October 8 Balance Update Preview

[enkeny.6937]

My opinion as a hardcore ranger PvE main: Druid is still not fun to play.  :( Also spear is still useless. 

We have enough weapons so I don't  have problems spear is not for PvE, but I think grace of the land need some rework. It is not fun to play. I don't want to feel guilty because I heal someone instead of applying alacrity to the party. It is depending on quickness. We don't have a condition alacrity rune. And the best option is rune of firebrand (2 slot for quickness is useless) or all stats runes (very low condition damage bonus). 
I hope in the future dps alac druid will be an option, also I want to heal freely not worry about "am I applied enough alacrity?!". Also it would be good, if the dps druid rotation is not base on how bad my healer and how many hit could I do.
 
1 sec is barley enough, it shoud be 2 sec. Increase the alacrity on grace of the land don't give the best solution, but it opens up option for dps alac druid and easier play for healer. I would like to see it at least for testing.

[Chazara.9075]

I forgot to mention this in my earlier post because it was focused around just Transfusion

Where are the spear nerfs? Its not even a secret most of the weapons are pretty busted, you had to hotfix revanant because it was doing way too much damage but y'all failed to even mention WvW and PvP where it can literally one shots players with a single skill on certain classes and need no outward buffs to effect it not even to mention a fully booned player using it. Its pretty disgusting just how OP spear is on /almost/ every class in competitive modes. (Warrior, Mesmer and Guardian especially)

YOU KNOW ITS AN ISSUE AND REFUSE TO ADDRESS IT

I highly recommend you either push this balance patch back another week or two and put nerfs to spears that actually need them (cuz why did you nerf necro spear when its not any where close to the extreme easy and broken potential of mesmer and thats just one comment) leaving the PvP and WvW gamespace so much worse off in general because you want people to actually play the weapon. Balance it and let it either be used because its /slightly/ better than other options or nerf it to be perfectly in line with others and then give it some trait interactions that actually make it worth using on SPECIFIED builds and not every build in the game (buff ranger spear just a little)

Edited Friday at 10:34 PM by Chazara.9075
clarification on first paragraph

[OliOliOxenFree.7814]

Alright, I'm going to take my Necro-tinted glasses off and try to be as objective as possible in my critique of this Transfusion nerf. Let me preface all this by saying that I can understand the need to remove Transfusion's pull for the overall health of the game. However, I very much disagree with your implementation.

Quote

Its ability to easily revive allies who are downed while out of position is something that we've been keeping an eye on for a while, and we see it as being too powerful.

Ok...so if its issue is that it's too easy, make it harder.

If you say it's too powerful, it's only fair that you remove similar stuff like Search and Rescue as well and give Signet of Undeath the same treatment as Glyph of the Stars, Function Gyro, and let it revive multiple people at once on cast. The whole point of a balance patch is to make things balanced, right? Either have it for all or have it for none. Right??

Quote

We still like Transfusion's ability to help revive allies, but we're removing the teleportation component to make it less of a guarantee

"Less of a guarantee"? This sentence makes it seem like Transfusion was an instant pull and revive (which it is factually not). Removing the pull makes it completely unfit for its current purpose as it can't even be used by experienced players skillfully. Players were already having to use it off cooldown to heal, but now they don't even have the option of pulling the downed people they can barely heal because WE. DON'T. HAVE. A. SUPPORT. WEAPON. Staff is a meme and don't even get me started on Warhorn.

Let's ignore the fact that Transfusion is such a core part of Necromancer and Heal Scourge's identity as a whole, the fact that it's an incredibly fun ability that makes people play Heal Scourge in the first place, and the giant elephant in the room that every profession is starting to play like different coloured versions of each other.

IGNORING the above, If this was for the sake of balance, why didn't you give Scourge anything to compensate for this loss? It already suffers from poor burst healing, terrible boon application/access, and forced utilities. You could have easily increased the cooldown on Transfusion to match other similar abilities from other professions fulfilling the same role or increased the skill required by the player to use the ability.

You could have also fixed Scourge's problems that I highlighted above to compensate for this nerf. Instead, you chose to completely remove the unique feature that Scourge has while making it a straight up inferior choice to every other alacrity healer in the game. How could you possibly think that anyone would continue playing Heal Scourge when things like Heal Druid and Heal Chrono exist that don't have any of the problems I mentioned above??

