Curse

Blkout · Dec 04, 2006, 12:02 AM // 00:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth`

Happens to me nearly every time my ranger joins a group. It's hard for me to believe that you are that fortunate.

But then again, it's possible everyone just assumes you are a Barrage ranger. What other elite is there to use? lol -_-

I'll be honest, I bet I can count on ONE HAND how many times I've seen a party even ask if anyone is using Barrage. I don't think it has anything to do with people assuming Rangers are using Barrage. I think most people want other skills from a Ranger such as poison or interrupts. I just don't see the big deal about Barrage, most people could care less one way or the other if you use it. I use it above all other Ranger Elite's but I wouldn't say it's my most valuable skill. My two interrupts are my most valuable skills and they aren't elites at all.

I think some people just like to see people using other skills rather than the popular and effective skills. People may call them cookie cutter builds, but they became popular because they work., Plain and simple.

Blkout · Dec 04, 2006, 12:05 AM // 00:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riotgear

People like Barrage because they figure the "total damage" they're inflicting is through the roof. Except with the new AI, it's generally more important to be able to hammer strays going after your squishies than be able to shoot the garbage lining up around the tank. If things are actually cooperating and lined up around the tank, you don't need barrage, you need a paragon with Blazing Finale. :P

I love my Paragon, but I certainly wouldn't say Blazing Finale is better than Barrage.

Blkout · Dec 04, 2006, 12:07 AM // 00:07

[QUOTE=Bloodied Blade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KazeMitsui

i totally agree with you barrage... i was so excited when i first got to cap it from that dude after that mission. Everyone was telling me how great it was and all that saying it was the skill to have and nothing else but i found out... That i rarely ever use that skill the only time i use it was when i farm trolls oh so long ago... but yea i too use Burning Arrow and it helps so much more than barrage.. I just dont really see why people always want B/P cause to me its like a meh NO... but yea here is a screenie and tell me if im still a noob ranger...

take in mind i rarely ever solo cause i only farmed trolls for like 5 skill points... so i could cap elites for title

*snip out pic*

But but but you don't have mending from your monk secondary!

jk there... but ya, I have to agree with some of the above posters. I found barrage rather underwhelming after I first got it. I've tried B/P, got immensely bored of it very fast... I really love Poison Arrow though, and Concussion Shot tends to stay on my bar as well if I know there's going to be a lot of monks in the area (it slaughters the Dolyak Masters in THK...hit their Life Attunement with it and down they go).

I think the main problem is all the misinformation about barrage being such a good skill. It really isn't very good when you notice that you can't use a prep with it (meaning that you usually have to bring Favorable Winds, which makes your faster arrow boost easy to end with a stray fireball). If you could use a preparation with it, then it would be overpowered...without a prep, it's boring. I've had Read the Wind since pre-sear, and frankly it's my favorite prep (I hate missing...and I like fast arrow hits).

Stop using Flatbows and Longbows and your arrows won't miss. You don't need a skill to make your arrows hit their target, you need a different type of bow. A Recurve bow rarely misses and is THE bow to have for interrupts as well.

Sheikh Al Stranghi · Dec 04, 2006, 11:12 AM // 11:12

I find Burning arrow + apply poison+ epidemic to work better than barrage in many parts of PvE. Of course then you lose the hard res you get with /mo, but whatever.

Theres more to being a ranger than pressing 1.

Darkpower Alchemist · Dec 04, 2006, 11:49 AM // 11:49

Long Bows are the prefered bows of PvE, however,recurves/composites have an apparently lower arch in flight,and thus are less likely to be dodged during straffing.

However, longbows are still the preference due to their range given to the shooter. We are "Rangers" afterall,so the name of the game is "Range".

Once again,I will tell everyone that I like Barrage, but I do not condone it being a be all/end all skill of Rangers. Recurve type bows have less range and lower arch while shooting, so that may make the use of Barrage better against running opponents, but that same bow will also work just as well when combating single opponents.

Still an all, don't bring Barrage to fight Shiro.

RTSFirebat · Dec 04, 2006, 12:11 PM // 12:11

While I agree that trying to use Barrage against Shiro is kind of pointless, I don't see why many people here seem to not like the skill.

