Guild Wars 2

Hello all,

First I will admit that I am a “wow” player…. I know, I know… I am ashamed to admit it…lol.

I had been playing wow for 8 yrs and am really… really looking for something new. I have played a lot of other mmo’s but none had filled the need I was looking for.

So I just started GW2 and was a little skeptical at first… The controls seemed a little odd and I wasn’t quiet sure I was liking it…. But after a few hours, I did not want to stop.

I really like the exploring and multiple things to do while out in the wilds… I have dabbled in RP a little before, but I am really feeling the RP vibe here. I love the Norn and their background. I love the snow and the mountains and nature. I will play the Norn.

Sorry for the rant… anyways, my question is about professions. I am really liking the Guardian and Ranger so far, but unsure which to take to 80.

I am trying to think long range and figure out what I will be doing at end game. I like to help groups and people, but also enjoy soloing. I have no desire to be top dps in any group.

I see Rangers can carry Great swords, is their melee damage comparable to their ranged damage? that would be nice. If I played the Ranger, I would like to be a melee spec.

TLDR. What I am really looking for is advice from Guardians or Rangers on the pro’s and con’s of their class during the leveling process. Do you still enjoy your class at 80?

I would like to learn from others before I invest tons of hours in a class I may not really enjoy.

thanks,

Guardians

Cons
Low hp

Pros
A lot of options in defense aka reflecting projectiles, absorbing projectiles, blocking, healing
Can be very offensive while being defensive
Assest to team members due to our skills applying to everyone around you (not only just you)

Rangers
Pro
Can pew pew
Interesting style (haven’t played too much)
Pets can tank damage for a bit
Search & Rescue is super good with reviving ppl

Cons
Reading their forums, they are slowly improving but far from what they should be in potential
Also, your pet has a stupid AI

Thanks for the tips Arc.

I did not know Guardians have low hp. I keep thinking of them as tanks, knowing well that there are no real tanks in the game.

I am torn on which to level…

K, one last question…. Can rangers fight at melee well… or do they need to stick to ranged attacks to survive?

I have little experience with Ranger (I find the weapon options a little bland for melee, although I’m sure they’re viable, I just haven’t gotten around to exploring them more seriously).

For my Guardian that I recently took to 80, at some point the low HP pool becomes a non issue because you are a complete tank via nearly-constant healing, damage mitigation boons (aegis/protection), etc.

The big downside to being a Guardian is that you have pretty much zilch in the way of ranged combat. Yeah, if you’re trying to be tanky you don’t usually need it but having a ranged option that you can get comfortable with is just nice when going up against champion mobs, dragons, in dungeons etc. Scepter is lackluster at best.

The small downside to being a Guardian is that damage output isn’t great. You’ll live forever but killing can be slow. But some of the weapons have some good synergies and are fun to use, so it’s not a big deal. The other small downside is that their elite skills are ho-hum. Might be doubly troublesome if you are a Norn, since the Norn elites have their own drawbacks.

Backtrap.1807:

K, one last question…. Can rangers fight at melee well… or do they need to stick to ranged attacks to survive?

In spite of the name rangers are not exclusively, or even primarily ranged characters. The name means something more like a forest ranger or army ranger – a survivor who can use the landscape around them to their advantage.

So yes they can fight at melee as well as long range. But be aware that they are not tanks. You cannot expect to stand in one place absorbing hits while dealing out damage. You need to move and dodge to avoid getting hit and position yourself to make the best use of your attacks.

I have levelled both classes, so I have some hands on familiarity with them.

Both are fun, Guardian is a bit more complicated.

Rangers can melee. Give them a sword and a warhorn for example. Their sword fighting is rather…flashy. My Ranger currently has Longbow/Axe and Torch equipped. I find that most suited for my particular character.

You know, you can level them both. If you play them, one will probably just start demanding more of your time than the other. Or you’ll end up with two going side by side. Both these things happened to me. The necromancer that was supposed to be just my diversion for the times I played alone took over and was the first to get to 80 and to the end of storyline. The Guardian and the Ranger vied neck to neck and I cannot even remember which of them hit 80 first.

