Curse

windchill · Apr 07, 2005, 10:44 PM // 22:44

Here's a ranger/necro build that I just made. I want to use this character as a damage dealer in PvP. Suggestions and comments are welcome

Ranger/Necromancer

Marksmanship 11 + 0
Expertise 10 + 0
Curses 10 + 0

1: Mark of Pain (10/2/30) - For 30 seconds, whenever target foe takes physical damage, Mark of Pain deals 30 shadow damage to adjacent enemies.

some AoE damage

2: Enfeeble (5/1/5) - Target suffers from weakness for 15 seconds.

anti-warrior support
should i replace this with another bow attack?

3: Weaken Armor (10/3/30) - For 30 seconds, target foe has -20 armor against physical damage.

to supplement damage
how much damage does 20 armor reduce?
should i replace this with barbs (10/3/30), which gives 7 damage every time the foe is hit for physical damage for 30 seconds?

4: Whirling Defense (10/0/60) - For 16 seconds, you have 75% chance to block attacks. Whenever you block an arrow this way, adjacent foes take 15 piercing damage.

defense against melee

5: Favorable Winds (5/5/60) - Create a level 7 Spirit. For creatures within its range, arrows move twice as fast as normal and strike for +3 damage. This Spirit dies after 118 seconds.

for faster flight time/higher accuracy

6: Called Shot (10/0/4) - Shoot an arrow that moves 3 times faster than normal and cannot be evaded or deflected.

for almost definite hit

7: Hunter's Shot (5/0/5) - If Hunter's Shot hits, you strike for +16 damage. If this attack hits a fleeing or knocked down foe, that foe begins bleeding for 19 seconds.

primary damage skill

8: Marksman's Wager [Elite] (5/2/24) - For 12 seconds, you gain 8 energy whenever your arrows hit, but lose 10 Energy whenever your arrows fail to strike. While activating Marksman's Wager, you are easily interrupted.

for energy management

Davion · Apr 08, 2005, 03:09 AM // 03:09

interesting

2. had no experience with this one....for my thought though....maybe something like kindle arrows...it will give you a prep..and add fire damage.
favorable winds is a ritual so it won't conflict with this.

3. keep the weaken armour. They take 7 damage each time...or they lose a percentage against all attacks...the weaken may pull ahead more on this one.
Especially if your opponents armor class is as high as yours (assuming level 20 armour on you).the higher their armor, the more you are decreasing the actual points of it.

Bad_Monkey6186 · Apr 08, 2005, 03:42 AM // 03:42

Make that prep read the wind, seeing as he has no points in survival. Course, if you're getting read the wind, you don't need favorable winds. And if yoiu have a prep, you'll want dual shot, so....uhh....run with what you want

windchill · Apr 08, 2005, 04:05 AM // 04:05

thanks for the suggestions

i think i'll take out favorable winds for read the wind.. and should i take out enfeeble or called shot (or maybe whirling defense) for dual shot? oh yeah, will dual shot double the damage bonus of read the wind?

Davion · Apr 08, 2005, 04:08 AM // 04:08

dual shot..2 arrows at same target ..both at 75% base damage.

Yes, anything you add onto this will add more damage to it.

windchill · Apr 08, 2005, 04:27 AM // 04:27

ok, this is what i've decided on so far..
are there any other skills that i should consider?

Ranger/Necromancer

Marksmanship 11
Expertise 10
Curses 10

1. Marksman's Wager - For 12 seconds, you gain 8 energy whenever your arrows hit, but lose 10 Energy whenever your arrows fail to strike. While activating Marksman's Wager, you are easily interrupted.

2. Hunter's Shot - If Hunter's Shot hits, you strike for +16 damage. If this attack hits a fleeing or knocked down foe, that foe begins bleeding for 19 seconds.

3. Dual Shot - Shoot two arrows simultaneously at target foe. These arrows deal 25% less damage than normal.

4. Read the Wind - For 12 seconds, your arrows move faster than normal and deal 14 extra damage.

5. Whirling Defense - For 16 seconds, you have 75% chance to block attacks. Whenever you block an arrow this way, adjacent foes take 15 piercing damage.

6. Mark of Pain - For 30 seconds, whenever target foe takes physical damage, Mark of Pain deals 30 shadow damage to adjacent enemies.

