Guild Wars 2

Hi, ranger forum, a nub ranger with a question. I usually don’t solo/duo roam on my ranger and may construct a condition set for the future, but for now I’d like to use power… just because.

I’ve actually not used greatsword and used s/warhorn instead, because the lack of swiftness is frustrating. The Greatsword does have a leap but how do you guys get around quickly? This is especially important for getting away since I sometimes play with my thief friend who can obviously avoid trouble… which leads to everyone trying to kill the poor ranger.

I know there’s signet of the hunt, but that takes up a slot skill.

Sample build of what I’d like to use.:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATBjEq0yaHLUtGoPoWvABwY3aHcPwDRaXyoaA-TVCEwAE3fAmKNbVCyU5nhLAAL1FarLAwhA4xTAgMALbB-w

Would signet of the hunt be the best idea?

Difficult.
Getting away with a ranger is – Difficult. And a major problem.
The Short answer is: You dont.

The Long answer:
I main Warrior for roaming, still. Despite all the thiefes around. (God I hate them)
Getting away is no issue whatsoever. GS #5 + Bulls rush = Exit fight.
Its even easier for thiefes to get away.

With that out of the way, I recently started playing ranger as my first devoted profession besides the warrior and escpaing is troublesome.
I wield a sword/dagger. the leaps of the sword are already of more distance than the GS. Lightning reflexes can also be used to escape and even a well times Sword auto attack can leap you up to 600 range (Mind you that is reaaally hard to pull of – I think I succeded with this only once yet)
A cripple on the dagger help a bit aswell.

The thing is that all only really works against Warriors, Necros, Engis and staff eles.
Against the other professions and DD eles its gettingdifficult already. And forget about ever trying to outrun a thief.

There is the option to use the new trapper runes that give super speed and invisibility. But I am not really a fan of it and have yet to try it. its probably better than I think.
If you dont have those equipped you simply have to stay and fight or run into the next keep.

To answer your question:
Yes the run-speed signet is awesome and you should use it in WvW – IF you dont have traveler runes or perma swiftness which is appereantly achievable with the pack runes.

You might want to take a look at this thread where some of us try yet again to make a great power ranger build:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/Build-Thoughts-Nonglassy-LB/first#post4570211

Signet of the hunt is worth the slot as it buffs you pets speed in a fight so it gets to it target quicker.

There is no reason why you can’t change utility slots before you engage (if you can see the fight coming), i typically plan my build around 2 utility with the last one being variable.

For the purpose of escaping, you can slow down you enimies with immob (you have 4 sources of of immob 2 pets and 2 utility’s) if you leave you dog pet attacking you opponet when you start trying to escape it will also cripple your opponent slowing them down. Also if you are running with you thief mate then you have shadow refuge to use as well.

Here’s my Lb/Gs WvW power spec:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRjEq0yaBLOsw1ag+ga9DEAjd7cYGuBWbQBraA-TliDABcq+jDHBAcVCawFAIEdBAYC6Jlf7s/gCPAABOEABAQAYoDdoH9oJFg5KjA-w

Thanks for the tips! Signet of the Hunt seems to be my best bet, and also those pack runes are not a bad idea.

I run this http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNMQJARTnMqQvg2vCusAXLGYPoWHAFwZ/KOcvFHRTfyKGxK-TVCEwAwU/xpSCCHCgtKBZqczwVAI3+Dd0FA4BAQKA9UGB-w

Perma swiftness, a bit of sustain, your drake will tank like a boss, and the speed + stealth helps the pets hit players.

Swoop is a fantastic gap-opener. De-target, and swoop the opposite direction. I also use it during map traversal if I do not expect any threats. It also has a pretty short cooldown. To me, the greatsword is a defensive/escape weapon, or a finisher if I need it. I never engage into melee with it unless I need to.

Hunter’s Shot can let you reposition (once in combat) with relative ease once they start closing in, and I preserve PBS rather than blowing it on an aggressive RF combo in most cases as a means to maintain distance.

