Curse

Divyn Vengeance · Oct 21, 2009, 10:11 PM // 22:11

So far i've always been playing imbagon and hiding behind a big wall of 'save yourselves' (which could be easily maintained with focussed anger and fgj) But i really like playing my ranger more. However, with the monsters being on crack in hardmode i cant interrupt any vital skills (even 1 second casting time skills are next to imposible to interrupt). I know that i could go discord way with assassins promise or something, but i would rather stick to a bow.

My question: Is h/hing in hardmode really viable with a bow? Or do you have to run some kind of lame build to survive.

Eragon Zarroc · Oct 21, 2009, 11:35 PM // 23:35

Ifuriating heat, volley, save yourselves! lol. maybe ;-)

beagle warrior · Oct 21, 2009, 11:39 PM // 23:39

its definitely possible. i dont usually play a ranger but when i vanquish with my friend (he is a ranger) he will usually use a splinter barrage build with triple shot and nightmare weapon. im pretty sure the build can be found on pvx

Tenebrae · Oct 21, 2009, 11:46 PM // 23:46

Viable ? its so easy. Rangers are the most versatile class in this game and dont need lame builds to pwn everything. For interrupting casters use techbabble and please dont use BHA without epidemic or Splinter Barrage without a good tank to ball up mobs .

Introverted Dimensions · Oct 21, 2009, 11:50 PM // 23:50

I've vanquished elona and half of tyria and cantha on my ranger using a bow. There's more to a ranger build than just interrupts.

IronSheik · Oct 22, 2009, 01:30 AM // 01:30

BHA sucks without a good amplifier, (Not Epidemic, it's mediocre at best).

You'll need something like fevered dreams/extend conditions for it to be decent.

It's a single target daze, what use is that? The arrow flies at half speed, and misses more than it hits. And don't say bosses, Prot spirit+Aggroing, or PI or save yourselves fixes any ele problems.

At best it puts an enemies casting time back to regular speed, so for it to be useful you have to put a copious amounts of physical hits on it, in which short time it will be dead, and your BHA still has 10 seconds to recharge.

Moral is leave pve interrupting to heroes.

Bows your best bet is single target spikes such as glass arrows/prepared shot along with your general PvE skills. Save yourselves, pain inverter, technobabble, triple shot, etc. I wouldn't even bring interrupts.

A hero with splinter weapon along with you running a multi hit build is also one of the best source of PvE damage.

Your other options are a scythe, rangers can output numerous conditions while being under IMS/IAS/Blocks almost constantly.

Heres some builds I run in HM if I'm bored, they aren't perfect, but with a few tweaks they're decent.

Pet Scythe
OgojYpXa6SAYMXNXvl4G8gyg0GA

Marksman
OgASc5MTuGvlOGnSAAFHylAA

Blanks for this can be anything energy intensive, concussion shot is nice, pain inverter, finish him, etc. You can also throw random interrupts on here since energy isn't a problem spamming savage shot.

Prepared Shot
OgESc5MT5WvlnSOGwghhxgFH

Mad Lord of Milk · Oct 26, 2009, 08:30 PM // 20:30

I've been running this for a while w/discordway, consistently hits 80-100 DPS

Expert's Dexterity
Jagged Strike
Fox Fangs
Death Blossom
Brawling Headbutt
Club of a Thousand Bears
"I Am the Strongest!"
Resurrection Signet

Introverted Dimensions · Oct 26, 2009, 11:29 PM // 23:29

Has anyone tried running a R/W build utilizing axe/hammer/swords instead of a bow? Would it be decent in HM?

Orange Milk · Nov 05, 2009, 01:49 PM // 13:49

For H/H in HM you can run discords and use Apply Posion/Incindeary Arrows to spread conditions, be sure your Necros are equipt with AoE hexes and then they can spike away with discord.

Be sure to take a Melee Hero to protect your softies with agrro.

