April 15 Balance Update Preview

Hi, everyone, Welcome to the preview for the April 15 balance update! This update will largely be a tuning update with a couple of functional changes. As always, the goal of previewing these changes is to gather your feedback before the live release. We'll be following the conversation and making further adjustments as needed. Thanks, Taylor "Trig" Brooks Competitive Designer General The main goals of this update are to bring some specializations in PvE up closer to their contemporaries and to further lower boon application in WvW; specifically quickness. Unlike alacrity, quickness is a boon we want to exist in WvW, just with more intentional applications. This update, we will be lowering quickness durations or changing applications we feel are too frequent. Relic of Fireworks: Fixed an issue that prevented this relic from triggering with certain multipart skills, such as warrior greatsword's Rush. Elementalist Hammer skills are getting a boost in PvE, targeted at bumping up the effectiveness of hammer catalysts. Power-based weavers in PvE will also receive increased stats from Elemental Polyphony for more damage and potentially a bit more survivability. We're also making some tweaks to weaver in competitive modes with increased condition variety and more burst damage on Flame Uprising. Flame Uprising: Increased the burning stacks from 1 to 2 and reduced the burning duration form 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW. Polaric Leap: This skill now inflicts weakness in addition to its previous effects. Molten End: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.4 in PvE only. Rain of Blows: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.5 to 0.6 in PvE only. Crashing Font: Increased the power coefficient from 1.25 to 1.7 in PvE only. Cleansing Typhoon: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds and increased the power coefficient from 1.5 to 2.0 in PvE only. Shock Blast: Increased the explosion power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.75 in PvE only. Ground Pound: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.4 in PvE only. Weaver Natural Frenzy: This skill now inflicts cripple instead of vulnerability. Elemental Polyphony: Increased the stat bonuses from 120 to 200 in PvE only. Catalyst Deploy Jade Sphere (Air): This skill now applies fury instead of quickness in WvW only. Spectacular Sphere: This trait now causes Air Sphere to grant quickness instead of fury in WvW only. Engineer Power-based mechanists have fallen behind the pack, and so they're seeing a damage increase with a bigger boost to ranged rifle variants. As engineer has been a commanding force in WvW as of late, we're making downward adjustments to support-focused scrapper and damage-focused holosmith builds to bring them more in line. Mechs are losing survivability in WvW to address strategies focused on target capping in large-scale fights. Holosmith is getting more sustainability improvements in PvP through Super Elixir, Hard Light Arena, and Heat Therapy. Conduit Surge: Reduced the burning stacks from 3 to 2 in PvE only. Essence of Animated Sand: Reduced the initial might stacks from 2 to 1 and the chain-reaction might stacks from 3 to 2 WvW only. Super Elixir: Increased the initial impact's base healing from 700 to 900 and the pulse healing from 204 to 260 in PvE and PvP. Acid Bomb: Reduced the initial power coefficient from 1.35 to 1.0 in WvW only. Flame Jet: Reduced the power coefficient per strike from 0.2 to 0.15 in WvW only. Rifle Burst: Increased the rifle power coefficient from 0.45 to 0.6 and the grenade power coefficient from 0.6 to 0.8 in PvE only. Blunderbuss: Increased the minimum power coefficient from 1.1 to 1.75 and increased the maximum power coefficient from 1.76 to 2.2 in PvE only. Jump Shot: Reduced the landing power coefficient from 1.74 to 1.45 in WvW only. Scrapper Kinetic Accelerators: Reduced the might stacks from 3 to 2 in WvW only. Holosmith Corona Burst: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.96 to 0.8 in WvW only. Hard Light Arena: Reduced the cooldown from 45 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE and PvP. Prime Light Beam: Reduced the field power coefficient from 0.5 to 0.4 in WvW only. Heat Therapy: Increased the base healing from 34 to 39 in PvP only. Mechanist Jade Energy Shot: Increased the power coefficient from 0.35 to 0.42 in PvE only. Force Signet: Increased the passive strike damage increase from 10% to 15% in PvE only. Reduced jade mech stat inheritance by 50% for toughness and vitality and by 20% for all other stats in WvW only. Guardian This round of PvP firebrand updates is focused on lowering the duration of tome dormancy to increase potential synergy with the Virtues trait line. The fifth pistol skill, Jurisdiction, is also receiving a functional rework to improve its useability. Its casting time will now be constant, and it no longer has to be reactivated to get full value from it. Jurisdiction: This skill's functionality has been reworked. This skill can no longer be reactivated and now fires at a constant rate of 0.85 seconds. This skill's projectile now always hits the first target struck and its radius is always 180. This skill now stuns enemies instead of knocking them back. Increased the burning stacks from 3 to 5 in PvE only. Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP and WvW. Firebrand Tome of Justice: Reduced the dormant duration from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE and PvP. Tome of Resolve: Reduced the dormant duration from 50 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE and PvP. Tome of Courage: Reduced the dormant duration from 75 seconds to 45 seconds in PvE and PvP. Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvP only. Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvP only. Overwhelming Celerity: Reduced the quickness duration from 4 seconds to 2.5 seconds in WvW only. Stalwart Speed: Increased the quickness duration from 1 second to 1.5 seconds and increased the internal cooldown from 7 seconds to 14 seconds in WvW only. Willbender Tyrant's Momentum: Reduced the condition damage bonus from 5% to 4% in PvE only. Mesmer In PvE, power-based chronomancer's phantasm damage will be more potent, and greatsword is also seeing damage increases to potentially become a more appealing option. We're also tweaking how Illusionary Membrane functions so that it is easier to play around for condition-focused builds. Illusionary Membrane: This trait no longer causes chaos auras to increase condition damage and now grants a bonus to condition damage when you gain chaos aura, similar to Tempestuous Aria. Mirror Blade: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only. Phantasmal Berserker: Increased the phantasm power coefficient per hit from 0.23 to 0.3. Chronomancer Chronophantasma: Increased the phantasm damage modifier from 100% to 115% in PvE only. Seize the Moment: Reduced the shatter quickness duration from 0.75 seconds to 0.5 seconds and the phantasm quickness duration from 1 second to 0.75 seconds in WvW only. Virtuoso Phantasmal Blades: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.7 to 0.575 in PvE only. Necromancer Necromancer has been performing well recently in all game modes. Power-based reaper and core necromancer builds based on the Terror grandmaster trait could be improved in PvP, so they're receiving a sustainability bump as well as a reduction in the cooldown of Spectral Ring to increase their killing potential. Grasping Darkness can be a frustrating skill to get hit by, especially in large WvW fights where its visual effect might have low visibility. This skill will now have an additional telegraph effect, similar to warrior staff's Snap Pull, for enemies only. Grasping Darkness: This skill now displays a warning telegraph to enemies only when used. Reduced the number of targets from 5 to 3 in WvW only. Consume Conditions: Reduced the casting time by 0.2 seconds. Increased the base healing from 5,240 to 6,840. Spectral Grasp: Reduced the range from 1,200 to 600. Spectral Ring: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE and from 40 seconds to 35 seconds in WvW and PvP. Reaper Soul Eater: Increased the healing from 5% to 10% in PvP only. Ranger A handful of ranger traits are being updated to have unique interactions with some pet families. These traits will all have an effect specifically for those pet families as well as a generic effect for the player or any pet. As a note, the family-specific portions of these traits do not interact with soulbeast's Beastmode. Wolf's Onslaught: Reduced the power coefficient per strike from 1.5 to 1.25 and reduced the follow-up power coefficient from 3.0 to 2.5 in PvE only. Falcon's Stoop: Reduced the power coefficient from 2.2 to 1.95 in PvE only. Warclaw's Engage: Reduced the power coefficient from 3.0 to 2.75 in PvE only. Predator's Ambush: Reduced the power coefficient from 4.0 to 3.67 in PvE only. Stoneform: This trait now grants might and fury when activating a signet in addition to its previous effects. Wolfsong: This trait replaces Brutal Seals in Marksmanship. Canine pet Beast skills additionally inflict vulnerability and reveal enemies struck. Deal increased damage to vulnerable enemies. Fang and Claw: This trait replaces Spotter in Skirmishing. Feline, bird, and drake pets gain additional critical strike chance and critical strike damage. Grant fury to nearby allies when you use Beast skill. Arachanophobia: This trait replaces Taste for