Opinions on this balance patch for the Guardian?

[RUNICBLACK.7630]

I'm curious what everybody is thinking looking at the notes for the Guardian. Speaking only for myself I'm really mixed and leaning towards disappointment, because while I'm glad we didn't get nerfed into the ground and the change to focus does possibly look useful everything else seems more like an after thought with no real effort put into it. It really is disappointing when I then look at the long list of changes (mostly improvements but some nerfs also tbh) to other classes that show they are at least looking at the class and possibly different play styles but for the Guardian it mostly seems to be a lot of meh and nerf with a slim chance of a buff but even more likely to tell how they have corrected an error in the text of skill description.Maybe I'm just being overly negative but it just feels like the class neglected for awhile.

[mrauls.6519]

Focus 4 should hit enemies within 120 radius of inflicted enemy and lifesteal (give guardian x% per successful tick)

[RabbitUp.8294]

Torch 5 still exists, staff remains unchanged, bow unbuffed, more joke cd reductions, which have been the only changes guardian got for the past 2+ years. Only firebrand did was fill balance notes since PoF with pvp/wvw nerfs, because otherwise the guardian section would look comically short, while at the same time the spec is completely ignored in pve.

[otto.5684]

Well, it is still FB or mediocre. So, not much has changed. You can make a case that core guardian is on the high end of mediocre, but that’s about it.

[FtoPScrub.5476]

FB nerfs were okay. Core changes(focus) were meh, as always. DH continues to remain the bastard child that Anet does not want to acknowledge.

[CptAurellian.9537]

They could have destroyed something relevant, so I guess we'll have to view this non-patch positively.

[Huskyboy.1053]

@otto.5684 said:Well, it is still FB or mediocre. So, not much has changed. You can make a case that core guardian is on the high end of mediocre, but that’s about it.

I can't speak for ATs but Achilles took GS meditations guard to top 10 in NA.

[Darknicrofia.2604]

And Arken took Harriers FB to top 5, doesn't mean everyone should/could run it.

[otto.5684]

@Huskyboy.1053 said:

@otto.5684 said:Well, it is still FB or mediocre. So, not much has changed. You can make a case that core guardian is on the high end of mediocre, but that’s about it.

I can't speak for ATs but Achilles took GS meditations guard to top 10 in NA.

This is not how measuring performance works. I have heard of person A taking non-viable B to top 10 million times before. This is an outlier. It means nothing. performance is based on a “bell curve,” which is an aggregate performance of large population.

[Huskyboy.1053]

@otto.5684 said:

@Huskyboy.1053 said:

@otto.5684 said:Well, it is still FB or mediocre. So, not much has changed. You can make a case that core guardian is on the high end of mediocre, but that’s about it.

I can't speak for ATs but Achilles took GS meditations guard to top 10 in NA.

This is now how measuring performance works. I have heard of person A taking non-viable B to top 10 million times before. This is an outlier. It means nothing. performance is based on a “bell curve,” which is an aggregate performance of large population.

On a second glance I see that he didn't make top 10, he's currently rank 31 I think with about 1650 rating. So it looks like you're correct that it's not a top-performing build, personally I haven't been able to get above 1660 with the hammer build.

[Skyroar.2974]

Anet was generally light on guardian this patch, but the ray of judgement change alone was very impactful and enjoyable. It's what the skill should have always been (as a follow up to GW1's version). When they added the judgement's trap for DH, my immediate thought at the time was: "what about focus #4?"

Interesting skill reworks are more interesting than numerical balance changes to unimpressive skills. To see Ray of Judgement to be turned from a small, timid bouncing ball of light into an actual ray of destruction is the perfect example of that.

I hope Anet keeps doing this, even if it means changing skills one by one.

Perhaps, someday, Anet can actually rework staff to be useful in pve, and we can actually have an armored spellcaster wielding staff+ scepter/focus for those that enjoy this theme.

[Darknicrofia.2604]

@Huskyboy.1053 said:

@otto.5684 said:

@Huskyboy.1053 said:

@otto.5684 said:Well, it is still FB or mediocre. So, not much has changed. You can make a case that core guardian is on the high end of mediocre, but that’s about it.

I can't speak for ATs but Achilles took GS meditations guard to top 10 in NA.

This is now how measuring performance works. I have heard of person A taking non-viable B to top 10 million times before. This is an outlier. It means nothing. performance is based on a “bell curve,” which is an aggregate performance of large population.

On a second glance I see that he didn't make top 10, he's currently rank 31 I think with about 1650 rating. So it looks like you're correct that it's not a top-performing build, personally I haven't been able to get above 1660 with the hammer build.

That's because the hammer build isn't a top tier build either.

It's good in ranked because its relatively simple and deals straight forward damage with not too many intricate mechanics involved, but it has a skill cap.

[kasoki.5180]

I actually really like the new RoJ. Does great dps and is great for power builds. IMO really creates a new identity for focus compared to other offhands

[CMinnett.2375]

I don't hate the new Ray of Judgment, but I do miss the minor utility the old version provided. It is unquestionably a dps boost (and not an insubstantial one) and that's great. I also don't hate the animation -- kind of aesthetically pleasing, if I'm being honest, although I'm sad I lost an animation for my Binding of Ipos.

If anything, I think the change is overall a positive one. At the very least, it provides a kind of thematic clarification for guardian offhand weapons. Previously, focus was the melee, in your face, sustain-y brawling tank weapon, which always just struck me as slightly odd given that's what we expect the shield to do.

[otto.5684]

Thinking about it, if the CD of Ray of Judgement is reduced from 20 secs to 15 secs that will be more inline.

[Etheri.5406]

I like the new ray. It does a LOT of damage considering i'm running a build pretty close to arken's heal fb. It also tends to make players dodge despite not being able to avoid the damage; because most players don't recognise where the damage is coming from.

Overall I feel FB is in a fine spot; perhaps minor buffs to support fb for PvE to make it actually competitive with chrono. Buff to the quickness radius was a huge push in the right direction. To be fair even in PvE fb is pretty amazing, it's just that chrono is absolutely busted to the point there is no space for anything else to really replace it without dropping some performance.

[michelada.2947]

i dont like the change to focus 4, it used to grant regeneration and blind on enemys, now is just damage and that's it

[Sevetar.6035]

Opinion: I am astounded that so many people, devs included, are OK with Dragonhunter being such bottom-tier that groups simply won't allow one to join. Also, they build a class with a new weapon type and then make it so that the new weapon type is not viable in any content?

Overall I am disgusted that another balance patch passed with not even a subnote for Dragonhunter.

[CptAurellian.9537]

But ... but ... but guardian is in a good spot!

[Bramymond.7689]

sometimes, when playing the twilight oasis fractal and i see all these longbow npc´s using the dragonhunter animations, i stop and contemplate.. "why isnt my bow that strong?"Appart from that i think guardian is relatively solid in the meta as a utility heavy dps-class on DH and FB.(But seriously. compared to these guys it feels like my longbow is still in development)

[kipthelip.5802]

Looking at the top 30-50 when many are playing the minimum amount of games possible and most of the top players no longer even play the game its not a good way to decide what is good enough to play. Automated tournaments are another thing (optimally I would rather have a spell breaker or Holo) but for solo queue Core Guardian is just fine to play. Guardian is an ok spot for spvp imo. Could be better but also could be worse.

[Alex.4982]

Just adding my 2 cents to the growing pile:-Very happy with the change to focus 4-Ok with the nerfs to firebrand healing (they were necessary, but not so big that they'd ruin the spec)-Bummed to not see any buffs for DH longbow