View source for Game updates/2021-11-30/End of Dragons Elite Specialization Updates

Hello, Tyrians! With Beta 4 right around the corner on November 30th, we want to give you an early look at the changes to the End of Dragons elite specializations based on feedback we collected from the first three beta events. We've done more than just tune numbers and fix bugs; although the timeline has been tight, we've been listening, and have made changes to core mechanics, skills, and traits where called for, to make sure that these specializations will be a fun and exciting addition to Guild Wars 2 next year in End of Dragons.

There were a lot of changes to make, and with the short timeline we unfortunately have not been able to follow through with our usual process of editing and localizing these notes into all of our supported languages. We still wanted to get the details of the upcoming changes in front of you as soon as possible so that you can discuss, engage, and theorycraft ahead of next week’s beta event, so they are available in English now.

While these changes will be seen in Beta 4, we are documenting them here and not writing them into our November 30th release notes, as they are in-development notes to End of Dragons content from previous betas rather than released content.
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== End of Dragons Elite Specialization Updates in Beta 4 from Previous Beta Events: ==
=== Elementalist - Catalyst ===
Catalyst first appeared in Beta 2, where we saw excitement for several of the mechanics it offered, but your feedback also pointed us to a lot of areas in which we could improve it! For each End of Dragons elite specialization, we've put together a list of key items of feedback that we saw expressed during the beta that specialization appeared in, and highlights of which specific changes were made to address that feedback. Afterwards, we have the full list of detailed changes for that specialization.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' The Jade Sphere mechanic felt difficult to use and tied the Catalyst down in one location without sufficient benefit to make up for it.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' This is the crux of the issue, and we've made big changes here. For starters, Jade Sphere energy no longer drains out of combat, and the Jade Sphere no longer drains your energy gradually while deployed. Instead, it consumes a flat amount to instantly cast at the target location and will always persist for five seconds. Now, you can deploy multiple Jade Spheres from different attunements at the same time, allowing you to deploy the benefits of your Jade Sphere and associated combo fields in multiple simultaneous locations as you swap attunements. We'll be keeping an eye on your feedback about this change in Beta 4, and hope that it'll create a faster paced and more mobile experience in play.

'''2)''' Several skills felt difficult to use well or weren't connecting with targets when you'd expect them to.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've improved a mix of Hammer and Utility skills to make them behave more reliably, or easier to consistently use to their full potential. Most notably, the #3 Hammer skill in each attunement has been significantly improved. They now activate instantly, and the circling projectile now orbits faster and closer to you, so that it'll strike enemies in melee range consistently. The skill to launch them is now a Projectile Finisher, and has a lower cooldown, so that you can use it to combo with the fields from your Jade Sphere. The Catalyst's Augment utility skills have been broadly improved- in many cases, the effects that formerly only occurred when within the range of a same-attunement Jade Sphere are now part of the base functionality of these skills, and they now receive an additional benefit, such as reduced cooldown, when within range of the Jade Sphere.

'''3)''' Catalyst felt difficult to survive with, like playing on hard mode, even in open world content.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've added survivability to several skills. On the hammer, Whirling Stones will now block projectiles while channeling, Immutable Stone will grant Barrier, and Cleansing Typhoon will remove conditions. On the trait side, we've also increased the duration of the defensive effect of Hardened Auras. The full list of detailed changes is below.

==== Full List of Catalyst changes: ====
====== Profession Mechanic ======
* The functionality of the Jade Sphere has been adjusted. Each attunement now has a separate version of the skill that can be activated by expending 10 energy, which creates the associated field for 5 seconds. Each attunement's deploy skill has its own cooldown and the field element will no longer change as the catalyst changes attunements. Multiple Jade Spheres can now be active at the same time.
* [[Deploy Jade Sphere]]: This skill now activates instantly.
* Catalyst's Energy no longer drains while out of combat.

====== Hammer ======
Any
* {{game update icon|Flame Wheel}}, [[Icy Coil]], [[Crescent Wind]], [[Rocky Loop]]: These skills now activate instantly. Reduced circle radius from 200 to 130 to better align with melee spacing. Reduced power coefficient from 0.35 to 0.25 to compensate for a faster orbit.
* {{game update icon|Grand Finale}}: Reduced cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds. This skill is now a projectile finisher.
Fire
* {{game update icon|Triple Sear}}: Reduced the distance from the centerpoint of the three attack areas to make it slightly easier to hit the same enemy with all three.
* {{game update icon|Molten End}}: This skill now grants more Might stacks and longer Fury duration for the first enemy struck, and a reduced amount for each additional enemy. Increased power coefficient from 1.5 to 1.7 in PvP and WvW.
Water
* {{game update icon|Crashing Font}}: This skill now heals for an increased amount for the first enemy struck and a reduced amount for each additional enemy. The total healing when striking 5 enemies is about the same.
* {{game update icon|Cleansing Typhoon}}: This skill now cleanses two conditions before attacking in addition to its other effects. This skill is now a whirl finisher.
Air
* {{game update icon|Hurricane of Pain}}: Increased power coefficient from 0.27 to 0.3 in PvP and WvW.
* {{game update icon|Wind Storm}}: This skill will now stop moving when the player is approximately 600 units away from their target, instead of always moving 600 units backward. This limiting behavior can be avoided by using the skill without a target selected.
Earth
* {{game update icon|Whirling Stones}}: Reduced channel time from 3.25s to 2s. This skill now also blocks projectiles around the catalyst while channeling.
* {{game update icon|Immutable Stone}}: This skill now also grants barrier when successfully blocking an attack.

====== Utilities ======
* {{game update icon|Soothing Water}}: This skill now always cleanses conditions. Casting this in range of your water sphere will now reduce its cooldown.
* {{game update icon|Invigorating Air}}: This skill now always grants super speed. Casting this in range of your air sphere will now reduce its cooldown. This skill now activates instantly.
* {{game update icon|Fortified Earth}}: This skill now always grants barrier after fully channeling. Casting this in range of your earth sphere will now reduce its cooldown.
* {{game update icon|Shattering Ice}}: Additional strikes created by this skill will now always apply chill. Casting this in range of your water sphere will now increase its duration. Reduced casting time from 733ms to 250ms.
* {{game update icon|Relentless Fire}}: This skill now always grants unblockable stacks. Casting this in range of your fire sphere will now increase its duration. Reduced cooldown from 25 seconds to 20 seconds. Reduced casting time from 733ms to 250ms.
* {{game update icon|Elemental Celerity}}: Instead of reducing the recharge of all weapon skills when striking an enemy, this skill now recharges weapon skills of the catalyst's current attunement when activated. Reduced casting time from 733ms to 250ms.

====== Traits ======
* {{game update icon|Hardened Auras}}: Increased buff duration from 6 seconds to 10 seconds.
* {{game update icon|Empowering Auras}}: Increased buff duration from 6 seconds to 10 seconds.

====== Bug Fixes ======
* Fixed the order of augment skills in utility selection to line up with other element-themed utility skills.
* [[Deploy Jade Sphere]]: Fixed a bug where this skill would use ground-targeting while underwater.
* {{game update icon|Deploy Jade Sphere (fire)|Deploy Jade Sphere (Fire)}}: Fixed a bug where strikes from this skill would not grant stacks of Persisting Flames.
* {{game update icon|Shattering Ice}}: Fixed a bug where the additional strikes created by this skill required line of sight to hit enemies.
* {{game update icon|Soothing Water}}: Fixed a bug where this skill was not considered a healing skill for the purposes of certain runes.
* {{game update icon|Flame Wheel}}, [[Icy Coil]], [[Crescent Wind]], [[Rocky Loop]]: Fixed a bug where these projectiles would last much longer than expected when becoming downed or defeated.
* Fixed a bug where some hammer projectile skills could be fired behind the player.
* Fixed a bug where some channeled hammer skills could not be interrupted by using a different skill.

