Elite Spec Predictions

[Suyheuti.1732]

I hope Anet doesnt take you guys serious and warriors will not be wielded staff. Warrior is not magician & wizard. Warrior is warrior, I dont want to describe dictionary meaning. Wielding staff is against warrior's nature. Anet, please dont. 

[Puck.3697]

6 hours ago, Suyheuti.1732 said:

I hope Anet doesnt take you guys serious and warriors will not be wielded staff. Warrior is not magician & wizard. Warrior is warrior, I dont want to describe dictionary meaning. Wielding staff is against warrior's nature. Anet, please dont. 

 

no ones talking about a magical staff... do u consider Daredevil (thief specc) a Magical Class. that wields a Staff, its used a Melee 2 handed weapon. wielding a staff doesn have to be magical.. it seems pretty shortsighted to pressume as much.

 

Bo Staffs are generally Not magical and used as Physical Weapons.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Daddy.8125

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

On 5/4/2021 at 6:29 PM, Loboling.5293 said:

I'm going to predict the elite specs for future reference:
 

• Warrior -> Martial Artist (Staff, physical damage, condi cleanse support/healer)
• Guardian -> Bulwalk (Offhand mace, melee bruiser, core guardian 2.0, selfish but almost impossible to take down)
• Revenant -> Wraith (2 handed greatsword, invuln, stealth, selfish dps)
• Thief -> Ninja (2 handed greatsword, direct damage, very high damage, shurikens)
• Engineer -> Golemancer (main hand mace, summons various golems, can protect itself inside elite golem)
• Ranger -> BeastMaster (off hand sword, summons, in-combat mount skill, high damage)
• Elementalist -> Metalknight (Greatsword, enhances self with short term buffs, frost armor, flame strikes, high health, long attunement cooldowns)
• Necromancer -> Voodoo (Bow, high condi damage, applies long lasting debuffs that eventually burst into condies, "curses")
• Mesmer -> Bard (short impactful temporary buffs, utility)
  
  This is my own assumptions, not spoilers, although we shall see... 😜 
  
  Looking forward to the info dump coming up. Even though I'm still unsure of the future of the game, I'm kind of excited to see what they present.

I'll share my opinion about the elite specs for the professions I'm familiar with🙂 

 

Warrior:

(1) Not sure how the same elite spec can focus on physical damage and support/healing simultaneously. The warrior already has a lot of physical damage, so what would be lacking would be basically healing, but idk, the concept of a warrior healer doesn't really make sense to me. Of course I understand if anet and players want each profession to be able to "do it all". There are players who prefer to play just 1 profession and still be able to play different game modes and have good and versatile builds for each game mode, or most game modes.

(2) I do like the idea of a martial art elite spec using the staff, but maybe with a one-word name, like the ones we have so far (Berserker, Spellbreaker, Dragonhunter, Soulbeast, etc.) 

 

Guardian:

(1) A core guardian 2.0 doesn't sound like the type of elite specs anet and players want in GW2. An elite spec is supposed to bring something new and fresh to the profession, keeping it's theme and identity but changing it a bit. A core guardian 2.0 feels like a core guardian to me, nothing new.

 

Ranger:

(1) I think it's pretty unlikely that the 3rd elite spec for Ranger is called Beastmaster, since we already got the Soulbeast - doesn't make sense to have another "beast" elite spec. 

(2) So the Ranger would be able to mount while in combat, while the other professions wouldn't? Seems unfair and unrealistic, no?

(3) I'm not sure about an off-hand sword, it doesn't feel.. new? I think other weapons are more likely to be added, just because they feel different from what we already have for Ranger. Personally I'd like to see the scepter (main-hand), shield (off-hand), or focus (off-hand). I think these weapons fit the profession and would be an interesting addition to it. 

 

Engineer:

(1) I honestly don't see how golems fit the Canthan lore (is there a large and influential asuran community in Cantha?) or the other races besides asura. I really hope this isn't the elite spec we'll see, because golemancy feels very asuran-specific to me. 