The fact that you nerf it when it was already struggling to compete with these leaves me speechless.

Whilst I can understand the need for this change, it has come without any thought as to the ramifications of what happens to Scourge's playability in PvE, its class identity, and to the countless number of players who enjoy playing Heal Scourge who are about to realise that one of their favourite healers is going to be considered even more out of favour compared to other professions in similar roles.

Here's what I would do to fully compensate this change:

• Give Scourge the ability to provide AoE Stability (I'll be happy with 1 stack, but the more, the merrier)
• Give Necromancer some sort of support weapon (tie more boons and healing to this so we can actually can use other utility skills for, you know, utility)
• Increase the amount of healing it does in its healing skills or give it more healing skills than it already has

These are the bare minimum that I think would definitely soften the blow for Heal Scourge enjoyers like myself. Please consider them.

Signed,

Every Heal Scourge Player

 

 

Edited Saturday at 09:32 AM by OliOliOxenFree.7814

[Riba.3271]

Cele nerfs are big win but absence of Willbender nerfs is glaringly obvious. 2-> 1 Flowing Resolve charges in WvW when?

[Kantharr.2308]

I understand the change to Transfusion for WvW but why take away the teleporting downed allies for PvE as well? Please leave the teleporting downed allies in PvE but take it out of PvP/WvW.

[latlat.4516]

1 hour ago, Rosey.1608 said:

If it's a problem in WvW primarily (which.  that's how it is), why are we nuking it in PvE too?????????? Literally why.  Stop killing mechanics in all game modes

if anyone's wondering : 

being able to beat a PvE encounter because you relied on a class ability that allowed you to insta-rez people with bad positionning as opposed to dying to mechanics you don't master is a balance problem and something that must be taken into account when designing an encounter. At best this ability should have behaved like "search and save" from the ranger and port 1 peepo max.  

There is a reason resurection spells are either absent or hard to cast into every MMO. You are expected to know the boss in order to beat it. That's the game. 

[Barraind.7324]

34 minutes ago, Judge Dread.9078 said:

Yeah, HB has fallen off allot in recent times but it once was incredibly OP. Now herald has replaced it as the golden child healer.

Herald is a quickness healer, and thus cant pair with quickherald the adps, so is thusly also subpar.

Thats only half hyperbole too.  

[ZephidelGRS.9520]

I love how Scourge keeps getting destroyed for no reason ever since it gets Alac, and each nerf takes away a good chunk of its identity. Shade duration nerf ruined its area denial gameplay, turning it into a keyboard spamming abomination. And if this change goes through, it completely erases the 1 thing that makes Heal Scourge unique and a good casual healer. 

At least make it mode-specific for god's sake. It didn't do anything wrong in PvE, instead it allows veterans to encourage casual players to try out harder content in the game. Why nerf it now?

[Judge Dread.9078]

1 minute ago, latlat.4516 said:

if anyone's wondering : 

being able to beat a PvE encounter because you relied on a class ability that allowed you to insta-rez people with bad positionning as opposed to dying to mechanics you don't master is a balance problem and something that must be taken into account when designing an encounter. At best this ability should have behaved like "search and save" from the ranger and port 1 peepo max.  

There is a reason resurection spells are either absent or hard to cast into every MMO. You are expected to know the boss in order to beat it. That's the game. 

Necro can only insta rez with undeath signet and thats a highly limited ability.

 

Transfusion rez power is very mediocre and only passable when running mercy relic.

 

They also ignored allot of other insta rez/pull abilities to this change is absurdly targeted against necro.

[Triptaminas.4789]

Meteor shower ready? 

[Barraind.7324]

3 minutes ago, latlat.4516 said:

There is a reason resurection spells are either absent or hard to cast into every MMO

Except for the ones where you just click an AA with a 20sec cooldown and instantly res someone where they died, you mean?

[Runechrome.8419]

2 hours ago, Joie.6084 said:

Ranger

Ranger is currently in a good spot in all game modes, so this update includes a few smaller changes to underused skills and traits to make them more competitive options.

If Ranger is only given smaller changes this rime around, I would like to take this opportunity to ask for you to give the Soulbeast aura the same treatment you gave the Untamed aura by letting it completely fade away. It has been requested over the years - and especially when you did such a nice job with the Untamed aura.