=== Engineer - Mechanist ===
During Beta 3, we received excellent feedback regarding the Mechanist. We saw the community excited for the mech itself, a promising alacrity support build, and a way to play a 'supported' Condi Engineer build, but you also helped us identify key locations that need additional polish and improvement. Not everything is 100% complete here; we’ll especially still be working on some of the awkward aspects of the mech’s Crash Down summoning in the open world, to get it more consistent and functional for End of Dragons.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Lack of easy-to-use pet controls, like Core Ranger has.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We're adding an 'Attack My Target' button with a keybind, as well as adding a key binding to 'Return to Me'. By default, these are bound to F6 and F7, but you can rebind them to anything you like using the new key binding options for Profession Skill 6 and 7.

'''2)''' The Mech Command skills (F1, F2, F3) can feel unreliable, as the Mech often queues them behind something else it is trying to do.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've removed the two 'auto' skills the Mech would cast on its own, Rocket Punch and Jade Siphon, as Mech Command skills would queue behind them and be delayed.

Rocket Punch is now activated when you use Mace 3 (Prototype Rocket Fist), and the mech will use its Rocket Punch on the same target as your Prototype Rocket Fist.

Now the Mech Command skills can freely interrupt the Mech's basic attacks and one-another, causing them to be much more reliable when activated.

'''3)''' Too much power is loaded into the Mech, instead of the Engineer player. This can be unbalancing in PvP, and if the mech is defeated and on cooldown, lead to feeling like you're playing half a specialization. It's also difficult to consistently get boons on the Mech, leading to wildly varying power in PvE.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' This is a big one, with a lot of related changes!
We're adjusting the Mech's base attributes (before it inherits a percentage of yours) down from our 'level 80 monster' base of 1376 to our 'player' base of 1000, matching your own.

To resolve a related problem, it'll no longer have any Precision or inherit that attribute from you by default. This is because on a level 80 character, Precision up to 1000 points has no effect, and only precision values above 1000 will increase critical chance. If the Mech has a base Precision and inherits a percentage of yours (which must include your base 1000), it ends up with a mismatching Critical Hit Chance. We are instead adjusting the trait "Mech Frame: Variable Mass Distributor" to copy 100% of your Precision attribute to the Mech, so that you can use that trait to cause its critical hit chance to match your own, allowing you to consistently build for crit-capping.

By taking away some of these base attribute values from the Mech, it gave us the freedom to increase the power of other parts of the Mechanist's kit, especially the Mace and Signet skills.

'''4)''' Related to #3: Boons on the Mech are an immense amount of potential power, but it is difficult to reliably get boons on it when playing in a group.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' A full list of changes will be found below, but a key highlight is that the Mech now also inherits Signet passive bonuses where appropriate, and Shift Signet's passive now automatically copies all boons applied to you to your Mech, with the same duration, which will make your Mech function much stronger and more consistently along you in group content. To make this work sensibly and fairly, the Mech no longer inherits a percent of the attributes on its master that are caused by Might. In other words, it only benefits from Might on itself, not from Might on you.

'''5)''' The Mech can die suddenly in some content, leaving you with a long 'penalty' cooldown.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We'll be keeping an eye on this. Right now, we agree that a 100 second cooldown is too long- we're lowering it to 50 seconds.

There's other aspects to this too, though, which we wanted to address by adding tools to make it harder for the Mech to suddenly die in the first place. It'll now also gain the passive benefit of the Barrier Signet skill when you have it, giving it some additional damage reduction, and we've redesigned the third minor trait, 'Energy Siphoning', to be a defensive proc that will prevent sudden bursts of damage from unexpectedly downing the mech.

That trait is now 'Exigency Protocols'. As a passive bonus, it increases the power of all Regeneration boons you apply by 20%. (And Mace 2 now applies Regeneration in addition to Vigor, so you can make easy use of this.)

And as a conditional proc, when the Mech drops below 50% health, it'll gain Regeneration and a strong buff that reduces all incoming damage by 50% for 5 seconds. Although this effect has a cooldown before it can proc again, we are hoping these changes will both help your Mech survive burst damage and give you easy-to-use methods to keep it healed.
We are aware of specific mechanics in certain content (such as Vale Guardian's green circles) that are affecting pets and are treating these as individual bugs in those encounters to fix in future updates. We do not intend for any current encounter mechanic to disproportionately impact your ability to use pets.

==== Full List of Mechanist Changes: ====
===== Gameplay Changes =====
* The maximum recharge of the Crash Down skill to summon your Mech has been decreased from 100 seconds to 50 seconds.
* The Mech will now automatically re-appear much sooner after dismounting.
* Base Power, Vitality, and Toughness attributes on the Mech have been reduced from 1374 at Level 80 to 1000, matching player base values.
* The Mech now has a base Precision attribute of 0, and a base Critical Chance of 5%. It no longer inherits 25% of the master's Precision by default.
* The trait {{game update icon|Mech Frame: Variable Mass Distributor}} no longer increases the percentage of Power inherited by the Mech. Instead, it causes the Mech to inherit 100% of your Precision and Ferocity attribute values.
* The Mech no longer 'double dips' on Might by inheriting a percentage of the Power and Condition Damage granted to you by Might boons.

===== Skill and Trait Adjustments =====
====== Mace: ======
* {{game update icon|Mace Strike}}: Damage coefficient increased from 0.6 to 0.8.
* {{game update icon|Mace Smash (mechanist)|Mace Smash}}: Damage coefficient increased from 0.6 to 0.8. Now applies one stack of confusion for 5s.
* {{game update icon|Barrier Blast}}: Damage coefficient increased from 1.0 to 1.4. Confusion duration reduced from 6s to 5s. Cast time increased by approximately 0.2 seconds.
* {{game update icon|Energizing Slam}}: Conditions applied to enemies changed to 3 stacks of Vulnerability and Confusion with a 5s duration. Boons applied to allies changed to 3s of Vigor and Regeneration to allies in the area.
* {{game update icon|Rocket Fist Prototype}}: Is now an Explosion. Now when you cast this skill, your Mech will cast Rocket Punch at your target. Rocket Fist Prototype and Rocket Punch now each apply 5s burning and a 0.5s stun. This is more effective for reducing enemy Defiance Bars than the previous single 1s stun.

====== Signets: ======
* {{game update icon|Force Signet}}: Now plays a visual effect of the signet icon above the player when activated. No longer breaks stuns. Passive Power attribute bonus changed to a 10% increase to outgoing strike damage. The passive bonus now also applies to your Mech.
* {{game update icon|Superconducting Signet}}: Now plays a visual effect of the signet icon above the player when activated. Activated skill now additionally causes 3s burning per hit. Passive Condition Damage attribute bonus changed to a 10% increase to outgoing condition damage. The passive bonus now also applies to your Mech.
* {{game update icon|Barrier Signet}}: Now plays a visual effect of the signet icon above the player when activated. The passive bonus now also applies to your Mech.
* {{game update icon|Shift Signet}}: Now plays a visual effect of the signet icon above the player when activated. Is now instant cast. Now breaks stuns when cast. Now removes two conditions from both you and your mech when cast. Additional passive effect added: All boons applied to you are also applied to your Mech. Move speed passive now also applies to your Mech.
* {{game update icon|Overclock Signet}}: Now plays a visual effect of the signet icon above the player when activated. Player activation of this signet is now instant. Burning per hit on the activated skill Jade Buster Cannon increased from 2s to 5s base duration. Strike damage dealt by this skill increased by 50%. The Mech now rotates its torso much faster while aiming this skill to track targets.

