike context , just not amazing if there's adds and phases.

 

[piitb.7635]

The way I read it, its an excuse not to nerf guardians into the ground.

[Ithilwen.1529]

Does anyone recall that Alacrity was to be for Chronomancer ONLY?

[xareo.2596]

2 hours ago, Ithilwen.1529 said:

Does anyone recall that Alacrity was to be for Chronomancer ONLY?

before that, quickness is mesmer only

[Mell.4873]

Funny thing is I suggested the 10 man to 5 kitten boon change for a while so it is they made the change.