Curse

WhiteAsIce · Jul 04, 2009, 12:32 AM // 00:32

Because I don't feel like using the AP caller, often because I run out of energy despite casting AP on all things dying, I'm going to use a bow. I'm trying to see how to best spread conditions in PvE. So far, this is what I have:

12+1+1 Exp
6+1 WS
11+1 Marks
Burning Arrow
Distracting Shot
Savage Shot
Apply Poison
open
Asuran Scan
Pain Inverter
open

In missions where foes are immune to certain conditions:
-Read the Wind when there are no fleshy foes, such as Elusive Golemancer
-Broad Head Arrow when facing Destroyers or Titans

Gets conditions on those enemies, and Asuran Scan is an easy-to-cast hex. What would go well in the open slots? I was thinking EBSoW to help Discord recharge a second quicker. Then I need one more non-PvE skill though. Maybe Rebirth? Something else?

Notorious Bob · Jul 04, 2009, 01:00 AM // 01:00

What a depressing post - dear oh dear.

If you cannot control your energy management with Expertise at 14 then there's no hope. 14!

If it's higher than 9 you've really got to consider what it is you're doing to run out of energy.

Burning Arrow is a poor choice - you're supporting Discord not SF and BA's duration is way to short.

Why two interrupts?

BHA should be the Elite of choice - especially in HM - against any squishy target coz in PvE you should be calling back-liners 1st anyway.

Look at Hunter's Shot for bleeding

Finish Him is great support and adds a condition or two.

Poison Tip Signet gives a cheap source of poison.

Volley + Splinter is still top draw.

You really only scratched the surface, there's so much more you can do as a Ranger to make DiscordWay heroes happy

Revelations · Jul 04, 2009, 01:58 AM // 01:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notorious Bob

What a depressing post - dear oh dear.

If you cannot control your energy management with Expertise at 14 then there's no hope. 14!

OP can't maintain energy with the standard AP caller, none of which is affected by expertise. It is difficult to manage energy on the AP bar on any class if you're killing shit as fast as you should be, with the exception of necro. Eles also have it fairly easy, as do mesmers. Anything else should prepare to bottom out in any drawn out combat.

Shayne Hawke · Jul 04, 2009, 03:12 AM // 03:12

[Assassin's Promise][Distracting Shot][Savage Shot][Body Shot][Poison Tip Signet]["You Move Like A Dwarf!"]["Finish Him!"][Sunspear Rebirth Signet]

...Is what I use. It's quite energy demanding, but with good energy return. Quick kills will score you energy through AP, slow kills will give you a chance for energy through FH! and Body Shot. I use sweets to boost my energy cap, but if you don't have those, you can always use Radiant insignia (or a staff, but then you'll have to do weapon swapping to use your bow skills).

That's how you can directly help your Discord heroes by providing fuel. If you don't want to take a role like that, I'd suggest BHA, because it'll make taking out caster bosses that much easier. Asuran Scan is a cheap enough Hex that you can bring then to satisfy that condition.

WhiteAsIce · Jul 04, 2009, 03:36 AM // 03:36

Finish Him & YMLaD - there goes 80% of my energy. Toss in AP, and I'm left with nothing until the foe dies. Even if the foe dies, I only get 17 energy back. Throw YMLaD and AP again, and I don't have enough energy to use Finish Him for a few seconds. In that time, the foe could heal up. Another solution would be to bring a +20E staff for the caller build, and don't bring any bow skills. But as a Ranger, I'm more inclined to be using bow skills. My character is a Ranger, not a caster.

Marverick · Jul 04, 2009, 03:41 AM // 03:41

Use Body Shot with "Finish Him!"

Aleron Adeodatus · Jul 04, 2009, 04:21 AM // 04:21

for condition spreading use Epidemic

MagmaRed · Jul 04, 2009, 05:36 AM // 05:36

Fevered Dreams or Extend Conditions would work well for a condition build, and FD gives you the hex as well. You have a LOT of conditions available as a Ranger, even without using PvE skills. Poison, Bleeding, Cripple, Daze, Blind, and Burning can be done with Ranger skills only, and with Fevered Dreams you are spreading those conditions around. Plus you get the Daze benefit for targets with 2 or more conditions. Your Necro heroes can easily supply Weakness and Cracked Armor for you. And if you are running R/Me for the condition spreading skills then you also have access to energy management skills in Inspiration (where Extend is at).

If you were running an AP caller build, you would want Radiant insignias and possibly some Attunement runes as well. If you have 30-35 energy, you should be able to use 2 10 energy PvE skills and have enough left over for your bow attacks reduced by Expertise. I never run Discord on a physical class though....

majikmajikmajik · Jul 04, 2009, 08:31 AM // 08:31

With my Ranger using Discord heroes, i use...
Assassin's Promise(Elite Hex, Provides Energy and Spamming,Recharges all skills),
Support(Summon),
Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support (Bleeding,chance to do 700+),
Signet of Infection (Disease when bleeding),
Throw Dirt,
Dash,
2 optionals(Pet, Res, Self Heal, Another stance).

WhiteAsIce · Jul 05, 2009, 06:45 AM // 06:45

Guys, I know how to be an AP caller, but I don't want to be one. I want to use my bow, while being able to help with my heroes at the same time. Fevered Dreams is suited for casters, not Rangers. There's a reason why Warriors and Paragons suck at being an AP caller, and Rangers are halfway there. Might as well be a bow user, and bows can spread conditions easily. That's why I ask for good builds for spreading conditions with a bow.

Kendel · Jul 05, 2009, 10:02 AM // 10:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marverick

Use Body Shot with "Finish Him!"

