Curse

Corpus Vitalis · Oct 21, 2010, 12:27 AM // 00:27

Alright, recently I was looking at Ranger Elites(thinking of making a Ranger) and came across Broad-Head Arrow. Seeing how at 16 Marksmanship it has a Daze Length of 21 seconds I was fiddling around making a build for a support ranger. As for the build, it's a rough sketch, but any input in appreciated.

R/Me
Marksmanship--16
Expertise/ Wild. Survival--split these depending on your area

Broad-Head Arrow (E)- for that nasty 21 sec long Daze
Pin Down- to set up for an AoE hero/character
Hunter's Shot- some degen and a cover condition
Epidemic-the skill that would make all this work
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional

Some skills for use in the option slot (just some vague ideas here) could be Poison Arrow(more degen, cover conditions), Throw Dirt(blind any melee charging up to you), Distracting Shot( for even more interrupts), Seeking Arrows (in case you run across some pesky form of blocking).

So basically, if you run through an area with large caster mobs ( Like Slaver's Exile or DoA) you could, with some practice, Daze all the casters and cripple them so a caster could nuke them while another Damage dealing character makes use of that "Easily Interruptable" portion of the Daze(not sure if ele damage or a necro/mesmer can interrupt with damage from spells). It seems like a good idea in theory, but I would love some feedback before wasting time for on a build that won't work. Thanks!

Luminarus · Oct 21, 2010, 12:40 AM // 00:40

You cant run Poison Arrow and BHA as both are elite. D-Shot is useless on a dazed target because it will only rupt em, ur better off with savage.

If your running that, run volley since youve got aoe daze youll then get aoe interupts. BTW, daze only interupts on attacks, so nukes wont do that, but volley will.

As to whether this is a good build or not, its one of the better shutdown ranger builds available atm, however id rather run something that blows crap up. Also, technibabble will get you your aoe daze.

DeanBB · Oct 21, 2010, 01:03 AM // 01:03

I'd take something like Read the Wind to offset the slow arrow. You can also extend the condition length with a Silencing bow string. There is a poison signet that you can use to add that condition, if desired.

FoxBat · Oct 21, 2010, 02:44 AM // 02:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeanBB

I'd take something like Read the Wind to offset the slow arrow.

Nothing can speed up the broadhead arrow, aside from closing distance.

Chthon · Oct 21, 2010, 03:19 AM // 03:19

Broadhepidemic is a relatively old build.

It's not awful, but it suffers from at least 3 major weaknesses:
1. The range on Epidemic is small.
2. Dazed, by itself, is not generally valuable enough in PvE to dedicate a party member's elite and secondary to.
3. FD mesmer does it better.

Corpus Vitalis · Oct 21, 2010, 03:27 AM // 03:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luminarus

You cant run Poison Arrow and BHA as both are elite.
Also, technibabble will get you your aoe daze.

As for Poison Arrow, I meant Apply Poison sorry
Technobabble on gives a short daze, the reason I ad thought about BHA was because it has and extremely long Daze.

DeanBB- I just got a silencing bowstring from a gold drop today and had forgotten they existed, thanks for the advice. And as for Poison Tip Signet, it's a one time poison effect versus something like Apply poison where it could be re-applied in case of heavy-ish condition removal.

Chthnon- Is this an old build? I had never heard anything about it before. And in a place like-- Urgoz/(never been to the Deep yet)/DoA/some UW areas/some FoW areas where you have lots of casters putting pressure on the monks(in a balanced team), it seems like this might be something to help take some of that pressure off. And the build wouldn't only be dazed, you could use Pin Down and set the casters up for Mesmer/Necro/Ele spikes.

WhiteAsIce · Oct 21, 2010, 06:25 AM // 06:25

You shouldn't need something to be Dazed that long. You should kill a foe by the time the Dazed from TB wears off. TB is all you need for Dazed. Use a Silencing bow, and it lasts 7 seconds. If energy is a problem, run Scavenger's Focus and Volley.
And yes, Broad Head Epidemic is as old as Factions. It was even created before Factions was released when people found out what the skill did.
The name of the game in PvE is massive damage. Don't worry about conditions or degen. You should aim to be doing as much damage as you can in as little time as possible.

Corpus Vitalis · Oct 21, 2010, 03:06 PM // 15:06

Alright thanks for all the input. Might have to run it every now and again just for some diversity but I'll make myself a damage build rather than a condition build.

Fay Vert · Oct 21, 2010, 07:00 PM // 19:00

BHA is one of the worst Elites in the game. Made all the more worst because really bad rangers run it a lot thinking that it's good! Thas makes rangers a poor profession that nobody wants in the group.

"Do we want a ranger in the group?"
"What do they add?"
"Broad head Arrow"
"erm, no, best stick with the mesmer henchman"

WhiteAsIce · Oct 21, 2010, 08:56 PM // 20:56

I only use BHA in two places: Boreas Seabed and Unwaking Waters. Everywhere else, I run either Barrage or Scythe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fay Vert

BHA is one of the worst Elites in the game. Made all the more worst because really bad rangers run it a lot thinking that it's good! Thas makes rangers a poor profession that nobody wants in the group.

