Untamed Hammer Changes

[Evenaardez.7913]

Be warned this is a long post, but important nonetheless, and I really hope ArenaNet sees this. So needless to say hammer on untamed needs a lot of work (really the specialization as a whole but we will focus on hammer for now because this post will be long enough). There is an easy way to fix hammer and a hard way. 
 

The easy way would be to remove the swapping mechanic for the hammer in general, it’s weird that it’s the only weapon that can do that, the skills look similar regardless of unleashed state, and there is almost zero reason to use hammer 3/5 in unleash ranger mode and similarly little reason to use hammer 2/4 in unleash pet mode. Sure they gain a few boons or boom rip, but compared to the increased damage of those skills on cc’ed targets (which needs to be buffed to at least 100%), it is not worth it. This change would just remove the need to swap and keep 2 skills as cc skills and 2 skills with a damage buff to crowd controlled enemies, furthermore, the hammer skills are so bad currently it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just combine the two states of hammer entirely. 

 

The more difficult fix to hammer involves keeping the hammer as this special state swapping weapon but requires more changes to the way untamed works itself. I understand when it was developed, they wanted it to be this specialization that swaps between offense and defense with the pet, while also being a “bunny thumper,” though it fails to be either of those currently and soulbeast is actually very similar because you usually merge with your pet to deal more damage and unmerge if you want your pet to tank (which is part of the reason why untamed is so boring).

What would need to be done is change the vow of the untamed trait to also affect the pet. Ideally the play style would be you cc while your pet is unleashed so they will deal more damage while you “tank” for them, then you unleash yourself to deal more damage and have your pet tank for you. As of right now, just having vow of the untamed affect the player is not very exciting, and doesn’t enhance the play style how it should.

Next hammer needs some buffs without a doubt regardless and I do think the increase in damage while the enemy is cc’ed needs to be increased to between 50% and 100%. This would increase the incentive to do the combo where you swap between every skill on hammer so it would be unleash pet - hammer 3-unleash ranger - hammer 2 - unleash pet hammer 5 - unleash ranger - hammer 4. As of right now this combo is the bread and butter of hammer but really isn’t good compared to using axe or any other weapon. 

Lastly, hammer needs synergy with other traits and your pet more. The traits that simply apply boobs when you cc, while good, should also do something for the hammer, perhaps increase the range of your hammer abilities since they currently are not very aoe oriented, despite the fact it should be a large area control specialization similar to warrior hammer. As for synergizing with your pet, the hammer (when your pet is unleashed) should provide more support to your pet, while this wouldn’t entirely help your pet from just being mowed down in WvW or cleaved in the open world, it would help. For example the skills can provide protection or barrier to your pet when you attack. This would more fully complete the class fantasy of you and your pet taking turns to support each other.

 

On one last note unrelated to hammer, I really believe the traits should be combined more for untamed so the boon/condition application upon cc should be combined to one trait and then there should be another trait that provides boons upon unleashing yourself and your pet. This could open up the role of something like quickness for untamed by providing aoe quickness when you unleash and then aoe aegis or protection when your pet unleashes. Of course the numbers can be fiddled with but I truly believe this change would drastically increase the flavor and build craft of untamed. And yes I know they plan on changing spirits this summer but that doesn’t change anything really, if anything it increases build craft.

[The Boz.2038]

Rad idea: Unleashed changes only 2 and 5, on ALL weapons. Ambush gets deleted as a concept; the 1 skills now get simple modifications, such as added spores or boons or whatever. 5s need some work, sure, but it is a miniscule amount. 
Unleashed Greatsword 5? Daze becomes stun, stun becomes knockdown, also grants 4s Alacrity.
Unleashed Longbow 5? Spam Vulnerability.
Unleashed Shortbow 5? Confusion, baby!
For hammer, 2, 3, 4 become unleashed 2, regular 3, unleashed 4.
Enhancing impact removes a boon on disable. 

[cafard.8953]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:05 PM, Evenaardez.7913 said:

The traits that simply apply boobs when you cc

I have been playing it wrong all this time, I never saw those traits!

[Xaylin.1860]

3 hours ago, The Boz.2038 said:

Rad idea: Unleashed changes only 2 and 5, on ALL weapons. Ambush gets deleted as a concept; the 1 skills now get simple modifications, such as added spores or boons or whatever. 5s need some work, sure, but it is a miniscule amount. 

Not sure how this would be "better" aside from having more new skills? It's probably way easier to just keep the Ambushs and merge some effects from #2-5 on Hammer, to be honest.

[The Boz.2038]

It'd be better because it'd affect all weapons. Silly how a core mechanic of the spec doesn't work with anything other than a hammer, really.

[Xaylin.1860]

3 minutes ago, The Boz.2038 said:

It'd be better because it'd affect all weapons. Silly how a core mechanic of the spec doesn't work with anything other than a hammer, really.

I agree. But so do Ambushs?

[The Boz.2038]

I just thought that it'd be less resource cost to reuse some ambush effects as Unleashed #2s...

I've nothing against them staying, other than the potential of counting all the possible things that can affect your attacks as a ranger at any one time. Opening Strike, Attack of Opportunity, Unleash, Ambush..? Yeah, only the last two change skill functionality, but still...

[Gotejjeken.1267]

I think they should baseline Ferocious Symbiosis but make it for CC.  So if ranger is unleashed and CC's, pet becomes more powerful, and if pet is unleashed and CC's, ranger becomes more powerful.  

It still messes up pets that have little to no-cc but at least its something.  As for me the biggest issue with hammer (at least competitively) is losing all damage when you change to 'CC mode'

[Loboling.5293]

Unleaded skills for all weapons would make the spec lots of fun. But it would still need a bit it a damage boost in PvE. Even if it was just skills 3 & 5, I'd tap that. 😉

 

I actually see a lot of potential for untamed and I disagree with those asking for more pet skills. I think the untamed is supposed to be a way to standardize the pet and make more of them useful. I do think unleash pet needs to be more impactful, and untamed pet should do more damage in general, but the crux of my issue with untamed is the limited scope of impact the spec has with other weapons and how hard it is to track the various timers and states. Better visual tells, and updated weapons when unleashed would be dope.

 

I really hope this is the next spec to get some much needed love. 

[enkeny.6937]

Giving barrier and/or fury for pet would be nice. I hate that rangers don't get basic things with elite specialisations. Like druid staff didn't give protections for pet at first, No cd reduction for stance or cantrips, no pet interaction with hammer.
We don't have hammer trait. 
I vote for the easy way. I don't like the 2 set of skills. 2 damage skill, 2 cc skill and it is good. The boon-strip can move to pet next attack and it we got the interaction too.
About damage: why everyone keep saying hammer has low damage? Do you all compare it to soulbeast gs or what? When I tested the weapons, with condition on target hammer has the highest damage. Depends on encounter it may not be the best damage dealer weapon, but I call that 'Balanced'. (if something is always the best option, it is not balanced)
Oh, but the ambush skill is weak, you has lower dps while using ambush, than not using it. But it can be corrected by increase numbers.