Curse

Sha Noran · Jun 20, 2006, 06:09 AM // 06:09

Before you start reading this, you should know a few things. First of all, I can make your Ranger effective, but I can't make you like him/her. If you hate your Ranger, I can't help you. The playing style of the Ranger just isn't for you. Second, these are strictly PVE builds. I can guarantee you nothing but defeat and frustration trying to use these builds in PVP. I might end up making a thread regarding Ranger, but I'm not really the PVP type, so I might leave that for someone else.

I'd also like to make it clear that this guide is for a Ranger who's interested in doing things as a group. There are no solo builds here, and most critique of skills, armor and other equipment is all based on the idea that you'll be working as part of a team.

WARNING: Attributes are listed as I have them. There may be slightly better allocations or combinations of points if you have different armor combinations, and you should check as much if you're making armor for a specific build. You may find that you can boost an attribue a point higher or save a few points here and there if you happen to have your armor set up differently than mine. Good for you if you do. :-)

Now then, here are some builds that I've found work out pretty well for me:

Sha’s Ideal Ranger Build:
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Punishing Shot {Elite}
-Kindle Arrows
-Troll Unguent
-Dismiss Condtion
-Storm Chaser
-Rebirth

Notes on Sha’s Ideal Ranger Build: This is NOT the only good Ranger build, and in no way am I trying to suggest it is. However, this is the build I will be running 99% of the time if you see me doing a normal run for anything in the game. Savage is ideal for interrupting, Penetrating does great damage, even against Mantle/Mursaat/Ettins which have 1337 armor, and Punishing is like the first two combined. Kindle is currently the most powerful damage increasing prep in the game since Ignite was nerfed. Troll is essential, its best attribute being that once you get it up, it cannot be removed. If you’re Blind, you’re worthless; i.e. Dismiss: the best way to deal with Blind. Storm Chaser is a damn good basic sprint skill (the best available to a standard Ranger). Rebirth is essential in the later areas of the game, since frequently a full party wipe means starting over. As the Ranger, you should be able to spring away with Storm Chaser if the fight goes South, and then Rebirth the team. In short, this is the build I use, and as of yet I do not know a better plain Ranger build.

Yes, this build requires that you be R/Mo. No, this may not be the most “fun” way to play Ranger for everyone. No, R/Mo may not be the most “fun” profession combo for Ranger. Regardless, this is in my mind the best Ranger build for high end PvE. I mess around with plenty of other stuff, but when the job really needs to get done, this does it. People often want to know which build I use; there it is, plain and simple.

Attribute Points:

Expertise: 9+1
Wilderness Survival: 9+3
Marksmanship: 12+1+1

Now then, before I go on with this let's establish a few things about Expertise, particularly regarding Expertise Breakpoints. Expertise Breakpoints are the optimal levels at which points in Expertise will reduce the Energy cost of your skills. The Breakpoints that are vital to understand are as follows:

8 Expertise: This level of Expertise is best if your build is primarily 5 Energy skills.
9 Expertise: This level of Expertise is best if your build is primarily 10 Energy skills.
13 Expertise: This is the next level of Expertise after 8 that is best if your build is primarily 5 Energy skills.
14 Expertise: This is the next level of Expertise after 9 that is best if your build is primarily 10 Energy skills.

As such, the use of (for example) 10 Expertise over 9 is not particularly productive. I would highly recommend that you take Expertise Breakpoints strongly into consideration when crafting a build or using any of these here. For additional information regarding Expertise, check out the very informative wiki page here.

Ranger/

Sha's Straight Ranger Build:
-Damage/Interrupt Bow Attack
-Damage/Interrupt Bow Attack
-Damage/Interrupt Bow Attack
-Preperation
-Troll Unguent
-Defensive Stance
-Speed Stance
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Sha's Straight Ranger Build: This is a good way to set up your pure Ranger. This takes into account absolutely no secondary attribute in any way. Below I will list a few ways I've set myself up in the past. Please note that most pure Ranger set-ups depend entirely upon the Elite you choose to use.

Poison Arrow Build:
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Poison Arrow {Elite}
-Kindle Arrows/Read the Wind/Barbed Arrows
-Troll Unguent
-Whirling Defense
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable (See Assorted Ranger Tips, below)

Notes on Poison Arrow Build: Savage and Penetrating are sort of my generic two damage skills, so they’re here of course. Poison Arrow is one of the best Ranger Elites because you can snipe your enemies with poison damage without having to take the time (or the skill slot) to use Apply Poison on your arrows. Another advantage Poison Arrow has over Apply Poison is that once your target is poisoned, he cannot be poisoned again until the original poisoning wears off. Shooting him again and again with poisoned arrows is a waste of time when you could be using a much more effective preparation, i.e. Kindle Arrows. You'll also note that this build leaves a slot for a "Ranger Variable". I'll explain these at the end of my college final term paper on Rangers. :P

It's worth noting that with Barbed Arrows, a new Nightfall preperation, Poison Arrow can be made into a far more devastating attack, resulting in 7 degen instead of 4. You lose the bonus damage of Kindle/RtW, but you will probably (with suffecient spreading) be dealing alot more damage in the long run.

Melandru's Arrows Build:
-Savage Shot
-Distracting Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Melandru's Arrows {Elite}
-Troll Unguent
-Whirling Defense
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Melandru's Arrows Build: The bleeding bonus from Melandru's Arrows is nice, and it's even nicer to get that boosted damage on enemies with enchantments on. Unfortunately, with Nightfall and Barbed Arrows, this build is a bit outdated. Still perfectly viable, but if you're going for conditions, either Apply Poison+Screaming Shot or Barbed Arrows+Poison Arrow is the way to go.

Machine Gunner Build:
-Quick Shot {Elite}
-Savage Shot
-Distracting Shot
-Read The Wind
-Troll Unguent
-Whirling Defense
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Machine Gunner Build: The idea with this build is just to fire at your target as quickly as you can. Throw on Read The Wind, pick a target and start spamming Quick Shot, with the occasional interrupt (Savage Shot and Distracting Shot) for extra flair.. Whirling Defense is for when you get pinned down, and Storm Chaser is for when you need to get somewhere quick. Some things you might also consider on the build are a Ignite Arrows for some highly explosive AoE damage, or Needling Shot for extreme single target damage. I'm not really a fan of Needling Shot, as you don't really have the energy to do it for long, and it will pwn your energy before you can move on to the next target. Definately consider a Zealous Bow String for this build, especially for a variation including Needling Shot.

For these pure Ranger builds, I use the following Attributes:
Marksmanship: 12+1+1
Wilderness Survival: 10+3
Expertise: 8+1

Old School Trapper Build:
-Barbed Trap
-Flame Trap
-Dust Trap
-Spike Trap {Elite}
-Trapper's Speed
-Viper's Nest
-Group Spirit (Energizing Wind, Quickening Zephyr, possibly Winnowing or EoE)
-Rez Signet/Rebirth if possible

Notes on Old School Trapper Build: First of all, Trapping is extremely slow and for some, extremely boring. If it works right, you never fight anything. In a normal trapping run, you pull up the spirits, set the traps for about a minute and a half, pull the enemies into them, then repeat. You have to have at least four Rangers for a trap group to work; any less and you simply don't have the firepower (some argue this, but if something goes wrong with one Ranger, and you only had two in the first place… gg). Pin Down is to finish off whatever gets through the traps if something goes horribly wrong. Bring a Rez Signet, or better yet, Rebirth (if your secondary is Monk). This is what people are generally looking for when they holler for "Trapper Rangers". Please, please note that this will work in ONLY select locations, i.e. Underworld, and will fail MISERABLY in others, i.e. Fissure of Woe. It is also HIGHLY RECCOMENDED that you carry a staff with you that gives you bonus energy. Equip this while planting your traps, but make sure to switch to a bow if anything gets through.

For this build, just make sure Wilderness Survival and Expertise are boosted as best you can; some groups "require" that you have 16 Wilderness Survival, but this isn't really necessary... just make sure it's over 12.

Attribute Points:

Beast Mastery: 8+1
Expertise: 10+3
Wilderness Survival: 12+1+1

New School Trapper Build
-Viper’s Nest
-Flame Trap
-Barbed Trap
-Dust Trap
-Trapper’s Focus {E}
-Trapper's Speed
-Healing Spring
-Ranger Variable

Notes on New School Trapper Build: Now you’re cooking with GAS. Trapper’s Focus, a Canthan Elite, allows Trapping to be viable in any location. Running right into the action to lay down some AoE conditions? Sign me up. You’ll need to spec heavily into Expertise for Focus, and split some into Beast Mastery for Viper’s, but it’s well worth it. This build can be a lot of fun... but it should be noted that for UW trap groups, the old school way is still the best. If your getting hit while you trap down there, you’re dead whether you’re interrupted or not.