"Do we want a ranger in the group?"
"What do they add?"
"Broad head Arrow"
"erm, no, best stick with the mesmer henchman"

That's like how all PuG Wars run Defy Pain with 12 Strength and 12 Tactics. He's just a useless body.

siadina · Oct 29, 2010, 01:54 PM // 13:54

I tend to disagree that BHA+Epi is not a viable build. It is a great build to run for massive daze with the string. With expertise up around 16 you can use it just as fast as the mesmer shutdown bar.

In the end try it for yourself, or hit me up ingame if you want to see how it works! Siadina Sorrowchild.

Calista Blackblood · Oct 29, 2010, 02:17 PM // 14:17

Broadhepidemic is viable(but read below) but don't expect to play it with other people. There are soo many ways to augment defence and offence with PvE only skills that there really is no need for 1 slot delegated to interrupting,nevermind if you actually need 21sec daze aoe you are probably terribly terribly bad at the game.

Boreas Seabed is of course the common mission where BHA is handy for stomping on "Argo's Cry" but really outside of that environment (maybe Unwaking Waters) I can't think of another use for BHA in the entirety of Factions and even then all you need realistically is D-Shot

While viable,the build has fell out of favor long ago due to PvE skills and the ability for anyone to carry them.

"I am the strongest!" splinter barrage?

Xiaquin · Oct 29, 2010, 04:20 PM // 16:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fay Vert

BHA is one of the worst Elites in the game. Made all the more worst because really bad rangers run it a lot thinking that it's good! Thas makes rangers a poor profession that nobody wants in the group.

"Do we want a ranger in the group?"
"What do they add?"
"Broad head Arrow"
"erm, no, best stick with the mesmer henchman"

I had a good chuckle, thanks for this. Mesmer henchies are about as reliable a shutdown as a human balancing a slice of pizza in one hand while flipping through GuildMag in another window.

Back OT: BHA has limited use, but can make all the difference in some places. It's a guaranteed Daze if it hits, even on a boss; that trumps Technobabble. However if you are relying on TB, I'd throw in Archer's Signet and watch enemy casters cry.

Barrage is not always practical, either. BHA is one of those back-up elites, but my list goes something like: GA, Barrage, AS, MW, BHA. Burning Arrow can be thrown in for Discord teams.

I do tend to prefer damage and interrupts, though, so if I could, I'd rather run Marksman's Wager and Concussion Shot over BHA; I just am not the greatest interrupter.

Fay Vert · Oct 29, 2010, 07:05 PM // 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaquin

I had a good chuckle, thanks for this. Mesmer henchies are about as reliable a shutdown as a human balancing a slice of pizza in one hand while flipping through GuildMag in another window.

I agree, and it's still better than a BHA ranger

Bandwagon · Oct 30, 2010, 12:35 AM // 00:35

Unless your in a boss encounter, BHA is redundant hands down, as there are better options available that do not use up your elite.

Why? Fevered Dreams, Psychic Instability, and Panic all provide the same utility and give it to the rest of the party to boot (PI is a bit less potent but makes up for it with the aoe 4sec KD). Technobabble provides AOE daze and recharges quickly enough that the short duration never truly becomes an issue.

As a ranger, don't bother with mass disruption, mesmers will do it much better then your ranger ever will. Focus on dealing damage, but don't let that stop you from bringing Distracting Shot, which can still be handy in a bow build.

Xiaquin · Oct 30, 2010, 01:10 AM // 01:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bandwagon

Unless your in a boss encounter, BHA is redundant hands down, as there are better options available that do not use up your elite.

It's only redundant if the role is filled. Those elites and Technobabble are nice, but they won't always be in the party. We can't only think about the best-case scenarios.

Meridon · Oct 30, 2010, 11:50 AM // 11:50

I tend to take either Technobabble, or YMlaD!+Bestial Mauling. Both allow for plenty of dazing as a ranger. I particularly like the YMlaD!+BM, because with a pet, you'll get an instant source of daze triggering. Add yourself to that and an EVAS, and you'll be king of daze, without even spending an elite skill on it.

Fay Vert · Oct 30, 2010, 12:24 PM // 12:24

If you have a MM in your party it's best just to slap Pain Inverter on the big bosses and let them do their worst.

Xiaquin · Oct 30, 2010, 03:39 PM // 15:39

Minions are literally mindless and can't target. I have enjoyed using paragon shouts to help, but they just start slapping whomever they feel like. It's a great meat shield, but not something you can use to single out a target.

Pets are painfully slow, maybe slower than BHA. BM+Ymlad avoids slotting an elite, but has a higher energy cost and longer recharge time as well, to go along with pet woes. To make up for this you could bring in Call of Haste, but now we're up to half your build, including Comfort Animal. Also, consider that pets will die, especially in HM, so there is some risk.

Fay Vert · Oct 30, 2010, 03:51 PM // 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaquin

Minions are literally mindless and can't target. I have enjoyed using paragon shouts to help, but they just start slapping whomever they feel like. It's a great meat shield, but not something you can use to single out a target.

MM + PI + Big Boss AOE = Instant Dead Big Boss