Sure, if you want to waste a slot cos it never works.

Prep Shot, Apply Poison, Asuran Scan. All you'd need to trigger it.

Tenebrae · Jul 05, 2009, 10:03 AM // 10:03

Best options are :
-Incendiary arrows + apply poison + zealous bow
-BHA + epidemic
-Prepared shot + Rapid Fire/Whatever + Asuran Scan and or YMLAD

maxxfury · Jul 05, 2009, 01:07 PM // 13:07

IF i was to do this on ranger:

[asuran scan][apply poison] OR [barbed arrows]
[prepared shot][penetrating shot][sundering shot][lightning reflexes][finish him] and [i am the strongest]

Likely do something along those lines.

Introverted Dimensions · Jul 05, 2009, 09:48 PM // 21:48

I use this
OgcTc1M6ZaBCkxm8wQ1A1QuEjDA

Haven't had any problems at all.

MagmaRed · Jul 05, 2009, 10:26 PM // 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteAsIce

I'm trying to see how to best spread conditions in PvE.

You have 2 conditions, which is more than enough for a Discord build. However, there are several other conditions you can supply easily. Cripple is extremely useful for HM where kiting is common and monsters have an inherent IMS. Burning is nice, but it doesn't last long, but Daze is powerful, especially due to the inherent casting speed buff monsters get. I'd use Broadhead Arrow over Burning Arrow myself. But to SPREAD those conditions, Epidemic is the easiest way to go. Although you typically want to use Daze on casters (Monk, Rit, Ele, Mez, Necro), it also works well against Dervishes and Assassins. That leaves Warrior, Paragon, and Ranger monsters 'unaffected' by your elite if you were to take BHA.

PvE skills are very powerful for condition application. You Move Like a Dwarf can be used at the same time as any other skill, which allows you to provide multiple conditions at once. And even Asuran Scan casts instantly, which means you can fire a BHA (with Apply Poison on) and use Asuran Scan before the arrow hits. You now have a hex+condition applied for your Discord heroes to use.

But if you want to spread conditions, the best option is definitely Epidemic. Changing targets and firing a new arrow can work for some conditions, but Epidemic works for them all without the delay of shooting another arrow.

Orange Milk · Jul 06, 2009, 04:13 PM // 16:13

I never knew "AP Caller" was the "standard" for Discordway, huh.

Anyway, Conditions are VERY easy to spread with a Ranger WITHOUT having energy issues.

I like Tenebrae's ideas, though I use [Apply Poison] and an Axe Whirlwind Attack, Triple Chop and cyclone Axe and whatnot.

Easy to spread posion, which is a condition, among multiple foes at once. then you make sure your Dissocrds are carrying AOE hexes so multiple foes get hexed at once. then Disscord away.

Anyway, thats my idea that works.

WhiteAsIce · Jul 06, 2009, 10:32 PM // 22:32

I tried Broad Head Epidemic. I notice that I'm not able to use BHA as much because of the 15 second recharge, and often with Discord heroes, they kill 2-4 foes by the time BHA recharges. I took Apply Poison to spread conditions though, so it looks like I'll have to cope with the long recharge of BHA.

Tenebrae · Jul 07, 2009, 11:19 AM // 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by MagmaRed

PvE skills are very powerful for condition application. You Move Like a Dwarf can be used at the same time as any other skill, which allows you to provide multiple conditions at once. And even Asuran Scan casts instantly, which means you can fire a BHA (with Apply Poison on) and use Asuran Scan before the arrow hits. You now have a hex+condition applied for your Discord heroes to use.

But if you want to spread conditions, the best option is definitely Epidemic. Changing targets and firing a new arrow can work for some conditions, but Epidemic works for them all without the delay of shooting another arrow.

Well epidemic is ALWAYS a good way to spread conditions but unless you need BHA or you want to go BHA just in case to shut down caster, boss or whatever ,the best choice is Incendiary + Apply poison/Barbed Arrows + Asura scan. The point ? IArrows shot 1 arrow to target and 2 to NEARBY targets. Epidemic is just adjacent , dont get me wrong , its great when you block well , bunch the mobs up well and you have more than 3 together but IArrows +Condt prept+asura scan ( and a zealous bow if you like ) is a fail-safe build to spread conditions , its quite rare that foes arent in "nearby" range to each other and if they are , nor epidemic will help you either

gw_poster · Jul 07, 2009, 03:22 PM // 15:22

Pain Inverter
Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support
Lightning Reflexes
BHA
D-Shot
Savage Shot
Needling Shot
Finish Him!

Exp 15
Marks 12

PI the heavy-damage bosses (i.e. ele), if two casters, ebon sin one and bha/call on the other, d-shot and savage ele's, monks, trolls, healing sig's, rez's, needle everything you see that's below 50% health and finish him! on the monk's when below 50% health. just watch high priority target's skills and tab/switch targets as needed. I run full radiants/attunements and a zealous/fortitude flatbow... Energy never really a problem, but I'm always running around with a cupcake or green/blue/red candy for the most part.

Carnivorous Cupcake · Jul 07, 2009, 05:30 PM // 17:30

I recomend standard AP Caller bar with Scavenger's Strike, Call of Protection/EoE/Comfort Animal/Charm Animal.

Animal companion will act as a very good aggro sink and energy management, EoE will add much needed AoE damage.

or Asuran Scan + BHA + Epidemic + Volley. Your spike is going to be weaker but you can disable mobs with multiple healers or nukers.

Tenebrae

May I ask you why you have to spread those conditions if your spike goes on a single target?

This question is directed primerely at Incendiary Arrows + Apply/Barbed, I understand BHA + Epid.