====== Mech Commands: ======
* {{game update icon|Crisis Zone}}: Now can be used while the mech is stunned and will break stuns on all targets in range when activated. Now also removes conditions from allies in range. Number of conditions removed decreased from 5 to 3. Range increased to 600. Regeneration removed and replaced with Stability.
* {{game update icon|Discharge Array}}: Now strikes up to three enemies per pulse. Now additionally applies 1 stack of Burning with a 3s duration on hit.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Mech Arms: Single-Edge Cutters|Mech Arms: Single Edged Cutters}}: Bleeding duration on hit reduced from 6s to 3s.
* {{game update icon|Mech Frame: Channeling Conduits}}: Alacrity duration on barrier application reduced from 1s to 0.75s.
* {{game update icon|Mech Fighter}}: This minor trait now causes your Mech to inherit 100% of your Vitality and Toughness by itself, rather than this effect being split between this trait and the third minor trait.
* {{game update icon|Energy Siphoning}}: This minor trait has been removed and replaced with "[[Exigency Protocols]]", which increases the power of all Regeneration boons you apply by 20%, and when your Mech takes damage while below 50% health, it will gain Regeneration and a 50% reduction to incoming damage for 5 seconds. (60s cooldown)
* {{game update icon|Mech Core: Barrier Engine|Barrier Engine}}: Radius increased from 360 to 600.

====== Bug Fixes ======
* Rename Pet: The Mech's name is now saved properly. (Sorry, still no numbers or punctuation allowed. That's a difficult problem because the 'rules' are shared with other pets and are part of the functioning to prevent profanity in names. We're still looking into it.)
* [[Mech Command]]s: The F1 and F3 buttons now properly display remaining cooldown duration numbers.
* [[Mech Command]] - {{game update icon|Crisis Zone}}: The mech will no longer try to get into melee range of an enemy to activate this skill.
* [[Mech Command]] - {{game update icon|Barrier Burst}}: Corrected the PvE tooltip to display that the Might base duration is 15 seconds, not the displayed 10 seconds.
* [[Mace]] - {{game update icon|Barrier Blast}}: Fixed a bug causing this skill to not properly apply barrier to allies in the area.
* {{game update icon|Mech Arms: High-Impact Drivers|High Impact Drivers}}: Fixed a bug causing applied might to have unlimited duration in when PvP and WvW.
* Leashing behavior range now matches that of Ranger pets.
* Shift Signet will now more reliably teleport the Mech to your location.
* Fixed a bug related to the trait Static Discharge and Mech Command skills.

=== Guardian - Willbender ===
When Willbender made its appearance in Beta 1, we were hoping it'd dash into your hearts. It didn't quite make it, so we've executed changes on some of the major pain points we saw brought up and are excited to see you get your hands on it again soon in Beta 4.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Skill animation felt stiff, with many skills rooting you in place during their animations.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've taken a look at a bunch of skills, with the approach of 'is there a strong gameplay reason why you shouldn't be able to move while executing this skill?' For several of these, the answer was no, and we've made appropriate adjustments. For example, Whirling Light now not only allows you to move during it, but increases your speed. See the full list of changes below for details on all adjusted skills. This relates to the following feedback we took to heart:

'''2)''' The teaser video and theme were about motion and momentum, but the specialization did not effectively deliver on this.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We wanted to double down on the essential feel of Willbender; fast, mobile, never stopping, and rewarding you for pressing the attack. We've taken special care to update the Willbender Virtue skills to carry this sense of momentum. The F1, Rushing Justice, has been updated to decrease total execution time, improve the transition between the dash and the finishing attack, and to make the attack portion always execute. The F2, Flowing Resolve, is now a short dash that holds two charges, allowing you to space them out to capitalize on the healing effect, or use them back-to-back for quick direction changes, leaving multiple trails of Willbender Flames behind you. In Willbender's traits, we've reworked Restorative Virtues to be a key component of aggressive builds, as it now reduces the cooldown of all of your weapon skills whenever you trigger one of your active Virtue effects with subsequent strikes while a Virtue is active.

'''3)''' Lack of synergy with core Guardian trait lines, due to little support for Burning, and lack of exciting interactions between active virtues and Virtue-boosting traits.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' While the Willbender excels at being a fast and deadly dual-blade attacker, Beta 1 showed that there was a lot of room to improve the trait selection to allow for other strong and interesting build combinations. We've revamped the first tier of Willbender traits, removing the attribute reductions, and focusing them on improving Condition Damage (and adding Burning to Willbender Flames), Power, or Healing, respectively. We've also created interactions between traits in other locations, such as updating the grandmaster trait Phoenix Protocol to work with the Virtues grandmaster Battle Presence to be able to apply Alacrity to allies.

==== Full List of Changes to Willbender: ====
====== Willbender Virtues: ======
* {{game update icon|Willbender Flames}}: Using the same version of Willbender Flames will no longer cancel itself, to better facilitate Flowing Resolve's new functionality.
* {{game update icon|Rushing Justice}}: Improved the transition between running and punching. Increased velocities toward the end of the run and initial punch. Total range of the skill has been increased, taking the ability from maximum 450 to maximum 800 distance. Strike damage has been improved from 0.6 to 1.5. Reduced cast time of the attack by about 1/4 second.
* {{game update icon|Flowing Resolve}}: This ability will now use ammunition and its maximum ammunition has been set to 2. Flowing Resolve now stacks in duration. Velocity and distance have been reduced by 40%. 
* {{game update icon|Crashing Courage}}: This ability now delivers a five-target area attack on impact, in addition to setting the Willbender Flames.

====== Offhand Sword: ======
* {{game update icon|Executioner's Calling}}: The secondary attack of this ability now delivers 4 strikes simultaneously. Secondary attack damage has been reduced by 50% and is amplified by 20% to targets struck by the initial attack.
* {{game update icon|Advancing Strike}}: Increased power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.4 in PvP and WvW.

====== Utility Skills: ======
* {{game update icon|Flash Combo}}: You may now move while executing this ability.
* {{game update icon|Flash Combo}} - [[Repose]]: You may now move while executing this ability.
* {{game update icon|Whirling Light}}: You may now move while executing this ability. While active, this ability now grants a 50% movement speed increase while active and is affected by both movement speed and animation timescales. Attack radius has been increased from 170 to 240. Added a radius fact. Reduced cooldown from 20 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP and WvW.
* {{game update icon|Heaven's Palm}}: This ability is now targeted with a 600 range and will shadowstep the Willbender toward their target before performing the area attack.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Boon Pact}}: This trait has been reworked and renamed to Searing Pact and will now provide 120 Condition Damage and cause Willbender Flames to apply Burning to enemies it strikes, with a 2 second duration.
* {{game update icon|Power for Power}}: This trait has been reworked and will now provide 120 Power, while causing Willbender Flames to inflict 33% increased strike damage.
* {{game update icon|Conceited Curate}}: This trait has been reworked and will now provide 120 Healing Power, while causing Willbender Flames to heal the Guardian on a successful strike.
* {{game update icon|Restorative Virtues}}: This trait has been reworked and will now reduce the cooldown of all Guardian weapon skills by 1/4 second when a virtue's effect triggers, with no internal cooldown. Additionally, activating Flowing Resolve will grant the Willbender 2 seconds of Alacrity.
* {{game update icon|Holy Reckoning}}: This trait has been reworked and will now grant the Willbender Might each time any virtue triggers. Additionally, activating Rushing Justice grants the Willbender 3 seconds of Fury.
* {{game update icon|Vanguard Tactics}}: The boons this trait applies have been adjusted. Shadowsteps will now grant the Guardian Resolution for 3 seconds and Protection for 1.5 seconds. Activating Crashing Courage will now grant the Willbender Resistance for 3 seconds.
* {{game update icon|Lethal Tempo}}: This trait now increases both strike and condition damage dealt. Baseline damage increase has been decreased from 3% to 1% in PvE, and from 3% to 2% in PvP and WvW.
* {{game update icon|Phoenix Protocol}}: This trait now includes Alacrity in addition to Regeneration when applying boons in a circle, when traited with Battle Presence.
* {{game update icon|Tyrant's Momentum}}: This trait now increases Lethal Tempo's damage bonus from 1% to 3% (2% to 4% in PvP/WvW) per stack. Other effects of this trait are unchanged.
Other changes:
* {{game update icon|Shattered Aegis}}: This trait has been given a 1 second cooldown when Willbender is equipped, to prevent infinite loops of death in conjunction with Crashing Courage.