Attribute Points:

Marksmanship: 0
Wilderness Survival: 10+1+1
Expertise: 12+3
Beast Mastery: 8+1

Smoke Trap Build
-Smoke Trap {E}
-Barbed Trap
-Tripwire
-Dust Trap
-Viper's Nest
-Whirling Defense/Trapper's Speed
-EoE/Trapper's Speed
-Rez/EoE

Notes on Smoke Trap Build: With the introduction of Nightfall, Ranger's get the incredible Smoke Trap. Well worth the Elite slot, this skill (and build) are best used if you're defending a position sure to be sieged (this scenario was rarer in older campaigns than it is in Nightfall). If you're sure to be playing defensively and holding a position, a Smoke Trap build might just save the day. Make sure to indicate to your group that enemies hit by Smoke Trap will be Dazed, and thus easily interruptible. You won't necessarily have the ability to interrupt the Dazed targets (as you'll be trapping, duh) so make sure to have your allies attacking Dazed enemies to keep them shut down.

Attribute Points:

Beast Mastery: 8+1
Expertise: 10+3
Wilderness Survival: 12+1+1

Interrupter Build
-Savage Shot
-Distracting Shot
-Punishing Shot {E}
-Read the Wind
-Troll Unguent
-Mend Ailment/Whirling Defense/Serpent’s Quickness
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Interrupter Build: You won't deal a ton of damage with this build, but neither will whatever your targeting. I finally convinced myself to completely remove Incendiary Arrows from the build possibilities… by the time you GET it, you had better be able to use Punishing. Incendiary Arrows just sucks as it's duration is horrendus when compared with its recharge. For a prep that interrupts (and AoE interrupts, at that) go with Choking Gas. The duration on that is poor, but it can be paired with Practiced Stance as Choking is not Elite.

I also bring along Serpent’s occasionally to get those interrupts recharged that much faster; it really does help.

Attribute Points:

Marksmanship: 12+1+1
Wilderness Survival: 10+3
Expertise: 8+1

Broad Head Arrow Build:
-Savage Shot
-Distracting Shot
-Broad Head Arrow {E}
-Read The Wind
-Troll Unguent
-Mend Ailment
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Broad Head Arrow Build: Broad Head Arrow is really an amazing skill, but it should only be used when you know the area you’re heading into is really populated with casters, or has a really overpowered caster boss. Dazed totally tears up uber-powerful caster bosses in any of the Campaigns, so keep that in mind.

Attributes:

Marksmanship: 12+3+1
Wilderness Survival: 10+1
Expertise: 8+1

Burning Arrow Build:
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack/Screaming Shot
-Burning Arrow
-Kindle Arrows
-Troll Unguent
-Whirling Defense
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Burning Arrow Build: Burning Arrow is a really, really powerful skill. It's easily more damaging than any other bow attack I can think of, dealing +31 damage and causing your target to burn for 5 seconds at 16 Marksmanship. With a recharge of 5 seconds, that's nearly indefinate Burning. I originally used Apply Poison in this build, but really the additional damage from Kindle is a bit better, as you don't really have the opportunity to spread Apply around. You can easily, however, toss Screaming Shot in this build to force -10 degen (max) on a target without nearly any trouble at all.

Attribute Points:

Marksmanship: 12+1+3
Wilderness: 10+1
Expertise: 8+1

Beast Mastery Build:
-Poisonous Bite
-Feral Lunge
-Melandru’s Assault
-Enraged Lunge {E}
-Call of Haste
-Predatory Bond
-Comfort Animal
-Charm Animal

Notes on Beast Mastery Build: Finally, with the coming of Factions, Beast Mastery can be run on a non-laughable basis. Poisonous Bite and Feral Lunge add some impressive degen to the build, which compounds the tremendous amount of damage you’ll be dealing with Melandru’s Assault and Enraged Lunge. As it is (intentional or not) I’m pretty sure Enraged ignores armor, as I’m consistently getting the +120 damage. Call of Haste combined with Predatory Bond creates an impressive self heal, and Comfort and Charm are, of course, givens.

Beast Mastery: 12+1+3
Expertise: 12+1

NOTE: I only touch briefly on Beast Mastery here because in my opinion, Ranger's do better in other aspects. If, however, you'd like more information on Beast Mastery, the best place to look would be A Guide To Pets, by Jenosavel and Epinephrine.

Ranger/Ele

Conjure Barrage Build:
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Barrage {Elite}
-Conjure <Element>
-Troll Unguent
-<Fun Ele Skill>
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Conjure Barrage Build: For a long time my primary hate on this build came from the fact that Conjure {Element} skills removed all other enchantments when applied; when this was updated so that it didn't, however, this build became that much better.

Probably the best combination, now that it's been buffed, would be Conjure Flame and Mark of Rodgort, as MoR is AoE and only 15 energy. With Conjure+Barrage on an MoR'd group, you get AoE Burning, which is quite effective.

REGARDLESS I still hold that Barrage is not a very good skill to use your Elite on simply because of its extremely situational usage. However, there are multiple locations where such situations are guaranteed to occur, particularly in Cantha and Elona more so than Tyria. If you can't be sure that Barrage will be effective ahead of time… get a different build please. :-)

Ranger/Warrior

Pretend Tank Build
-Distracting Blow/Savage Shot
-Healing Signet
-Troll Unguent
-Throw Dirt
-Lightning Reflexes
-Defensive Stance
-Whirling Defense
-Gladiator’s Defense {Elite}

Notes on Sha’s Pretend Tank Build: This is a viable option. Don’t listen to people who scoff at it; I’ve tanked Aataxes just fine with this build (and an average amount of prot :-P). Do NOT try this if they have Wild Blow (or Wild Strike/Wild Throw for that matter) though (i.e. FoW Skeletal Berserkers); Wild Blow owns stance Tanks.

Thumper Bunny Build
-Hammer Bash
-Crushing Blow
-Irresistable Blow
-Rampage As One {E}
-<Optional>
-Charm Animal
-Comfort Animal
-Rez Sig

Notes on Thumper Bunny Build: Yes, this is for a PVE Thumper. You'll need a hammer for this; otherwise, pretty self-explanatory. With the introduction of Rampage As One in Nightfall, there's hardly another option.

Please note that this will probably not work very well in general versus Dwarves for the simple fact that their Monks and Mesmers (i.e. Dolyak Masters, Stone Summit Heretics) ride their beasts to prevent them from being knocked down. This build will hardly affect them.

Ranger/Monk

NOTE: I’m not going to list all the ways you can edit normal Ranger builds to be slightly nicer with Monk skills… it’s generally obvious. Just keep in mind that with Monk secondary it's rather easy to toss in Condition or Hex removal, to be used on yourself or even a team mate in need.

Judge’s Barrage Build:
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Barrage {E}
-Judge’s Insight
-Troll Unguent
-Smite Hex
-Storm Chaser
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Judge’s Barrage Build: A FAR FAR FAR FAR FAR better alternative to any Conjure Barrage build, applying Judge’s Insight to Barrage gives all of your arrows bonus armor penetration rather than just extra damage. Also, this gives you access to a variety of very helpful Monk spells, NOTABLY Essence Bond. The situations where you will be able to use Barrage legitimately are all situations where you have one Tank with all the agro. Putting Essence Bond on the main tank in these situations gives you full energy, all the time. Good fun indeed, especially considering how badly Judge’s can drain your energy if you’re not careful.

It should be noted that after the Nightfall Release Update, Essence Bond is not as effective as it was in the past. Agro does not hold very well on one target, and it's hardly the fault of the tank; agro just flees.

Attributes:

Marksmanship: 12+1+3
Expertise: 8+1
Wilderness Survival: 5+1
Smiting Prayers: 9

Rammo Running Build
-Holy Veil
-Contemplation of Purity
-Purge Conditions
-Troll Unguent
-Dodge
-Zojun's Haste
-Escape {E}
-Rez Sig <Optional>

Notes on Rammo Running Build: This build is awesome for chest running, or running anywhere else really (/W is still necessary in some areas, as Knockdown is the bane of this build). This build makes chest running most areas a breeze.

Attribute Points:
Wilderness Survival: 12+1+1
Expertise: 12+3

Ranger/Ritualist

Splinter Barrage Build
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Barrage {E}
-Splinter Shot
-Troll Unguent
-Mend Body and Soul
-Storm Chaser
-Flesh of My Flesh

Notes on Splinter Barrage Build: I see lots of R/Rt builds floating around that consist of Brutal or Nightmare Weapon, but in my opinion, Splinter is far superior. If you’re using Barrage correctly it should be affecting multiple enemies, meaning that Splinter weapon would activate and more than double your damage. You also gain access to a few nice Rt skills, i.e. Flesh of My Flesh and Mend Body and Soul. Don’t bring MBaS unless you have a Rit using Spirits in your group (obviously).