We have a thread about it on the Ranger subforum: Make the Soulbeast aura completely fade like the Untamed does

[Riba.3271]

2 minutes ago, Kantharr.2308 said:

I understand the change to Transfusion for WvW but why take away the teleporting downed allies for PvE as well? Please leave the teleporting downed allies in PvE but take it out of PvP/WvW.

As competitive player who played scourge in PvE years ago, transfusion was way too strong of a tool making all non-mechanic encounters too easy. Super tanky and could reach to ress anyone in time with low cooldown. I get that most PvE crowd is playing PvE now to farm currency and don't want there to be any risk for team to wipe, but is that really how the gamemode should be? Take all challenge out by letting 1 person ress everyone relative far away every 15 seconds?

[Chazara.9075]

16 minutes ago, latlat.4516 said:

if anyone's wondering : 

being able to beat a PvE encounter because you relied on a class ability that allowed you to insta-rez people with bad positionning as opposed to dying to mechanics you don't master is a balance problem and something that must be taken into account when designing an encounter. At best this ability should have behaved like "search and save" from the ranger and port 1 peepo max.  

There is a reason resurection spells are either absent or hard to cast into every MMO. You are expected to know the boss in order to beat it. That's the game. 

Guild Wars is unique that downstate lets players have a chance to stay in the fight and be rallied to keep fighting but eventually they will full die if they keep going down. You can save people and try to teach them but if they fail to learn or refuse to be taught they will die repeatedly with or without a healscourge. But I agree that reducing the port or bringing others up would be better as Anet's design team is actively making encounters with Transfusion in mind, just look at the Titanspawn from JW

"There is a reason resurection spells are either absent or hard to cast into every MMO. You are expected to know the boss in order to beat it. That's the game. "
Both WoW and FF14 (as an example) have in combat resurrections that are instant cast with a decent sized mana requirement (FF14) or Global Cooldown (WoW) You are wrong on this line specifically (if we are direct comparing)

Also as a note;
Singets that rez - Guard, Mesmer, Ele, Necro
Abilities that rez 5 (or finish 5) - Ranger/Druid(2), Warrior, Scrapper
Abilities that pull target downed player - Ele, Necro, ranger

For a full list check this out! https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Revival

They exist across the game but they are limited tools usually with high cooldown or energy costs, almost like... Oh wait

Edited Friday at 10:56 PM by Chazara.9075
Added note

[Barraind.7324]

44 minutes ago, torbal.3614 said:

Come oooooooon! Do you guys even play scourge?

On fights where we want portal + transfusion, yes.  So, on Cerus (L)CM. And I guess boneskinner if its a pug?  Or Ankka title runs. 

 

On any other fight in the game, I play any other healer (or adps if we're 1 or 0 healing), because scourge is  bad at being a good heal spec compared to Mech, Druid, and Chrono if you dont need both sand swell and pulls from transfusion. 

 

Is it too good? Maybe.  Is it one of two things, both needing to be paired together, that make heal scourge worth taking on like the 3 fights you can justify it for?  Also yes. 

Edited Friday at 10:53 PM by Barraind.7324

[Udaya.7936]

On 9/13/2024 at 4:52 PM, Alkaid.2098 said:

So when it comes to necro, you give it the ability to heal in shroud Via soul reaper , but the effectiveness is only weaker in pve??? why is that?

and the teleport on transfusion, I understand removing it from wvw/pvp but why pve??? I could understand a nerf to how many people it pulls, especially in vs modes but why in pve? I think removing the pull is kinda bad, it is already kinda funky to get it to pull properly and if you pull to the wrong place you can get punished hard for it.
 

Power Reaper has always been a notoriously tanky DPS build, so it's only natural to make the healing on Soul Eater less effective there. I'd argue it shouldn't even have shroud healing in PvE given the sheer number of self-healing options Reaper already has outside of shroud, i.e., Dagger 2, Sword 1/3/4, and now Spear 2. If you want more durability in shroud, you can always take Rise! or Spectral Armor. I'm not even sure how Blighter's Boon is supposed to compete with Reaper's Ferocity if you can already heal in shroud with the meta DPS traits.

In the past, necromancers took Signets of Suffering with Signet of Vampirism/Undeath to camp shroud while healing over time, but that's since been removed now that signets can't be used passively in shroud. I wonder why shroud healing is being brought back now if the balance team ruled it out in the past.

