Thoughts on Throwing Spear?

[Genesis.8572]

As with all spears, I'm curious which E-Specs it will work best with. This at least gives the Bladesworn a solid (mid-)range option when not in its gunsaber modes. It would be nice if this worked with Spellbreakers, at least for the thematic connection of the Sunspears, but that remains to be seen. 

[Malus.2184]

I think ANet should fix the already existing 1200-range power weapon before implementing a new one because the rifle is so scuffed.

[Geoff Fey.1035]

21 minutes ago, Genesis.8572 said:

As with all spears, I'm curious which E-Specs it will work best with. This at least gives the Bladesworn a solid (mid-)range option when not in its gunsaber modes. It would be nice if this worked with Spellbreakers, at least for the thematic connection of the Sunspears, but that remains to be seen. 

The only weapon that works best with Bladesworn is X/Pistol. You can make a StaffSworn build work but that's "making it work" rather than "works best".

Bladesworn is centered around Dragon Slash First and Gunsaber Second.

• Armaments revolve around access to Dragon Slash.
• Minor Traits revolve around access to Dragon Slash.
• Pistol only exists to proc Guns and Glory, which itself is designed to improve Dragon Slash.
• Major Traits ostensibly are meant to work with the Gunsaber, but the bizarre limitations on Unshakable Mountain/Lush Forests makes Fierce as Fire the only reasonably functional option

There's no room for any playstyle that does not prioritize Dragon Slash. It's pigeon-holed in its design.

[Red Haired Savage.5430]

19 minutes ago, Geoff Fey.1035 said:

The only weapon that works best with Bladesworn is X/Pistol. You can make a StaffSworn build work but that's "making it work" rather than "works best".

Bladesworn is centered around Dragon Slash First and Gunsaber Second.

• Armaments revolve around access to Dragon Slash.
• Minor Traits revolve around access to Dragon Slash.
• Pistol only exists to proc Guns and Glory, which itself is designed to improve Dragon Slash.
• Major Traits ostensibly are meant to work with the Gunsaber, but the bizarre limitations on Unshakable Mountain/Lush Forests makes Fierce as Fire the only reasonably functional option

There's no room for any playstyle that does not prioritize Dragon Slash. It's pigeon-holed in its design.

One of the most understated things in this game. Yet Anet thinks it should do other things, but it's entire design won't let you because you're too busy putting all your eggs into the one basket that is dragon slash, and if it's not DS-force it kinda sucks with all the work you had to do for it.

[mirage.8046]

1 hour ago, Genesis.8572 said:

As with all spears, I'm curious which E-Specs it will work best with. This at least gives the Bladesworn a solid (mid-)range option when not in its gunsaber modes. It would be nice if this worked with Spellbreakers, at least for the thematic connection of the Sunspears, but that remains to be seen. 

I know they tried making longbow and rifle work by adding 'explosions' function to some of their skills, but longbow does it better unironically because it has 5 ammo skills and 2 of those skills are explosions. Rifle DOES have 6 ammos, but only 1 skill has the explosion function. I guess rifle butt compensates for getting more ammo in return and having hard CC. They should revisit both weapons before making spear supersede them. :|

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

1 hour ago, Aaron.1294 said:

way too many movement-locked animations to be usable in pvp (not mentioning in-air ending burst that prob is clunky and locks us out of dodging XDDDDDDDDDDD)

It has evade frames on it.

[Kitty.4806]

Best-case-scenario

[Aaron.1294]

@Lan Deathrider.5910 I know it has evade frames but if you were to swap into another weapon you're swapping it mid-air (meaning warrior is in falling animation MEANING ppl can just hit you...) so if you want to get out of sticky situations you can't and this skill most likely is going to be a death sentence because warrior can't move while doing it...

[Kitty.4806]

43 minutes ago, Red Haired Savage.5430 said:

One of the most understated things in this game. Yet Anet thinks it should do other things, but it's entire design won't let you because you're too busy putting all your eggs into the one basket that is dragon slash, and if it's not DS-force it kinda sucks with all the work you had to do for it.

Especially when you CAN'T take anything but pistol. the 6 ammo charge explosion giving you boosted damage is too good, and nothing can beat it.

