March 19 Balance Update Preview

[Rauderi.8706]

3 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

Automated Medical Response: This trait has been reworked. Grant regeneration to nearby allies when you use your healing skill's toolbelt skill.

Um, Mechanist? Not an engi main or anything, but this is an odd choice.

[Karoshi.8935]

Quote

Energy Expulsion: Lowered the stability duration from 5 seconds to 3 seconds in WvW only. Increased the cooldown from 2 seconds to 15 seconds in WvW only.

I understand the reasoning for lowering the stability from 5 seconds to 3 seconds which seemed necessary, but from 2 to 15?! Please make this adjustment to something that is actually REASONABLE. You're just straight up butchering this skill making it become unusable. I would say 7-11 seconds is a reasonable nerf where it's still usable because energy expulsion already takes a massive amount of energy, so there would honestly be no point in using it.

[Triptaminas.4789]

44 minutes ago, XenesisII.1540 said:

Just disable the skill from wvw, you obviously don't want it in wvw. Every patch is a nerf to it.

So annoyed and irritated with this spreadsheet balance team.

Oct 2022 - Increased cooldown from 25s to 35s

Jun 2023 - Reduced range from 1200 to 900

Nov 2023 - Increased cooldown from 35s to 45s

Mar 2024 - Reduced field duration to 2s and pulses to 3.

Jun 2024 - Reduced field duration to 1s, and pulses to 1, reduced targets to 2.

Nov 2024 - No longer cures conditions, reduced targets to 1, reduced chance to remove a boon to 10%.

There anet planned out your wvw mesmer nerf schedule for the rest of the year.

🤡🙄

They nuked the strips, now nuking the only gimmic chrono had with improved alac being negative trait unless outside alac provided, and now they basically writing off whole class from wvw. 

Like i cant see it stay in meta now, neither as strip provider nor stab/res/boon coverer.

This update actually tillted me, was playn wvw when voice chad said "they nerfing chrono hard", i come to look and they basically pissing on our heads here. 

I dont want to play this game with braindead/unfun classes especially thru current issues around skill que and lag's, miss me with this kitten. 

[Triptaminas.4789]

14 minutes ago, Karoshi.8935 said:

I understand the reasoning for lowering the stability from 5 seconds to 3 seconds which seemed necessary, but from 2 to 15?! Please make this adjustment to something that is actually REASONABLE. You're just straight up butchering this skill making it become unusable. I would say 7-11 seconds is a reasonable nerf where it's still usable because energy expulsion already takes a massive amount of energy, so there would honestly be no point in using it.

They cornering the stab provision on guardian and forcing the squad compositions that they prefer, its that simple, now we had pretty diverse choice of how we comp the squads, there was no "strict" meta for first time in a while........annnnddd... we back to firebrands. 

 

Not only we back to old kitten, we also losing any class identity we previously had, with chronos is obsolete in both strips and support now, it be simply to still use it, the people doing "balance" is just forcing kitten they want to see onto us "Nah u cant chose from 5 classes, u must use just this"...

 

Why i even spend so much time on this game??.....

Edited February 16 by Triptaminas.4789

[Vennyhedgie.5369]

1 hour ago, Adonaj.7932 said:

condi? you mean fire camp?

At least we have an option for a single-attunement elementalist. Even if it's nowhere near the meta, it's a relatively valid option for lower intensity builds. This really does kinda ruin that Fire mage playstyle.

[CupcakeMonster.8456]

I am really looking forward to the day that the pathing (missing) issues on warrior's Savage Leap are addressed. I am over charging into a mob with no effect. 🙂

Edited February 16 by CupcakeMonster.8456

[arazoth.7290]

12 minutes ago, Karoshi.8935 said:

I understand the reasoning for lowering the stability from 5 seconds to 3 seconds which seemed necessary, but from 2 to 15?! Please make this adjustment to something that is actually REASONABLE. You're just straight up butchering this skill making it become unusable. I would say 7-11 seconds is a reasonable nerf where it's still usable because energy expulsion already takes a massive amount of energy, so there would honestly be no point in using it.

Make it 5 seconds cd. That seems more in line with others like that

[Karoshi.8935]

Quote

Imperial Impact: This skill no longer extends boons on allies. Increased the protection duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE and from 0.5 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the might duration from 9 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 5 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the might stacks from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvW.

Can you explain your reasoning for removing the extended boons on allies? This trait was never meta in the first place, and people rarely use it. It's useless now because other classes can give protection and might. For support vindicator, it still lacks utility unlike other classes. Giving it the ability to provide might and protection isn't helping it when there are other classes that can do that + better utility skills.

[Jasonbdj.4021]

Scourge

• Serpent Siphon: Increased the cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds in WvW only.
• Sandstorm Shroud: Increased the cooldown from 30 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW only.
• Sand Cascade: Increased the cooldown from 12 seconds to 18 seconds in WvW only.
• Desert Empowerment: This trait now grants vigor instead of alacrity in PvP and WvW.

