Curse

Anarkii · Jul 23, 2005, 08:12 AM // 08:12

Hiya All
After playing a long while with R/Me and R/Mo, I thought of doing an R/W build.
Its ONLY for PvE. I'd be grateful if experienced people can rate this.

Attributes
Expertise 10(8+1+1)
Wilderness Survival 8(7+1)
Axe Mastery 12
Tactics 8
--------------
Total 199pts

SKiLLS
Cyclone Axe
Swift Chop
Executioners Strike
Whirling Defense
Apply Poison
Throw Dirt
Victory is Mine{E}
Res Signet

Note:
The High Expertise allows me to spam Cyclone Axe and Swift Chop continuously. The higher energy regen of a ranger (than a warrior) also helps in this.
Besides doing a lot of damage, this builds up adrenaline at a pretty good rate, letting me push in the Exec Strike quite frequently for a nice spike.

Strategy:
After drawing as many monsters as possible, use Apply Poison + Cyclone Axe for an AoE Poison and Throw Dirt for an AoE Blind. Use Swift Chop and Cyclone Axe continuosly till you can hit the Exec Strike. Use ViM to refill health and energy, and Whirling Defense(please suggest if any other stance will be better here) to survive the hits.

For instance, if I have 3 enemies around me, with the two conditions on each, ViM will give me 30 energy and 264 Health.

With the Druids Armor, an Expertise of 10 and Energy Regen of 3, I should be able to spam enough cyclone axe and swift chop for 15 seconds before the next ViM.

Please let me know your thoughts/critiques of this build.

Again I repeat, this is a PvE Tank Build Only

Also I need suggestions on
The upgrades to use on the axe for this build.
Nature of Shield to use (+health always/in stance/etc)

Thnx

Anthalas Woodshadow · Jul 23, 2005, 08:43 AM // 08:43

might want to put in penetrating blow instead of exec strike, then use eviscerate/dismember and axe rake. Cyclone axe is good for your combo but some monsters are immune to poison. in which case, bring dismember and drop apply poison.

whirling defense, throw dirt, and apply poison are good. *see above*

if you use eviscerate, then I suggest Berserker's stance for speed and adrenaline and alternate that with whirling defense, using wd when your health gets low.

Never leave home without Troll unguent unless you have a good healer with you.

Another wise investment would be a damage absorb shield, 16 def, -3 damage while health is above 50%

Not sure about axe attributes but one with +15% damage/condition is good, especially if it lengthens deep wound/cripple.

Since you can't use a rune of absorption and don't have absorbing armor either, it might be good to have +armor bonuses with axe upgrades and shields as well as +hp runes/upgrades too.

Anarkii · Jul 23, 2005, 04:40 PM // 16:40

If I use Eviscerate, I'll have to let go of ViM, which I feel is essential in regaining energy :/

Also, at Tactics 8, would Healing Signet be better than Troll Unguent?

Arcador · Jul 23, 2005, 07:48 PM // 19:48

Err...do the preparations WORK with melee weapons? and do Expertise Works with non ranger skills?

powdahound · Jul 23, 2005, 08:56 PM // 20:56

I'm pretty sure expertise only works on ranger skills.

Calnaion Blackhawk · Jul 23, 2005, 09:14 PM // 21:14

hah yea, u might aswell take everything outta expertise and take apply poison out aswell.

infact, why do u want to tank with a ranger, you know it is called a RANGE - r

trying to copy the vast amounts of hammer rangers coming into gw?

or is it the new smiting warriors that ive seen recently, once again another trend in GW gets wh0red just like the air ele's

knives · Jul 23, 2005, 09:32 PM // 21:32

Quote:

Expertise is the Ranger's primary attribute. Every rank in Expertise reduces energy costs on any attack skills, preparations, or traps by 5%.

Using the warrior attack skills that require energy (ie. cyclone axe) expertise greatly reduces the cost of using them. It says attack skill, such as bow attack, sword attack, or axe attack. Power attack is also a good candidate to use. Rangers also have a larger base energy pool (correct me if I'm wrong), and although lower physical resistances, higher elemental resistances. Though, throw dirt on someone and the physical resistance isn't a problem.

