August 23 Balance Update Preview

[Shadows Creed.3902]

While most are focused on PVE.  I was hoping to see a change to how long the jade mech sticks around after it dies.   In WvW it just continues to soak up damage and target's until it flies off even when it has 0 hp left. 

[Nazshar.3051]

to sum it all up:

(all game modes) nerfs 'cause too big pp numbers on pve training golems.

(PvE only) compensating above nerfs.

(other "corner stone" modes) WTF!!!!!!?

[X T D.6458]

I would really like to see some weapon reworks, especially for Necro. Staff needs to be reworked, get rid of marks, change the auto attack into something like fireball with some aoe damage and vuln application, and add some aoe skills (similar to ele staff) so it can actually work as a proper power weapon. In its current form it just doesn't work well, the auto is power based, there are some condis mixed in, and it does not work on downed players in pvp/wvw or objects. Necro staff is basically used to spam 2-5 and swap, it doesn't make any sense to continue to keep it as is. Changing it would provide more build diversity and a ranged option for power-based builds for all necro specs not just reaper. Dagger is also useless as is.

 

Warrior sword doesn't work well, it's too weak for power and mainly used in a melee condi build for berserkers. We have axe as the one-handed power weapon, make sword more condition oriented.

 

[GalYurrr.5481]

Can we please move while casting meteor shower of Ele fire staff 5? :3

[Stadsport.8714]

I really hope they take another look at Power Berserker. They say it's one of the meta builds being addressed, but we all use axe/axe, which they didn't touch. That and a utility skill that's not being used by almost any build (because it has a ton of knock-back that's rarely desirable) are getting a buff and that's it, so not much is actually being done to address these builds. 

[Gorem.8104]

Why was hundred blades not changed/buffed?

You buffed Warrior Greatsword in every way but the way people actually wanted... do you ever listen to feedback? 

Its a self root that hardly does any damage and is worse then axe/axe, the mandatory Warrior power run, in every way. You can't move, it has a long cast time and all its damage is in the final swing and its only frontal. Why was it not changed to say, block all attacks while being cast, or a shorter cast time or no more root? And no damage buffs? 

I seriously do not get this balance team. 

[Heibi.4251]

I noticed that Ranger is the only class missing from the list at the top of the page. Also, not a single ranger weapon got a damage boost.

[Nimeroni.5612]

From a tempest heal auramancer perspective

I really like that you could permanently keep Frost Aura or Shocking Aura. Aegis on Aftershock! is fine too.

I would put multiple stack of stability for Eye of the Storm! considering the long cooldown and lack of stability in the tempest kit (technically there's Rock Solid, but, uh... it's not very good).

Also not tied to the patch itself, but could you move the traits around so that the heal tempest can pick both the alacrity trait (Lucid Singularity) and the heal on aura trait (Elemental Bastion) ? Lucid Singularity ask us to constantly switch elements, but without Elemental Bastion, we can't work as healer when outside of water. Okay, we have a few source of healing (the big water boy, the frost bow, and the heal shout), but they are not as fun as throwing 20 bazillions auras around.

Personally, I would roll up Elemental Bastion into one of the aura trait (Invigorating Torrents, Unstable Conduit or Powerful Aura, depending on whenever it should be allowed for other elite specs), and add a new grandmaster trait for people that want an easier gameplay. Maybe something that would encourage you to not swap elements (to mirror the other two traits). It could be something as simple as "-50% to the cooldown after an overload" or something as elaborate as "while in combat, you can't switch elements but your overload is passive and permanent. (You can't manually cast overloads and you are constantly pulsing the same effect as if you were channeling the overload of your element (without the need to cast it). It never include the final pulse or field that drop at the end, but it does include the combo field during channeling. For other traits/sigils, you count as starting / finishing an overload immediately when entering combat and then every 10s)".

Also while I'm on the Santa wish list, could our elementals be permanent pets ? I'm tired of constantly recasting my big water boy. And change the summon weapons to work like the engie kits or firebrand tomes. Rebalance them if you want, I just want the Quality Of Life of not having to click an additional button.

 

17 hours ago, Sahne.6950 said:

How about turning transcendent tempest into this: "after finishing a overload, you grat 1 stack of stability for 3 seconds to neaby allies" "while equpping transcendent Tempest, the trait Harmonious conduit gains increased strength, The Stability from Harmonious conduit will now be shared with nearby allies".

 Stability is a support boon, so putting stability on the DPS trait is a terrible idea.

 

12 hours ago, Kozumi.5816 said:

lol @ power creeping every old elite to the power of the new ones instead of nerfing the new ones

It's a way of balancing the game. Whenever it's a good way of balancing the game depends on whenever they will increase only the floor or also the ceiling on DPS class.

