Curse

Vargs · Dec 19, 2007, 04:57 AM // 04:57

So I've been playing around with ranger builds for the past couple hours, and I'm not much farther than when I began!

Basically what I'm looking for is something that does nice single target dps with some interruption. I mainly play with H/H so condition spreading isn't very effective considering the fact that they switch to your target every time you shoot something else once to poison/ignite/etc it.

PvXwiki unfortunately doesn't really have anything useful.

I've been messing around and came up with something involving burning arrow and triple shot + conjure flame + a damage per arrow preparation, but I don't really think it'll be all that effective.

[skill]Burning Arrow[/skill][skill]Dual Shot[/skill][skill]Lightning Reflexes[/skill][skill]Read The Wind[/skill][skill]Throw Dirt[/skill][skill]Resurrection signet[/skill][skill]Savage shot[/skill][skill]conjure flame[/skill]

Dual shot switched with triple when available. Flatbow for longer range/attack speed, with read the wind to hopefully help with the terrible travel time. Points into Marksmanship, Expertise, and Fire Magic. Could switch Lightning Reflexes with Rapid fire, as well as switch Read the Wind with Favorable Winds if I decide to buy GW:EN. It seems like I just won't have enough energy for all this though. I also don't like the lack of constant IAS (which could be changed with GW:EN, but spirits are so annoying to use).

No GW:EN, btw.

So yeah, help! >.>

Asha Rai · Dec 19, 2007, 05:06 AM // 05:06

This can be fun:

max expertise and marksmanship
[skill]Zojun's Shot[/skill][skill]Point Blank Shot[/skill][skill]Savage Shot[/skill][skill]Glass Arrows[/skill][skill]Lightning Reflexes[/skill]

use a flat bow for this

pve skills like I am the Strongest and Great Dwarf Weapon help too

(zojun's shot and point blank shot do +42 dmg at 16 expertise and cost 5e, skill pictures are just out of date)
(Also, lightning reflexes recharges in 30 seconds, not 45)

Age · Dec 19, 2007, 05:21 AM // 05:21

Don't use a flat bow with savage shot use a recurve to get the best effect.It really depends on what you are trying to do there is apply poison, barbed arrow and kindle.You have your choice of interrupts.

Asha Rai · Dec 19, 2007, 05:37 AM // 05:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age

Don't use a flat bow with savage shot use a recurve to get the best effect.It really depends on what you are trying to do there is apply poison, barbed arrow and kindle.You have your choice of interrupts.

The arc of the flat bow is ok when you're at half range, and half range gets a bit small with a recurve bow, not to mention the slower refire rate.

MBP · Dec 19, 2007, 05:54 AM // 05:54

If you're gonna use burning arrow...combine it with [skill]apply poison[/skill] instead of RTW it creates massive degen. You can put single targets down fairly quickly and move on to the next one.

Also having more attacks is better than 2 defensive skills...drop either lightning reflexes or throw dirt..or better yet use [skill]natural stride[/skill] instead.

add [skill]distracting shot[/skill] and you're golden

Conjure flame won't be needed at this point...the majority of your dps will come from the degen (also because it cancels natural stride). Swap it for [skill]troll unguent[/skill]

one more thing....recurve bow (poisonous if you prefer)

Washi · Dec 19, 2007, 08:03 AM // 08:03

[skill]Burning Arrow[/skill][skill]Epidemic[/skill][skill]distracting shot[/skill][skill]Savage shot[/skill][skill]Throw Dirt[/skill][skill]Apply Poison[/skill][skill]natural stride[/skill][skill]Resurrection signet[/skill]

One of my fav pve builds. You don't need to change targets to spread conditions.

you can swap [skill]Burning Arrow[/skill] with [skill]Broad head Arrow[/skill] when you are in caster heavy area (ooze pit)

And you should really consider using recurve bow.

distilledwill · Dec 19, 2007, 08:33 AM // 08:33

Id agree with the above build, except ive been boning [skill=text]Broad Head Arrow[/skill] for a few days now and I love it, so I have a couple of adjustments:

[card]Broad Head Arrow[/card][card]Distracting Shot[/card][card]Savage Shot[/card][card]Apply Poison[/card][card]Epidemic[/card][card]Natural Stride[/card][card]Troll Unguent[/card][card]Resurrection Signet[/card]

It really owns with a MM player or hero, applying daze and poison to a target then transfering it to all other targets just means that when the minions get there, none of the casters in the mob can do anything. Its tasty.

I use a silencing bowstring, but you can just as easily use a poisonous one.

(This build works particularly well with Sabs 3 necro hero setup, vanquished several zones with no problems.)

Washi · Dec 19, 2007, 09:01 AM // 09:01

I find Troll Unguent useless in pve. It has a 3 sec cast time so it cant save you in a critical situation. And if the situation is not critical, your monks should do their job just fine. Also you need high wilderness to make it worthwile, and you could pump your expertise and marks instead.

Throw dirt saved my necros many, many times in hard mode. Sometimes you see this melee train goin after one of your squishes and you know he's goin down if you don't do anything.