NOTE: Splinter Weapon does only activate once, not once per arrow. It still deals extreme damage if used in appropriate scenarios.

This build would also be great if you had a large number of Rangers with the same set up, with the addition of Favorable Winds. FW would improve all of your arrows and also give MBaS a spirit to activate off of. If all the Rangers put up Splinter and hit a bunched up group at the same time before agro cause the enemies to split and attack... yea, things would die fast.

Attributes:

Marksmanship: 12+1+3
Wilderness Survival: 3+1
Expertise: 7+1
Channeling: 10

Ranger/Paragon

Bowazon Build
-Savage Shot
-Penetrating Attack/Distracting Shot
-Punishing Shot {E}/Barrage {E}
-Kindle Arrows
-Remedy Signet
-"Go For The Eyes!"
-Hexbreaker Aria
-Signet of Return

Notes on Javazon Build: No, this build doesn't use a Spear, but the name referance was impossible to avoid. :-) You obviously can't have points in Leadership for Hexbreaker Aria but uh, yea, it doesn't matter because there are magically no variables on the skill. Remedy Signet for condition removal, again obviously. Both of your Shouts (one is technically a Chant, so sue me) are Adrenaline based, so you build them up as you go anyway with no additional energy spent on your part. Signet of Return is a nifty hard rez which isn't always the best choice, but can be very good to have in situations without rez portals and with rest in-between fights (FoW, UW, Elite Missions, various other Missions).

Barrage is also very effective with this, as GftE's should be charged nearly everytime you hit Barrage. A nice buff for all of your team's weapon-based damage dealers.

Attribute Points:

Expertise: 8+1
Wilderness Survival: 10+1
Marksmanship: 12+1+1
Command: 7

Ranger/Dervish

Ebon Dust Blind Bot
-Savage Shot
-Distracting Shot
-Penetrating Attack
-Read The Wind
-Ebon Dust Aura {E}
-Conviction
-Armor of Sanctity
-Ranger Variable

Notes on Ebon Dust Blind Bot: Throw up Ebon Dust Aura and start laughing. Make sure to target enemies that rely on not being Blind to do their jobs, i.e. non-casters. Make sure you have an Ebon Bowstring or the laugh will be on you. Run this right and you should be able to shut down even multiple non-caster enemies entirely.

Attribute Points:

Expertise: 8+1
Marksmanship: 12+1+3
Earth Prayers: 10

Appendix

That does it for builds, but here are a few "Ranger Variables", or, skills that you may switch to and use on certain occasions.

Resurrection Signet/Other Rez (ideally Rebirth or now, Sunspear Rebirth Signet if your secondary doesn't allow for /Monk): This is good to bring if you're going somewhere where you're going to be for a very, very long time. Good examples would be an Elite Mission, Fissure of Woe, and Underworld. Oftentimes people suggest that everyone in a party should always have rez, and I would normally agree. However, in some cases there are better options. On the other hand, we can often escape and rez after the agro dies down. You should, of course, bring it as you like, though if you can bring a rez, don't force something else in the slot without good reason.

Storm Chaser/Natural Stride: Storm Chaser (or now, Natural Stride) are the two best non-Elite sprint stance Rangers have, and it can be nice to have along if you know there will be long segments in the upcoming Mission/Quest/Cap Run/etc. that you will just be running through. Other options (which may be better for you depending on your attribute distribution) include Dodge/Zojun's Haste or Run As One.

Whirling Defense: This is, in my opinion, the best Ranger defensive stance. It doesn’t last it's recharge, but it can come in handy when it gets down to the nitty gritty of the fight. If you start to take too much hate, hit Whirling and KITE. Don't just hit Whirling and stand there forever; get off your last shot or two then get out of there.

Winter: This is especially effective in a few areas of the game, and you should keep an eye out as to where it could be used. Don't just throw it on your bar; make sure you know it will help in the coming mission/quest.

General Ranger Tips

I've taken alot of time to go through a whole lot of skills I would suggest that you use, but now I'd like to take a bit longer and list a few skills I would suggest that you generally not use except in specefic situations at which time it will become clear that that’s the skill to use. Keep open to the possibility of doing some of these things I suggest you not do, but keep in mind that the uses for some of these skills/strategies is very limited.

NEVER use spirits, unless you have a very specific plan as to how they will benefit your whole team in the next area, or have a large number of members in your party that will strongly benefit from the spirit in question. The main problem with spirits (Natural Rituals, not Binding Rituals) is that they effect enemy and ally alike, and there are more likely than not more enemies benefitting from it than allies. A good example of this would be Favorable Winds. I would bet you anything that there are more Ranger enemies now shooting twice as fast than there are ally Rangers benefitting. In fact, most Rangers that I see use this are the only Ranger on the team!

NEVER have more than one preperation. They don't stack and recharge fast enough that you don't need/can’t use two. There are times in PvP that two preps are a great idea, but in almost every PvE scenario I can think of, there are better options. Obviously, Choking Gas is the exception, but even here I would ONLY take the one in PvE, as it will last forever with Practiced.

A few skills you should hesitate before bringing:

Archer's Signet: If this skill were in Marksmanship, it might be sort of cool. As it is, it's in Expertise and therefore there is no real need for it. The more you pump into Expertise for it, the less you really need it. The fact is that Ranger's have a very effective primary attribute (Expertise) and simply do not need Elite energy management.

Lightning Reflexes: The duration of this skill compared with its recharge is... bad. If you're looking for a defensive Stance, look at Whirling Defense. Honestly, if you're staying in a reasonable spot somewhere in the back, it shouldn't be that hard to avoid most enemy attention anyway. Whirling can save you when something goes wrong, and there's no need for more than the one. You might also be considering this for the IAS bonus (Increased Attack Speed). There are much, much better alternative, within the Ranger line and in other classes. Take a look around and you'll surely find a better option.

Marksman's Wager: Again, if this were under Marksmanship, it might be sort of cool. Unfortunately it's in Expertise and falls the same way as Archer's Signet; the more you spec into it, the less you need it. Ranger's just don't need Elite energy management, as their Primary attribute is enough.

Arcing Shot: Really there's no reason for this skill at all. The arrow you're firing with it can't be "Blocked"... but that's just not really enough of a bonus when you look at what you're giving up for it: essencially, accuracy. An arrow that moves at that Arc is going to be ridiculously easy to miss with, even against a PvE monster, especially now that they run around so much. There are lots and lots of much better bow attack options.

Power Shot: Power Shot is the most basic of all bow attacks. All classes have these; a very simple attack that gives the player a good idea of what bow attacks do. Once you start to progress through the game a little, though, you will find that there are much, much better options that have other bonuses other than a poor (comparatively) +damage.

Incindiary Arrows: Yes, this skill looks nice on the surface and has a very nice effect. Unfortunately, it's duration is so horrendus next to its recharge that it's just unusable. As I stated above, if you're looking for a Prep that has something of the same affect, look no further than Choking Gas, which can easily be combined with Practiced Stance as your Elite. As I've stated, I would strongly suggest just going with Punishing for Interrupts, but at least Practiced/Choking offers viable (and AoE) interrupting power. Incindiary Arrows, with its duration and lack of ability to up it, does not.

And that just about sums it up. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me at any time (here on Guru or in-game!). If there are typos or whatever in this, let me know. Hope this helped... feedback is appreciated!

Edits/Updates:
-Fixed my some minor HTML issues.
-Removed my name from most builds listed to clarify some mistaken ownership issues.
-Overhauled some areas of the guide that needed work and clarified some skill's usage.
-Removed a few builds in the R/E section that were just absurd.
-Removed Called Shot from the Ranger Variable section.
-Updated my descriptions of some things in various sections (Ranger Variables, things not to do, etc.).
-Added an explaination of Expertise breakpoints toward the beginning of the guide.
-Edited the Thumper Bunny build, as the attributes as listed were spread too thin
-Edited the Guide throroughly to include update information for the Nightfall Campaign.
-Added links to two other important aspects of Ranger life that were not convered throroughly in my information.
-Edited the Appendix section thoroughly.
-Edited various builds with more current information.

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Sha's Ranger Weapon and Armor Guide

In this section I'll be giving some tips on each of the different armors, bow types, and bow mods available in the game. I got alot of good feedback on the first section of my guide and it was suggested to me that I continue with this information. Hopefully this section of the guide will be as helpful as the last; keep in mind that this critique is based entirely upon the idea that you'll be doing things as a Ranger in a group. There may be specific solo builds that take great advantage in one armor type over the others, but those will state so at the time.

