Curse

sc2071 · Aug 24, 2011, 01:11 PM // 13:11

Hi,

I'm still rather green to Guild Wars in understanding damage and such. I've been running through the original campaign with MOX and henchmen, and one thing that kind of disturbs me is that I don't really feel like the heavy-weight of the team.

So, I'd like to maximize my damage. However, I'm not sure what I should be going for single target or AoE. A single target build would be nice for taking out high priority targets (e.g. healers) quickly, allowing my henchies to just add pressure. Whereas AoE would be nice for just taking out groups quickly, but might be difficult dealing with packs with multiple healers and those that split up and relying on henchies AI to take out high priority targets for me.

I'm wondering if a single target nuker is even a valid play style for a game like Guild Wars? Perhaps, I'd be more effective disrupting and otherwise shutting down an annoying mob. But then who would kill it off?

For AoE builds, I guess I would be looking at the GWPvX site for Barrage builds. What about single target? Would that be Incendiary Arrow builds?

Thanks in advance for any help here.

Amy Awien · Aug 24, 2011, 01:48 PM // 13:48

Incendiary Arrows hits three targets (two additional target near your target) and thus hardly qualifies as 'single target' and it combines very nicely with Ignite + EBSoH, more AoE is hardly possible with Ranger skills. It could possible be used as AoE skill in a single target build, without stripping your prep as Volley and Barrage do.

Pets can hit hard these days and Volley, with Splinter Weapon on your channeling Rit hero, can add a bit of AoE spice to any beastmaster build. Might work with bow-only (single target) turrets, but it strips any preps you have on, and preps usually are what makes turrets work.

Ayano Mitsu · Aug 24, 2011, 02:13 PM // 14:13

You could try running Glass Arrows/Forked Arrow/Dual Shot/Triple Shot (Luxon skill) and bring along a hero to put Brutal Weapon on you. Loads of damage, it's a good thing this build still works in PvE

Adding Needling Shot to finish off is a good idea too.

Bristlebane · Aug 24, 2011, 02:46 PM // 14:46

Duo with a friend to buff you with Great Dwarf Weapon and combine with Barrage for avg. +40 damage/arrow. Add in Favorable Winds / Winnowing for +50 dmg/arrow. Ebon Battle Standard of Honor + "I Am the Strongest!" and we're up in avg. +85dmg/arrow.
Then of course we have Mark of Pain or Barbs to add in a bit extra as well.

scoutct6 · Aug 25, 2011, 03:30 AM // 03:30

As what Ayano Mitsu said, if you want the most damage per shot, add as much damage modifiers as you possibly can.

Personally i use a combination of, Sloth hunter's Shot, Dual Shot, Triple Shot, Glass Arrows, Favorable Winds and Conjure Lightning/Flame/Frost. Use in conjunction with a hornbow for +10% armor penetration.

On top of that, you could also invest a couple of points in air magic to inflict cracked armor for a short amount of time - to give you that extra damage.

If you set up your shots at long range with height advantage, you're basically dealing at least 100+ dmg per hit.

If you added paragon buffs such as "Go for the Eyes!", Anthem of Envy, "Find their Weakness!" the damage should be increased to 200+, with a deep wound!

Kunder · Aug 27, 2011, 03:35 AM // 03:35

For pure DPS annihilation, go R/A Death Blossom build w/ Enranged Lunge Pet. Insane damage output (especially for a ranger), both AoE and single target. Buff with Spinter Weapon and Strength of Honor, of course.

For a more conservative build, R/W Barrage w/ SY and EBSoH is fairly standard. If you still want to spike single target then you can take Triple Shot for your third PvE skill, but single target damage is mostly useless in PvE except in rare situations since clumping up just 2 foes will deal more damage to every one of them with Barrage + SW than a spike build could do individually. 2 enemies = +90 armor ignoring AoE damage per shot, 3 enemies = +140, 4 enemies = +190.

Incendiary Arrow builds are kind of interesting, but basically a nerfed version of Barrage builds due to the worse recharge on IA and the lower arrow cap. Ignite Arrows + EBSoH would do great damage if you could fire more than 3 arrows every 5s...