7. Weaken Armor - For 30 seconds, target foe has -20 armor against physical damage.

8. Enfeeble - Target suffers from weakness for 15 seconds.

Davion · Apr 08, 2005, 04:33 AM // 04:33

Try swapping out marksman's wager...for practiced stance. It will lengthen the duration of read the winds. They are both elites as is. So you're still with your one elite..just its more useful for your actual damage output as ranger.

(I just don't like the gamble nature of marksman's wager myself)

Note : wager and read are both preps..by swapping like this..there is no more conflict as which to use.. you get a stance and a prep..not 2 preps.

windchill · Apr 08, 2005, 04:45 AM // 04:45

hmm.. =/ how often do arrows miss? also, what is the normal energy regeneration rate?

here are two low energy necro curse elites that caught my eye.. would either of them be good for my character?

Feast of Corruption: Target foe and all adjacent foes are struck for 16-67 shadow damage. You steal 8-34 health from each struck foe who is suffering from a hex.

Wither: For 5-29 seconds, target foe suffers -2 Health regeneration and -2 Energy regeneration. Wither ends if that foe's Energy reaches 0.

EDIT: actually.. i just checked out the description of practiced stance again.. and i think i might want to use it now

Davion · Apr 08, 2005, 04:51 AM // 04:51

I make one assumption when I run.... 25% chance of missing any shot..seems to run somewhere around there after I add in all the variables. (moving targets..range..et al.) That really isn't that high considering you still get 75% to hit. Like I said before....personal preference for minimal gambles for me.

Those might work too...suggestion?... try all three options out this weekend if you are able to...... practiced stance, feast of corruption, wither....

Give them a go and see which of them suits you as a replacement.

EDIT : ::Laughing Raucously:: nice edit

Bgnome · Apr 08, 2005, 02:30 PM // 14:30

if your target is moving, you will likely miss. at least that has been my experience with my rangers.
-20 armor will increase your damage by roughly 50%.
i do not see the point of bringing whirling defense or enfeeble -- you are worrying too much about warriors. if you have warriors coming after you in PvP, most of your team is already dead. with decent curses, i would take barbs to increase your damage.
no point in running 2 preps -- ditch marksmans wager.

Jia Xu · Apr 08, 2005, 07:34 PM // 19:34

just as an idea from flicking through ranger skills - if you are going to be using mark of pain / weaken armour etc, as an alternate elite, consider Barrage. I know a lot of people think it's crap in PvP, and there are plenty of reasons for that, but a warrior train hit with marks of pain and barrage is quite interesting

windchill · Apr 08, 2005, 08:59 PM // 20:59

Quote:

if your target is moving, you will likely miss. at least that has been my experience with my rangers.
-20 armor will increase your damage by roughly 50%.
i do not see the point of bringing whirling defense or enfeeble -- you are worrying too much about warriors. if you have warriors coming after you in PvP, most of your team is already dead. with decent curses, i would take barbs to increase your damage.
no point in running 2 preps -- ditch marksmans wager.

okay, i'll take out whirling defense but i think i might keep enfeeble just as a support skill for the casters in my party
also, i am going to take out marksman's wager and possibly replace it with practiced stance

Quote:

just as an idea from flicking through ranger skills - if you are going to be using mark of pain / weaken armour etc, as an alternate elite, consider Barrage. I know a lot of people think it's crap in PvP, and there are plenty of reasons for that, but a warrior train hit with marks of pain and barrage is quite interesting

i have considered barrage before (it was the elite skill for my previous ranger/ele build) and have heard that it is even useful for sinlge targets but without any preparations, but i've just come across a thread that talked about how a ranger may be more suitable for inflicting conditions rather than raw damage. i think i might consider poison arrow for that and maybe take out whirling defense for concussion shot or distracting shot. my friend is going to be a ranger/mesmer, so i think it'd be a good idea to help inflict conditions for him to make good use of epidemic.

edit: arg.. i forgot that poison arrow is under the wilderness survival category =/... but i could make my attributes 11 marksmanship 8 wilderness survival 9 expertise 8 curses

Shrapnel_Magnet · Apr 08, 2005, 10:17 PM // 22:17

As an example... This is my Ra/Ne that I run for whatever.

Poison Arrow
Read the Wind
Hunter's Shot
Pin Down
Debilitating Shot
Enfeeble (or Enfeebling Blood)
Malaise
Shadow of Fear (or Faintheartedness)

Of course, not everyone likes Poison Arrow but... I do. Either way, there's also the Tiger's Fury + Barrage Combo... this is a really nice combination that can be taken to the extreme if you have a Zealous Bow String (+1 energy per hit/ -1 energy regeneration).