Edited August 16, 2022 by Nimeroni.5612

[Artificer.3468]

53 minutes ago, Heibi.4251 said:

I noticed that Ranger is the only class missing from the list at the top of the page. Also, not a single ranger weapon got a damage boost.

Ranger got this treatment already. mainhand axe, greatsword, longbow, and sword I think. May be missing some

[Roda.7468]

2 hours ago, Heibi.4251 said:

I noticed that Ranger is the only class missing from the list at the top of the page. Also, not a single ranger weapon got a damage boost.

👇

 

[Sahne.6950]

4 hours ago, Nimeroni.5612 said:

Stability is a support boon, so putting stability on the DPS trait is a terrible idea.

i probably didnt state this right, but im advocating for this change for a long time.

scrap the current function of transcendent tempest. And then add stability after overloadin on it. So the Tempest can make a decision between: Healing ; Alacrity ; Stability.

[Sereath.1428]

(PvE only) x174

[Katary.7096]

If I had to guess I would say that the update is likely going to be positive overall, but the details are probably only going to be obivious when all the coefficient changes are on the live servers. That being said there are a few important points I can already adress.
First, the update seems to be somewhat contradictory. In many cases the power coefficient buffs which you are giving out land on skills which are primarily relevant as CC tools. (For example Binding Blade, Banish, Reaper's Mark and Drop the Hammer) Which will likely cause players to use these abilities in an effort to deal as much damage as possible and then find themselves lacking CC options when a breakbar pops up. Okay, some might say that this is a player skill issue and good players will know when they can afford to spend their CC cooldowns to get more damage out. But then explain why this update buffs a whole range of auto attacks? That is essentially just free damage and therefore something that does not have any player skill issue attached. The whole thing comes across as a weird oddity in a patch that buffs literally every single skill on Necromancer's staff (pretty consistent if the goal is to offer more damage output) but then cherry-picks certain skills for Guardian's greatsword, Revenant's hammer or Warrior's greatsword and it just so happens that skills on these weapons which exist purely to do more damage do not get any increase. [Guardian GS #2&#4, Revenant Hammer #2, Warrior GS #2&#3]
Second, adding Stability and Aegis access in places where the benefit of having these boons is diminished. Druids will be able to provide Stability but have to enter Celestial Avatar before casting the skill which actually gives Stability, that is simply not competitive with something like "Stand Your Ground!". On that note: Why is Stability going to be put on skills like Glyph of Equality or "Eye of the Storm!"? Those already break stuns on groups, why not put Stability somewhere else?
Third, while the radius increase for Traversing Darkness is helpful, Alacrity Specter builds still have to bring multiple wells to provide Alacrity. That system is simply not as good as something like Renegade where you have one dedicated button for all your Alacrity needs.

And thanks for replacing the knockback on Blast Gyro with a stun.

[Utomneian.9013]

i'm ambivalent about some of these changes. i understand that mech was overperforming, but if you were gonna nerf cdps mech, probably should have found a way to nerf power mech too, because now rifle mech is just gonna dominate completely, lol... also, not too happy about messing with thief venoms, but i'm hoping this doesn't hurt thief too much.

[khawki.4205]

On 8/11/2022 at 4:59 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Magebane Tether: (PvE only) Damage bonus to tethered target increased from 10% to 15%. Might stacks per second reduced from 3 to 1, but they are now applied to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360.

This is amazing, I'd love seeing spellbreaker in PvE! However, I'd slightly cut the cooldown on this trait. As it is now, you can't get it again as soon as it ends, meaning you have to "feel" when you can use burst skill to get this buff. Annyoing as hell!

[Wolfshade.9251]

After re-reading the notes I found a slightly worrying detail. While the Big Boomer damage increase might help with bringing Holosmith and Scrapper on the same level as other meta builds, it also buffs Power Mechanist. The change was justified with the nerf to Aim Assistet Rocket, however even after the nerf, Rifle Mechanist has been dominating on power bosses. I believe that more adjustments are needed to put power Holosmith on par with power Mechanist. Let's not forget that one of those is essentially an autoattack signet build with built in range and a pet that ignores multiple raid mechanics while still dealing damage to the boss. Power Holosmith is mostly meelee damage - that's it. Surely, a selfish meelee dps build should do more damage than a ranged one.