[Grand Marshal.4098]

1 hour ago, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

I'll share my opinion about the elite specs for the professions I'm familiar with🙂 

 

Warrior:

(1) Not sure how the same elite spec can focus on physical damage and support/healing simultaneously. The warrior already has a lot of physical damage, so what would be lacking would be basically healing, but idk, the concept of a warrior healer doesn't really make sense to me. Of course I understand if anet and players want each profession to be able to "do it all". There are players who prefer to play just 1 profession and still be able to play different game modes and have good and versatile builds for each game mode, or most game modes.

(2) I do like the idea of a martial art elite spec using the staff, but maybe with a one-word name, like the ones we have so far (Berserker, Spellbreaker, Dragonhunter, Soulbeast, etc.) 

 

 

A 🥁🥁🥁 Demonslayer !!!!

 

For real though, I had this idea of a staff wielding warrior who has selfish skills for 1v1 combat (dueling) , however one the traitlines is dedicated to support and converts those selfish skills into shared buffs. That plus a new mechanic on Adrenaline (using the core part of it howver without many alterations) which will boost allies based on adrenaline levels , or special bursts, again modified by the traitline in the spec.

 

A support line, a dmg line and selifh/personal sustain/buff line. 

 

Perfect spec in my mind.

[Puck.3697]

9 hours ago, TheLadyOfTheRings.9148 said:

Ranger:

(1) I think it's pretty unlikely that the 3rd elite spec for Ranger is called Beastmaster, since we already got the Soulbeast - doesn't make sense to have another "beast" elite spec. 

(2) So the Ranger would be able to mount while in combat, while the other professions wouldn't? Seems unfair and unrealistic, no?

(3) I'm not sure about an off-hand sword, it doesn't feel.. new? I think other weapons are more likely to be added, just because they feel different from what we already have for Ranger. Personally I'd like to see the scepter (main-hand), shield (off-hand), or focus (off-hand). I think these weapons fit the profession and would be an interesting addition to it. 

 

agreed. i cant see Beastmaster happening either.. mainly because Multiple pets is either gonna be entirely passive and very boring with weird AIs... or your gonna have stacks of pet bars.. and its gonna be clunky AF.

 

Ranger could go multiple ways tbh i question if a Ranger more focused on Pets would start feeling like core.. or maybe replace Cores Strength.

 

I'd personally like to see Ranger get hammer.. Natures Warden highly built on Channeling the Aspects of Nature into Magical Attacks. with attacks like Tornados, Earthquakes, Interupts being Water effects.

 

 

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

7 hours ago, Daddy.8125 said:

 

Ranger could go multiple ways tbh i question if a Ranger more focused on Pets would start feeling like core.. or maybe replace Cores Strength.

 

I'd personally like to see Ranger get hammer.. Natures Warden highly built on Channeling the Aspects of Nature into Magical Attacks. with attacks like Tornados, Earthquakes, Interupts being Water effects.

 

 

I agree. I think the Ranger has a variety of cool options that anet could implement for next elite specs (or the next elite spec, in case we'll only get 1 more).

 

I see a lot of people want the hammer for Ranger, but I never understood why. They keep referring to a bunny thumper (?); was that a thing in GW1? 😄

 
I personally would like to see a camouflage & stealth elite spec., being able to provide stealth for the Ranger as well as their allies. For the new weapon I imagine a shield (and the image I see in my mind is the Ranger hiding behind the camouflaged shield). And it's funny because for this idea I actually envisioned the nature elements influencing the elite spec. (like you mentioned the elements), for example, in snowy terrains the camouflage skills would change, vs in sand terrains or forest, etc. So basically, instead of the pet archetype, we would have a "terrain archetype" or something like that, really having the Ranger adapt to different environments 🙂 

 

   

Edited May 27, 2021 by TheLadyOfTheRings.9148

[Gigawatt.7850]

On 5/4/2021 at 12:29 PM, Loboling.5293 said:

Ranger -> BeastMaster (off hand sword, summons, in-combat mount skill, high damage)

 

I'm kinda hoping for a Shaman class. 

