User:MikaMika/sandbox

Update - May 24, 2024

Hi, everyone, Welcome to the preview for the June 25 balance update! 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,

Cal "cmc" Cohen

Skills and Balance Lead

General

• Heretic Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
  • 1,000 Power
  • 1,000 Precision
  • 500 Ferocity
  • 500 Healing Power
• Tyrant Amulet has been added to the PvP build panel.
  • 1,000 Power
  • 1,000 Condition Damage
  • 500 Precision
  • 500 Toughness
•  Rune of the Ogre and  Rune of Tormenting have been added to the PvP build panel.
•  Taunt: Increased the defiance damage per second from 75 to 100.
•  Frost Aura: Reduced the chill duration from 2 seconds to 1 second in WvW only.

Elementalist

With the recent introduction of pistol as a ranged condition damage weapon, we wanted to solidify scepter as more of a power damage weapon in PvE, and we've made a number of changes toward that goal. We've also made some usability improvements to dagger and staff by reducing the casting time of breath attacks and adding an initial defiance damage-dealing strike to the crowd-control skills that require movement. This update also includes improvements for support tempest builds with more reliable might and fury sources in PvE and additional defensive tools in the earth specialization for competitive play. Overload Air also gets a significant power increase in PvE as we look to improve power-based damage builds for tempest.

•  Flamestrike: Increased the first-hit power coefficient from 0.225 to 0.5 and the second-hit power coefficient from 0.375 to 0.7 in PvE only.
•  Ice Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.24 to 0.4 in PvE only.
•  Water Trident: Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.0 in PvE only.
•  Arc Lightning: Increased the power coefficient per stage from 0.15/0.3/0.449 to 0.4/0.45/0.5 in PvE only.
•  Stone Shards: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.5 in PvE only.
•  Hurl: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.33 to 0.44 in PvE only.
•  Drake's Breath: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds.
•  Drake's Breath: Increased the power coefficient per strike from 0.4 to 0.44 in PvP and WvW.
•  Cone of Cold: Reduced the casting time from 2.2 seconds to 1.6 seconds.
•  Cone of Cold: Increased the base healing from 944 to 1,416 in PvP and WvW.
•  Cone of Cold: Increased the healing coefficient from 0.6 to 0.8 in PvP and WvW.
•  Frozen Burst: This skill now creates an ice field before performing its blast finisher.
•  Convergence: This skill is now a blast finisher.
•  Convergence: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.2 in PvP and WvW.
•  Ring of Earth: Increased the secondary-strike power coefficient from 0.9 to 1.1 in PvP and WvW.
•  Earthen Rush: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Static Field: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
•  Unsteady Ground: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
•  Armor of Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Mist Form: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
•  Arcane Shield: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Air: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Earth's Embrace: This trait has been reworked.
•  Earth's Embrace: Gain resistance after using a healing skill.
•  Earthen Blast: This trait now grants barrier to the user in addition to its other effects.
•  Earthen Blast: Barrier will not be granted when attuning to the same element.
•  Diamond Skin: This trait has been reworked.
•  Diamond Skin: Remove a condition from yourself when you successfully combo a field with a leap finisher.
•  Diamond Skin: Remove a condition from yourself and nearby allies when you successfully combo a field with a blast finisher.
•  Soothing Ice: This trait now triggers after using a healing skill instead of when critically hit.
•  Soothing Ice: Reduced the internal cooldown to 15 seconds in all game modes.
•  Flow like Water: Increased the bonus strike damage while above the health threshold from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW.
•  Flow like Water: This trait now also grants 5% bonus strike damage while under the health threshold.
•  Flow like Water: Reduced the health threshold from 75% to 50%.
•  Flow like Water: Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 4 seconds.
•  Soothing Power: This trait now also grants 300 vitality to the elementalist.

Tempest

•  Overload Air: This skill now also grants fury to allies.
•  Overload Air: Increased the power coefficient from 0.715 to 0.951 in PvE only.
•  Heat Sync: This skill now also grants fury to the user before copying boons.
•  "Feel the Burn!": Increased might from 5 stacks for 10 seconds to 8 stacks for 15 seconds in PvE only.
•  "Feel the Burn!": This skill now also grants fury to allies in PvE only.
•  Gathered Focus: The additional concentration from this trait no longer has a health-threshold requirement.
•  Hardy Conduit: This trait now also grants protection to nearby allies.