[Nash.2681]

On 8/13/2022 at 2:05 AM, crosknight.3041 said:

bit disappointed no address about the controversial placement of ele tempest alac (seriously why does elementalist have to make such a hard decision between providing alacrity vs more consistent heals or damage output) as well as how easy it is to be interrupted and get no alac.

otherwise i do like what i see

This. I'm baffled how ANet seems to only read thread topics/initial posts and not follow the discusions following up. Giving tempest alac was a good idea and a step in the right direction. However, it's extremly wonky to use and it comes with big tradeoffs (to maintain alac you lose the ability to heal on demand) compared to the current be-all-end-all HAM. Giving access to 1 aegis and 1 stab doesn't change anything about the current issues with healtemp.

Currently the ranking of heal alacrity is clearly HAM > Druid > Healtemp. With this update, Druid might close the gap a bit (though certainly not by giving stab to a glyph and hide it behind CA, but by the nerfs to HAM), but it changes nothing for healtemp.

[crosknight.3041]

1 hour ago, Nash.2681 said:

Giving access to 1 aegis and 1 stab doesn't change anything about the current issues with healtemp.

 

agreed, would love to see ele get more sources of aegis/stab. hopefully through arcane and cantrip rewords down the line because the rest of eles core utils really need touching up

 

[Lily.1935]

So, I don't play elementalist like hardly at all. But Something seems a bit strange to me looking at it from an outside perspective. Could Scepter maybe get a bit of a buff with dragon's tooth as well?

And for staff, Could we get burning added to Meteor Shower? It seems a bit strange to me you'd add burning and burning stacks to the other skills but ignore the staff's coolest and most salable skill like that. Especially since the skill roots you in place for so long. I wouldn't even mind if each burning stack after the first had diminishing returns. like it does with its power damage.

[boggy.9031]

On 8/11/2022 at 9:29 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

A message from the Skills and Balance Team:

Hi, all,

In our August 2 balance update preview, we mentioned that we added yet another balance update to our schedule for August 23 to address some lingering feedback from the June 28 release. Below you'll find the comprehensive preview of that update. While there are a handful of updates that impact all game modes, our focus for August 23 is largely on PvE gameplay.

 We'd like to hear your feedback on this. Please take today and the weekend to read through it, think it over, and share your thoughts. We'll be keeping an eye on the conversation and listening to what you have to say.
 

Core Weapon Tuning

In this update, we focused on improving the number of viable core weapon choices across many professions in PvE. This included increasing base damage on many ranged weapon autoattacks to a higher baseline damage per second. These changes should help reduce the performance gap between players using suboptimal and optimal weapons.

Guild Wars 2 is designed to encourage social gameplay–you should be stronger playing together than alone. With that in mind, we took another look at how boons are given out. Several weapon skills have been updated to grant might to nearby allies as well as the user in PvE, further contributing to boon availability in group events.

Damage Build Improvements

Our player community develops builds that are considered the gold standard for effective play, so we review them regularly. We made changes to some elite specialization weapons and traits to make various builds more competitive. Our goal is for every profession to have viable power- and condition-based damage builds.

• Power Tempest
• Condition Tempest
• Power Weaver
• Power Scrapper
• Power Holosmith
• Power Dragonhunter
• Power Reaper
• Power Herald
• Power Vindicator
• Power Daredevil
• Power Deadeye
• Power Berserker
• Condition Berserker
• Power Spellbreaker

Improving Support Diversity

Firebrand and healing Mechanist are currently dominating group compositions. In this update, we're improving support-role diversity by adding stability and aegis to Tempest's shouts and giving Druids increased access to those boons as well.

We're also making targeted reductions to stability and might uptime on Firebrand and Mechanist builds to make room for other professions. Firebrand's high on-demand stability from Mantra of Liberation is too essential in Fractals of the Mists and other group content, while Mechanist's barrier and might upkeep are cementing it as a build that pairs together too well with a Quickbrand to meet a group's support needs.

In the immediate future, we want to make sure more builds can be used successfully. In future updates, we'll expand this further by shoring up more support and healing build options.
 

Elementalist

We've firmed up the role of Fire Attunement skills in condition builds and improved Air Attunement skills' direct strike damage. Tempest's Transcendent Tempest trait has more than doubled in power to set it apart as the keystone choice for damage builds.

Staff
Fire

• Fireball: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.4. Now also inflicts 1 stack of burning with a 1-second duration.
• Lava Font: (PvE only) Now inflicts 1 stack of burning with a 1-second duration on each strike.
• Flame Burst: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.01 to 1.0. Burning stacks applied increased from 2 to 3.

Air

• Chain Lightning: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.8.
• Lightning Surge: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.44 to 1.8.

Earth

• Stoning: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.5 to 1.2.
• Shock Wave: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.5 to 2.5.