This basiclly kills off the scourge in wvw (as  Barrier: 1,188 is overpowered  apparently...)  and a nerf in pvp for no reason, there are builds that farts out vigor....

We all know anet's favorite class is guardian as they never balanced the burn output from farting  after allowing fire to stack.

Warriors and their auto healing.

Boons overload from farting with lack of boon rip (was suppose to be a nerco/mesmer thing but....).

Coni cleances skills cant cope in PvP

just stuggling to keep interested in this game, guardian example has it all in one but the theme and the gameplay is not me....

Should just call this game "Guardian Wars 2" and remove others because they have it all.

 

Edited February 16 by Jasonbdj.4021

[Sylver.6137]

• Unnatural Traversal: This skill now grants quickness instead of might. Increased the vulnerability stacks applied from 2 to 10

If you wanted to use this skill without completely trolling, you already would have quickness because you would swap pets. The buff is pretty useless, and it needs to be instant cast again. The vulnerability stacks again don't matter, because you aren't going to be hitting anyone with follow up damage if they know to dodge when you port in. I think that this skill deserves to be instant cast honestly. 

Even if unnatural traversal was made instant cast again, I doubt it would be meta. The damage was already nerfed from drake. If anything let loose is what makes untamed over preform (untamed isn't even meta rn in spvp but in wvw roaming cele untamed needs nerfs), its a pretty aids mechanic that I would like to see reworked. Maybe instead of recharging on weapon swaps it just lowers the icd by 5s and also grants fury again in competitive modes? And in pve there can just be a competitive split where it works as it does right now. 

More on unnatural traversal, I know some gvg players would use untamed for that port and the burst strip it had access too. When the port was nerfed, they quit playing the spec. The port being instant cast might be a gateway for untamed to make its way into zergs with a few other buffs, I have ideas but that would be a long post. 

Edited February 16 by Sylver.6137
Incorrect statement was made and adding gvg comment

[Pie.2167]

I agree with what many others have already stated, boon ball is not much fun.  And nerfing boon strips is not the answer.   There is no counter play.  It's just two zergs standing on top of each other seeing who can proc the most boons for 5 minutes.

Edited February 16 by Pie.2167

[Triptaminas.4789]

3 minutes ago, Jasonbdj.4021 said:

Scourge

• Serpent Siphon: Increased the cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds in WvW only.
• Sandstorm Shroud: Increased the cooldown from 30 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW only.
• Sand Cascade: Increased the cooldown from 12 seconds to 18 seconds in WvW only.
• Desert Empowerment: This trait now grants vigor instead of alacrity in PvP and WvW.

This basiclly kills off the scourge in wvw (as  Barrier: 1,188 is overpowered)  and a nerf in pvp for no reason, there are builds that farts out vigor....

We all know anet's favorite class is gaurd as they never balanced the burn output from farting  after allowing fire to stack.

Warriors and their auto healing.

Boons overload from farting lack of boon rip (was suppose to be a nerco thing but....).

Coni cleances skills cant cope in PvP

just stuggling to keep interested in this game, gaurd example has it all but the theme and the gameplay is not me....

 

 

This^

Im just not interested in playing classes they force us into.

I have everything i can gain from pve and wvw is my endgame, have bank tabs with 120k gold worth of infusions etc, nothing to reach there no mo so i turned to wvw, it was fun, pointless but fun, but now they taking away reasons that made it fun and kept us playing past all the lag, bugs, and smlr anet shenanigan's. 

[Triptaminas.4789]

5 minutes ago, Pie.2167 said:

I agree with what many others have already stated, boon ball is not much fun.  And nerfing boon strips is not the answer.   There is no counter play.  It's just two zergs standing on top of each other seeing who can proc the most boons for 5 minutes.

Chinese GvG

[Lalary.3561]

4 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

Elemental Surge: This trait has been renamed to Arcane Lightning. This trait no longer causes arcane skills to inflict conditions and instead enhances each arcane skill as follows:

• Arcane Brilliance: Grants protection to the user.
• Arcane Wave: Immobilizes enemies that it strikes.
• Arcane Shield: Grants stability to the user when the shield expires.
• Arcane Power: Grants additional critical-strike stacks to the user.
• Arcane Blast: Blinds enemies that it strikes.

Why the update nobody asked for? Does balance team even know how FA scepter Weaver works? Who am I kidding, they probably only play full signet celestial Tempest or Catalyst.

[Chyro.1462]

Can you explain why you decided to make Arcane traitline have no more benefits for condi builds with these changes? I thought arcane was supposed to be a versatile traitline that any element or build can benefit from, being the only non-element traitline.

[Sylver.6137]

1 hour ago, Beddo.1907 said:

Unnatural Traversal needs some testing. Quickness should replicate the no cast version to some extent at least. The skill is still dreadful to use with how it's targeting works.

You already had quickness from pet swap, with it not being instant cast you were forced into swapping pets for the super speed (roll chasing) more than the quickness so it changes nothing. And of course players who did not dodge you could just use it as normal... The change wont improve it at all. And any builds not running beastmastery shouldn't be using the port anyways, I know a lot of wvw roamers like to use it on cele builds but it is trolling and better cele builds exist. 

