Curse

Dutch Masterr · Jan 08, 2007, 10:11 PM // 22:11

why is this skills so popular among rangers? it doesnt last long at all, only has a 50% chance to block and ends if you get hexed or enchanted. what is the purpose of this skill? it seems terrible to me, but i see it in almost every build these days.

XvArchonvX · Jan 08, 2007, 11:39 PM // 23:39

The biggest reason is that it's spammable.

If you get hexed or enchanted, then it's no big worry because it can be recast quickly. This skill often makes it into rangers' bars because taking both a running skill and an evasive skill takes up too much space. It's basically a minor, spammable Escape.

Kwisatz_Haderach · Jan 09, 2007, 03:03 AM // 03:03

Ill repeat exactly what Archon: cheap, spammable, and +33% speed bonus is kinda hard to argue against

remmeh · Jan 09, 2007, 06:48 AM // 06:48

Before Nightfall and the Expertise nerf, most rangers you saw were R/Me. They were usually /Me for Distortion, because it was cheap, spammable, and made them pretty much invincible. If you were targeted, you have an on-demand evasion stance. Natural Stride has pretty much taken its place primarily due to its short recharge.

XvArchonvX · Jan 09, 2007, 07:01 AM // 07:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

Before Nightfall and the Expertise nerf, most rangers you saw were R/Me. They were usually /Me for Distortion, because it was cheap, spammable, and made them pretty much invincible. If you were targeted, you have an on-demand evasion stance. Natural Stride has pretty much taken its place primarily due to its short recharge.

I think this sums it up very nicely. If you take a step back and look at things, A-net has been trying to build the primary ranger to be able to do what used to be available to the R/Me. They nerfed Mantra of Resolve, but brought Trapper's Focus. They nerfed Distortion, but gave us Natural Stride.

Poison Ivy · Jan 09, 2007, 07:01 AM // 07:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

Before Nightfall and the Expertise nerf, most rangers you saw were R/Me. They were usually /Me for Distortion, because it was cheap, spammable, and made them pretty much invincible. If you were targeted, you have an on-demand evasion stance. Natural Stride has pretty much taken its place primarily due to its short recharge.

I thought it was because it got nurfed to hell ><

KazeMitsui · Jan 09, 2007, 11:24 AM // 11:24

oh how i long for distortion again

Silk Weaver · Jan 09, 2007, 02:52 PM // 14:52

I'd go for Stride over Distorion. For on thing, Distortion NOT costing 5 energy would mean a revert of expertise change, meaning Mending Touch~

Which is another reason you don't go R/Me. You'll get owned by YAA without SoM or Mending Touch.

33% Boost is nice. 2 Energy cost is nice.

Disortion will block a bit more, but... you do understand energy is a precious resource for a cripshot/burning arrow ranger, right? 5 energy + 2 (1 hit) is already the same cost of a cripshot or apply poison. It's too expensive.

Even if distortion is back to where it was... and.. even if it DOES cost 2 energy to activate... I wouldn't go back. Right now, rangers can run without having an extra skill. I run 12 wilderness anyway.

Dutch Masterr · Jan 09, 2007, 07:22 PM // 19:22

i messed around with it and found it useful just for the near-constant speed boost to get yourself around with (especially in AB). the only thing though, is every build i run in ab these days needs a way to counter those shadow prison sins. if you dont have any block/evading/blinding, youre most likley dead. natural stride didnt counter it too well because its only 50% blocking....id really hate to carry around hex breaker in every build on every character =/

Wolydarg · Jan 09, 2007, 08:33 PM // 20:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dutch Masterr

is every build i run in ab these days needs a way to counter those shadow prison sins.

You know when you see the sin use shadow prison and appear right next to you that he's going to use black spider strike+rest of his combo, if you hit distracting shot, he won't be able to spike for another 32 seconds..

I'm pretty sure most ranger builds have at least one interrupt in the build, not that hard to shove a savage or a distracting in there.

remmeh · Jan 09, 2007, 09:20 PM // 21:20

Also, with Natural Stride... the speedboost is excellent when you're trying to interrupt a target trying to use terrain to avoid line of sight. It also makes it very easy for you to push into their mid/backline for close range interrupts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolydarg

You know when you see the sin use shadow prison and appear right next to you that he's going to use black spider strike+rest of his combo, if you hit distracting shot, he won't be able to spike for another 32 seconds..

I'm pretty sure most ranger builds have at least one interrupt in the build, not that hard to shove a savage or a distracting in there.

As a side note... it's pretty easy to interrupt a sin's attack chain if he's just spamming attacks. When you're facing an A/W... he's probably a shadow prison assassin, just wait for him to hex you with Shadow Prison, then activate Natural Stride and distract/savage his first attack. It's very funny

Dutch Masterr · Jan 10, 2007, 10:38 PM // 22:38

hmm, good idea. i always carry distracting shot with me..i dont know why i didnt think of that..

XvArchonvX · Jan 10, 2007, 11:29 PM // 23:29

Just remember that Natural Stride is only cancelled if you become enchnted/hexed and can be activated regardless of if you are already hexed/enchanted. Because of this, be sure not to activate it until after you get hexed with Shadow Prison when you encounter a sin running this build.

Evilsod · Jan 11, 2007, 01:38 AM // 01:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by remmeh

As a side note... it's pretty easy to interrupt a sin's attack chain if he's just spamming attacks. When you're facing an A/W... he's probably a shadow prison assassin, just wait for him to hex you with Shadow Prison, then activate Natural Stride and distract/savage his first attack. It's very funny

Oh come on that works out the same for practically everything that comes close. I once interrupted a Sig of Midnight mesmer 8 times in a single AB because he kept running upto me... Power Attack + Sprint is obvious too on the wammos. Assassins are just interrupt bait... Horns of the Ox HAS to be followed with Falling Spider asap unlike the other chain attacks.

I've never really looked at Natural Slide. I might give it a look the next time i'm playing Cripshot in AB, covers my problem with having to use Whirling and having no speed boost nicely.

Lykan · Jan 13, 2007, 06:35 AM // 06:35

Its also great because where you used to need 2 slots for evasion and speed boost you now only need 1.