Armed with Dual Pistols, Guardians Rain Down Bullets of Justice!

[Arken.3725]

Everyone here is gonna hate me for this but here goes:

Pistol (both off-hand and main-hand) is going to be underwhelming and I can explain why:

1.  It's going to have a useless symbol attached to it just like every other weapon that only works on NPC's.

2.  It will probably have bad tracking like most Guardian ranged-weaponry(looking at Scepter auto, Staff auto)

3.  We already have access to bleed and burning via axe MH with FB and it does nothing for condi-fb in pvp.

[Azoqu.8917]

With the symbol, depending on how long it lasts, a play might be symbol into pistol 4 then a swap to torch and actually using torch 5 for real DPS for once? Am I crazy or could that actually finally be a thing?

[Batalix.2873]

What a kitten stupid design. Guardian has no identity anymore, it's just about burning things I guess. Kitten zealots.

[Lithril Ashwalker.6230]

15 minutes ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

Pistol guardian might be closer to Sabine or maybe Bo Katarn than Din. Use sword/torch for the other weaponset (competitive for condi builds on willbender), possibly with Cutting Edge and the Halloween 'light your hand on fire' torch skin.

i DO have a Boba Fett outfit https://gw2style.com/look.php?id=17672

[Kanaima.2546]

8 minutes ago, Batalix.2873 said:

What a kitten stupid design. Guardian has no identity anymore, it's just about burning things I guess. Kitten zealots.

I mean, at least it's blue, fiery, magical and involves symbols. Those are all typically associated with Guardians.

Thieves straight up mastered telekinesis out of nowhere with their new weapon.

[Lithril Ashwalker.6230]

23 minutes ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

Huh. Melee symbol on a ranged weapon. Nifty combo effect, but unless there's something they're not mentioning, you're probably still going to want that symbol under the enemy's feet. 

Rest of the kit looks nice, though!

Piercing ain't ricochet. Ricochet was much better than having a piercing autoattack. The blog also implies that only the autoattack pierces, while thief pistols with the current trait are getting more AoE capability overall, although I do agree that slapping a damage penalty on the trait is unwarranted. Not taking one of the other traits at that tier is already a significant tradeoff.

we get more on spot Cleave...and there is an indication that the axes wont deal additional damage "but won’t deal additional damage while stationary" 
 

yeah, we will get cleave but not true AoE...theres also nothing said about piercing axes

[Batalix.2873]

13 minutes ago, Kanaima.2546 said:

I mean, at least it's blue, fiery, magical and involves symbols. Those are all typically associated with Guardians.

Thieves straight up mastered telekinesis out of nowhere with their new weapon.

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

[Kanaima.2546]

3 minutes ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

That's understandable, I'm surprised neither Guardian nor Warrior ever got some sort of Juggernaut e-spec but I guess it'd be fairly niche at least in PvE in a game with largely no threat mechanics for actual tanking.

[Goosekilla.2796]

Really excited to hear how this level of burning application - now with actual cover condis - is going to not be horrifically OP.

Edit: But hey, maybe I'm just salty that engi got the worst part of guard (movement locking animations on every shortbow skill) and guard got the best part of engi (tons of ranged burning/condi application).

Edited November 17, 2023 by Goosekilla.2796

[Super Hayes.6890]

You guardians ain't got nothing on my warrior's pistol 😌

[Roadkizzle.2157]

55 minutes ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

There's no magic tank spec for Guardian because the game design doesn't allow for tanking except on about 4 bosses.

 

You can't create a spec that only works on 0.1% of the content in the game.

 

If you want a magical tank you can just use the Firebrand.

 

With Firebrand you don't have to take any traits boosting your damage and you can use a mace and shield and be your own tank. Why do you care that someone else can play the eSpec as a DPS?

Edited November 17, 2023 by Roadkizzle.2157

[mustard pie.6574]

I'm just surprised to see the symbol on skill 3 instead of skill 2 like guardian's other one-handed weapons.

[Kuya.6495]

I like how most of the complaining in this thread is coming from non guard mains whining about their profession not getting good stuff.

[arazoth.7290]

2 hours ago, Arken.3725 said:

Everyone here is gonna hate me for this but here goes:

Pistol (both off-hand and main-hand) is going to be underwhelming and I can explain why:

1.  It's going to have a useless symbol attached to it just like every other weapon that only works on NPC's.

2.  It will probably have bad tracking like most Guardian ranged-weaponry(looking at Scepter auto, Staff auto)

3.  We already have access to bleed and burning via axe MH with FB and it does nothing for condi-fb in pvp.

buttttttt it has a huge blue fireball !!!!!

[Ezrael.6859]

1 hour ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

Torch was always the main condi weapon on core, with Purging Flames as the key utility skill. Technically Hallowed Ground as a fire field and Purify on Trident also.

Core used to also have the elite Tome of Wrath, with skill 1 - Conflagrate was targeted AoE burn you could spam.

Hammer used to have a PBAoE burn and condition cleanse in the early beta weekend but it was changed to the chain immobilise in BWE2.

Guardian was never given lots of specific condition damage skills because it was designed around Virtue of Justice, so that any weapon could inflict burning every 5th attack, and since launch was able to trait Justice to become an AoE burn and to burn every 3 attacks (later merged).

So it has always been designed around burning being a core mechanic, you're just refusing to acknowledge it.

[Daevhalla.7823]

2 hours ago, Batalix.2873 said:

What a kitten stupid design. Guardian has no identity anymore, it's just about burning things I guess. Kitten zealots.