[Puck.3697]

13 hours ago, Gigawatt.7850 said:

 

I'm kinda hoping for a Shaman class. 

 

Me too, I don't think ranger will rly get a beastmaster. Mainly because AI is generally just bad. And speccs surrounding that sorta stuff never lift well. 

 

Also it'd cause core ranger to nerfed far too hard. How would u balance sic'em to be balanced buffing several pets simultaniously to core ranger with 1. 

 

Imho beastmaster would obliterate core ranger to exist. So I hope Anet wouldn't do it.

[Bomboed.5697]

• At first, I want new weapon types to be added:
•  
  • Two-Handed Greataxe
  • Two-Handed Heavy Crossbow
  • Two-Handed Tome (aka flying magical book)

 

Secondly, I want each profession get 1 new core weapon, as well as 1 new Elite Spec:

Elementalist:
New Core weapon: Tome.  1200 range weapon with ground-target abilities like Nercro staff`s Marks.
New Elite weapon: Dual Pistols.  900 range weapon with a lot of skills with Ammo mechanic like Warrior`s rifle.
Elite Spec: Spellslinger. New spells: mantras. New mechanic: probably fifth Arcane Attunement


Warrior:
New Core weapon: Staff. Melee Control Aoe weapon with a lot of cripple and slow.
New Elite weapon: Heavy Crossbow. 1200 range weapon. Harpoon themed attacks. A lot of control.
Elite Spec: Giantslayer. New spells: Preparations. New mechanic: don't know.

 

Ranger:
New Core weapon: Greataxe. Melee AoE Condi weapon with bleeds.
New Elite weapon: Hammer
Elite Spec: Earthguard. New spells: Wells. Stone and Earth theme, tanky spec with a lot of control

Necro:
New Core weapon: Shield. Just some more self-defence.
New Elite weapon: 1200 range weapon that swarms enemies with insects.
Elite Spec: Swarmer. Insect themed. New spells: Banners (Hives)
 

Guardian:
New Core weapon: off-hand Scepter. I just want a double scepter madness.
New Elite weapon: Greataxe. 900 range weapon. Water themed wave attacks.
Elite Spec: Riverlord. New mechanic: watery clones. New spells: clones.

Thief:
New Core weapon: off-hand mace - come more CC.
New Elite weapon: Double Axes. 900 range weapon.
Elite Spec: Marauder. Less stealth, more brutal combat. New skills: Rage

 

Engineer:
Rifle - reworked into 300/600 range shotgun "melee weapon"
New Core weapon: Heavy Crossbow. 1200 heavy hitting power weapon with explosive bolt and some fire conditions.
New Elite weapon: Staff. 1200 electricity based weapon, a lot of torment and confusion conditions.
Elite spec: Machinist. All attacks builds-up Pressure like Necro`s life force. F5 calls down a mech-suit with melee aoe attacks and rocket-jumps, that deals different conditions with different attacks and drains Pressure over time. Pressure acts like a second health bar. New spells: Devices (trap).

Mesmer:
New Core weapon: Hammer - melee confusion/torment weapon
New Elite weapon: Tome. 900 range power weapon that create imaginary weapons to throw and attacks enemies.
Elite Spec: Architect. Create illusions of object (see Green Lantern). New Spells: Constructs (see Guardian Spirit Weapons). New mechanic: don't know.

Revenant: don't know. But proper 1200 range weapon would be good.

[Mik.3401]

I’ll throw in my predictions just to see if I was even remotely right once the specs are released:

 

Warrior - Weapon Master: gets staff, monk-style class (not like GW1 monk) with a lot of evades - maybe 3 dodges? I think high speed warrior build is what’s missing

 

Guardian - Chanter: gets OH mace and ability to summon protective spirits (kind of lie GW1 ritualist). The spirits could replace the virtues.

