Guardian Elite Preview

[Downstate.4697]

https://twitter.com/GuildWars2/status/1422939194377203720/photo/1

 

looks like offhand sword confirmed.

[DeanBB.4268]

You're sure that's a guardian? Not thief?

[Downstate.4697]

Just now, DeanBB.4268 said:

You're sure that's a guardian? Not thief?

He is wearing warlords heavy armour with elite spec shoulders

[Xaylin.1860]

Armor looks suspiciously similar to heavy Warlord Armor. Colorwise I'd say Thief.

[Downstate.4697]

2 minutes ago, Xaylin.1860 said:

Armor looks suspiciously similar to heavy Warlord Armor. Colorwise I'd say Thief.

When you brighten it he has blue tones and blue eyes.

[Xaylin.1860]

Yup. Still, red doesn't really add up. We haven't seen that for Guardians so far. But could easily be the additional/new tint for the e-spec. 

[Raknar.4735]

Speedy Guardian spec like Almorra?

 

 

[Jijimuge.4675]

If it is guardian (and I think it is), the stance is quite a dynamic one, so I suspect that the spec could focus on mobility....would be an interesting take. 

 

Edit: Re thief, I think Anet may embrace the double-meaning, and make the new thief spec a life-stealing spec...thus stealing life-force.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Jijimuge.4675

[Kodama.6453]

I personally think that it is a thief. The red colour doesn't match the colour schemes of guardian so far at all.

 

And thief elite spec teaser pictures always were not as drastically colour coded.

Daredevil teaser image

 

So just from comparing thief and guardian teaser images, I would lean towards this being the thief.

 

Another detail: The guardian is usually presented as a fairly bulky Norn, but this character doesn't look as heavy here. Looks more like the human thief character in my opinion.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Kodama.6453

[Raknar.4735]

9 minutes ago, Kodama.6453 said:

Another detail: The guardian is usually presented as a fairly bulky Norn, but this character doesn't look as heavy here. Looks more like the human thief character in my opinion.

 

Guardian has always been presented as a human.

Core: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Guardian_04_concept_art.png

DH: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Spec_image_Dragonhunter.jpg

FB: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Spec_image_Firebrand.jpg

[Kodama.6453]

1 minute ago, Raknar.4735 said:

 

Guardian has always been presented as a human.

Core: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Guardian_04_concept_art.png

DH: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Spec_image_Dragonhunter.jpg

FB: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/File:Spec_image_Firebrand.jpg

Sure that this is a human? The big amount of muscles always made me think this is a norn.

[Raknar.4735]

Just now, Kodama.6453 said:

Sure that this is a human? The big amount of muscles always made me think this is a norn.

 

Yes.

[Teratus.2859]

Upper armour looks more like Medium Warlords armour to me, especially the gloves.
Heavy Warlords armour has huge bracers that leave little room for the exposed arm where as medium has thick gloves that stand out from the elbow.

Pattern on the shoulder guards also looks more like the medium variant than the heavy as well... too much detail for the heavy shoulders.
Also looks like it has an exposed face which the heavy helm doesn't have but the medium does.

The lower half does look more like the heavy though.

We maybe focusing too much on the armour though, which may even be a new set that will be coming in EoD.
Looking at the first shown spec can anyone actually identify the Virtuoso's armour?
I'm looking through a gallery of female light armour but i'm not seeing anything that matches it exactly so either it's something new coming in EoD or it's simply just the artists drawing something that looks cool and thematically fits the style of the spec.

Another thing to consider is the Necromancers teased preview as well.. Necro is clearly wearing what appears to be one of the medium armour hat's and a trench coat of some sorts.. clearly medium armour which either means it's not Necro or there's something really off about it.
So here's my three theories on that one.

1. These new elite specs maybe able to swap their armour class.. something some have requested in the past.
(I vote this unlikely)

2. A feature we'll be getting with End of Dragons may be the ability to mix and match armours of various weights, something else heavily requested over the years.
(I vote this extremely unlikely on the ground of clipping issues.)

3. The artists are just having fun and going with previews that look cool instead of actually in game accurate armours etc.
(Most likely answer imo)

Factor in the Assassins origins in Cantha, Shiro Tagachi's importance and the duel swords he had and how much thief players have wanted an Assassin spec i'd say that this is far more likely to be the thief than the guardian, but who knows.

The only thing that really says Guardian to me is the idea that Almora used an offhand sword in IBS.
We have seen this before in Gw2 with Jory and the GS Necro so that does have merit.
But if you ask me the Brawler style that Braham had in the finale of ISB fits far more with one of the other spec Icons which makes me think Guard is getting a brawler spec for EoD.

That's my take anyway, I suspect thief more likely but I won't rule out Guardian entirely ^^

[Artyport.2084]

9 minutes ago, Teratus.2859 said:

Upper armour looks more like Medium Warlords armour to me, especially the gloves.
Heavy Warlords armour has huge bracers that leave little room for the exposed arm where as medium has thick gloves that stand out from the elbow.

