Guild Wars 2

Hi all, I made this post to talk about the ranger traps and what they provide for the ranger. Below is a list of what traps currently provide for the ranger and later will be a list of thing that I believe will bring the traps up just a little to make them right in line. At the end I’ll discuss why the changes and compare them to the Dragonhunter traps which I feel are in a good place apart from the damage being a bit too high.

Traps Currently Provide

• All traps are good on condition damage
• Spike Trap has good hard CC
• Frost Trap good soft CC
• All traps have ok soft CC (when traited with cripple)
• Cooldowns are in a decent spot

Tweaks To Traps

• Buff the cripple on all traps from the trait (or change effect to be a bit more effective)
• Add small AoE heal to healing spring when triggered
• Add might on trigger of flame trap
• Add stability on trigger to the spike trap
• Add swiftness on trigger to the frost trap
• Add regeneration on trigger to the vipers nest
• Make spike trap instant cast and a stun-breaker
• Create an elite trap
• Fury on elite trap trigger

Traps should be rewarding to the ranger for getting someone to step on one (boons on trigger) and should be punishing for foes (more control on trigger). In their current state they are mostly just small condition damage AoE’s. The small AoE heal is so that if a ranger puts down a healing spring other players or the Ranger get instantly healed by activating it, you have people run over it when they need a heal and not have to blast it or wait for regen. All of their traps have their own unique ‘theme’: fire is for damage, spike control (and anti-control), frost mobility, vipers sustain prevention (and help for ranger). The elite trap would ideally be the current survival elite (that to get a new one) entangle it just seems like it’s more of a trap thematically. The biggest changes here are the addition of an elite trap and a little more access to boons mostly stability and a stun-break.

The reason I believe the Dragonhunter traps are in a good place (other than damage) is because they provide utility to the Dragonhunter and control over your foe. The Ranger traps could use a bit more control and a fair amount of utility. The reason it is important that traps give boons is so that one utility doesn’t counter the traps too easily, such as taking to damage against Dragonhunter and resistance/condition cleanse vs ranger.

Thanks for reading my suggestions, numbers and stack (for boons) can be balanced accordingly but I think something similar to this is just the buff Ranger traps need.