Elementalist Scepter Redesigned as a Mid-Range Zoner

[Swagg.9236]

Main goal:  Add flexibility with additions of free-aim, ground-targeted and position-dependent abilities rather than an over-reliance on too many free-fire, sticky-target attacks.  Make the weapon more about zoning and trapping in mid-range more than just bum-rushing dudes after popping out of line of sight and dropping several skills with no effort.  Also, here's a secret:

Spoiler

WvW is always a mega meme because, in an open field, this game is an absolute spam fest carried by passive/instant ticks and procs; and WvW is, like, 65% flat, dead space with no terrain variance or interesting obstacles.  Therfore, design weapons for PvP.

Kit Redesign Breakdown:

- FIRE: Zoning; Threat/Finisher damage and cleave

- AIR: Zoning; Niche damage mitigation

- WATER: Zoning; Movement control

- EARTH: Allied movement support and damage mitigation (high cooldowns)

FIRE

Spoiler

[Flamestrike] (1)

• Strike radius reduced from 180 to 120.
• The second strike now has a proper warning circle.

[Dragon’s Tooth] (2)

Activation: ¾s | Recharge: ½s

Conjure a floating, molten spike over the target location.  After a delay, the spike drops, damaging foes in the area.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Delay: 2s
• Damage per Strike: (1.5)
• Burning |2| (8s): [Damage]
• Ammo Count: 3
• Count Recharge: 20s
• Combo Finisher: Blast
• Radius: 180
• Range: 900

Allows user to control at least one attack with manual movement for on-the-fly positioning or baiting while zoning with the other.  Also provides strong, free-aim, cleave potential.  Still strong at controlling an area and forcing dynamic target movement and decision-making without being as obnoxious as the attack simply following a target around for the entire duration of a scepter ele burst.  Good as an opener, but certainly stronger in conjunction with the rest of the redesigned scepter kit active on the field.  Increased range improves opener flexibility.  Both teeth count as a blast finisher.

[Phoenix] (3a)

• Now functions like Engineer [Jump Shot] but no longer cures a condition.  Damage numbers and unblockable tooltip remain unchanged.
• Recharge normalized to 15s across all modes.  This skill now chains into another skill upon successful activation (does not need to strike a valid target) called [Rebirth].
• The reason for making this a ground-targeted jump is to not only synergize with this kit's zoning hazards by introducing some mobility, but it also forces the user to engage in a dangerous position for maximum damage rather than simply relying on line of sight to carry a fight.

[Rebirth] (3b)

Recharge: 8s

Teleport to the target location, blinding foes with smoke and cleansing conditions.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Blind (5s): Next outgoing attack misses.
• Radius: 180
• Conditions Removed: 3
• Range: 600

Gives the user an out from the initial threat of forced melee engagement with Phoenix, but a long cooldown means it can't be instantly spammed with every Phoenix usage.  Also can simply add to user mobility in a pinch.

 

AIR

Spoiler

[Invoke Lightning] (2)

Activation: ¼s | Recharge: 8s

Lightning strikes foes at the target location.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Damage per Strike: (0.5)
• Number of Strikes: 8
• Duration: 4s
• Radius: 180
• Range: 900

[Blinding Flash] (3)

Recharge: 20s

Blind and weaken foes at the target area.  This flash also reveals and dazes stealthed foes.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Blind (5s) : Next outgoing attacking misses.
• Weakness (3s) : -50% Endurance Regeneration, 50% Fumble (Unrestricted)
• Revealed vs Stealthed Foes (4s) : You cannot stealth.
• Daze vs Stealthed Foes: ½s
• Radius: 240
• Range: 900

Much more powerful initial effect, but a tide-turning conditional.  With a longer recharge and no ammo, user must actually weigh options between blowing it for easy damage mitigation in a fight or save it for a critical moment involving stealth.

WATER

Spoiler

[Ice Shards] (1)

• Now functions identically to Engineer [Grenade] (activation time set to ¾s—up from [Grenade]’s ½s).  Each strike inflicts bleeding vs chilled targets.
  • Damage (3x):  [PvP/WvW] (0.495) | [PvE] (0.75) — (0.165) per strike in [PvP/WvW] and (0.25) per strike in [PvE] respectively (three strikes per skill use).
  • Bleeding (8s) vs Chilled Targets: [Damage]

[Shatterstone] (2)

Activation: ½s | Recharge: 2s

Conjure a line of three ice spikes in front of you.  After a brief delay, each ice spike will explode if a foe approaches within its trigger radius.  All ice spikes explode naturally after their duration ends.

