PvP/WvW Skill Split Release

[Shagaliscious.6281]

Why no buff to weaver sword or at least weaver traits? Sword weaver is still lacking in personal defense/sustain, and if you trait for that, you lose too much DPS.

[eyestrain.3056]

@style.6173 said:I will say this from a WvW perspective.

• Engineer: These are massive nerfs to holosmith. This should be a PvP only change. In WvW, no one wants a Engineer running in their group. Why make it even worse?

Holo is an extremely strong roamer. For the amount of burst damage it has, it's also a difficult first target because the mobility and chained invulns/stealths make it very hard to kill.

[SWI.4127]

I went back and watched a clip of my SB. With full ascended zerker gear, the dagger auto attack does 440 damage if I don't crit. This is also with 5 stacks of might. It would put me at over 2800 power. Why, specifically, are you going to nerf dagger AA damage? It already has pathetic damage unless you crit (then it's just normal damage). I really cannot discern a reason. Mind you, the class has been nerfed constantly since PoF already. Just seems like the conversation went something like "what else can we nerf when it comes to SB? Oh I know, how about a little bit of everything?"

[MADPIEMAN.8023]

Buff sword on weaver (dmg on actually used skills and making some skills easier to land) and buff tempest to compete other support specs like firebrand and chrono

[Vagrant.7206]

@"Gaile Gray.6029" said:

Engineer

Skills

• Crystal Configuration: Eclipse: The stability portion of this trait will now be applied only upon successful hits of Corona Burst
• Light Strike: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.6 (-40%) in PvP and WvW
• Holo Leap: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.8 to 1.5 (-17%) in PvP and WvW
• Corona Burst: Reduced the Might stacks granted per pulse from 2 to 1 in PvP and WvW
• Holographic Shockwave: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.96 to 0.75 (-22%) in PvP and WvW
• Spectrum Shield: Increased the shield duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the cooldown from 30 seconds to 40 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Poison Dart Volley: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Glue Shot: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Mortar Shot: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 (+25%) in PvP and WvW
• Poison Gas Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Endothermic Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Flash Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Box of Nails: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Magnet: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Throw Mine: Increased the damage from 1.8 to 2.0 (+11%) in PvP and WvW
• Static Shock (A.E.D.): Increased the stun duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Elixir X: Reduced the duration of Tornado and Rampage transforms from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 105 seconds to 75 seconds in PvP and WvW

Traits

• Aim Assisted Rocket: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.5 (-50%) in PvP and WvW
• Minesweeper: Reduced the power coefficient of each mine from 1.0 to 0.67 (-33%) in PvP and WvW
• Vent Exhaust: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.1 to 0.75 (-32%) in PvP and WvW
• Protection Injection: Increased the cooldown from 10 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only
• Self-Regulating Defenses: Increased the cooldown from 75 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP only
• Reactive Lenses: Increased the cooldown from 40 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP only

Speaking as an engi main here, having spent plenty of time playing holo in PvP now.

• These changes will significantly reduce the amount of holosmith's damage and survivability in PvP. If that was your intent, good job?

• These changes will not bring up "underperforming" engineer builds in PvP:

  • Condi engineer has not been effective in PvP since before HoT. It occasionally saw use as a one-off, but it needs significantly more improvements than the ones suggested here to actually have a chance in PvP. After the condi changes back in December, it still has a very low overall damage and burst potential, and lowering cooldowns does not change that. Most classes can cleanse engineer's condis before they can even tick.
  • Mortar kit's damage is so laughable in every game mode that a 25%/33% damage boost is not much. Even if mortar kit's damage was doubled, it still wouldn't be close to threatening to most players. If you want to actually make it more viable in WvW or PvP, up its damage way more than that and/or reduce flight/casting times.
  • Tool kit changes don't mean much either -- Box of nails is extremely weak, so reducing its cooldown won't change anything. Magnet is really, REALLY buggy, so unless you fix its bugginess, reducing its cooldown won't mean much either.
  • lol throw mine and AED toolbelt buffs, that's gold

• Trait changes to explosives definitely reduce passive play, but most engineers have already dropped aim assisted rocket/minesweeper for more practical traits in the meantime.