=== Mesmer - Virtuoso ===
We saw a great response to Virtuoso from Beta 1 and appreciate all of the feedback that has been given.
With its return in Beta 4, we've made specific adjustments to certain mechanics, skills, and traits, to help gameplay flow a little smoother, make optimizing gear easier, and improve the role of specific traits.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Blades persist between combat, but it's difficult to gain them before fights, especially as certain utility skills would not give them without a target. This felt strange, and slowed down play. 

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' Virtuosos will now automatically stock a blade every 10s while out of combat. In addition, you can now use Mirror Images and Decoy without a target to gain blades out of combat. This should make it much easier to initiate a fight with a Bladesong, which leads us to #2...

'''2)''' There was no direction in skill activation, leading to a vague rotation. We heard a desire for a mechanic to create moments of opportunity and structure to skill use, rather than using everything off recharge.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' The minor trait Deadly Blades now (in addition to the existing vulnerability on crit) causes you to gain a 5% increase to all damage dealt for 5s after completing a Bladesong. This does not stack. This should make it feel better to initiate a battle with a Bladesong and weave them into your skill rotation to keep the bonus damage going!

'''3)''' Quiet Intensity gives you 10% increased critical chance from Fury, but not your Phantasms. As crit capping Phantasms is still very important, this makes a problem: You'd still need more Precision on your gear to crit cap them too!

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We 100% agree. Phantasms will now get the 10% bonus critical chance from this trait too.

'''4)''' Infinite Forge and Psychic Riposte are not as good for blade generation as Bloodsong.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've removed the 3-blade cap from Infinite Forge, and Psychic Riposte now stocks 3 blades all at once when it activates.

'''5)''' The Condition Damage traits generally seem underwhelming compared to Power options. The condition builds just don't stack up!

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' Oops. A lot of this one was probably a bug. Having the trait Sharpening Sorrow selected was causing Bladesong Sorrow to not apply any confusion on hit! That's fixed now. In addition, we've bumped up the duration of the bleed applied by Jagged Mind in PvE, and the new 5% bonus to damage from Deadly Blades will also help here. We'll be keeping an eye on how this plays during Beta 4.
Of course, we've also fixed lots of bugs and have done additional tuning on skill and trait performance.

==== Full List of Changes to Virtuoso: ====
===== Gameplay Changes: =====
* While out of combat, the Virtuoso will now automatically stock a blade every 10 seconds.

===== Skill and Trait Adjustments: =====
====== Bladesongs: ======
* {{game update icon|Bladesong Harmony}}: Damage coefficient per blade reduced from 0.8 to 0.7 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Bladesong Dissonance}}: Damage coefficient reduced from 1.2 to 1 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Bladeturn Requiem}}: Damage coefficient reduced from 0.3 to 0.2 in PvE only. Base block duration set to 2s. 

====== Dagger: ======
* {{game update icon|Flying Cutter}}: Damage coefficient per hit reduced from 0.65 to 0.5 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Flying Cutter}}: Added a skill fact to clarify that each count towards causing a bonus flurry of blades will expire after 5 seconds if not 'used' by reaching a count of 3. This is not a functionality change.
* {{game update icon|Bladecall}}: Damage coefficient per hit reduced from 0.6 to 0.5 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Unstable Bladestorm}}: Increased power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.25 in PvP and WvW.

====== Utility Skills: ======
* {{game update icon|Thousand Cuts}}: Recharge reduced from 75s to 60s in PvE only. This skill is now unblockable. Can now be aimed in any direction while moving. This skill is now cast instantly. Number of hits increased from 6 over 3s to 10 over 5s. Damage coefficient per hit reduced from 2 to 0.5 in PvE, and from 1 to 0.5 in PvP and WvW.
* {{game update icon|Rain of Swords}}: Damage coefficient per hit reduced from 1 to 0.8 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Psychic Force}}: Reduced cooldown from 45 seconds to 40 seconds in PvP and WvW.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Psychic Riposte}}: Blades stocked on activation increased from 1 to 3. Internal cooldown increased from 1s to 3s. No longer fires a damaging attack when triggered, instead causes your next Bladesong to be unblockable.
* {{game update icon|Infinite Forge}}: No longer capped at a maximum of 3 blades.
* {{game update icon|Quiet Intensity}}: Your summoned phantasms now also gain the increased critical strike chance from Fury.
* {{game update icon|Duelist's Reversal}}: Now additionally grants Regeneration for 3s.
* {{game update icon|Deadly Blades}}: Now additionally grants a 5% increase to all damage dealt for the next 5s after successfully casting a Bladesong skill.
* {{game update icon|Jagged Mind}}: Bleed duration increased from 2s to 2.5s in PvE only.

====== Core Mesmer: ======
* {{game update icon|Signet of the Ether}}: Added clarifying text stating that for Virtuoso, this skill's passive effect triggers when stocking a blade.
* {{game update icon|Illusionary Inspiration}}: Added clarifying text stating that for Virtuoso, this trait triggers when stocking a blade.
* {{game update icon|Illusionary Defense}}: Added clarifying text stating that for Virtuoso, this trait triggers when stocking a blade.
* {{game update icon|Compounding Power}}: Added clarifying text stating that for Virtuoso, this trait triggers when stocking a blade.
* {{game update icon|Decoy}}: Will now stock a blade if used out of combat. Previously this skill only stocked a blade if a target was in range.
* {{game update icon|Mirror Images}}: May now be used out of combat to stock two blades. Previously this skill only stocked blades if a target was in range.

====== Bug Fixes: ======
* {{game update icon|Signet of the Ether}}: Fixed a bug preventing the passive heal effect of this signet from occurring when you stock a Blade.
* {{game update icon|Illusionary Inspiration}}: Fixed a bug preventing this trait from activating and healing nearby allies when you stock a Blade.
* {{game update icon|Imminent Voyage}}: Fixed a bug causing this skill to create a clone instead of stocking a blade when used by a Virtuoso.
* {{game update icon|Feigned Surge}}: Fixed a bug causing this skill to create a clone instead of stocking a blade when used by a Virtuoso.
* {{game update icon|Bountiful Disillusionment}}: Fixed a bug allowing boons to be gained when using a Bladesong even when that Bladesong's cast was aborted.
* {{game update icon|Bladesong Sorrow}}: Fixed a bug in which Bladesong Sorrow did not apply Confusion if the trait Sharpening Sorrow was equipped.
* {{game update icon|Bladesong Sorrow}}: Fixed a bug in which Bladesong Sorrow could hit additional times if you are standing inside the targets' hitbox.
* {{game update icon|Bladeturn Requiem}}: Skill effects now properly cancel if this skill is aborted mid-execution.
* {{game update icon|Inspiring Distortion}}: Fixed a bug in which this trait did not activate when a Virtuoso uses Bladeturn Requiem.
* {{game update icon|Ether Clone}}: Fixed a bug in which this skill did not stock blades for a Virtuoso past a maximum of 3.
* {{game update icon|Mental Focus}}: Updated to correctly display that the damage increase to targets within the distance threshold is 10% in PvE. This is not a reduction in the actual power of this trait, the displayed 15% in Beta 1 was incorrect, and the actual bonus damage granted is 10%.

