Monday, that_shaman revealed his most recent data-mining efforts, showing off three more potential legendary stances for the revenant: the dragon Glint, Shiro Tagachi, and the centaur Ventari. Of these, Shiro and Glint have been favorites of many in the community, having been practically “revealed” during the PAX South trailer. If accurate, this list would bring the known legendary stances to five. A number of key points are known regarding the decision-making process that ArenaNet developers have followed in choosing these spirits.

Early on, ArenaNet contemplated the possibility that revenants would channel moments of history. This then changed to channeling spirits tied to important moments of history. ArenaNet has stated that candidates must have a distinctive personality and that they wanted the spirits to trigger moments of nostalgia for those who had played the original game, but that the spirits had to be distinctive enough so that players who had no previous experience with the character could still appreciate their importance. It is worth noting that these historic moments are not limited to “good” ones nor do the legends powering the revenant have to be “Heroes.” In addition to the historical nature of the characters that become legendary stances, the skills revealed by the spirit must satisfy practical game mechanics. Given the generalized roles that players can assume in battle, a number of key stances are missing. While Jalis fulfills a tanking warrior role and Mallyx plays havoc with boons and conditions, Shiro Tagachi lends himself well to a close-in melee attacker. Glint, given her protector status, could easily be slotted as a support stance. Ventari, with his penchant for peace and sanctuary, is likely another supportive spirit.

Rytlock channeling Shiro Tagachi?

Shiro Tagachi of Guild Wars: Factions sits at a pivotal moment in history. After his betrayal and murder of Emperor Angsiyan in 872 AE, Shiro’s own death acted as the catalyst for the Jade Wind, which turned a huge swath of Cantha to stone. The community’s speculation along this line has relied heavily on similarities found in the PAX South trailer and the original Factions trailer. In the Factions trailer, Shiro Tagachi is seen shadow-stepping between multiple body guards cutting through them with a pair of blades before reaching the emperor. This same pattern attack, stepping invisibly between enemies, is performed by Rytlock, the first revenant, in the PAX South trailer. Shiro, as an imperial bodyguard armed with double daggers, does embody the role of melee attack and the skills used in the Factions final battle, such as Impossible Odds – which allowed for multiple strikes – or Meditation of the Reaper – allowing for damage absorption – might lend themselves to a Legendary Assassin Stance.

The dragon Glint, who was once a champion of the Elder Dragon Kralkatorrik, was granted free will by the Forgotten. She then worked in secret to combat her former master and the other elder dragons. Her actions directly impacted the first Guild Wars and she continued to play a part in the story of Destiny’s Edge and the formation of the Zephyrites. Her pivotal role throughout the history of the game is incredibly far-reaching, suggesting, in my opinion, that the Legendary Dragon Stance might be on par with the elite skills of other professions. Given her spell list during the Dragon’s Lair bonus mission, the one moment when Glint can be fought, it is easy to see her fulfilling a support role. In addition to skills such as Crystal Hibernation that granted health regeneration and Jagged Crystal Skin’s retaliation, Glint’s hex skills provided for slowed movement and loss of energy.

The final data-mined possibility is the Legendary Centaur Stance, Ventari. Like Glint, Ventari’s influence on the game’s history has been far-reaching. From the time players first met him in Prophecies, he has focused on peaceful retreat, creating first Ventari’s Refuge in the Maguuma Jungle before moving to Ventari’s sanctuary in Tarnished Coast. There, he met the human Ronan and together they planted and nurtured the seed that would become the Pale Tree. At first glance, he may seem an oddly passive spirit to draw upon. However, other centaurs in Guild Wars, namely the elementalist hero Zhed Shadowhoof, suggest that the stance may feature wards, making it a second supportive stance. Zhed’s original wards included a Ward against Melee as well as One against Foes. Given the battles we have seen in the previews, additional wards might be welcome in any battle.

Guild Wars’ lore being as incredibly deep as it is, there are bound to be other heroes awaiting legendary stance status. One other possibility could be a Legendary Golemancer Stance based on Oola, which would allow players the ability to summon golems and other constructs. The necromancer Oola is known tangentially to those who never played the original game; those mapping in Metrica Province will run across the remnants of her lab. In addition to her level of genius, Oola played a pivotal role in the Guild Wars: Eye of the North’s fight against the destroyers, thus securing her place in Tyrian history. Although her original skills were typical fare for Guild Wars necromancers, the possibility of summoning golems in battle is intriguing. In addition to sentry golems from her lab and their penchant to become hostile when approached. Oola’s Golem 1.0, which fought the destroyers, included ranged damage attacks and life stealing or transferring abilities, which mimicked its mistress’ necromancer skills.

Which legends of Tyria would you like to see? What skills might they bring to bear on the amassing Mordrem forces?