Guild Wars 2

Hey guys, I’ve been playing on my ranger since about september, done several different builds and I lurk here on the forums a lot. Once the feature build hits, I want to do a bit more commanding on my ranger, I have a decent group of guys in my guild and would like to delve into WvW more.

So i’ve been working on this build, but I need some help.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vMUQNAV3fjMq0yaJLOsw1agYpQQ7vpITcy9YUoCApMrTs2E-zgCBIgQIMBm8OQUGw5PCr5QKi12FRjVJTIStETHL1BAOAChDwwDP8wDPcpAgYBA-e

How I need help: I still feel squishy on this build. And I need to be solid so I stay alive while commanding. I’ve made it for the post Feature build and I will have more condi clense thankfully. But as it stands, I can take quite a few hits but I can’t get my health back up. I don’t have a lot of regen on this build and I think that’s my problem. But I can’t find how to add it in. Im not sure if I should take from my precision or my toughness.

Things I like about this build:
– Axe + sigil of torment, It’s really easy to get this to proc between the AA and #2. Which means I think I could probably lower my crit chance to maybe 38 – 40% and still be ok. but I’m not sure on this.

- Crit chance. I like a high crit chance, it makes it fairly easy to get sigil of might to proc which makes both my condi damage, and power go up. I can usually get about 4 to 5 stacks going continuously as it is, which is a decent boost. Lowering my crit chance can make it harder to get both the might boosts and the torment to proc.

Things I don’t like:
- Like I said above, I’m squishy. Once I throw down Hspring, I get the healing and regen runs out, my health drops quickly and I have no way of getting it back up. All the time I spend dodging around trying to avoid attacks tends to make it to where I can’t keep hitting my opponent. They always seem to have the control of the fight.

- Im not fond of my current rune set. Been leaning towards travelers, getting the bonus to travel speed, plus some more boon duration will help keep the might stacks up. But I’m open to other ideas too. It’s hard to know what to get since we don’t know what most of the runes are going to be like.

I’ve been thinking of changing SoS for SoW which will help with more health and taking some of precision to healing power and hoping that will help but I’m not sure if that trade off is worth it. I’m hoping some of you guys with more experience can help me out here.

I had a play and while trying not to change much gear (you must have plenty of coin anyway to be using Garlic Kale Sautee, oh fancy!) I think I have come up with something that will suit your purposes. 100% regen up time, 95% swiftness, more tanky etc. Let me know what you think.

Your original build

Modified Build

So youre looking for a commander build?

Carpboy.7145:

So youre looking for a commander build?

Yes

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I had a play and while trying not to change much gear (you must have plenty of coin anyway to be using Garlic Kale Sautee, oh fancy!) I think I have come up with something that will suit your purposes. 100% regen up time, 95% swiftness, more tanky etc. Let me know what you think.

Your original build

Modified Build

I’m not really wanting to do a shout build. I hate ground targeting (I don’t have a gamer mouse so the APM that it requires is annoying) and I don’t really need the swiftness.

I’m wanting to focus my build around the new GM trait for survival skills so my traits I pretty much have set in stone. I’m pretty set on having at least LR on it too so I have 2 utility spots to play with. So while I see how that build would give me more survivability, it’s not really in my play style and not what I’m comfortable playing.

Also those perplexity runes and water runes wouldn’t work like that after the feature build and that’s what I’m trying to focus this on. Obviously There is limited info on runes atm but they have shown the new perplexity runes and I’d have to get 5/6 set just to get the added condition. Which removes the boon duration boost from water. Which is why I was leaning towards travelers.

Well since youre going for a commander theres your problem. A commander should be as absolutely tanky as possible. It doesn’t matter if you sacrifice support or dmg for personal survivability since if you go down the Zerg goes down. Your other zerglings will provide the dmg and support. You just be as tanky as possible.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vMIQNBhYD7kRF6XxWWwWQ4axAR7Bns05fKQP7dK8PqSZWnYtJA-zQBBofCypmFRjtMqIasKbYqXER1kCgJlRA-e

This is probably the tankiest build in the game. Spamming GS #1 in a Zerg mitigates TONS of dmg just on its own

Ok. Thanks for that, I think I can see some ways to improve my build from that. However I have two questions.