Whatever you do, just have fun! And there is no hurry to get to 80. There’s very little new there to do, which upsets some people. There is, however, still everything to do there was before and no-one who levels a character quickly has done it all by the time they reach lvl 80.

I know very little on the Ranger but I’ve rolled lvl 80 Guardian for a while now.. I primarily act as a “dps/healer” using a “Shout” build to buff myself and my team. As far as low HP I’ve had it anywhere from 14,000 to over 20,000 so gear (obviously) plays a large roll in that as well. But for dungeons and end-game type stuff I like a lot of the heavy armors and its fun to run with Greatsword/Staff and/or Mace-Shield/Scepter-torch

Thanks all for the advice… much appreciated.

If your looking for ranger tips – try the Ranger specific sub forum – between the usual (err) ‘noise’ is some good advice.

When I started I was deciding between a Ranger and a Guardian as well, I liked that the Ranger had ranged/melee attacks along with some traps. I was not sure what to do with the pet.

- Some like the short bow, others the Axe and myself I like the long bow. It has the best range.
- Melee distance I switch to short sword and dagger. I’ve tried a few times with SS/Torch and found that most of the time the SS/Dag works better for me.
- I’ve tried using the Great Sword – not much luck with it – maybe its my play style – dono.

-Pets- You’ll find through out the world ‘tame’ versions of many of the different animals in the game. My favorites are: Bear, Spider and Eagle. The Bear is a fairly good ‘tank’ and aggro magnet – (most of the ‘cat’ type pets seem to be ‘squishy’)- Bears also have a “shake it off” ability which can clear many boons. Both the Spider and Eagle have ‘ranged’ attacks. I’ve used a ‘Boar’ interchanged with the Bear – almost as ‘tanky’ but the special abilities are (IMHO) not that special.

Since our armor is light/medium we are fairly ‘squishy’ and can go down if not dodging or using ‘avade’ moves. I like starting with the pet/bow and then move in with the SS/Dagger for the kill.

All classes have some sort of ‘self healing’ and the Ranger one I use most often is ‘healing spring’ which your Pet and the rest of your party can use as well. The fire and branch/root traps work the best for me.

Its important to keep an eye on not only YOUR health but the health of your pet. When the pet is 1/2-2/3 spent – think of swapping it to another pet. There is a speed boon for both of you each time you swap pets (comes in handy). When your health is 1/2-2/3 spent its likely time to distance yourself from the melee attackers (or find cover if being attacked by ranged attacks) so you can heal. I went down A LOT when I was first starting out because I was not using enough caution.

Getting in fights when other players are around can sometimes be a mixed bag. Most of the time its a good thing that others are around – you’ll get help killing stuff – you still need to exercise caution and just know that others ought not put themselves in danger to revive you if you go down.

Between the different weapons, pets, skills and perks there’s plenty of customization to have fun with!

Enjoy!

MaRko… Great advice on switching pets in combat… never thought of that, ty.

I am enjoying the Ranger now…. lvl 19. Running Longbow and Greatsword and loving it:)

Thanks all for the inputs.

Glad to see you’ve found the Ranger enjoyable.

I am currently leveling a Guardian & Ranger, both around 60. What I’ve found is that the Guardian has more viable weapon variety than the Ranger. While limited to primarily melee fighting, each weapon is fun to use and can be built around with traits. Ranger weapons offer a nice combo of melee & range though.

Guardians are in a great place right now. They have lower health but have constant regen and can frequently block attacks and keep other boons rolling on themselves (and allies) to make up for that. In fact, I’d say no other profession is as much of an asset to allies as Guardians.

Ranger weapons are a little more lackluster, something you don’t really notice until you’ve been using the same 2 sets for 30 levels. I find melee as a Ranger extremely fun and sometimes run 2 melee sets specifically just to change things up.

Ranger pets are tons of fun, despite all the whiners that say otherwise. Exploring Tyria to tame them all was a great way to gain XP and see the world. Experiment with your pets to find the ones that work best for you.