Guild Wars 2

This would be for small group play (1-5 or more).

I used to run a double melee stealth trapper, but with all the HoT overpowered stuff and the nerf of the trapper runes, I wonder if there is a decent trap build out there.

Happen to switch to trapper runes to try it out in wvw but can’t seem to get it to work for me. Will try again today probably, switching up some traits and weapons but I’m not having much hope.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQRAnY8fjMqQ5K2tCurAVLWYEsmxVtKDwUAucBA4m6VtrWyoaC-T1hIABw+EAST/whq/InSQl3fAgTCgQK/IEwi5A-w

For Druid (extra speed and condi removal and Grandmaster has a low cooldown Entangle if you hit a stunned/knocked down etc foe)

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQRAnY8fjMqQ5K2tCurAVLGYEqv1H2WuH3aND4C4yDgSGVTA-T1hIABw+EAUe/B5UCeo6PAcSAST/gQK/IEwi5A-w

For normal Ranger (Tankier and more damaging pets and quickness on pet swap for easier stomps, but change it to Beastly Warden after the Tuesday patch as quickness won’t affect stomps)

I personally prefer a Survival based condi ranger but Trapper is definitely more than viable and is extremely dangerous.

Those builds look nice.

I tried with druid trait and without staff, but I couldn’t stay alive in wvw, even in full dire. Maybe a l2p issue since I’m not familiar with trapper runes.

I got this going for me today, http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQNAnfWjMqQ5KWvCerAVLWYEMmCwlLA0MuqVJN4o6VtreivfyL-TlyCABK8AAA4QAc8JAI89HyS5nnq/koSwJOCAAqHwPNBECYxcA-w

Really liking it so far.

edit: minor adjustment to build

Bast Bow.2958:

Those builds look nice.

I tried with druid trait and without staff, but I couldn’t stay alive in wvw, even in full dire. Maybe a l2p issue since I’m not familiar with trapper runes.

I got this going for me today, http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQNAnfWjMqQ5KWvCerAVLWYEMmCwlLA0MuqVJN4o6VtreivfyL-TlyCABK8AAA4QAc8JAI89HyS5nnq/koSwJOCAAqHwPNBECYxcA-w

Really liking it so far.

edit: minor adjustment to build

I would highly recommend trying to get the hang of Sword/Dagger as your offhand as the evades you get and the ability to disengage with Sword 2 is unrivalled and Staff has no damaging conditions on any of its abilities (just a recommendation, if it works for you, go with it). Also, going Sword/Torch allows you to apply a burning aura to yourself which can stack up burning to enemies nicely.

Also, I find Druidic Clarity vastly superior to the other Traits as it clears a whopping 13 conditions and acts as a stun break when you enter Celestial Form, which can save your life with all of the condi heavy builds in WvW.

Poison Master doesn’t feel very effecting during fights, I’ve tried it a bunch but we don’t stack nearly enough poison to make it useful since poison deals very little damage at low stacks, whereas Empathic Bond can keep you alive throughout a fight, again on the condi side but if it takes 12 stacks of burning off of you periodically it’s a game changer.

Condi ranger must use staff or be kited to death by almost everyone. Trapper runes are not for escaping they are for juking. Staff is for kiting and escaping or if you are like me for QuickDraw wisp super trap surprises. Dire is best for stats works just as well in exotics as ascended. Don’t skimp on utility and food.

I hope I did this correctly. In actuality i run Celestial Trinkets, but those are about to go bye bye, so here is the alternate of my trapper. http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQNAV8fjMqQ5K2tCurAVLWcEsmv1FoDwEAmcVO4k6UNrWyoaC-TVSAABBcQAM4IAoomhovAAjp8za1fA4BAs++DTqEkQALmDA-w

emkelly.2371:

I hope I did this correctly. In actuality i run Celestial Trinkets, but those are about to go bye bye, so here is the alternate of my trapper. http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNMQNAV8fjMqQ5K2tCurAVLWcEsmv1FoDwEAmcVO4k6UNrWyoaC-TVSAABBcQAM4IAoomhovAAjp8za1fA4BAs++DTqEkQALmDA-w

If you mean they’re being removed from the game in the next patch you might be mistaken, they’re only being removed from the PvP amulet list.

@Psizone.

Thanks for your tips. I don’t like mainhand sword, so that’s a no for me..

Primal Echoes combines well with all the other cc traits. Also makes it easier to keep enemies in my traps so they’re affected by my traps as much as possible.

I’ve got healing spring to take care of my conditions, or maybe seed of life if necessary.

