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The original was posted on /r/guildwars2 by /u/PseudoOAlias on 2024-09-11 21:39:59+00:00.

Hey it's Pseudo! (That one guy who keeps Banging-on about Bladesworn.) I can't help it, Gunsaber is literally the loudest thing in existence. People often ask me (or at least I imagine they do:) "Well then, if you're so smart, What would you do for a Bladesworn Rework?" To which I usually answer either: a) "Revert it to the way it was on-launch (minus some of the Stability and Tactical Reload being Stupidly OP.)" or b) "I'm not a designer. ANet's Smart, they'll figure it out if it's in the cards." Both answers I'm sure people find equally as unhelpful.

You, me, and the still bugged Dragon Trigger UI h(c)ope that, one day, a rework is coming. So why not use some of the 'tech' that ArenaNet developed for this expansion in the coolest way possible: To Fix most of Bladesworn, combine some of it's redundant systems, and turn it into the ultimate weeb-samurai that we all secretly want it to be! Feel free to skip to telling me I'm an idiot in the comments, but for those who like words here's some:

However, while I am still a huge fan of Option a), mostly to save on dev resources, I'd like to put forth some ideas I've had kicking around in my head for a "Light" (Semi-Complicated) Rework of Bladesworn to make it:

1. More differentiated from the other Warrior Specializations.

2. Play/Flow better in terms of play/counter-play for you AND your opponent.

And most importantly: 3) Minimize the redundancy of competing systems on the Specialization.

*HUGE Disclaimer: This is a fairly Heavy Class Rework. So open your mind, or start typing your angry comments now before you read further.

TL;DR :: Upon Speccing the 1st (optional) Grandmaster Trait: Do Away with Bladesworn "ammunition" costs on the base Gunsaber. Implement a 3-step linked chain for Gunsaber Skills 2-5, similar to Thief spear Skills 2+3. Have every GS skill, except for Gunsaber auto attacks, cost' a set number of loaded "Bullets" to use. Have F2 still load bullets over time. Move Dragon Trigger to the Elite Skill.

Class Problems this Aims to Solve:

While I have a much more detailed 1,000+ Hour Write-Up on it, the TL;DR On Bladesworn's Major Problems Right Now are: (Mostly in PvP + WvW, but some are finally leaking in to PvE)

1. It's Broken | Like actually, not "OP Broken." Many of the Traits and Skills just flat-out don't work, whether it's on Warrior or the Bladesworn kit in-general.

2. It has ~7 Different Specialization "Systems" on it. | Each pulling it in a different direction, many of which do "1 Thing" and are otherwise unused. (e.g. Ammunition, Gunsaber's Identity, Flow, Dragonslash "Bullets," Explosions, etc.)

3. Despite all of these competing systems, and it's rather involved lore-implications Bladesworn has basically no class flavor/identity in any game mode. Relegating 99% of it's Power Budget aka "Carnival Tickets" to hitting with Dragon Trigger 1 (in PvE) and spamming the Trait [Unshakable Mountain] + [Tactical Reload] which gives you basically infinity barrier (in PvP,) but which incentivizes you to just "Stay at your last charge and Spam Skills" -- A Playstyle ArenaNet already claimed they wanted to do away with when they changed [Lush Forest] to function on the First, instead of the Last, Ammunition Charge used.) Lastly it's identity+presence in WvW is non-existent because as it turns out, self-cc-ing yourself to the ground and not being able to turn or move in game mode that's basically open-world PvP is kinda awful.

Major Caveats to This Rework:

There are 4 Major Caveats to keep in mind when Proposing Such a Rework:

1. Numbers (be they Damage, Cooldown, Range, Casting Time, etc.) Can always be adjusted. So can conditions/durations. - This is one of the main "levers" of Balance. So if you see a number on here, just think of this as a "placeholder" for you to insert whatever number you think would be fair in Game Mode X for example.

2. The Meme that "All Warrior Players are Unga-Bunga Power-Melee Monkeys: Makes it very difficult to get any kind of actual interesting design discussion going around the class. And while many of us (myself included) do enjoy "Big Number Go Wack" this is a proposal to perhaps appeal to those of us who would like to diversify our diet away from Vanilla White Bread absolutely "ALL" of the time.

3. This is simply a "What I would do" in an ideal world given infinite development budget + time, that did not detract from anything else example." Again I'm still a HUGE fan of "Option a)" where ArenaNet just reverts basically everything on Bladesworn to how it was on launch, and then balances from there. -- This would fix most* of the problems outlined in I. & II. as many of Bladesworn's skills and Systems only broke' after post-launch tweaking. But as many warrior players, myself included, have been pleading for something more complex than Vanilla "Unga-Bunga Melee Damage" this is what I would do. And besides, balance spitballing is fun. :D

4. Most* (if not all) of this rework Supposes Taking an OPTIONAL Trait in the Grandmaster line I'm throwing in the [Immortal Dragon] slot (which is itself Redundant, Bad, and Basically Unused,) that I'm Calling: "[Advanced Dragunner]." -- This is done mainly because I know there's probably *some Bladesworn out there that Enjoys the state that the Specialization is in right now. And the last thing that I would like to do is take away their playstyle that they've built up knowledge of, as when [Daring Dragon] was rug-pulled under myself (and many others) after I/they had spent over a year devising one of the most fun playstyles I've ever found in Guild Wars 2, just because the Community at-large thought it was bad just because it was different.

