Curse

kolpo · Jan 11, 2012, 12:39 AM // 00:39

Hello I just started playing guild wars again. I want to play a ranger that fights together with his pet, preferable with a bow but other weapons(or even skills from other classes) are also oke.

How should I spend my attributes points? Beast mastery and some expertise seem to be critical for this type of build, is that true?

BTW: I shall mostly solo with henchmen

Ov3r Th3r3 · Jan 11, 2012, 01:48 AM // 01:48

I don't have a build or anything, but i use a pet build that spams enraging and dagger skilz to destroy(i think its on pvx). if you a simple +3+1 headpiece of beastmastry it will be fine, and some daggers of course

Wenspire · Jan 11, 2012, 02:22 AM // 02:22

Depending on what skills you will be using (EN cost), you can figure out the breakpoint for Expertise (e.g. 5EN = 2EN with 13 in Expertise, etc) and decide how many points you want to invest as well as choose the type of runes to use. Since you mentioned bow use, you could easily get away with running two Major runes without much detriment or possibly even higher.

Amy Awien · Jan 11, 2012, 05:30 AM // 05:30

Expertise is critical for any Ranger build.

Beastmastery and Expertise, and if you use a weapon, the attribute for that weapon. Expertise @13 for if you use 5E ranger or attack skills frequently, or @14 (possibly 12) when you use 10E skills, like brutal strike, frequently. You can find a table with breakpoints on GuildWiki

Relyk · Jan 11, 2012, 08:23 AM // 08:23

if you're using a bow, you can use 11+1+1 exp, 11+1 mark, 8+1 beast. Use a major rune to reach 14 expertise breakpoint for 10 energy skills if needed. When you are using other weapons, you can't really reach the 13 expertise breakpoint and either want to go for the 8 breakpoint for 5 energy skills or 9 for 10 energy skills. This shouldn't be a problem anyways since you can use Zealous mod with any weapon and use skills to help manage energy. Your spread would either be 12, 10+1+1 beast, 8(+1) or 11, 11+1+1 beast, 8(+1). Generally you should go with 12 in your main weapon and use a major rune for any more Beast Mastery.

Kendil · Jan 11, 2012, 03:04 PM // 15:04

As the previous posters have already answered your question I just have to ask; why play with henchmen when there's heroes?

Bristlebane · Jan 11, 2012, 05:49 PM // 17:49

Sometimes heroes are worse than hench, for example if he haven't unlocked enough skills yet to make some good builds.

Fay Vert · Jan 11, 2012, 09:54 PM // 21:54

Thata is tha lamest excuse I have ever heard! Pretty much the easiest thing to do in GW is unlock a skill.

Xsiriss · Jan 11, 2012, 10:15 PM // 22:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fay Vert

Thata is tha lamest excuse I have ever heard! Pretty much the easiest thing to do in GW is unlock a skill.

Unlocking all the decent elites and necessary component skills (especially to fit in with the current meta) is not easy. Furthermore gearing up heroes (with survivor insignias at 1.5k each and minor vigor runes at 4k+) gets very expensive. Think before you speak.

Anyway if you want to fight WITH your pet going a 12/12/12 split (ignoring wilderness survival) is probably the best idea. Never Rampage Alone! Is a key skill to have, decent unstrippable IAS, but for whole build ideas look at pvx wiki rather than being lazy and asking for it.

kolpo · Jan 11, 2012, 11:39 PM // 23:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kendil

As the previous posters have already answered your question I just have to ask; why play with henchmen when there's heroes?

Because those require expansions, I don't have any, only the game guild wars itself.

edit: Skill builds are something I shall worry about later, first do I want to acquire many bow/beast skills and try them out.

Kunder · Jan 12, 2012, 12:21 AM // 00:21

The only major thing is meeting Expertise breakpoints for energy. Everything else is going to be -1 damage in one place, +1 damage in another for the most part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xsiriss

Unlocking all the decent elites and necessary component skills (especially to fit in with the current meta) is not easy. Furthermore gearing up heroes (with survivor insignias at 1.5k each and minor vigor runes at 4k+) gets very expensive. Think before you speak.

Heroes generally come with skills on part with hench builds, minus the elite. With hero skill points you get more than enough skills to round out and beat even the better hench builds.

Henchmen have no runes or insignia at all. The benefits are also incredibly minimal. Anyone wasting money on gearing up heroes is stupid (at least, unless they are rich). Even as a player definitely on the high end of the guild wars economy scale the most I will bother to put on 95% of heroes is a sup rune.

Relyk · Jan 12, 2012, 12:51 AM // 00:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kunder

Henchmen have no runes or insignia at all. The benefits are also incredibly minimal. Anyone wasting money on gearing up heroes is stupid (at least, unless they are rich). Even as a player definitely on the high end of the guild wars economy scale the most I will bother to put on 95% of heroes is a sup rune.

That's a dumb comment. If you are going to use heroes seriously, every single weapon, rune, and insignia you add has a collective benefit.

Kunder · Jan 12, 2012, 01:04 AM // 01:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Relyk

That's a dumb comment. If you are going to use heroes seriously, every single weapon, rune, and insignia you add has a collective benefit.

Compared to henchmen, you need to add nothing to stay on par because henchmen have nothing.

Insignia add nothing if your heroes aren't dying (mine aren't), and even then almost always add nothing because if you die in PvE its from massive overkill. Runes add almost nothing, at most 5% that has almost no practical usage. Weapons I get free through /bonus, and enough random crap drops such that I would probably have the same stuff in 5 mins if I made the effort to pick it up.

Fay Vert · Jan 12, 2012, 08:20 PM // 20:20

Adding a skill to a character can cost a fair bit for but you can unlock every skill in the game for free. Not that you need to.

You can get a full team of heroes up to a pretty high level (certainly way better than hench) very cheaply immediately or for free by playing. You can get a hero team up to be at least better than hench for free almost immediately.

There is no excuse to not having heroes in play and having to use hench.

Haggis of Doom · Jan 12, 2012, 08:27 PM // 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fay Vert

There is no excuse to not having heroes in play and having to use hench.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kolpo

Because those require expansions, I don't have any, only the game guild wars itself.

The OP has a more than valid reason, so how about we drop that issue in this thread?

Wenspire · Jan 12, 2012, 11:23 PM // 23:23

@kolpo Just some friendly advice... since I assume you only have Prophecies (unless it's Factions, in which disregard this), things will be boring and slow for a long time; it's mainly story-driven in the beginning areas. Just tough it out and the pace picks up in the middle and things will get much more interesting.

Fay Vert · Jan 13, 2012, 11:23 PM // 23:23

@Haggis of Doom

The comments about heroes are directed at Bristlebane and Xsiriss not OP. The information about Proph only came after those coments.

Try to keep up with the thread.

Bristlebane · Jan 14, 2012, 11:47 AM // 11:47

Fay just drop it and stay on topic.

Fay Vert · Jan 14, 2012, 01:30 PM // 13:30

rofl I thought I was responding to discussion points aimed directly at me by a number of people, including you, on a sub-topic started by you. Sorry you don't like where this has gone; consider it dropped.

kolpo · Jan 15, 2012, 09:42 PM // 21:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wenspire

@kolpo Just some friendly advice... since I assume you only have Prophecies (unless it's Factions, in which disregard this), things will be boring and slow for a long time; it's mainly story-driven in the beginning areas. Just tough it out and the pace picks up in the middle and things will get much more interesting.

Yes, I'm now in Northern Shiverpeaks and I like it way more then the previous area, the monsters and landscape look much better then in Ascalon.