Wakka · Dec 19, 2007, 09:08 AM // 09:08

Quote:

I find Troll Unguent useless in pve. It has a 3 sec cast time so it cant save you in a critical situation

I find it quite useful in hex heavy/condition heavy areas where it can relieve some of the degen pressure making the monks job easier.

But your probably right, its not needed so much on the bar ^_^

distilledwill · Dec 19, 2007, 10:23 AM // 10:23

I find that the holy trinity of [skill=text]Troll Unguent[/skill], [skill=text]Natural Stride[/skill] and [skill=text]Mending Touch[/skill] make a ranger practically invincible, even in PvE (with little monk support).
I sacrifice MT for Epidemic with BHA and in combination with the 3 necro hero setup as the defense is so strong. But I still dont feel quite safe unless I at least have Trolls in there as a backup.

Wakka · Dec 19, 2007, 10:34 AM // 10:34

Mending Touch isnt that great in PvE imo ^_^ I normally just run an additional condition removal (and a hex removal) such as mend condition on the likes of an ele hero ^^ Can really help out.

Washi · Dec 19, 2007, 10:36 AM // 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by distilledwill

make a ranger practically invincible, even in PvE (with little monk support).

lol... did you try hard mode? Regen skills mean nothing. Only thing it can do is counter degen, like wakka mentioned. Invincible?

I'm not saying this skill is bad, it's just not needed in pve. You can use this slot for pain inverter, or finish him. Troll is great for RA.

Arkantos · Dec 19, 2007, 10:38 AM // 10:38

If you want single target dps and interrupts, use [skill]Apply Poison[/skill][skill]Burning Arrow[/skill][skill]Distracting Shot[/skill][skill]Savage Shot[/skill] other 4 are optional.

RyXXed · Dec 19, 2007, 11:40 AM // 11:40

[skill]Kindle Arrows[/skill] is a good preparation for DPS in PvP, I don't know about PvE, but I think it might work. Especially if you are using Conjure Flame (you wouldn't need a Fire Bowstring).

I prefer Recurve Bows myself, they have the lowest arrow flight time and are mid-range (http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Bow#Bow_Classes).

Moonlit Azure · Dec 19, 2007, 07:32 PM // 19:32

You can add to your build:
[skill]kindle arrows[/skill] instead of [skill]conjure flame[/skill]

Then add [skill]mark of rodgort[/skill] and [skill]broad head arrow[/skill]

After that get a Mesmer hero with [skill]epidemic[/skill]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Washi

I find Troll Unguent useless in pve.

Unguent has saved me many times! Its gread against degen, I just put on [skill]whirling defense[/skill] when I'm casting it!

( I would put on natural stride, but your enchanted!)

Wakka · Dec 19, 2007, 07:42 PM // 19:42

Mark of Rod is a bit energy intensive for a Ranger tbh, its a nice skill but try and slip it onto an ele hero or something?

Whirling Defense is not a very nice skill at all. 20 Second block time but 60 second recharge seems a waste of time really. Natural Stride only cancels when a enchantment is cast on you, it will still work if you have Conjure up when you use it.

Moonlit Azure · Dec 19, 2007, 07:47 PM // 19:47

Oh, thats nice to know!

Mark of rodgort is pretty pricey, so putting it on Vekk(or some other hero) would be in favor.

Hard to coordinate though.

Although fevered dreams on Gwen could help a lot.

Marverick · Dec 19, 2007, 09:34 PM // 21:34

[skill]Read the Wind[/skill][skill]Prepared Shot[/skill][wiki]Triple Shot[/wiki][skill]Dual Shot[/skill][skill]Needling Shot[/skill][skill]Savage Shot[/skill][wiki]Weapon of Aggression[/wiki] [wiki]Ebon Battle Standard of Honor[/wiki]
~70 ranged DPS with a damage boost for the entire party

Amy Awien · Dec 19, 2007, 10:59 PM // 22:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vargs

... I mainly play with H/H so condition spreading isn't very effective considering the fact that they switch to your target every time you shoot something else once to poison/ignite/etc it.

If you call their target, or point your heroes with target lock to a specific target they appear to stick to that target better, you'd need to do that anyway in situations where you monitor several casters.

Fire The Nutter · Dec 20, 2007, 11:29 AM // 11:29

Its a shame no-one reads when you say no GW:EN......

I personally have run a fire/poison setup and its of course the degen that kills from than the actual damage. Playing with Sab's 3 Necro Heroes I found I was missing interrupts more than anything so I just run BHA, RTW, savage, distracting, epdemic, keen (been fixed now), res sig (sunspear sig actually).

Now i happen to run I am the strongest which is an easy +16 dmg which you wont have access to, perhaps something like favourable winds? (BTW get EoTN even if its just for the skills)

End of the day, what do you want to be doing? Straight out damage or interrupting? For me it depends entirely on the team setup.

Oh and as a side note, tried a R/A build recently, works quite nicely that, complete variation on how id played a ranger until now
jagged strike
wild strike
fox fangs (replacable offhand)
death blossom
impale (DW on a ranger hehehe)
assassin's promise
lightning reflexes
whirling defense (or utility)

Credit for R/A goes to Zerdonal of Rangers Beacon 2