----- So Here's the More Detailed Version of my Infinite-Money "The Sky's The Limit" Bladesworn Rework: -----

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Advanced Dragunner] : Alter Gunsaber and Dragon Trigger Ammunition Skills to Chain Skills. "Bullets" Loaded in to Bladesworn via Converting Flow Charges [F2] are Semi-Permanent Until Consumed. [Tactical Reload] becomes [Dragon Trigger Stance] instead. Chain Skills now each consume X# of Bullets' to use.

*Except, without an initiative system wouldn't that make Gunsaber super OP? Here's the thing: Gunsaber already has an initiative system. They just did t finish implementing it, and it's right here.

Gunsaber 2-5 [AD] Versions:

*As with Thief Spear 2 & 3 Skills, Gunsaber 2-5 Now all "Flip Over" when using a Previous version. Each 2-5 Skill has 3 Versions, that all share theming on each button: (e.g. Button 2 is always Ranged Damage') but each gets progressively stronger the further in the chain they are used. ~~~Unlike Thief, Missing with a prior skill in a chain' does not reset the status of the chain.~~~ Chains are reset upon completion, when another Gunsaber Skill has not been used for 3 seconds, or when moving out of combat. >> This incentives chaining together successively stronger and stronger skills, but does not allow you to "chamber" or "save" the more powerful versions outside of a combo string. Each use of any Skill in a 2-5 Chain Consumes 1-2 Bullets. The Current: Dragon Trigger Stance (F2) charges "loads" bullets from flow and remains, itself, otherwise unchanged. Bladesworns Revert to 5/10 Bullets' when out of combat.

Sample Skill Descriptions:

GS Skill 2 (Ranged Damage): Chain 1: Shoot a Bullet that Explodes, Chain 2: Hurl a Piercing Bullet that explodes on all targets - *Think Revenant Short Bow, Chain 3: Throw a Slash (Dragon Trigger 3 Animation) that does more Damage the Further a Target is from you.

GS Skill 3 (CC): C1: Sweep a 450 aoe cone that hits with multiple explosions and Cripples, C2: Cone 1/2s Dazes, C3: Cone Dazes and Immobilizes for 1s.

GS Skill 4 (Defensive): C1: Whirl and Block All Projectiles, C2: Whirl, Apply Aegis and Reflect Projectiles, C3: Whirl Apply Aegis, Reflect Projectiles and Gain 2s of Stability.

GS Skill 5 (Movement): C1: Dash forward 300 Range damaging enemies along your path, C2: Lunge forward 450 Range damaging enemies along your path, C3: Explode forward 600 Range (think Rocket Boots Lift) leaving Explosions along your path.

[Dragon Trigger] -- Consumes ALL Bullets, refunds 1/3 of any consumed, after a Dragon Slash is Cast; Scales it's damage with Bullets Consumed. (10s CD)

Global Bladesworn Changes this would Also Need:

1. Fix Literally all of the other Bugs outlined here, and previously.

2. Remove the Delay on Dragon Trigger -- Boost. Make it do less damage for PvP or have a smaller AoE if need-be.

3. Change Unshakable Mountain to give 200 barrier on the use of any ammunition skill, (instead of the insane 800 on final charge use,') or 500 on completing a final chain attack.

4. Give Bladesworn it's other Burst Skill' Back (but with Flow Costs instead of Adrenaline). Make these only accessible when in the corresponding weapon.

Well that's pretty much it. I've run this idea by a fair number of both warrior/non-...

Content cut off. Read original on https://old.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/1felyee/thiefs_new_spear_chaintech_is_perfect_for_a/

Phillip Horton confirms on X the list of rookies who will run in Abu Dhabu FP1:

• Jake Dennis (RB car 1) [currently FE champion + RBR sim]
• Isack Hadjar (RB car 2) [F2]
• Frederik Vesti (Merc) [F2]
• Robert Shwartzman (Ferrari) [GT racing]
• Jack Doohan (Alpine) [F2]
• Pato O’Ward (McLaren) [IndyCar]
• Felipe Drugovich (AM) [AM reserve]
• Theo Pourchaire (AR) [F2]
• Oliver Bearman (Haas) [F2]
• Zak O’Sullivan (Williams) [F3]

I noted the driver's current role in brackets, of course Drugovich et. al. have had other roles/success earlier.

AlphaTauri will not run a rookie, they have already run rookies in both cars this year (de Vries & Lawson in car 1 throughout, Isack Hadjar in car 2 in Mexico).