Weaver

•  Fracturing Strike: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.77 to 1.2 in PvE only.
•  Plasma Beam: Reduced the cooldown from 18 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
•  Glacial Drift: This skill no longer requires a target.
•  Glacial Drift: Increased the power coefficient from 1.0 to 2.0 in PvE only.
•  Earthen Synergy: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvE only.
•  Earthen Synergy: Increased the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 1.4/1.0 in PvE.
•  Earthen Synergy: Reduced the power coefficients from 0.77/0.33 to 0.01/0.01 in WvW and PvP.
•  Stone Tide: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.15 to 0.3 in PvE only.
•  Stone Resonance: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 50 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Twist of Fate: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Catalyst

•  Invigorating Air: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Fortified Earth: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Engineer

Alchemy gets a significant upgrade with the reintroduction of elixir condition removal on the minor grandmaster trait. This won't affect other allies as it did in its previous iteration, but it will give engineers some much-needed defense against conditions through elixir-skill triggers on the other minor traits and any other elixirs they bring. We've also added a more reliable source of fury, replacing the rarely utilized Emergency Elixir trait to give damage-focused builds more consistent pressure. On the PvE side of things, we've adjusted damage numbers on Grenade Kit, Tool Kit, and some of the holosmith's exceed skills to bring them more in line with each other. Elixir X also gets a fun addition: lich is being added to the pool of potential transformations while on land. We wanted to make the skill a more reliable offensive threat and felt that adding another offense-focused transformation was a more interesting direction than simply adjusting the individual chances of rampage and tornado.

•  Healing Turret: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Personal Battering Ram: Reduced the launch distance from 450 to 0 in PvP only.
•  Personal Battering Ram: Reduced the ammunition recharge from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvP only.
•  Elixir S: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
•  Elixir U: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Elixir U: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Elixir U: Reduced quickness and vigor durations from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Elixir U: Reduced stability duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in WvW only.
•  Utility Goggles: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Detection Pulse: This skill now also inflicts vulnerability on enemies.
•  Superspeed: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Pry Bar: Increased the power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.5 in PvE only.
•  Throw Wrench: Increased the cooldown from 17 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Throw Wrench: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 1.0 to 1.5 in PvE only.
•  Magnet: This skill now properly plays its visual effect during the full channel.
•  Magnet: This skill cannot be retargeted.
•  Magnet: This skill now applies bonus defiance damage to targets with defiance bars.
•  Freeze Grenade: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
•  Poison Grenade: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Poison Grenade: Increased the power coefficient per hit from 0.5 to 0.75 in PvE only.
•  Supply Crate: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 75 seconds in PvE only.
•  Elixir X: This skill now also has a chance to transform the user into a lich.
•  Compounding Chemicals: This trait now also removes a condition from the user when they use an elixir skill.
•  Boiling Point: This trait has been reworked and renamed Boiling Point.
•  Boiling Point: Gain fury when you gain might at or above the threshold.

Holosmith

•  Launch Wall: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
•  Laser Disk: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
•  Particle Accelerator: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35% in PvE only.
•  Blade Burst: Reduced the 100% heat damage bonus from 50% to 35%.

Guardian

Guardian wards are another set of movement-requiring crowd-control skills that we're adding an initial defiance-bar strike to in order to make them more usable against stationary bosses. We've also reduced page costs for support firebrand builds in PvE to give them more flexibility, and we added some sources of resolution to the valor specialization to make it more usable for damage-dealing builds that rely on Righteous Instincts.

•  Line of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
•  Ring of Warding: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
•  Hunter's Ward: The ward created by this skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when used in PvE.
•  Contemplation of Purity: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Judge's Intervention: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  "Save Yourselves!": Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Focus Mastery: This trait now also grants resolution when using a focus skill.
•  Monk's Focus: This trait now also grants resolution to allies when you use a meditation skill.

Dragonhunter

•  Fragments of Faith: Reduced the cooldown from 36 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Firebrand

•  Epilogue: Ashes of the Just: Increased the might stacks from 5 to 8 and increased the duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE only.
•  Chapter 4: Shining River: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
•  Chapter 4: Shining River: Increased the healing coefficient per pulse from 0.23 to 0.35 in PvE only.
•  Chapter 2: Daring Challenge: Increased the taunt duration from 1 second to 2 seconds in PvE only.
•  Chapter 3: Valiant Bulwark: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
•  Chapter 4: Stalwart Stand: Reduced the page cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
•  Loremaster: Reduced the page generation interval from 6 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.