@trx dispair

I typically play R/W when in H/H. I use an Axe I'm basically retired and don't play much so this is from memory:

Tripple Chop
Whirling Attack
Cyclone Axe
Dwarven Stability
Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Apply Poison
Save yourselves

Spread the conditions to multiple foes for your discords while holding agrro behind a wall of blocking stances whilst spamming "Save yourselves"

Put all you points in Expertise and Axe mastery, put the leftovers in Wilderness. Use a +45/-2 in stance Shield. I use a Sup Expertise, because its PvE who gives a shit if you die don't be a coward afraid of pixels and survivor is a stupid title anyway.

Introverted Dimensions · Nov 05, 2009, 07:34 PM // 19:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orange Milk

For H/H in HM you can run discords and use Apply Posion/Incindeary Arrows to spread conditions, be sure your Necros are equipt with AoE hexes and then they can spike away with discord.

Be sure to take a Melee Hero to protect your softies with agrro.

@trx dispair

I typically play R/W when in H/H. I use an Axe I'm basically retired and don't play much so this is from memory:

Tripple Chop
Whirling Attack
Cyclone Axe
Dwarven Stability
Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Apply Poison
Save yourselves

Spread the conditions to multiple foes for your discords while holding agrro behind a wall of blocking stances whilst spamming "Save yourselves"

Put all you points in Expertise and Axe mastery, put the leftovers in Wilderness. Use a +45/-2 in stance Shield. I use a Sup Expertise, because its PvE who gives a shit if you die don't be a coward afraid of pixels and survivor is a stupid title anyway.

despair* :P

I ran something similar to that.

[Cyclone Axe] [Infuriating Heat] ["Save Yourselves!"] [Furious Axe] [Melandru's Assault] [Comfort Animal] [Never Rampage Alone] [Mental Block]

But usually changed the last two slots depending on the area. I found that I could keep up SY! rather well with that. I'd also sometimes throw in Cleave + For Great Justice! But I scraped the idea of a R/W and went back to using my good ol' bow.

HigherMinion · Nov 06, 2009, 06:46 PM // 18:46

Running R/D as Ebon Dust Aura/volley works wonders in some areas, and in others it's good to take SY if you're on your own.
Try something like this...

Prepared Shot.
Rapid Fire.
Save Yourselves.
Air Of Superiority.
FgJ.
--
--
-- (Another PvE skill with another damage attack or pet for more DPS.)

G4ymBoy · Nov 13, 2009, 10:49 PM // 22:49

Rangers are far from useless. i have been a ranger main since release, here is a nice build that is quite effective in HM

BHA
Triple Shot
Volley
Splinter Weapon
Nightmare weapon
Pain Inverter
Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support
Rez(optional really i like to bring comfort animal because i can>.>)

Get a vamp bow

Expertise: 10+1
Marks: 9+2
Channeling: 11
(attribute points may be a bit off but make sure channeling is at least at 10 to get 4 hits of splinter.

Nightmare+Triple for spike+health gain
Splinter+Volley for AoE
BHA+EVAS for caster (especially monk bosses)
Pain Inverter for obvious reasons(you could switch it out for something else if you dont know how to manage energy).

Mix this with Sabway and HM is a cakewalk.

majikmajikmajik · Nov 15, 2009, 07:32 AM // 07:32

on my Ranger ive done Canthan

rotector,guardian,vanquish,explorer. nealy all h/h except the obivous few missions.

lately ive seen to be steam rolling pve with a pet dagger ranger.
its basicly the 1/2cast 2-4sec deathblossom spike with enraged lunge for extra +dam and deep wound, then stack on pve buffs like "I Am The Strongest" and "By Ural's Hammer" just those 2 alone i barely get to death blossom in the chain.

add a Weapon/Soh Rit and a Curse/interupter Necro and its Super Mario turle stomping time.

Seigibushi · Nov 18, 2009, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by trx despair

Has anyone tried running a R/W build utilizing axe/hammer/swords instead of a bow? Would it be decent in HM?

I have a built like that which, though of course not perfectly, decimates big mobs of enemies while blocking melee and laugh at elemental damage (100 AR ftw!)