Pattern on the shoulder guards also looks more like the medium variant than the heavy as well... too much detail for the heavy shoulders.
Also looks like it has an exposed face which the heavy helm doesn't have but the medium does.

The lower half does look more like the heavy though.

We maybe focusing too much on the armour though, which may even be a new set that will be coming in EoD.
Looking at the first shown spec can anyone actually identify the Virtuoso's armour?
I'm looking through a gallery of female light armour but i'm not seeing anything that matches it exactly so either it's something new coming in EoD or it's simply just the artists drawing something that looks cool and thematically fits the style of the spec.

Another thing to consider is the Necromancers teased preview as well.. Necro is clearly wearing what appears to be one of the medium armour hat's and a trench coat of some sorts.. clearly medium armour which either means it's not Necro or there's something really off about it.
So here's my three theories on that one.

1. These new elite specs maybe able to swap their armour class.. something some have requested in the past.
(I vote this unlikely)

2. A feature we'll be getting with End of Dragons may be the ability to mix and match armours of various weights, something else heavily requested over the years.
(I vote this extremely unlikely on the ground of clipping issues.)

3. The artists are just having fun and going with previews that look cool instead of actually in game accurate armours etc.
(Most likely answer imo)

Factor in the Assassins origins in Cantha, Shiro Tagachi's importance and the duel swords he had and how much thief players have wanted an Assassin spec i'd say that this is far more likely to be the thief than the guardian, but who knows.

The only thing that really says Guardian to me is the idea that Almora used an offhand sword in IBS.
We have seen this before in Gw2 with Jory and the GS Necro so that does have merit.
But if you ask me the Brawler style that Braham had in the finale of ISB fits far more with one of the other spec Icons which makes me think Guard is getting a brawler spec for EoD.

That's my take anyway, I suspect thief more likely but I won't rule out Guardian entirely ^^

sorry you are really wrong.. its the exact variation of heavy armor to a t.

there is no trench coat. 

it has open panes on each of its hips with a cloth between that flows. if you see the undarkened variation you can see the chest piece looks just like the heavy armor. if you look closely there are dribbles of blue dots floating away from the body.

 

its a guard

[Teratus.2859]

3 minutes ago, Artyport.2084 said:

sorry you are really wrong.. its the exact variation of heavy armor to a t.

there is no trench coat. 

it has open panes on each of its hips with a cloth between that flows. if you see the undarkened variation you can see the chest piece looks just like the heavy armor. if you look closely there are dribbles of blue dots floating away from the body.

 

its a guard

I said Trench coat was for the Necro not this spec.

I don't see the exact variation you're referring to here, the lower half does look like heavy warlords (which I did say in my post) but the upper half looks far more like the medium variant of Warlords, especially the headgear which appears to be open to see the face.
The heavy warlords armour has a full helm covering the face.

This artwork looks to me to be a mix and match of both the heavy and the medium warlords armour.
I brought the Necromancer's preview up as a means of dismissing the focus people are putting on the armour since the Necromancer's preview clearly looks like it's wearing medium armour.

Edited August 4, 2021 by Teratus.2859

[Artyport.2084]

1 minute ago, Teratus.2859 said:

I said Trench coat was for the Necro not this spec.

I don't see the exact variation you're referring to here, the lower half does look like heavy warlords (which I did say in my post) but the upper half looks far more like the medium variant of Warlords, especially the headgear which appears to be open to see the face.
The heavy warlords armour has a full helm covering the face.

there is a variation of the heavy with an open face. 

the chest is 100 percent the same if you can see the lightened version.. with the triangular downward stripes.

the chest piece for the medium variant of warloards is essentially a trench. 

 

i wear this set all the time as it looks kind of light armored. 

[Teratus.2859]

1 minute ago, Artyport.2084 said:

there is a variation of the heavy with an open face. 

the chest is 100 percent the same if you can see the lightened version.. with the triangular downward stripes.

the chest piece for the medium variant of warloards is essentially a trench. 

 

i wear this set all the time as it looks kind of light armored. 

I have no memory of an open face heavy variant, you are correct though I did manage to find it.
I was wrong on that.

That said though there is still the mystery of the other previewed silhouette which based on the Asura Race and obviously dark green theme is almost certainly the Necromancer's silhouette.. which is clearly also wearing Medium armour, something it cannot do in game.

So I would not put all my faith on this one being Guardian based largely on the armour it's wearing if we already have a silhouette strongly associated with Necromancer that is very clearly wearing the wrong armour for it's weight class.

The only serious options I would consider based on that are as I said.
The Devs are just having fun and designing art that looks cool but doesn't accurately represent the in game spec we will get.. or intentionally messing with us to breed more speculation by intentionally giving the wrong armour type to each silhouette.

Or!

