Guild Wars 2

Today, i had a brainwave and i realized that a few simple changes given to 5 traits, 1 healing skill and two utilities can make the ranger stronger, more useful in group play and make up for some of the badly design flaws.

First up; Fortifying bond, Currently Master Minor, Nature Magic line
Current function; Any boon that the ranger gets is copied onto the pet.
How does this work?
If the ranger is within range of a guardian using stability shouts, but pet is not, the stability boon is copied onto the pet too.

Suggested Change; Grandmaster Minor
New function; All boons are shared between pet and master
How would this work?
If you use “Guard” shout, both ranger and pet get X seconds stealth and 10 seconds protection. If using “Sick’em” both pet and ranger get increased movement speed and increased damage for the duration.
If pet is within range of a ally granting boons, the ranger will also get the boon even if it is outside the allied booncasters range.

Second suggestion; Stability Training, Master, Beastmaster line
Current Function; Bears, pigs and armorfish get stability when disabled

Suggested Change; Master, Beastmaster Line
New Function;
Grant 6 second Stability to allies upon pet swap.
Cooldown dictated by pet-swap duration.
How does this work?
When in combat, whenever you swap pet (at best every 16 seconds) you will grant 6 seconds of stability to nearby allies.

Third change: Bountiful Hunter, Grandmaster Minor, Nature Magic
Current function; You and your pet get 5% increased damage if you have a boon

Suggested Change; Bountiful hunter, Master Minor, Nature Magic
New Function;
You and your pet steal a boon from nearby enemies upon activating a healing skill.
45 second Internal Cooldown.
360 radius
How does this work?
When you use a healing skill you can steal a boon from up to 5 enemies within 360 radius. Why did you say you “and your pet”. Pet doesn’t have healing skills do they? Yes they do, but perhaps these skills must be defined as “healing skills” first.
Moa Cry, Fern hound F2, Drake Chomp, Jellyfish Healing Cloud, Armorfish Chomp all instantly “Heal” the pet/allies.

Fourth Suggestion; Peak Strength, Grandmaster Minor, Wilderness Survival
Current Function; You get 10% more damage if your health is above 90%

Suggested Change; Namechange; “Last Survivor”
New Function;
The effect of healing skills are increased the lower your HP is.
Below 33% = 15% stronger heal
Below 10% = 25% stronger heal

Fifth Suggestion; Empathic Bond, Grandmaster, Wilderness Survival
Current function; 3 conditions are transfered to your pet every 10 seconds
How does this work?
If you are fighting someone that stack bleeding all the time, once every 10 seconds, 3 stacks of bleeds are taken from you, and given to your pet instead. So the player get -3 bleeds and pet get +3 bleeds. This trait are passively killing your pet without you being able to counteract it without gimping yourself.

Suggested Change;
New Function; Condition duration is reduced by 50% when your pet is alive.
How does this work?
Aslong as your pet is alive, you will basically have permanent -50% condition duration. This however requires you to take care of your pet.

Sixth Suggestion; Heal as One
Current Function; It heals you

New function; Reduce

• Activation time by 2/4 seconds (new activation time 3/4 seconds, still possible to interrupt but harder)
• Decrease the healing power coefficient by 0.3 (25% reduced scaling with healing power)
• Decrease Cooldown by 5 seconds (new CD 15 seconds)
• Removes 3 conditions
• Stunbreaker

Seventh Suggestion; “Protect Me”, Shout
Current Function; All incoming damage is transfered to your pet

New function; Namechange: “Protect us”, Shout
New Function;

• The pet absorbs 20% damage from you and nearby allies for the next 5 seconds.
• Cooldown increased to 75 seconds from 60 seconds
  How does this work?
  When activating this shout, you and 4 other players will have 20% of all incoming damage absorbed by the pet. This effect lasts 5 seconds or till the pet is dead. Making it invaluable to the profession, and allies. Pet still takes damage from other sources.

Eight Suggestion; Rampage as One, Elite, Pet
Current Function; Grants 20 seconds of Stability, Swiftness and Fury in addition the range applying Might to the pet upon attack and the pet applying Might to the ranger upon attacking.

Suggested Change; Rampage as One, Elite, Shout
New Function; Grants 20 seconds of Stability and Fury, 10 seconds of quickness, Reduces Endurance regeneration by 25% for 10 seconds.
Activation time decreased by 1/4 seconds, from 1 second. New activation time is 3/4 second.