[Shagie.7612]

You removed the unique -50% condition damage buff from Renegade's heal, Breakrazor's Bastion
The spec has zero cleansing built in and has by design been about just reducing the damage they do to you (Wrought-Iron Will, Righteous Rebel, and the heal) instead as its form of mitigating them.
It no longer has the major one of those, and the heal and Wrought-Iron Will now overlap too.

Additionally, Razorclaw's Rage is now a skill in which you lose half of its effects unless you and your target are stacked on one another.
If you cast it on someone out of range for the initial bleed and empower torment, you lose the buff, if you cast it on yourself for the buff, you lose the bleed/torment

[Vova.2640]

instead of removing alac and stuff, you should give other specs access to a little bit of alac and quickness. like heal scrapper to have quickness back.

If you think quickness or alac is too op in wvw (it is not) then nerf the boon a bit (kind of like fury is 25% in pve and 20% in wvw). removing it outright and replacing with useless stuff might is just horrible.

[Coaster.4651]

 I'm a little bit confused about this combination:

5 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

The guardian changes for this update are focused on improving some underutilized skills and traits for both core guardian and willbender.

5 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

"Feel My Wrath!": This skill now grants superspeed in addition to its other effects.

In what universe is that skill "underutilized"? It's already on practically every boon support build outside of WvW. Or was this meant to be a WvW-only change (and either way, to further erode reasons to bring any other support class there)?

 

Alacrity removal on Tempest in WvW is also odd to me--as far as I've seen, that trait's only taken off-meta, or for when you feel like helping catapults break walls a bit faster. Not sure how helpful Even More Might is by comparison... especially since boonstrip is being nerfed in the same breath.

 

On the more positive end, sword Elementalist being able to use Rust Frenzy while moving, and Daredevil being able to save a little endurance for its actual stated purpose (dodging), are nice QoL for casual play.

Edited February 17 by Coaster.4651
Added positive note

[Monkey Brawler.7523]

I like a lot of these changes, and Thief really needed some love.

I still don't understand a lot of these changes. Guardian and Virt get buffed, and the dune cloak rework gives little reason to use distortion, along with removing the sand and not updating the name.

Trap guardians are overplayed in PvP and incredibly cheesy, it's odd you don't at least take a look at chains of light. The focus for a lot of these changes just seem deaf to the community.

I get focusing on underutilized builds, but the buffs don't really seem to improve the communities pain points of the real issues.

Edited February 17 by Monkey Brawler.7523

[LadyKitty.6120]

Nice to finally see those mirage ambushes get power buffs. But still, there's something Kitty would very, very much like to see addressed (been posting about this for years now): warrior's main-hand mace! The auto-chain has literally seen no changes (aside from one PVP nerf) since GW2 launched in 2012 while pretty much everything else has been buffed a lot.

[Rozespany Kot.1862]

Renegade spirits need to have their different colors returned to them.

[TyrantPuppy.1893]

 Why is [Glacial Heart] going to trigger on Chill??? Does Guardian have chill on it's kit LITERALLY ANYWHERE?? Flow Stabilizer still gives Fury not Stability. Don't make the excuse of "it's in the name."

 Fine with [Heaven's Palm] finishing downed' enemies. It always should have. But what's the counterplay to it if it also evades beforehand??

 

P.S.

 Looking forward to ANet miraculously remembering that Bladesworn exists at the last-minute and somehow taking even more fun / flavor / playability off it via unexplained, unaccountable changes. Seriously screw Warrior, I'm just gonna play Willbender at this point. I swear I'm so close to quitting this game.

[TheHeretic.3529]

Please consider reducing the target cap on Scorched Earth for WvW. The damage output needs to be cut back by like 70-80%. It's insane.

[Dreggon.6598]

Quote

Water Trident: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.25 in PvP and WvW.

It already hits like a truck... And a bunch of other PvP buffs as well that it doesn't need? Please stop buffing your main.

 

5 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

Breakrazor's Bastion: Grants resolution to nearby allies when summoned, then performs a skill that heals nearby allies with three small pulses and one large pulse. The final pulse grants resolution to nearby allies and additionally grants barrier to nearby allies when enhanced.

When do you ever want resolution in PvE if you aren't a guardian? Enemies don't deal meaningful condition damage.

5 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

• Mechanical Genius: Reduced the recharge penalty for Mech Command skills when far away from the mech from 50% to 20%.

Remove it entirely maybe?

 

5 hours ago, Butterfly Kingdom.8349 said:

Rush: This skill now tracks moving targets better.

Please do this on more skills. There are a ton - like ranger greatsword 3 - that I can't use in PvP because my latency makes the skill straight-up not hit, because the tracking is terrible. I jump straight through them and do no damage. Bull's Charge is guilty too, enemy players hit me just fine but I'll slide riiiight on through and not hit.