Guild Wars 2

I’ve taken a long break from this game, near 2 years and while a lot has changed while I’ve been away, for the better, also nothing has changed at all. (Berserker > Everything. Mobs in dungeons? no ty skip skip skip or we die etc) Anyway, to my point. I really like the introduction of Druid making attempting to group heal viable, whether it makes healing power a viable stat is a different question but nonetheless I’ve built my Ranger around it and leveled crafting so that i could have Zealots Armour as it seems to be the best compromise when dropping an offensive stat for a defensive one .. I have 2 builds below which i switch between situation dependent, GS-A/T for Roaming. GS-Staff for Elite monsters which i choose to just focus on healing my pet and avoiding damage while it nips at its ankles until dead.

I’m looking for opinions and possible tweaks that could improve these. Having missed a lot of changes, i’m unsure of what Specs and Traits complement different playstyles etc the best.

*Axe and Torch could be switched, i find it a bit boring.
*Greatsword is Set in Stone, most fun
*i refuse to use longbow, its too slow to be interesting
*i often switch my druid traits, Verdant Etching and Lingering Light to Natural Stride and Ancient Seeds
*I have Berserker, Rampager, Sinister and Magi’s Gear banked if switching up would help.
*Willing to Change Specs as long as Druid stays
*I play quite casually so have no intention of getting full Ascended or a Legendary

GS – A/T:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNEQNAR3fnMqAlsgFsC2sCctglCBjZAU6eAPJgZQAAurOWTrlssUA-TRCBQBpS9nHY+JF6AAwDBYg7PMFlfnRJoz0MchrAAA-e

GS – Staff:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNEQJARWnMqAlsgVsC2sCctglEB7JAsCmZOluUwUDuquVDrlssUA-ThCBQBtysyZUCehLBQUUW9ATFzQXwA3fAAPBgUp+zUUqAA-e

Thanks for any replies, they’ll be much appreciated.

Axe/Torch is a terrible waste in the build you posted since you don’t go for any condition damage at all.

I’d personally recommend you to go for GS-Staff build since it is by far the most mobile thing you can get on druid – which is a huge (and most rewarding) benefit for solo content.
So I’ll only throw some reasoning why and possibilities how to polish that build further.

You really fancy druid, which has very good synergy with Healing overall. Plus – you like Greatsword a lot. That being said – we are currently glued to Power (and/or Healing Power) oriented setup (other might get boring for you or would be inefficient).

So, my suggestions:
-Ditch Nature Magic completely. It doesn’t compliment your play-style. You don’t have anyone to support (solo build), and you don’t really work with boons either.
Pick Skirmishing instead. Definitely. It boosts your mobility, damage, utility, simply everything. Quick Draw is by far the best thing to have on most builds.

-You don’t need 1000 healing power on a solo build. To be frank – you need light years less. Glyph of Empowerment can be used for 25% boost in healing, which is usually the only thing you need to get back to full HP. And it has good synergy with Druid runes. Plus you have Staff and GS in combination with Healing Spring water field.

-Swap Rune of the Druid for any other. It’s bugged. Vampirism is my personal suggestion for roaming and solo content.

Tragic Positive.9356:

Axe/Torch is a terrible waste in the build you posted since you don’t go for any condition damage at all.

-Swap Rune of the Druid for any other. It’s bugged. Vampirism is my personal suggestion for roaming and solo content.

I’ve realised i’m actually using Altruism Runes, but since the Might and Fury only work with the main healing skills and not Celestial Avatar skills or Mushroom heals i’ll be changing them.

I find axe/torch is quite powerful even without condition damage gear, just using the traits. mainly as its got good ranged AOE (where staff is very slow) which is quite nice to have for a lot of HoT. Probably not as good as the GS but being able to stay at distance and have auto attack aoe is great.

My reasoning behind Nature Magic relies on Axe and pet aoe, using might stacking with the axe with fortifying bond, and pets with area attacks, if i drop axe i’d drop NM by default

If you don’t go for any condition damage – the base condition damage is ridiculously weak (if you are 25 mighted, which you aren’t without WHaO + NM + Axe synergy, it gets better but it’s still less than a dedicated build). If you are not going for Apothecary / Sinister / Viper which offers condition damage – axe and torch are not worth taking a slot. That’s math.

