Guild Wars 2

A lot of players have said that there are a number of issues within the ranger trait lines. They range from simply being bad to being badly designed. I would like to tackle one of the later.
In my opinion, the opening strike mechanic is not really reliable and in the grater scheme of things does absolutely nothing. 3 minor traits have been wasted, not because the idea itself is bad, but the way it is activated.

The problem lies within the fact that, for the most part, it is only one attack that gets the benefit of 3 minor slots. One attack!!! (ok two if you count the pets initial strike)

Suggestion:

-change the way the activation sequence for the opening strike!!

-instead of affecting the first strike only when entering combat, make it so that every Nth attack is an opening strike or alternatively the first attack is an opening strike, and then you have a cooldown on your UI ticking down seconds until your next attack is an opening strike**

You could also have it reset after a few seconds of not attacking. Basically helps ranger keep their overall DPS up while evading, chasing, or using stealth without changing their overall output when they’re just constantly attacking a single target.

They could make it every say 21st or w/e attack and have successful projectile skills lower the cooldown by 1 second. It would fit the “ranger” and “marksmanship” theme and more importantly make it reliable. The stealth reapplying opening strike would just be the bonus of using lb and have no effect on this counter, considering it is a GM trait.

It’s even worse, there is a Grandmaster trait dedicated to resetting it on kill and on stealth:
Remorseless

So that’s 3 minor traits and a grandmaster trait for 5 stacks of vulnerability for 5 seconds.

The biggest problem is how often the opening strike is completely negated by passive traits or aegis. You have all these traits dedicated to something that barely works half the time.

The point of Opening Strike is actually for stacking vulnerability. With longbow it could reach 25 stacks very easily (hence it’s in Markmanship line). That’s where the dmg is supposed to come from. The Crit shot is just a bonus. (you can enter stealth then swap to gs and #2)

At least that’s how it works. Good or not, players decide.

Jim Hunter.6821:

The biggest problem is how often the opening strike is completely negated by passive traits or aegis. You have all these traits dedicated to something that barely works half the time.

Good point. How ’bout “your attack is unblockable?”

ASP.8093:

Jim Hunter.6821:

The biggest problem is how often the opening strike is completely negated by passive traits or aegis. You have all these traits dedicated to something that barely works half the time.

Good point. How ’bout “your attack is unblockable?”

That would be a great change. Honestly it is pretty pointless right now. Even when it does connect 5 stacks of vulnerabilty isn’t anything amazing and that is when it isn’t automatically cleansed.

My suggestion:

Marksman1minor: You and your pet have opening strikes (Opening strikes causes 5 Vulnerability and it’s unblockable)
MM3minor: You get opening strike every 10 seconds. (Or after every 10 attack. That makes sense in Quickening Zephyr and Shortbow builds)
MM5minor: Opening Strike always critically hits.

So the minor trait line along the MM tree favors the “sustain” the ranger is well known… Well should be…

Great Idea! Seriously there should be more ways to get back something that 3 minor traits cover. Right now its too painful to even consider Remorseless in any build and even more painful that it allows only one weapon to use this mechanic.

The unblockable idea is okay. Good against guards who enter the fight always with aegis.

+10% crit chance as passive + 7-8% with spotter without trading in precision…mhh sounds interesting to have in average 20% crit chance. That would help my valk/kava crit bunker.
But dont know if thats okay

Aggrostemma.1703:

My suggestion:

Marksman1minor: You and your pet have opening strikes (Opening strikes causes 5 Vulnerability and it’s unblockable)
MM3minor: You get opening strike every 10 seconds. (Or after every 10 attack. That makes sense in Quickening Zephyr and Shortbow builds)
MM5minor: Opening Strike always critically hits.

So the minor trait line along the MM tree favors the “sustain” the ranger is well known… Well should be…

So much this, it’d also give a lot of Synergy with barrage and rapid fire.

The Opening Strike every ten seconds prefers the “defensive” play style. Or call it non-attacking. Between the OSs the ranger can do other things without wasting the OS proc.

The “after ten attack” version however supports the fast hitting offensive playstyle. I could live with any of these

If you combine the later version with Remorseless the ranger gets some burst option.

Something like: OS (crit), Rapid Fire with Zephyr, OS (crit), Remorseless proc, OS (crit).
The GS gets the same benefit with Maul but since the Greatsword is slower it would be affected more by the first version (OS after 10 seconds).

My two cents.

I like the unblockable idea, but making it reapply after X amount of time or attacks doesn’t really fit the name. Maybe have it be applied on weapon swap as well as when you begin combat so for a LB/GS build you’re making Maul much more reliable as it’s now unblockable as well. Depending on how effective that is you might have to add a ICD but that would still means you can get the Vuln stacks you need early in the fight while still having decent access for prolonged engagements.

Having it be on swap also means the name still makes sense because it’s the “Opening Strike” of that weapon.

BurrTheKing.8571:

I like the unblockable idea, but making it reapply after X amount of time or attacks doesn’t really fit the name. Maybe have it be applied on weapon swap as well as when you begin combat so for a LB/GS build you’re making Maul much more reliable as it’s now unblockable as well. Depending on how effective that is you might have to add a ICD but that would still means you can get the Vuln stacks you need early in the fight while still having decent access for prolonged engagements.

Having it be on swap also means the name still makes sense because it’s the “Opening Strike” of that weapon.

Opening Strike could be referring to the enemies defenses IE: you’re opening up their armor and making a vulnerable area.

I actually have to say I like the idea of having it on swap. I much prefer things which are controllable and predictable, rather than having a trait triggering every 10s for no real reason.

