Guild Wars 2

Hey all I am pretty much in love with the Asura now. My first character was a Charr but I’m an Asura convert and just want MORE of them. I have an Asura engineer but was thinking maybe I would make a ranger because the person I play with has one and I like the idea of huge pets, little Asura. But I’m struggling to fit the idea of an Asura, from one of the colleges, as a ranger. It just seems so low tech and primitive. Maybe if the Asura could have SKRITT as their ranger pets (and only the Asura) it would make more sense to me, the product of experimentation now being used in the field.

So what’s your story about what kind of Asura becomes a ranger?

Being a Ranger doesn’t imply to be a full leather suit dude, like being a Necromancer doesn’t lock you to black & green. You can make out of the Ranger a techno scout. There is a couple of armors which look mordern while being suitable for a Asura Ranger. My main point goes to CoE medium armor which is extremely suited to that : close to body (so the ranger can move easily), with a Hood, thorn style, etc. HotW look a bit more primitive but with the right colors, it can make the deal too.

There is also some bow/shortbow/axe which look really modern, but it doesn’t come to my mind (Asura Engineer here ~).

Premium skins which could make your day : Zodiac medium armor, Aetherblade medium armor.

Asura T2 & T3 cultural armor mix, Glyphic, Mystic or Pact weapons. If you stick with GS you will seem alot less ‘traditional’ than sword/dagger/bow/torch rangers.

As for the reason, it’s simple. in the Asura city of Rata Sum you can see a Moa trainer, and a pen housing several animals. This shows the Asura, like everyone, have a need for animals and that it not shameful to be a Ranger.

Golems can do alot of things, but they are just machines. While they can make good companions ultimately the connection with a pet is a very special one.

Would you rather have a living or non-living companion? I mean to say, would you be okay if all of your dum…er.. less prestigious family members were replaced by golems just because it was more efficient?

Part of being intelligent is understanding bonds.

diese.7168:

Being a Ranger doesn’t imply to be a full leather suit dude, like being a Necromancer doesn’t lock you to black & green. You can make out of the Ranger a techno scout. There is a couple of armors which look mordern while being suitable for a Asura Ranger. My main point goes to CoE medium armor which is extremely suited to that : close to body (so the ranger can move easily), with a Hood, thorn style, etc. HotW look a bit more primitive but with the right colors, it can make the deal too.

There is also some bow/shortbow/axe which look really modern, but it doesn’t come to my mind (Asura Engineer here ~).

Premium skins which could make your day : Zodiac medium armor, Aetherblade medium armor.

Don’t forget Magitek medium armor.

There’s several Moa trainers in many places.
As said, Maguuma is an hostile jungle and a trained scout can do many tasks in the wild with special techno-suit designed to improve his survivability.

You can be a scientist and name all your pets specimen A, specimen B, etc.

Or you can be an old hermit living by himself in the jungle with nothing but his pet for company

Uncommon, but present.
There’s also a ‘naturalist’ asura in Fireheart Rise, seems not all Asurans are obsessed with technology.

Pay no attention to those bookahs in Rata Sum. Training a living organism to obey your tiniest cues and carry out complex instructions is far, FAR more intellectually stimulating and challenging than programming yet another golem. Not to mention a golem could never provide as much entertainment and personal satisfaction when you give them belly rubs.

Who’s a good boy, Wuffie? Who’s a good boy?!

My asura ranger, Xevoxia, has always found the organic to be just as fascinating as the mechanical. She uses her time in the field with an organic companion to take notes on the intricacies of behaviors displayed by the various species she comes across in Tyria. The oddness of their readily following her and obeying her commands, coupled with the occasional flat out refusal to engage other creatures when commanded in some situations, has led her studies into one focused on free will.

Due to the unpredictability of most organics, and their actions occasionally veering from what logic dictates, she strives to completely analyze the concept of free will in organic and mechanical creatures and then apply it to her grand experiment; to attempt to successfully meld the organic and mechanical into a single coherent creature free from most, if not all, limitations – an Orgamechoid.

I like the concept of an Asura ranger with one of the larger pets, but who uses it for out of the box ways.

IE, Asura ranger using their pet drake as a combat mount in battle.

Carpboy.7145:

You can be a scientist and name all your pets specimen A, specimen B, etc.

That was inspired! Thank you, and to everyone posting on the Asura ranger.