A new feature of End of Dragons will be that some/all professions may be able to swap armour weight classes or mix skins from various weights together both of which have been highly requested features for years.
If this one is true (which I do think is unlikely btw) then it makes all speculation of this silhouette being Guardian based on it's armour completely irrelevant as this could now easily be a thief wearing heavy armour as well.

[Ragnarox.9601]

Its guardian, it is heavy armor with elite spec shoulders.

 

3 dots in icon means 3 virtues, thief always has 5 or more 7 I think. 

 

Its guardian offspec with rogue like things, like equiping offhand sword is turning skill 3 into something else like thief does. 

 

Guess some physical skill selfish guardian, which I like, no more support healer guardian. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by Ragnarox.9601

[Artyport.2084]

48 minutes ago, Teratus.2859 said:

I have no memory of an open face heavy variant, you are correct though I did manage to find it.
I was wrong on that.

That said though there is still the mystery of the other previewed silhouette which based on the Asura Race and obviously dark green theme is almost certainly the Necromancer's silhouette.. which is clearly also wearing Medium armour, something it cannot do in game.

So I would not put all my faith on this one being Guardian based largely on the armour it's wearing if we already have a silhouette strongly associated with Necromancer that is very clearly wearing the wrong armour for it's weight class.

The only serious options I would consider based on that are as I said.
The Devs are just having fun and designing art that looks cool but doesn't accurately represent the in game spec we will get.. or intentionally messing with us to breed more speculation by intentionally giving the wrong armour type to each silhouette.

Or!

A new feature of End of Dragons will be that some/all professions may be able to swap armour weight classes or mix skins from various weights together both of which have been highly requested features for years.
If this one is true (which I do think is unlikely btw) then it makes all speculation of this silhouette being Guardian based on it's armour completely irrelevant as this could now easily be a thief wearing heavy armour as well.

no.. the necro is wearing a spec piece of armor that looks like a cowboy hat. 

they do this with every spec.. design a piece of armor that correlates with their new style of combat. 

 

[Kodama.6453]

Strong hint for me that this is clearly not a guardian elite spec: the pose

 

Literally every single guardian artwork (core, dragonhunter and firebrand) are always facing the right side in full profile.

All 3 Guardian Artworks

The pose does not match. I am 100% sure that the artwork of the next guardian elite spec will also follow this. The pose of this new teaser image does not match, it is half profile with a twisted upper body.

 

The pose would match a thief elite spec pretty well, tho. Considering that thief has been very dynamic and varying with their poses in artworks so far, but they tend to have a twisted upper body.

 

Whatever this elite spec is, I am convinced that it is clearly not a guardian.

[Nephalem.8921]

3 hours ago, Jijimuge.4675 said:

If it is guardian (and I think it is), the stance is quite a dynamic one, so I suspect that the spec could focus on mobility....would be an interesting take. 

 

Edit: Re thief, I think Anet may embrace the double-meaning, and make the new thief spec a life-stealing spec...thus stealing life-force.

Ye because dh is a very immobile build thats slow and has no gap closers....

Oh wait no it ports all over the place and has high burst. 

I dunno if its power it will just replace dh and play probably very similar. But i expect a pvp focused boon strip thing and counter attacker like spellbreaker that doesnt really work in pve.

[Bewt.9258]

9490bWp.png (1154×1137) (imgur.com)
89y6byiaaef71.jpg (2000×2000) (redd.it)
Y'all still think this is not a Guardian?
It's obviously the next Guard elite spec...

Edited August 4, 2021 by Bailios.7518

[Exile.8160]

9 minutes ago, Nephalem.8921 said:

Ye because dh is a very immobile build thats slow and has no gap closers....

Oh wait no it ports all over the place and has high burst. 

I dunno if its power it will just replace dh and play probably very similar. But i expect a pvp focused boon strip thing and counter attacker like spellbreaker that doesnt really work in pve.

What teleport does DH have that core doesnt? They have a leap (f2) on a long cooldown and 11k hp and low cleansing is a good trade for being having burst dmg amyways. 

 

This new class looks like a close range fighter which is nothing like a DH cuz u know longbow is a thing on DH.

[Nephalem.8921]

29 minutes ago, Exile.8160 said:

What teleport does DH have that core doesnt? They have a leap (f2) on a long cooldown and 11k hp and low cleansing is a good trade for being having burst dmg amyways. 

 

This new class looks like a close range fighter which is nothing like a DH cuz u know longbow is a thing on DH.

Thats the problem. Core guard has a lot of mobility with gs and sword and even utilities. Adding more of them would make it more mobile than thief. You dont have to use longbow on dh. Traps are melee range.

I just wonder how they make this feel different from gs sw/f dh. But hey virtuoso is just core mesmer without clones so there is that.

[quaniesan.8497]

 Has to be guardian.  That checked all the boxes.    The armors can't be any of the medium armor classes.