Part 1: Armor
As you must know, there are only a few available armor types per class in the game, each with an updated version (in appearance and in armor rating) as you progress through the game. This should answer all of your questions about Ranger armor in general, but if I miss something (somehow) let me know what questions you have and I'll get them answered.

Note: Fur Lined and Frostbound are in essence the same. Frostbound is the name given to both the 15k and Fissure versions of the Fur Lined armor.

Leather: This is a good one to start off with, as it's the Ranger's version of "regular" or "normal" armor. Each class has something like this; a type of armor that costs less material wise and does little more than provide armor. This set of armor serves it purpose quite well, which is as just armor with no additional effects. If you're incredibly short on cash this may be your only option, but in reality I find it difficult to imagine that the gap between prices of this and something better is terribly large.

Fur Lined: This is an interesting set of armor indeed. It gives bonus armor vs. elemental attacks as well as an even better bonus when faced with Cold Damage. Not bad, but not particularly great... until you start to think strategically. I have seen Rangers successfully use this armor set combined with the spirit Winter to effectively reduce their elemental damage to nil. A pretty neat idea, but in my opinion it's not worth carrying the spirit around for. This set might also be for you if you find yourself only using your Ranger in the Shiverpeak areas, i.e. Sorrow's Furnace.

Drakeskale: This armor also has its advantages, but their numbers are less than that of the Fur Lined. Giving bonus armor vs. elemental attacks and a further bonus vs. Fire Damage, it might be used effectively in the Fire Island area. Unfortunately, very little of the game is played there. It should be noted that Greater Conflagration could be used in combination with this armor to limit damage... but it's not worth dragging the spirit around and it's definately not worth blowing your Elite on.

Studded Leather: This is probably the worst set of armor a Ranger could own. Though it does physically look nice on your character, nothing looks nice on your dead character. You should note that this armor gives bonus armor against elemental attacks (as do the rest besides basic Leather) as well as a bonus against Lightning Damage. There are two factors that destroy this armor's usefullness:

1. How often in the game are you faced with Lightning Damage? ... Can't remember, can you? Gargoyles in Ascalon maybe?
2. What is the main bonus attribute of Elementalist Lightning Skills? That's right folks, armor penetration. You're better off protecting yourself from something else than trying to protect yourself against something that you can't protect yourself from in the first place.

Druid's: Finally, we arrive at the best armor choice for most Rangers. This armor gives the standard non-Leather bonus against Elemental damage, and also provides your Ranger with bonus energy. The advantage of this armor over the others is hardly worth getting into; the difference should be clear between sets that offer very little benefit and this one, which offers a substantial Energy boon. I would strongly recommend that you use this armor as opposed to the others.

Canthan Ranger Armors:

Explorer’s: Explorer’s is a really odd armor set to me. It gives you a small amount of additional bonus health, but that’s it. If you need more health, get a rune, or a mod for your bow, not this armor. It is legitimate to use this set as one to combine a Superior and a Major rune at the same time, but I wouldn't recommend it. Ranger’s are more hungry for Energy than health in most situations, so Druid’s is still a better route.

Sentry’s: This armor’s bonus offers an additional 10 armor while your Ranger is in a stance. That’s decent I suppose… but if you’re in a stance, you’re generally already evading a good percentage of damage anyway (unless you're running something along the lines of a Tiger's Fury build, which I personally wouldn't recommend anyway). There are better options, particularly if you’d like additional armor, such as…

Scout’s: Now this armor is actually decent. If Druid’s wasn’t so incredibly just what a Ranger needs, this would be the armor of choice. If you're running a standard build on your Ranger that doesn't use Barrage, you’ll generally be under the effect of a Preparation all the time, meaning you’ll have bonus armor all the time. That’s a big thumbs up from me… but Druid’s is still better. :-P

Nightfall Ranger Armors:

NOTE: In the Nightfall Campaign, base armor effects are sold seperatly from the armor. The new Ranger specific effects available are offered as Insignias.

Earthbound: Sort of silly really, but gives that final armor type to the Ranger elemental cycle that it was missing. Again though, so specific it's just... not worth it.

Beastmaster's: This is actually a usable armor type if you're really hot into using your pet as a pet is designed to be used. Also considering you will have a good deal of Energy (since you can carry a staff for the bonus Energy or rather, don't NEED a ton of Energy to be an effective BM) this might be a wise choice over Druid's.

In summary, I would suggest the Druid's above all else (except for BM's, but since BM isn't really the most effective use of a Ranger...). If you find a reason to use one of the others instead (not counting solo or very situational farm builds), please tell me. I honestly can't think of any that are strategically sound in the majority of situations.

Part 2: Weapons and Their Mods

As promised, here is the section that should answer all of your questions about Bows and Bow Mods. I get more questions about this than anything else, so I hope this really answers a lot of questions. If I miss anything though, please feel free to ask me anytime.

Sha's Bows, and WHY

Here's a normal conversation between myself and a new Ranger:

New Ranger: "Hey Sha, what bow should I use with my Ranger?"
Sha: "Well Ranger Timmy, that's a complicated question. What part of the bow are you asking about, like type, range, mod...?"
New Ranger: (lost) "Well.... what bows do you use?"
<<Here I procceed to describe a few of my bows.>>
New Ranger: (lost but impressed... but not sure why) "Cool! So.... why do you use those?"

And that, kids, is where it gets complicated. All the different types of bows and bow mods in the game have a purpose and place. The difficult thing is to choose a set of four that you can keep with you on your quick-switch keys that will take care of you in most situations. But before we get into the "why" of bows, let's backtrack a bit and make sure everyone is on the same page as far as the "what".

Max Damage for a Bow: 15-28

Bow Types:

There are actually only about five different types of bows, and each bow in the game falls into one of these five categories. I’ll be listing each of the categories, and then what bows belong in that category. There are a few exceptions (as there are to any rule); these will be listed at the end.

Longbow: We'll start with my favorite type of bow: the Longbow. As it's name implies, it has a long range; in fact, the longest in the game. There is no trick to this. Longbows have the longest range of any weapon in the game. It's commonly thought that your range with one of these fine weapons is about an agro bubble and a half, but if you have the height advantage you can shoot much further than that. I personally have shot foes up to two agro bubbles away from me. For pulling, the only other option would be a Flatbow.

Now that I've made that clear and highlighted the best part of the bow, we'll go through it's defects. It's long range forces each of your arrows into a high arc, giving enemies an unfortunately long time to dodge your attacks. The time between arrows has been generally agreed to be about 2.4 seconds, which seems bad, but you have to understand that with a Ranger, your rate of fire is going to be slow no matter what, and will be strongly affected by what skills you’re using. The fastest of the bows (the short bow) only fires arrows every 2 seconds. In my opinion, the extra range is worth the wait.

Other Longbows: Storm Bow

Flatbow: Oftentimes, people make the unfortunate mistake in assuming that the flatbow is somehow like the short bow; not so. It has equal range to the Longbow and fires much faster, but sacrifices accuracy through arc to achieve this. The arc of your shots is much, much higher, which means that your arrows will not compensate for enemy movement nearly as well as they would with a longbow. The classic example of this in my mind would be Skeletal Berserkers

Other Flatbows:

Horn Bow: The horn bow's range hovers somewhere in-between short and medium. Its refire rate, however, is absolutely horrendus, and therefore is best in builds that use skills that mostly ignore fire time. Unlike any other type of bow, the Horn Bow has 10% armor penetration even when completely un-modded. It is often used for Ranger Spike (in PVP) for this reason, but in PVE the lack of range still leaves this bow under the Longbow as far as usefulness.

Other Horn Bows: Ivory Bow, Shadow Bow

Recurve Bow: The recurve bow is a decent bow for normal combat, but has only medium range and medium firing rate. To be honest, if you’re not using a Longbow, you might as well get the fastest firing rate you can, and the recurve bow isn’t going to give that to you. However, with the lowest arc and therefore arrow flight time, this bow is ideal for interrupting.

Other Recurve Bows: Dead Bow, Composite Bow, Eternal Bow

Short Bow: Short bows have, as the name implies, a very short range. The enemy you are shooting has to be within your agro bubble or closer, depending on the elevation difference. Their range alone makes me despise them, simply because a Ranger's biggest advantage comes from the fact that he or she has the ranged advantage. There are, however, some benifits to using a short bow.

They possess one of the quickest refire rates in the game, and at such a close range, there is nearly no arrow fly time. Arc is also nearly nil because at such close range, your arrow doesn't have time to go up. This bow is often the backup bow for Rangers, used in case of close-quarters combat.

Other Short Bow: Half Moon

Exceptions
Ascalon Bow: Ascalon Bows are, with the update on 7/13/06, a reliable source of perfectly base modded bows available from your friendly neighborhood collector. Previously they did not indicate which type of bow they were, but now they do, and that allows for much less confusion. Just as with other class' collector items, they are a nice cheap way of aquiring any bow mods you might be searching for.

