Guild Wars 2

Here I am again posting some reworks on our under performing traits/utilities/weapon skills just waiting for a miracle to happen again.

Before anyone says Anet doesn’t listen or read the forums… Actually they did listen to a lot of stuff here and even got a response!

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/Needed-Buffs-Tweaks-2016/first

Well anyway.

Shortbow

• Amidst the buffs made to shortbow (a lot of feedback from the thread I linked), I still feel that there are stuff to be tweaked in order for it to become a great hybrid weapon

Crossfire

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Crossfire

• In order to retain the skillfulness of SB flanking and reward it accordingly, the damage while flanking needs to be buffed.

Suggestion: Deal additional damage when Flanking, Addtional damage 30%. Since SB AA deals pitiful damage even gearing with full power and rather than giving it just a base increase, let’s have it be more rewarding with proper positioning.

Synergizes with:

• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Rune_of_the_Thief
• Power Stat
• Soulbeast Ferocity Pets
• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Light_on_your_Feet
• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Rune_of_the_Berserker

Concussion Shot

• From the name itself, I would think adding confusion with fit the them perfectly on top of adding condition variety to our weapon

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Concussion_Shot

Suggestion: Daze and Confuse your foe with an arrow. Stun them if you hit from behind or from the side. 5 Stacks of confusion for (6s)

Light on Your Feet

• This trait has been tweaked multiple times but I think Anet still misses the mark on this one

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Light_on_your_Feet

Suggestion: (1) Instead on dodging, make it activate on evade so that I would not waste a dodge just to get the effect. (2) 4 seconds is way to short to get anything, make it around 5 seconds. On Evade (5s): Your conditions last longer, and your damage is increased. Condition damage 10% and Condition Duration 10%

Synergizes with:

• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Oppressive_Superiority
• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Superior_Rune_of_the_Berserker
• Expertise stat
• Hybrid equipments like viper,

Strider’s Defense

• This is such a good trait too bad its limited to only the sword

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Strider%27s_Defense

Suggestion: Remove the sword part and make it proc with the evade without any weapon restriction. When you evade an attack, gain Quickness. Sword skills recharge faster. ICD 10 seconds

Synergizes with:

• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Essence_of_Speed
• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fortifying_Bond
• https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Fresh_Reinforcement (with Fortifying Bond, WHaO)

Thoughts?

I think one thing Anet has been very careful of is giving us access to certain things outside of our pet. We’re completely incapable of inflicting confusion and torment for instance, but our new Fanged Iboga will be able to inflict both. Another restriction would be blast finishers, at launch our only blast finisher was a Drake’s Tail Spin, but it’s clear that restriction has become a lot more lax over time (since a Druid always has Lunar Impact and can also carry a staff, Warhorn and Clarion Bond, though a non-Druid technically only has Call of the Wild to blast finish without their pet and Elite specs are allowed to break rules). So, as thematic as Concussion shot inflicting confusion is, it’s not a thing that Rangers typically do and adds extra unnecessary power that’s anti-synergistic with the daze/stun component.

Strider’s defence on the other hand… If I remember right the default build they gave us for Soulbeast was Dagger/Dagger + Shortbow with Strider’s Defence. I get the feeling Anet themselves don’t even realise what the trait does. So I’d say making the trait functional on all evades, while it would still synergise most with sword, would make the trait excellent an amazing build option. I’m not too sure how I feel about perma quickness for all weapons from 1 trait and enough boon duration though, especially when all other Ranger weapon traits have one effect that applies to the weapon they buff exclusively (besides CDR).

One change I would very much like to see is Glyph of Unity being brought in line with all other tether skills. Currently, its primary use case is to trigger Verdant Etching and Rune of the Druid. The skill should also inflict revealed on all enemies struck, like every other tether skill in the game. Doing so would make the skill itself a decent team support option and our elite skill choice wouldn’t be predetermined by our condi cleanse traits.

Glyph of Unity (non-Celestial)

• Now inflicts revealed (6s) on tethered enemies like every other tether in the game.

No thanks to any Light on Your Feet suggestion that still revolves around evading or dodging. I don’t get why it should even be tied to that for such minor bonuses, especially when Ranger power coefficients are low and the condi duration is more sought after and useful with shortbow.

Just simplify it to gaining the bonus while under the effects of vigor or swiftness. 5s hardly seems worth it, too. Other classes have buffs lasting at the minimum of 8s and upwards of 15s. No reason the duration has to be that short, especially when considering these traits just affect the player and not the pet.

Also, still waiting for Crippling Thrust to cleave up to 3 targets.