• Number of Ice Spikes:  3
• Delay: 1s
• Ice Spike Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.6) | [PvE]: (1.25)
• Ice Spike Chilled (1½s) : -66% Skill Recharge Rate, -66% Movement
• Trigger Radius: 120
• Explosion Radius: 180
• Ice Spike Duration: 6s
• Ammo Count: 2
• Count Recharge: 15s
• Range: 900

Effectively a vectored line of three Engineer [Throw Mine] hazards spaced apart similarly to the blast strikes in Revenant [Echoing Eruption].  The "mines" expire/explode in half the time it takes for an ammo count to recharge so as to save an area from oppressive zoning hazard saturation.

[Water Trident] (3)

Activation: ½s | Recharge: 30s

Stand still and charge a spell that hurls a mighty wave of water directly in front of you.  This spell heals allies and damages foes.  Effects increase based on how long you charge this skill.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Number of Allies: 5
• Number of Charge Stages: 5
• Maximum Charge Threshold: 2s
• Minimum Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.01) | [PvE]: (2.0)
• Maximum Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.1) | [PvE]: (10.0)
• Boons Removed per Charge Stage: 1
• Knockdown at Maximum Charge: 2s
• Minimum Healing: [PvP/WvW]: 1,099 (0.8) | [PvE]: 1,832 (1.0)
• Maximum Healing: [PvP/WvW]: 2,747 (0.8) | [PvE]: 4,580 (1.0)
• Conditions Removed per Charge Stage: 1
• Range: 750
• Unblockable

Similar charge-up mechanic and same traveling hitbox as Bladesworn [Dragon Slash—Boost].  User does not travel; only the water trident attack hitbox.  The user should still rotate to face a selected target.

EARTH

Spoiler

[Stone Shards] (1)

• Each attack now pierces and deals increased damage per bleed stack on struck foes; Bonus Damage per Bleed Stack: [PvP/WvW] 5% (Max 50%) | [PvE] 2.5% (Max 150%).  Intent is to come in clutch for a finisher over AoE stacking if the user pumps bleed.  Also could be a strong auto in raids or some other Simon Says content.

[Rock Barrier] (2)

Activation: ¼s / Recharge: 1s

Create a wall of stone at the target location.  This wall blocks projectiles.  If a foe attempts to cross the wall, the wall inflicts knockback and then crumbles.

• Wall Duration: 3s
• Number of Targets: 1
• Knockback: 120
• Ammo Count: 2
• Count Recharge: 30s
• Range: 900
• Unblockable

This wall should not be very broad in length (only slightly more than one player hitbox in width).  The "Number of Targets" tooltip means that the wall will only attempt to knock back 1 enemy before it then immediately ends.

[Dust Devil] (3)

• Recharge increased from 15s to 40s.
• Now functions like a re-scaled clone of Tempest [Lightning Orb] (retains the 1200 unit travel range).  Activation time increased to 1s.  Missile launch radius set to 240 (down from Lighting Orb’s 360); missiles deal damage with a power modifier of (0.175), inflict blind (1½s) and cripple (¾s); missile launch interval set to ½s (up from Lightning Orb’s ¼s interval; these changes translate to half the projectiles launched by Lightning Orb).

Super strong for pushing areas because of potential blind spam with decent timing and positioning, but long cooldown means it's maybe only once per fight before the user may have to break off.  A one-second activation time and only a 240 radius means it won't be a super great option for immediate, melee-range defense because it will be susceptible to interruption, enemy burst windows, and enemies repositioning opposite of the dust devil's direction of travel.

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by Swagg.9236

[Hellz.3058]

7 minutes ago, Swagg.9236 said:

Main goal:  Add flexibility with additions of free-aim, ground-targeted and position-dependent abilities rather than an over-reliance on too many free-fire, sticky-target attacks.  Make the weapon more about zoning and trapping in mid-range more than just bum-rushing dudes after popping out of line of sight and dropping several skills with no effort.  Also, here's a secret:

  Reveal hidden contents

WvW is always a mega meme because, in an open field, this game is an absolute spam fest carried by passive/instant ticks and procs; and WvW is, like, 65% flat, dead space with no terrain variance or interesting obstacles.  Therfore, design weapons for PvP.