I have now made an Asura named Vivisectionist Tam. Her pet moa is Specimen B and all her pets will have lab style names. I bought her a skritt mini pet, an experiment she is particularly proud of. She is a tinkerer with genetics. Golems are so loud and.. overt. Imagine what one could do with the natural world which exists with little comment, birds and wolves and pigs just hanging about everywhere. They can be used to gather information or to assassinate a foe if only properly designed. She will of course join the Order of Whispers. She is not interested in bonding with these creatures, she is interested in controlling and redesigning them.

Narthexia.1836:

Carpboy.7145:

You can be a scientist and name all your pets specimen A, specimen B, etc.

That was inspired! Thank you, and to everyone posting on the Asura ranger.

I have now made an Asura named Vivisectionist Tam. Her pet moa is Specimen B and all her pets will have lab style names. I bought her a skritt mini pet, an experiment she is particularly proud of. She is a tinkerer with genetics. Golems are so loud and.. overt. Imagine what one could do with the natural world which exists with little comment, birds and wolves and pigs just hanging about everywhere. They can be used to gather information or to assassinate a foe if only properly designed. She will of course join the Order of Whispers. She is not interested in bonding with these creatures, she is interested in controlling and redesigning them.

Heh, i got it from this thread

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/Tyrian-Taxonomy-An-Asuran-Guide-to-Pet-Names

My asura ranger’s story is based on the pirates and corsairs. He was a captain that kept exotic pets as mounts (my headcanon has him riding his pets. Because you know it could totally happen). He was apprehended by the Peacemakers and now has to work off his crimes by traveling with an armed guard (friend’s character).

You don’t have to stick to typical asura stories if you don’t want to. It’s your character, after all!

I don’t need a pre made history,my actions define who i am.

I dont play a ranger, but as a thief, I use medium armor as well.

My skins consist of:
Head: Nobel Headgear, T2 Asuran, T3 Asuran, or the gasmask.
Shoulders: Aetherblade or T2 Asuran
Torso: Aetherblade coat or T2 Asuran
Gloves: CoE gloves
Pants: T2 Asuran pants
Boots: T3 Asuran boots

In the game you’ll meet a lot of ranger npcs with their pet, but most singular npc with more than 1 pets are the asuras.

From the moa trainer in Rata Sum, to the moa racing guy in old Lion’s Arch, to the Asura scientist wanting his moas back in Queensdale, to the asura post master with numerous ravens in the Order of Whisper personal story instance…

I view the asura rangers not as like human or norn rangers in the usual sense (hunter/gatherer), but rather, they are animal trainers, animal behavioral psychologists, biologists, post master, biochemists, ecologists (etc etc). Just like a Charr ranger is less likely to be hermit hunter and more likely to be a scout/combat animal trainer in the military.

Asura Rangers are one of those combos that make people scratch their heads and go “huh” but its not as uncommon as say… a charr mesmer?

As nerdy as it may be I like to come up with at least a little bit of a backstory for any potential characters to see if it really makes sense for the combo, if not, i go and make something else.

For my Asura Ranger, Beastmaster Zakk, I see him as an Asura whose parents had extensive interactions with the Sylvari as they started to sprout more frequently from the tree. From a young age Zakk went along with his parents to learn more about them (and lets face it, Asura = Master Race) and thus learned to enjoy nature as few Asura do. While in the Grove a young Fern Wolf became attached to Zakk and Zakk took it home with him and referred to him as “Experiment Z” to appeal to his college instructors and parents though in secret he actually calls him “Ziggy.” (I actually change his name in game to reflect this. Nerdy I know.) While he has a love of all things nature based Zakk’s study on the fauna of Tyria granted him extensive leave of Rata Sum to go and collect a sample of all tameable Tyrian life. To allow Zakk to study these creatures in his lab and as companions, one of his first inventions was a small device Zakk refers to as the TAMER (Tyrian Animal Molecular Essence Relocator) to allow him to transfer the animals to and from his lab. (Hooray for me showing my nerdness!) He wears Asuran armor as he feels it is the most practical in his studies. His eyepiece has a zoom lens that allows him to fight at range better and he uses Asuran tools in combat (Radiation field anyone?)

And look at that Fern Wolf! Isn’t he cute? Even when he photobombs me….

I pretend my Asura Ranger builds very realistic robot animals. The only drawback is that since I named my boar Cy Boarg, I just can’t bring myself to store him.

As said before, rangers aren’t all about wearing leather and picking roses. Take a look at my 3rd ranger, for example.

