Forum post

wilykcat

I like the forums. I am writing this suggestion about a new weapon skill line that involves a two handed melee staff. The bō staff skill line. It's a combat skill line that involves using a staff to fight enemies without it being a ranged dps attack. In guild wars 2 there are several weapon skills that involve melee staff fighting. It's basically whacking enemies with sticks.
(Image from 2022)

Ability 1: This is the basic attack when a character swings the staff very fast around hitting enemies with either end of the staff
Ability 2: The knockdown sweep, when a character swings the staff aiming for the legs and knees of the enemy. Sweeps the staff around knocking down the enemy. The enemy gets knocked back as well
Ability 3: Another attack that hits multiple enemies. This attack will be based off of several bo staff kata
Lots of these abilities will involve some acrobatic tricks too.

Idea number 3: Add in a double jump. When hitting the space-bar twice on a computer keyboard a character will double jump. This means a character will jump twice as high, far, and/or do a random flip in the air. When moving backwards a character will do a back flip. When sprinting a character will do multiple flips and then cartwheels while about to land. These animations can be used in combat and when dodging too. Or maybe cartwheels should be a new emote.

These are still developing ideas. I will add on more to this later.

El_Borracho

tsaescishoeshiner

There are some animations like this already*—Relequen uses those cool lightning staff spins and slams.

Cool thing about this skill like is it wouldn't require new motifs necessarily.

I would like to slap enemies with the Assassin's League staff. Just saying.

Vaqual

If they release staves they should really come in a bundle with other polearms, like 2h has Greatsword, Greataxe and Maul. Polearms could be Spears, Halberds and Staves and they would have the same kind of minute benefits, e.g. Halberd has more Penetration, Spear maybe another 2m range or so. The look of the skills would then have to be a kind of one-size-fits all.

I don't think the flashy artistic aspect that you suggest is something that should be coupled to the weapon and could rather be placed in some kind of acrobatics skill line, for which I have not seen high demand.

They could ease into the system by saying if you got a staff drop from a dungeon you can modify it into a polearm weapon that keeps the set bonus on a special armory guy and that way the loot tables could stay untouched. They would be able to start off with one or a few base skins. Introduction and unlocks for further skins could be implemented in whichever way they deem economic (achievements, crown store, that same armory guy sells them or just standard sources for motif pages).

They could justify it by saying: "Oh, polearms are a commoners weapon, they can not be found in dungeon chests". World drops could be the same few very basic (racial) styles. For crafting they can just add the slot, the UI is anyway expandable, as style mats are showing.

bar_boss_A

also dreaming about a spear/staff melee skill line. Or even a class passive which would allow that. Lightning staff templer is weak and shoots lightning orbs as light attacks which is a turn off. I'm enjoying froststaff tanking because it gives the closest resemblance to a spear combat.

reazea

As of U5 templars already use a stave as a spear for melee. (sorry, couldn't resist )

SandandStars

It looks more like a clam-digging shovel.

Tommy_The_Gun

When it comes to Combat Staff or Quarter staff or Polearm like Spear weapon I had some ideas in the past how something like this could work:

1. Two type of weapons, Spear and Combat Staff.
2. Both weapons will be 2 handed, crafted at Woodworking station.
3. All two weapons will be melee weapon.
4. Skill line will be hybrid, with some skills costing stamina and some costing magicka.
5. Spear will be better suited for stamina builds.
6. Combat Staff will be better suited for magicka builds (mystic monk - style weapon).
7. It will be possible to use Spear on magicka & Combat Staff on stamina builds but it will be less effective.
8. Passives will provide bonus to Weapon Critical Chance % and Physical Penetration, when using Spear, and Spell Critical Chance % and Spell Penetration when using Combat Staff.
9. All skills will have magicka & stamina morphs.

Visual: Since adding tons of new models for existing styles can be problematic, models can be designed ine the following way:

- Spear can use staff "shaft" with "dagger" model at the end.
- Combat Staff can use staff "shaft" but could have staff decorative end on both sides of the staff, or alternatively it can use "hammer" / "mace" visual model at both ends of the staff.

Skills: Well I only have a short concept of how the skill could be designed:

Skill 1 - (Stamina) Single target skill, can be used as a spamable.
Skill 2 - (Stamina) Single target skill with execute.
Skill 3 - (Magicka) AOE, melee attack.
Skill 4 - (Stamina) Charged melee attack with cast time.
Skill 5 - (Magicka) Buff, utility skill, heal.

Now keep in mind, all skill will have magicka & stamina morphs. The one I wrote are only for the base morph.

Ultimate skill: Now here is where its gets interesting. I was trying to think, what could be a unique ultimate for this weapon skill line... And then I asked myself... what if you could actually be able to throw your Spear/Staff ?

So it could work like this:
When you press Ultimate button, you have to pick a AOE target (yes it will be ranged ability), similar to Caltrops or Volley. When you use it, your character will actually throw your Polearm weapon at that spot (but don't worry, you will still have it in your inventory equipped and you wont lose any weapon & spell dmg bonus that equipped weapon provides).
Targets in the AOE circle will receive initial hit AOE dmg and as long as they are in the circle the will receive dmg over time.

Now here is the best part:
In order to be able to use any Polearm skill or light / heavy attack, after you throw your weapon, you will actually have to get your spear back (walk near it) or wait for the Ultimate to expire. Alternatively you will be able to bar swap and simply wait till ultimate will expire and the weapon will comeback to you.
I was also thinking of making use of Synergy button to pick up Spear (this could potentially make another AOE dmg circle, the moment you pick it up).