Scepter
Fire

• Phoenix: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 20 seconds to 10 seconds. Burning stack count increased from 1 to 2.

Water

• Water Trident: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 20 seconds to 10 seconds.

Earth

• Rock Barrier: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 15 seconds to 8 seconds.

Dagger (Main Hand)
Water

• Vapor Blade: (All game modes) The aftercast animation duration before another skill can be used has been decreased by 0.5 seconds.

Air

• Convergence: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 1.8.
• Shocking Aura: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 25 seconds to 10 seconds. Duration increased from 4 seconds to 10 seconds.
• Transmute Lightning: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.5.

Earth

• Ring of Earth: (PvE only) Final impact damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.5.
• Earthen Rush: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 18 seconds to 12 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.8.

Dagger (Off Hand)
Fire

• Fire Grab: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds, matching PvP and WvW.

Water

• Frost Aura: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 10 seconds. Duration increased from 4 seconds to 10 seconds.
• Cleansing Wave: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.

Air

• Ride the Lightning: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.
• Updraft: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 40 seconds to 20 seconds.

Earth

• Earthquake: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 16 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 3.
• Churning Earth: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.

Trident
Fire

• Magma Orb: Now also applies 1 second of burning on explosion.
• Boil: Now also applies 1 second of burning on hit.
• Steam: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.
• Lava Chains: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 20 seconds to 16 seconds.

Water

• Ice Globe: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
• Ice Wall: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.

Air

• Electrocute: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 2.4.
• Air Bubble: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.

Earth

• Rock Anchor: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.
• Murky Water: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.

Weaver

Sword

Fire

• Fire Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.8.
• Fire Swipe: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.77 to 0.9.
• Searing Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.6.

Water

• Seiche: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.33 to 0.5.
• Clapotis: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.45 to 0.6.
• Breaking Wave: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 1.0.

Air

• Charged Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.77 to 0.8.
• Polaric Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.88 to 0.9.
• Call Lightning: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.2.

Earth

• Crystal Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.8.
• Crystalline Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.9.
• Crystalline Sunder: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.4.
• Earthen Vortex: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.8.

Tempest

Traits

• Transcendent Tempest: (PvE only) Damage modifier increased from +7% to all damage dealt to +15% to all damage dealt.

Shouts

• "Feel the Burn!": (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 2.5. Might stacks applied increased from 3 to 5.
• "Eye of the Storm!": (PvE only) Cooldown reduced from 40 seconds to 30 seconds. Now also applies 1 stack of stability to allies for 5 seconds.
• "Aftershock!": (PvE only) Cooldown reduced from 35 seconds to 30 seconds. Now also applies aegis to allies for 5 seconds.

Engineer

The previous update's Mechanist-only damage reduction to Aim-Assisted Rocket left us with room to add damage to the core trait Big Boomer, bringing up the damage output of Holosmiths and Scrappers. That's not enough to close the gap on its own, so we're also making specialization-specific damage increases to Scrapper and Holosmith on sword, hammer, and Blast Gyro–which, in addition to more damage, will now stun enemies rather than knocking them away.

We're reducing the output of dominant Mechanist healing builds to give other support options more breathing room. We're also slightly reducing the output of condition damage builds with reductions to the Mech Command skills Rolling Smash and Discharge Array.
 

Harpoon Gun

• Homing Torpedo: Animation time reduced from 1.5 seconds to 1 second. Damage multiplier increased from 0.84 to 1.0. Applies 1 second of burning. This is now an explosion.
• Scatter Mines: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 10 seconds to 6 seconds.
• Timed Charge: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.75 to 3.5.
• Net Wall: (PvE only) Immobilize duration increased from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.

Utility Skills

• Throw Mine: (All game modes) The animation aftercast before another skill may be used has been reduced by 0.5 seconds. The mine will now detonate immediately if there is an enemy target in proximity when the mine lands. Now causes knockdown instead of knockback, with a duration of 2 seconds in PvE and 1 second in PvP and WvW. (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 2 to 3. Boons removed from targets increased from 1 to 3.

Med Kit

• Med Blaster: (PvE only) Healing power multiplier reduced from 0.2 to 0.1, matching PvP and WvW.

Elixir Gun

• Super Elixir: (PvE only) Duration reduced from 10 seconds to 5 seconds.

Explosives

• Big Boomer: (PvE only) Damage increase changed from 10% to 15%.

Holosmith

Sword

• Refraction Cutter: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.4.
• Radiant Arc: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 1.8.

Photon Forge

• Corona Burst: (PvE only) Might stacks per pulse reduced from 2 to 1, but they are now applied to up to 5 nearby allied targets.