• Trait changes to alchemy will gut alchemy's use in PvP even further, making Inventions the go-to for defensive traits, rather than alchemy. If it's your intent to make inventions the new meta-defensive line for engineers, then congratulations. Either way, you're reducing the overall survivability of the class, including core and scrapper.

Overall impression? This will do nothing to bring up core engineer or scrapper, and will gut holosmith into a shadow of its former self. It doesn't seem like the balance team has anybody who actually plays engineer as a main, or has tried any of the builds they'd like to bring up.

---

For the other classes:

• Warrior changes look mostly positive to me. Reduces spellbreaker's spikeability, but provides some new outlets for other tools into the mix.
• Rev - I don't know enough about the class to say.
• Guardian - Firebrand will continue to remain the dominant support spec, just with some reductions in potential output.
• Thief - lol heartseeker buffs? Guess D/P thief will be meta yet again.
• Ranger - some reductions in druid's survivability, but not really addressing the root of the issue.
• Ele - I don't know enough to say, but from a glance it doesn't look like much.
• Mesmer - some reduction in problems, but nothing to address the new power meta for mesmers
• Necro -- Scourge will continue to be successful (and braindead), just less spammable. Doesn't look like it does much to bring up underperforming builds.

[Lunalight.8120]

@Gaile Gray.6029 said:

• Elixir X: Reduced the duration of Tornado and Rampage transforms from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 105 seconds to 75 seconds in PvP and WvW

How about a similar treatment to Mesmer's Time Warp?Reduce duration to 5 seconds and reduce cooldown to 90 seconds.

[Arenir.1032]

What's with the druid changes? I could totally see the reasoning for PvP, but WvW too? They're so niche in the meta, and not over performing at all. Really confused on why you guys merged these changes, as it just ends up being the death of Druid in WvW.

[Tresura.5209]

Desert Shroud: Increased the cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.

Kill the only possibility to play power scourge in WvW. Find another way to nerf condi.

[Ziggy.3842]

These skills splits between WvW and PVE will block guilds from being able to run tests in the Guild Hall. Are there any plans to give guilds the option of having WvW or PvE skill splits for their guild halls?

[Red Haired Savage.5430]

I'm going to talk warrior wvw cause that's what I know, and mostly zerg fights. Probably be ridiculed by my fellow warriors. Also remember balance doesn't always have to be buffing or nerfing a skill, you can tweak it (increase some part of it while decreasing another part). Sometimes damage might need to come down while decreasing the cast time or cooldown time to make it more viable.

@"Gaile Gray.6029" said:

Warrior

Skills

• Full Counter: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.75 to 1.5 (-14%) in PvP and WvWMost of the time at least for me this ends up being used more the boon removal/interrupt, evade frame, and proc on AH.
• Dagger Autoattack chain: Reduced the power coefficients from 0.55, 0.55, 0.85 to 0.4, 0.4, 0.85 (-15% overall) in PvP and WvWDagger already feels like it doesn't do much damage on the auto attack.
• Aura Slicer: Increased cooldown from 6 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvWIf we do this could we increase the leap distance to maybe what our breaching strike distance or thief heartseeker distance is?
• Disrupting Stab: Reduced stun duration from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in PvP and WvWDoesn't give you a long time to see if landing your wastrel's ruin will be worth it. Maybe leave it at 1.5 seconds but make it always a daze instead of a stun if it interrupted an attack.
• Breaching Strike: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.2 (-20%) in PvP and WvWWhy would you do this? It hits as hard as the mace burst with the same coefficient.
• Break Enchantments: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.5 (-50%). Increased the number of boons removed from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvWI'm fine with this.
• Featherfoot Grace: Increased the cooldown from 30 seconds to 40 seconds in PvP and WvWUntil condition damage is brought in check I think this needs to stay as is.
• Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 50 seconds to 40 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased Might granted from 5 stacks to 10 stacks in PvP and WvWThis skill doesn't really see much use in WvW, I don't see this buff changing that, it might for PvP.
• Rampage Reduced the cooldown from 180 seconds to 100 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced transform duration from 15 seconds to 10 seconds
  • Kick: Reduced the cooldown from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Dash: Reduced the cooldown from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Throw Boulder: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Seismic Leap: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvWThese are fine, but I don't roam as much as I used to because you're likely to get ganked by 3+ people, as far as a zerg is concerned this won't change much.
• Battle Standard: Reduced the cooldown from 240 seconds to 180 seconds in PvP and WvWThat would be a nice change but I don't see the decreased CD on this changing anything until the banner trait gets revamped.
• Crushing Blow: Increased the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.5 (+25%) in PvP and WvW. Adjusted Vulnerability applied from 10 stacks for 10 seconds to 15 stacks for 6 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Tremor: Increased knockdown duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP and WvWSee my thoughts below on things we could do with weapons. I'm not sure the above buffs would make the offhand mace see much use in WvW, not sure mine would either tbh.
• Sword Autoattack chain: Increased the power coefficients from 0.6, 0.6, 0.6 to 0.6, 0.6, 1.0 (+22%) in PvP and WvWI'd rather see this be more of a condition based weapon than a power hybrid. Does changing power coefficients change condition damage?
• Flurry: Increased the power coefficient from 1.04 to 2.0 (+92%) in PvP and WvWFor me this skill is mostly used to proc AH and to root someone not for the damage. If you want to make changes viable to this skill remove the rooting or decrease the cast time.
• Savage Leap: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvWThis skill is the #1 reason sword is used in WvW unless you're running a condition based build. Thanks for the buff I guess?
• Flaming Flurry: Increased the power coefficient from 1.04 to 2.0 (+92%) in PvP and WvWNot sure what to say about this one, I don't rock too much condition damage in WvW.
• "To the Limit!": Increased endurance granted from 50 to 100To make this skill viable you'd probably have to do something to make shout warrior more viable. Shout warrior is a support/worker warrior. Right now other professions do the support roll easier and better. To be decent on it you almost have to dedicate yourself to it.
• Blood Reckoning: Increased damage to healing conversion from 20% to 25% in PvP and WvW. Increased Adrenaline gained from 10 to 30 in PvP and WvWOn this and the to the limit they both look like nice buffs but I'm not sure the changes would make them more viable for WvW.
• "On My Mark!:" Adjusted Vulnerability applied from 10 stacks for 10 seconds to 15 stacks for 6 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced ammo recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.This is more of a roaming skill, not sure what to say on it.
• "For Great Justice!": Adjusted Might granted from 6 stacks for 25 seconds to 12 stacks for 15 seconds in PvP and WvW
• "Shake It Off!:" Increased the number of conditions cleansed from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvWThese skills again as I said on to the limit thanks for the buffs, but I'm not sure this will be enough to make shout warrior viable.

Also nothing for the warhorn? It's stuck in 2012 it needs help.

Some of these weapon skills I had some thoughts on bringing more build diversity back into the game. I only did warrior because I know warrior, but it'd be kinda neat so see this across all professions. I know it'll make thieves mad because I'm taking something from their playbook.https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/29756/mainhand-offhand-weapon-revamp

[Crimtheann.5439]

When looking over each change, some of them are good while some of them feel off.