=== Necromancer - Harbinger ===
Harbinger is in many ways flipping Necromancer's normal gameplay on its head, with reduced durability in Shroud and the new Blight mechanic. We collected a lot of great feedback on this during Beta 1 and have identified a number of ways to improve the specialization. There was so much feedback here that we had to filter down to the most key changes that would have the biggest impact. To do this, we identified the following common pieces of important feedback from you:

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' The mechanic of draining life force to heal when in combat and not in shroud was not very clear, and felt more punishing than helpful, as it often made it difficult to accumulate Life Force to use in Shroud.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We agree, there was too much going on here, and this mechanic felt 'tacked on' with no clear purpose or synergy with the rest of the Harbinger's kit. We are cutting this element out entirely, but as this results in less healing, we're making a few related changes: Blight will reduce your max health by less (1.5% per stack, down from 2%), and the Harbinger's Heal Skill, Elixir of Promise, has had its base healing increased by about 2.5x in PvE, and will now apply Regeneration to help keep you topped off as blight stacks expire.

'''2)''' Blight, as a new mechanic, isn't meeting expectations. It should interact in some way with your skills!

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've created a new mechanic, called "Blight Threshold". Skills with this mechanic will, if you are above a certain amount of Blight stacks when you activate them, remove that amount of Blight from you but gain additional damage and effectiveness. This mechanic will be seen on Shroud 3, Shroud 4, and your Elixir skills. This relates to the next piece of key feedback we received:

'''3)''' Elixirs are boring! Press button, get boon isn't enough for the base version of the skill, even if traits do let them do more.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've redesigned the core behavior of all the Elixir skills.

They still give you boons when you activate them, but now they will do a lot more by default.

The key changes that apply on all of them:
* All elixirs are now ground-targeted skills. You will throw an elixir bottle at the targeted location, where it can affect up to 5 enemy targets in a circle of size 240.
* All elixir skills still grant you boons when you activate them- but now they also cause damage and apply conditions to enemies in the targeted area.
* They all use the new Blight Threshold mechanic- if you have enough blight, they consume some to double damage and the effect on enemies.
* If you are standing in the impact area of your own thrown elixir, you will gain more Blight back than the Blight Threshold can consume. This means you can choose to use elixirs to dump blight by throwing them away from you or generate blight by throwing them near you.
* If you use the trait Twisted Medicine, which causes your elixirs to also apply boons to allies, the ally boons are now granted in the impact area of the elixir. Since the self-generated boons are on activation of the skill, this means that you can gain boons yourself and apply boons to allies at a distance by throwing an elixir at them.
While this means there's a lot more going on with these skills, and that can get complicated, we've found from playing with these changes that they introduce an exciting level of mastery to achieve with practice and create fun opportunities to use elixirs in a variety of ways.
We've also done a lot of bug fixing and balance tuning to get Harbinger in the right spot as we get closer to the release of End of Dragons.

==== Full List of Changes to Harbinger: ====
===== Gameplay Changes: =====
* The reduction to your maximum health per stack of Blight has been reduced from 2% to 1.5%.
* Harbingers no longer passively drain Life Force to convert to health while injured and out of shroud.
* New mechanic: "Blight Threshold". Certain skills (Shroud 3, 4, and Elixir skills) will, if you are above a certain threshold of Blight, remove that much Blight but have a much stronger effect.

===== Skill and Trait Adjustments: =====
====== Pistol: ======
* {{game update icon|Vicious Shot}}: Damage coefficient increased from 0.6 to 0.65 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Weeping Shots}}: Duration of inflicted Torment decreased from 6s to 4s in PvE only.

====== Shroud: ======
* {{game update icon|Tainted Bolts}}: Damage coefficient increased from 0.45 to 0.65 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Dark Barrage}}: Duration of inflicted Torment decreased from 6s to 3s in PvE only. Recharge increased from 4s to 6s.
* {{game update icon|Devouring Cut}}: Range decreased from 900 to 600. Recharge increased from 6s to 8s in PvE only. No longer applies torment by default. Additional functionality has been added to this skill; If you are at or above the Blight Threshold (5) on use, this skill removes 5 stacks of Blight, deals double damage, and applies 5 stacks of Torment for 5s to affected targets.
* {{game update icon|Voracious Arc}}: Range decreased from 900 to 600. Additional functionality has been added to this skill; If you are at or above the Blight Threshold (10) on use, this skill removes 10 stacks of Blight, deals double damage, and applies 5 stacks of Torment for 10s to affected targets.
* {{game update icon|Voracious Arc}}: Underwater functionality has been split into a new aquatic skill, Voracious Dive. Voracious Dive will shadowstep to the targeted enemy and is not an evade. In other respects, it is similar to Voracious Arc.
* {{game update icon|Vital Draw}}: Additional work has been done on this skill to make it function consistently and hit targets as expected in the indicated area. Now if a target controlled by this skill uses a stunbreak, they will become immune to the remainder of Vital Draw's effect.

====== Elixirs: ======
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Promise}}: Base healing of this skill has been significantly increased in PvE. Now applies Regeneration (8s) to yourself on cast instead of Vigor. Is now ground-targeted; enemies in the impact area will take damage and be Poisoned (3 stacks, 5s). No longer generates Life Force. If you are in the impact area, gain 10 Blight. Blight Threshold 5: Damage and condition duration doubled.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Risk}}: Still grants Might and Fury to yourself on cast. Is now ground-targeted; damage and apply Weakness (5s) to enemies in the impact area. If you are in the impact area, gain 10 Blight. Blight Threshold 5: Damage and condition duration doubled.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Ignorance}}: Still breaks Stuns and grants Resistance to yourself on cast. Is now ground-targeted; damage and apply Blind (2s) to enemies in the impact area. If you are in the impact area, gain 10 Blight. Blight Threshold 5: Damage and condition duration doubled. Cooldown increased from 25s to 30s.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Bliss}}: Still removes conditions, generates life force for each removed condition, and grants Resolution on cast. Is now ground-targeted; damage and corrupt a boon on enemies in the impact area. If you are in the impact area, gain 10 Blight. Blight Threshold 5: Damage doubled, corrupt 2 boons instead of 1.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Anguish}}: Still grants Quickness and Swiftness to yourself on cast. Is now ground-targeted; damage and apply Cripple (5s) to enemies in the impact area. If you are in the impact area, gain 10 Blight. Blight Threshold 5: Damage and condition duration doubled.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Ambition}}: Still grants all possible boons to yourself on cast. Is now ground-targeted; damage and apply one stack of every damaging condition (Bleed, Burn, Confusion, Poison, Torment) for 5s to enemies in the impact area. If you are in the impact area, gain 15 Blight. Blight Threshold 10: Damage and condition duration doubled. Cooldown increased from 60s to 90s.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Wicked Corruption}}: Bonus strike damage per stack of Blight reduced from 1% to 0.5%.
* {{game update icon|Septic Corruption}}: Bonus condition damage per stack of Blight reduced from 1% to 0.5%.
* {{game update icon|Vile Vials}}: No longer causes elixirs to apply Slow to nearby enemies. This trait still applies Vulnerability but will do so in the targeted area of the Elixir skill, not around the caster.