Just FYI, easiest way to get a rit hero (for SW) and the only way to get EBSoH is in EotN. SY requires you to go to Factions and do a decent amount of title grinding. Quickly taking the boat to Nightfall just for the initial extra heroes also isn't a bad idea.

Aviator The Hunter · Sep 15, 2011, 09:02 AM // 09:02

The Build:

-Dual Shot (Damage Spam.)
-Glass Arrows (+19 Damage + Bleed if blocked)
-Poison Tip Signet (Degen)
-Forked Arrow (Damage Spam.)
-Triple Shot (Damage Spam.)
-Epidemic (Conditions Spam.)
-I Am the Strogest (+20 Damage)
-(Any regen) (Self Heal..)

With Xandra or Razah that have Splinter Weapon, you end up like doing ~80 dmg on each foe and hitting many of them.

Using it:

Use the preparation Glass Arrows, "I Am the Strongest!" and the Poison Tip Signet . Now you have +39 Damage, Bleed if blocked and Poison

Strike the foe in the middle of the group with Forked Arrow, as the first strike, your Rt won't put Splinter on you, so don't use Triple Shot yet.

Now the foe in the middle has poison and might have bleeding if he blocked your shot. So spread this/those conditions on all the group using Epidemic. (If you have a Discord team with you, the foes will disappear one by one!)

Once you are with a Splinter Weapon , use Triple Shot and Dual Shot.

PurpleFission · Sep 30, 2011, 12:55 AM // 00:55

I have a variety of builds I typically run, but here are some of them:

1. Experts dexterity, experts focus, iAtS!, DS!, pen/sundering shot and needling.
2. Glass arrows w/ triple and dual shot
3. Prepared shot, pen/sundering shot, RtW, LR + Dwarven stability.
4. Dagger + Pet w/ RaO
5. Spear + Pet w/ RaO

imo the most effective of all of them is the daggers build, 2nd would be the spear and then the prepared shot bar.

Bad Company Sin · Oct 12, 2011, 05:44 PM // 17:44

People shouldnt worry about there DPS if using a ranger, however there are builds that do some good dps. But I personally think rangers are better with condition spamming and spreading,

R/ME
Poison tip signet
Burning Arrow[elite], or Broadhead Arrow[elite]
Epidemic

Those are three of my favorite skills when playing a ranger.

If you want DPS try something like,

IATS
Glass Arrows
EBSOH
Triple Shot
Dual shot
Needling Shot
Lightening Reflexes
and an interupt.

Aris the Accurate · Oct 24, 2011, 09:51 PM // 21:51

Quote:

People shouldnt worry about there DPS if using a ranger, however there are builds that do some good dps. But I personally think rangers are better with condition spamming and spreading

QFT.

Rangers are capable, but you would better spend your time not trying to be the hard hitter of the team.

Cuilan · Oct 24, 2011, 10:09 PM // 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bad Company Sin

People shouldnt worry about there DPS if using a ranger, however there are builds that do some good dps. But I personally think rangers are better with condition spamming and spreading,

Rangers aren't a condition spreading profession. Spamming sure, but what good are you if you're build is centered around degeneration? Why would you suggest not worrying about damage but then suggest that?

Aris the Accurate · Oct 24, 2011, 10:15 PM // 22:15

I believe he ment spreading conditions through barbed arrows/apply poison. When you bring these 2 into the mix you don't have spam anything, simply tabbing through your targets will spread the condition. It is used for (a) it's annoying (b) it covers conditions other team mates apply and is re-applied with each shot making conditions very easy to bury.

Cuilan · Oct 24, 2011, 10:19 PM // 22:19

Condition removal isn't even an issue in PvE even in areas that have condition removal. Condition burier sounds pretty poor, you'd be better off re-spamming (though attacks) better choices of conditions.

Aris the Accurate · Oct 24, 2011, 10:28 PM // 22:28

And here we have run into the reason of why rangers perform poorly i pve. Little to no choices on good attack skills causing them to optimally function in a support/saboteur type role, which serves little use because why bring a human ranger to interrupt skills when you can take (a) a hero that does it better, or (b) a class that kills things faster.