Curse

Adje · Oct 26, 2008, 02:14 PM // 14:14

Hey everyone, so here's the first of my builds I'm posting on Guru, Rangers tend to think alike in terms of good skills (most builds end up with things like troll unguent, whirling defense or natural stride, etc.) So forgive me if a build similar to this one has been posted. It kind of came to mind while levelling up my pet yesterday and I'm not really one for looking up PvE builds as I prefer to come up with them on my own.

So anyways, here's the build, like I said I've never posted a build, so ignore the lack of fancy icons and stuff, I'd appreciate an explanation about how to do them, but lately I've been having trouble even displaying them.

Skills:
1. Enraged Lunge
2. Never Rampage Alone
3. Variable
4. Variable
5. Symbiotic Bond
6. Otyugh's Cry
7. Call of Protection
8. Charm Animal

I've been playing this build as an R/P, mainly because I find that spears have nice damage output and at least one of the variable skills can be made into an adrenal spear skill.

So here's for points distribution:
11 Beast Mastery
10 Expertise
10 Spear Mastery

Equipment:
Full Survivor Set is useful, or a mix of armor insignia such as Beastmaster's insignia and Survivor could work.

Make sure to have a Beast Mastery mask and a Minor Beast Mastery, Minor Expertise and either a Superior or Major Vigor Rune based on what you can afford. The other two runes I use are Vitae.

If you are going for the Paragon secondary idea, I would suggest either a Furious 15^50 Spear for quick adrenal gain or a Sundering/Vampiric 15^50 Spear for damage. At best you could switch between them. In terms of a shield, go for whatever you like best in the armor category or Luck of the Draw inscription and fortitude handle.

Variable Skills:
In terms of variable skills, I've been changing them around depending on the situation.

Pet Rez:
I've tried this build in hard mode prophecies missions, and my pet has never died due to a large group and obviously my party didn't wipe or we would have failed the mission! You may however still decide to use one of these skill Comfort Animal or Revive Animal (if more than one person has a pet in your team). This may be particularly important for areas such as the Ring of Fire where Ether Seals may cause trouble or areas with high damage bosses like Shiro.

Attack Skills:
Since you will always be hovering at 4-5 Energy if you play this build to its full potential, I suggest your personal attack skills be adrenal. Two I've found particularly useful are Wild Throw, to end stances and do some nice damage or Spear of Redemption, which has a low adrenaline requirement and can help you deal with blindness.

People Rez:
A rez might be useful in some cases, and assuming you have Nightfall (which would make sense because you need Never Rampage Alone for this build), I would suggest the Sunspear Rebirth Signet since Signet of Return is pretty bad without any leadership.

Using this build:
This build is pretty easy to use, but you'll also be very busy activating skills. Make sure to use Symbiotic Bond, Otyugh's Cry and Call of Protection as soon as they recharge. Yes I'm aware that their recharge is much quicker than their duration and shouts can't be removed, but this is important for Enraged Lunge's function.

Since you get a nice +19 damage per recharging Beast Mastery skill, you get a sweet 4x19 damage bonus when you use it. Which on casters amounts to approximately 100 damage in hard mode. So although your pet will do pretty low damage with its normal attacks, it will do a nice 100 damage spike every 5 seconds if you spam Enraged Lunge while having the shouts cooling down.

Never Rampage Alone is particularly useful for building up adrenaline and getting extra damage out of your pet and spear along with the modest but helpful 3 regen you get from using it. For these reasons, use it often. In addition, using it with Symbiotic bond gives your pet +6 health regen, which should be enough to keep it alive (and any competent healer can keep a perpetually +6 regenning pet alive).

Pet:
In terms of piercing or slashing damage, I'm not too concerned to be honest because the pet's base damage is pretty meaningless in my opinion. I tend to go for Hearty pets because to me, base damage does not play an important role when compared to the substantial health difference between Dire and Hearty, and Elder and Hearty. The majority of the damage you do is Enraged Lunge anyways.

Counters:
It's obvious that this build has some flaws.

One of them is the lack of a self heal. The Regeneration from Never Rampage Alone is usually not enough to keep you alive if you decide to start tanking large mobs. For this reason, you need a healer to keep you alive and you need to play defensively when you're getting attacked. However, being a Beast Master, you have relatively low priority to the AI and can go without being hit a lot of the time (when in doubt though, run!) The large amount of health you should have when fully equipped should also help offset this.

If you decide not to bring a res, your pet could potentially die somewhere, making you pretty useless.