Ithas Bow: This bow was given out to those who pre-ordered the first installment of the game, and that right there should tell you just how useful they are. It's down points include that you CANNOT obtain one in a trade, and it has a Marksmanship as well as an Expertise req., the only bow in the game with two (every other bow in the game has only a Marksmanship req.). Just... don't use it. Trust me.

Candy Cane Bow: This bow was available exclusively during the “Wintersday” event of 2005. With a set damage of 15-15 and no req., it actually does have some usability, for both interrupting and for use in a trap group. However, it is a Short Bow in type, and should not be used for pulling.

Storm Bow/Eternal Bow/Shadow Bow: I am restating how these bows perform in a separate section because I get so many questions regarding them. There are no advantages to using any of these.

Storm Bow=Longbow
Eternal Bow=Recurve Bow
Shadow Bow=Horn Bow

Bow Mods:

Before replaceable mods even come into play, let’s make sure it’s clear what a “base mod” is. A base mod on a bow is the mod that is innately a part of the bow, and cannot be changed, buffed, or removed. Base mods occur as follows:

+5 Energy
10%-15% Always
10%-15% Always, -5 Energy
10%-15% Always, -10 Armor (While Attack)
10%-15% (While Health Above 50%)
10%-20% (While Health Below 50%)
10%-15% (While Enchanted)
10%-15% (While in a Stance)
10%-15% (Vs Hexed Foes)
10%-20% (While Hexed)

Note that base damage mods that are unconditional are extremely, extremely rare. They were removed from the game as a drop quite some time ago, but the existing ones remain. Don’t expect to ever even see one.

My personal opinion on base mods is that it really doesn’t matter which one you have, as long as you have one. 15^50% is nice and all, but 20% while hexed is just as viable, considering how much you’re hexed in late game areas.

Now then, there are two different modifications that can be added to any bow: Bow Strings and Bow Grips. Bow Strings often give bonuses that change or buff the damage done to the enemy while Bow Grips often give bonuses and buffs to the wielder of the bow. Bow Strings add the bonus to the front of the bow name (it’s “prefix”), and Grips add their bonus to the end of the name (their “suffix”), i.e. a Fiery Longbow of Defense has a Fiery Bowstring and a Bow Grip of Defense. Here is a complete list of the available mods for each type:

Bow Strings:
Fiery: Changes the damage type of your bow from physical (piercing) to elemental (fire).
Icy: Changes the damage type of your bow from physical (piercing) to elemental (cold).
Ebon: Changes the damage type of your bow from physical (piercing) to elemental (earth).
Shocking: Changes the damage type of your bow from physical (piercing) to elemental (lightning).
Vampiric: -1 Health degeneration ALWAYS, +(1...5) Health Steal on Hit.
Sundering: Adds a random chance (10%...20%) of Armor Penetration 20%.
Zealous: Energy Regeneration -1 ALWAYS, +1 Energy Gain on Hit.
Poisonous: Lengthens Poison duration on foe by 33%.
Barbed: Lengthens Bleeding duration on foe by 33%.
Crippling: Lengthens Cripple duration on foe by 33%.
Silencing: Lengthens Dazed duration on foe by 33%.

Bow Grips:
of Marksmanship: +1 Marksmanship (Chance (10%...20%) while using Skills)
of Fortitude: Health +(20...30)
of Defense: Armor +(4...5)
of Warding: Armor +(4...7) (vs. Elemental Attacks)
of Shelter: Armor +(4...7) (vs. Physical Attacks)
of Enchanting: Enchantments last (10%...20%) Longer
of Deathbane: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Undead)
of Skeletonslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Skeletons)
of Giantslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Giants)
of Dwarfslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Dwarves)
of Charrslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Charr)
of Tenguslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Tengu)
of Trollslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Trolls)
of Pruning: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Plants)
of Demonslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Demons)
of Dragonslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Dragons)
of Orgeslaying: Damage +(10%...20%) (vs. Orges)

Brief Notes on the Bow Strings:
-The Elemental Bow Strings are nice as they give you an advatage over enemies in generally every area of the game if you have an assortment. It is true that the Conjure series of Elementalist skills (i.e. Conjure Flame, Conjure Frost, etc.) does work with bows using these mods.
-Vampiric is only worth it under certain circumstances and using certain skills (i.e. Barrage), but you almost have to have 5/-1 and a bow that shoots fast to be making up for the health you lose due to it being there in the first place. It's life stealing is unconditional and cannot be reduced by anything, and therefore is a good choice for those trying to deal damage as their primary task.
-Sundering is popular, but really shouldn't be. Ranger's have trouble dealing with enemies that have high armor, but with clever use of skills and other mods, this can be avoided. Sundering is simply mathematically not as effective as many of the other mods available.
-Zealous is never worth it. It is true that you do fire fast enough to make up for the loss of one pip of Energy regen, but there are better bow mods available for a PvE Ranger, certainly as your primary bow. I would only suggest a Zealous as a switch-to bow to make some Energy back when low (particularly with a Barrage build).
-The strings that prolong condition duration have obvious uses; if you’re build uses that condition predominately, then one of these may be for you.

Brief Notes on the Bow Grips:
-The Marksmanship bonus is decent, but there are better options... it won't increase your damage output very much at all (read: 0.2%) however the increased condition duration on some skills may be worth it (i.e. Crippling Shot). Note that this is not an "all the time" and therefore will not boost your stats or help you meet the req. on a bow you are one attribute level short of.
-Fortitude is one of those all-time favorites. The extra health is nice no matter what, though anything less that 25 only gives you about one extra hit's worth of survival. An interesting note on Fortitude bonuses is that they are not effected by DP, and therefore as your DP increases, the help that these provide increases greatly.
-The three that give you bonus armor are not my personal favorite as there are plenty of points in the game where armor doesn't seem to help anyway. The only one I would ever use is Defensive, as the other two are too situational to be consistantly effective.
-The Enchanting bow grip is an enigma to me because Ranger's have no enchantment spells. Your secondary may provide you with some to use occasionally (Conjure, Judges), but really it’s not worth using your bow grip slot on this mod.
-All of the "slaying" mods are pretty much a joke for any average Ranger or any Ranger who has not beaten the game thoroughly. I use them, but I would strongly suggest that only the expert Ranger with a thirst for further adventure even attempt to use them.

Sha's Bows:

I am frequently asked, when someone is making a Ranger, what type of bow I use. The answer is complicated, as I have a set of around fifteen bows at the moment (and growing). Since my Ranger is my main and favorite character, it is worth it to me to invest in the –slaying mod series, but for most Rangers, this is a bit over the top.

As far as the base bows I use, nearly everything is a longbow. Longbows, in PvE, are simply the best choice. A Ranger’s best friend, as I have stated, is his RANGE. My only other types of bows are Hornbows, as they are truly best for a Ranger spike in PvP (that’s another discussion altogether, this remains a PvE thread).

Bow grip is slightly debatable, as some prefer the +5 armor over the +30 health (not to say theses are the only good options, as the Marksmanship and other mods are viable, but these are the two people get stuck between choosing). I will continue to argue that the +30 health is far superior in late game PvE, particularly when one has acquired DP. The extra health gives you and your monks a big help against Degen, which will give you more trouble than direct damage in many cases.

As for bow string, it too is debatable. Many contend that Sundering is worthless (particularly self-proclaimed “pro” players) and on a Warrior, I would agree it is not the best choice. However, in the world of Rangers, we are left with few other options. If your favorite build is one involving a particular condition, I would strongly recommend using the corresponding bow string (I have both a Silencing and a Poisonous bow). If you are not a fan of conditions, then you are left with only two options (for your general purpose bow). You could go elemental, and use a set of two (preferably three) different elemental bows, or you could go with Sundering. As a Ranger you will have trouble dealing damage vs. heavily armored monsters (i.e. Dwarves), but even with a perfect Sundering bow, you will not see a noticeable change in damage dealt. However, nearly every monster in the game does have a weakness and a resistance to some element or another, therefore using a fiery bowstring will increase your damage considerably against a Dwarf, as they are weak to fire. An icy bowstring would be a poor choice, as they are strong against cold damage. The opposite is true against Titans, who are strong against fire, and weak to cold. Having both a fiery and an icy bow gives you a considerable advantage against most foes in the game (I also keep an earth damage bow around, for those times when its difficult to tell whether icy or fiery would be better).

The WHY of Bow-Picking

When picking a bow for your Ranger, you want something that meshes well with his or her build. Don't try to use my bows simply because they work for me, because they may or may not work for you.