Narthexia.1836:

Hey all I am pretty much in love with the Asura now. My first character was a Charr but I’m an Asura convert and just want MORE of them. I have an Asura engineer but was thinking maybe I would make a ranger because the person I play with has one and I like the idea of huge pets, little Asura. But I’m struggling to fit the idea of an Asura, from one of the colleges, as a ranger. It just seems so low tech and primitive. Maybe if the Asura could have SKRITT as their ranger pets (and only the Asura) it would make more sense to me, the product of experimentation now being used in the field.

So what’s your story about what kind of Asura becomes a ranger?

Field biologist and/or ecologist (scientists often work with nature), acquired a pet in the field and made a connection? Asuras are scientists but not above compassion, and the mental image of an Asura riding his/her giant pet is baller as kitten. The glyphic and other asuran versions of ranger weapons don’t look half bad, and could theoretically be the tools deemed optimal for the field by your character.

As for skritt, I’m pretty sure having sentient species as pets is Inquest-level evil.

Number of Asura (especially in the remote areas/far from home) have Skritt aides/messengers/helpers.

Not entirely crazy to think of one having a Skritt ‘pal’ who while ‘slow’, helps out.

A miscalculation of a transmogrification experiment resulted in a permanent accident. Ridiculed and shunned, Gizz the Imp fled to the wilds, where he discovered that not all side effects were negative. He now has an empathy with animals and senses far more developed than before his accident.
Some errors are only genius waiting to be realized.

I must put a little disclaimer, Rangers right now are really not a viable option in PvP, and hardcore PvE. They can be with a few build types, but at what should be their CPR functions (longbow/shortbow) they are rather lacking, and take a long time to learn in order to beat even casual players in many other classes. So buyer beware, in this case. Read over the Ranger profession forum and do a little research before you jump in.

This is all coming from someone who plays am Asuran Ranger from launch and i have had my moments of doubt. But to be honest, winning feels really good in sPvP because it’s really difficult, but that’s just me. I have a bit of an underdog complex and I am a slight masochist…

Thalionsir.5976:

I must put a little disclaimer, Rangers right now are really not a viable option in PvP, and hardcore PvE. They can be with a few build types, but at what should be their CPR functions (longbow/shortbow) they are rather lacking, and take a long time to learn in order to beat even casual players in many other classes. So buyer beware, in this case. Read over the Ranger profession forum and do a little research before you jump in.

This is all coming from someone who plays am Asuran Ranger from launch and i have had my moments of doubt. But to be honest, winning feels really good in sPvP because it’s really difficult, but that’s just me. I have a bit of an underdog complex and I am a slight masochist…

If you have LB/SB on swap, I’m sorry. You’re a bad ranger. Certainly you can have a range option and even be partial to it.

You can switch it around and have fun with it. Ranger has many great range options and has the better bow setups.

But a refusal to go melee at any time unless absolutely necessary is an agreement with mediocrity. You are handicapping yourself.

Weapon swapping is especially critical to the ranger class, and moreso than any other, ranger will need to jump between range and melee.

Their skills compliment this type of gameplay.

Ranger isn’t unplayable. Few people understand this concept and keep trying to play the ranger like a dedicated range class, akin to a staff elementalist.

This is not the ranger. If you play the ranger like that, you’re playing it wrong.

Forgive me for being confused, but, it’s in the name Ranger, there should be at least one reasonable build for kiting and range, I’ll eventually end up trying melee in PvP seriously, but every time I give it a shot, I end up getting slaughtered by those classes built for melee. We might claim maneuverability, but warriors and theives can also claim that, we might claim survivability, but that is the domain of Gaurdian and Necromancers. So it’s a case of, “Anything you can do I can do better” in melee for Rangers. The only thing we have a slight advantage on is our range and speed combination, for gurella type combat. As far as I’ve seen…

Thalionsir.5976:

Forgive me for being confused

You’re forgiven.

http://bit.ly/1wCnpIc

Thalionsir.5976:

it’s in the name Ranger, there should be at least one reasonable build for kiting and range

There are many more than just one. You’ll still be playing in handicapped mode if you refuse to work on and concert with your melee game.

I have links at my disposal too >:D

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/ranger/

Take a look at that description! Man, falls a little short these days…

“rangers can adapt to any situation”

Refusing to be adaptable is a contradiction of the description. The term ranger has nothing to do with ranged weapons. It is a synonym for wanderer or traveler. A ranger is one who ranges great distances.