On the other hand, I agree with you on Transfusion. If it's a problem in competitive game modes, they may as well remove it there, but taking it out of PvE is pretty harsh. The res pull is the defining trait of an otherwise mediocre healer. No stability, no reflects, a single block, very few boons, and heavily reliant on barrier due to the lack of healing skills. Like many others have asked, is there any reason to use Heal Scourge over Heal Chrono/Druid now?

Edited Saturday at 08:54 PM by Udaya.7936
wrong link

[xvalkyrie.6742]

Scourge being able to teleport downed people to them and start helping heal was the main reason that many open world metas were able to succeed over the last year. You added painful puddles while at the same time adding so much visual clutter that you can't possibly blame everybody for not seeing that they're standing in something about to kill them. This change for pve is terrible and I hope it's reconsidered and made a pvp/wvw only change. Demons and now  titans and spear ground effects are the whole reason heal scourge has been able to be so useful in open world, because if I want big burst heals, I'll get a different healer. (Like my chrono) But a comfy, ally-helping healer for open world? 100% scourge.

[Banim.8495]

Removing the rescue effect of Transfusion from PvE is anti-fun. Please don't remove it.

[Geronmy.3298]

Mirage gets another nothingburger pvp buff that if it overperforms will leak its nerf back into all the gamemodes. Or is just an axe buff overall in pvp, because axe is not a real weapon if not traited.

Edited Friday at 11:02 PM by Geronmy.3298

[Triptaminas.4789]

1 hour ago, bernstein adelheid.8590 said:

I can't think of a single other profession that got so systematically nerfed in every single aspect and got every single profession abilities turned into an exceptionally clunky mess to use. 

Necro bros, go to mesmer or warrior forums and ask mirage or crapsworn bros how bad things really are.

[WindsOfRebellion.3457]

Transfusion: This trait no longer teleports downed allies to the user.

 

Please reconsider this change. It is the core part of a heal!scourge's identity, removal of its functionality would severely nerf it and put it at a major disadvantage to other healers. Even if it is nerfed to moving 1 or 2 downed allies would be far more preferable than deleting it entirely.

[Triptaminas.4789]

Look, basically, devs just gonna do it (nerf transfusion and low skill high reward necro featured).

UGH I know! I'm sorry!!!

they just.... gonna nerf it all till we don't see any necros on maps.

AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA next patch u get a treat, barrier cofs halved for good measure AHAHAHAHAHAHA.

 

Edited Friday at 11:11 PM by Triptaminas.4789

[Suyheuti.1732]

*** Good changes,

Quote

Celestial equipment will no longer grant concentration or expertise while in a WvW map.

Finally.

Quote

Sphere Specialist: Increased the boon duration increase from 100% to 150% in PvE only. This trait now also allows the catalyst to gain energy while a jade sphere is deployed.

We have been telling this over years. Thank you. But I expect this change to default catalyst, not tied to trait.

Quote

Weakening Charge: This skill is now named Weakening Whirl. This skill no longer moves the player.

Oh that is big.

Quote

Tremor: This skill now recharges Crushing Blow if it strikes an enemy.

That is good for spellbreakers who use OH mace.

*** Bad change,

Quote

Transfusion: This trait no longer teleports downed allies to the user. This trait no longer increases the cooldown of Garish Pillar in WvW.

That will kill identity of Heal Scourge. At least, it should stay as it is in PvE.

*** General Opinions,

Quote

• Volley: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.75 to 0.8 in PvE only.
• Explosive Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.6 in PvE only.
•  Rifle Butt: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.

This is joke right? You buff I dont know %5 to a dead weapon. Spear Berserker dealing 46k DPS, who will use rifle?

Quote

Sun and Moon Style: This trait now heals for a percentage of all strike damage instead of only critical hit damage.

Please upgrade this trait for both hands. Bladestorm(dagger5) is very weak compared to Whirling Axe, I don't expect it to be strong as axe5, because it has def options, at least it should get damage bonus from that trait.

Quote

Burst Precision: Increased the bonus ferocity from 150 to 250.

I'm trying to get this change. Arms is known as condi traitline. Yeah, there are power options but no strong as discipline/tactics and expecially strength. Maybe this change will effect Bladesworn but there is more damage modifiers are needed. Like "Sundering Burst". Vulnerability is very easy to applicate. Maybe you can upgrade this trait like Mesmer Domination "Fragility" trait. Then Arms can be useful in PvE.