When picking mods for your bow, try to get a pair of mods that works well together, not just ones that are the most expensive or "coolest". Your mods should also mesh well with your build. For example, if your build uses little to no Marksmanship skills, then using a Bow Grip of Marksmanship will do you no good. If your build doesn't fire quickly, don't try to use a Zealous or Vampiric Bow String. Experiment and find out what works best for you.

That about covers everything there is to know about Ranger armor and weapons. Make sure to ask if you have any questions about either, as I'm happy to answer them anytime.

Edits/Updates:
I'll track any edits or updates in this section so that you don't have to re-read the whole post everytime I add something. :-)
-Fixed my section on Bow Types, as I apparantly saved at a bad time on Word... they are now correct
-Edited my suggestion that players never use spirits, and indicated when it might be viable
-Fixed another spattering of calculation errors in my Bow Types section
-Edited out an incorrect statement regarding the Ithas Bow
-Edited my section regarding Bow Grips
-Heavily edited some of my information on all types of equipment to eliminate some inaccuracies.
-Updated the info regarding Ascalon Bows, as they were changed in the update of 7/13/06.
-Updated armor information to include the new Armor Types available in the Nightfall Campaign.

wsmcasey · Jun 20, 2006, 09:02 PM // 21:02

Good work on compiling some of the common ranger builds on Guru with some of your own ideas. It would be appreciated if you could edit your post so the title of each build your listing doesn't sound like it was your original idea though. Example: "Sha's Poison Arrow Build", isn't originally your idea, but with your name in the title it appears as such. Only list your name if the idea came from you and not guru over the past year and half. Thanks.

The one thing I noticed that was off is that an Eternal Bow is not a Horn Bow or a Flat Bow.

Composite= Fire (2.4 seconds), Range (70'), Flight Time (0.5 seconds)
Eternal Bow= Fire (2.4 seconds), Range (70'), Flight Time (0.5 seconds)
Horn Bow= Fire (2.7 seconds), Range (70'), Flight Time (.75 seconds)
Flatbow= Fire (2.0 seconds), Range (85'), Flight Time (1.0 seconds)
Longbow= Fire (2.4 seconds), Range (85'), Flight Time (0.75 seconds)

Eternal Bow is basically the same as a composite bow. I like to switch from my Storm bow to my Eternal bow when chasing down runners because of the reduced flight time it's a greater chance to cripple my target and I still get a fairly decent range.

However, I'm like you, I prefer my long bow over others in PvE (they are just so useful).

Lasher Dragon · Jun 20, 2006, 09:27 PM // 21:27

You had me until this:

Quote:

Oath Shot: Possibly the worst Ranger PvE skill in the game, definitely the worst Ranger PvE Elite. As I stated with Marksman's Wager, far too many of your arrows are blocked, evaded or dodged for this to be dependable. If the skill read "The next shot you fire blah blah blah" you could use this with Called Shot to up your chances of it working. Unfortunately, Oath Shot is the shot you have to hit with, and your chances of this helping you at all are nil

ROFL

IMO Oath Shot is one of THE best elites in the game, bar none. Yeah, sometimes it misses, but much more often it hits - especially if you know what you are doing.

XvArchonvX · Jun 20, 2006, 11:13 PM // 23:13

A balanced build that I have found to suite most places I go to (except of course areas with large amounts of non-fleshy like creatures) is as follows:

Hunter's Shot
Savage Shot
Apply Poison
Throw Dirt
Flame Trap
Escape {E}
Troll Unguent
Rez of choice

Contrary to popular opinion, traps can work perfectly well in balanced build. The key to this build is to keep Apply Poison up then run into large groups with Escape and drop a trap, then return. As enemies scatter from Flame Trap use Hunters Shot to add to the degen. Even if you can't catch enemies moving a lot for Hunter's shot, it's low energy cost and extra damage boost will help keep energy management under control while still dealing damage.

This build doesn't rely on standing in one place shooting and savage shot can also be used to poison multiple enemies quickly due to it's quick fire and recharge.

When playing PvP, I find that this build also works well in Random Arenas or large battles like Fort Aspenwood and Alliance Battles (however you will want to drop the rez for something like Pin Down).

XvArchonvX · Jun 20, 2006, 11:17 PM // 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon

You had me until this:

ROFL

IMO Oath Shot is one of THE best elites in the game, bar none. Yeah, sometimes it misses, but much more often it hits - especially if you know what you are doing.

Although I don't use Oath Shot often, it is a very formidable elite when used properly. Whether it's one of the best elites or not, I won't say, but it definately holds it's merit and shouldn't be labelled as one of the worst elites.

Sha Noran · Jun 21, 2006, 01:12 AM // 01:12

wsmcasey: These are all of my own builds, and I will name them as I like. I don't get builds off of Guru. Sorry if its similar I guess? But this is what I came up with myself.

Lasher Dragon: Oath Shot is shit IN PVE unless you're solo farming something, like Grawl or whatever. It's absoluely worthless in 99% of other situations. Sure, you can make it hit, but umm... why? What are you even recharging?

XvArchonvX: That build is a bit spread as to what it's doing... relying on Flame Trap to scatter the enemies for Hunter's Shot to be effective is a bit much imo. Running Poison Arrow {E} with Kindle will deal much more damage over time than Apply Poison.

EDIT: wsmcasey: Heh, yea I rechecked my section on the different bow types, and I swear something got saved wrong... I fixed all of that, as it was allllllll messed up. Thanks for pointing that out. :-D

XvArchonvX · Jun 21, 2006, 01:54 AM // 01:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

Lasher Dragon: Oath Shot is shit IN PVE unless you're solo farming something, like Grawl or whatever. It's absoluely worthless in 99% of other situations. Sure, you can make it hit, but umm... why? What are you even recharging?

Throw Dirt and defensive stances have long recharge times. This is where Oath Shot comes in. It allows a good defensive stance to be maintained almost continually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

XvArchonvX: That build is a bit spread as to what it's doing... relying on Flame Trap to scatter the enemies for Hunter's Shot to be effective is a bit much imo. Running Poison Arrow {E} with Kindle will deal much more damage over time than Apply Poison.

Hunter's shot isn't reliant on Flame Trap for effectiveness. It is simply there for a cheap extra amount of damage. Apply Poison is the primary source of damage. Flame Trap is that extra little boost to soften up enemies. If you compare amount of extra damage to other common attack skills such as Penetrating Attack, Power Shot, etc. Hunters shot has a good amount of added damage per energy cost and has a short recharge time than any other skill except for Penetrating Shot. The low energy cost along with short recharge allow for it's ability to be spammed.

While Poison Shot is nice, you lose the running ability of Escape {E} along with the evasion ability. Losing Escape would make bringing Flame Trap next to useless. Kindle Arrows may do a good bit of extra damage with your shots, but does not have the degen effect that works so well in conjunction with Poison and Bleeding. Apply Poison also allows a longer degen from poison than Poison Shot.

The point of the build is not to sit in one spot and spit arrows at the enemy while remaining vulnerable to attack, but rather to stay on the move and avoid damage yourself while allowing the degen from the conditions to deal the damage to the enemy. Being able to blind, evade, get out of range and scare off enemies with AoE dmg(at least in PvE) reduces damage taken while the eat away at your enemies health is the focus.

Replace the skills you suggest and you lose the balance of the build. Especially since you suggested replacing one skill with two.

Admittedly this build is best suited for PvP, but I have found much sucess in PvE with it as well. The strong defense makes a big difference on how much energy the monk has to expend on the party in terms of healing. What makes this build shine is how you use it.

tobash · Jun 21, 2006, 02:54 AM // 02:54

Just skimming though this guide, i find it riddled with errors and bias towards skills, i always thought if you write up a guide you should be objective.

Comments such as the Longbow having the longest range is wrong (you can find all the info on bows at Guildwiki), and saying skills such as EoE are more harmful than good is also short-minded in PvE many missions such as Vizunah Square EoE is very useful.

In PvE there are so many different situations it just comes down to personal preference.

XvArchonvX · Jun 21, 2006, 03:00 AM // 03:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by tobash

PvE many missions such as Vizunah Square EoE is very useful.

Never thought about that. Could be hard on the MM, but then again, that could be devastating to the Flood...err...Afflicted.

Wolydarg · Jun 21, 2006, 03:03 AM // 03:03

Longbows do have the longest range...
Flatbows just share that range, as well..

But yeah, I think it all just goes down to personal preference and the ability to know what your skills will do in the environment you're going into. Don't just pick random skills and go, know WHY you're bringing the skills..

Nice guide btw though

tobash · Jun 21, 2006, 03:14 AM // 03:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

Longbow: We'll start with my favorite type of bow: the Longbow. As it's name implies, it has a long range; in fact, the longest in the game. There is no trick to this. Longbows have the longest range of any bow, any weapon in the game.

I was trying to point that out probably didn't make it clear enough.

