Curse

Siddham · Sep 22, 2008, 04:25 PM // 16:25

Hi,
I am a new player, still in pre-searing. I have done all the 2nd profs quests and of them all I found E and Me most useful. But that is based on very little experience and the skills the trainers give.

I found ether feast followed by troll ungent got me out of trouble a couple of times...I am trying to keep my character alive...maybe even try for survivor. Conjure phantasm is useful too.

The E skill I used most was fire storm (I think? a mob spell) and it was useful.

Anyway, maybe some more experienced players could give me your views on which way to go...Mez or E?

Thanks.

Tyla · Sep 22, 2008, 04:29 PM // 16:29

You can change secondary after a certain point in the game.

However, I'd go with Elementalist. I wouldn't use self-heals, and the only useful skill for someone in the Ele line on a more physical based character is Conjure, Shock and Grasping Earth.

PS: Fire Storm, Conjure Phantasm and Troll Unguent are all quite bad skills outside of a few situations. Troll's being splits, and Phantasm being hex stacks.

ALF71BE · Sep 22, 2008, 04:46 PM // 16:46

Umm, no, those two skills listed are both bad for a ranger.

You'll see, even though you're allowed two professions, the second is one is to boost your job in an efficient way. The best rangers do is shutdown and condition spreading. At any case, the only mesmer skill useful for a ranger would be Epidemic, that spreads conditions to adjacent foes of your target. Rangers can inflict basically all conditions in game through weird gimmicks or by themselves, which causes great pressure to the enemy (mainly in PvP).

Not only that but their interrupts are far more powerful than the mesmer's ones, which makes them powerful shutdown machines.

With skills like Apply Poison you can easily spread poison around and cause more pressure than Conjure Phantasm on a whole, and also consider Conjure Phantasm is a terrible skill.

Now with eles. Eles and rangers are also quite different. Eles are a pure support class with some decent damage, while rangers are a shutdown class with also decent damage. The only skill I can think of as secondary ele for a ranger are the conjures. Conjure Frost, Conjure Lightning, Conjure Flame, all boost your damage by little which can be useful when using elite skill Barrage, but if you have Factions, then there's no point.

Rangers primary attribute, expertise, affects all skills, touch skills, attacks and stances. Spells are not affected by it and because of that, all rangers should always avoid running spells on their bar.

My recommendation is that you go secondary monk. Rangers have naturally high armor against elemental damage and attack from a distance, that sometimes is larger than your aggro bubble, so that makes you a low priority target for the enemies AI. In case of a near party-wipe, you most probably will be the last standing alive so you can run and then come back to resurrect your party with, for example, Rebirth (monk secondary spell).

You'll soon discover GW is about each profession doing an specific job without getting much into their secondary class. If you want to play a different role, roll a new toon; GW doesn't involves too much grinding to leveling up as the cap is level 20 so you can explore all the professions you want (or as many character slots there are).

Hope I cleared something

.

Orange Milk · Sep 22, 2008, 04:54 PM // 16:54

Conjure Phantasm vs lvl 5 and under foes is pretty kick ass, but once you get out of Pre into the real world it won't be as useful. Any kinda Degen vs a guy with like 20o max hp is funny. Against 8oo max hp or more, not so much.

Some kids seem to like [Epidemic] on their Ranger, I feel it's "meh"

Shell Shock is not bad on a Ranger from the Ele line, works well with [Body Shot] plus it's VERY effective vs high lvl high armor targets.

But like Tyla says, you can change your Secondary later, so find what you like now, get bored, and try something new later, no worries.

Tyla · Sep 22, 2008, 05:07 PM // 17:07

^
Weaken Armour > Shell Shock!

the savage nornbear · Sep 22, 2008, 06:08 PM // 18:08

shell shock+conjure>weaken armor

weaken armor on a necro hero>all

Siddham · Sep 22, 2008, 06:59 PM // 18:59

So maybe I shoulld forget about a secondary, and focus on being a pure ranger?

Orange Milk · Sep 22, 2008, 07:10 PM // 19:10

DING DING!!!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!!!!

thats pretty much what you should do until you've gone up a few levels and have enough attribute points to spread around around. For now your best bet is Marksmanship and Expertise.

@ Tyla, I was trying to stay within the the 2 proffesions the OP posted.

Tyla · Sep 22, 2008, 07:17 PM // 19:17

Your build doesn't matter for the most part until you're level 20 anyway, to be honest.

I'm guessing you only have Prophecies. In the event of you getting to level 20, I suggest the following:

[barrage][distracting shot][savage shot][lightning reflexes][throw dirt][no skill][no skill][resurrection signet]

Given the energy management of the Ranger, you should be able to handle a hex removal or something when there's an area with hexes.

the savage nornbear · Sep 22, 2008, 07:43 PM // 19:43

no antidote signet?

WhiteAsIce · Sep 22, 2008, 08:07 PM // 20:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siddham

So maybe I shoulld forget about a secondary, and focus on being a pure ranger?