The etymology of “ranger” has nothing to do with making ranged attacks. The two do come from a common root word, but ‘range’ initially referred to, well, an area of ground. ‘Ranged attacks’ are attacks that cross a range, while a ‘ranger’ is someone who patrols a range for poachers, dangerous animals, and other (perceived) threats.

Going back to the OT:

As a graduate of the College of Synergetics, I have taken as my field of study the investigation of the synergetic systems that form the balance of wilderness areas untouched by civilisation. So why do I surround myself with animals and wield ‘primitive’ weapons? Because finding those areas requires traveling a LONG way away from the cities, you bookah! I have to sleep sometime, and a golem with a blown power conduit or a busted leg servo is just so much scrap metal in the deep jungle, while a jungle stalker has a better sense of smell than any servo-sniffer, whatever those bookahs at Statics may claim. Similar with my choice of weapons – if I run out of arrows in the deep jungle I can just carve some more, but I might not have the chemical mix for black powder available, without which a pistol or a rifle is simply a crude club. Low tech? I have carefully calibrated the sights on my bow for maximum accuracy and carefully chosen the materials and customised the design for my bow in order to maximise amplification of the force of my arms. Primitive? We’ll see ‘primitive’ when there’s an angry tyrannus – extinct now near Rata Sum, but I assure you, very much alive in the western jungles – bearing down on you and your powder is useless because water leaked into it during a downpour the night before. I am using precisely the tools that serve best for the projects I have chosen.

The rangers are definitively the eyes and hears of any army, and the small scale deep patrols, or scouts. Indeed, any golem squad need some rangers ahead and around when they walk in close order outside the city.

As said above, they can also be explorers. No long range exploration golem is in used at the moment (remember the collect of data in the Rootangles), so they have to rely on sentient or sapient auxiliaries to cover more ground more efficiently. Imo, they aren’t as specialized in combat with pets as other species are. Granted, pets are the ranger’s specialty, but it’s also only one of their trait lines, a line that doesn’t need to be filled, if you want.

Also, if you think more scientific and less martial, you may see the ranger as the biocollector/trapper in every and each scientific expedition, or as a freelance, autonomous biosampler, whom job is to gather rare biological remains throughout Tyria, for the colleges and peripheral krewes to use.
And you’re right, some are behaviorists who will soon find applications in the golem industry (think about that class of Inquest golems, which we aren’t sure about if they are suits with “something” inside, or purely mechanoids).

Scouts could deinfately be a major thing.

I mean, if you are traveling with a heavy caravan (whether weight in cargo crates, or weight in golems)…maybe protected with higher end golems (siege golems?) you may want a scout to ensure that rock bridge is strong enough to hold them. Or their passing won’t cause a rockslide, avalanche, or cave-in.

Also.. a number of ranger pets could easily hold asura on their backs. Drakes, bears for sure could have a saddle placed on them for asura size. Fully grown spiders, wolves, devourers, and pigs/boars may as well.

No need for a golem which you’ll have to recharge when you have an intelligent, trained drake carrying you around.

Hannelore.8153:

Asura T2 & T3 cultural armor mix, Glyphic, Mystic or Pact weapons. If you stick with GS you will seem alot less ‘traditional’ than sword/dagger/bow/torch rangers.

As for the reason, it’s simple. in the Asura city of Rata Sum you can see a Moa trainer, and a pen housing several animals. This shows the Asura, like everyone, have a need for animals and that it not shameful to be a Ranger.

Golems can do alot of things, but they are just machines. While they can make good companions ultimately the connection with a pet is a very special one.

Would you rather have a living or non-living companion? I mean to say, would you be okay if all of your dum…er.. less prestigious family members were replaced by golems just because it was more efficient?

Part of being intelligent is understanding bonds.

diese.7168:

Being a Ranger doesn’t imply to be a full leather suit dude, like being a Necromancer doesn’t lock you to black & green. You can make out of the Ranger a techno scout. There is a couple of armors which look mordern while being suitable for a Asura Ranger. My main point goes to CoE medium armor which is extremely suited to that : close to body (so the ranger can move easily), with a Hood, thorn style, etc. HotW look a bit more primitive but with the right colors, it can make the deal too.

There is also some bow/shortbow/axe which look really modern, but it doesn’t come to my mind (Asura Engineer here ~).

Premium skins which could make your day : Zodiac medium armor, Aetherblade medium armor.

Don’t forget Magitek medium armor.

The Magitek Armor is what my Asura Ranger swears by. The head piece with the focus lens and cultural Bow skin that matches the armor is the Asura Ranger look.