Lack of a Res

Conclusion:
So this is my lengthy build post, I hope you enjoy using it and I'm quite open to suggestions/questions about it so let me know what you think!

turbo234 · Oct 26, 2008, 03:10 PM // 15:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adje

Skills:
1. Enraged Lunge
2. Never Rampage Alone
3. Variable
4. Variable
5. Symbiotic Bond
6. Otyugh's Cry
7. Call of Protection
8. Charm Animal

So here's for points distribution:
10 Beast Mastery
8 Expertise
12 Spear Mastery

well. looks like most of the other beastmaster builds ive seen. for attributes if your a beastmaster it would be smarter going 11 beastmaster,10 expertise and 10 spear. or 10/11/10. having 12 in spear isnt all that necessary as the damage is mainly coming from the pet and most of the skills are from the beast mastery attribute. not too much to say otherwise i mean its just a typical EL beastmaster build. ive already run this exact build in pve.

zelgadissan · Oct 26, 2008, 03:19 PM // 15:19

Yeah, pretty much what turbo said. Higher expertise is far more important than 12 in the spear, because your damage isn't the spear, it's the Enraged Lunge. It'd help a lot with your energy issues as well. 11 Expertise would lower Never Rampage Alone to 8e, 12 Expertise would lower anything 10e down to 5e. Since you don't really have anything 10e that would be spammed, I'd run 11+1+1 Beast, 10+1 Expertise, 10 Spear.

Also just for the record, anybody running Troll Unguent in PvE is sad.

Adje · Oct 26, 2008, 03:30 PM // 15:30

Makes sense, the only reason I put the expertise the way I did was because I noticed I was always ending up with a surplus of energy, so I thought maybe a bit more damage could help.

As for the Troll Unguent comment, I do find it pretty useful in PUGs since healers are often sub-par :P

The Meth · Oct 26, 2008, 09:16 PM // 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adje

As for the Troll Unguent comment, I do find it pretty useful in PUGs since healers are often sub-par :P

If something is going to kill you soon the _last_ thing you want to do is spend 3 seconds standing still casting a skill that will just give you a slow regeneration of health. Either start kiting or take one of the many ranger stances which you can use instantly.

Luminarus · Oct 26, 2008, 11:06 PM // 23:06

I dont think that some of them are really necessary. If youre pugging then fine, but if not I wouldnt bother with otughs cry, because unblockability isnt worth that slot in pve. Id switch it for a longer recharging pet attack, otherwise it looks aright.

I still prefer my stunning strike pet build, but ill probably give this a try some time.

elk · Oct 28, 2008, 05:14 PM // 17:14

couple quick things:

I don't recall but I thought that expertise didn't effects the PvE skills so not sure if you're getting the cost break against Never Rampage alone (not available to test atm and wiki didn't indicate anything). The balance of the build is relatively cheap so you can bring expertise back down and spread your points more effectively (cost of Never Rampage alone is really the only one you'd be concerned about with recasting/ expertise).

Review the expertise table for cost breaks and test Never Rampage alone to move accordingly. Since BM is the greater output of dmg, sway your points that way when corrected (if I get a chance, I'll help you figure out the spread later - just run out of time here @ work).

I'd drop symbotic bond since otyugh's gives an armor buff and call of protection gives a dmg reduction (that and you're splitting dmg with the pet with bond). Never rampage alone gives the hp regen to both you and the pet so symbotic bond becomes redundant.

There is an enraged lunge build on wiki very similar using merciless (sp?) spear although again run out of time to search it.

side note: does never rampage alone count as a BM skill recharging for Enraged?

g/l!

elk

zelgadissan · Oct 28, 2008, 05:28 PM // 17:28

Never Rampage Alone is affected by Expertise. I just tested it myself, 14 Expertise made it cost 8e.

Also it doesn't count as a recharging BM skill since it's not tied to the Beast Mastery attribute.

Luminarus · Oct 28, 2008, 10:27 PM // 22:27

Never Rampage Alone is a ranger skill, which is why exp effects it. However exp doesnt effect (example) you move like a dwarf. If ur a beast master w/ energy problems just bring scavengers strike, its free energy and enough (for me) to fuel never rampage alone, you move like a dwarf and spear of fury on recharge no problems.

elk · Oct 29, 2008, 05:09 PM // 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelgadissan

Never Rampage Alone is affected by Expertise. I just tested it myself, 14 Expertise made it cost 8e.

Also it doesn't count as a recharging BM skill since it's not tied to the Beast Mastery attribute.

Wouldn't that be 4 en cost @ 14 expertise (10 en skill)?

