Guild Wars 2

I just bought guild wars 2 yesterday, made a ranger since that what i played in the first one. I enjoyed it till about 10 and then i felt like soloing things got a little difficult. Maybe its just me but i feel like i should have great soloing abilites as a ranger with a pet… but he dies so fast and im stuck fending off mobs. I really dont know if ranger is for me but i dont want to get him up to 80 just to found out i get wooped in pvp.

If anyone has an insight on other classes that could shed light on how their gameplay / leveling ability is without being a class cannon that would be great. I enjoy the aspect of being able to switch from ranged to melee so.. Any thoughts or opinions?

First of all, with the ranger, don’t forget you can switch pets on the fly. You can keep one alive, or replace one when it dies, by switching out to another pet (and you can have four available at once). I haven’t played ranger much so I can’t offer too many tips (there’s a ranger subforum that might help more), but it’s bound to take a while to settle into.

Warriors are also great for being able to switch from ranged to melee mid-combat. I run mine around with a rifle and double axes Most classes have both ranged and melee options, so I would recommend trying some things out.

The more you play a character, the more you’ll get a feel for how to avoid attacks, how to control the environment, and how to use your weapon switching to be more useful. Stick with it! It can take practice (I had to force myself to start using my ele’s attunements more dynamically so I could learn how to) but it’s really fun once you get a feel for something.

Thank you for the response! And yea i figured out the pet thing when i tamed another pet around level 10, that is cool and i enjoy that alot about the ranger. What i am having some trouble learning / understanding is the point behind the traits. I know i have to go back to my ranger trainer to unlock the adept tier if i am mistaken? But as far as skills and traits go.. am i able to reset them?

I didn’t intend to make this a “tell me what to play thing”, cause i know most every class can do something the other can ( as far as ranged and melee goes) .. but i just do not want to make the mistake of taking my ranger all the way to 80, to have him get dominated by everything. Yes i know i can do sPvP at earlier levels, but i would like to hit 80 first so that i know how to play my class in and out, and not just jumping into a game clueless on how to set up a kill. Bottom line is i just wanna make sure that it is me still learning to play my ranger, and not the profession itself.

As far as traits, the first set unlock at level 11 (10s for book), while the second tier is level 40 (1g for book) and the third and final tier is level 60 (2g for book). Each time you purchase a new manual, it will reset all your traits for you. Also, there are places you can pay to reset your points if you don’t want to wait for new manuals. The only one I’ve noticed is in the inn/tavern just outside Divinity’s Reach. I hope that helps.

Also, if you check out the wiki (link at the top of the forums page) you can look up what the ranger traits are and what they specialize in if you have specific questions (Go to professions and then click on the traits section under Ranger).

Cool, thank you !

For ranger pets

You can also get one that is a bit more ‘tanky’ then others. Pets like the Arctodus, Murellow, and Bear have lots of vitality making them good for soaking up any kind of damage. Some pets have toughness and vitality, but the toughness doesnt mitigate condition damage. Bears are the easiest one to get, you can find them in the Norn starting area right in the bears den.

As for you worrying about balance, all the professions are more or less balanced (no they are not 100% yet, but is quite close), os it is mostly a matter of knowing your own class (and preferably the enemies too to a certain degree at least) to combat them, and then simply being the better player

Thank you guys for the feedback. I will give it another ago as it was just me probably tunneling and not really focusing on building how i want to play. I will give it another go!

For the ranger (my main), your pet is kind of wimpy at low levels. I ran two tank pets until about 35 to compensate (probably too long). After that, I switched to a spider and eagle since they seemed quite capable of tanking a veteran or two anyways. I do have to keep them healed with healing spring though, and the kiting you learn when your pets suck still comes in handy when you get swarmed and your pet can’t tank everything for you.

To the OP, I suggest you visit the Ranger forum for all things Ranger.

I am a level 42 Ranger, and the profession can be confusing early doors cos you have access to so many weapon combinations. The best thing is try out them all out until you open all the various attack skills for each combination, and find a playing style you like.

Also important is if you mainly solo PvE or play in a group PvE or PvP. Some weapons/skills/traits/pets are more suited for group play, and in particular PvP.

The weapons and utility skills and play style you like will drive the choices you make for the Trait paths. If you like Longbows, then you should go Marksmanship (power), if you prefer Shortbows, or melee and really like traps, then go Skirmish (precision/conditions).

If you want you and your pet to be more of a tank, then go Beastmastery.

Wildernesses survival should be must, at least for 10 point to get the 20% cooldown reduction on survival skills.

Main thing is to have fun and don’t worry about level 80!
Hope this helps..

One thing to start with is to not think of your pet as something separate from your character. They are extensions of your skill bar and you should treat them like that.

Second, choose pets that compliment your build. They bring different abilities to the table, plus one skill that you control. Make sure that those abilities are going to fit well with the playstyle you want. For instance, I run a condition build so I have two cats as pets, who are capable of stacking bleeds for me.

Lastly, micromanage your pets. Get comfortable with sending them to attack and recalling them. Your pet can avoid a lot of nukes just by whistling them back to your side quickly. This is also where swapping can come in handy because you can immediately pull them out of combat before a big blow lands, by swapping in a new one. Also, don’t save your heal only for when you need it. Keeping you pet alive is important and your heal should be used for when they are in trouble. You can give your pets a lot of longevity just by controlling them effectively.

One thing to note about pet swapping is that the cooldown to swap is increased with the greater damage they’ve sustained. If they are dead, the timer is full. If they are at high health, it’s much shorter. This is why I sometimes also use swapping at the beginning of combat, so I have another swap available shortly after.

Oh, and be aware that some mobs are programmed to chase you because you are at range. They’ll take a swipe or two at your pet and then come right after you. There’s not much you can do about it, other than CC and kiting. Besides, you do have some melee capability. Get used to using it.

With all respect if you are having issues with a ranger, you going to have more issues with every other class

You could try a guardian I guess, but like I said ranger is the easiest

Put about 10 points into the pet line and you’ll have an able ally to fight with. Rangers are great to solo with, just don’t stand in one place and shoot your bow if you’re taking dmg….keep moving, swap pets as needed and weapon sets….

Active pet mgmt helps too… Watch its health bar and recall if needed to mend, then send it out again.

mangarrage.1062:

With all respect if you are having issues with a ranger, you going to have more issues with every other class

You could try a guardian I guess, but like I said ranger is the easiest

Really? What about warrior?

Warrior def > ranger def
Warrior dps > ranger dps

I’ve been using a ranger, lvl 65 now, and i dont find it particularly easy to handle large mobs with just me and my pet…especially the Risen. It’s doable for sure, with all you have at your disposal, but it takes practice…theres a learning curve.

I’ve also found that, as another player mentioned here, mobs seem to rush you as a ranger. I’m not sure if this is because you’re ranged as stated, or if its a fundamental design flaw, but it just seems to be the case in large mobs…they bypass my pet sometimes. In smaller fights, my pet can effectively tank.

With the right build + attribute point + armor/wep mods + pet, you can easily be very effective as a ranger.