====== Bug Fixes: ======
* {{game update icon|Vile Blast}}: Fixed a bug causing this skill to apply one stack of Poison in PvE instead of the intended 3.
* {{game update icon|Dark Disciple}}: Fixed a bug causing this trait to not link properly into chat.
* {{game update icon|Deathly Haste}}: Quickness granted by this trait now priorities members of your party then squad before other nearby allied players.
* {{game update icon|Deathly Haste}}: Now can grant quickness to non-player allies, such as minions. Players in your party then squad are prioritized as targets before minions, where available.
* {{game update icon|Deathly Haste}}: Fixed a bug causing this trait to not link properly into chat.
* {{game update icon|Deathly Haste}}: Fixed a bug in which the pulse of this aura effect could sometimes happen twice on entering Shroud.
* {{game update icon|Vile Vials}}: Fixed a bug causing this trait to not link properly into chat.
* {{game update icon|Septic Corruption}}: Fixed a bug causing this trait to not link properly into chat.
* {{game update icon|Implacable Foe}}: Fixed a bug causing Vitality from the Soul Reaping trait, Vital Persistence, to not be used for this trait's conversion to Ferocity.
* {{game update icon|Twisted Medicine}}: Fixed a bug causing Vitality from the Soul Reaping trait, Vital Persistence, to not be used for this trait's conversion to Concentration.
* {{game update icon|Dark Gunslinger}}: Fixed a bug causing Vitality from the Soul Reaping trait, Vital Persistence, to not be used for this trait's conversion to Expertise.
* {{game update icon|Dark Gunslinger}}: Fixed a bug causing the Vitality to Expertise percentage skill fact to not display while in PvP or WvW.
* {{game update icon|Harbinger Shroud}}: Fixed a bug in which swapping specializations while in Shroud could leave the player in a broken Shroud state.
* {{game update icon|Elixir of Ambition}}: Fixed a bug in which this skill would not activate the 6-pc bonus of Superior Rune of the Zephyrite.
* {{game update icon|Cascading Corruption}}: Fixed a bug in which the pulse of this aura effect could sometimes happen twice on entering Shroud.
* {{game update icon|Cascading Corruption}}: Fixed a bug causing this trait to not link properly into chat.
* {{game update icon|Doom Approaches}}: Fixed a bug in which the pulse of this aura effect could sometimes happen twice on entering Shroud.
* {{game update icon|Dark Barrage}}: Added missing 'Pierces' skill fact in tooltip.
* {{game update icon|Harbinger Shroud}}: No longer disables autoattack when activated or deactivated.
* {{game update icon|Vital Draw}}: Fixed a bug where hits from this skill gave 1% Life Force per target instead of the intended 3%.
* {{game update icon|Vital Draw}}: Fixed a bug where the skill facts in the tooltip indicated an incorrect amount of hits.

=== Ranger - Untamed ===
The Untamed is the first Ranger elite specialization to improve the power and utility of your pet, and it fell short of the mark. We've combed through your feedback to identify important changes to get it on track, and although it has been a very short time since it appeared in Beta 3, we've taken several steps to make significant improvements to this specialization and will continue to keep an eye on it in Beta 4.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' The Attack My Target command and the key bind for Return to Me have been removed. This made the pet feel harder to control and feel worse to play alongside than for other Ranger specializations.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've added Attack My Target and Return to Me back. By default, they'll be bound to F6 and F7, but you can change them to anything you like with the 'Profession Skill 6 and 7' key bind options.

'''2)''' The Unleashed mechanic only improves your Hammer skills, not the skills of other weapons. This feels like a punishment for not using Hammer.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' A new mechanic has been created to support all of the weapons available to the Untamed. Now, when you become Unleashed, your 1 slot skill will be replaced for a few seconds with a powerful 'Unleashed Ambush' skill. After using an Ambush, there is a cooldown before you can gain access to an Unleashed Ambush again.

'''3)''' The strong visual effect on the player when Unleashed narrows down visual customization options for your character, and makes it difficult to see the armor, outfits, dyes, or infusions you are using.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' This visual effect will now appear only when you activate Unleashed, and then fade out after about three seconds, so it will no longer always be present in combat.

==== Full List of Untamed changes: ====
====== Profession Mechanic: ======
* Unleashed Ambush skills have been added for all ranger weapons available to the untamed. These skills become available for a short duration when entering the Unleashed state, replacing the slot 1 skill. Using an unleashed ambush skill begins a shared cooldown during which these skills will be unavailable.
* {{game update icon|Unleash Ranger}}: Reduced cooldown from 10 seconds to 1 second.
* {{game update icon|Unleash Pet}}: Reduced cooldown from 10 seconds to 1 second.
* {{game update icon|Venomous Outburst}}: Increased power coefficient from 0.75 to 1.0 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Rending Vines}}: This skill is now a blast finisher. Increased power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.3 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Enveloping Haze}}: This skill no longer prevents the player's pet from moving or from using other abilities. Enveloping Haze: Increased power coefficient from 0.25 to 0.35 in PvE only.
* The unleashed visual effect on the player now fades out after about 3 seconds.

====== Hammer: ======
* {{game update icon|Overbearing Smash}}/[[Unleashed Overbearing Smash]]: The secondary strike no longer leaps in place and instead uses an animation that allows players to move freely.
* {{game update icon|Thump (untamed)}}/[[Unleashed Thump]]: This skill now leaps toward your target.
* {{game update icon|Unleashed Wild Swing}}: Increased power coefficient from 1.8 to 2.16 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Unleashed Savage Shock Wave|Unleashed Savage Shockwave}}: Increased power coefficient from 1.0 to 1.2 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Unleashed Thump}}: Increased power coefficient from 2.0 to 2.3 in PvE only.

====== Utility Skills: ======
* {{game update icon|Perilous Gift}}: This skill now heals a percentage of the player's missing health instead of draining health from their pet. The no-death buff and subsequent heal are also applied to the player's pet. This skill grants superspeed if the player is unleashed, and grants stability if the player is not unleashed.
* {{game update icon|Exploding Spores}}: This skill now inflicts Poison instead of Cripple. This skill now grants Might if the player is unleashed, and grants Protection if the player is not unleashed.
* {{game update icon|Mutate Conditions}}: This skill now breaks stuns. This skill now grants Fury if the player is unleashed, and grants Vigor if the player is not unleashed.
* {{game update icon|Unnatural Traversal}}: This skill now grants Might if the player is unleashed, and grants Regeneration if the player is not unleashed.
* {{game update icon|Nature's Binding}}: This skill now grants Quickness if the player is unleashed, and grants Resistance if the player is not unleashed.
* {{game update icon|Forest's Fortification}}: This skill now grants Superspeed if the player is unleashed, and grants Vigor if the player is not unleashed. Buffs applied by this skill are now also applied to the player's pet.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Natural Fortitude}}: This trait now causes Unleashed Ambush skills to siphon health from enemies in addition to its other effects.
* {{game update icon|Blinding Outburst}}: This trait now increases the damage of Venomous Outburst and increases the damage of Unleashed Ambush skills in addition to its other effects.
* {{game update icon|Corrupting Vines}}: This trait now causes Unleashed Ambush skills to remove boons from enemies in addition to its other effects.
* {{game update icon|Cleansing Unleash}}: This trait has switched slots with Bolstering Unleash. It now has a 10 second internal cooldown and cleanses 2 conditions instead of 1.
* {{game update icon|Nature's Shield|Bolstering Unleash}}: This trait has switched slots with Cleansing Unleash and has been renamed to Nature's Shield. It now grants barrier when using a cantrip.
* {{game update icon|Vow of the Untamed}}: This trait no longer increases incoming damage while unleashed and no longer reduces outgoing damage while your pet is unleashed.

====== Bug Fixes: ======
* {{game update icon|Nature's Binding}}: Fixed a bug where the attack radius was 225 instead of 240.
* {{game update icon|Overbearing Smash}}/[[Unleashed Overbearing Smash]]: Fixed a bug where the secondary attack could prioritize a different target than the first attack.
* {{game update icon|Overbearing Smash}}/[[Unleashed Overbearing Smash]]: Added a missing damage skill fact for the secondary attack.
* {{game update icon|Overbearing Smash}}: Fixed a bug where the daze duration skill fact was not properly updated when traited with Moment of Clarity.
* {{game update icon|Hammer Strike}}: Fixed a bug where this skill wasn't displayed in the hero panel 
* Fixed a bug where swapping the active pet through the pet management panel would fail to apply the unleashed buff to the new pet.
* Fixed a bug in which commanding the Jacaranda pet to use Photosynthesize would fail if the jacaranda was above 75% health.
 
