Curse

Willy Rockwell · Jan 30, 2006, 03:06 PM // 15:06

I love my new green Elswyth's Recurve Bow, but the damn thing keeps trying to kill me. It has a powerful Vampiric string, lifestealing 5, which draws on my health every second I'm not killing something. I have to keep switching between the Elswyth and my old longbow.
How do you use a vampiric bow without being drained by it?

Skuld · Jan 30, 2006, 03:08 PM // 15:08

Mending if you're lazy, but the -1 energy regen just isn't worth it.

Willy Rockwell · Jan 30, 2006, 03:16 PM // 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skuld

Mending if you're lazy, but the -1 energy regen just isn't worth it.

Well I changed second prof just to get mending, but the spell keeps ending when I'm fighting. Keeping track of mending is more trouble than changing bows.

remmeh · Jan 30, 2006, 03:42 PM // 15:42

troll? lol

Human1 · Jan 30, 2006, 03:47 PM // 15:47

Use the F1 and F2 keys to switch weapon sets. Only takes a sec, not a big deal.

XvArchonvX · Jan 30, 2006, 04:12 PM // 16:12

I personally have come to dislike vamp and to a lesser extent zealous bows. However, if you really want to make one useful, use it with Barrage, dual shot, and/or lightning reflexes. You will still have to switch bows in your downtime, but barrage on a large group can really help you regen health fast. If you are just going against a single target, use lightning reflexes and dual shot to get as many hits in as you can.

I personally prefer Elswyth's Long Bow. I actually gave mine away, but that's because I have a gold bow almost exactly like it, but with a +5 armor mod instead of +30 health. For me, the longer range and ability to lengthen poison works perfectly with my PvP build.

Former Ruling · Jan 30, 2006, 04:22 PM // 16:22

You'll have to swith off all vamp bows when your not directly attacking someone. Its not something you can change.

And since its a recurve bow you wont be using it all the time anyway. recurve bows are Composite bows by nature and are for med range interupting so its not for all builds.

I picked it up because its got one of the best bow skins.

For the Zealous hating guy above - Zealous is the best bow prefix. a pip of energy regen gives 1 energy every 3 secs. You are giving that up for 1 energy every ~2 secs (more if you dual shot, or barrage).

XvArchonvX · Jan 30, 2006, 04:41 PM // 16:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by Former Ruling

You'll have to swith off all vamp bows when your not directly attacking someone. Its not something you can change.

And since its a recurve bow you wont be using it all the time anyway. recurve bows are Composite bows by nature and are for med range interupting so its not for all builds.

I picked it up because its got one of the best bow skins.

For the Zealous hating guy above - Zealous is the best bow prefix. a pip of energy regen gives 1 energy every 3 secs. You are giving that up for 1 energy every ~2 secs (more if you dual shot, or barrage).

hehe, I don't hate zealous really, but it's much better in theory than in practice for me. Sure you get energy every ~2 sec instead of 3, but that's assuming you are constantly attacking. Admittedly it works well with dual shot and/or barrage type skills, but I don't tend to use those much, except maybe in PvE. My builds are generally suited towards a balance of interupt/poison/cripple/evade. I keep a zealous and vamp bow on hand at all times, but rarely find them as useful as a good 'ol poisoner's longbow...

Oh yea, and if you just like it for the skin, get Elswyth's longbow. It's better imho (or at least for builds like mine) and has the same skin...

Willy Rockwell · Jan 30, 2006, 04:50 PM // 16:50

Well I would never actually buy a bow, I have so many good ones and one char who does nothing but store upgrades.
I do use Barrage with the Elswyth. It doesn't have quite the range of the longbow but makes a noticeable difference in killing potential. They drop like flies.

Valerius · Jan 30, 2006, 07:37 PM // 19:37

yeah man... just get a crap bow that looks kool... ( stormbow, eternalbow, mursaat horn etc. ) and switch to it while outside of battle... Recurves have the fastest arrow flight time so u should really only be using it when interupting or when ur gonna be shooting at moving targets

Xiaxhou of Trinity · Jan 31, 2006, 04:17 AM // 04:17

I never knew recurves have the fastest arrow flight time! Damn I'm a noob.....sometimes. Well I don't think it should make a difference to me since I don't know how to interrupt right. I can never interrupt monk or spells that are 2 or 1 second cast times. Well thanks for that Valerius, recurves huh?

XvArchonvX · Jan 31, 2006, 05:15 AM // 05:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiaxhou of Trinity

I never knew recurves have the fastest arrow flight time! Damn I'm a noob.....sometimes. Well I don't think it should make a difference to me since I don't know how to interrupt right. I can never interrupt monk or spells that are 2 or 1 second cast times. Well thanks for that Valerius, recurves huh?