I'm sure the sunspear rank would come in to play here too for duration to effect the break point but I belive the original split the OP indicated as 12/10/8 would be sufficent (8 + 1 Expertise should result in a 6 en cost for Never Rampage alone). Balance of the skills appear to be 5 en skills therefore a 3 en cost. As someone indicated though, I'd switch the 12 to the BM instead of spear.

12 BM (+1 +1)
10 Spear
8 Exp (+1)

(it's also PvE so the pet receives no DP and there are gaps in play etc)

In reference to Luminarus - I was thinking things like black powder trap - it's not a "ranger skill" but is a trap (expertise didn't effect it). Wasn't sure since Never Rampage Alone is a sunspear skill (although related to the Ranger class) would be effected but zelga helped clarify that (thanks!).

elk

zelgadissan · Oct 29, 2008, 07:56 PM // 19:56

Never Rampage Alone is 15e base.

Rhamia Darigaz · Oct 29, 2008, 08:01 PM // 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adje

Rangers tend to think alike in terms of good skills (most builds end up with things like troll unguent, whirling defense or natural stride, etc.)

no, maybe you meant lightning reflexes in pve.

October Jade · Oct 31, 2008, 11:30 PM // 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelgadissan

Never Rampage Alone is 15e base.

That's nice. It was updated all the way back in June, and I only learn about it now.

Super Igor · Nov 01, 2008, 12:21 AM // 00:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adje

Skills:
1. Enraged Lunge
2. Never Rampage Alone
3. Variable
4. Variable
5. Symbiotic Bond
6. Otyugh's Cry
7. Call of Protection
8. Charm Animal

OI honestly like ranger beast masters everywere both in pvp and pve (as long as they have some points into spear mastery and at least one spear attack) and I totally lurrrrve Enraged Lunge because it is an emasing skill packing really amazing damage autput. I mean first of all you have something to deal that enormous unblockable damage and help it with a spear a little bit, in pve mobs will also choose your pet as a priority what makes them meat also it makes the pet a perfect tank saving you troubles so generally well done on the build EL beast masters are sexy and Im glad more people start to realise it lol.

Some things though; you need a pet rez just in case, I mean, when you are up against a large area to vanquish, things can happen, and if your pet dies its gonna start being complicated also you might consider bringing a superior beast mastery rune because it all is about EL being at its most powerful and Utiugh's Cry eing at its near top duration, health loss should be a problem when you are range and have a pet taking a lot of aggro. You might have heard of great dwarf weapon too, now, it should be really usefull to bring along and cast on your pet dont you think?

Other than that, gj.

Lourens · Nov 01, 2008, 10:21 AM // 10:21

Looks ok i would put apply poison and disrupting trow in 3 and 4

Super Igor · Nov 01, 2008, 12:06 PM // 12:06

Apply poison...why?

jackerduud · Nov 01, 2008, 03:17 PM // 15:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super Igor

Apply poison...why?

Because, instead of something hardly noticeable, like Daze, Poison turns the whole bar Green and makes you feel like you've done something.

Pet Res would be needed though.

Lishy · Nov 01, 2008, 09:28 PM // 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackerduud

Because, instead of something hardly noticeable, like Daze, Poison turns the whole bar Green and makes you feel like you've done something.

Pet Res would be needed though.

The question: Is it efficient?
That's just plain stupid, your reasoning.
Why waste a slot, when you can put something that raises efficiency? Furthermore, I thought daze was one of the most overpowered conditions in a game, with poison being one of the weakest?

Super Igor · Nov 02, 2008, 12:04 AM // 00:04

yea, that jackerduud obviously just failed hard, gj kain.

elk · Nov 03, 2008, 06:11 PM // 18:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by zelgadissan

Never Rampage Alone is 15e base.

Well this made me QQ. I swore I quickly checked the guild wars official wiki prior to posting (must have checked too quickly

).

So @ 14 Exp you'd have a 7 en cost for a 15 en skill.

@ 9 Exp you'd have a 10 en cost for the same 15 en skill. If he's running adren spear skills in some of the optional slots and drops symbotic bond, I'd imagine it's still manageable (especially in PvE - we're only talking 3 en difference).

10 Exp - 9 en cost
11 Exp - 8 en cost
13 Exp - 7 en cost

Would imagine you'd base the Expertise on the balance of the bar. Most appear to be 5 en or adren so having a lower Expertise shouldn't be too harmful (again PvE). You're only really spending en on Never Rampage alone. You'd need at least a 13 Exp to get the next break on the 5 en cost skills so I'd still suggest 12/10/8. 12/9/9 would be fine too (can alway look at something like Scavenger's Strike based on the optional skills if you find energy is an issue).

anywho - happy pack hunting!

elk