Mesmer

We've reduced the cooldown on a number of mesmer's defensive utility skills in PvE and made some slight improvements to underperforming builds, namely power-based virtuoso in PvE and condition damage-based mirage in competitive modes.

•  Imaginary Axes: Increased the torment duration from 4 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Lingering Thoughts: Reduced the ammunition recharge time from 10 seconds to 8 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Phantasmal Berserker: Fixed an issue that prevented the initial strike of this skill from counting as a blade for the purpose of activating traits.
•  Ether Feast: This skill now also removes one condition, plus an additional condition for each active clone.
•  Decoy: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Mirror Images: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Veil: Reduced the cooldown from 72 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Midnight: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Mass Invisibility: Reduced the cooldown from 48 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Humility: This skill now requires a target.
•  Signet of Humility: This skill can no longer be retargeted.
•  Signet of Humility: This skill now displays an effect above its target's head.
•  Signet of Humility: Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 2 seconds in WvW only.
•  Illusion of Vulnerability: Increased the number of vulnerability stacks from 3 to 6 in PvE only.
•  Mental Gymnastics: Reduced the internal cooldown from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvE only.

Mirage

•  Sand through Glass: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Virtuoso

•  Psychic Force: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Blade Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
•  Deadly Blades: Increased the duration of the damage bonus from 5 seconds to 7 seconds in PvE only.
•  Infinite Forge: This trait now also causes blade attacks to deal more damage.
• Fixed an issue that prevented  Bladesong Dissonance and  Bladeturn Requiem from being affected by  Mental Anguish.

Necromancer

Sword didn't quite land where we wanted in WvW, so this update includes some improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option. We've also improved some defensive tools for harbinger to give them some better survivability options and tuned up a number of defensive utility skills in PvE.

•  Feast of Corruption: Increased the number of boons corrupted from 1 to 2 in PvP only.
•  Feast of Corruption: Increased the cooldown from 10 seconds to 12 seconds in PvP only.
•  Satiate: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 0.9 in WvW only.
•  Path of Gluttony: This skill now corrupts a boon on targets it strikes.
•  Gorge: Reduced the number of boons corrupted from 2 to 1 in PvE and PvP.
•  Gormandize: Increased the power coefficient from 0.6 to 1.0 in WvW only.
•  Consume Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Spectral Ring: This skill now performs an initial strike that deals defiance-bar damage when deployed in PvE.
•  Spectral Armor: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Spectral Walk: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of the Locust: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Well of Power: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Harbinger

•  Elixir of Ignorance: This skill now grants protection in addition to its previous effects.
•  Elixir of Ignorance: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Elixir of Bliss: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Implacable Foe: This trait now grants damage reduction for a short duration when entering Harbinger Shroud.

Ranger

The ranger changes for this update are focused on tuning up some underutilized skills, with improvements to short bow, longbow, and the juvenile aether hunter pet. We've also granted the ranger more control over the trigger condition for Lead the Wind, reduced the cooldowns of a number of defensive utility skills, and updated the unleashed visual effect so that it will fade out over time on both the pet and the player.

•  Poison Volley: Reduced the cooldown from 8 seconds to 6 seconds in WvW and PvP.
•  Crippling Shot: The bleeding inflicted by your pet now uses the ranger's condition damage and condition duration attributes.
•  Concussion Shot: Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds.
•  Long Range Shot: Increased the power coefficients from 0.9/1.1 to 1.1/1.25 in PvE only.
•  Rapid Fire: Increased the total power coefficient from 3.75 to 4.5 in PvE only.
•  Signet of Renewal: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Stone: Reduced the cooldown from 80 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Stone: Reduced the duration from 6 seconds to 4 seconds in PvE only.
•  Quickening Zephyr: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Lightning Reflexes: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  "Strength of the Pack!": Increased the might duration from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
•  Spirit of Nature: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
•  Lead the Wind: This trait no longer grants boons when striking a target at long range and now grants boons when using Point-Blank Shot.
• Juvenile Aether Hunter skills have been adjusted as follows:
  •  Lunge: Increased the hitbox size, and reduced the cripple duration from 8 seconds to 3 seconds.
  •  Dimension Breach: Reduced the aftercast by around 1 second.
  •  Ley-Line Vortex: Increased the power coefficient from 0.3 to 0.5 in PvE only.
  •  Lunge (soulbeast): Reduced the power coefficient from 1.2 to 1.0.
  •  Ley-Line Vortex (soulbeast): Increased the number of hits from 4 to 8.
  •  Ley-Line Vortex (soulbeast): Reduced the torment stacks per hit from 2 to 1.
  •  Ley-Line Vortex (soulbeast): Reduced the power coefficient per hit from 0.6 to 0.35.