=== Revenant - Vindicator ===
We loved seeing your excitement for the Vindicator in Beta 2! We saw a lot of excitement for the addition of Greatsword to Revenant and read a lot of excellent and productive discussion around the dodge mechanic and the Alliance Legend.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Dodge abilities either felt too weak to be effect damage dealers, or were overwhelmingly exclusive in use for healing builds, overshadowing the rest of the specialization.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've taken another look at the Vindicator's dodge mechanic and have made several changes. The pause that roots you in place at the end of the dodge has been removed, allowing you to immediately resume movement after landing. The durations and energy costs of the different Grandmaster traits' effects on your dodges have been standardized, and damage dealt increased.

'''2)''' The two sides of Alliance Legend are most useful when aligned with matching build and gear choices, and the swapping mechanic makes it difficult to use the skills you want to.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' Now when Alliance Legend is active, you have a 'F3' Alliance Tactics skill, which will toggle your Alliance Legend skills between Kurzick and Luxon skills at no energy cost, with a 10 second cooldown, to allow you to more specifically toggle skills on demand without activating that slot first.

'''3)''' The Vindicator perpetually feels like a hybrid and is difficult to specialize into a damage-dealing role.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' Several key changes have been made to allow for more focus into dealing damage. In the first trait tier, Leviathan Strength now increases your strike damage dealt by 10% whenever your Endurance is not full. Together with improvements to several key Greatsword skills, as well as adjustments throughout the traits and the Alliance Legend skills, Vindicator will be more readily able to focus into a power damage role. We will be assessing where these changes land in Beta 4, and the builds they enable, and will be ready to make additional tuning for End of Dragon's launch if needed.

==== Full List of Vindicator changes: ====
====== Profession Mechanic Changes: ======
* {{game update icon|Alliance Tactics}}: This ability has been split out from Energy Meld and now resides on the Vindicator's F3 slot only when Alliance stance is active. Cooldown is 10 seconds. Energy cost is 0.
* {{game update icon|Energy Meld}}: Energy cost reduced from 25 to 10.
* [[Dodge]]: Removed the pause at the end of the dodge. Fixed a bug that caused evasion to end before the dodge itself. These abilities are no longer affected by animation timescales.

====== Greatsword: ======
* {{game update icon|Phantom's Onslaught}}: Slightly reduced the aftercast of the attack portion of this ability so that the player can move sooner.
* {{game update icon|Imperial Guard}}: The active duration for True Strike has been increased from 3 to 4 seconds when activating Imperial Guard. Energy cost reduced from 12 to 10. Updated skill facts to indicate maximum stacks. This ability is no longer affected by slow or quickness effects.
* {{game update icon|True Strike (vindicator)}}: Increased damage per stack of Imperial Guard from 0.2 to 0.3 in PvP and WvW, 0.4 in PvE. Added a 0.25 cooldown to this ability so it's more difficult to trigger prematurely.
* {{game update icon|Eternity's Requiem}}: This ability will now target downed enemies. Updated skill facts to better indicate the skill's functionality. Decreased cast time by 20%. Increased the number of explosions from 7(random)+(3 to 7 guaranteed) to 9(random)+5(guaranteed) on nearby enemies. This ability is now a whirl finisher. Damage from this ability will now increment additively on targets instead of as multiple single strikes. Energy cost reduced from 15 to 10.

====== Utility Skills: ======
* Alliance abilities will now only switch to their opposites when Alliance Tactics is used.
* {{game update icon|Nomad's Advance}}: Recharge reduced from 10 to 3 seconds. Energy cost increased from 15 to 20. Damage has been increased from 2.5 utility modifier to 3.5 utility modifier.
* {{game update icon|Battle Dance}}: This ability now gains evasion when it first begins. Reduced start-up time by 400ms. Cooldown reduced from 10 seconds to 1. Energy cost increased from 15 to 20
* {{game update icon|Scavenger Burst|Scavenger's Burst}}: Energy cost increased from 15 to 20. Recharge reduced from 10 seconds to 3. This ability now grants Fury at the same rate as Quickness. Damage has been increased to 2.25 utility modifier in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Tree Song}}: Recharge reduced from 10 seconds to 3 seconds.
* {{game update icon|Reaver's Rage}}: This ability no longer grants Fury per target struck, but instead dazes foes affected for 1.5 seconds. Damage has been increased to 2.22 utility modifier in PvE only. This ability is now useable mid-air.
* {{game update icon|Awakening}}: Fixed a bug that caused this ability to affect a smaller area than the indicated 360 radius. This ability is now useable mid-air.
* {{game update icon|Urn of Saint Viktor}}: Energy upkeep for this ability has been reduced from -10 to -5. Health cost per second has been reduced by half.
* {{game update icon|Drop Urn of Saint Viktor}}: Recharge reduced from 2 seconds to 1 second.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Leviathan Strength}}: This trait now increases outgoing strike damage by 10% when the Vindicator's Endurance is not full.
* {{game update icon|Amnesty of Shing Jea}}: Reversed the order of boon application so that Luxon skills grant Might and Kurzick skills grant Regeneration. Both Energy Meld and Alliance Tactics grant both bonuses simultaneously, for increased effect.
* {{game update icon|Forerunner of Death}}: This trait no longer increases maximum Endurance. Damage dealt has been increased by 66% in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Vassals of the Empire}}: Impact damage for this ability has been increased by 125% in PvE only. Power coefficient reduced from 3.0 to 2.67 in PvP and WvW.
* {{game update icon|Saint of zu Heltzer}}: This trait no longer decreases maximum Endurance. Healing and barrier applied have been adjusted.

====== Bug Fixes/Other: ======
* {{game update icon|Aggressive Arrival|Aggressive Agility}}: This trait now functions with Vindicator movement skills.
* {{game update icon|Generous Abundance}}: This trait now functions with Vindicator alliance stance skills.

=== Thief - Specter ===
We saw a lot of eagerness for the addition of a support specialization to the Thief. Beta 3 generated a lot of excellent buildcraft and discussion, and we've begun tuning the Specter for an appropriate debut in End of Dragons.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Consume Shadows was causing Shadow Shroud to feel like something you should enter, and then immediately exit, to get Consume Shadows' healing effect as quickly as possible. This diminished the utility and fun of the Shroud skills themselves, as it was a strong reason to never use them.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' The maximum potential healing and barrier from Consume Shadows will now grow stronger for every second you are in Shroud, up to 5 seconds. In Shadow Shroud itself, the skill Dawn's Repose has been changed from a dash into a ground-targeted leap, to make it easier to target a specific location, and is now a leap finisher.

'''2)''' Endless Night, by affecting three targets, was creating expected gameplay of manually selecting and 'rotating' between different targets in a group, in order to sustain quickness on multiple targets. This isn't very fun to do.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We'd rather not have Specter able to strongly cover both Alacrity and Quickness for groups, and so have decided to focus on the Alacrity aspect. Endless Night has been adjusted to only target one ally. This may maintain a strong all-around support role for a focused target in certain gameplay, such as 2v2 PvP or playing with a friend in the open world, while allowing Specter to still fill healing and alacrity support roles for group play.

==== Full List of Specter changes: ====
====== Siphon: ======
* Using this skill will now stop auto-attacking, to better accommodate for traits like Hidden Thief that grant stealth.