Quote

Ether Barrage: The conditions inflicted by this skill are no longer random. This skill will apply 3 stacks of torment and 2 stacks of confusion per use. Increased the torment and confusion durations from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.

No explanation in PvE or WvW. Ether Barrage's condi durations are 4sec. 2sec in WvW/PvP. It will stay same in PvE?

Quote

Furious Interruption: Reduced the internal cooldown from 3 seconds to 1 second. Increased the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE and from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW.

This trait could be very useful in OW if you didn't kill dagger ambush.

Quote

• Axes of Symmetry: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Lingering Thoughts: Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 6 seconds in PvP and WvW

Please change this 2 skills animations. Axe is currently unplayable %90 of the instanced content because of the falling off from edge or stepping on danger or getting inside of boss' hitbox/not gettting inside.

Quote

Invigorating Air: This skill now also grants 25 endurance when used.

This skill + Soothing Water and Fortified Earth. Please remove the reduce recharge bonus of this 3 utilities and put more effectiveness or duration like Rentless Fire and Shattering Ice.

Soothing Water = 25 sec cd, if you wait water sphere to use, becomes 20sec CD(if you stay alive until you deploy water sphere). 1340 heal + 1 condi cleanse = 5 pulse.

Ether Renewal = 15 sec CD, 663 heal + 1 condi cleanse = 8 pulse. Ether Renewal beats Soothing Water in current sitoation. 25 sec CD can stay but put sth extra barrier or protection when we use inside water sphere.

*** Expectations,

Mirage still needs structural upgrades. Please remove alac from staff ambush. I wanna use alac underwater, with another weapons like rifle.And mh sword is too weak. Sw2 needs huge buff and sw3 needs rework.

Also, I expected to get buff to,

Power Weaver. Spear is useless and it is weaker than Power Tempest and Catalyst. There is no point to play Power Weaver instead of joy.

Power Bladesworn is the weakest Power Warrior spec atm and complicated to play.

Some Ideas abour Mirage,

Chaotic Potency (Chaos): "Gain condition damage. Gain additional condition damage while wielding a staff and scepter. "

Nomad Endurance (Mirage): "Shatter skills give vigor, and vigor grants power(150) and condition damage (150)." Mirage needs power damage modifier.

Riddle of Sand (Mirage): "Deal increased strike damage to crippled foes". Extra damage modifier makes Power Mirage more viable.

Phantasmal Force (Illusions): "Phantasms deal increased strike damage for each stack of might you have. +2% Damage" Illusions traitline is too weak compared to Domination. Dropping Dueling is unthinkable because of the trait "Phantasmal Fury" Also this will be in very good synergy with Chrono's Chronophantasma.

I think to open a topic inside Mesmer forum. There are too many.😊

 

[Ghos.1326]

3 hours ago, Joie.6084 said:

Hi, everyone,

Welcome to the preview for the October 8 balance update! We're only a few weeks past the release of Janthir Wilds, so this update will be a bit smaller as we continue to watch and evaluate the impact of the new spears and relics. As always, the goal of previewing these changes is to gather your feedback before the live release. We'll be following the conversation and making further adjustments as needed.

Thanks,

Cal "cmc" Cohen

Skills and Balance Lead

General

The Celestial attribute combination has been exceptionally powerful in WvW since the addition of concentration and expertise, and it's something that we've been monitoring for some time. With this update, we're introducing the tech to adjust equipment's attribute distribution and the amount of attributes it provides on a per game–mode basis. The first use of this will be to remove both concentration and expertise from equipment with Celestial attributes in WvW only, to bring it back in line with other attributes. We'll be keeping an eye on how the tech performs and whether it needs any final touches, but, assuming everything goes well, it's something that we may use going forward to tune other attribute combinations in WvW specifically.

• Celestial equipment will no longer grant concentration or expertise while in a WvW map.
• Revealed: Increased the duration in WvW to match PvP.

Elementalist

The June balance update included a few tune-ups to the elementalist's dagger skills in competitive modes with the goal of making them more viable picks. These changes didn't quite have the impact that we were hoping for, so we've made additional improvements to the dagger skills for this update. We've also bumped up the damage on a handful of spear skills in WvW and made a few smaller improvements for support-focused tempest and quickness-based catalyst builds.