There is a spot under the Guides section on Guru that compares the aspects of all the different types of bows. Find it here:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...ies-id1092.php

As for interupting, sometimes you just gotta spam interupts (for example choking gas) against some enemies with fast casting times (i.e. mesmers and monks) and hope for the best. Ranger interupts work great on Elementalists, tanks using heal sig, and anyone resurecting. In either case, I have grown to love the longbow and keep it as my go to weapon in most cases.

Oh yea, and be sure to check out the rest of the guides. There are lots of useful ones for rangers there as well. Find that section here:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/guides-id119.php

Falconer · Jan 31, 2006, 08:22 AM // 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valerius

yeah man... just get a crap bow that looks kool... ( stormbow, eternalbow, mursaat horn etc. ) and switch to it while outside of battle... Recurves have the fastest arrow flight time so u should really only be using it when interupting or when ur gonna be shooting at moving targets

And why does this disqualify it for use with barrage?! Why ONLY when interupting? If you're worried about hitting the target and don't have RtW and/or favourable... composite should be near the top of your list with shortbows.

Recurves, and Longbows have one VERY strong point selling them for anyone running barrage. You can hit barrage EVERY attack without breaking animation. EG: one barrage every 2.4s. Shortbows can't do this... they attack to fast.. you end up breaking animation and barraging SLOWER than you would with the recurve/longbow. Hornbows, also benefit from this, in that you can barrage once every 2.7s. If I have a shortbow or IAS with barrage I interleave barrage between attacks... (EG: barrage, penetrating, barrage, hunters, barrage, penetrating...).

XvArchonvX · Jan 31, 2006, 01:06 PM // 13:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falconer

And why does this disqualify it for use with barrage?! Why ONLY when interupting? If you're worried about hitting the target and don't have RtW and/or favourable... composite should be near the top of your list with shortbows.

Recurves, and Longbows have one VERY strong point selling them for anyone running barrage. You can hit barrage EVERY attack without breaking animation. EG: one barrage every 2.4s. Shortbows can't do this... they attack to fast.. you end up breaking animation and barraging SLOWER than you would with the recurve/longbow. Hornbows, also benefit from this, in that you can barrage once every 2.7s. If I have a shortbow or IAS with barrage I interleave barrage between attacks... (EG: barrage, penetrating, barrage, hunters, barrage, penetrating...).

Never though of it that way, good point!

Valerius · Jan 31, 2006, 10:57 PM // 22:57

well... usually when u do Barrage Spike u'll have Fav. Winds up... so u don't really have to worry about flight time... and u'll have a Tank taking all the aggro so chances are most of the enemies won't be moving... i just would rather use a Longbow or Flatbow is all

Amsterdam · Feb 01, 2006, 12:18 AM // 00:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Willy Rockwell

Well I changed second prof just to get mending, but the spell keeps ending when I'm fighting. Keeping track of mending is more trouble than changing bows.

It either is being rended from you or yuor energy is being drained to zero, which would make your enchantment drop, and one way to avoid running out of energy is to get rid of mending, and it shouldn't matter if it ran out uring combat because you are doing damage then and should be stealing live, F1 and F2 are easier to hit then worrying about mending, just do it.

Eldin · Feb 02, 2006, 12:08 AM // 00:08

I use Elswyth's Recurve. I just use F2, an empty slot, if I'm in a situation where I won't be attacking for some time (like in farming, I unequip it when I'm running around/laying traps).

In missions I tend to keep it equipped most of the time, since there's more fighting and less running around.

Also, Troll Unguent is your friend. ^_^

Rayndeon · Feb 08, 2006, 08:39 AM // 08:39

As others have said, switch constantly using the function keys. Vampiric 5/1 bows and zealous bows make excellent combos with Barrage and Dual Shot, though mostly with the former.

Falconer makes several good points. First, one should rely on composite bows for interrupts. You are generally guaranteed to hit unless you are obstructed or are blind. They also have pretty good synergy with Barrage. Longbows and recurves do well with Barrage as well, although I'm tending to prefer my Composite lately.

Beat_Go_Stick · Feb 08, 2006, 05:30 PM // 17:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by XvArchonvX

There is a spot under the Guides section on Guru that compares the aspects of all the different types of bows. Find it here:
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/content...ies-id1092.php

Is that page correct? I thought the aggro bubble was 80', a composite bow could shoot 80', and a long bow could shoot 100' (for example). I went through the little Battle Isle newbie trainer they added and I think that's what it said (as well as what I remember to be true)...

Garreth MacLeod · Feb 08, 2006, 05:39 PM // 17:39

I think it's out of date