Fixing Weaver Sustain

[Tempest.8479]

With the new balance patch preview finally acknowledging that Weavers have a sustain problem in PvE but only compensating with a tiny bit more barrier on dual skills, I've been thinking of ways to solve the problem long term without breaking the flow of the class or becoming too oppressive. How would you feel if they released a balance patch and the Weaver section looked something like this?

 

Weaver

• Elemental Polyphony: This trait has been moved to the master minor slot. Attribute bonuses have been reduced from 120 to 80.
• Elemental Refreshment: This trait has been moved to the grandmaster minor slot. This trait now additionally heals for 10% of critical damage in PvE (5% in PvP and WvW).

 

I feel a change like this would reward active gameplay with better sustain in the form of heal on crit like a Thief, while still allowing for counterplay via aegis, blocks, interrupts, and evade to deprive a Weaver of those heals. In this hypothetical situation it would be packaged with a slight shave on the bonuses from elemental polyphony, but I don't think it would make that big a difference on overall DPS potential. If anything, those numbers could be bumped up or compensated for by pushing the crit chance bonus on Superior Elements up to 12 or even back to 15% in PvE.

 

What do you think? Would these changes not be enough? Too much? Does anyone have any other suggestions to improve Weaver sustain without letting it become unkillable? Let's discuss.

[Infusion.7149]

Not sure but the biggest problem with power weaver is lack of self might on the meta fire build (as opposed to arcane+air) and being at the mercy of your quickness/alacrity. Tempest doesn't have that issue as much as far as might goes; tempests have a hitbox problem in that against small hitboxes the RNG kills DPS.

Hardstuck build for weaver has marauder gear and stone resonance as a utility for "flexible" rather than optimized (max damage) actually I noticed:
https://hardstuck.gg/gw2/builds/elementalist/power-dps-weaver-r8/ has marauder trinkets , back, and rings and master's fortitude trait
https://hardstuck.gg/gw2/builds/elementalist/power-dps-weaver-r1/  has marauder armor and master's fortitude trait  (fractal build)

You'll note neither run Superior Elements. For me personally I would not run either of those except in low pressure situations like KC with a hefty +35% power bonus ; I'd rather run tempest on something like CA with a massive hitbox while also bringing "Rebound" and on easier bosses such as Gorseval condi tempest does more DPS on average than power weaver while not having the disadvantages.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Infusion.7149

[Jski.6180]

Fix core ele sustain would go a long way to fixing weaver and tempest sustain. That the kind of messed up thing with the coming balance patch weaver already more tankly then core ele and tempest yet its getting more sustain buffs. There no good reason why core ele and tempest are more glassly then weaver.

 

But for just weaver and weaver alone the timing on Elemental Refreshment needs to be the moment of the skill start or just as the skill hits its full cast not a bit after like it is.

[Paradoxoglanis.1904]

Ele traits just need to be completely reworked. The attunement focused traitlines are very outdated and most of eles traits and utilities are very weak compared to other classes. The only thing keeping ele alive in pvp is weavers ability to chain evades and cc, and aura sharing on tempest. And in pve you are 100% dependent on supports to carry you.

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

It's okai changes, from a "bugfix" update.

But it's only Pve, only weaver. Hope they've understood the issue on elem and make more changes in future.