• Burning Speed: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Convergence: Increased the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.35 in PvP and WvW.
• Updraft: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Ring of Earth: Increased the secondary-strike power coefficient from 1.1 to 1.25 in PvP and WvW.
• Churning Earth: Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.6 in PvP and WvW.
• Frozen Burst: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Cleansing Wave: Reduced the cooldown from 25 to 20 in PvP and WvW. Increased the base healing to 2,222 in all game modes.
• Blazing Barrage: Increased the power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.05 in WvW only.
• Meteor: Increased the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.35 in WvW only.
• Fissure: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.15 in WvW only.
• Haboob: Increased the power coefficient from1.33 to 1.5 in WvW only.

Tempest

• "Wash the Pain Away!": This skill now removes a condition from allies on every pulse.
• Rebound: This skill now grants stability instead of fury.

Weaver

• Elemental Refreshment: This trait no longer applies barrier to allies. Increased the barrier from 523 to 1,003 in PvE only.
• Bolstered Elements: This trait now triggers Lesser Stone Resonance when you use an elite skill instead of at a health threshold. Reduced the internal cooldown from 70 seconds to 30 seconds. Increased the protection duration from 2.5 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Woven Stride: Reduced the internal cooldown from 5 seconds to 3 seconds.

Catalyst

• Invigorating Air: This skill now also grants 25 endurance when used.
• Spectacular Sphere: Increased the quickness duration from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds in PvE only. Increased the might stacks from 5 to 8 in PvE only.
• Sphere Specialist: Increased the boon duration increase from 100% to 150% in PvE only. This trait now also allows the catalyst to gain energy while a jade sphere is deployed.

Engineer

Quickness-based scrapper is another boon-providing support build that we felt could use a bit more might generation, so we've added it to the trigger on Kinetic Accelerators. Flamethrower also gets a big upgrade with Smoke Vent becoming a stun break, which gives the kit a much-needed defensive tool.

• Blunderbuss: Increased the minimum power coefficient from 0.87 to 1.1 in PvP only.
• Energizing Slam: Increased the base barrier from 196 to 516 and the barrier scaling from 0.2 to 0.5 in PvP and WvW.
• Healing Mist: Reduced the cooldown from 28 seconds to 25 seconds.
• Utility Goggles: This skill now applies protection in addition to its previous effects.
• Regenerating Mist: Reduced the cooldown from 21 seconds to 18 seconds.
• Smoke Vent: This skill now breaks stun. Increased the cooldown from 15 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Elixir X: Reduced the cooldown from 85 seconds to 75 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Energy Amplifier: This trait now grants power in addition to its previous effects.

Scrapper

• Kinetic Accelerators: This trait now applies might in addition to quickness in PvE only.

Holosmith

• Crystal Configuration: Eclipse: This trait now only applies barrier on Corona Burst's first hit. Increased the barrier on hit from 991 to 2,256 in PvE and from 748 to 1,804 in PvP and WvW. The barrier on hit is reduced for each hit beyond the first.

Guardian

In this update, we've made improvements to a number of underutilized guardian skills and traits to make them more viable options, including additional healing on Symbol of Faith, an update to Honorable Staff that makes Empower also grant endurance to affected allies, and additional ammunition for "Hold the Line!"

• Symbol of Vengeance: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP only.
• Blazing Edge: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only.
• Symbol of Faith: This skill now heals allies on impact. Reduced the casting time.
• Shield of Wrath: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds.
• Cleansing Flame: This skill now removes 2 conditions from the player when activated.
• "Hold the Line!": Increased the ammunition from 1 to 2.
• Signet of Judgment: This skill now applies protection in addition to its previous effects.
• Signet of Courage: This skill now breaks stun for the user and nearby allies when activated.
• Protector's Restoration: Reduced the internal cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
• Honorable Staff: This skill no longer grants additional concentration while wielding a staff and now causes Empower to grant endurance to allies.
• Writ of Persistence: Increased the healing from 64 to 107 in PvP and WvW.

Dragonhunter

• Hunter's Fortification: This trait no longer grants damage reduction and now heals when you block an attack in addition to removing a condition.

Willbender

• Heel Crack: Increased the ammunition from 1 to 2 in PvE only.

Mesmer

Ether Barrage is a skill that can vary significantly in effectiveness depending on which randomly chosen condition it applies with each strike. We wanted the skill to be more consistent, and going forward it will always inflict the same amount of torment and confusion every time the skill is used. We've also made some improvements to off-hand sword and axe in competitive modes and tuned up some other underperforming skills and traits.