In PvP, Debilitating Shot simply can't be overlooked. Debilitating Shot + Malaise can be used for some decent energy denial. It's refreshing to see that you don't have Troll Unguent listed anywhere, so you're off to a good start. Read the Wind is there, not just for the damage, but to make sure that your arrows like Hunter's Shot and Debilitating Shot are going to be hitting their targets. Pin Down is essential, also. Penetrating attack is another skill you'll want to consider... but stay away from Power Shot.

I personally prefer Enfeeble to Enfeebling Blood because of the energy cost... but one could argue that Shadow of Fear + Enfeebling Blood can stop a warrior group dead... but you'll also be sitting with almost no energy after.

Nature Rituals are also something that you don't want to forget, but I find that they are better used in coordination with a team strategy, rather than a personal skill that you just bring.

Another Ranger choice you might want to take a look at is the Ranger/Monk. These are becoming pretty popular ever. Judge's Insight is very attractive with a Tiger's Fury + Barrage combo, as it's not a preparation (therefore not touched by Barrage).

windchill · Apr 10, 2005, 09:04 PM // 21:04

Thanks for the suggestion Shrapnel_Magnet

I borrowed a little from your build in my new build. I've also added a build for my friend, who's going to be a ranger/mesmer (and will obviously be in my party). However, I can still use some help.. so here are the two builds..

Ranger/Necromancer

Marksmanship 11
Wilderness Survival 8
Expertise 9
Curses 8

1: Poison Arrow ELITE (5/0/1) - If Poison Arrow hits, your target becomes poisoned for 13 seconds. This is an elite skill.

2: Hunter's Shot (5/0/5) - If Hunter's Shot hits, you strike for +16 damage. If this attack hits a fleeing or knocked down foe, that foe begins bleeding for 19 seconds.

3: Pin Down (15/0/15)- If Pin Down hits, your target is crippled for 12 seconds.

4: Read the Wind (5/2/12) - For 12 seconds, your arrows move faster than normal and deal 14 extra damage.

5: Enfeeble (5/1/5) - Target suffers from weakness for 13 seconds.

6: Mark of Pain (10/2/30) - For 30 seconds, whenever target foe takes physical damage, Mark of Pain deals 26 shadow damage to adjacent enemies.

7: Malaise (5/2/2) - For the next 21 seconds, target foe suffers Energy degeneration of 2 and you suffer Health degeneration of 2.

8: Parasitic Bond (10/2/3) - For 20 seconds, target enemy suffers from health degeneration of 1. You are healed for 39 health when Parasitic Bond ends

Ranger/Mesmer

Marksmanship 11
Expertise 9
Illusion Magic 8
Inspiration Magic 8

1: Punishing Shot ELITE (10/0/5) - If Punishing Shot hits, you strike for +24 damage and your target is interrupted. This is an elite skill.

2: Distracting Shot (5/.75/10) - If Distracting Shot hits, it interrupts target foe's action but deals only 10 damage. If the interrupted action was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 20 seconds.

3: Concussion Shot (25/.75/10) - If Concussion Shot hits while target foe is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and your target is dazed for 16 seconds. This attack deals only 12 damage.

4: Savage Shot (10/0/5) - If Savage Shot hits, your target's action is interrupted. If that action was a spell, you strike for 32 damage (before armor).

5: Debilitating Shot (10/0/5) - If Debilitating Shot hits, your target loses 10 energy.

6: Fragility (15/1/15) - For 15 seconds, target foe takes 20 damage each time that foe suffers or recovers from a new condition.

7: Epidemic (15/2/15) - All negative conditions target foe suffers from are spread from target foe to nearby foes

8: Power Drain (5/.25/25) - If target foe is casting a spell, the spell is interrupted and you gain 17 energy.

Bad_Monkey6186 · Apr 10, 2005, 09:56 PM // 21:56

I'd switch out enfeeble for barbs, seeing as enfeeble doesn't do much unless you're fighting warriors

windchill · Apr 11, 2005, 09:11 PM // 21:11

okay, i'll do that

should i add favorable winds and take out read the wind so my friend can benefit? or should i take out a skill and put in read the wind on his build?

and about the second build... is there any elite mesmer skill that would be more effective than punishing shot versus casters and focusing on interruption? also, is concussion shot too expensive to be useful on the build and should possibly energy tap be added for energy management?