 

Revenant - Marshall: gets greatsword - pure power-based spec

Ranger - Shapeshifter - gets scepter - able to turn into his/her pet with some extra bonuses, able to cast some spells maybe with cantrips 

 

Thief - Executor : gets MH Axe and some defenses to mimic more tanky out of stealth play. I think thief needs some more direct combat option, daredevil does it in a way but in more dodge based fashion which some people may not enjoy.

 

Engineer - Genius : gets staff and ability to charge it with electric attacks, gets stances maybe to load the attacks with extra effects

 

Elementalist - Acolyte : gets mace, uses only two attunements - those for which it has specialised in traits (e.g. if you take speialisations: acolyte (elite) air, water then you can use air and water attunement only). This ele will be able to use switch the weapon skill bar within an attunement for another set of skills. So effectively it will have 10 weapon skills for each attunement with ability to use 2 attunements only.

 

Necromancer - Undead Lord : gets Hammer, gets an ability to charge additional skills/effects on controller minions, looses shroud. I think it would introduce a MM build which would be less annoying with only 1 health bar available.

 

Mesmer - Enchanter : gets shortbow , the new shatter skills apply much less damage (like 90% less even) and instead apply fear, taunt, weakness or confusion. The utility skills could be based around these effects as well and also stuns and dazes. This would make them supper strong in control department but not much in dps.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Mik.3401

[Kodama.6453]

37 minutes ago, Mik.3401 said:

Engineer - Genius : gets staff and ability to charge it with electric attacks, gets stances maybe to load the attacks with extra effects

I don't get why so many people predict a weapon which utilises electricity for engineer. Hammer was already extremely electricity focused with 4 out of 5 skills having an electrical theme (the only one which didn't have it was rocket charge, which they just basically were forced to keep when reworking scrapper during development, since this skill already got shown to the players in the announcement).

 

Something else like having a theme around chemicals, explosives, or other stuff would be way more interesting than getting another electrical weapon.

[Mik.3401]

40 minutes ago, Kodama.6453 said:

I don't get why so many people predict a weapon which utilises electricity for engineer. Hammer was already extremely electricity focused with 4 out of 5 skills having an electrical theme (the only one which didn't have it was rocket charge, which they just basically were forced to keep when reworking scrapper during development, since this skill already got shown to the players in the announcement).

 

Something else like having a theme around chemicals, explosives, or other stuff would be way more interesting than getting another electrical weapon.

Good point - swich electricity with fire/Acid then the concept i think would be pretty much the same. I think electricity is a common prediction because engineering is all about building electrical systems in common understanding. But it’s true it can be also about chemistry or fire engines.

Edited June 9, 2021 by Mik.3401

[ThrakathNar.4537]

1 hour ago, Mik.3401 said:

Good point - swich electricity with fire/Acid then the concept i think would be pretty much the same. I think electricity is a common prediction because engineering is all about building electrical systems in common understanding. But it’s true it can be also about chemistry or fire engines.

 Fire would be much more fitting for torch, and alchemy would probably be more appropriate for short bow (alchemical arrows).

If you want to make staff fit, you'd be much better giving it a sound theme, sort of like the Dredge Resonators.

 

As for utility skills, an alchemical spec would probably be best suited to get either Venom or Corruption skills instead of Stances. Fire themed (which I also think wouldn't be a good idea, because it overlaps slightly with holosmith's idea of sun and lasers) would be much more fitting to get Preparations.

[Grand Marshal.4098]

2 minutes ago, ThrakathNar.4537 said:

 Fire would be much more fitting for torch, and alchemy would probably be more appropriate for short bow (alchemical arrows).

If you want to make staff fit, you'd be much better giving it a sound theme, sort of like the Dredge Resonators.

 

As for utility skills, an alchemical spec would probably be best suited to get either Venom or Corruption skills instead of Stances. Fire themed (which I also think wouldn't be a good idea, because it overlaps slightly with holosmith's idea of sun and lasers) would be much more fitting to get Preparations.