Scrapper

Hammer

• Electro-whirl: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 2.4 to 3.
• Rocket Charge: The aftercast animation duration before another skill can be used has been decreased by 0.35 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 3.3 to 3.6 in PvE only.

Gyros

• Blast Gyro: (PvE only) Now stuns enemies for 3 seconds instead of knocking them back. Damage multiplier increased from 2.65 to 3.5.

Mechanist

Mech Commands

• Rolling Smash: (PvE only) Bleeding stacks applied reduced from 8 to 4.
• Discharge Array: (PvE only) Confusion duration per hit reduced from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Crisis Zone: (PvE only) Stability duration reduced from 15 seconds to 6 seconds.
• Barrier Burst: (PvE only) Base barrier value per pulse reduced from 434 to 260. Might stacks per pulse reduced from 3 to 2.

Mace

• Barrier Blast: (PvE only) Base barrier value reduced from 434 to 260.

Signets

• Barrier Signet: (PvE only) Base barrier value per pulse reduced from 434 to 260.

Traits

• Barrier Engine (Passive): (PvE only) Base barrier value reduced from 434 to 260.

Guardian

Multiple stored uses of on-demand stun break and stability have made Firebrand mandatory in Fractals, Strike Missions, raids, and even WvW. In this update, Firebrand's Mantra of Liberation is reduced from 3 to 2 ammunition, with an increased cooldown. Together with an added source of stability for both Tempest and Druid, this will provide better parity across different professions' support builds in PvE. Firebrand's multiple sources will be countered by higher recharge.

The greatsword damage increases benefit Dragonhunter builds, and hammer improvements will help close the gap between it and other damaging weapons while living up to that weighty feel a hammer should have.
 

Greatsword

• Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.8 to 0.9.
• Vengeful Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.8 to 1.0.
• Wrathful Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.4. Might is now applied to up to 5 allies in a radius of 360.
• Leap of Faith: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds, and damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 2. Healing per foe hit increased from 235 to 1,053 in PvE, matching PvP and WvW.
• Binding Blade: (PvE only) Damage multiplier on initial hit increased from 1.0 to 1.5.

Hammer

• Symbol of Protection: The aftercast animation duration before another skill can be used has been decreased by 0.65 seconds.
• Mighty Blow: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 2.1 to 2.4.
• Glacial Blow: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 6 seconds to 4 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 2.4 to 2.5.
• Zealot's Embrace: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.8 to 1.5.
• Banish: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 3.

Staff

• Bolt of Wrath: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.55 to 0.65.
• Searing Light: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.65 to 0.75.
• Seeking Judgment: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.75 to 0.9.
• Holy Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.8.
• Empower: (PvE only) Might stacks per pulse reduced from 4 to 3. Might duration reduced from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.

Firebrand

• Mantra of Liberation: Ammunition reduced from 3 to 2 in PvE and WvW. Recharge increased from 25 seconds to 45 seconds.

Dragonhunter

Longbow

• Puncture Shot: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.85 to 1.0.

Mesmer

In the August 2 update, we reviewed and updated the greatsword and sword core weapons. In this update we're increasing Chronomancer's alacrity duration from Stretched Time and increasing the damage of Tides of Time, the fifth shield skill. This will give a slight bump to boon-focused Chronomancer builds.

We also wanted to reduce some of the longer cooldowns on staff, but Mirage's high-performing condition damage builds made that tricky. We're making very small cuts to condition damage on Mirage's axe and staff ambush to maintain parity with other professions' builds. The reduced cooldown on the Phantasmal Warlock and Chaos Armor weapon skills will improve the Mesmer's leveling experience when using a staff.
 

Staff

• Phantasmal Warlock: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 18 seconds to 15 seconds.
• Chaos Armor: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.

Utility Skills

• Blink: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 30 seconds to 20 seconds.

Chronomancer

• Stretched Time: Alacrity on well cast increased from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.
• Tides of Time: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.5.

Mirage

Axe

• Lingering Thoughts: (PvE only) Torment duration decreased from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Imaginary Axes: (PvE only) Torment duration decreased from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.

Staff

• Chaos Vortex (Staff Ambush): (PvE only) Might stack count reduced from 8 to 5, and might duration reduced from 15 seconds to 10 seconds. Torment, bleeding, and confusion duration reduced from 8 seconds to 7 seconds.

Necromancer

Necromancer changes are focused on improving damage and skill-recharge timers for several weapons and abilities.