Staff is AoE by default. It’s not as good for tagging because the AoE is linear, but the range width is much greater, too.

i’ve given staff another go with both Skirmishing and Nature magic

If i change to Nature’s Vengence, with 3mobs with axe i have 13-16 stacks of Might and my Pet has 25, being a Drake and having all its attacking being aoe makes it very powerful, and mobs drop very quickly.

with staff (Magi’s as i currently dont have another staff) i have 3-6 might (from frost spirit) and my pet has 6-10, the obvious healing benefit is helping for longer fights but i feel its slower, what is better about the staff is that when the mobs arent in close quarters with my pet, ie chasing me, i can still get some damage on them as you said.

With skirmishing – spotter and fury, my crit chance becomes 88% + 10% from behind (not sure if thats 98% or 10% to my precision) so my pet is at around 15 stacks for both weapons, but im at 0 with Staff, 15 with axe. i think than is making a big difference as the base damage of axe auto attack become about 500dmg 1/4second, and staff is 230per pulse 1-1/4seconds. Perhaps i could change to war horn instead of torch? adding fury and a nice dps burst to one target.

That way I’d actually consider Axe/Axe + GS
… You’ll have some easy-to-get burst this way.

But your CAF will not be filled often and your mobility will drop, so it’s a trade off.
One way or another, Nature Magic without WHaO is a complete waste. Skirmishing all the way. Double PoS / Maul makes a difference.
And with PoS > Maul > Maul combo, usually everything dies in an AoE.

That makes a lot of sense so i’ve rebuilt around WHaO – I’ve removed axe now in exchange for staff, but i’ve kept Nature magic for Spirit Buffs

Spirit pulse buffs last longer on pet, such that the pulses alone will bring the pet 15-21 stacks quite quickly, + my own crit to give pets mights = 25might very quickly.. then Heal as one, as you say – 25 stacks each.. Losing the regen and Water field might be a downer, as i’ve had HS since i unlocked it, but if i learn to use CelAvatar more efficiently i imagine that will make up for it now having Staff equipped to quickly gain Astral.

i can also drop a damage utility on fights if needed to use Stone spirit and keep uptime on Protection for my pet with this build and then have staff for healing it.

I just manged to solo “Notice to Trespassers” HP in Auric Basin with this setup (using only staff as he hurts my pet a lot) so i’ll be keeping it for now.

I dont think i can be sold on Skirmishing, the only reason i used in back before the spec changes was because of the Stats, and even then i soon chose Sword/WH, NM/BM/MM build.

My Current Build is:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNEQJARWnUqAlsg1sCuqActglEBzp0lCuBwV1taY9JAsCmZX0T6PA-TRCBABPY+ZGNBXcJAmS5Hg7PcmSQAeCApq+TK6AAA-e

basically a tweaked version of the Staff build in my original post,
- changing my Magi’s Trinkets etc for Assassins,
- Pets to Drake and Lynx,
- Healing Skill to WHaO
- GS to Berserker
- Invigorating Bond to Natures Vengeance

I’m still on Altruism Runes, which i think i’ll keep for now

There will ofcourse be time where where i switch things up temporarily where the situation calls for it but for now this is suiting my playstyle for wondering round the map.

I’m not sure mathematically…
… But how much boons do you usually keep up?
Maybe you could benefit more from Instinctive Reaction (Healing > Power + Quickness)

Apart from that, your build looks comfortable. You should be good to roam.

I really want to try this build cuz it looks amazing, but the zealot gear is so expensive are there an cheaper alternative?

Brimflamme.3587:

I really want to try this build cuz it looks amazing, but the zealot gear is so expensive are there an cheaper alternative?

Combining Berserker with Clerics or Magi.
You don’t need much healing power for open world, tbh. Getting to ~500 should be perfectly enough if you need the sustain.

Technically, in PvE the more DPS you bring the better. But for soloing and roaming – mobility saves more time. That’s why GS + Staff goes so well. But one way or another, stats are not as important.
You just need to know what do you need. Ranger is a class that needs to respec most of the time. So… Most of what you choose wouldn’t be of harm in soloing as long as you don’t combine GS with Condition damage or something.

Hmm would any of these builds lend them selves to tanking?

Oldirtbeard.9834:

Hmm would any of these builds lend them selves to tanking?

Depends on what are you planning to tank. Most probably no.