Durzlla.6295:

BurrTheKing.8571:

I like the unblockable idea, but making it reapply after X amount of time or attacks doesn’t really fit the name. Maybe have it be applied on weapon swap as well as when you begin combat so for a LB/GS build you’re making Maul much more reliable as it’s now unblockable as well. Depending on how effective that is you might have to add a ICD but that would still means you can get the Vuln stacks you need early in the fight while still having decent access for prolonged engagements.

Having it be on swap also means the name still makes sense because it’s the “Opening Strike” of that weapon.

Opening Strike could be referring to the enemies defenses IE: you’re opening up their armor and making a vulnerable area.

Seems Logical =|

OR..Anet just changes the Name.

Seems Logical =|

OR..Anet just changes the Name.

Absolutely.

“The ranger tricks the enemy opening up their defence. Causing 5 Vulnerability for 5 seconds.”

It explains (so-so) the Unblockable condition. How can you block a trick? :P

actually, reactivating itself on swap is ingenious. Wow, better idea then I suggested. Kudos to you good sir.

It would have excellent synergy with maul or path of scars. Same thing could be applied to pets when they are activated.

Wow, with this, we got ourselves a very nice mechanic.

It should be like this.

1st minor = Gain opening strike when entering combat. Opening strike causes 5 vulnerability. Resets on weapon swap.

2nd minor = Your pet gains opening strike.

3rd minor = Opening strike always criticals and is unblockable.

A combination of all your ideas.

Tbh I’d much prefer that it triggers off a # of hits than on the weapon swap, you’d still have control over it, and it wouldn’t force you to swap weapons to take advantage of it (which is a bonus on its own).

Durzlla.6295:

Tbh I’d much prefer that it triggers off a # of hits than on the weapon swap, you’d still have control over it, and it wouldn’t force you to swap weapons to take advantage of it (which is a bonus on its own).

But with it being after a certain # of hits you really aren’t “in control.” If you’re trying to run DPS you want to be keeping up constant pressure which means you’re going to be doing a ton of 1s in between combos. This means Opening Strike may end up triggering before Rapid Fire is off CD which means your DPS isn’t being optimized.

With on swap + unblockable you KNOW that when you swap you’re going to be applying that Vulnerability so it makes combos like Hunter’s Shot -> Hilt Bash from Behind -> Maul much stronger. Throw in a pet attack for even more stacks and with Moment of Clarity if Hilt Bash interrupts something that’s 150% extra damage of Maul.

I’m still new to the class but I feel that would make builds like this or this stronger than they currently are.

I really like the idea of that first build because the focus on interrupts reminds me of GW1 Ranger.

Maybe it’s just too many years playing trap builds and thus always having the Skimishing Traitline (and now always using Sigils of Battle), but I just really like the idea of getting buffs / effects on weapon swap. It really promotes more engaging fights rather than just chilling back at 1000+ range with the LB getting free vulnerability for nothing (and it really is for nothing, because if you have a LB you WILL have the MS traitline and thus will always have all 3 minor traits, so its not even like you’re choosing to take the traits).

To me, that just sounds bad. People should not be rewarded for doing nothing but standing at the back with a LB pressing 1, they should get more out if they are really engaging in combat actively, IMO.

Cufufalating.8479:

Maybe it’s just too many years playing trap builds and thus always having the Skimishing Traitline (and now always using Sigils of Battle), but I just really like the idea of getting buffs / effects on weapon swap. It really promotes more engaging fights rather than just chilling back at 1000+ range with the LB getting free vulnerability for nothing (and it really is for nothing, because if you have a LB you WILL have the MS traitline and thus will always have all 3 minor traits, so its not even like you’re choosing to take the traits).

To me, that just sounds bad. People should not be rewarded for doing nothing but standing at the back with a LB pressing 1, they should get more out if they are really engaging in combat actively, IMO.

It also helps from a counterplay perspective as well because you know what’s coming when they swap weapons so it’s up to you to make sure you dodge, which with Hunter’s Strike makes it more challenging but you know how long they’re going to be stealthed. It theoretically makes it fun to play AND fun to play against.

But guuuuuuyz everyone knows on crit effects are so much more fun to play against! I mean just look at dumbfire!!

/sarcasm

Seriously though, i would say that the swap would be more skill based, but at the same time I just feel like that’s more of skirmishing a thing than marksmanships thing, which is why I think every few shots would be more interesting. And you could always have remorseless make it scary when attacking someone who has vuln.

I also liked the idea of making it so you gain it for not attacking.

Ranger = second class cityzen
Deal with it. Start an other character as i did

Personally, I think Opening Strike itself is alright. But I have issues with two of the related traits: Precise Strike and Remorseless.

Precise Strike quite obviously doesn’t fit the overall design of Rangers since we by now know they are supposed to be about sustained damage. Even if this wasn’t true it is more associated with the GS than with bows. I also feel that it is one of the main reasons for Rangers crying for bursty skills (the other one being Moment of Clarity). Additionally, it is easily outperformed by the Sigill of Intelligence. Sadly I can’t think of any smart way of keeping its current mechanic and making it worthwhile.

Remorseless is important to make Opening Strike worthwhile in longer fights. Considering how many bow traits are available I don’t feel it should be a Major. And the mechanic (the stealth part) is just off since it basically only works with the LB.

I personally would enjoy the following:

Precise Strike
GM Major

Make it a damage bonus trait even if it is super boring. I don’t really care how exactly it is done. It could be +Crit Damage against targets with Vulnerability to make it a bit less brainless. If it shouldn’t be offensive it could apply Blind on Critical hit with an ICD when whielding a bow to give archer builds more defensive capabilities.

Remorseless
GM Minor

Gain Opening Strike when killing or interrupting an enemy. Interrupts work with LB and SB. Granted, it would also work with GS or OH Axe but I don’ think it would be a big deal. It would make Opening Strike a lot more useful against bosses without any trash mobs or in 1vs1 duelling situations.