Kit Redesign Breakdown:

- FIRE: Zoning; Threat/Finisher damage and cleave

- AIR: Zoning; Niche damage mitigation

- WATER: Zoning; Movement control

- EARTH: Allied movement support and damage mitigation (high cooldowns)

FIRE

  Reveal hidden contents

[Flamestrike] (1)

• Each strike now hits up to 3 targets in a 120 radius.  The second strike should have a warning circle.
• Revert attack speed aftercast to its previous, longer duration.

[Dragon’s Teeth] (2)

Activation: ¾s / Recharge: 8s

Conjure a pair of floating, molten spikes: one at the target location and the other which follows above you.  After a delay, both spikes strike the ground and damage adjacent foes.

• Number of Targets per Strike: 5
• Delay: 2s
• Damage per Strike: (1.0)
• Burning |2| (6s) per Strike: [Damage]
• Combo Finisher: Blast
• Radius: 180
• Range: 1200

Allows user to control at least one attack with manual movement for on-the-fly positioning or baiting while zoning with the other.  Also provides strong, free-aim, cleave potential.  Still strong at controlling an area and forcing dynamic target movement and decision-making without being as obnoxious as the attack simply following a target around for the entire duration of a scepter ele burst.  Good as an opener, but certainly stronger in conjunctionwith the rest of the redesigned scepter kit active on the field.  Increased range improves opener flexibility.  Both teeth count as a blast finisher.

[Phoenix] (3)

• Activation time increased to ½s.
• Recharge in PvP/PvE reduced to 18s.

AIR

  Reveal hidden contents

[Lightning Strike] (1)

• Now functions as a ground-targeted AoE with a 180-range strike radius and an attack delay of 1 second (needs a warning circle); activation time is still instant and can be used while CC'ed.  This skill now has a recharge of ½s, an ammo count of 2, and an ammo count recharge of 5s.  Range remains at 900.  Vulnerability stacks per strike remain unchanged from current attack tooltip.  Damage per strike adjusted to [PvP/WvW] (0.85) | [PvE]: (1.25).  Good for threatening with [Dragon's Teeth].

[Blinding Flash] (3)

Recharge: 15s

Blind and weaken foes at the target area.  This flash also reveals and dazes stealthed foes.

• Number of Targets: 5
• Blind (5s) : Next outgoing attacking misses.
• Weakness (2½s) : -50% Endurance Regeneration, 50% Fumble (Unrestricted)
• Revealed vs Stealthed Foes (4s) : You cannot stealth.
• Daze vs Stealthed Foes: ½s
• Radius: 300
• Range: 900

Much more powerful initial effect, but a tide-turning conditional.  With a longer recharge and no ammo, user must actually weigh options between blowing it for easy damage mitigation in a fight or save it for a critical moment involving stealth.

WATER

  Reveal hidden contents

[Ice Shards] (1)

• Now functions identically to Engineer [Grenade] (activation time set to ¾s—up from [Grenade]’s ½s).  Each strike inflicts bleeding vs chilled targets.
  • Damage (3x):  [PvP/WvW] (0.495) | [PvE] (0.75) — (0.165) per strike in [PvP/WvW] and (0.25) per strike in [PvE] respectively (three strikes per skill use).
  • Bleeding (8s) vs Chilled Targets: [Damage]

[Shatterstone] (2)

Activation: ½s / Recharge: 6s

Conjure a line of three ice spikes in front of you.  After a brief delay, each ice spike will explode if a foe approaches within its trigger radius.  All ice spikes explode naturally after their duration ends.

• Number of Ice Spikes:  3
• Delay: 1s
• Ice Spike Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.6) | [PvE]: (1.25)
• Ice Spike Chilled (1s) : -66% Skill Recharge Rate, -66% Movement
• Trigger Radius: 120
• Explosion Radius: 180
• Ice Spike Duration: 5s

Effectively an Engineer [Throw Mine] pre-arranged in a manner akin to the strike spacing of Revenant [Echoing Eruption].  The "mines" expire/explode after five seconds so as to prevent the field from being oversaturated with zoning hazards.  Due to it's longer threat presence on the field, this is very strong at forcing movement and cooldowns with other kit AoEs.

