Last week, we announced our sixth expansion, Guild Wars 2®: Visions of Eternity™, and with that comes the news that elite specializations are back! Over the next three weeks, we'll be providing details on all nine elite specializations through trailers, blogs, and livestreams.
This week, we're focusing on the mesmer, ranger, and guardian! Tune in to our Twitch channel this Friday, July 25, at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) for a live preview of these elite specializations. You'll also be able to play all of the elite specializations yourself during our beta event from August 20 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7) until August 27 at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-7).
The Troubadour: Inspiring Storytellers
Since the firstborn emerged from beneath the boughs of the Pale Tree thirty-six years ago, many sylvari have taken the lesson, "Where life goes, so too, should you," to heart—traversing Tyria, battling their "inner dragons," and finding their place in the time after. These far-flung travelers have seen and done much in such a short time, and some—whether through whim or Wyld Hunt—have taken to regaling Tyrians with tales of recent famous and infamous figures, such as the cunning Dougal Keane, the fearless Almorra Soulkeeper, and even the scathing Scarlet Briar.
Now these sylvari troubadours have returned home from their time abroad to share their craft in good faith and to strengthen the bonds between their people and the rest of the Tyrian Alliance.
Troubadours spin dramatic ballads and tales as their words weave magic and music to raise allies' spirits and demoralize their foes. Their recitals can even be accompanied by illusory instruments for additional effect.
Build Up to a Crescendo
Troubadours are mesmers who seek to support their allies in battle through the power of music and the fantastical tales of Tyrian heroics. Being more aurally focused, troubadours opt to manifest their power by generating musical notes with their abilities rather than visually deceptive clones. These notes are used to extend the duration of their instrumental enchantments, allowing them to command a lasting presence in combat. Once their orchestra is in full swing, troubadours use their keynote skill, Crescendo, to swing the tide of battle with appropriate flair.
The Power of Songs and Tales
When playing as a troubadour, your shatter skills are replaced by instruments. When an instrument is played, it produces an initial magical effect. Performing with the Reverberating Lute will release waves of sonic energy, damaging enemies. Strumming the Harmonious Harp will create a healing area to provide succor to allies. After an instrument is used, it will continue playing in the background, providing bonuses to the player that can be further augmented through traits.
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, or they can invoke the story of Scarlet Briar, emulating her cruelty to debilitate their enemies. Troubadours can become a whole band on their own through the grandmaster trait Call and Response, creating an afterimage of an instrument that repeats its effect!
The Galeshot: Masters of the Wind
For over a hundred years, the tengu of the Dominion of Winds have kept their gates shut and their arrows trained on the outside world. After minions of Primordus and Jormag threatened to siege the dominion's walls in the last dragonrise, some tengu have emerged to more actively engage in Tyrian affairs and—as a rare honor—offer cultural exchanges at the behest of their royal houses. One such exchange is the honored tradition of the galeshot.
These tengu archers, skilled and oathbound to protect the royal houses, are able to summon the four cardinal winds to form a powerful cyclone bow and deliver swift justice to their foes. As contributing members of the Tyrian Alliance, the tengu now offer tutelage in these skills to willing outsiders who express interest in the galeshot craft.
Wielders of the Cyclone Bow
Galeshots are rangers and the premier archers of Tyria. Using their aptitude for nature magic, they can sculpt and command the wind at will. This power is manifested in the Cyclone Bow, a weapon that is capable of long-range devastation. The Cyclone Bow increases in strength as it's used, culminating in a powerful coup de grâce to dispatch your enemies. Learning from nature, galeshots emulate birds in the sky by employing squalls of air. They are swift and graceful to ensure advantageous positioning in battle.
Battle With Keen Sight and Unerring Aim
Galeshots are able to call upon the Cyclone Bow at will. The Cyclone Bow generates arrows over time. These arrows are a resource used to fuel its skills, such as Supersonic Arrow, a lightning-fast shot of wind that deals heavy damage to enemies it pierces.
As you use arrow-consuming skills with the bow, you progress toward enabling its finale, Hawkeye. Hawkeye locks on to your target and nearby enemies, then unleashes a hail of shredding arrows.
These archers utilize squalls to control the flow of battle. They can call upon a freezing wind to chill their projectiles, launch themselves with a whirlwind, or even summon a raging tornado. Galeshots can form a closer bond with their avian allies through traits like Flock Together, enhancing bird pets and granting quickness to allies with beast skills.
The Luminary: Protectors of the Secret Flame
In the years following the charr civil war and the scattering of Bangar's Dominion, relations between the four legions have remained steady, bolstered by events after the end of the dragon cycle. With the Flame Legion formally rejoining the legions and the Iron Legion having appointed Smodur's successor, the two legions sought to commemorate the changing times with a joint project. Thus, the luminary was born.
In a shrewd diplomatic play, the two legions have since agreed to share their combined efforts with the Tyrian Alliance and its member races in the spirit of continued collaboration in this new era.
Luminaries bear an enchanted iron brazier that sustains a powerful sacred flame. The bearer can wreathe themselves with this fire and wield a blazing arsenal of weapons against their foes while striking powerful stances mid-fray.
Harness the Radiant Shroud
Luminaries are guardians, stalwart combatants on the battlefield capable of putting out respectable damage or supporting their allies. Their brazier provides energy for the Radiant Shroud, in which they are able to wield various weapons of light and flame to adapt to the situation at hand. Luminaries also have access to stance utility skills, gaining additional tools for offense, defense, crowd control, and mobility.
Radiant Shroud is a new take on the shroud mechanic. This shroud has no limiting resource, allowing players to always enter when the shroud is not on cooldown. While in radiant shroud, your weapon skills are replaced with five new skills: a basic attack in the first slot and four radiant weapon skills in the second through fifth slots.
Illuminating Weaponry
Using a radiant weapon skill will equip that weapon while performing an initial attack and then flip over into the weapon's additional skill. The luminary's Grandmaster minor trait, Radiant Armaments, grants a unique passive bonus based on the equipped weapon, which lingers for a bit after exiting shroud.
Luminaries looking to maximize their outgoing damage may want to use the hammer right before exiting to take advantage of its bonus damage passive, while those who need to support their allies might prefer to end on staff to gain access to its increased outgoing healing. Players are free to use all four weapons while in shroud, but there is a tradeoff: the recharge time of Radiant Shroud will increase for each weapon used beyond the first.
What's Next?
We hope you've enjoyed our first of three elite specialization previews. We'll be back next week with details on the next three—and don't forget to tune in to our Twitch channel this Friday, July 25, at 12:00pm Pacific Time (UTC-7) for a closer look at the troubadour, galeshot, and luminary!