Would it be better to take bark skin over spotter? Or should I take bark skin + spotter and give up the new GM trait. To me, spotter brings a bit more to the zerg so I’m curious if I take zerg functionality for less damage mitigation. I figure you’ll say take bark skin but I’m curious.

Second, which is better to focus on. Regeneration, or protection. I’m trying to do some numbers at the moment to see which gives you the most health per second but I’m curious what some other people say out of experience.

There’s already bound to be at least 1 other ranger in your Zerg with spotter already, so you having it is useless. Personal survivability>>>than anything else as a commander, i cant stress that enough. And you’ll basically have perma regen and protection in a Zerg anyway. But why choose? You can have both, they don’t cancel out

K, technical question which I still haven’t really understood from day one. If someone applies a boon to me, say regeneration for 4 sec, and lets say they have 25% boon duration and I have none. Will I get their boon duration added to it since they applied it (and get 5 sec) or just get 4 seconds cause I have none.

Youll get the same duration +25% because they applied it to you

Thanks for the help. Now to go theory craft for a while and see if I can come up with something better.

You’re really not gonna get any tankiest than that, for zergs at least. Be sure to use leaps and blasts through your healing spring btw

Ok, what are your thoughts on this?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vMUQNAR3fnMqQLLWLIOsAXLGIWFEU7Bns05dPGl/BQKz6ErNB-zgCBocwIgQYgAk3QUGBOTqIasFYFRjVJTIStETHL1BAOAChDwwDP8wDPcZAYWAA-e

Kinda did it more focused on condi rather than power which is what I aim axe/torch for. and then I can have the greatsword to fall back on for the evade if they ever focus on me.

jreed.2430:

Ok, what are your thoughts on this?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vMUQNAR3fnMqQLLWLIOsAXLGIWFEU7Bns05dPGl/BQKz6ErNB-zgCBocwIgQYgAk3QUGBOTqIasFYFRjVJTIStETHL1BAOAChDwwDP8wDPcZAYWAA-e

Kinda did it more focused on condi rather than power which is what I aim axe/torch for. and then I can have the greatsword to fall back on for the evade if they ever focus on me.

Traits are decent, however your gear is not. Due to how many players are in a Zerg the condition cap can be met very easily. This means youre completely wasting all your dmg. Not to mention all of the random AoE condi cleanses going around in a Zerg and your doing like 300 DPS. Also 33% crit chance with almost no power or on crit condi procs does absolutely nothing for you

Maybe sentinel’s with dolyak runes. Carpboy keeps trying to steer you in to being tanky and you keep coming back with adding damage. The idea of a commander is purely leadership and moral support. Your zerg does the damage. Just take every possible survival trait.

Positioning is also critical since your zerg is going to be 100% on you, which is one of the reasons Carp recommended the melee greatsword. The other being the leaps and evades. You’re going to be leading a force of almost entirely warriors and guardians in melee range.

Alright, I think it’s sunk in finally. I’m kinda stubborn lol. I’ll get as tanky as possible and use the GS. Thanks for the help guys.

this is my suggestion:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vMUQRAsY3fjMq0yaBLesw1agYVQQtHcy8Yy9w/dCApMqKs2E-zQCBYhQINC0k3Bi+I0ZSFRjtaqIasKZCRKlY6YpOAwBQIcAGe4hHe4hLEgiFA-e

I would focus on 4 stats, not more: Toughness, Vitality, Condition Damage and Precision (I would renaunce to this in favor of healing power however)

Try Runes of the Undead.

Sword/Dagger combo is great for staying alive.

Try food with condi duration.

Most of all keep in mind that being a commander means Staying alive, the damage you deal is not actually important, that’s why I would go with at least 600 Healing power, regen traits and maybe even Dwayna runes.

Hope I helped you^^