Danger in Wilderness Survival. Spider pet's Spit and devourer pet's Twin Darts additionally inflict torment. You and your pet gain expertise. Allies' Aid: This trait now causes moa pet Beast skills to apply barrier to nearby allies in addition to its previous effect. Beastly Warden: This trait now grants ursine and porcine pets increased health and strike damage in addition to its previous effect. Revenant Power-based renegade and vindicator will both have increased damage in PvE, and Roiling Mists is getting a healing component to boost power-based revenants in PvP specifically. Short bow and Legendary Renegade Stance are being improved to increase their viability in competitive modes. Bloodbane Path: Increased power coefficient per strike from 0.45 to 0.5 in PvP and WvW. Spiritcrush: Increased the power coefficient of the initial pulse from 0.5 to 1.25. Reduced the power coefficient of subsequent pulses from 0.5 to 0.25. The total damage of the skill is unchanged. Charged Mists: Increased energy gain from 15 to 20 in PvP only. Roiling Mists: This trait now converts a percentage of your outgoing critical strike damage into healing in addition to its previous effect. Herald Burst of Strength: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 1.0 to 1.2 in PvP and WvW. Renegade Lasting Legacy: Increased the strike damage bonus from 3% to 5% in PvE only. Breakrazor's Bastion: Increased the base barrier when enhanced from 1,960 to 2,440. Razorclaw's Rage: Increased the power coefficient from 1.07 to 1.5 in PvP and WvW. Darkrazor's Daring: This skill now grants stability to allies instead of protection. When enhanced, this skill now grants protection to allies in addition to resistance. Soulcleave's Summit: Increased the healing when using another Legendary Renegade skill from 1,199 to 1,439. Vindicator Forerunner of Death: Increased the power coefficient of Death Drop from 3.75 to 4.65 in PvE only. Thief Thief is seeing various small improvements to build components to potentially broaden viable selections. Blinding Powder will once again be an instant skill to make it more fluid while still retaining its stunbreaking capabilities. The second scepter skill, Shadow Sap, is becoming a blast finisher to allow scepter-wielding thieves to both blast stealth more easily and better utilize certain relics, like Relic of Karakosa. Shadow Sap: This skill is now a blast finisher. Falling Spider: Reduced the power coefficient from 2.25 to 2.1 and reduced the damage bonus from 25% to 15% in PvE only. Shattering Assault: Increased the power coefficient from 1.7 to 2.0 in PvE only. Ashen Assault: Decreased the bleeding and posion durations from 7 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only. Backstab: Increased the front power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.0 and the back power coefficient from 1.8 to 2.0 in PvP and WvW. Improvisation: Increased the cooldown refund from 15% to 25% in PvP and WvW. Helmet Breaker: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1. Signet of Malice: Reduced the casting time by 0.9 seconds. Infiltrator's Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 28 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW. Blinding Powder: This skill is now instant. This skill no longer grants stability. Signets of Power: Increased the initiative gain from 2 to 3. Warrior Warrior's adjustments are largely focused on tuning berserker in competitive modes. Berserker's burst potential is getting softened in WvW, and some alternative weapon choices are getting improvements for PvP. Berserker's sustainability is seeing a potential increase through enhancements to Blood Reckoning and Dead or Alive, and its damage will be boosted through fury access on Burst of Aggression. Snap Pull: Increased the cooldown from 18 seconds to 25 seconds and reduced the number of targets from 5 to 3 in WvW only. Martial Cadence: This trait now grants stability instead of quickness in WvW only. Berserker Stance: Increased the duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds. Berserker Arc Divider: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.35 in WvW only. Slicing Maelstrom: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.15 in WvW only. Increased the number of boons removed from 2 to 3 in PvE and PvP. Rupturing Smash: Increased the power coefficient from 1.3 to 1.45 in PvP only. Flaming Flurry: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.33 to 0.4 in PvP and WvW. Blood Reckoning: Reduced the cooldown from 25 to 20 seconds. Burst of Aggression: This trait now applies fury in addition to its previous effects. Dead or Alive: Increased the duration from 3 seconds to 4 seconds. Spellbreaker Break Enchantments: Reduced the power coefficient from 1.0 to 0.7 in WvW only.