[Water Trident] (2)

Activation: ¾s / Recharge: 15s

Deliver a powerful melee thrust from a conjured water trident.  Knock back and chill struck foes.  If you struck no foe, you instead heal and cure conditions on allies in a cone in front of you.

• Number of Targets: 3
• Number of Allies: 5
• Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.01) | [PvE]: (1.2)
• Chilled (2s) : -66% Skill Recharge Rate, -66% Movement Speed
• Attack Range: 150
• Knockback: 400
• Unblockable
• Healing Cone: 400
• Healing: 1275 (1.0)
• Conditions Removed: 3

Uses same water trident model but tired to a Warrior [Final Thrust] attack animation.  User is affected by the conical healing and condition removal (evaded/invulned attacks will count as a strike and will not award healing).  Unblockable is strong; good for setting up attacks, pushing targets into hazards, or just stacking chill to pump bleed.

EARTH

  Reveal hidden contents

[Stone Shards] (1)

• Each attack now pierces and deals increased damage per bleed stack on struck foes; Bonus Damage per Bleed Stack: [PvP/WvW] 5% (Max 50%) | [PvE] 2.5% (Max 150%).  Intent is to come in clutch for a finisher over AoE stacking if the user pumps bleed.  Also could be a strong auto in raids or some other Simon Says content.

[Rock Barrier] (2)

Activation: 4s / Recharge: 25s

Create a pulsing dome of floating stones around you.  This dome destroys incoming projectiles.  Each pulse grants barrier and resistance to nearby allies.  Pulses damage, bleed, cripple, and slow foes.

• Dome Duration:  4s
• Number of Targets: 5
• Number of Allies: 5
• Pulses: 5
• Pulse interval: 1s
• Barrier: 535 (0.5)
• Resistance (1s): Unaffected by movement impeding conditions.
• Damage: [PvP/WvW]: (0.4) | [PvE]: (1.25)
• Bleeding |3| (8s): [Damage]
• Crippled (1½s) : -50% Movement Speed
• Slow (1s) : Actions are slower.
• Radius: 180

Dome pulses once upon activation and then once at the end of each second so long as the user maintains the channel.  Channel prevents this skill from enabling excessive attack layering.  More of a support/repositioning ability with a niche offensive potential.

•  
• 😞
   

Line dimensions relatively equivalent to other line-type skills (i.e. Mesmer [Temporal Curtain]).  Bizzare text error which inexplicably can't be removed here because Anet quality™ forum.

[Dust Devil] (3)

• Recharge increased from 15s to 25s.
• Now functions like a re-scaled clone of Tempest [Lightning Orb] (retains the 1200 unit travel range).  Activation time increased to ½s.  Missile launch radius set to 240 (down from [Lighting Orb]’s 360); missiles deal damage with a power modifier of (0.175), inflict blind (1½s) and bleeding (4s); missile launch interval set to ½s (up from [Lightning Orb]’s ¼s interval; these changes translate to half the projectiles launched by [Lightning Orb]).

Super strong for pushing areas because of potential blind spam with decent timing and positioning, but long cooldown means it's maybe only once per fight before the user may have to break off.  Lower damage means it is more for movement support and pumping earth auto damage than for use as a finisher.

 

Bad idea, we need buffs to cata

[Swagg.9236]

Cata as a concept could've been realized with a single glyph skill and a cantrip that is basically just the current Mesmer Mimic but with 3 ammo and it only affected weapon skills.  The only decently cool skill in the entire kit is maybe the Air 2 attack on hammer.  Just remove a boring air skill on a bad weapon and slide that bad Larry in instead.

[Sahne.6950]

Creative but....

Adds even more reflects.  

Add 3 cleanse every 15...

Adds alot of cc.... dustdevil will spam blind/slow with 0,5 second interval making you completly immune to damage during that time....

For condibuilds this would be reeeeaaaally overpowered. 

Basicly, Would be op af.

I also like the part where i can cast a Dtooth on a node, then i run onto the node with a second dtooth over my head, just so i can hit both at once and oneshot....   then i use cata elite for the quadra tooth wombo combo. Then i wait 6 seconds to yet again vomit 2 dtooths.... 

 

Sceptre as is, is a very strong weapon! No need to buff it.

There is other weapons that need a rework. Come up with a good idea for staff!