Most classes in itself now feel that it is aimed at discouraging people from playing that one build they have spent hard earned money or investments into. For instance we have Thieves who absolutely adore how Dagger and pistol gameplay was working, now looking at this they will feel discouraged. Engineer in itself I feel didn't need the general reduction of numbers. All the while I do not see an actual reduction in Mesmer pressure play? Pushing Holosmith and general power damage damage of engineer then not touching the specialization of Mirage or Mesmer other than one or two trait changes feels weird. Mesmers has been in WvW taking out people with 19,000 life in one shot or what appears one shot with the recent changes coming from last patch. Scourge has been controlling large areas of locations in a competitive scene, with their massive Areas of attack, making counter play difficult. With two Scourges counter play almost becomes impossible. Spellbreakers main strength being hit in two aspects, while adjusting their physical skills feel weird. It more feels like the general classes are getting the main loved builds decreasing, which honestly feels like a bad move. I'll get to that later.

That being said: I can understand why you are reducing the healing output of Firebrand and Druid. Those two have both demonstrated that they can stall out complete fights without much effort. Little action to high reward.

The other side though, is that more active parts of it then needed to be rewarded. If you are reducing something that should be more actively played with, then the opposite should occur. Damage numbers lowering but active return play increasing, like for instance: The CD on attack rates on certain skills, or even the CD's being reduced for more damaging skills.

Now that being said, without compensation for these loved specialization, many people will feel attacked over these changes. I'd suggest looking more into making them stronger in different aspects then they were, instead of reducing their ability to counter other already strong but lesser played builds.

[Shaman.2034]

Warrior

Skills

• Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 50 seconds to 40 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased Might granted from 5 stacks to 10 stacks in PvP and WvW
• Rampage Reduced the cooldown from 180 seconds to 100 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced transform duration from 15 seconds to 10 seconds
  • Kick: Reduced the cooldown from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Dash: Reduced the cooldown from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Throw Boulder: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Seismic Leap: Reduced the cooldown from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Battle Standard: Reduced the cooldown from 240 seconds to 180 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Crushing Blow: Increased the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.5 (+25%) in PvP and WvW. Adjusted Vulnerability applied from 10 stacks for 10 seconds to 15 stacks for 6 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Tremor: Increased knockdown duration from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Sword Autoattack chain: Increased the power coefficients from 0.6, 0.6, 0.6 to 0.6, 0.6, 1.0 (+22%) in PvP and WvW
• Flurry: Increased the power coefficient from 1.04 to 2.0 (+92%) in PvP and WvW
• Savage Leap: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW
• Flaming Flurry: Increased the power coefficient from 1.04 to 2.0 (+92%) in PvP and WvW
• "To the Limit!": Increased endurance granted from 50 to 100
• Blood Reckoning: Increased damage to healing conversion from 20% to 25% in PvP and WvW. Increased Adrenaline gained from 10 to 30 in PvP and WvW
• "On My Mark!:" Adjusted Vulnerability applied from 10 stacks for 10 seconds to 15 stacks for 6 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced ammo recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
• "Shake It Off!:" Increased the number of conditions cleansed from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvW

Revenant

Skills

• Razorclaw's Rage: Increased the Bleeding duration from 2 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Icerazor's Ire: Increased the Power coefficient from 3.7 to 4.6 (+24%) in PvP and WvW
• Soothing Stone: Increased the number of conditions cleansed from 3 to 5 in PvP and WvW
• Vengeful Hammers: Reduced the upkeep cost from 7 to 6 in PvP and WvW
• Embrace the Darkness: Increased the attribute bonus from 10% to 15% in PvP and WvW
• Banish Enchantments: Increased the number of boons removed from 2 to 3 in PvP and WvW
• Pain Absorption: Reduced the energy cost from 35 to 30 in PvP and WvW

Guardian

Skills

• Signet of Resolve: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Leap of Faith: Increased the power coefficient from 1.1 to 1.25 (+14%) in PvP and WvW
• Signet of Mercy: Reduced the cooldown from 150 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Sword of Justice: Reduced the ammo recharge time from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Bow of Truth: Reduced the ammo recharge time from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Hammer of Wisdom: Reduced the ammo recharge time from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Feel my Wrath: Reduced the cooldown from 45 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP and WvW

Traits

• Zealous Blade: Increased the bonus damage from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW

Thief

Skills

• Heartseeker: Increased the power coefficients at all thresholds by 20% in PvP and WvW. The new values are as follows.
  • Above 50%: 1.0 to 1.2
  • Below 50%: 1.5 to 1.8
  • Below 25%: 2.0 to 2.4
• Shadow Shot: Increased the initiative cost from 4 to 5 in PvP and WvW. Increased Increased the power coefficient from 1.325 to 1.8 (+36%) in PvP and WvW
• Infiltrator's Strike: Increased the power coefficient from .75 to .9 (+20%) in PvP and WvW
• Cloak and Dagger: Reduced the initiative cost from 6 to 5 in PvP and WvW
• Signet of Shadows: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Assassin's Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Smoke Screen: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Dagger Storm: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Hide in Shadows: Increased the base healing from 5240 to 6026 (+15%) in PvP and WvW
• Skelk Venom: Increased the venom heal per hit from 965 to 1206 (+25%) in PvP and WvW

Ranger

Skills

• Ricochet: Increased the power coefficient from 0.7 to 0.8 (+14%) in PvP and WvW. Increased Might duration from 5 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Winter's Bite: Increased the power coefficient from 1.25 to 1.5 (+20%) in PvP and WvW. Increased the Bleeding duration from 8 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Splitblade: Increased the power coefficient per axe from 0.3 to 0.4 (+33%) in PvP and WvW
• Instinctive Engage: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 1 (+67%) in PvP and WvW
• Healing Spring: Increased the number of conditions cleansed per pulse from 1 to 2 in PvP and WvW

Traits

• Ambidexterity: Increased the Condition Damage granted from 150 to 240 in PvP and WvW
• Two-Handed Training: Increased the bonus damage from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW

Engineer

Skills

• Poison Dart Volley: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Glue Shot: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Mortar Shot: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 (+25%) in PvP and WvW
• Poison Gas Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Endothermic Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Flash Shell: Increased the power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 (+33%) in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Box of Nails: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Magnet: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Throw Mine: Increased the damage from 1.8 to 2.0 (+11%) in PvP and WvW
• Static Shock (A.E.D.): Increased the stun duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Elixir X: Reduced the duration of Tornado and Rampage transforms from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the cooldown from 105 seconds to 75 seconds in PvP and WvW

Elementalist

Skills

• Glyph of Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 165 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Stone Resonance: Increased the base Barrier granted per pulse from 972 to 1069 in PvP and WvW
• Lesser Stone Resonance: Increased the base Barrier granted per pulse from 972 to 1069 in PvP and WvW
• Shatterstone Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.66 (+66%) in PvP and WvW
• Impale: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 0.77 (+28%) in PvP and WvW
• Ashen Blast: Increased the power coefficient from 0.77 to 1.1 (+43%) in PvP and WvW
• Steam Surge: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.5 (+50%) in PvP and WvW
• Lightning Touch: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.5 (+50%) in PvP and WvW
• Ring of Earth: Increased the number of Bleeding stacks from 1 to 3 in PvP and WvW
• Tornado: Reduced the cooldown from 150 seconds to 100 seconds in PvP and WvW. Reduced the transform duration from 15 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW.
  • Elemental Requiem: Reduced the cooldown from 5 seconds to 3 seconds in PvP and WvW
  • Dust Charge: Reduced the cooldown from 10 seconds to 7 seconds in PvP and WvW

Traits

• Pyromancer's Puissance: Adjusted the Might granted from 1 stack for 15 seconds to 2 stacks for 10 seconds in PvP and WvW

Mesmer

Skills

• Illusion of Life: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 75 seconds in PvP and WvW