GS4 is also a fantastic gap-opener against ranged foes, since it blocks all projectiles for the entire duration of the skill. You can simply cast it, leave it casting, and run away. Stunning the target on GS5 and utilizing the dodge on the AA chain can also really help you out. I prefer using healing spring due to the cleansing of mobility-impairing effects as well, and would also suggest you possibly look into a Wolf pet instead of a spider for both offensive CC and defensive AOE fearing/fearing while someone is trying to stomp you.

Flitzie.6082:

Difficult.
Getting away with a ranger is – Difficult. And a major problem.
The Short answer is: You dont.

Well this is completely wrong on all points. Mobility is zero problem for rangers and escaping even thieves is fairly simple. In OPs case it’s as simple as hunter shot, LR, sword2 sword2 and he’s more than out of combat.

http://youtu.be/7AkX6q_kV-s?t=3m40s

I use celestial + trapper runes. So trap + swoop = almost 2000 range leap. Pretty much an insta-ooc.

I love using sword, it allows me to escape most things very easily if you know how to use it. Only thing you can’t really outrun are GS Warriors traited with cooldown and thieves but there are ways around it, like somebody said hunter’s shot them or a random mob then fool them.

Also you can use lightning reflexes. All you have to do is assign a keybinding that turns your character 180 degrees if you are running away from somebody, LR, sword 2, turn your camera again 180 degrees and leap again and you have covered a great distance. Or keep your opponent targeted behind you, use the leap, detarget and leap again

It takes a little bit to get used to, just practice for a day or two and I find it to be better than GS for escaping. You’ll be even able to do it in the heat of the moment.

I prefer swoop over sword. Swoop travels further and is more immediate. The animation delay for the sword leap to go off is annoying. The GS also has more valuable group utility imo. Sword is great for dueling.

IMO anyway.

Fluffball.8307:

Flitzie.6082:

Difficult.
Getting away with a ranger is – Difficult. And a major problem.
The Short answer is: You dont.

Well this is completely wrong on all points. Mobility is zero problem for rangers and escaping even thieves is fairly simple. In OPs case it’s as simple as hunter shot, LR, sword2 sword2 and he’s more than out of combat.

http://youtu.be/7AkX6q_kV-s?t=3m40s

Ha, I’ve seen that video before.
I still have to disagree. That is not escpaing or getting away. Thats extreme dodging that might eventually make the enemy turn around and give up. I never said the Ranger is bad at dodging.
An escape for me is a distanse covered in a time frame that your enemy cannot keep up with.

Flitzie.6082:

Fluffball.8307:

Flitzie.6082:

Difficult.
Getting away with a ranger is – Difficult. And a major problem.
The Short answer is: You dont.

Well this is completely wrong on all points. Mobility is zero problem for rangers and escaping even thieves is fairly simple. In OPs case it’s as simple as hunter shot, LR, sword2 sword2 and he’s more than out of combat.

http://youtu.be/7AkX6q_kV-s?t=3m40s

Ha, I’ve seen that video before.
I still have to disagree. That is not escpaing or getting away. Thats extreme dodging that might eventually make the enemy turn around and give up. I never said the Ranger is bad at dodging.
An escape for me is a distanse covered in a time frame that your enemy cannot keep up with.

Which rangers are one of the best at doing. GS/Sword War and shortbow thief are the only other builds capable of keeping up, and even then, the thief may be unable to since the mobility is more sustained rather than burst mobility like the ranger’s, and initiative will probably be blown in combat.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re the best at it.

Ele should have no trouble escaping a Ranger, but more due to their numerous kiting skills and not straight up movement skills (which they have plenty of).

Kiting a Guardian is also a pain but they’ll fail at the straight line challenge if you can survive.

Engis are also another one of those ‘technically can’ classes, but they can escape just as easy.

Ranger really is middle of the pack when it comes to kiting and escaping imo.

[edit…] I also wanted to add that this is in the contect of LB/GS. Shortbow is actually amazing at kiting.