Edited January 15, 2023 by Sahne.6950

[Swagg.9236]

As cool as the ability to reset weapon sets is, ele has enough buttons. That's elite doesn't deserve to exist, or it did have some kind of limiting factor.

The only reason why a 4x dragon tooth isn't a guarantee us because nobody is necessarily forced to stand under two of them fixed to specific locations, and nobody is necessarily forcing a target to be directly under the ele.  The ele either has to corral a target using all of the other threats or it requires teamwork.

There are no reflects.

Even spamming AoEs isn't that much of an issue since the range and ground target nature requires an ele to step to points to still contest.  With the amount of delays built into the threats, it'll be hard to walk onto an area and immediately detonate on targets like they do now.  Sure, the AoE hazards can be oppressive, but between delays and a baseline 180 effective radius rather than 240s, it'll be much more difficult to wrench people from a point while taking immediate advantage like they do now.

Yeah, it'd be strong for condi.  If there is too much, then it's just basic number tweaks to bring that down or readjust back to power.

If Water Trident of all things is an issue, you're talking just basic, BASIC number tweaks. 

Considering the cooldowns, dumping the earth kit all at once is a SUPER greedy opener or a desperate push for a point.

I've already done mountains for ele staff suggestions.  Scepter has always been boring garbaglio, though.

[Hotride.2187]

They already redesigned it. Fix the numbers so that its not the bloated mess it is right now, then move to redesigning unused weapons. There is a long queue of those.

[Swagg.9236]

5 hours ago, Hotride.2187 said:

They already redesigned it. Fix the numbers so that its not the bloated mess it is right now, then move to redesigning unused weapons. There is a long queue of those.

You can't fix or design anything around the idea of only shifting numbers up or down.  Nerfing it is only going to return it to uselessness.  It needs a design that actually has an end goal rather than a bunch of changes that mostly just amount to a bunch of extra, free bonuses for doing the exact same thing that anyone would've already done had they been slamming keyboard buttons with the ele scepter a year ago.

Also, the hysterical amount of worthless bloat that anet needlessly crammed into gw2 has nothing to do with the above idea.  If you want to cry about that, you can make your own thread about how you would  likely """fix"""" something like Warrior offhand mace by making itv unblockable and deal triple its current damage.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Swagg.9236

[Sahne.6950]

11 hours ago, Swagg.9236 said:

nobody is necessarily forced to stand under two of them fixed to specific locations, and nobody is necessarily forcing a target to be directly under the ele.

Conquest has nodes you know....  

Cast dtooth on the node, while you stand on it. The enemy has to leave the node or he gets hit by 2 dtooth.

Edited January 15, 2023 by Sahne.6950

[Swagg.9236]

9 hours ago, Sahne.6950 said:

Conquest has nodes you know....  

Cast dtooth on the node, while you stand on it. The enemy has to leave the node or he gets hit by 2 dtooth.

I'm very aware of the power of coating a point in hurt circles.  That said, even with a node doused in friendly AoEs, it doesn't mean that the ele isn't perfectly safe by just standing in them (particularly when a 2s window is enough for lethal damage from a lot of builds; not even discussing CC).  Also, two 180 radius circles (even in a Venn Diagram style) is not enough to cover an entire point if you're worried about the threat of double teeth.  Three circles could maybe cover one point (because that's the most you'd get even with a cooldown reset from the cata elite), but you're almost certainly never going to hit all three if you're playing anyone at mid gold or above.

By tying a kit's offensive abilities to ground-targeted and positioning-dependent decisions which have built-in delay periods before damage, it means that the ele has to actually pace and chain things properly instead of just relying on pressing TAB and letting the game do 85% of the follow-up work.  It also means that scepter isn't, with a single glance, going to immediately EXODIA OBLITERATE any random dude crossing in the open (which is probably the biggest dynamic shift to this redesign: threatening hits within 900 range are no longer absolutely guarantees; the ele has to control a target's movement or bait an opponent into a controlled area for higher hit success).  In the open, this kit design can actually miss or leave the ele open to hits if the user just wants to be extremely straightforward with an offensive approach.

Even then, though, without all of the free, target-snap, easymode damage and damage-mitigation pressure (along with the built-in delays), just firing off the whole kit onto a point (or in a bottleneck) isn't going to be a guaranteed kill.

Edited January 16, 2023 by Swagg.9236