Here's the typical build I tend to run when I'm with Guildies:

Barrage
Distracting Shot
Savage Shot or Lightbringer's Gaze
Throw Dirt
Whirling Defence
Troll Unguent
Conjure Flame
Res Signet/Sunspear Res Signet

I use a Short Bow and a Recurve Bow for this build. First use Conjure Flame, followed up by Barrage and using interrupts when need be. Throw dirt helps stops those pesky warriors and dervish's who get back the front line.

I spend ages getting the skill attibutes right for this.

Anyways I'm happy with the build, means I can do a lot of things, namely damage against a number of targets, interrupting, self-healing and defence.

While Barrge is what I use the most, I do agree that other elites are also good.

Posion arrow for example is one of my fav skills to use in PvP.

Blkout · Dec 04, 2006, 10:31 PM // 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sheikh Al Stranghi

I find Burning arrow + apply poison+ epidemic to work better than barrage in many parts of PvE. Of course then you lose the hard res you get with /mo, but whatever.

Theres more to being a ranger than pressing 1.

Of course there is, but carrying Barrage doesn't mean you only get to use one skill. My skill bar includes Barrage but it also has 7 other skills that I use regularly as well.

Not really sure what you meant by that statement. I've never seen a Barrage ranger only carrying one skill.

Maria The Princess · Dec 04, 2006, 10:58 PM // 22:58

i use barrage when playing with pugs and when i just want to finish the mission to get it out of my way

but, ya tell me about it......

when beating the mission where u defeat the 2 very bad guys (no spoilers

) i equiped BHA. we had 2 rangers in the team, the other one was a B/P with JI. (i like JI but why the pet?...) anyhow of curse i was picking the ele or the monk that the party didnt get to yet and land a BHA on him. should i even say that the poor thing couldnt get a single spell out? BHA is not only bosses shut down, its CASTERS shut down. a Cleric which your team cant get yet cuz of the swarm of dervishes and wariors runing around makes it harder. dazing and shooting the guy makes it so much easier to the team. same goes for those painful air spikers which stand far from the party damage, but somehow manage to spike non stop.

less spike=less to heal= happy monk and less DP

i was kicked out of a PUG on the final mission to beat last boss in NF (will not spoil the story

) cuz i wasnt runing barrage but i was runing.... poison arrow and interrupts!

how did i dare????

llsektorll · Dec 04, 2006, 11:13 PM // 23:13

eh barrage works good in early missions.... later in the game like in torment i find broadhead arrow to just own

Lykan · Dec 05, 2006, 02:37 AM // 02:37

I just don't use barrage, not only because its always what people expect you to be running, but its just so damn boring.

rick1027 · Dec 05, 2006, 05:16 AM // 05:16

as for using barrage for everything i never felt it was needed nice in certain places vizunah for one but against shiro i think there better elites to take. i always loved poison arrow myself and haven't tried the burning yet because i haven't used my ranger much yet since nightfall came out and i do remember a time when ranger seemed to be a good addition no matter his build in any mission til we got so many barrage users but this apply to every cookie cutter build as for group members. my only problem is it seems ranger have to many good elites and not enough time and places to use them all but i try

Jeff Highwind · Dec 05, 2006, 07:08 AM // 07:08

I used to run barrage until I got tired of spamming skills. It's a neat skill don't get me wrong, it's just that unless there are mobs the skill is kinda pale in comparison to other skills like say Prepared Shot.

Oh, I think the new Must Have elite will most likely be Burning Arrow. 5s of Burning at 16 marks is great for Caster Hate, plus it's by far the highest damaging arrow attack yet.

Shadis · Dec 05, 2006, 09:56 PM // 21:56

It really irks me that people "hate" Barrage simply because it's a popular skill. It's effective against Mobs, it's kinda fun to use, and it opens up a lot of other slots that more intricate combinations would otherwise require.

What is the problem with Barrage? Do you people hate it just to be different and special? Seriously, it's a solid skill that no one should complain about someone having on their bar in general PvE.

Maria The Princess · Dec 05, 2006, 10:05 PM // 22:05

we dont hate barrage, we just know that theres other elites that are way better

yes for easy pve all you need to do is spam it (boring?)

but for more advanced PVE (no, not ToPK or B/P FOW groups) its just not effective anymore. the thing is that its effective when theres 5 rangers spaming barrage, but when theres only 2....?

ya it adds damage to the total, but an interrupter who focuses on the monk, ele or the dervish, with BHA instead of barrage would speed things up way more

Kaida the Heartless · Dec 05, 2006, 10:26 PM // 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_jos

When using Broad Head, you have to think (dazing a warrior or ranger is a wasted shot).