Tbh doesn't Holo kinda touch on a fire theme already? Forge attacks can inflict burning and so can the forge if customized.

[ThrakathNar.4537]

1 minute ago, Grand Marshal.4098 said:

Tbh doesn't Holo kinda touch on a fire theme already? Forge attacks can inflict burning and so can the forge if customized.

Read the thing in brackets in the second paragraph.

 

But yes, yes it does.

Edited June 9, 2021 by ThrakathNar.4537

[Kodama.6453]

19 minutes ago, ThrakathNar.4537 said:

 Fire would be much more fitting for torch, and alchemy would probably be more appropriate for short bow (alchemical arrows).

If you want to make staff fit, you'd be much better giving it a sound theme, sort of like the Dredge Resonators.

 

As for utility skills, an alchemical spec would probably be best suited to get either Venom or Corruption skills instead of Stances. Fire themed (which I also think wouldn't be a good idea, because it overlaps slightly with holosmith's idea of sun and lasers) would be much more fitting to get Preparations.

You can do way more stuff.

You just need to have some imagination.

 

For example, an alchemy theme can easily fit a staff. Just make it a device to spread fumes and gases, for example.

 

Same for utility skills. For example, preparations could be devices you install on the battlefield to spread chemicals on command.

You can easily make different themes fit different weapons or utility skill types.

[Lighter.5631]

since when ninja uses greatsword?

[ThrakathNar.4537]

2 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

You can do way more stuff.

You just need to have some imagination.

 

For example, an alchemy theme can easily fit a staff. Just make it a device to spread fumes and gases, for example.

 

Same for utility skills. For example, preparations could be devices you install on the battlefield to spread chemicals on command.

You can easily make different themes fit different weapons or utility skill types.

It's not that any weapon theoretically couldn't do anything (after all, throwing hammers exist) it's just that I feel some stuff fits better than others. With the glaring exception of revenant, most weapon and utility skills generally seem like fairly obvious interpretations of the underlying concepts. For alchemy, Venoms feel more likely as something A-Net would give than Preparations, because there's such a strong thematic tie between alchemical concotions and the animal liquids used for enhancement.

 

Although I will admit, staff does have a lot of very obvious potential associations with alchemy.

[Bomboed.5697]

6 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

I don't get why so many people predict a weapon which utilises electricity for engineer. Hammer was already extremely electricity focused with 4 out of 5 skills having an electrical theme (the only one which didn't have it was rocket charge, which they just basically were forced to keep when reworking scrapper during development, since this skill already got shown to the players in the announcement).

 

Something else like having a theme around chemicals, explosives, or other stuff would be way more interesting than getting another electrical weapon.

Core engi already covers chemicals with Alchemy line and Elixir gun.

All I want is Bomb Kit to be reworked into 1200 range rocket launcher with direct targeting, not ground targeting like Mortar.

[Kodama.6453]

Just now, Bomboed.5697 said:

Core engi already covers chemicals with Alchemy line and Elixir gun.

All I want is Bomb Kit to be reworked into 1200 range rocket launcher with direct targeting, not ground targeting like Mortar.

They can still evolve that thematic further, tho.

Especially since they removed most of the aggressive usages of the alchemy trait line, it is completely supportive now.

 

You can see many elite specs as evolutions of core concepts already.

Soulbeasts is basically taking the beast mastery line further.

Reaper is an thematically improved version of soul reaping.

Daredevil is basically improved acrobatics thematically.

 

You get the idea. They could easily come up with something like a plaguedoctor elite spec for engineer with a theme about acids/poisons/etc.

[JekthAvid.1408]

On 5/7/2021 at 12:10 PM, Kodama.6453 said:

Tbh, it seems a bit unlikely to make a "standard bearer" elite spec and then give it pistols as weapons.

If you think about which weapon would thematically be appropriate for a standard bearer, then staff would make way more sense, don't you think?

Less standard bearer and more officer, then

[firedragon.8953]

Quote

Warrior -> Martial Artist (Staff, physical damage, condi cleanse support/healer)

I feel this may feel similar to Spellbreaker with tactics line.