Staff

• Necrotic Grasp: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.666 to 1.
• Mark of Blood: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.33 to 1.5
• Chillblains: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 16 seconds to 12 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 0.55 to 1.8.
• Putrid Mark: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
• Reaper's Mark: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 32 seconds to 18 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 0.275 to 3.

Dagger (Main Hand)

• Life Siphon: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.
• Dark Pact: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 15 seconds to 12 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 2.4. Immobilize duration increased from 3 seconds to 6 seconds.

Dagger (Off Hand)

• Deathly Swarm: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 18 seconds to 16 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 0.6 to 1.2.
• Enfeebling Blood: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 25 seconds to 20 seconds. Damage multiplier increased from 0.5 to 1.5.

Focus

• Soul Grasp: (PvE only) Ammunition recharge reduced from 15 seconds to 12 seconds. Ammunition count increased from 2 to 3.
• Spinal Shivers: (PvE only) Recharge reduced from 20 seconds to 16 seconds. Damage multiplier on targets with no boons increased from 0.5 to 1, one boon from 1.125 to 1.625, two boons from 1.875 to 2.375, and three boons from 2.625 to 3.125.

Reaper

Greatsword

• Fading Twilight: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.3 to 1.4.
• Chilling Scythe: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.7 to 1.8.
• Death Spiral: (PvE only) Damage multiplier per hit increased from 0.425 to 0.5.

Reaper Shroud

• Life Rend: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.875 to 0.9.

Shouts

• "You Are All Weaklings!": (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.7 to 2.5.
• "Nothing Can Save You!": (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.7 to 2.
• "Suffer!": (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.7 to 1.5.

Ranger

Feline pets' autoattacks aren't affected by quickness, a long-standing issue that makes them subpar in group play. Meanwhile, the iboga is the most powerful pet in any PvE boss encounter because its base attack damage scales with number of conditions on the target. A release note from 2018 indicated that this was fixed, but the change didn't make it to the live game.

A recent fix to the calculated critical-hit-chance values in the pet stats UI caused pet critical-hit chances to appear to drop by 17.8%. This was a display issue only, and the text now reflects the real value.

We're using this as an opportunity to improve pet balance in PvE overall by delivering that long-delayed reduction to iboga damage while bringing all Ranger pets' performance up by giving them a flat 17.8% critical-hit chance across the board.

Ranger pets and spirits will now also have a locked defiance bar in PvE, making them immune to crowd-control effects. This quality-of-life improvement will ensure that their skills are available for use when needed and that pets will perform more consistently in all PvE content.
 

All Ranger Pets

• (PvE only) All ranger pets' chance to critically hit has been increased by 17.8%.
• (PvE only) All ranger pets are now immune to crowd control when on a PvE map.

Feline Pet Family

• Slash (Autoattack): Now affected by quickness.

White Tiger

• Fixed a bug that caused a delay before this pet could act when summoned.
• Guardian's Roar: (All game modes) Casting time reduced from 1 second to 0.4 seconds. (PvE only) Cooldown reduced from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.

Other Pets

Wallow

• Fixed a bug that caused a delay before this pet could act after being summoned.

Phoenix

• Fixed a bug that caused a delay before this pet could act after being summoned.

Siege Turtle

• Fixed a bug that caused a delay before this pet could act after being summoned.

Iboga

• Consuming Bite (Autoattack): Reduced the base damage of this skill by 33%. Reduced the damage per condition by 40%.

Spirits

• (PvE only) All ranger spirits are now immune to crowd control in PvE maps.

Druid

• Glyph of Equality (Celestial Avatar): Range increased from 300 to 360 in all game modes. Now applies 5 seconds of stability to allies in PvE only.

Revenant

For core revenant, we're improving hammer as a ranged damage option. All revenant specializations will receive damage increases from Invocation trait updates.

Hammer

• Hammer Bolt: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.95 to 1.1.
• Phase Smash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.75 to 2.
• Drop the Hammer: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 2.3.

Invocation

• Rising Tide: (PvE only) Damage increase changed from 7% to 10%.
• Ferocious Aggression: (PvE only) Damage increase changed from 7% to 10%.

Herald

• Reinforced Potency: (PvE only) Bonus damage per boon increased from 1% to 1.5%.

Vindicator

Greatsword

• Mist Swing: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.9 to 1.0.
• Mist Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.1.
• Arcing Mists: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.3.
• Mist Unleashed: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.9 to 2.0.
• Phantom's Onslaught: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 1.6.
• True Strike: (PvE only) Base damage multiplier increased from 1.0 to 1.5. Damage multiplier added per blocked attack increased from 0.4 to 0.5.

