[Build] Power Boonbeast (PvE)

[Build] Power Boonbeast (PvE)

in Ranger

Posted by: Skuzz.6580

Skuzz.6580

Intro:
Note that this build is more for solo PvE play, it can be tuned abit for groups (see bottom of page)

This is a Power build (as the name suggests) which can maintain a 100% uptime of the following boons:

  • Quickness
  • 25 stacks of Might
  • Retaliation
  • Fury (giving you a 100% crit hit chance)
  • Regeneration
  • Swiftness

As well as having a high uptime on Protection and Vigor
The only downside of this build is that you are locked into using 3 fixed utility skills and a fixed healing skill which is part of your rotation (so no on demand healing)
However, this build rocks alot of defensive boons as well as alot of evades to keep you alive, and you don’t have a fixed pet, so you can always opt for a pet with healing skills

Traits:
Soulbeast: 1/2/2
Notable traits:

  • Fresh Reinforcement (Grants you boons from your pet upon Beastmode)
  • Essence of Speed (increases boon duration by 2sec every time you gain Quickness)
  • Leader of the Pack (Stances apply to allies/pets for 50% duration)

Nature Magic: 1/3/2
Notable traits:

  • Fortifying Bond (Share boons with your pet)
  • Lingering Magic (Gives Concentration, which is Boon duration)

Skirmishing: 2/2/2
Notable traits:

  • Strider’s Defense (Gain Quickness upon evading attacks when sword is equipped)
  • Light on your Feet (+10% damage upon dodging)
    This gives the highest uptime on all boons when you can successfully dodge and evade attacks

Skills:

  • We Heal as One
  • Moa Stance
  • Dolyak Stance
  • Quickening Zephyr
  • One Wolf pack (nothing better…)

Preferred pet:
Smokescale

  • Smokescale has a Knockdown, Smoke Assault which does alot of damage as well as evade, and the Beast skill Wordly Impact

Gear:

  • Sword/Axe (Force/Air Sigils, DPS set)
  • Dagger/Warhorn (Force/Air Sigils, Buff set)
  • Zerker Armor (Scholar runes)
  • Commander’s Jewelry (For additional Concentration, which should put you at around ~30-33% Boon Duration)

Playstyle:

  1. You start out in your Buff weapon set outside of Beastmode
  2. You start your buff rotation:
    Moa Stance -> Call of the Wild (Warhorn 5) -> Dolyak Stance -> Quickening Zephyr (once every 2 rotations) -> use Instinctive Engage -> " We Heal As One" -> Beastmode
  3. Use Instinctive Engage (Dagger 3)
  4. When in beastmode use your pet’s abilities as fast as you can, Exit beastmode as soon as possible afterward (beastmode is a dps loss)
  5. Use Hunter’s Call (warhorn 4)
  6. Weapon Swap
  7. Use Whirling Defence -> Path of Scars (this is your big burst, thanks to the Hunter’s Call cast earlier)
  8. Alternate Sword 2 and 3 skills as needed, try to successfully Evade (you can use Sword 2 twice and Sword 3 once in this rotation)
  9. Weapon Swap back when Dolyak Stance has 2 seconds left on its cooldown, or if you want to play it without having to mind cooldowns to much just weapon swap when Moa Stance is ready, and repeat the above steps afterward

And that is it basically.

A few notes:

  • Quickening Zephyr might not be needed if you get enough Evades and Dodges and can be replaced for another Utility skills (probably)
  • The reason you want to use the buffs in the order I put them in is as followed:
    Moa Stance gives Moa Stance for 4 seconds to your pet, meaning the boons from Call of the Wild, Dolyak Stance and Quickening Zephyr and Instinctive Engage get increased duration on your pet.
    The later you cast your Quickening Boons the better, since not only do you lose the least amount of time wasting it during buff-up but applying Quickening also increases the duration of Boons already on you.
  • Although you can probably do without too much Boon Duration stacking getting to around ~33% on your hero stats means with Moa Stance you will have the cap of 100% increase duration
  • This build can be changed to work better in groups, given that in groups you probably won’t have to be the one giving retaliation and might to yourself, this frees up
    Dolyak Stance and basically the whole Warhorn weapon. I’d say dagger and Moa Stance+Quickening Zephyr will probably still be required, though one can go nuts into changing this build around, can even make it a Condi build!
    The foundations of this build are the Traits: Fresh Reinforcement, Leader of the Pack and Fortifying Bond, together with Moa Stance+We Heal As One and Beastmode, meaning you have 1 free Trait line to choose from and basically all weapons (though dagger 3 is really nice if you want Quickening)

Feel free to try this out and let me know what you think.
This build can also be transformed to a Condi spec, though since retaliation and fury scale with Power, Power seemed like the obvious choice

(edited by Skuzz.6580)

[Build] Power Boonbeast (PvE)

in Ranger

Posted by: Quarktastic.1027

Quarktastic.1027

With as much of a condi spec anet seems to want soulbeast to be, I think you would get more mileage out of a condi build and the fanged iboga pet.

Also, that’s a lot of work for some average DPS numbers.

Those armadillos would be a lot cooler if they looked more like real armadillos. mmm armadillos
-BnooMaGoo.5690

[Build] Power Boonbeast (PvE)

in Ranger

Posted by: Wondrouswall.7169

Wondrouswall.7169

Had something similar, except Skirmishing replaced with Beastmastery for Zephyr’s Speed. Rotation used “We Heal as One!” after exiting Beastmode and a Pet Swap.

Slotted Spirited Arrival for vigor, Protective Ward for protection, and “Protect Me!” over Dolyak Stance to ensure another perma boon. Resounding Timbre for perma regen and swiftness and lower cooldowns for shouts.

Though, the build I use doesn’t have dagger. Just sword/axe -/warhorn. It’s damage wasn’t worth it the trade off, even if it can extend boons twice with dagger 3.

Since Beastmode is left after bursting pet skills, Beastmastery was a better choice over skirmishing, and it gives additional stat boosts while in Beastmode.

PET PRECISION & DPS TESTS -OUTDATED-
Will update once Path of Fire releases.

(edited by Wondrouswall.7169)

[Build] Power Boonbeast (PvE)

in Ranger

Posted by: Skuzz.6580

Skuzz.6580

With as much of a condi spec anet seems to want soulbeast to be, I think you would get more mileage out of a condi build and the fanged iboga pet.

Also, that’s a lot of work for some average DPS numbers.

Thats the thing though, there is no clear emphasis on SoulBeast having to be a Condi spec, sure there are some traits that work well with Conditions and Dagger applies conditions, but you don’t ’ need’ to use Dagger and there are other good Traits to choose from.
Since there are no dps meters in this demo I could not check the dps, but there were some seriously high numbers (in exotic gear, testing in a pvp environment).

Anyway, just wanted to share the idea, something else than your standard condi meta
build atleast right