However, an elite spec that focuses on control and damage absorption, a juggernaut if you will, which could synergize well with current warrior shouts/banners/might healing trait lines. Instead of building adrenaline for dealing damage you build another energy (fortitude?) based on damage taken. Have an elite skill where you can taunt players/mobs to start attacking you, and they stay locked on you for a few seconds. Activating this elite skill will make it so you convert all damage directly into fortitude for a limited time, essentially making yourself impervious. You have 2 burst skills (similar to how Spellbreaker is setup) that you can choose from once your adrenaline/fortitude meter gets full. You only have 2 seconds to release either a large AOE burst heal with protection boon or large AOE burst damage with a launch CC (or different effects based on equipped main-hand weapon). Burst skills also generate a light field. If you fail to burst when the meter is full you will loose the charge and your defense will drop to normal (all incoming attacks will cause normal damage) and you will be unable to charge your meter for the next 5 seconds when taking normal damage.

 

The additional weapon could be offhand focus. I would like one skill to be a teleport/rush to enemy (1200 range) and daze a single target with the other skill giving alacrity and quickness boons. 

I'm also down with pistols or some kind of good damage-based ranged playstyle. 

Whatever warrior gets just want something that feels quite different than what warrior has now with current elites (counter, banner, condition, damage). Let us soak up the pain and have a different mechanic than adrenaline. I'd even be down with self-sacrifice skill that inflicts % of hp pool damage and bleeding to instantly charge fortitude bar (like fury signet for adrenaline). The Guardian prevents pain, warrior welcomes it...blah blah blah. 

Edited June 22, 2021 by firedragon.8953

[Lazze.9870]

As long as ranger doesn't get a rifle and/or an AI heavy spec, I'm happy enough. Happier if it's wvw friendly. By that I mean more than just roaming and smallscale, obviously.

 

Warden with a hammer, CC and direct damage. Or some Nature Magic shenanigans, scepter+focus, if they'd allow that. I'd prefer it to be completely petless.

Edited June 22, 2021 by Lazze.9870

[Kodama.6453]

1 hour ago, Lazze.9870 said:

As long as ranger doesn't get a rifle and/or an AI heavy spec, I'm happy enough. Happier if it's wvw friendly. By that I mean more than just roaming and smallscale, obviously.

 

Warden with a hammer, CC and direct damage. Or some Nature Magic shenanigans, scepter+focus, if they'd allow that. I'd prefer it to be completely petless.

I don't think they will give 2 different weapons types (like scepter+focus) to an elite spec. Personally would like to see ranger with hammer, but my best friend mains ranger and wants scepter, so I also kinda hope it is a scepter for them.

 

Completely peerless is probably not going to happen, tho. Too many traits and skills interact or straight up rely on the pet, so I think soulbeasts is the most "petless" ranger spec we will ever see.

[Lazze.9870]

2 hours ago, Kodama.6453 said:

I don't think they will give 2 different weapons types (like scepter+focus) to an elite spec. Personally would like to see ranger with hammer, but my best friend mains ranger and wants scepter, so I also kinda hope it is a scepter for them.

 

Completely peerless is probably not going to happen, tho. Too many traits and skills interact or straight up rely on the pet, so I think soulbeasts is the most "petless" ranger spec we will ever see.

 

I don't think so either, but either just scepter or focus sounds very limiting. And considering mainhand dagger SHOULD have been a core ranger weapon to begin, I think it's only fair to push the boundary a bit this time.

 

I don't think any spec it's gonna be completely petless either, but that's not because it relies on a pet for skills and traits (it doesn't, the traits and skills only has to work with the ranger the same way they do with a merged soulbeast, and it has to thematically make sense).

 

Regardless, it's what I want. Just get rid of it completely. A spec with no AI nonsense. Playing permamerged as soulbeast isn't the same (nor is it effective in pvp/wvw roaming) as getting an entire new mechanic.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2021 by Lazze.9870