• Axes of Symmetry: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Lingering Thoughts: Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 6 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Phantasmal Swordsman: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 18 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the initial phantasm hit damage from 0.35 to 0.5 and the flurry damage coefficient per hit from 0.1 to 0.12 in PvP and WvW.
• Mirror: Increased the base healing from 4,299 to 5,195.
• Phantasmal Disenchanter: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
• Mass Invisibility: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 50 seconds in PvP only.
• Furious Interruption: Reduced the internal cooldown from 3 seconds to 1 second. Increased the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE and from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW.

Mirage

• Ether Barrage: The conditions inflicted by this skill are no longer random. This skill will apply 3 stacks of torment and 2 stacks of confusion per use. Increased the torment and confusion durations from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Mirage Advance: This skill now dazes enemies that it strikes.

Necromancer

Transfusion has been a longtime pain point in WvW, but it has also been an exceptionally powerful tool for scourge in all game modes. Its ability to easily revive allies who are downed while out of position is something that we've been keeping an eye on for a while, and we see it as being too powerful. We still like Transfusion's ability to help revive allies, but we're removing the teleportation component to make it less of a guarantee. We've also tuned up the damage on axe in PvE and made some improvements to the core death shroud in all game modes. Reaper and harbinger both get some defensive updates that are primarily focused on slightly improving their survivability in PvP.

• Isolate: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only.
• Extirpate: This skill no longer inflicts Extirpation and instead inflicts weakness.
• Rending Claws: Increased the damage coefficient per hit from 0.6 to 0.7 in PvE only.
• Ghastly Claws: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.575 in PvE only.
• Unholy Feast: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.5 in PvE only.
• Unholy Burst: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
• Consume Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
• Signet of the Locust: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
• Plague Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• Dark Pursuit: This skill no longer increases the cooldown of Dark Path.
• Life Transfer: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds. Increased the bleeding duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds.
• Tainted Shackles: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
• Overflowing Thirst: Increased the life force per strike from 1% to 1.5%.
• Unholy Martyr: Increased the life force per condition removed from 3% to 7% in PvP only.
• Transfusion: This trait no longer teleports downed allies to the user. This trait no longer increases the cooldown of Garish Pillar in WvW.

Reaper

• Soul Eater: The healing from this trait can now heal the player while they are using Reaper Shroud. Healing while in shroud has reduced effectiveness in PvE.
• Blighter's Boon: Increased the base healing from 103 to 133.

Harbinger

• Blight: Reduced the health percentage decrease from 1.5% to 1% in PvP only.

Ranger

Ranger is currently in a good spot in all game modes, so this update includes a few smaller changes to underused skills and traits to make them more competitive options.

• Guard: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 24 seconds. Increased the might duration from 5 seconds to 10 seconds.

Soulbeast

• Moa Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP only.
• Maul (Feline): Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.2 to 0.7.
• Spiritual Reprieve: This skill now cleanses 2 damaging conditions in addition to its previous effects.
• Second Skin: Increased the damage reduction from 20% to 25% in PvP only.

Untamed

• Nature's Binding: This skill now inflicts defiance damage on defiant enemies when used. Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Revenant

We've focused on improving the viability of some underperforming revenant builds in competitive modes with damage improvements to herald and main-hand sword, defensive improvements to Legendary Renegade Stance, and an increase to the outgoing healing bonuses in the Salvation trait line for potential support builds in PvP.

• Chilling Isolation: Increased the power coefficient from 0.5 to 0.7 in PvP and WvW.
• Notoriety: Increased the might stacks from 1 to 2 in PvP and WvW.
• Resolute Evasion: Increased the resolution duration from 2 seconds to 2.5 seconds. This trait now also grants a small strike damage reduction for 2.5 seconds after dodging.
• Invoking Harmony: Increased the outgoing healing bonus from 10% to 15% in PvP only.
• Serene Rejuvenation: Increased the outgoing healing bonus from 15% to 20% in PvP only.

Herald

• Shining Aspects: Increased the healing from 533 to 640.
• Forceful Persistence: Increased the damage bonus from 13% to 15% in PvP and WvW. Increased the facet damage bonus from 3% to 4% in PvP and WvW.

Renegade

• Breakrazor's Bastion: Increased the base barrier when enhanced from 1,480 to 1,960.
• Soulcleave's Summit: Increased the healing when using a Legendary Renegade skill from 929 to 1,199. Increased the life siphon healing from 392 to 489 in PvP only.