Omg, use broadhead arrow on warriors to stop them from casting mending. Duh. You can't kill a warrior if he is able to cast his mending!

I find Poison Arrow to be more attractive than barrage, regardless of my situation. I mean, now that barbed arrows can be added with it, 7 degeneration across a team is too sexy to pass up, imo!

Sofonisba · Dec 05, 2006, 10:33 PM // 22:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by XvArchonvX

I think one of the largest cause of people blindly choosing skills and not knowing if they will work in a mission or not is because they simply don't ask or search around to find out what they will encounter. Part of this may be the fear of being called a noob or being kicked from a group just because they found that it's your first time, but part of it is likely just laziness (since Gwiki has info and advice on almost every mission in GW).

I agreed with most of your post, but on this section I must comment.

The first time I went through the game, I didn't read anything ahead of time. (Well, that's not true, I did look up where to find the dervish Acolytes for capping...) I had NO idea where I was going or what I was going to see or who I was going to fight. It was most certainly not laziness, it was... a sense of adventure?

Barrage is a great skill overall. It can work in almost any situation, and if it turns out not to be the most efficient skill to take for a particular mission? Well, I'll remember that for next time; meantime, I still have 7 other slots to contribute to the group with. In this game, having/not having one single skill on your bar does not make or break you.

Arangja · Dec 06, 2006, 10:57 AM // 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darkpower Alchemist

We can't let the new blood flounder into idiodicy and become the butt end of bad jokes like the W/Mos that use mending. Help me stop this Cult from festering and becoming the thing of frustration that it is building up to be.

Well here is my opinion on this whole matter. I started a ranger as my 1st ever char and had nobody to help me when I started, so I did each and every quest and mission available to get all the skills and to try them out. That is how I learned what to use and how to use it including diffetrent bows for different situations.

But too often I see young players asking to get run everywhere, and always relying on guildies to get them through missions, if its your 1st character or if you are learning to play a character, well then PLAY the character dont always expect free rides and runs everywhere, doesnt matter if u have a lvl20 Warrior or whatever profesion, the playing styles are different.

The only way we can stop this is if the rangers actually play ther rangers and learn what skills and bows work best in what situations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blkout

Stop using Flatbows and Longbows and your arrows won't miss. You don't need a skill to make your arrows hit their target, you need a different type of bow. A Recurve bow rarely misses and is THE bow to have for interrupts as well.

I regularly still use my flat/longbow but if I do I have "Reading the Winds" on my skillbar, flatbows are awesome because of their refire rate so if u use Read the Winds with it, it never misses because ark is droped down to Recurve ratio and you got the fastest refire rate possible.

Just to finish off, don't get me wrong barrage is a great skill, but in NF I hardly ever used it. I mainly used Poison Arrow, BHA or a combo of Burning Arrow + apply poison, throw barbed arrow in there too and you have 3 degens in 1 go, nothing like having an enemy with 10degen on him

Well thats all from me

Wolydarg · Dec 06, 2006, 03:30 PM // 15:30

I've gotten through shiverpeaks and on, factions, and nightfall with barrage on my bar. Against shiro, I didn't have to do anything, I got into groups simply because people needed people to generate damage for sword of storms. PvE is too easy (excluding Doa, finally a fun zone). Just be good with interrupts and you automatically become a valuable asset to the group.

Sophitia Leafblade · Dec 06, 2006, 03:45 PM // 15:45

I dont understand the big hate for barrage, ok so there are plenty of other good elites (well there are now anyways) Barrage may be most effective when used on groups, but due its lost cost, low recharge and increased damage its a great skill to do continious good damage to a target be it single or not single. In phrophecies Barrage was questionably (since im sure others will disagree) the best elite skill Rangers had. There are now alot more good skills, but barrage is still one of the better elites that rangers have. Ok so perhaps using it on Shiro isnt the best use of an Elite but there arnt many ranger elites good Vs him especially if hes already poisened or bleeding (which could be applied by te other members in the team). He cant be interupted either so the best elite to use is a spiking Elite, which Barrage is (although there are better spike skills, it still is one.)

Sophitia Leafblade · Dec 06, 2006, 03:51 PM // 15:51

-opps dual post, soz-