At Launch: Weaponmaster Training

Once you’ve unlocked Weaponmaster Training in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure, you’ll be able to use elite specialization weapons without the corresponding trait line equipped. This will be the case even if you haven’t trained an elite specialization.

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Here are the weapons that will become part of each profession’s core proficiencies in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure:

Guardian: Axe (main hand), sword (off hand), longbow

Revenant: Shield (off hand), greatsword, short bow

Warrior: Dagger (main and off hand), pistol (off hand), torch (off hand)

Engineer: Mace (main hand), sword (main hand), hammer

Ranger: Dagger (main hand), hammer, staff

Thief: Scepter (main hand), rifle, staff

Elementalist: Sword (main hand), warhorn (off hand), hammer

Mesmer: Axe (main hand), dagger (main hand), shield (off hand)

Necromancer: Pistol (main hand), torch (off hand), greatsword

I find this kinda weird:

Do you have to train it in SotO (as a Mastery) or does it simply unlock/change as soon as the Expansion goes live?
Why does it allow to equip weapons from Elite Specialization without even unlocking the Elite Specialization? So you can equip them on level 1 characters, too? But doesn't this reduce the incentive to actually progress/develop a new character?

I think this should have been part of a Balance Patch and not an Expansion Feature and it should also include the Utility Skills and not just the Weapons:

Weapons and Utility Skills specific to Elite Specializations can now be equipped as soon as they are unlocked, i. e. without slotting the corresponding trait line.

This would also simplify the UI code, because it makes various checks and the disabling of skills/weapons on build/gear swap unneeded.

[–] necropola@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Oho, I just noticed that ArenaNet announced even more weapons to come later ...

Future Update: Expanded Weapon Proficiency

To round off our combat systems updates, we’re granting each profession proficiency with an additional weapon. Like we said earlier: getting to play with a new weapon and changing out your first five skills is one of the most impactful parts of an elite specialization for many players. The weapons and weapon skills we’re introducing to each profession in Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure are meant to satisfy that same itch of a new skillset—we just focused on making these weapons fit in with the existing trait lines.

This is planned for the second major release after launch (and we’re aiming to ship those major releases quarterly). We’ll have more details about the style of play associated with these weapons as we get closer to this feature shipping, and later this year we’ll have a beta for you to preview the changes. For now, here’s the lineup of who’s getting what:

Guardian: Pistol (main and off hand)

Revenant: Scepter (main hand)

Warrior: Staff

Engineer: Short bow

Ranger: Mace (main and off hand)

Thief: Axe (main hand)

Elementalist: Pistol (main hand)

Mesmer: Rifle

Necromancer: Sword (main and off hand)

[–] FoxFairline@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe they are talking about people who already have it unlocked on other characters or you can use those weapons as soon as you unlock the first trait in the elite.

[–] necropola@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

They specifically say that you can equip those weapons as as soon as you unlock Weaponmaster Training in SotO (whatever unlocking means) without training a (any?) Elite Specialization.

I don't know whether this means that you do not even need to own the corresponding Expansion. I think it's really weird.

[–] LemmyRefugee@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

They explicitly say that you don’t need other expansions, if you only want to play with those weapons. But it will NOT unlock the elite specialization. So: you want a long bow core guardian with only core game and new expansion? You can.

[–] FoxFairline@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 year ago

Hmm. Maybe that is exactly what it means and they just get rid of all requirements except having the build traits when you play with a class and unlock the Weaponmaster training.

Dunno if that will be accountwide like a mastery or if you have to play through it with every character. I think it is the former but the way they made the jade bot im not sure.