Curse

RemusShepherd · Aug 04, 2005, 08:44 PM // 20:44

I'm trying new characters (shame the limit is only 4). I wanted to make a Beastmaster for PvE play, but I can't decide on the best build.

I tried a Ranger/Monk, hoping to use the smiting and protection enchantments to buff my pet up into a serious threat. It works...for a few seconds, then I run out of energy. Neither rangers nor monks have any energy management skills. So I don't think this combination is going to work well.

I'm looking at Ranger/Mesmer, using Inspiration to refuel my energy so I can spam bow and pet attacks. The build would use Beastmaster, Marksmanship, and Inspiration, and maybe Expertise. It might work as a support character, but it seems too low damage to solo with. I might consider Mesmer/Ranger, using Domination or Illusion to help with damage, but then I'd be worried about armor. The pet doesn't keep aggro very well, from what I can see.

Warrior/Ranger looks like a good build, but I'm already playing a Warrior/Elementalist, and I want to try something new.

Can anyone suggest a good build for a PvE Beastmaster?

Grivious Maximus · Aug 04, 2005, 08:48 PM // 20:48

Zealous bowstring for energy management

Theus · Aug 04, 2005, 08:51 PM // 20:51

You wont really be needing a Secondary job for a pet..due to the fact that you can buff em and heal them with these skills:

Call of Protection - Reduce base damage by <X> Amount 15 is mac with 16 Beastmastery
Call of Haste - Increase Pet movement and attack speed by 25%
Comfort Animal - heal pet for <x> amount of HP Max is 110 with 16 Beastmastery and revives pet with 61% hp.
Predators Pounce - hits for <+X> damage and heals for <X> amount(hits for +21 and heals for 51 when at 16 beastmastery.

These are some of the skills you should be carrying at all times if your going to be going Beastmastery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grivious Maximus

Zealous bowstring for energy management

No need.Simply put a couple of points into expertise (10 points will give you 40% energy reduction.)

RemusShepherd · Aug 04, 2005, 08:56 PM // 20:56

I know Beastmastery has great pet buffs. I was trying to pull something from a second class that would make the pet even better. Maybe it's a bad idea.

I have no idea what a zealous bowstring is. I assume, since it isn't on the skill list, it's a weapon enhancement? Keep in mind I've been playing this game for about a week, I have no guild, and my highest character (the warrior) is level 9.

White Designs · Aug 04, 2005, 08:58 PM // 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theus

No need.Simply put a couple of points into expertise (10 points will give you 40% energy reduction.)

Never have 10 expertise. Due to rounding, 9, 13, or 14 is the numbers you want.

Theus · Aug 04, 2005, 09:01 PM // 21:01

A zealous bow string is indeed a wapon mod, it lowers energy regeneration by 1, but you gain 1 energy for every succesful hit you make.

But by having 10 points in expertise you'll garnish a 40% reduction on your skills..most of the pet skills are 5 and 10 energy thus cutting their costs to 3 and 6.. with druids armor, Which you can create in the next major city Lions Arch will give you 32 energy with that 32 energy and 3 energy regen you shouldn't have to worry about getting a zealous bow string.

Enigmatics · Aug 04, 2005, 10:03 PM // 22:03

The 36% energy reduction of level 9 expertise rounds to 40% -the equivalent of level 10 expertise.

Ilya Khan · Aug 04, 2005, 11:51 PM // 23:51

Hey guys, I ran a beast master build for quite a while. The most effective ones include the following:
Charm animal
Comfort animal
Predator's pounce
Symbiotic bond
Call of Protection
Ferocious Strike
2 free spots to put in whatever. Ferocious strike will give you all the energy you need. Pounce will be a good thing to spam whenever to give your pet an extra 50 hp.
My Expertise was about 13 and made this build VERY hard to lose energy with.
Go ahead and try it out and put in your own two spells. Personally, I used Feral Pounce (or feral strike,I have forgotten what it was) and i use distracting shot to interupt things whenever I needed to.

Yukito Kunisaki · Aug 05, 2005, 04:50 AM // 04:50

congrats.

I still would find a way for those last two skills to be your primary and 2ndary.

Perhaps keep distracting shot and let that last skill be something to augment your build...?

^_^

Pinch · Aug 05, 2005, 04:55 AM // 04:55

I'm pretty sure symbiotic bond is broken, unless they fixed it. About a month ago, we tested it in gvg and our guildie on the other team wasn't taking the damage.

blackbird71 · Aug 15, 2005, 04:59 PM // 16:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ilya Khan

Hey guys, I ran a beast master build for quite a while. The most effective ones include the following:
Charm animal
Comfort animal
Predator's pounce
Symbiotic bond
Call of Protection
Ferocious Strike
2 free spots to put in whatever. Ferocious strike will give you all the energy you need. Pounce will be a good thing to spam whenever to give your pet an extra 50 hp.
My Expertise was about 13 and made this build VERY hard to lose energy with.
Go ahead and try it out and put in your own two spells. Personally, I used Feral Pounce (or feral strike,I have forgotten what it was) and i use distracting shot to interupt things whenever I needed to.

I use a build very similar to this, filling those extra slots with a few marksmanship based bow attacks. Those combined with Tiger's Fury deal a nice bit of damage. I love Ferocious Strike, the damage bonus is good, but the energy gain is the best part. I believe the skill you are referring to is Feral Lunge, causes damage bonus +bleeding, another one of my favorites.

As to the expertise, I have mine at 9 (8 +1 rune), and 5 energy skills cost 3 and 10 energy skills cost 6, so no need to have it at 10. If you're not going to raise it to 13, there's really no reason to go over 9, unless somehow you've filled your bar with 25 energy skills, you won't see much change in cost reduction.

For more info on expertise level vs cost reduction, try this:

http://www.gwonline.net/page.php?p=130

If the link doesn't work, just copy and paste, I've had problems with these in this forum in the past.