Skills are:
12 Swordmanship
14 Expertise (which is a breakpoint for most 10e skills, plus no health loss due to runes)

1) For Great Justice!
2) Hundred Blades
3) Ebon Battle Standard of Honour
4) Lightning Reflexes
5) Sun and Moon Slash
6) Whirlwind Attack
7) Dwarven Battle Stance
8) [Optional] usually throw dirt to fully neutralize any melee in the mob you're facing. Antidote signet is a great asset as well

Pro's:
- Blindness dies not matter, only for the extra attack skills
- With a rank 8/9 battle stance, lightning reflexes lasts HB full duration
- Wards boosts other melee allies (minions much?)
- Great AoE damage (if the mob is ~5 enemies and you hit whirlwind attack, you're a happy yellow number geek)
- Almost constant IAS and Blocking

Con's:
- You still have only 70 armor vs physical damage
- Although not disastrous, Wild Blow/Strike enemies are there to ruin your day
- Not much in terms or selfheal (possibly vampiric weapon, but when you get down to one of those to save your life you better /uninstall)
- Damage dependant on the mobsize

hope I gave at least a bit of advice; it's a build that served me very well, and I saved my guildies a lot of time corner-blocking with this build (which is almost a requirement for this built to work to its full potential)

Cheers~

MaaKotka · Nov 18, 2009, 03:25 PM // 15:25

I find splinter barrage to be quite bad unless you have someone to get and hold aggro, even then barrage isn't that hot because you don't have much damage besides spliter and you don't have spliter up for every barrage. Volley is same but much worse.

If you don't have poison in your team build you can spred poison using apply poison + incendiary arrows. It softens targets nicely for the rest of the team to kill stuff and gives a condition for discord heros.

If you want single target damage, glass arrows, triple shot, zojun's shot and point blank shot does the job. It still isn't impressive but it is pretty much best you can do with your bow. If you don't have lots of buffs zojun's and point blank does equal or better damage than triple shot with lower energy cost and shorter recharge.

If you are facing problematic caster boss BHA + EVAS shuts him down.

As a bow ranger always bring somekind of IAS. Without it you are attacking very slowly even with a flatbow or shortbow. That being said use fastest shooting bows that being flatbow or shortbow. Flatbow's high arc doesn't matter in pve.

Rest of your bar can be pain inverter, ebon wards, some damage skills or whatever you need.

To op's question. Yes you can H/H pretty much everything in hm with a bow ranger. It just isn't the best option you have but it can be done.

FabioLyone · Nov 30, 2009, 11:36 PM // 23:36

I use pretty much whatever bow build as long as i fit asuran scan and YMLaD in there. Use discord heroes and you'll do fine.

iToasterHD · Dec 01, 2009, 06:06 AM // 06:06

Wait, what is this R/A build using Jagged Strike, Fox Fangs and Death Blossom?!

distilledwill · Dec 02, 2009, 09:44 AM // 09:44

I use an R/A with Jagged, FF and DB and w/ that PvE hex which increases your damage to the mob - then escape to rush from mob to mob.

Then I run a smiting MM w/ Discord, Animate Bone Minion, Feast for the Dead, Death Nova, Smite Hex, Signet of Lost Souls, Masocism, Strength of Honor

Then a cursing discord w/ Discord, Barbs, Mark of Pain, Foul Feast, Enfeebling Blood, Signet of Lost Souls, Death Pact Signet

And finally a healing necro: Discord, patient spirit, Signet of Rejuvenation, Dwayna's Kiss, Protective Spirit, Heal Other, Signet of Lost Souls, Masocism

Buffed with SoH and the PvE hex, and compounded by barbs, MoP and 3 discord spikers no enemy lasts long.

When Im solo I take 2 Hench monks and the rest as ranged damage. When I go as a group usually we have a Signet of Spirits rit, another discord hero, An interupt hero (usually a mesmer, sometimes a ranger), a dedicated healer and either a paragon or a heal/splinter rit.

If you want to run a bow then go with BHA+Epidemic - works nicely, especially with Minions running around.