Upcoming Changes to the Warclaw

[Rubi Bayer.8493]

Hi all, we have been working on some updates to the warclaw mount, and today I'd like to give you a preview of those updates!

Beginning with the August 20 game update, the warclaw mount will be automatically unlocked for all players who own Guild Wars 2®: Heart of Thorns™ or Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire™. To access the mount, simply enter WvW and spend one world ability point in the Warclaw Mastery ability track.

The Warclaw Mastery ability track will be updated as follows:

1. Unlock the Warclaw Companion Achievement. (1 point)
2. Unlock Sniff, a second skill that allows your warclaw to detect enemies and damaged walls or gates. (4 points)
3. Unlock Chain Pull, a third skill that allows your warclaw to pull on walls and gates to damage and weaken them. (5 points)
4. Unlock Lance, a fourth skill that enables you to throw a spear at a mounted player, dismounting you both. (10 points)
5. Battle Maul deals increased damage to enemies who are in a downed state. (20 points)

Warclaw's Blessing and the extra stamina bar will no longer require world ability points—they will be part of the warclaw's baseline skills.

The Warclaw Companion collection will no longer be required to unlock the warclaw. However, it will still be available, with additional rewards for players who want to complete it: a War Machine Weapon Skin Selection chest and 250 WvW skirmish claim tickets. If you've already completed the collection at any point in the past, you'll automatically receive these additional rewards the first time you log in after the August 20 game update.

As mentioned previously, Lance will receive a second charge in the August 20 game update.

Unlocking the warclaw will allow you to use it in PvE as well.

Again, these updates will be available to all players who own Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns or Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire.

Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds™ is not required to access them, but you do need that expansion to unlock the warclaw Mastery tiers outlined in the "Janthir Wilds Unleashed: The Enhanced Warclaw Mount" news post published on July 17.

[Randulf.7614]

Sounds like I get some WvW points back \o/

[wanya.1697]

a really good change for new wvw players

[Luthan.5236]

Yes. That is the thing not mentioned - but I guess we will get the points back (when you already spent some and after the changes less are needed) - for that WxP skill line. Probably resetting that one and redunding the points should be easiest. (But maybe it will specifically detect how many points you spent. Use them to upgrade to that point in the new system. Leftovers will get refunded.)

Have not fully maxed it. The changes seem nice - will make it easier for new players in WvW I guess.

People only owning JW will get it  unlocked for PvE by playing JW I guess? (Not having access to it in WvW.) I doubt it will require HoT or PoF for new players that try to start with JW if it is needed in JW.

[NovaanVerdiano.6174]

This is going to be extremely helpful for new WvW players, good change.

[Forgotten Legend.9281]

My low rank second account loves the changes. Especially the reduced rank point cost... 40 vs 167... definitely a win

[Rauderi.8706]

While I am sad I don't get a GOB to make up for the reward track I had to go through to start Warclaw, I'm really glad newer players won't have to suffer for hours just to keep up. 

Good change!

[Teknomancer.4895]

1 hour ago, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

To access the mount, simply enter WvW and spend one world ability point in the Warclaw Mastery ability track.

[snip]

Unlocking the warclaw will allow you to use it in PvE as well.

So with those two taken together, that means there's no separate mastery or collection to do PvE-side? Just open WvW panel, spend one point and done, it's now available everywhere? My alt account likes this idea.

[Astralporing.1957]

Just now, Teknomancer.4895 said:

So with those two taken together, that means there's no separate mastery or collection to do PvE-side? Just open WvW panel, spend one point and done, it's now available everywhere? My alt account likes this idea.

As mentioned, there will be a PvE mastery (in JW). It will likely unlock all the PvE upgrades to the mount (seeing as without them it is just flat out inferior to both raptor and jackal). What you will get from this WvW unlock will be the base mount only.

[Teknomancer.4895]

Honestly the kangabunny outclasses it too. But even a base mount is better than nothing, and not having to go on some ridiculous and probably expensive scavenger hunt to unlock it is a plus.

Edited July 30 by Teknomancer.4895

[HeliosMagi.9867]

I assume if you had already spent WvW points to unlock all these before the update the difference will be refunded?

[MithranArkanere.8957]

We could really use a quick button to learn all WvW abilities in one go if we have more points than what's needed to learn them all.

[vedran.5136]

Wall wrecking Warclaws... Hoo-ah!

[Linken.6345]

So people who own only SotO, EoD or both of those is out of luck?

Edited July 30 by Linken.6345

[Eshkunishi.6083]

Lance with 2 charges is going to feel bad. If you’re in a 2v1, the odds are already stacked against you. Now there’s no chance of escape.

[zippoiii.2701]

So you're saying i could've just waited for my warclaw till after the expansion so I didn't have to waste an entire WvW reward track on it? Better compensate me with a Gift of Battle at least

[Zorric.5704]

4 minutes ago, zippoiii.2701 said:

So you're saying i could've just waited for my warclaw till after the expansion so I didn't have to waste an entire WvW reward track on it? Better compensate me with a Gift of Battle at least

We will receive 250 tickets and a weapon selection chest already along with a bunch of free upgrades to the mount. I don't see why we need to get anything more.

[YTKafka.4681]

6 hours ago, Eshkunishi.6083 said:

Lance with 2 charges is going to feel bad. If you’re in a 2v1, the odds are already stacked against you. Now there’s no chance of escape.