Thief

In group content, venoms can account for as much as 25% of a thief condition damage build's total damage. Their solo damage is lacking in comparison. We're shifting some of that damage from venoms to direct attacks with increased condition duration on Death Blossom, Specter's scepter, and Shadow Shroud autoattacks, as well as a 50% increase to the condition damage attribute granted by the trait Deadly Ambition. The net effect of this change is to increase condition damage dealt in solo and open-world play.

Deadeye and Daredevil both get power damage increases as well, giving those builds stronger top-end damage potential.

Dagger (Main Hand)

• Backstab: (PvE only) Front damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.5. Back damage multiplier increased from 2.4 to 3.
• Death Blossom: (PvE only) Bleed duration increased from 10 seconds to 15 seconds.

Dagger (Off Hand)

• Dancing Dagger: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.6 to 0.9.

Pistol (Off Hand)

• Head Shot: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.25 to 1.

Sword

• Slice: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.8 to 0.85.
• Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.8 to 0.85.
• Crippling Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.3 to 1.4.
• Infiltrator's Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.75 to 1.8.

Venoms

• Skale Venom: (PvE only) Torment duration decreased from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Spider Venom: (PvE only) Poison duration decreased from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.

Deadly Arts

• Deadly Ambition: (PvE only) Condition damage attribute bonus increased from 120 to 180.

Specter

• Shadow Bolt: (PvE only) Torment duration increased from 3 seconds to 4 seconds.
• Haunt Shot: (PvE only) Torment duration increased from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.

Traits

• Traversing Dusk: Alacrity radius on well cast and healing radius on shadowstep increased from 240 to 360.

Deadeye

• Premeditation: (PvE only) Bonus damage per boon increased from 1% to 1.5%.
• Iron Sight: (PvE only) Bonus damage dealt to and damage reduction taken from your marked target increased from 10% to 15%.

Daredevil

Staff

• Staff Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.75.
• Staff Bash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.66 to 0.80.
• Punishing Strikes: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.672 to 1.8.
• Hook Strike (Stealth Attack): (PvE only) Knockdown duration increased from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.

Traits

• Weakening Strikes: (PvE only) Damage dealt to weakened foes increased from 7% to 10%.
• Bounding Dodger: (PvE only) Damage bonus increased from 10% to 15% in PvE, matching PvP and WvW.

Warrior

Warrior's longbow updates will make Arcing Arrow relevant in PvE and turn Smoldering Arrow into a useful defiance-bar breaker. We've also increased damage for several core weapons, elite specialization weapons, and traits.

Greatsword

• Greatsword Swing: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.7 to 0.8.
• Greatsword Slice: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.95 to 1.05.
• Brutal Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.5.
• Arcing Slice: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.32 to 2. Damage multiplier against foes with less than 50% health increased from 1.98 to 3.
• Bladetrail: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.75 to 1.5.
• Rush: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.7 to 2.5.

Sword (Main Hand)

• Sever Artery: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.6 to 0.8.
• Gash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.6 to 0.8.
• Hamstring: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.2.
• Savage Leap: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.66 to 2.

Sword (Off Hand)

• Impale: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.5 to 1.5.
• Rip: (PvE only) Might is now applied to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360.

Longbow

• Dual Shot: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.44 to 0.525.
• Arcing Arrow: (All game modes) The aftercast animation duration before another skill may be used has been reduced by 0.5 seconds. (PvE only) Increased ammunition count to 2. Now applies 5 seconds of burning on hit.
• Smoldering Arrow: (PvE only) Now applies 1 second of dazed on hit.

Rifle

• Fierce Shot: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.605 to 1. Might is now applied to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360.
• Explosive Shell: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.25 to 1.5.

Hammer

• Earthshaker: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 2.
• Hammer Shock: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.8.

Arms

• Furious: (PvE only) Condition damage per stack increased from 10 to 15.

Berserker

• Shattering Blow: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1 to 1.5.
• Sundering Leap: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 3.

Traits

• Bloody Roar: (PvE only) Damage bonus increased from 20% to 25%.

Spellbreaker

Dagger (Main Hand)

• Breaching Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.5 to 2.5.
• Precise Cut: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.55 to 0.6.
• Focused Slash: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.6 to 0.65.
• Keen Strike: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 0.85 to 1.05. Might is now applied to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360.
• Aura Slicer: (PvE only) Damage multiplier increased from 1.2 to 1.8.

Dagger (Off Hand)

• Bladestorm: (PvE only) Damage multiplier per hit increased from 0.35 to 0.5.

