Curse

SilenceWeaver · Jan 03, 2006, 05:18 PM // 17:18

well i just made an r/w as my first melee char (before seeing this thread mind you), and i was thinking about how my attributes should be spent and whatnot.
what i really want to do is make a r/w sword fighter using bleeding and poison for mass degen (i heart degen) along with the usual expertise stances and sword skills.
however, this would require that i put my points into swordsmanship, wilderness survival, and expertise, which would leave little room for any points in tactics and thus would give me a poor choice of shields and relatively low defense.
originally i wanted to use a pet and tigers fury along with the degen, but decided that would be too much. hehe the image of me and a bigass bear smacking down on some enemy was rather hard to let go of though.
as for hammers, i can definitely see how a r/w hammer user would be good, but i dont like hammers a whole lot yet, ill prolly try it out when ive got this build worked out.

edit: i just noticed that apply poison works well enough with little wilderness survival, so i might siphon points from there into tactics to get the req for a good shield.

Meneldil · Jan 13, 2006, 01:01 PM // 13:01

Yeah, for any newcomers out there, this is a really fun profession to play!

BiggDunc · Jan 13, 2006, 01:07 PM // 13:07

go hammer, try this:

get a spider

Hammer:
Sprint/Tigers/counterblow/devistating/bash/charm/{e}Ferocious Strike/Troll/Rez

and will only get better after the expansion...
but, w/o strength... you can never compare to a true w/r tf axe... but Ferocious is a pretty good spell... very underused

Ninjutsu Honor Code · Jan 13, 2006, 01:07 PM // 13:07

Love meleeing with my ranger/warrior, but then again no bow skills...

GraceAlone · Jan 13, 2006, 07:26 PM // 19:26

I have a quick question. I was looking at building a r/w somewhat for RP purposes as the idea is intriging, but I also want the toon to be effective. What can some of you "gurus" suggest in the way of skills. I would like to focus on bow/sword, but I understand that I may be spreading myself to thin, but just wanted to get some advise. Thanks

4runner · Jan 14, 2006, 07:03 PM // 19:03

R/W FTW!!!! So much fun, run for 40+ secs, its a blast!!!!

Hehehhehe

disposable-hero · Jan 17, 2006, 01:40 AM // 01:40

who can beat the constant 25%-33% speed boost with added evasion. might try swapping out Escape for Charge so i can start stacking the boosts up 33% (dodge) + 25% (charge) = hefty 58% increase in speed with 65% evasion rate hell yeah thats fast.

Alternativly combine charge with balanced stance for speed on no knockdown like the drok runners use

if there was any build to compete with the w/mo droknar running build r/w would be a easy starting point

Meneldil · Jan 29, 2006, 05:20 PM // 17:20

yes rangers are very quick at attacking when warrior is adding as a secondary

Ninjutsu Honor Code · Jan 30, 2006, 12:51 PM // 12:51

33% is the max speed you can run so stacking up doesnt work, at least I tought it didnt

Peewee · Jan 30, 2006, 01:16 PM // 13:16

R/W is a nice build, but u simply must try it with a hammer for maximum results. They are known as Thumper Bunnies in the GW world, and usually combine attack speed boosts with running skills and knockdown attacks.

I run a thumper in 4v4 pvp, there is really only a few things which destroy it. Antiwarrior necros/mesmers will do the trick, and with no strength fighting other warriors is tricky, but usually if you get the first blow in you can do a enormous amount of damage.

The build I use is:
Beast mastery: 8+1+3
Expertise: 6+1
Hammer Mastery: 11
Wilderness: what ever is left over + minor rune

It is possible to boost hammer to 12 at the expense of expertise. Beast mastery needs to be 12 at least.

Equipment is easy, a good hammer will do and druids armour.

1) Devastating Hammer (elite)
2) Crushing Blow/Irresistible Blow
3) Heavy Blow
4) Tigers Fury
5) ‘For Great Justice’
6) Storm Chaser
7) Troll Ungent
8) Rez Signet

Experiment a little with the build. I sometimes bring a pet along instead of FGJ, or bring throw dirt instead of ungent (if u have a monk good monk I find little use for it) For pvp at least rez signet is vital if you want to win for any length of time, out in gvg its perhaps not as vital.

In addition 2 stances are in use in this build, Tigers fury and Chaser; both are useful in different situations. Sometimes it is necessary to give up chaser so u can up your attack speed, sometimes you have to drop attack speed so you can hit anything at all. If a target runes I usually chase them down with chaser and FGJ, charging my adrenaline ASAP, and then as soon as Devastating Hammer is charged I land a blow and immediately switch to tigers. This allows me to land crushing blow quickly, and land a heavy blow as soon as they get up, flooring them again. Without this they can get back up and heal/move before heavy lands.

