Guild Wars 2

Hello Rangers!

I was wondering if anyone had or have seen any great SB builds since the update. I’ve been using the LB (first with GS then with S/A) since I joined the game just under a year ago. I want to give the SB a go. I have zerk gear and want the build for exploration and dungeons.

If you want to share your favourite Ranger weapons let me know! I haven’t explored my options enough :P

EDIT: Consensus is that SB is a bit rubbish and I am going to investigate condi ranger w/o SB. :P Thanks for the help!

I mostly use the shortbow on condition builds – it’s not awesome for that but seemed the most appropriate swap for axe/torch as a main weapon set. Has a good cripple on it and the bleeds stack up a fair bit if someone else has the target distracted (don’t try forcing this in dungeons, your party may not be happy).

I’m not sure it synergizes well with berserker gear though. Longbow deals enough DPS that it’s hard to top.

But… condition appears to be a valid Ranger build for dungeons now: http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Ranger_-_A/T_Condition

Since the buffs to Longbow SB is just useless in any form of pve. (you can not even justify ranging something with it in fractals)

Sirius.4510:

I mostly use the shortbow on condition builds – it’s not awesome for that but seemed the most appropriate swap for axe/torch as a main weapon set. Has a good cripple on it and the bleeds stack up a fair bit if someone else has the target distracted (don’t try forcing this in dungeons, your party may not be happy).

I’m not sure it synergizes well with berserker gear though. Longbow deals enough DPS that it’s hard to top.

But… condition appears to be a valid Ranger build for dungeons now: http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Ranger_-_A/T_Condition

Having A/T as both weapons sets is just superior dps. I would love to use my dreamer too, but it’s just not viable.

SB is not a PvE weapon period.

Literally worse than your pet as a weapon.

Would not recommend using it… Its just a bad weapon in general… extremely rare cases to even see one in sPvP..

SkiTz.4590:

SB is not a PvE weapon period.

Literally worse than your pet as a weapon.

Would not recommend using it… Its just a bad weapon in general… extremely rare cases to even see one in sPvP..

Yeah it’s super bad in spvp too, since the nerf to spirits.

Wow, thanks everyone
I feel like last time I was playing all Rangers were about the SB
Though to be fair I’ve been using it today and I’m not a fan… So perhaps this is a good thing haha!

Condi ranger seems like a fun option I need to explore.

Emzi.7584:

Condi ranger seems like a fun option I need to explore.

its def a fun option… but SB is not a good weapon for condi either unless your opponent just lets you sit there and spam auto attack on him and stack 50 bleeds lol

SkiTz.4590:

Emzi.7584:

Condi ranger seems like a fun option I need to explore.

its def a fun option… but SB is not a good weapon for condi either unless your opponent just lets you sit there and spam auto attack on him and stack 50 bleeds lol

haaha yeah definitely dropping the SB Thanks for the advice

SkiTz.4590:

Emzi.7584:

Condi ranger seems like a fun option I need to explore.

its def a fun option… but SB is not a good weapon for condi either unless your opponent just lets you sit there and spam auto attack on him and stack 50 bleeds lol

Wha…? SB can stack bleeds very high on engaged opponents who do more than just stand there. If you are outside of the front facing 90 degree arc of your opponent, which can really be even just a little bit to his side, it counts as flanking.

SB is a great weapon for condi. One of the biggest weaknesses of the basic trapper or condi-survival ranger is that they completely lack range pressure because traps cant be thrown anymore and they are almost all running a/d s/t. replacing the a/d swap with shortbow is a very, very strong option.

Additionally, the OP was talking about PvE. Where all the opponents “just stand there.” Anything in PvE that is less DPS than 1h sword is a waste. Running SB as an alternative weapon swap to LB in a power build really shouldnt be an issue because of the very low amount of time you should be ranged. In a condition build, its going to score you 3 projectile finishers for your flame trap / bonfire combo.

I think a better question would be, “how does SB look in a sinister or rabid PvE condi spec?”

It might look pretty scary:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNAV3fjMqQ7KWuCuqAXLGSEqPAS2ZuT3d9p5FocPgMW6kZSA-TFSFABEcBAA4JAQsyPf1NIs6PJcQASZ/hsUCSKg7GbB-w

Swap pets on cd for poison, quickness, perma 3 might stacks. Swap weapons on cd for quickdraw.

Use quickdraw for double bonfire on a/t, use quickdraw for double point-blank poison volleys on shortbow. Blow all SB skills for projectile finishers over flame trap / bonfire fields during the SB rotation. Overall you are keeping up tons of bleeding, poison and burning with very little ramp up time.

I still think that “some ramp up” exists, which would make power specs superior for trash mobs.