Nivryx · Jun 21, 2006, 04:20 AM // 04:20

>edit<
eh, apparently people don't understand constructive crisitism. therefore in short, im a journalist and notice a lot of bias which, in my opinion, lowers the quality of your guide. You hardly gave any explanation on why druids armor is the best. I got the idea between that and your comments in the zealous string mod that you have a lot of trouble with energy. get your expertise to 13 and you probably won't have this problem. If your having this problem with 13 expertise then i don't know what to tell you, but every single one of my builds that has 13 expertise is fine. then again, im not afraid to use zealous string. you also made several comment on how incendary arrows suck without giving them a chance. In my opinion, I think it would benefit your guide more to point out skills that help new-comers rather than skills that shouldn't be used. Every ranger skill has it's uses, and we all have our own opinions about them. Let the new-comers decide that they don't like marksmanship wager and what not. Instead make a reccommended list of skills such as whirling defense, savage shot, distracting shot, the type of skills that can be flexible in any situation. Like I said before, I give you props for writing this, but the bias in it is obvious and lowers the value. I'm sincerly sorry if you percieved my constructive critism as flaming. I also would say under vampiric mods that the damage is armor ignoring, therefore its used to maximize damage and increase spiking ability. Zealous can also be used when spiking. dualshot+quickshot=3 energy, then switch to a vampiric bow when your energy is back up.

Zeph- · Jun 21, 2006, 06:28 AM // 06:28

Look at the job he has done. I don't think its fair flamin him for a few of the words he sais he gives HIS opinion, if u don't agree: fine, ur choice. But he just wanted to make us clear what he thinks and help us get a good build to. It worked for him so if used good it willl work for you, but just because u want to use something else u think u are far superior than him, You think your opinion is the way to go while he only gaves his and lets you experiment with it. If u want a Zealous mod fine, but if he thinks it sux fine too. Its your choice of what to do with his guide. Try it ot leave it.
He helped me alot and i am definatly going to try things out.
So thanks for your help.

Sha Noran · Jun 21, 2006, 10:39 AM // 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zeph-

Look at the job he has done. I don't think its fair flamin him for a few of the words he sais he gives HIS opinion, if u don't agree: fine, ur choice. But he just wanted to make us clear what he thinks and help us get a good build to. It worked for him so if used good it willl work for you, but just because u want to use something else u think u are far superior than him, You think your opinion is the way to go while he only gaves his and lets you experiment with it. If u want a Zealous mod fine, but if he thinks it sux fine too. Its your choice of what to do with his guide. Try it ot leave it.
He helped me alot and i am definatly going to try things out.
So thanks for your help.

Thank you. I could write lengthy rebuttals regarding why I'm right here, or why what I said there was correct, but that's just silly. Zeph here has summed up what I need to say nicely... I give you my opinions clearly so that my opinion will be clear. I welcome open debate on what I've said, as I've replied reasonably to anyone who has posted legitimately, however posting why things I said were "shit" really isn't helping anyone.

If you disagree with something I said, please, say what, and why, and give an example of why I'm wrong. I'd like to know if I'm missing something. :-)

Also, as for the skills I listed as being no good, note that I specifically state that they are no good most of the time. Yes, EoE rocks the Afflicted. As I said, the times to use these skills will be obvious... just don't throw them on your bar unless you think ahead of time specifically where it will come in handy.

Now then...

XvArchonvX: You comment that Throw Dirt and a Ranger's defensive stances have long recharge times... this is true, but is wasting your elite on Oath Shot really a good idea, just so you can have a defensive stance up a lot? Don't you have monks? You should be a lot more focused on doing damage... bringing Oath is a lot like a W/Mo with Mending... yes, he's taking some pressure off the Monks, but he's also losing power that he could be using to do what Warriors do best; kill (or tank, you get the idea). Your Ranger is not a tank; if your Monk(s) couldn't keep you alive because you didn't have a stance up 24/7, the problem isn't you. (Note: Before I get flamed, yes, a defensive stance is nice for protection, I'm only saying you don't need it up all the time, only when it gets to the nitty gritty in a fight.)

Running Condition pressure in PvP is a rather bad idea, as Condition removal is retardedly over-powered as it is, but this is a PvE discuss, so nevermind that. Running around the battlefield as you suggest actually decreases your damage, rather than increasing it, despite your conditions... I'm not sure why you think you'll be inflicting much bleeding, as your foe must be running (or knocked down) for Hunter's to cause it.

I believe the source of our debate is that the two builds we are debating (my Poison Arrow build and your Apply Poison build) are designed to do different things. Your supports your team with additional effects, such as scattering the enemies with AoE, blinding them, etc. My build is designed to actually kill something. I think the main problem you will run into with your build is actually that its causing your team more trouble than its saving them... forcing monsters to break agro off your tank is not good at all.

Nivryx: Yes, my guide is opinionated and biased. That's because I know what I'm talking about and I'm trying to share my knowledge of the game and of the skills. For example, regarding Incendiary Arrows, yes, it blows. So does Marksman's Wager. If I wanted new Rangers to wipe their parties finding these things out for themselves, I wouldn't have written this at all. I strongly suggest everyone try any skills they like, however, test my build all you like and I assure you you will find them quite effective.

As for Energy, I really have little problem with energy at all. The bonus from Druids is simply better... that bonus energy is better than a small bit of bonus armor vs a very specific type of damage.

As for the Fortitude/Defensive mod argument you tried to start, I'm not going to have it. I posted my opinion... if it was difficult to understand what I was saying, let me know and I'll try to be more clear.

No, I did not take your post as flaming, though you did seem sort of, pissed off or something, like I offended you... actually, it was sort of flaming when you ranted regarding not caring about my armor and looking good, but whatever, it didn't bother me.

I'm only hoping this thread will promote more intelligent Ranger discussion, and hopefully better overall in-game play from Rangers.

Everyone: Please continue to post your critisisms, as simply clicking that "Back" button, enraged that I disagree with you, isn't helping anyone. Communication is the basis of strong gameplay.

AndrewAtHome · Jun 21, 2006, 11:10 AM // 11:10

Hey Sha this is an awesome guide, much respect goes to you for taking the time to put it together. I'm going to try out the 'ideal build' mentioned at the top on my new R/Mo.

.defekt · Jun 21, 2006, 11:18 AM // 11:18

I'd personally like to thank you for posting this up, along with your other guide, Sha. It's really helped me make better decisions about my Ranger.

Ranger is my favourite class to play, and also to have in a team. I find that the fact that there are so many options for a Ranger in PvE (B/P, for example

). The problem I'm having at the moment though is the fact that most group leaders are extremely worried about having "cookie-cutter" builds, and most of the time don't accept people using different builds. This is probably the main reason I don't see many Mesmers in PvE. I personally have encountered situations where if I do not run to the front of the group and lay traps, or if I'm standing at the back of the group constantly hitting the 1 key, I get accused of being a noob, and told that I have no idea about what I'm doing. I love messing around with Rangers, finding new skill combos that will work well in certain places, etc., but I find that if I do this too often, most of the time I will end up being bagged. I find this really annoying to recieve, and I think that it's really narrow-minded of the person dishing it out. So thanks again, hopefully your guides will actually help people realise the potential of having a Ranger on your team, and I'd like to say that reading the OP was really inspiring, and has made me appreciate my Ranger. I'll be testing out builds more than ever xD

Cheers,
Mire

Sha Noran · Jun 21, 2006, 01:05 PM // 13:05

Thank you both very much for your positive feedback, I'm glad it's helped you. :-D

Lasher Dragon · Jun 21, 2006, 02:31 PM // 14:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

Lasher Dragon: Oath Shot is shit IN PVE unless you're solo farming something, like Grawl or whatever. It's absoluely worthless in 99% of other situations. Sure, you can make it hit, but umm... why? What are you even recharging?

Any of the defensive stances, any of the traps, or any of the spirits. Oh, and any secondary profession skill with a recharge longer than 10 seconds. You may have to actually umm use your imagination. Oath Shot is the shit because unlike a lot of "elites", it actually does something unique, something no other skill(s) can replicate.
Just because you haven't played with it and found uses for it, you call it worthless... with that attitude, I wonder why you even play a ranger to begin with. A ranger is all about flexibility and adaptation.
You bolded and capitalized "IN PVE", why I don't know, as this forum is about PvE - contrary to the beliefs of a few people that insist on assuming The Campfire is a PvP forum. Whenever I post, you can safely assume I am referring to PvE, as I find GW PvP utterly boring.
DON'T assume that I am just posting in here to dog on you - I appreciate the time you spent writing this guide. I just feel, as others have pointed out, that your views on the ranger as a whole are quite biased by your experiences as a ranger. Instead of saying "Well, I haven't had much experience with Oath Shot" or "I just can't seem to find a use for Oath Shot", you just call it "shit" and tell everyone how worthless it is.