Try it out, you will not regret it. Knocking ppl over is great fun, and it annoys spell casters no end

Peewee · Jan 30, 2006, 01:31 PM // 13:31

For some reason it is not allowing to edit previous post, so i apologise for double post.

To reply to the post about hammer rangers not being able to survive as well, that is somewhat true. I refer to ranger warriors as flankers or blitzers, ie they are def not tanks (unless its ele dmg) but can dish out a lot of pain in a short amount of time. Anyone that knows their salt in team pvp will fear the thumper, especially if they are a monk. I find myself getting targetted all the time simply because i hold a hammer. As such Thumpers lose the advantage that rangers seem to posses over the other classes and thats they are almost always unrated by the opposition. Even warriors get attacked more than rangers, and they are tank classes.

The other build you can try is almost identicalto the one above, excpet using a axe and eviscerate, axe rake and penetrating/executioner strike instead of hammer skills. Charge all adrenline skill at once, and then unleash them all at the same time. Big Big Spike. And before someone asks wahst wrong with a Warrior ranger in this build, using strength over expertise there are 2 reasons. FGJ and Tigers are 10 nrg stances, and crushing is 5 nrg, as is ungent and throw dirt. The only adrenal skills are devastating and heavy. Without expertise, and i speak from exp, you will quickly run out of energy. In addition Tigers cool down is 10 secs, and at anything less than 12 in beast mastery it becomes impossible to have as a 'permastance' Putting 12 into a secondary attribute as a warrior simply breaks the build.

Mr Fizzle · Feb 02, 2006, 01:30 AM // 01:30

But without magic from elementilist or mesmesers you can't Attack the Darkness!(Sry geeky moment if you've seen the flash video :P)

HunterRose · Feb 04, 2006, 02:29 AM // 02:29

All offense build, couldn't think of anything for the last slot so just plugged in heal sig. Could sub flurry for more offense but not sure if that'll press you for mana. Just made this off the top of my heead. Please critique any weakness you see.

expertise 12
hammer 9
tactics max

apply poison
balanced stance
desperation blow
thrill of victory
Devastating Hammer {E}
crushing blow
heavey blow
Healing Signet

Kurow · Feb 04, 2006, 07:25 PM // 19:25

Personally my preference as a thumper is:

Apply Poison
Irresistable Blow
Devastating Hammer [E]
Crushing Blow
Tiger's Fury
Whirling Defense
Troll Unguent
Rez Sig (or another hammer attack)

And the stats:

Hammer Mastery: 12
Expertise: like 10
Wilderness Survival: like 10?
Beast Mastery: 4

I havent used it in a while, but i seem to remember the stats being like that. Beast mastery is definately 4, because having it at 12 is just a waste, you need those extra points in WS and expertise.

Martian · Feb 05, 2006, 12:17 AM // 00:17

Has anyone else tried to use their R/W's as runners?
With sprint, dodge and storm chaser and max expertise+wilderness survival u can keep up a constant run and dodge nearly everything. Problem is if you let anything hit you, you wont last too long with three less skills and a whole lot fewer attribute points.
stil, its a living.

SnipiousMax · Feb 05, 2006, 06:33 AM // 06:33

People DO use Rangers as runners. They can't run where they'll get hexed though, cause they don't have Hex removal. There was a post about a IDS R/Me farmer...and to get out to the farming grounds you have to run quite a distance. But it worked fine.

d3kst3r · Feb 05, 2006, 06:38 AM // 06:38

Funny you guys should mention this but:

http://www.guild-hall.net/forum/show...ee+ranger+suck

200+ replies, 7000+ views.

Meneldil · Feb 08, 2006, 03:04 AM // 03:04

Guys, personal opinion, but I think that Expertise is the best Attribute in the game.

dry · Feb 08, 2006, 06:28 PM // 18:28

Does any1 have skill suggestions for thumper w/ a pet? When I only use 2 energy attack skills it seems like W/R would be better. I'm trying out a pet thumper (except my wolf's only8 so far and I don't have the heart to abandon him), and I'm not sure what to use. I'm thinking
tiger's fury
some hammer attacks
Ferious Strike(?) E
charm
comfort
rez

That only gives me 3 open slots I guess. If I take out comfort it's 4. If I use disrupting lunge and call of haste 2 hammer skills left. I'm just not sure if I should go more me or more pet.

Oh and when I use my regular thumper my skills are:
tiger
backbreaker E
irresistable
crushing
hammer bash
apply poison or mighty blow
sprint
rez sig

I use BB cuz I don't have deva AND I like the 4 second KD time
Oh and I'm torn between poison/mighty. poison gives degen but mighty = more damage in the spike. Plus a lot monks use mend condition to reverse the effects :/

Meneldil · Feb 09, 2006, 02:29 AM // 02:29

i think poison is better in the end just because degen is always cool =)