Hmm..I would take Thrill of Victory and Disrupting Chop. I would take ToV over swift chop, or disrupting over swift chop. Otherwise, I don't know what you could take out to add both in. I don't know alot about the ranger side though, nor have I played a melee R/W. Though, I have faced a pretty decent hammer R/W that annoyed the hell out of me. (There was an air spiker attacking me too, but the ranger just kept knocking me down).

Molvania · Jul 23, 2005, 09:45 PM // 21:45

R/W blow for pvm and pvp that build sucks all you can do is posion and most things in pvm cant even be posioned and you do no damage with your axe mastery that low. Oh and noob expertise ONLY works for ranger things it DOESNT work for any other classes skills ya noob

Pendragon Light · Jul 23, 2005, 10:26 PM // 22:26

Apply poison does work with swords/axes/hammers/bows

Molvania · Jul 23, 2005, 10:32 PM // 22:32

ya i know but most monsters cant be posioned...

Neo-LD · Jul 23, 2005, 11:57 PM // 23:57

For what the build was designed for (tanking in PvE) it is excellent. You can deal fair damage while making people miss alot and having great Health and Energy regen. Apply Poison + Cyclone Axe + Victory is Mine is an awesome tanking combo) For the purpose of tanking, you cant ask for much more. Any mission group of casters would love to have you.

Everyone else here is correct that the build will stink for PvP and other stuff, but thats not what the point of the build is at all. They should read more carfully.

The one thing I would change is Executioner's Strike. Out for Penetrating Blow. (less adrenaline cost = more spam)

Aziz · Jul 24, 2005, 12:01 AM // 00:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Molvania

R/W blow for pvm and pvp that build sucks all you can do is posion and most things in pvm cant even be posioned and you do no damage with your axe mastery that low. Oh and noob expertise ONLY works for ranger things it DOESNT work for any other classes skills ya noob

wow, just wow. my main char right now is a high expertise hammer ranger/warrior in GvG to lower the costs of tigers fury for great justice and to the limit alot. maybe you should learn the game before you call him a noob for a crappy pvp build when he is trying to do a pve tank. Pot calling Kettle Black.

Anarkii · Jul 24, 2005, 03:37 AM // 03:37

Expertise DOES work with ALL attack skills.

Apply Poison does work with ALL attack skills.

Regarding Rangers tanking in PvE, a couple of stances(WHirling and Bonetti's for example and you can forget all about taking physical hits, and as you know rangers have MUCH better armor vs elemental attacks than warriors.

I have been playing this game since day 1 with my ranger and can say I know much of all there is to be known about rangers. So, before calling someone a noob, please recheck your theories before posting.

Thanks.

Awaiting more constructive suggestions...

Saba The Hobo · Jul 24, 2005, 04:44 AM // 04:44

If you can toss in Winter somewhere, you can have better armor against melee than those pesky warriors do

.

Anarkii · Jul 24, 2005, 05:00 AM // 05:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saba The Hobo

If you can toss in Winter somewhere, you can have better armor against melee than those pesky warriors do

.

Winter converts Only all elemental damage to cold damage, not physical damage. So I'd have to use greater conflageration + winter to have 115 AL against everything.

knives · Jul 24, 2005, 05:33 AM // 05:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarkii

Winter converts Only all elemental damage to cold damage, not physical damage. So I'd have to use greater conflageration + winter to have 115 AL against everything.

You'd be suprise at how many warriors like adding those elemental damage mods to their weapons.

Aziz · Jul 24, 2005, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by knives

You'd be suprise at how many warriors like adding those elemental damage mods to their weapons.

again he is a PVE tank not a PVP tank so war weapon mods have nothing to do with the topic

Anarkii · Jul 24, 2005, 02:41 PM // 14:41

Well...any more suggestions for this build please anyone?