Ya, honestly I'm not sure about the 2 charge lance. Dodging lances is a skill and you have to watch your opponent for their animation to time your dodge. Giving them a second try doesn't exactly reward players who are good at avoiding lances, but rather helps players who are bad at throwing them... especially when 2v1 you basically have no chance of dodging 3-4 lances.

Kind of annoying IMO. Not really sure who this change is for except the kitten-tastic guilds that like to park their 2-4 people outside your keep and gank you.

[VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.]

While inferior at the moment there are ways to make warclaw useful. Like climbing. Or no dismount on fall. If you drop to far on raptor, you will be dismounted. What could happen with warclaw you stay mounted, absorb the fall damage for your mount and ride around as a corpse.

[Zicarous.2134]

Great changes, any mention to the key bindings? As it is an issue.. had to unbind a skill to use then rebind in pve..

[Astralporing.1957]

8 hours ago, Linken.6345 said:

So people who own only SotO, EoD or both of those is out of luck?

I'm sure JW will also unlock it. It would be weird if it did not.

[Eowin Of Rohan.2619]

9 hours ago, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

As mentioned previously, Lance will receive a second charge in the August 20 game update.

 

This skill is already an issue to begin with, now you nearly remove the only counterplay (jump do dodge it : unless the 3rd bar comes back, we now need 2 perfect dodges on top of having full stamina in the first place, and avoiding 2v1 gank is simply impossible).

The whole point of warclaw was that you're not forced to spend your time being content for people who enjoy 1v1 (or camp/gank) and can join content that you like, unless you're also into small fights in which case you could just dismount.

"But it is pvp". The point of pvp is that players who want to fight players go at each other. WvW isn't simple pvp, it's much more than that. People enjoy different things. They don't all enjoy small fights (especially 1v1) and even if they do, they aren't always there for them. Warclaw used to let you choose your content : if you want to (small) fight, you fight, if you don't want, you don't. It's not a "don't join pvp" problem if the decision is purely one-sided. Yes, I can beat roamers. No, I don't like being forced into a long (up to several minutes) fight until I finally down them (or they down me) when I was specifically going for something else entirely. And that's not counting the players who boast about pvp when I talk about this issue but play builds that say otherwise (with infinite disengage abilities).

Adding lance, like removing the owned territory speed, were both wrong decisions only made to cater for a few vocal people who want their fun at the expense of other people's fun. Giving it a 2nd charge is a terrible idea.

[Nash.2681]

8 hours ago, Eshkunishi.6083 said:

Lance with 2 charges is going to feel bad. If you’re in a 2v1, the odds are already stacked against you. Now there’s no chance of escape.

Don't worry, skill lag and LoS are still on your side, so chances ain't too bad you can still escape 😉

[Laughingman.9537]

Will they ever fix the issue of Battle Maul going on cooldown every time you jump?

[Gehenna.3625]

10 hours ago, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

Hi all, we have been working on some updates to the warclaw mount, and today I'd like to give you a preview of those updates!

Beginning with the August 20 game update, the warclaw mount will be automatically unlocked for all players who own Guild Wars 2®: Heart of Thorns™ or Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire™. To access the mount, simply enter WvW and spend one world ability point in the Warclaw Mastery ability track.

The Warclaw Mastery ability track will be updated as follows:

1. Unlock the Warclaw Companion Achievement. (1 point)
2. Unlock Sniff, a second skill that allows your warclaw to detect enemies and damaged walls or gates. (4 points)
3. Unlock Chain Pull, a third skill that allows your warclaw to pull on walls and gates to damage and weaken them. (5 points)
4. Unlock Lance, a fourth skill that enables you to throw a spear at a mounted player, dismounting you both. (10 points)
5. Battle Maul deals increased damage to enemies who are in a downed state. (20 points)

Warclaw's Blessing and the extra stamina bar will no longer require world ability points—they will be part of the warclaw's baseline skills.

The Warclaw Companion collection will no longer be required to unlock the warclaw. However, it will still be available, with additional rewards for players who want to complete it: a War Machine Weapon Skin Selection chest and 250 WvW skirmish claim tickets. If you've already completed the collection at any point in the past, you'll automatically receive these additional rewards the first time you log in after the August 20 game update.

As mentioned previously, Lance will receive a second charge in the August 20 game update.

Unlocking the warclaw will allow you to use it in PvE as well.

Again, these updates will be available to all players who own Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns or Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire.

Guild Wars 2: Janthir Wilds™ is not required to access them, but you do need that expansion to unlock the warclaw Mastery tiers outlined in the "Janthir Wilds Unleashed: The Enhanced Warclaw Mount" news post published on July 17.

Sorry to say but this is not a great post. To me it sounds like this is purely about unlocking the mount in WvW but then I'm not a new player.

Look at it from the pov of a new(ish) player, a player who hasn't read the blogs and/or a player who has never been in WvW. I think you might agree that posting this in general forum (without clearly indicating that this is purely for WvW and players will get access to the Warclaw in PvE via JaWi) can leave such players confused/misinformed by this post. I mean you even call it the "Warclaw Mastery ability track", so someone who's never done WvW will likely think you're talking about the new masteries in JaWi.

If, as I surmise, this is purely about WvW, please put this in the WvW forum or make some things clearer. 

Edited July 31 by Gehenna.3625