Guild Wars 2

Either GS 5 Hilt Bash needs longer range to match the knockback on GS 4 Counterattack or Counterattack needs a shortened knockback so that GS 5 can actually follow up and hit as a combo. As of now, when the animation of Counterattack’s knockback ends, opponents are knocked too far back to follow up with any melee before they recover and dodge roll away.

Honestly if you polished up these animations so that they could work together as a chainable combo, it would help the Ranger’s viability in SPvP.

Counterattack in to Hilt Bash in to Moment Of Clarity Maul as a reliable DPS method with smoothed out animations to support it. Any other Ranger players think this is a good idea?

Odds are, if they don’t go as far, you will proc moment of clarity on the counterattack and will use the extra damage on the weak hilt bash. Hilt bash range should be increased. There is no reason to shorten counterattack. Just increase hilt bash so that it can synergize better with every skill, not just counterattack.

Don’t forget to include how frustrating it is to have counterattack miss a majority of the time or being completely countered by shadow shot. It also makes me sad when I’m using it to run away from a Mesmer and then I see a greatsword phantasm come up and know I’m about to whiff if I keep blocking.

Hrm… I guess on the topic of Ranger Greatsword as a whole, there are a few things that I could comment on:

• Hilt Bash in to Maul is about the only thing that flows well, animation wise.
• Swoop in to Hilt Bash should flow well but it does not. Mainly because Hilt Bash range is too short.
• Counterattack is great but it has a couple problems. The knockback pushes enemies too far away to follow up with anything, even Maul. The counterattack can cause problems if you’re blocking while trying to peel. It would be great if you could keep walking while the counterattack animation was taking place rather than making you stop and stand still. It often feels as good as getting immobilized if your counterattack goes off while you’re trying to peel out of a team fight.

Also note: I don’t necessarily believe these are “problems” so to say. I’m just trying to get feedback that would help Ranger be more viable in competitive play.

Counterattack → maul works…

Eurantien.4632:

Counterattack -> maul works…

If your opponent is flat footed and has no reflex sure.
Otherwise they get up and dodge roll right before it hits, that’s the problem.

Then the issue isn’t the distance.

given the tools other profs get, hilt bash should be a cone attack castable while moving that can cleave 3 targets. but that’s not gonna happen now is it?

just make it castable while moving.

Eurantien.4632:

Then the issue isn’t the distance.

As said before, maybe chaining Counterattack with Hilt Bash(more Hilt Bash range) could help to land Maul

Eurantien.4632:

Then the issue isn’t the distance.

The issue is either too much distance on Counterattack knockback
Or not enough range on Hilt Bash, a-net’s choice of perception
~ That’s my opinion at least

Mistsim also has a good point
Given what he said, Hilt Bash could just be given some range to help with gap closing

Hilt Bash needs added range. It’s reliable if your opponent is facing you and moving towards you, but if you’re chasing someone and not running within them, you’ll miss.

The problem with Counterattack is the brief pause in movement.

Wasnt hilt bash range bugged, not actually giving the full range its tooltip says its supposed to? Could be why

I usually swoop→hilt bash→maul and save counterattack for if they’re still alive or if a ranged opponent wants to help their buddy out.

Counterattack needs to not stick when counterattacking and remove the stupid high telegraph animation on it. Right now you can just trigger it to lock a ranger in place and exploit it to land burst on them, which a defensive skill shouldn’t be used for. Mesmers are a huge culprit of this with clones specifically the iZerker as it only blocks 1 attack , you get hit by the rest of the whirlwind attack + stuck in place to eat a full shatter lineup and either LR out of it or waste stone signet. It just hurts more than it helps against melee most of the time, against ranged it’s perfect though.

Hilt bash is bugged I think anyway and isn’t properly doing the actual intended range but still needs an increase anyway and better tracking. Look how fluid warrior’s mace stun is and look how jerky and bulky hilt bash is, also locks you in place while you do it.

Sword 1 also locks you in place, what is up with Anet making cool attacks but making rangers lock in place to perform them? It’s just bad design.