Curse

SotiCoto · Aug 20, 2007, 11:17 AM // 11:17

I'm not much of a Ranger person to be honest.... but I want to make use of every class the game has to offer, and I know Rangers can be useful for a great many things.

Up until now, I have been using Barrage with Splinter Weapon on my Ranger (level 18 at present).... and it has worked fairly well. However, I want to use a similar build for my Ritualist when I train her up, and I imagine that a primary Rit would use the Splinter Barrage build more effectively (most of the damage being in Splinter Weapon).

As such I'm trying to find an alternative build to use for my Ranger for general PvE use. I would like to note in advance that I am USELESS at interrupting as my timing is awful (and my primary character being an Assassin has given me somewhat of a Turbo-Kill mindset, causing me to become a bit uncomfortable with support roles).
So... would anyone be able to recommend a build that can .... basically... kill things very quickly?

T. Drake · Aug 20, 2007, 11:47 AM // 11:47

Yes Splinter Weapon + Barrage is really boring after you have played it... forever. I use this build from time to time.

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Quite simple: Use Kindle Arrows and Conjure Flame and start attacking with Triple- and Dual Shot. Use Prepared Shot to get energy.

Because you already have Kindle Arrows to trigger Conjure Flame you should use a Vampiric Weapon for extra damage.

Serpents Quickness is for faster skill recast.

Counters: Enchantment Remove, Blindness, certain Curses and Interrupts.

Rangers should be your last target, because they have the highest armor against elemental damage. This build works great in Normal Mode, but you can probably find better builds for Hard Mode.

Note: Serpents Quickness is kind of optional. You can take Troll Unguent for better defense.

SotiCoto · Aug 20, 2007, 12:08 PM // 12:08

I guess I didn't mention.
All my characters use the same Hero builds...
And perhaps the most significant is Acolyte Sousuke using Greater Conflagration and Mark of Rodgort.....
Therefore most of the time my arrows will be doing fire damage anyway.

Would it work with Ignite Arrows instead of Kindle Arrows assuming that GC is up constantly (it generally is)?

lordpwn · Aug 20, 2007, 02:31 PM // 14:31

Ignite Arrows will do damage even if the arrow misses, but will cause AoE scatter after a few hits. The mobs are pretty likely to break aggro in Normal Mode after using both Dual Shot and Triple Shot once.

T. Drake · Aug 20, 2007, 02:35 PM // 14:35

Never tried it, but I think it should as long as you use a bow without an elemental bowstring. Although you loose some "spike damage", since Ignite Arrows is slightly weaker than Kindle Arrows, but IA is better against mobs.

Evilsod · Aug 20, 2007, 03:09 PM // 15:09

Nice waste of an elite...

Ignite Arrows would work, but causes a ridiculous amount of scatter. Not much point using Ignite Arrows and Eles for some AoE damage when they spread out because of it.

Punishing Shot is quite fun these days now they've lowered its recharge.

Kaida the Heartless · Aug 20, 2007, 05:29 PM // 17:29

Because no class ever needs energy management...

Also, he specifically stated that he did not want interupts because he was useless with them. So, instead of an interupt, he gets energy with about the same damage.

The elite is fine.

Orange Milk · Aug 20, 2007, 05:47 PM // 17:47

Gah, I don't like spreadign into 4 attrubutes unless I really have to.

But Tryout "Lightning Reflexes" instead of Whirling. Less down time and its an IAS, so faster kills, I guess, since that is waht you are looking for.

IF you don't want to go4 attributes try "Glass Arrows as a prep, and don't take WS skills. Its elite so you loose prep shot, however you would then jump your expertise up to 14 or 15 and that will automatically manage your energy better.

MBP · Aug 20, 2007, 11:21 PM // 23:21

honestly interrupting isn't all that hard...[skill]punishing shot[/skill] would be great in a spiking build just spam it like any other skill and think of the interrupt as an extra

Kaida the Heartless · Aug 21, 2007, 01:47 AM // 01:47

He's already spamming two other 10 energy skills. He would need expertise at 14+ to handle that.

SotiCoto · Aug 21, 2007, 01:36 PM // 13:36

I tend to be a bit of a two-attribute monkey... generally.

I could manage 14+ Expertise... surely?

iridescentfyre · Aug 21, 2007, 01:56 PM // 13:56

Personally I feel like any build is naked without an interrupt of some sort. You may not feel you're very good at it, but in "general pve use," you're going to encounter enemies using Healing Signets, Troll Unguents, Fireballs, Earthquakes/Dragon Stomps, minion spells, and even the occasional Meteor Shower... all of which cast in 2-3 (or 5!) seconds, and are staggeringly easy to interrupt.