Soulbeast

•  Prelude Lash: Reduced the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.01 in WvW and PvP.
•  Tail Swipe: Fixed an issue that prevented this skill from being affected by quickness.
•  Wing Buffet: Fixed an issue that caused this skill to impose a 1-second global cooldown.
•  Dolyak Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Untamed

•  Unleash Pet: The unleashed visual effect will now fade out over time when applied to the pet as it does on the player.
•  Toxic Shot: Increased the velocity by 33%.
•  Toxic Shot: This skill now weakens regardless of whether the target is poisoned.
•  Toxic Shot: Increased the poison and torment durations from 5 seconds to 6 seconds.
•  Mutate Conditions: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.

Revenant

Renegade is the primary focus of the revenant changes for this update. Power-based damage builds get a boost with an update to All for One, as the trait will now also grant an increase to outgoing strike damage after using a Legendary Renegade skill. We've also updated Citadel Bombardment to be significantly more reliable by reducing the spread of its missiles and slightly reduced the energy costs of a handful of renegade skills in PvP. Power-based herald is another build that needs some help in PvP, and we've made some slight improvements to its damage to make it a more viable option.

•  Vicious Reprisal: Increased the might duration from 8 seconds to 10 seconds in PvE and from 6 seconds to 10 seconds in WvW and PvP.
•  Charged Mists: Increased the energy gain from 10 to 15 in PvP only.
•  Roiling Mists: Increased the bonus critical chance from 10% to 20% in PvP only.

Herald

•  Shining Aspects: Increased the base healing to 533 in all game modes.
•  Reinforced Potency: Increased the damage bonus per boon from 1% to 1.5% in PvP only.

Renegade

•  Heroic Command: Reduced the energy cost from 10 to 5 in PvP only.
•  Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the missile spread radius from 240 to 120.
•  Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the damage coefficient from 0.452 to 0.225 in WvW and PvP.
•  Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the burning duration from 1.5 seconds to 1 second in WvW and PvP.
•  Citadel Bombardment: Reduced the energy cost from 30 to 25 in PvP only.
•  Icerazor's Ire: Reduced the energy cost from 20 to 15 in PvP only.
•  Soulcleave's Summit: Increased the base healing when summoning another warband member from 714 to 929.
•  All for One: Increased the protection duration from 2 to 3 in PvP only.
•  All for One: This trait now grants increased damage to the revenant when a Legendary Renegade skill is used.
•  All for One: This trait will now only trigger while in combat.
•  Brutal Momentum: Increased the base critical-hit chance from 10% to 15% in PvP only.
•  Vindication: This trait no longer grants might when gaining Kalla's Fervor and instead causes the user to heal for a percentage of their outgoing damage for each stack of Kalla's Fervor.

Thief

Venoms are receiving a big usability improvement in this update, with an increased maximum stack count. They'll still be limited on a per-source basis, but multiple thieves will now be able to grant venoms to the same target without issue. We've also increased the damage on a number of sword skills in PvE to make it a more potent pick, and we reduced the cooldowns on a number of defensive utility skills.

