Curse

Shinigami God · Sep 10, 2006, 05:34 AM // 05:34

Ok, my ranger build is basically a modification of one of the builds on wiki, but I believe the change, using Live Vicarously with the quick shooting makes a very big change. It's a quickshot/needling shot build, I'll give the info below:

Equipment:
- I use druid's armor, extra energy helps a lot though any other will do.
- Zealous Eternal Bow of Fortitude, zealous is important and +15% while enchanted is helpful, but the rest is optional.

Attribute points:
Expertise: 13 (Superior Rune included)
Marksmanship: 12 (Minor Rune and Mask included)
Healing Prayers: 11

Skills:
1. Dual Shot - Double healing and like your other attacks will fly very fast, your lead attack after picking a target.
2. Quick Shot {E} - Spam this this after Dual Shot till your target goes under half health.
3. Needling Shot - After your target is under 50% health spam this until it is dead. It does fixed damage and instantly recharges, also providing a rich health supply.
4. Savage Shot OR Favorable Winds - One of my variations though not the one that makes the difference, savage shot is for when you know you'll be fighting long casting ele's (such as Boreas Seabed), or favorable winds if you want the extra arrow speed.
5. Read the Wind - Use before a fight with your enchantment maintained, the arrow speed is necessary.
6. Whirling Defense - Use if you're being targeted by physical damage that can be "blocked" to take some pressure off your own healing and your monk's.
7. Live Vicarously - One of the centerpieces of the build and is the main reason I'm posting this. Basically, this is a perfect heal for this build, as you will be gaining health with every shot you take (which is a lot and happens very fast, imo a great alternative to using it with barrage.)
8. Resurrection skill of choice - Use rez sig for things like RA/TA, or use a hard rez skill with that monk secondary of yours.

If you can't figure it out from the text by the skills, the basic order of a battle goes by this: Cast Live Vicarously before battle. As soon as you're about to enter the fight, use Read the Wind, also put the Favorable Winds in a good position if you decided to bring it. Then, pick your target and fire off Dual Shot, followed by a needling shot (it will recharge for the normal time), then spam Quick Shot until your target reaches 50% health. Then just use Needling Shot till your target is dead. The real change from the wiki build is that Live Vicarously gives a great source of healing, and it can have the same damage atts as the other build at the cost of 75 health, which doesn't really matter since this build shouldn't be tanking too much and has the healing/whirling for whatever damage it does take. Also to restate, the zealous bow string is quite necessary, because it will effectively cut the cost of each quick/needling shot to 1 energy each, easily gained back by the two regen left. So, after this rather lengthy and very likely pointless explanation of my ranger's build, is this change to the normal build effective and if it is, is it commonly used?

Arturo02 · Sep 10, 2006, 05:58 AM // 05:58

The one question I have...

Does LV trigger both times or just once from the dual shot?

Sulgurth · Sep 10, 2006, 06:49 AM // 06:49

Even with a zealous bow you'd still be eating energy quickly thru the skill spams as long as you are using a maintained enchantment, wouldn't Vig Spirit work while costing less and providing more healing at 11 in healing, Same with switching Quickshot to Barrage as for hitting for more damage and possibly multible enemies, likewise can switch Read the wind to Disrupting shot as there will always be something to interupt, Dual shot works best with a prep based build which is incompadible with barrage. You already have the concept close, just need to work on getting the most for your energy, while part monk will want to consider hex/condition removal if your with a pug, blind attackers are basically useless, likewise throw dirt can mess up others good.

Shinigami God · Sep 10, 2006, 07:05 AM // 07:05

@ Arturo: Yes, it triggers twice

@ Sulgurth: Thanks for the constructive criticism. I was thinking of Vigorous Spirit, but I just prefer Live Vicariously as a maintenance as it doesn't "expire." I find it to be personal preference, although one may be slightly better than the other, but I like to be constantly machine gunning my targets

I've been randomly testing it out, and I've found in PvP energy is not a problem (at least not in the 4v4 matches I've been doing, and winning :P), but in PvE missions I don't have any problem while in fights, but yes I do run low on energy and have to switch to a diff weapon/strip LV between fights, which is an annoyance. Also, would Lightning reflexes be a good substitute for anything in this build?

Bloodied Blade · Sep 10, 2006, 04:06 PM // 16:06

@Shinigami God- if you can get Vigorous Spirit to last 15 seconds the energy cost is identical to not maintaining Live Vicariously, except that you will regen energy faster b/c instead of 1 pip of regen you'll have 2 and zealous.

Crushedskulls11 · Sep 13, 2006, 05:27 PM // 17:27

Looks like a good build shinigami though if i remember right arrow speed doesnt affect the dps/hp gain but the actual speed ur shooting affects dps/hp gain - correct me if im wrong - but thinking of that u can switch RtW w/ kindle for more dmg per arrow making ur quikshot spam get them below 50% quiker. Also dual shot will double the dmg of kindle -50% dmg of course from the skill. Also depends if u want dmg or interupting but i think fw would do fine w/ speeding ur arrows up for interupts. As for speeding ur attack rate up i wouldnt do it as ull probably run into e-manegment problems dont know for sure but the needling spam is 1 shot after another w/ nearly no stoping. What i like about that skill

Shinigami God · Sep 13, 2006, 09:27 PM // 21:27

thanks crushed, I like the idea of kindle arrows ^^ I'll replace either favorable winds or read the wind with it, depending on the situation

Oh, and I'll give vigorous spirit a go, see if it works for me.