Traits

• Pure Strike: (PvE only) Damage bonus increased from 7%/14% to 7.5%/15%.
• Magebane Tether: (PvE only) Damage bonus to tethered target increased from 10% to 15%. Might stacks per second reduced from 3 to 1, but they are now applied to up to 5 allied targets within a range of 360

what the hec..

so much diversity and everybody can do everything what even is the point of  "roles" or "professions"      why are you people butchering your own game. wtf

[Ruisenior.6342]

17 minutes ago, boggy.9031 said:

what the hec..

so much diversity and everybody can do everything what even is the point of  "roles" or "professions"      why are you people butchering your own game. wtf

At this point they should delete all armor types and classes and bundle it all in one XD. What a mess of a game is becoming gw2. 🤧

[Josif.2015]

Why would you nerf the elixir gun and the med kit? They're good the way they are now. If you really want to give other support options, then nerf Mechanist, not the kits.

Other than that, good buffs for every profession, though I wish I'd see buffs or any improvements for core engineer. You can start by not nerfing kits.

Edited August 17, 2022 by Karras.2945

[Asum.4960]

Some feedback for Necro: 

 

The Staff buffs are really nice, but imo a bit misplaced. On power Reaper running Staff on swap will lead to LF issues sub 50% Gravedigger spam - the AA, it's only LF generator, is still way to bad to ever be used. The only potential solution to this is running Soul Marks, in which case Reaper loses the tiny bit of group Utility they have in covering Vuln with Unyielding Blast - all while very likely still by far not doing competitive DPS. 

Aside from a comprehensive Staff/Mark rework, I'd much rather see some Condition being added to the Staff AA, providing Scourge at last with a viable second Weapon - fitting of it being a AoE Condition Caster. 

 

For Power Reaper and Harbinger, I'd much rather see Axe, Dagger, Focus and Warhorn improvements. 

Even after some of these changes listed in this patch, it's ridiculous how far behind these weapons are.

Skills like Unholy Feast on Axe, Locust Swarm on Warhorn, as well as Soul Grasp and Spinal Shivers on Focus should not do less damage than a single Auto Attack, especially not on often times 1 second cast times (plus way too long aftercasts). 

Boon removal (nor tiny Life Siphons) isn't big enough of a Utility in PvE to be worth actively losing DPS by pressing these buttons in 99% of circumstances. 

Even Feast of Corruption/Devouring Darkness (a condi skill on a condi weapon, which also Corrupts more boons and generates LF on a shorter CD and cast time) has a higher Power coefficient than these supposedly Power weapon skills. 

There is no need to massively buff damage of Utility skills such as Shouts (which very likely still aren't competitive), when there are actual Weapon Skills (almost all of them on power weapons) that perform so incredibly poorly.

 

In summary:

Buff Dagger AA, change Life Siphon to be Point Blank AoE or fix it's skill cancelling issues when even slightly not facing the target.

Buff Axe AA and change Unholy Feast to not require a Target to be below 25% health for it's secondary strike, and massively increase it's power coefficient.

Add a damaging Condition to Staff AA.

(Un-)Rework Locust Swarm on Warhorn back to it's initial design of a damaging and LF generating Cloud with longer duration, and massively increase it's damage. Reduce CD on both skills.

Rework Soul Grasp on Focus. Tiny amounts of Life Siphon which barely scales with stats and can't Crit just isn't a worthwhile tool. More Charges of a Skill not worth using isn't going to do anything. Spinal Shivers needs to do drastically more Damage Baseline in PvE. Even with the buffed 1.0 coefficient this patch, that's still less damage than an AA, on a 1 second cast time +  aftercast. 

Imo rework Gravedigger <50% HP spam in favour of an engaging GS and viable secondary weapon set rotation.

Look into reducing some of the quite oppressive aftercasts on Necro (such as Staff AA having a 1.32 second full cast time, rather than it's listed 0.75 seconds).

Edited August 16, 2022 by Asum.4960

[KrakenAZ.9367]

Quote

Spider Venom: (PvE only) Poison duration decreased from 4 seconds to 3 seconds.

This statement right here concerns me, as I already focus on poisons as a solo playeer.  Seems antithetical to the stated goal of increasing condition damage in solo open world play.  Spider venom is a large portion of my damage, particularly against hard targets.  Reducing its effectiveness by 25% feels like a big ol' miss to me.

[Daeth.8912]

Just jumping in for a general comment - maybe we could get every weapon updated to have both condition and power use? Just scale like mechanist mace so they work for both builds. There are a lot of weapons that look cool and have interesting abilities, but I wont touch because they are the wrong damage type. Would make older base weapons a lot less stale and open them up to more builds.   Also not a fan of weapon specific traits clogging up specialization trees.