Guild Wars 2

I’ve been trying different builds and recently tried a melee spirit ranger that uses GS and sword/warhorn (sometimes dagger) and it’s pretty fun. I don’t really see the GS as a weapon I’d keep out, usually I just use it to close in and block/stun before switching to sword.
It kinda made me curious, are there people who actually use GS on ranger? Or is it mostly outclassed by other weapons?

Ranger greatsword is mostly a defensive weapon. It only has one high damage skill. However, the AA evades, the long ranged leap, the block/knockback, and the daze/stun make it one of the best ‘go to’ weapons in the game for survival. A must have in just about any build imo.

I run glassbow but have sword/dagger on the other set. I find the two evades is more valuable than GS block/stun/leap

I am running LB – GS spec.

This is one of the Rangers must have weapon for awesome 1 vs. 1 burst damage if you ask me.
I’m able to lay a burst on someone for around 25-35k dmg without even getting hit myself first on regular basis!

Rapidfire -> hunters shot -> point blank shot -> weapon swap -> leap -> counter attack/cripling throw -> Hilt Bash -> maul
And not even counting my pet dmg with this rotation (which will be for another 5 – 7K in the same time)

It takes some practice and “fingerspitzengefühl” but when you are used to it and can burst without thinking about the rotation, you don’t want any other weapon anymore as off-weapon.

PS: For multiple enemy’s you attack with LB from range and then always have an escape route and/or gap closer with GS if necessary.
Also when fighting multiple enemies the burst comes in handy to finish one of and in combination with entangle you’ll have another escape.

If we are generally speaking about sPvP/tPvP, then power builds are mostly too inefficient. That’s the reason why most GS builds are not “viable”. They are playable, but not much viable.

Rangers are pretty much meh for competitive game if built Glass Cannon (which is the only option as GS build) and they are horribly vulnerable to conditions and stability. Glass Cannon relies on a single burst out through CC abilities, which will be easily negated by almost any class out there.

Longbow is viable, Greatsword is not.

GS on a ranger is shortbow on a thief.

Not a set you can really use as a main set, but one which brings a ton of really helpful utility to the table.

Free evades on auto? I mean if you’re dying, this can only help.
The leap is awesome for mobility.
The block doesn’t end on ranged projectiles, giving the player full block for its entire duration against missiles (awesome)
The stun/KB /interrupt is a great thing to have when used right.

But it lacks sufficient damage or simply… cohesion with the ranger’s mechanics, trait lines and skills to work as an effective main weapon.

DeceiverX.8361:

GS on a ranger is shortbow on a thief.

Not a set you can really use as a main set, but one which brings a ton of really helpful utility to the table.

Free evades on auto? I mean if you’re dying, this can only help.
The leap is awesome for mobility.
The block doesn’t end on ranged projectiles, giving the player full block for its entire duration against missiles (awesome)
The stun/KB /interrupt is a great thing to have when used right.

But it lacks sufficient damage or simply… cohesion with the ranger’s mechanics, trait lines and skills to work as an effective main weapon.

This, which is why I was suggesting in the duplicate thread that you pair it with lb and you can potentially have good success in PvP, but you mainly use lb and swap to gs when the occasion arises.

Longbow ranger specced full glass will lose 100% of the time to a thief of above average play.

Thieves also have better mobility, better escapes.

There is no real reason to take a glass longbow ranger over a thief.

Dead Muppet.9718:

Longbow ranger specced full glass will lose 100% of the time to a thief of above average play.

Thieves also have better mobility, better escapes.

There is no real reason to take a glass longbow ranger over a thief.

This is simply false.

It’s almost entirely dependent on the ranger’s skill level. If the ranger is good, he will actually very likely win. RF’s stealth tracking with a proper spec can in all honesty 100-0 most thieves, PBS can cancel out a lot of their essentials (CnD/HS through BP) and force them on cooldowns with utilities/steal. Pets can force them from SR, and a quick-reaction barrage can cause them to maintain low health, forcing them to either waste the skill or waste its healing effects. I find thieves one of my easiest matchups on my full glass longbow ranger.

