In this article of The Scrying Pool, Mattsta speculates about the Guardian specialization coming in Heart of Thorns.

The next skill is the new spirit weapon that takes advantage of one of the new mechanics coming in Heart of Thorns: cascading.

Staff of Courage -- Cascades out in all directions granting protection to allies and dealing damage to enemies. Longer duration and higher damage to farther targets. When Commanded: Heal allies in a cascade from around the staff, healing for more the farther from the staff allies are. (Utility Type: Spirit Weapon | Replaces Sword of Justice)

The Staff of Courage continues the trend of keeping the Cleric at ranged and giving more support to players the farther away from the staff (which follows the Cleric) the player is. This along with Righteous Holding also give the Cleric some more ranged options in terms of damage, with staff focusing more on keeping the enemies at ranged.

To help keep enemies at range we come to the new meditation and signet skills.

Judge’s Clarity -- Cripple nearby targets before shadowstepping away from the target. (Utility Type: Meditation | Replaces Judge’s Intervention)

Signet of Duty -- Passive: Grants a 25% increase in movement speed. Active: Give swiftness to self and nearby allies. (Utility Type: Signet | Replaces Signet of Wrath)

Judge’s Clarity is another inverse of the skill it is replacing as well as another example of supporting by inflicting the enemy. While Judge’s Intervention teleports the player to their target, Judge’s Clarity will teleport them directly away from the target while also crippling nearby targets. This creates range for the Cleric while also helping keep that range thanks to the cripple.

Signet of Duty gives the Cleric a passive movement speed increase, something that many of the professions have but Guardian was missing. Activating the signet will spread the wealth and give swiftness to the Cleric and surrounding allies.

With Signet of Duty, it looks like Clerics won’t will need that pesky “Retreat!”

“Dodge!” -- Grant vigor to yourself and allies. Breaks Stun on anyone affected. (Utility Type: Shout | Replaces “Retreat!”)

The last of the skills I’ll bring forth for the Cleric is “Dodge!” which supports players by helping them get out of the way. Shouts are limiting in that to make sense they have to be a pbAoE, which breaks our goal of being a ranged support. It does however still fit that support role and, thanks to it breaking stun and helping your dodge refill, can be a good method of escaping any danger that gets too close.

This skill also does something that is not currently in the game that I hope to see in Heart of Thorns, and not only with the Cleric. Stun breaks currently are all selfish, only affecting the player that casts them. Even skills that will grant stability to other players will not break stuns, as stability only prevents future stuns and does not break people out of currently applied stuns. “Dodge!” will not apply stability, but will break nearby players out of stun and give them vigor so that they will hopefully be able to dodge any incoming attacks.

Plus, how cool would it be to hear your character yelling at people to dodge?

Matt "Mattsta" Adams wants to know more about Map Bonuses.

Continuing off last week's dungeon collection progress, I have since completed Caudecus's Manor! Soon I will start running Ascalon Catacombs to work on that dungeon while I continue working on finishing Honor of the Waves via the PvP reward tracks. I also have all of the Ambrite recipes and the fossils to make them, but am missing the T6 wood to finish crafting the last four weapons of the set. What are you currently working on while we wait for Heart of Thorns?

If you have a question for me or a topic you would like to see talked about here, leave a comment below. You can also tweet your question and topics to me on twitter @MattstaNinja. Also, check out my site Mattsta.Ninja that focuses on guides and more for Guild Wars 2.