Furthermore, having Punishing Shot or Savage Shot on your bar gives you another attack to chain together with Dual Shot (or whatever) since they fire a full-damage arrow in a half a second. It doesn't have to interrupt anything... Dual Shot + Punishing Shot is 3 arrows in short order, plus all of your preparations, Conjure Element, and/or weapon mods attached to each.

SotiCoto · Aug 22, 2007, 10:24 AM // 10:24

My attempts at using Savage Shot so far have been.... well... disheartening.
I mean sure... I have occasionally managed to interrupt things by accident, but that is all it was: accidental. Even some comparitively simple things I have failed to interrupt because I couldn't hit them with the arrow in time (either because my flatbow arc is too long even with Read the Wind, or I wasn't close enough to use my shortbow).

T. Drake · Aug 22, 2007, 11:29 AM // 11:29

uhm I think the Flatbow is the worst bow for interrupting, go with a recurve bow or a short bow (I prefer the recurve bow) and use skills to decrease the flight time of your arrows (Read The Wind or Favorable Winds).

EDIT: No other builds so far? There must be more than your average Splinter+Barrage build.

lordpwn · Aug 22, 2007, 09:42 PM // 21:42

I can often interrupt 1 second cast time stuff with a Flatbow, using either FW or Read the Wind to speed the arrows up a bit.

With some practice you might start noticing patterns in how enemies use skills, and fire the interrupt at them before they start using a skill. Nothing beats seeing that bar appear and get stopped in a split-second. I've occasionally managed to make some predictable casters run away or rage quit in AB by consistently interrupting everything they've tried to cast for some time.

Also, if you have at least two interrupts and enough Expertise you can just spam interrupts at your target between your other attacks, there's always a chance your Distracting Shot interrupts something your enemy can't be effective without.

moriz · Aug 22, 2007, 11:46 PM // 23:46

you can try a single target spike build.... but i believe AoE is still much more effective in PvE regardless. might be more useful in DoA though:

R/E
exp=11+2 mark=8+1 wil=8+3 rest into fire magic
triple shot
dual shot
quick shot
needling shot
kindle arrows
conjure flame
optional
optional

a straight up spike ranger. it's got a very low marksmanship attribute because much of the damage will come from kindle arrows and conjure flame. also because of the damage reduction per arrow on triple and dual shot, having a lower base damage is a good idea.

remember to use a vampiric bow for more damage

Tutis Evito · Aug 23, 2007, 10:52 AM // 10:52

Melandru's Shot is a good energy mangement skill.

For spiking, smilar to Moriz I use

Triple Shot
Dual Shot
Needling Shot
Determind Shot/Hunters Shot
Glass Arrows
Conjure Flame
FW
Optional

With this you can deal out massive amount of damage.

Make sure you have a bow with a firey string and I do like to have a bow with a dmg +15% when enchanted ( conjure flame is an enchartment ) and either have a bow grip with armor + 5 / Hp +30 / Enchnatments +20%

Lay down FW>Glass Arrows>Conjure Flame> then spam your attacks, use needling show repeatdely on mobs under 50% health

SotiCoto · Aug 23, 2007, 01:17 PM // 13:17

Latest discovery: Lightning Reflexes is my friend.
<3 IAS.

Then again.... with GW:EN coming very soon I'll be looking to get Rapid Fire (a constantly maintainable 33% IAS on bows is bound to get insta-nerfed though)... though since it is a preparation it won't be usable with Barrage.
Not only that.... but it looks like there will be a non-elite Barrage skill as well!
I can tell ahead of time that Rangers are going to become SERIOUSLY pimped in GW:EN.

In any case.... thanks for the advice folks.
After I finish up Nahpui Quarter tonight I'll unlock the Elementalist (for the recommended builds), Warrior (for Bunny Thumping), Necromancer (for Touching), Mesmer (for Echo-Trapping) and Dervish (because all my characters need Pious Haste) secondaries for Soo Kim.... and she'll be ready to rock! ^_^

Mitchel · Aug 23, 2007, 01:23 PM // 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Then again.... with GW:EN coming very soon I'll be looking to get Rapid Fire (a constantly maintainable 33% IAS on bows is bound to get insta-nerfed though)... though since it is a preparation it won't be usable with Barrage

With rapid fire you can't use Apply + it's in Marksmanship.

SotiCoto · Aug 23, 2007, 01:42 PM // 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitchel

With rapid fire you can't use Apply + it's in Marksmanship.

.... Apply what?
Poison?
Couldn't care less. Constant IAS > Poison! =D
[Not only that... but I always bring Olias with me and Olias always brings Death Nova... and minions explode pretty frequently... so the enemies get poisoned anyway.]

And it being in Marksmanship is surely a GOOD thing for someone using a bow... right? 8 or 9 ranks in Marksmanship is easily enough, by the guildwiki description, to keep the preparation up all the time.... and that is the minimum needed to use a bow effectively anyhow.