Oh yea…. I keep forgetting about hunter’s shot. It’s just like a ranged cloak and dagger; I’ve never actually thought of using it on ambients.

GS4 is pretty funny. It’s like a giant LOL NOPE to silly wannabe thieves that think they can just burst with impunity.

I swap soth in when running long distances. Its not worthy of a slot in a fight.

In fight, I stopped worrying about running away. I give my enemy ( no matter their numbers) all my teeth. Its surprising how many thieves you can kill when you actually fight back.

To that end, I don’t run a stacking sigil anymore. Guard stacks are a camp flip away.

I’m not a pro at the Ranger and Lord knows I die so many times to all classes (I know why, more on that in a second) but here is my play. I run trapper runes. Honestly, I can get away from most players. Skilled players, its 50/50. But more often than not I can, and do, get away. Then it becomes the great race across the map until one or two things happen.

1. I mess up, they catch me.
2. I lead them to their death either by cliff, friends, or another enemy zerg.
3. They just catch me because they are skilled

I know I did well when they drop siege on me

Oh, back to I die a lot. I main a Guardian so, well, I melee like I’m one. You can’t on a ranger because, well, we don’t have as many tools So, when I swap weapons it isn’t a good thing I guess but heck, its fun. I run also chill and incapacitation sigils which also help and entangle, well, everyone hates it but I love it.

Flitzie.6082:

Fluffball.8307:

Flitzie.6082:

Difficult.
Getting away with a ranger is – Difficult. And a major problem.
The Short answer is: You dont.

Well this is completely wrong on all points. Mobility is zero problem for rangers and escaping even thieves is fairly simple. In OPs case it’s as simple as hunter shot, LR, sword2 sword2 and he’s more than out of combat.

http://youtu.be/7AkX6q_kV-s?t=3m40s

Ha, I’ve seen that video before.
I still have to disagree. That is not escpaing or getting away. Thats extreme dodging that might eventually make the enemy turn around and give up. I never said the Ranger is bad at dodging.
An escape for me is a distanse covered in a time frame that your enemy cannot keep up with.

Aw man. For some reason I get away more often than I die. Am I doing this all wrong?

Then I simply need to get better Thats a fact, lol.
Maybe I need to think ahead?

The first of the sword #2 chain has a horrible cast time. Imo it should be instant like the warriors. I have really troulbe timing it.
The next thing is that 50% of the time both my hunters shot and push back thingily skill miss the target. Not because of blinds or evades etc.
They just get close and make a sidestep or walk around me in circles and even If I stand still and click nothing the character wont auto-rotate to the target once I click the skill.

This and the sword timings cause most of my deaths while roaming.

Edit: Most of my deaths are mesmers and thiefes still. Their actions are just unpredictable and non-readable for me :< Sometimes really good guardians are a trouble on my warrior, too.

I wish someone would coach me

So I ran around with the build listed in OP and with signet of the hunt which doesn’t seem too bad. The only exception is that I have full berserker and need to craft some pieces (it’s actually my pve set) and my melandru zerg set isn’t going to help matters. Although I don’t really feel too squishy. I still need to practice on moving around in general. I also took wilderness cooldown reduction (not sure why I did that in OP) and healing spring because the low armor means troll ungent may not heal fast enough.

The only enemies that seem to give lots of trouble are mesmers who I simply can’t get out of my face and confuse me even when I target the right one— especially when they just disappear, spawn tons of clones and conditions, and even are able to reflect. There’s also thieves which are sort of a toss up; either I cannot react to their conditions or burst or I just CC them into oblivion. Although I understand in these cases that they’re just as dead as I am if they screw up so I would think issues are on my end. The condition ones seem slightly easier to kill.

Another annoyance are probably warriors that can simply ignore all CC and hit me in the face, but as per my experience after that most recent warrior nerf, have been largely a nonfactor alone unless they are assisting their friends. Most seem to be one trick ponies that are simply countered by lightning reflexes though there are always exceptions that surprise me.