The only skill from a secondary that I am using on my Ranger is [Rebirth]. Going /E is okay for the Conjures, but I prefer to use a Vamp string, so no can do. I only used /Me for [Echo][Dust Trap], which I never do anymore.

Amy Awien · Sep 22, 2008, 08:37 PM // 20:37

I tend to return to pure ranger usually but if there was only this choice I'd go for /Me.

Besides Epidemic the elemental Mantra's and Resistances can have use, especially considering that you can manipulate damage types with nature rituals. Echo has seen it's use, I think. Some of the more successful solo-ranger farming builds have /Me.

MegaVolti · Sep 25, 2008, 02:08 AM // 02:08

I'd go with Necromancer and use the Vampiric Touch skills. Gives you good damage, they can be spammed with Expertise and since they leech life you have great self-heal. Quite powerful in PvE and easy to play.

Luminarus · Sep 25, 2008, 02:46 AM // 02:46

Pve i go pure ranger, sometimes R/E for conjure, R/W for SY (which you wont have access to yet), or R/Mo for condition removal.

Also, barrage is a good elite, but it gets a bit repetitive... i cant think of any good prof only pve elites apart from it though... id go for factions, or nf asap.

As to primary question... from profecies skills id pick R/E... mesmer doesnt offer much, and ele atleast has conjures.

Siddham · Sep 25, 2008, 06:42 PM // 18:42

Really helpful replies...thanks a lot guys.
It seems to me its not really possible to judge the secondaries on the basis of what we get in pre-searing...and I have yet to play post.
I have not tried nec much, but the vampiric line souns interesting.
I am interested in having a character that can work solo efficiently...to what ever level and wherever soloing is possible. That's why I want an effective self-heal. I want a character that does good DPS and can effectively self-heal, and therefore survive solo in the world. I dont mean I only want to go solo.
I know that many rangers will forgo self healing and rely on party healers...but that's not the way I want to go at this time.
Anyway I am really getting into this game. I played some warcraft, but found it to be a grind...I prefer GW.
Thanks again for all the advice.

ALF71BE · Sep 25, 2008, 07:00 PM // 19:00

Sorry to dissapoint you like this, but GW isn't like that, or wasn't actually designed to be like that. Sure you could try, but don't expect success past the low level areas. The enemies are usually found in mobs of 3 or more enemies and there's a clear disadvantage of one against so many, especially at the latter areas of the game.

GW was designed as a team game (they will change it a little bit in the future (GW2)) so even though in Pre Searing everything is doable solo, you'll stand no chance against level 18+ enemies in mobs of 4-7, alone. Every profession provides a little bit to the whole of a team. Melee was mostly designed for godly damage, midliners such as eles, paras, mesmers and rangers are for shutdown and buffs while monks provide most of the healing.

I know it sounds kind of square-thinking, but GW also incorporated a low level grind so everyone could try all the classes and suit in a party as needed, and as such you can also learn and play different playstyles like pure support, big domage, a little bit of both, shutdown, etc.

As others have pointed out, though, it really doesn't matters what build you use until you're level 20, that is, until you hit the 15th mission or so in the Prophecies storyline. However, it also doesn't matters much after that until you get yourself into PvP or high-end/hard PvE, where the roles of each profession must be played accordingly as to what they were meant to be.

Luminarus · Sep 26, 2008, 01:30 AM // 01:30

Only place you will need a specific build to complete, (imo) is fow/uw/tombs (in prof). The rest can be completed through careful pulling and letting henchies kill it (usually, in nm)

WhiteAsIce · Sep 26, 2008, 02:27 AM // 02:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Siddham

Really helpful replies...thanks a lot guys.
It seems to me its not really possible to judge the secondaries on the basis of what we get in pre-searing...and I have yet to play post.
I have not tried nec much, but the vampiric line souns interesting.
I am interested in having a character that can work solo efficiently...to what ever level and wherever soloing is possible. That's why I want an effective self-heal. I want a character that does good DPS and can effectively self-heal, and therefore survive solo in the world. I dont mean I only want to go solo.
I know that many rangers will forgo self healing and rely on party healers...but that's not the way I want to go at this time.
Anyway I am really getting into this game. I played some warcraft, but found it to be a grind...I prefer GW.
Thanks again for all the advice.

Touch Ranger generally requires two key touch skills, one of which is found only in Factions.
Don't expect to solo often as a Ranger. A self condition removal skill is fine, but you will have to learn to rely on party healers, even if it's a henchman.

Brian the Gladiator · Sep 29, 2008, 12:14 AM // 00:14

You can't even come close to completing the game solo. You wouldn't even want to try because to fight through an entire mission solo would take forever, not to mention 20+ missions. This game forces players to learn every class at the same time. Yes, you made a ranger... but you will find out what the roles of all the other professions before you complete the game because you will need them to help you along the way (whether in the form of henchies or real people).

To answer your question, I would choose /Mo because I think it is the most versitile secondary other than /Rt for a ranger.