Because of this, I can’t find another proper another Wilderness Survival Grand Master Trait but Poison Master, since I want all the traps (and not a survival skill) and conditions are taken care off.

I’m really liking the balance of my build at this point. Doing enough damage and staff/CA with healing spring and blasts gives me a nice escape, via healing and more kiting (staff 3).

I know one of my former WvW trapper builds was similar although I took light on your feet instead of quick draw. Refined toxins and empathic bond. I also used short bow instead of staff. You are using Druid now whereas I was running Nature Magic instead. I did run this a bit with a druid and it wasn’t bad. Axe Torch are nice but I also ran Sword Torch. I never mastered sword like most do and fell to my death many a time so that is why it isn’t my favorite. However, instant fire fields did come in handy I must say.

I could also swap out short bow to long and still manage. I think the only other difference more or less is that I ran flame trap instead of frost. Traps as someone above noted is more about juking or resetting for position. Solo scouting, flipping camps, and NPC’s wasn’t much of an issue. But post HoT it doesn’t seem to do it for me anymore.

Now I’m running a celestial armor with healing and toughness accessories and enjoying it a lot more. Staff / LB seem to work well and it is just a matter of managing pets better to sustain/wear people out. Most of the time it works. If facing a better player I will usually lose regardless, there is no crutch in this build (I always thought Trapper runes acted like that for me anyway). If it gets beyond 3 people and I can’t finish one quick enough then I’ll usually die. More often than not I can kill the weakest or worst player and the others leave

I’ve always liked traps though. Just don’t like the nerfing they got. Thank you very much Dragon Hunters / Guardians.

Hm yes interesting. I thought about changing frost trap or vipers nest for flame trap. But I like the cc of frost trap and I keep viper’s nest because of Poison Master.
Maybe important to note that I play this build primarily for WvW roaming. I would probably switch one of the above stated traps for flame trap in PvE.

I like Quick Draw for Bon Fire. I’m doubting how much Light on your Feet will give me since I’m not running shortbow with this build. Refined Toxins… Yes logic choice, I’m hoping I’m having enough poison sources to put on my enemy, and I think I’ll get more damage increase with Ambidexirity. I don’t need empathic bond because of healing spring.
I would probably make the same trait choices as you if I had shortbow instead of staff, like you had.

Haven’t tried staff/LB alot, yet. No proper armour/trinkets yet.
How does LB fair for you in a (condi-oriented) trapper build with healing and toughness accessories?

I play a very successful trapper ranger. Here is the key.
Obviously the trapper runes.
Weapons need to be axe and torch as your main set.
axe skill 1 builds might
axe skill 2 does 4753 damage (bleed)
axe skill 3 does a chill for runners
torch skill 4 does 4580 damage (burn)
torch skill 5 does 10305 damage (burn)

Now alternate set can be either bow or greatsword.
I use bow in pvp as the need to outrun people is less.
I use greatsword when roaming in WvW for the speed, stun and block.
The offhand set will only be moderate damage.

For your slottable skills put these in…
6 healing spring (its a trap so you go invis)
7 flame trap.
8 viper’s nest
9 spike trap.
0 entangle.

All of your jewelry must have its condition damage stat the biggest then equal in toughness and precision.

put superior sigil of corruption on your greatsword or bow and your water weapon.
have an extra axe or torche that you have a sigil of corruption on. This is for building stacks of condition damage. Once you get 25 stacks swap your axe or torch out for your main one.

Put sigil of bursting (+6% condi damage) in your torch and sigil of smoldering (longer burns) in the axe.

Now play style.

A trapper does not stay and fight. You must strafe the area with traps and momentary attacks. Once you lay the traps and apply some fire get the heck away from the target. let the condi work while your traps reset. repeat.

I usually start out with the healing spring to close distance while stealthed. It also starts a health regen to help out with damage i may take soon.
Then I close distance and set traps in the area I plan to escape to and on the target.
Use throw torch on the way in and then Bonfire on top of the target.
Flip around and run away over the incoming traps and your healing spring for more heals.

if things get too hot switch to the greatsword.

Marksman is : 3 2 1 (top 1 to bottom 3)
Wilderness: 2 1 1
Skirmishing : 3 3 2

Another tactic. Throw some jumk siege. Throw 3 traps on it. Zerkers will die just to the traps.

Almost forgot…dodge on the way out!