====== Scepter: ======
* {{game update icon|Triple Bolt}}: Fixed a bug that caused this ability to be queued twice.
* {{game update icon|Shadow Sap}}: Fixed the skill fact for barrier application
* {{game update icon|Endless Night}}: The number of targets this ability affects has been reduced from 3 to 1. Slow and Quickness application has been reduced from 2 to 1.5 seconds. Fixed a bug that caused the targeted ally to not be affected when attempting to fire through multiple allies.

====== Shroud: ======
* Leaving Shadow Shroud now sets the Shadow Shroud ability on full cooldown.
* {{game update icon|Dawn's Repose}}: This ability is now a ground-targeted ability instead of a ground-targeted dash. Range has been reduced from 600 to 450, with the affected radius being reduced from 240 to 180 and Fear being reduced from 2 seconds to 1.5. This ability is now a leap finisher.
* {{game update icon|Eternal Night}}: Updated VFX slightly. Reduced aftercast.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Shadestep}}: Broken barrier will now be distributed evenly among allies affected.
* {{game update icon|Consume Shadows}}: This trait has been reworked and the maximum healing potential reduced in PvE. Activating Shadow Shroud now grants a stack of Consume Shadows, and the specter will gain a stack of Consume Shadows every second while in shroud, up to 5 stacks. When you exit Shadow Shroud, your Shadow Force is consumed, and for each stack of Consume Shadows that you have, 10% of the consumed Shadow Force is converted into healing for nearby allies. Healing past the target's maximum health will be granted as barrier.

====== Bug Fixes: ======
* {{game update icon|Lead Attacks}}: No longer reduces the cooldown of Shadow Shroud.
* {{game update icon|Siphon}}: No longer requires a pathing check in order to execute.
* {{game update icon|Twilight Combo}}: The second attack of this ability is no longer jump-cancellable. 
* {{game update icon|Haunt Shot}}: Removed the odd smoke bomb that appeared at the specter's feet. Updated the ability to fire from the character's hand instead of head.
* {{game update icon|Swindler's Equilibrium}}: Now properly recharges Siphon.
* {{game update icon|Assassin's Reward}}: Now functions correctly with Scepter abilities.
* {{game update icon|Hidden Thief}}: Stealth now activates much quicker when using Siphon.

=== Warrior - Bladesworn ===
Bladesworn premiered in Beta 2, and the unique 'Dragon Slash' mechanic sparked a lot of discussion. With this specialization, we're trying to deliver an homage to classic samurai films, in a way that adds a spectacular moment of payoff in GW2's combat. We saw it used for some truly epic moments in Beta 2 and have been collecting and iterating on feedback to ensure it'll have a role throughout GW2's game content in End of Dragons.

==== Key pieces of feedback that we identified were: ====
'''1)''' Dragon Slash is a steep commitment to execute, and it's easy to miss out on the payoff if it misses or is avoided.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' We've made several adjustments to the Dragon Trigger mechanic to make it usable in more situations, including doubling the base rate at which you gain charges, and halving the Flow cost per charge. Dragon Slash's maximum damage has been reduced appropriately. As a result of it being faster to charge, it is less of a missed opportunity when used at an inopportune time, and can be used more often and in shorter windows of vulnerability on your target, creating more moments where a well-timed Dragon Slash can be executed to strong effect.

In addition, Dragonscale Defense will now grant Stability when you enter Dragon Trigger, helping to ensure you are not easily interrupted by a disabling effect.

'''2)''' Lush Forest was creating some gameplay incentives which felt strange, such as using all ammunition skills as quickly as they could regenerate their last charge. The resulting builds, while powerful, weren't necessarily fun to play.

'''Specific changes made in response to this feedback:''' Lush Forest has been flipped around, now reducing cooldowns when you activate the first count of ammunition on a skill, rather than the last. This means that while you can trigger it most often by only using an ammunition skill when it restocks its first count, you may still dip further into a skills' ammunition count when you need to. We hope this and other related changes will create some more flexible and enjoyable builds around this trait.

==== Full List of Bladesworn changes: ====
====== Dragon Trigger: ======
* {{game update icon|Dragon Trigger}}: The rate at which you gain charges has been sped up from 0.5s per charge to 0.25s per charge. Flow cost per charge has been reduced from 10 to 5.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Trigger}}: Entering Dragon Trigger now places your Gunsaber skills on 0.5s cooldown to prevent accidental use from canceling out Dragon Trigger.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Trigger}}: Exiting Dragon Trigger after using a Dragon Slash will no longer place Sheathe Gunsaber on cooldown.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Force|Dragon Slash - Force}}: Coefficient on max charge reduced from 49.5 to 20.4 in PvE only.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Boost|Dragon Slash - Boost}}: Coefficient on max charge reduced from 39.6 to 16.3 in PvE only.{{#info:Originally, this note incorrectly belonged to ''Dragon Slash - Reach'', in order to display the in-game change properly this note has been swapped with the ''Dragon Slash - Reach'' note.}}
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Boost|Dragon Slash - Boost}}: This skill is now considered a movement skill.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Boost|Dragon Slash - Boost}}: Reduced the movement speed of this skill by 40%. Distance traveled remains the same.
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Reach|Dragon Slash - Reach}}: Coefficient on max charge reduced from 24.8 to 10.2 in PvE only.{{#info:Originally, this note incorrectly belonged to ''Dragon Slash - Boost'', in order to display the in-game change properly this note has been swapped with the ''Dragon Slash - Boost'' note.}}
* {{game update icon|Dragon Slash—Reach|Dragon Slash - Reach}}: Reduced the size of the projectile visual effect. Changed width of projectile to better match up with the visual effect.

====== Gunsaber: ======
* {{game update icon|Cyclone Trigger}}: This skill is no longer a projectile finisher.
* {{game update icon|Break Step}}: This skill is now a leap finisher.
* {{game update icon|Break Step}}: Reduced the movement speed of this skill by 40%. Distance traveled remains the same.
* {{game update icon|Break Step}}: This skill will now stop in front of your targeted opponent if you reach them before the skill ends.
* {{game update icon|Break Step}}: Radius of initial attack increased from 120 to 180.

====== Pistol: ======
* {{game update icon|Dragon's Roar}}: Pushback from using this skill is now determined by the amount of ammo expended from this skill.
* {{game update icon|Dragon's Roar}}: This skill is now considered a movement skill.

====== Utility Skills: ======
* {{game update icon|Flow Stabilizer}}: Now grants Fury when used, instead of Stability. The bonus effect is now triggered if you have Fury instead of Stability.
* {{game update icon|Signet of Fury}}: Fixed an issue where Signet of Fury granted adrenaline instead of flow when Bladesworn was also equipped.

====== Traits: ======
* {{game update icon|Fierce as Fire}}: This trait has been reworked. It now grants a stacking damage buff for each count of ammunition used.
* {{game update icon|Lush Forest}} now triggers when the first count of an ammunition skill is activated, instead of the last.
* {{game update icon|Lush Forest}} now has an internal cooldown of 1 second.
* {{game update icon|Lush Forest}} will now only recharge warrior skills, excluding Sheathe Gunsaber and Dragon Trigger.
* {{game update icon|Dragonscale Defense}}: No longer gives Protection when hit during Dragon Trigger. Instead, this trait now gives Stability when entering Dragon Trigger.
* {{game update icon|Immortal Dragon}}: Now also grants Protection per charge level gained during Dragon Trigger, in addition to its previous effects.
* {{game update icon|Unyielding Dragon}}: Now grants Might per charge level gained during Dragon Trigger, in addition to its previous effects. 
* {{game update icon|Daring Dragon}}: Now resets the cooldown of Dragonscale Defense whenever you reenter Dragon Trigger after using a Dragon Slash, in addition to its previous effects.

[[Category:November 2021 updates]]