DeceiverX.8361:

Dead Muppet.9718:

Longbow ranger specced full glass will lose 100% of the time to a thief of above average play.

Thieves also have better mobility, better escapes.

There is no real reason to take a glass longbow ranger over a thief.

This is simply false.

It’s almost entirely dependent on the ranger’s skill level. If the ranger is good, he will actually very likely win. RF’s stealth tracking with a proper spec can in all honesty 100-0 most thieves, PBS can cancel out a lot of their essentials (CnD/HS through BP) and force them on cooldowns with utilities/steal. Pets can force them from SR, and a quick-reaction barrage can cause them to maintain low health, forcing them to either waste the skill or waste its healing effects. I find thieves one of my easiest matchups on my full glass longbow ranger.

It’s almost entirely dependent on landing defensive abilities and the thief not resetting the fight.
Point black shot Can miss due to latency, blind which will not cancel out any of their essentials anymore.
Pets forcing a thief from shadow refuge… i doubt the thief will need this vs a glass ranger.

A thief of average or above will get the jump on you, not the other way around. Their offensive cooldowns will reset before all of your defensive cooldowns.

Also lightning reflexes + GS Leap will not escape from said thief either as they will/can close that gap just as easily.

It being your easiest matchup… I doubt it. Stealth is the anti kiting ability. Latency screws #3 #4 on longbow. not to mention trying to move spin and use these abilities.

DeceiverX.8361:

Dead Muppet.9718:

Longbow ranger specced full glass will lose 100% of the time to a thief of above average play.

Thieves also have better mobility, better escapes.

There is no real reason to take a glass longbow ranger over a thief.

This is simply false.

It’s almost entirely dependent on the ranger’s skill level. If the ranger is good, he will actually very likely win. RF’s stealth tracking with a proper spec can in all honesty 100-0 most thieves, PBS can cancel out a lot of their essentials (CnD/HS through BP) and force them on cooldowns with utilities/steal. Pets can force them from SR, and a quick-reaction barrage can cause them to maintain low health, forcing them to either waste the skill or waste its healing effects. I find thieves one of my easiest matchups on my full glass longbow ranger.

Dead Muppet is right unless you’re fighting average or below average thieves. Good D/P thieves can keep you blinded at all critical times simply by spamming 3 and followup with BP. S/D can keep you from ever finishing any burst chain, and P/D can continually CND off your pet and just lazily open from stealth with occasional shadowstep to break your burst again.

Yes I know and practice all the techniques described above with additional ones of my own and it is just too easy for the thief of above average skill. I run maximal condi removal with blind removal on dodge AND condi removal on suvival traits and it still only costs them 3 initiative to stick to me and reblind for the garden variety D/P, or a shadowstep #2 for the rare s/ds, or a cnd off pet for the p/d.

My reflexes and jukes are top notch as well.

As someone else said in another thread you will never see thieves complaining about rangers on the thief forums. Glass thieves trump all other glass power roamers with the possible exception of a good shatter mesmer (utility, quite a bit of invis and misdirection, 10k bursts from maximal range through pets which the RANGER desperately needs to be able to compare to.)

I can duel a good thief for several minutes but LB “burst” just isn’t great enough for the window you have usually. I realy wonder about the type of thieves you’re fighting if you claim otherwise and suspect you’re facing wvw builds not the competitive scene in spvp.

Dead Muppet.9718:

It being your easiest matchup… I doubt it. Stealth is the anti kiting ability. Latency screws #3 #4 on longbow. not to mention trying to move spin and use these abilities.

Yeah I don’t know why these guys pop out of the woodwork with this nonsense about thieves going down to one RF and it being their easiest fight. It’s like they want to keep power rangers in the gutter.

Or, you know, stealth off of something else that isn’t the thief then…

Feel free to come watch me play zerk longbow/gs ranger in spvp and wvw and give what you feel are pointers to my gameplay.

Respectfully if there is something I can improve on im all ears and willing to give it a shot if its not speccing condi.

twitch.tv/chompstomp

GS is pretty crappy in pvp. The only threatening move on it can be dodged by a monkey with a blindfold and a keyboard.