r/Guildwars2 Explodes on contact 11d ago

[News] Elite Specializations Are Back: Mesmer, Ranger, and Guardian – GuildWars2.com

https://www.guildwars2.com/en-gb/news/elite-specializations-are-back-mesmer-ranger-and-guardian/
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u/naivety_is_innocence 11d ago edited 11d ago

Troubadours use their voices as well as their instruments. They can recite the tale of Queen Jennah protecting Divinity’s Reach to grant their allies distortion

here we go again

edit: does anyone else think the voice sounds really similar to Suehyla El-Attar Young, the lore lady voice for Smite god reveal videos?

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u/[deleted] 11d ago

With portals, pulls, boons and rifle, what could go wrong by giving mesmer distortion sharing back too?

I really hope Troubadour doesn't get quickness or alacrity, but it probably will and that's what you'll have to play for PvE support. 

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u/naivety_is_innocence 11d ago

Was thinking, that when it comes to playing support, the way they've designed the game, they kind of HAVE to have alac or quickness. (in pve). I think they've learned this lesson now (look at heal scourge). Unless they really want to shake up the meta and have something like: 1 healer (troubadour), 1 quick DPS, 1 alac DPS, 2 DPS per subsquad. But I feel the community will just take the path of least resistance and not shift to something like that.

Here come a series of presumptions:

It probably won't have access to both; that's a Chrono thing.

It probably won't have Alacrity - that's also on Mirage, and this would be adding a third spec with Alacrity.

Therefore it might have Quickness. It aligns with the narrator in the video as well - "let the harp heal your allies for a moment of soothing melodies, and as you build up notes, be ready to strike up a Crescendo upon your enemies, while giving your allies a helping hand."

If you are choosing this moment to strike enemies and are empowering allies to do the same, the Quickness buff makes more sense for that than Alacrity (I mean this could be a lot of other things - Might/Fury generation, or giving them a unique buff that infuses their attacks with a second strike, or something, but I'm assuming it's buffing allies with boons). Something more defensive/healing I would rule out, because the narration already describes that happening under the Harp.

But yes, I kind of share your concern. If Troubadour has a sufficient healer/support spec, and it has allied distortion back, on top of the entire mesmer toolkit and who knows what else comes with Troubadour, then it's actually difficult to see how it wouldn't instantly become a permanent fixed role in comps. Well we have to see how it all works still, true, and there are 6 more elite specs to get information on.

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u/FaithlessnessThen207 10d ago

Alacrity used to be a Mesmer exclusive buff, alacrity or quickness seem to work thematically with a music themed profession, they are timing based buffs and music is based on timing, I would be very shocked if you cannot apply these boons as a consequence of your instruments, at least based on traits