•  Crippling Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.4 to 1.55 in PvE only.
•  Tactical Strike and  Malicious Tactical Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.33 to 2.0 in PvE only.
•  Tactical Strike and  Malicious Tactical Strike: Increased the daze duration while behind the enemy from 2 seconds to 3 seconds in PvE only.
•  Flanking Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 0.8 to 1.0 in PvE only.
•  Larcenous Strike: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.
•  Larcenous Strike: Increased the power coefficient from 1.6 to 2.17 in PvE only.
•  Pistol Whip: Increased the initial power coefficient from 0.37 to 0.74 in PvE only.
•  Pistol Whip: Increased the flurry power coefficient from 0.79 to 1.0 in PvE only.
•  Unload: Increased the power coefficient from 0.4 to 0.45 in PvE only.
•  Shadow Shot: The unblockable shot from this skill will now pierce targets if the Deadly Aim trait is equipped.
•  Shadow Shot: Increased the power coefficient from 1.3125 to 1.8 in PvE only.
•  Skale Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skale venom allies can gain from 5 to 25.
•  Skale Venom: Allies cannot have more than 5 charges of skale venom from the same source at any one time.
•  Spider Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of spider venom allies can gain from 6 to 25.
•  Spider Venom: Allies cannot have more than 6 stacks of spider venom from the same source at any one time.
•  Spider Venom: You cannot grant yourself more than 6 stacks of spider venom at any one time unless Leeching Venoms is also equipped.
•  Skelk Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of skelk venom allies can gain from 4 to 25.
•  Skelk Venom: Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of skelk venom from the same source at any one time.
•  Ice Drake Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of ice drake venom allies can gain from 4 to 25.
•  Ice Drake Venom: Allies cannot have more than 4 charges of ice drake venom from the same source at any one time.
•  Devourer Venom: Increased the maximum number of charges of devourer venom allies can gain from 2 to 10 in PvE only.
•  Devourer Venom: Allies cannot have more than 2 charges of devourer venom from the same source at any one time.
•  Hide in Shadows: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Infiltrator's Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 24 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Roll for Initiative: Reduced the cooldown from 28 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Shadow Refuge: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 35 seconds in PvE only.
•  Shadow Portal: Increased the number of uses from 5 to 10 in PvE only.
•  Dagger Storm: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds in PvE only.
•  Pumping Up: Increased the might stacks from 1 to 3 in PvE only.

Daredevil

•  Escapist's Fortitude: Increased the base healing from 456 to 684 in PvE only.
•  Escapist's Fortitude: Increased the healing coefficient from 0.08 to 0.12 in PvE only.
•  Unhindered Combatant: Reduced the duration of the exhaustion effect to 0.1 seconds for all conditions in PvE only.

Deadeye

•  Kneel: Reduced the initiative cost from 2 to 1 in PvE only.

Specter

•  Shadow Sap: Increased the splash effectiveness of boon duration to allies from 50% to 75% in PvE only.
•  Well of Silence: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.

Warrior

This update includes a number of improvements for support warrior builds. We've significantly reduced the casting time of the defensive utility banners to allow them to be used more reactively while also bringing Banner of Tactics more in line with other stability options. We've also updated Martial Cadence to refresh Soldier's Focus when swapping weapons to make it a bit more accessible when it's needed, made some minor improvements to the strength specialization for competitive modes, and tuned up a number of defensive utilities in PvE.

•  Inspiring Whirl: This skill now heals allies instead of granting them regeneration.
•  Banner of Tactics: Increased the stability stacks from 1 to 5 in PvE only.
•  Banner of Tactics: Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds.
•  Banner of Tactics: Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
•  Banner of Defense: Reduced the casting time from 0.8 seconds to 0.3 seconds.
•  Banner of Defense: Reduced the aftercast by 0.3 seconds.
•  Endure Pain: Reduced the cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds in PvE only.
•  Balanced Stance: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Frenzy: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Dolyak Signet: Reduced the cooldown from 40 seconds to 25 seconds in PvE only.
•  Stomp: Reduced the cooldown from 32 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.
•  Signet of Stamina: This skill now activates instantly.
•  Battle Standard: Reduced the cooldown from 120 seconds to 90 seconds in PvE only.
•  Reckless Dodge: Increased the might stacks on hit from 1 to 2 in PvE and PvP.
•  Restorative Strength: This trait now grants resistance in addition to might.
•  Restorative Strength: Reduced the might stacks from 5 to 2 in WvW and PvP.
•  Might Makes Right: Increased the healing from 85 to 98 in WvW and PvP.
•  Shrug It Off: This trait now triggers when using a healing skill instead of when having a number of conditions on you.
•  Shrug It Off: Increased the number of conditions removed from 1 to 3 in PvE only.
•  Martial Cadence: This trait now also recharges Soldier's Focus when you swap weapons and causes Soldier's Focus to remove a condition from nearby allies.
•  Martial Cadence: Reduced the quickness duration from 3 seconds to 2 seconds in PvP and from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds in WvW.
•  Heightened Focus: This trait now also grants the user increased outgoing healing for a duration when striking an enemy with a burst skill, based on the adrenaline spent.

Spellbreaker

•  Sight beyond Sight: This skill now also removes 3 nondamaging conditions from the user.
•  Featherfoot Grace: Reduced the resistance and superspeed duration from 5 seconds to 4 seconds in PvP only.
•  Featherfoot Grace: Reduced the cooldown to 25 seconds in PvP and WvW.
•  Featherfoot Grace: Reduced the cooldown from 30 seconds to 20 seconds in PvE only.