[Kitty.4806]

1 minute ago, Aaron.1294 said:

@Lan Deathrider.5910 I know it has evade frames but if you were to swap into another weapon you're swapping it mid-air (meaning warrior is in falling animation MEANING ppl can just hit you...) so if you want to get out of sticky situations you can't and this skill most likely is going to be a death sentence because warrior can't move while doing it...

dude. it's just going to be vindicator dodge. you're not going to "fall to the ground" and be vulnerable.

Edited June 13 by Kitty.4806

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

9 minutes ago, Kitty.4806 said:

dude. it's just going to be vindicator dodge. you're not going to "fall to the ground" and be vulnerable.

This, we don't know the evade length yet, it could cover the landing to give you time to get out of any AoEs that got placed at your feet.

[Aaron.1294]

@Kitty.4806vindi dodge ends with a slam, this one ends with just a fall that has animation + vindi can MOVE WHILE DODGING

@Lan Deathrider.5910positioning is a key factor in pvp for example and I am 90% sure it behaves just like dagger primal burst or sword leap and that's bad, really REALLY bad

Edited June 13 by Aaron.1294

[Fueki.4753]

I'm positively surprised Arenanet actually gives us a ranged weapon.

Now, I just hope it's not clunky or awkward to use.

Edited June 13 by Fueki.4753

[Shagie.7612]

i think it's really funny that warrior gets another ranged weapon that encourages/rewards you for being in melee range with it

but also i imagine spear and rifle will fill the same niche and one will make the other obsolete in any given patch (which probably means spear 99% of the time, given that it'll be new) based on tuning

[Fueki.4753]

6 minutes ago, Shagie.7612 said:

i think it's really funny that warrior gets another ranged weapon that encourages/rewards you for being in melee range with it

but also i imagine spear and rifle will fill the same niche and one will make the other obsolete in any given patch (which probably means spear 99% of the time, given that it'll be new) based on tuning

As long as spear does decent damage, it'll fill a niche Rifle never even touched: being a decent ranged weapon.

At the very least least, I can't remember any time when Rifle was actually fine.

And no, Gunflame memes don't count.

Edited June 13 by Fueki.4753

[oscuro.9720]

@Lan Deathrider.5910called it. 

[oscuro.9720]

5 minutes ago, Fueki.4753 said:

As long as spear does decent damage, it'll fill a niche Rifle never even touched: being a decent ranged weapon.

At the very least least, I can't remember any time when Rifle was actually fine.

And no, Gunflame memes don't count.

If it does good damage, spear could become a powerful mainhand choice. If it does high damage @ 300-450 range and still has respectable output at 900+, it will be a very nice choice with the evade and mobility that seem to be built into the kit. Granted this all depends on how smooth it plays and how well the combat for it is formulated, but we can’t know that until we play it. 

[Shagie.7612]

1 minute ago, Fueki.4753 said:

As long as spear does decent damage, it'll fill a niche Rifle never even touched: being a decent ranged weapon.

that's a pretty low bar cause neither longbow or rifle have ever achieved that lol

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

1 hour ago, oscuro.9720 said:

@Lan Deathrider.5910called it. 

About the empty 9th teaser?

[oscuro.9720]

21 minutes ago, Lan Deathrider.5910 said:

About the empty 9th teaser?

What is the empty 9th teaser? I’m ootl

[Lan Deathrider.5910]

8 minutes ago, oscuro.9720 said:

What is the empty 9th teaser? I’m ootl

I think the devs removed my post. There were 8 callouts teasing things about spear. I called out that the lack of a 9th one was for warrior.

[Fueki.4753]

9 hours ago, Shagie.7612 said:

that's a pretty low bar cause neither longbow or rifle have ever achieved that lol

Longbow used to be used for damage in the past though. I remember it even doing more power damage than Rifle. But as you said, that's a very low bar. It possibly is the lowest bar in the game.

I still use Longbow on my rare occasions of playing Berserker.

Edited June 14 by Fueki.4753

[draxynnic.3719]

13 hours ago, Red Haired Savage.5430 said:

One of the most understated things in this game. Yet Anet thinks it should do other things, but it's entire design won't let you because you're too busy putting all your eggs into the one basket that is dragon slash, and if it's not DS-force it kinda sucks with all the work you had to do for it.

Yeah, if you're not using DS, or at least gunsaber, then you're probably better off playing Spellbreaker or Berserker. Heck, the main thing I use bladesworn for nowadays is that gunsaber is a half-decent ranged weapon, so spear might well mean I switch away from bladesworn altogether.