Necromancer

Skills

• Signet of Undeath: Reduced the cooldown from 150 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Life Siphon: Reduced the cooldown from 12 seconds to 10 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Dark Pact: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Signet of Vampirism: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW. Increased the base heal from 3960 to 4950 (+25%) in PvP and WvW
• Well of Blood: Increased the base heal from 5240 to 6026 (+15%) in PvP and WvW. Increased the heal per pulse from 280 to 490 (+75%) in PvP and WvW
• Spectral Grasp: Reduced the cooldown from 50 seconds to 35 seconds in PvP and WvW
• Well of Suffering: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. Increased the amount of Vulnerability applied per pulse from 2 stacks to 4 stacks in PvP only.
• Signet of the Locust: Increased the power coefficient from 0.65 to 1.0 (+54%) in PvP and WvW. Increased the base heal per hit from 970 to 1455 (+50%) in PvP and WvW

I believe all of these specific changes I've quoted would be harmless to include in PvE as well. I think it's great that you guys are pursuing skill splits, but I think that skill splitting shouldn't prevent unused skills or strategies from getting harmless buffs. All of these are weak or irrelevant in PvE, and these changes wouldn't shake up PvE balance in any way, so why not reduce the potential for player confusion and include them in PvE, too? Not to mention that it benefits people running off-builds. It sounds like a win for everyone involved.

[nicknamenick.2437]

Defy pain. 90sec cooldown for a 2sec endure pain????? Wuuut..

Do you revert it back to 4sec??

You first nerf it from 4 to 2sec.And now its 90s cooldown. Why not just remove it..

[Kovu.7560]

I also notice that Mesmer is basically unchanged and Thief was noticeably buffed.This is an issue.

~ Kovu

[Jaberse.8726]

"Dagger Autoattack chain: Reduced the power coefficients from 0.8, 0.85, 1.1 to 0.6, 0.65, 1.1 (-15% overall) in PvP and WvWHeartseeker: Increased the power coefficients at all thresholds by 20% in PvP and WvW. The new values are as follows.

Above 50%: 1.0 to 1.2Below 50%: 1.5 to 1.8Below 25%: 2.0 to 2.4"

this is exactly the opposite of balancing around skill based play, IMO this is a bad change, it will only promote 2 spam instead of the skill of being able to stick on your target for an entire auto chain, honestly dagger is probably fine as is.

"Sword Autoattack chain: Reduced the power coefficients from 0.8, 0.8, 1.3 to 0.6, 0.6, 1.3 (-14% overall) in PvP and WvW"

again, this is going against skill based play, sword auto chain is fairly slow, and with the general lack of non-mobility oriented defenses makes auto chains risky to aim for since they leave you relatively unprotected to get the entire chain off. that being said sword dagger thief is probably one of the highest skill specs in the game to make use of effectively at this point, and as it is it rewards such play and punishes poor play (by being incredibly squishy and only having two dodges as opposed to daredevil) again i dont believe sword needs any nerfs or buffs at the moment. its recent resurgence in the meta is a direct response to firebrands and spellbreakers since D/P just wasnt cutting it in that meta, its effectiveness is directly related to how the meta is now and outside of the meta its not particularly strong.

[Alex.9507]

Please address warrior bubble in WvW (duration down, maybe) and make sure the WvW changes carry into the guild hall arena.

[Crab Fear.1624]

Thanks for the hard work. Looks good to me. I'm excited to see when it goes live.

[Neko.9021]

Hi,Are you guys planning on moving more things in WvW to using PvP-versions of abilities?For example, I think that Merciful Intervention for WvW should be switched to using PvP values for the res (5%) instead of PvE values (20%). The skill is a bit too strong in a pvp-format with a 20% Res.

[Flauvious.6195]

Before complaining about how badly your class got nerfed you need to keep in mind how everything else got nerfed as well. If class A has it's damage nerfed by 10% but every other class got theirs nerfed by 15% then class A was effectively buffed despite being nerfed.

That said I don't think this is enough to stop the mesmer dominance meta. Now I guess if you manage to chain 2 stuns in a row through all the evades, invuln, stealth and blocks, they can't immediately break the second one with the same ability they use to kill you.