XvArchonvX · Jun 21, 2006, 04:00 PM // 16:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

Also, as for the skills I listed as being no good, note that I specifically state that they are no good most of the time. Yes, EoE rocks the Afflicted. As I said, the times to use these skills will be obvious... just don't throw them on your bar unless you think ahead of time specifically where it will come in handy.

I think you still underestimate. The point is that you said to "never" use them which is a pretty strong word to instill in people getting adjusted to using their ranger. The most important part to using spirits correctly is understanding them and understanding the enemies you will be fighting.

Lets say you have a team largely consisting of warriors and/or ranger and that you will be going into an area largely cosisting of casters. Winnowing would be an excellent choice to bring since your party will be dealing more physical damage than your enemies.

Also, maybe you are in a group that has some knockdown warriors and you are going to an area that consists of enemies that don't knock down and don't cause bleeding. Brambles and Lacerate are excellent compliments to benefit your party.

As I stated before, Favorable Winds can be a good choice for a Barrage Ranger using a flatbow even if he is the only ranger in the group. The reason is that there are generally less than 3 rangers in many places you go to. Of course this depends, but this is where knowledge of the area you are exploring is best. While your enemies will be shooting one arrow each, the barrager will be shooting up to 6 arrows each time if your group is good at aggroing into a tight spot. Favorable Winds will also allow a proper use of the flatbow, which allows a faster refire rate than any other bow except for the shortbow. The barrage ranger will now be able to have maximized refire rate along with maximum range and will be able to do as much damage per second as possible.

Another option for spirits is of course Winter. It is pretty well known by those who have completed Prophecies that winter is useful in the end mission where you fight many fiery creatures. Using Greater Confaguration with winter also allows the physical damage dealt by your party to take advantage of that weakness against fire. This is however a good option for places like the Southern Shiverpeaks where there are many Ice Golems that are also weak against fire damage.

Anyways, my point is that I believe you have underestimated the use of spirits and I would hesistate to say that they are something that you should "never" use if I were instructing those relatively new to using their ranger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

XvArchonvX: You comment that Throw Dirt and a Ranger's defensive stances have long recharge times... this is true, but is wasting your elite on Oath Shot really a good idea, just so you can have a defensive stance up a lot? Don't you have monks? You should be a lot more focused on doing damage... bringing Oath is a lot like a W/Mo with Mending... yes, he's taking some pressure off the Monks, but he's also losing power that he could be using to do what Warriors do best; kill (or tank, you get the idea). Your Ranger is not a tank; if your Monk(s) couldn't keep you alive because you didn't have a stance up 24/7, the problem isn't you. (Note: Before I get flamed, yes, a defensive stance is nice for protection, I'm only saying you don't need it up all the time, only when it gets to the nitty gritty in a fight.)

Here's the difference between a defensive stance and mending. Mending gradually works off damage taken by a tank. A defensive stance allows you to avoid taking that damage in the first place. The reason this makes a difference is because there is a very large difference between a warrior taking one physical hit by a high level enemy and a ranger taking a blow from the same enemy. The ranger has an armor bonus for elemental damage and is relatively vulnerable to physical damage compared to a warrior with a higher base armor level, a shield, and an absorbtion rune.

Lets say you bring a non-elite defensive stance. You will probably be fine in the first battle, but by the time you reach the second battle, you will likely still be waiting for your stance to recharge while the first wave of enemies attacks.

Oath shot is also an excellent choice for a trapper in the team. Using this skill allows the trapper to keep their stance up and trap at enemies feet during battle. It increases the downtime for recharging traps as well as makes it possible for the trapper to stay in a evasive stance and keep his traps dropped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

Running Condition pressure in PvP is a rather bad idea, as Condition removal is retardedly over-powered as it is, but this is a PvE discuss, so nevermind that. Running around the battlefield as you suggest actually decreases your damage, rather than increasing it, despite your conditions... I'm not sure why you think you'll be inflicting much bleeding, as your foe must be running (or knocked down) for Hunter's to cause it.

First of all, it depends which form of PvP you are playing whether or not conditions is a bad idea. If this were in a GvG or HoH match, where the opposing team will likely have a monk almost dedicated to condition removal, then yes it's not the best of ideas.

Where this build truly shines however is PvP such as Random Arenas, Alliance Battles, Team Arenas, Fort Aspenwood and such. The reason conditions are still a good idea even when being removed in these circumstances is because there is usually only one boon prot monk in charge of removing conditions. While you have Apply Poison up, the monk has to spend time and energy to remove the condition instead of healing. Meanwhile you can continually apply poison and still be able to use your skills at no additional charge. As the monk is forced to spam Mend Ailment instead of something like Reversal of Fortune, your likeliness to interupt that monk is now tripled due to mend ailment taking three times longer to cast than reversal of fortune. If there is no monk present than almost no other enemy will really have the ability to remove conditions with the exception of necroes using plague touch. If this is the case, the target should either be avoided or kept at a safe distance from yourself and allies.

Even if this is taken in terms of PvP, you are admittedly dealing less direct damage, but you are taking less damage yourself and have the ability to protect your teammates with skills such as throw dirt. The point of the degen is that you don't have to deal the damage. I think what you are missing is that even though you don't see numbers popping above your enemies head, you are still dealing damage.

Lets take Apply Poison. For this lets say you shoot an enemy once and you have 13 att in Wilderness Survival so your poison lasts 13 seconds. Since poison does effectively 8 points of damage per second (source of this fact: http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Poison), you effectively get 104 damage from that single shot. Take into account that shooting the enemy again lenthens the poison even more and that a poisonous bow string will also increase duration. Use the fact that you can spam this to nearby enemies at no extra cost and you just multiplied that damage per each enemy struck.

Now add on top of there hunters shot, which at full marks will deal bleeding for up to 21 seconds. This deals 6 points of damage per second. This equals out to a total of 126 damage if the full duration lasts.

Of course the obvious fact is that you will likely have less than full wilderness survival and marksmanship at the same time if you want to leave room for a decent amount of points in expertise.

My point is this: While this isn't the most damaging ranger build, you will be able to let your conditions for you while you are free to interupt (since you can't interupt as easily while spamming attack skills) as well as to blind and use other tactics that can be advantageous to your team.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sha Noran

I believe the source of our debate is that the two builds we are debating (my Poison Arrow build and your Apply Poison build) are designed to do different things. Your supports your team with additional effects, such as scattering the enemies with AoE, blinding them, etc. My build is designed to actually kill something. I think the main problem you will run into with your build is actually that its causing your team more trouble than its saving them... forcing monsters to break agro off your tank is not good at all.

If you think that causing enemies to scurry is always a bad idea then I think you seriously need to go back and learn how to use it to your advantage. The key to this build is knowing when and where to use skills like flame trap.

If there are enemies grouped all around your tank, running up to drop a flame trap at them is foolish because first of all the enemies may be drawn to you simply by you getting close enough to where they can find an enemy with lower armor AL. Secondly as you stated, breaking good aggro on a warrior is foolish.

The smart way to use this build is to either a) sprint well ahead of your tank and drop a flame trap then run back behind the tank(this is only wise when going against enemies that will not snare you with slow spells or cause enough damage from spells to kill you) or b) find an enemy that has broken past your tank and blind him, then drop a flame trap at his feet to send him running away.

In a perfect game, the enemies will always attack nothing but the warrior, but the reality is that this will only happen if there are no enemies within range with lower armor AL. Since the monks need to get close enough to heal and casters need to get close enough to cast, enemies will often break from the warrior and go for softer targets.

To sum this up, I think the major source of our disagreement is as follows. I don't see rangers as a profession that is best suited simply dealing direct damage. I believe that casters and tanks can deal often deal larger amounts of damage than a ranger can depending on the builds used of course. Rangers however are given a much more diverse gift of power. They can interupt, and shutdown enemies to reduce the damage they deliver while dealing a decent amount of damage themselves. I believe that to a lesser degree of course, the ranger to conditions is much like the mesmer is to hexes.

I respect that you took so much time to make the guide that you did and believe that there are a lot of good tips that you gave that will help many others with their use of their rangers. However I do ask that you keep an open mind to other's opinions. Even though you have had your success with your builds and stragedies does not mean that others have not had the same with theirs.

mechanizeddeath · Jun 22, 2006, 01:11 AM // 01:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by XvArchonvX

Never thought about that. Could be hard on the MM, but then again, that could be devastating to the Flood...err...Afflicted.

Not so much anymore, with the new limit on minions they are dying anyway. This speeds up the process of course, but with so much damage from EoE anyway, there will be enough death to make up for the faster loss of minions. (I didn't see any drastic difference at least.)

And yes, the first time I saw the Afflicted, my first response was to reload my AR.