Thief

This update includes a couple of significant quality-of-life improvements for the thief's staff and scepter weapons. First, Weakening Charge will no longer have a movement component, meaning that players are free to move during its casting time. We've also changed Shadow Sap into a ground-targeted skill to give scepter-wielding thieves a way to support their team without needing to target allies. Our goal with these changes is to improve the fluidity of the weapons and make them more enjoyable to play. We've also updated Helmet Breaker to only be usable a single time before flipping back to Debilitating Arc, giving more access to the defensive evade. This is part of a set of changes targeted at improving staff's usability in competitive modes.

• Shadow Sap: This skill is now ground targeted and will fire a projectile at the target location. When the missile lands, it will strike enemies and grant barrier, might, and protection to allies. The strike no longer inflicts weakness on enemies.
• Orchestrated Assault: Reduced the damage increase from 33% to 7% in WvW and PvP.
• Harrowing Storm: Reduced the torment duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in WvW and PvP.
• Debilitating Arc: Reduced the initiative cost from 5 to 4 in PvP and WvW.
• Helmet Breaker: This skill can no longer be used multiple times in a row. Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 1.1 in PvP and WvW only. Reduced the initiative cost from 3 to 2 in PvP and WvW.
• Dust Strike: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.2 to 0.35 in PvP and WvW.
• Weakening Charge: This skill is now named Weakening Whirl. This skill no longer moves the player.
• Cluster Bomb: Increased the power coefficient from 1.45 to 2.25 in PvE only.
• Shadow Refuge: Reduced the cooldown from 48 seconds to 40 in PvP and WvW. Reduced the stealth duration per pulse from 3 to 2.5 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the healing from 1,775 to 2,851.
• Even the Odds: Increased the vulnerability stacks from 5 to 10.
• Sundering Shade: Increased the vulnerability stacks from 5 to 10.
• Hidden Killer: Increased the duration from 2 seconds to 4 seconds.

Specter

• Well of Sorrow: This skill now pulses conditions in a specific order. It will pulse torment, bleeding, torment, poison, and then torment.

Warrior

Similar to the upcoming change to Kinetic Accelerators for quickness-based scrappers, Heat the Soul will now also grant might to allies to give quickness-based berserkers better might coverage. We've also made some improvements to off-hand dagger and rifle and tuned up a number of underperforming skills and traits.

• Volley: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.75 to 0.8 in PvE only.
• Explosive Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.6 in PvE only.
•  Rifle Butt: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
• Tremor: This skill now recharges Crushing Blow if it strikes an enemy.
• Wastrel's Ruin: This skill now always inflicts its bonuses against defiant enemies. Increased the maximum number of targets from 1 to 2.
• Bladestorm: Increased the barrier per hit from 289 to 445.
• Kick: This skill now deals bonus defiance-bar damage.
• Dolyak Signet: The passive effect of this skill now grants reduced incoming damage instead of toughness.
• Signet of Stamina: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
• "To the Limit!": Increased the endurance gain from 50 to 100 in PvE and from 65 to 100 in PvP.
• Rampage: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvE only.
• Burst Precision: Increased the bonus ferocity from 150 to 250.
• Martial Cadence: Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 2 in PvE and PvP.

Berserker

• Heat the Soul: This trait now applies might to allies in addition to its previous effects.

Spellbreaker

• Sun and Moon Style: This trait now heals for a percentage of all strike damage instead of only critical hit damage.

For the bit on the Engineer's Flamethrower 5 skill: this will be a bad change. The on demand blind from the Smoke Vent can be a very big life saver, more so than another stun break.

Really, all you need to do for flamethrower currently is add more burn to its skills, either make FT4 destroy projectiles and/or make it a ring instead of a wall, reduce FT2's pre- and after-cast, and possibly add more power scaling on FT2.

[Suyheuti.1732]

7 minutes ago, Ghos.1326 said:

For the bit on the Engineer's Flamethrower 5 skill: this will be a bad change. The on demand blind from the Smoke Vent can be a very big life saver, more so than another stun break.

Really, all you need to do for flamethrower currently is add more burn to its skills, either make FT4 destroy projectiles and/or make it a ring instead of a wall, reduce FT2's pre- and after-cast, and possibly add more power scaling on FT2.

Why did you quote all the post?