Happy to see the passive invuln traits nerfed, all of these need to die. Lol at the rev trait needs though. I get you might as well hit them on a pass of all passive traits but the rev traits you nerfed were all bad traits on terrible trait line that no one used anyway. Soothing bastion really needs a rework, no one wants to be interrupted and rooted when they're about to die. How about: shield skills gain 20% reduced recharge and cleanse conditions on use. There, simple, useful and no passive bs.

[Master Ketsu.4569]

Thanks for posting balance issues ahead of time. This has been a longstanding issue of a lack of communication between the balance team and the community and so this openness is a step in the right direction. I don't agree with everything here, but most of it should make the meta slightly better.

My 2 cents on the actual balance changes:-Nerfs to Holosmith and Spellbreaker are a tad too much. Both these classes have obvious animation tells and thus their power is not as strong as they seem.-Nerfs to Mesmer are good, but lacking. Elusive mind giving exhaustion is a brilliant change, but mesmers still do way too much instant cast damage and a good mesmer doesn't even need elusive mind to almost never die. The recent changes enabled mesmer to have near unlimited clones which is ridiculously exploitable and was a literal bronze-player-suggestion level broken buff. TL;DR Mes still SSS tier point capper and mes players still class carried to the sky and back.-Guardian and thief changes are mostly fair.-Nerfs to druid sustain a step in the right direction.-Would need to try ele to comment.-Nerfs to get out of jail free passives a step in the right direction.

-Revenant changes : Hardly anyone takes the Retribution line anyways except in WvW, yet you nerfed it for PvP only? This makes it a pretty pointless change. I'm almost half expecting this to be a typo and you meant to say "WvW only". Granted passive get of of jail is bad for the game and it would be better to just nerf it for both PvP and WvW.-I'm guessing the balance team has noticed that Jalis is the best Renegade PvP build and so you buffed jalis to help it out. The buffs are appreciated, however the real problem with Renegade is the traits themselves are very undertuned. Renegade needs some sustain ( Such as giving Kallas fervor lifesteal ) and better defenses ( such as giving Iron will protection, or sudden reversal a stack of stability ) to be truly viable.-Condi cleansing is more of a core Revenant problem than a Jalis Renegade problem. Making Jalis heal into an almost total condi cleanse is nice, but really buffing https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Cleansing_Channel would have been better and give Herald some love as well.-Hammer is already worthless due to the changes to Impossible Odds last patch. It's only effective in Zerg WvW, and balancing for Zerg play is just...well...yeah. Beating a dead horse here. Most skilled Rev players already do not use Hammer.

[zinkz.7045]

Better nerf those druids and holosmiths in WvW, because 50 man squads and guild raids are overflowing with rangers and engys... and you people wonder why your game is dying.

[Ziggityzog.7389]

Can you please revert or make it 1 hit per person for every 0.5-second cooldown for Vampiric Presence. It was a really really really really bad change to the trait and would have been better off left alone. now instead of every single hit i gain life it's every .5 seconds.

[Roxanne.6140]

@Tresura.5209 said:Desert Shroud: Increased the cooldown from 20 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.

Kill the only possibility to play power scourge in WvW. Find another way to nerf condi.

This change nerfs condi as well. What the fuck are you all talking about? This change nerfs scourge as a class itself because both damage and survivability are taking a huge dick to the ass.

[OriOri.8724]

My immediate reaction is that every single CD reduction to revival skills should go into effect in PvE as well. These are already never used because there's no need to revive someone in PvE, might as well make them not take 4 minutes to come off CD if you decide to take one for whatever reason.

My second reaction is that every change made to elite specs (notably, reducing the CD drastically, while reducing the duration to a lesser extent) should also go to PvE. Many classes struggle with having quite pathetic core elite skills. These CD reductions make them quite less pathetic, although some of them would still need work in PvE.

I honestly do not see any reason to not have these changes apply gamewide.

[kappa.2036]

ANET PLEASE reconsider the druid celestial avatar cooldown change! 20 seconds are too much, really.