I imagine they're going down the true historical templar route and burning everything down around them 😂

[Batalix.2873]

26 minutes ago, Ezrael.6859 said:

Torch was always the main condi weapon on core, with Purging Flames as the key utility skill. Technically Hallowed Ground as a fire field and Purify on Trident also.

Core used to also have the elite Tome of Wrath, with skill 1 - Conflagrate was targeted AoE burn you could spam.

Hammer used to have a PBAoE burn and condition cleanse in the early beta weekend but it was changed to the chain immobilise in BWE2.

Guardian was never given lots of specific condition damage skills because it was designed around Virtue of Justice, so that any weapon could inflict burning every 5th attack, and since launch was able to trait Justice to become an AoE burn and to burn every 3 attacks (later merged).

So it has always been designed around burning being a core mechanic, you're just refusing to acknowledge it.

There is a difference between one of several core mechanics, versus the only kitten thing especs are designed around. Plus, Guardian always had far more attacks and skills themed around a light/holy aesthetic than strictly fire. You literally pointed out all four abilities I mentioned as if they reflect the class as a whole, and they simply do not.

Do not misquote me. I am not saying fire was never there or even a (fairly minor) subtheme. But people believing that it is so central to Guardian's identity that every espec and weapon should reflect that and virtually nothing else about Guardian's kit is ridiculously narrow-minded and uninspired. Guardian is not Ele, and thematically was *always* more about shields and heals and boons more than it was about fire.

I'm not even going to delve into the problem that is condi damage in this game, but that alone is not a great reason for why FB, WB, and now pistols are just variations on burning stuff. There is no more dimension to the class anymore, it's just some f-yea American's propagandized idea of righteous fury as opposed to an actual Guardian.

Edited November 17, 2023 by Batalix.2873

[Doctor Hide.6345]

I never had any doubt that the Guardian dual pistols wouldn't be good, so I am very happy with what was shown. I can't wait to get my hands on it.

[SoulGuardian.6203]

I guess that... wait... oh dear... no, just no... why? ... I mean... it's just so... *sigh... man... aaaagh... for... sake... really? 

Guardian... double pistols... ???

Oh well... guess I have to give it a go then.

Ya know? "Don't knock it till you try it"

You might like it... sorta thing.

 

[Verdict is Vengence.6912]

Congrats guards. You guys got the best new weapons. Or you guys might be neck and neck with mesmer portal rifle. Either way, it's a cool new weapon.

[Solori.6025]

2 hours ago, Kuya.6495 said:

I like how most of the complaining in this thread is coming from non guard mains whining about their profession not getting good stuff.

I'm predicting that the professions that are going to have the best announcement reaction is going to be Guardians, Mesmer's, Necromancers, then rangers.

Everyone else is prolly gonna complain, and I get it. Like if you look at the Ele video you can tell they were probably the class that had the least amount of effort put into the weapon and trailer.  The character was wearing the blandest outfit. The draw animation was trash. They used what looked like a base model pistol. 🤣 .

 

On topic of the guardian. I am in the wait and see camp.  Test before it gets an approval or disapproval. Anet is finicky and they are bound to honestly make a last minute change that will make the weapon either severely underperform, or it comes out and overperforms so much they nerf every other espec and core traitline to compensate .

[Eekasqueak.7850]

7 hours ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

One of the themes of Guardian is being a warrior of justice wielding light magic, and for that the pistols are very on theme. I think you're just looking for reasons to be mad.

[Balsa.3951]

9 hours ago, Arken.3725 said:

Everyone here is gonna hate me for this but here goes:

Pistol (both off-hand and main-hand) is going to be underwhelming and I can explain why:

1.  It's going to have a useless symbol attached to it just like every other weapon that only works on NPC's.

2.  It will probably have bad tracking like most Guardian ranged-weaponry(looking at Scepter auto, Staff auto)

3.  We already have access to bleed and burning via axe MH with FB and it does nothing for condi-fb in pvp.

nah its new so it's gonna be over powererd. at least for a year. anet always op new stuff to sell expansions

[draxynnic.3719]

9 hours ago, Batalix.2873 said:

Yeah but core guardian had like maybe 4 fire skills, and had a much more diverse identity: symbols, wards, shields, light magic, holy magic.

It was the defense tank. A protector. Nothing about this nor the prior few especs--especially Willbender--respected that. It's just all aggression now.

I'm one part disappointed that "burninating" is the popular conception of a protector class, and one part miffed that I couldn't get at least one espec that was a legit magic tank on Guardian. FB was close but FB should never have had the DPS capacity it did.

Guardian was never that - or more precisely, was never just that. One of the things that was apparent when guardian was first announced was that while you could build it as a paladin, it also encompassed other themes like the arcane knight concept. Fire and burning were also secondary themes in both monk and paragon, professions that lorewise combined to form the GW2 guardian (with some contribution from ritualist, and perhaps dervish as well).

Also, this is Guild Wars 2, a game that was advertised from the beginning as "bring the player, not the profession". While some of the other roles proved to be more complex to narrow down, a profession being defined as never having the ability to fill a DPS role was not going to happen.

[Varis.5467]

8 hours ago, Kuya.6495 said:

I like how most of the complaining in this thread is coming from non guard mains whining about their profession not getting good stuff.

To be fair, the mesmer's trailer did not even show off the portal gimmik...this alone makes the pistol guardian trailer much better by contrast.

By the end of there respective trailers:

Guardian *charges and fires massive kitten off magical ball WHILE BEING FEATURED IN TWO CAMERA ANGLES*

Mesmer *the clone dies after the enemy is finally killed by auto attacks*

Edited November 18, 2023 by Varis.5467