Skeletor.9360:

I play a very successful trapper ranger. Here is the key.
Obviously the trapper runes.
Weapons need to be axe and torch as your main set.
axe skill 1 builds might
axe skill 2 does 4753 damage (bleed)
axe skill 3 does a chill for runners
torch skill 4 does 4580 damage (burn)
torch skill 5 does 10305 damage (burn)

Now alternate set can be either bow or greatsword.
I use bow in pvp as the need to outrun people is less.
I use greatsword when roaming in WvW for the speed, stun and block.
The offhand set will only be moderate damage.

For your slottable skills put these in…
6 healing spring (its a trap so you go invis)
7 flame trap.
8 viper’s nest
9 spike trap.
0 entangle.

All of your jewelry must have its condition damage stat the biggest then equal in toughness and precision.

put superior sigil of corruption on your greatsword or bow and your water weapon.
have an extra axe or torche that you have a sigil of corruption on. This is for building stacks of condition damage. Once you get 25 stacks swap your axe or torch out for your main one.

Put sigil of bursting (+6% condi damage) in your torch and sigil of smoldering (longer burns) in the axe.

Now play style.

A trapper does not stay and fight. You must strafe the area with traps and momentary attacks. Once you lay the traps and apply some fire get the heck away from the target. let the condi work while your traps reset. repeat.

I usually start out with the healing spring to close distance while stealthed. It also starts a health regen to help out with damage i may take soon.
Then I close distance and set traps in the area I plan to escape to and on the target.
Use throw torch on the way in and then Bonfire on top of the target.
Flip around and run away over the incoming traps and your healing spring for more heals.

if things get too hot switch to the greatsword.

Marksman is : 3 2 1 (top 1 to bottom 3)
Wilderness: 2 1 1
Skirmishing : 3 3 2

Another tactic. Throw some jumk siege. Throw 3 traps on it. Zerkers will die just to the traps.

Almost forgot…dodge on the way out!

what weapon and Armour stats do you use?

Skeletor.9360:

Another tactic. Throw some jumk siege. Throw 3 traps on it. Zerkers will die just to the traps.

Lol, this made me giggle. Oddly enough, this is a great tactic.

Not that it matters in the current WvW maps, but trapper rangers excelled on the former borderland maps. Ruin area was such a great place to roam especially when the dailies are out

Well, all trapper builds are traited very much alike.
http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQRAnY8fjMqQ7K2tCmrAVLWcEM4k6UNr20AiVVAmAwk7ydyzMJF-TViGABxpfQ6dAqTJIAPBAlUG0kSviWe4R1fy9kAQKAYmGB-w
In this I use rune set that gives the most condition duration one can achieve without expertise. Also, accessories are Apothecary to procent more from the almost premanent regeneration and Avatar. Most dangerous game is a huge damage boost. I prefer to use it instead of Quick Draw couse I don’t believe it works with non stationary targets. One can switch Expertise Training for Oakheart Slave for that extra 5% damage reduction.

Here is one from Holts that I still use and modify were the situation merits.

build link –
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQRAnY8fjMqQ3KWuCurAVLGYEKP0HhTvH3aND4C4yDgTWxXeB-TVyCABQoEEgTAQ47P8i+BfU/ZinAQBmgk4gAklyvAAIAMzZOzZOzkCAm5AA-w

video of it in action-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmyyOqGggQ4

Trapper druid is probably my favorite WvW build of all time. Take Sk+WS+Dr with A/T and Staff – TU+Flame/Viper/Spike traps+entangle. You only really benefit from condi damage so you can load up on defensive stats – dire armor and apothecary trinkets with dire A/T and apothecary staff works well and trapper runes of course. Personally I like sigil of frailty on the A/T set for more damage and an extra annoying constantly re-applied cover condi (you don’t have any vuln otherwise) and bursting or malice for the other sigil.

Going druid means you lose the nice stuff in NM like protective ward or stronger pets from BM but you get staff and CA for heaps of sustain and heal support for allies. Also if you are not worried about enemy condies you can take the staff trait instead of cleanse on CA + a geo/hydro sigil for AoE entangle on swapping to staff (ancient seeds). The basically perma 33% move speed is also really nice just for getting around or you can take the stealth trait for more sneaky fun.

I would play around with the traits or even the weapons (A/D + S/T is also fun if you can get used to the sword weirdness) a bit until you find what you prefer.

Edit: forgot the spike trap not proccing ancient seeds bug got fixed recently which is a nice buff to trapper ranger.

I used to play a power trapper build. I just ran frost trap and spike trap to kite my enemys to death. I might try bringing it back since now with the trait you could stack on a lot of cripple with spike trap. Plus healing spring is a trap and that is a nice skill, no condi needed.