Guild Wars 2

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?fMAQNBlOD7EpiML7qQLIQLEArCC2ekpkYyUYIjuCleynqUD;TsAAzCpo+y8l4L7XuvkftqYUy+DA

EDIT: copy and paste link into browser

This is the build I have worked and reworked since launch and it works the best for me.

This build focuses on three primary attributes. Toughness, precision, and condition damage. While the HP is may not all be that impressive, you hit 1860 toughness with this build, which will keep you alive long enough. The precision is required to proc the bleed conditions, and condition damage is self explanatory.

WEAPONS:

Short bow – bleed from the back and side. Evasive shot for extra survivability, crippling shot for slow, concussive shot for stun, poison shot for healing reduction. Every skill is essential.

Axe – Winter’s bite for extra slow+ cooldown increase, splitblade for instant bleed stacks.

Warhorn – Gives you mobility ,fury, and might. Bird is excellent for engaging battles (you can use sharpening stone while casting the bird call, which is an insta 5 bleed stack for you)

I usually start the battle with bird call + sharpening stone, get up close, and land a split blade, which can easily give you 10~16 stacks of bleed.

TRAITS:

Markmanship -

Keen edge: just for the extra dps

Skirmishing -

Sharpened edges: the butter and cheese of the build. Chance to bleed on crit strike.

Quick draw – some people may argue against this, but 20% less CD means you can keep poison on longer, evade more often, stun more often (crucial when preventing revive), etc.

Wilderness Survival -

All these traits are necessary to keep you very hard to kill. If you feel like you rarely meet or have trouble against condition mesmer/thief/necro/rangers, then empathic bond may be switched out for bark skin. I prefer empathic bond though.

Take Vigorous spirit for X2 spirit health. You’ll need this for sure.

Let’s talk pets:

PETS:

I have tried virtually all the pets and I find that the two stand out.

Wolf – 2k toughness, charge that knocks down enemy, AOE fear F2 skill. The absolute ideal pet.

Black Widow Spider – The F2 immobilization procs off of the spider’s attack only. It doesn’t daze, only immobilizes. It made the list because of its poison attacks, along with its placement of poison combo fields occasionally. Heal reduction is essential.

SLOT SKILLS:

Sharpening stone – self explanatory, quick and nice dps skill

Stone Spirit – useful in group fights. Hide if possible! Gives allies and yourself a chance to gain the Protection boon while attacking (almost always up). Also may be triggered to create a mud pool that immobilizes nearby enemy (very useful against thieves, warriors, etc.)

Protect me – 60 sec cooldown, pet absorbs all your damage. This does NOT include condition damage. If the pet is low, remember to switch pet before using this.

Some people use a combination of signet of stone + signet of beastmastery. However, this requires 30 points in markmanship which we cannot afford, and signet of stone has a cooldown of 120 seconds. Just not worth it.

Nature’s Renewal:

Again, controversial, but it is my favourite skill of all time. You summon the spirit which heals everyone around it for a decent amount (about 460 per second). You can trigger it again to revive all the allies (including yourself) nearby. You cannot trigger it when you are dead. However, it has a cast time so you may trigger it a few seconds before you die. The result is that you come back magically revived, and your enemies are ‘finishing off’ the ground where you used to be.

Again, try to put this out of Line of Sight if possible. It is very easy to do so on Waterfall or Henge. Neither of the other two elites give you a chance to face a thief w/ guild alone. This one does.

RUNES/SIGILS

I use Sigil of purification on the short bow for extra condition removal, with sigil of earth on axe (60% chance to bleed on crit) with sigil of energy (50% energy recovery when switching to this weapon) on warhorn. Sigil of earth, rage, energy are also some viable sigils on the short bow.

Rune of nightmare is hands down the best for you. Condition damage, duration, and most importantly, chance to fear the attacker. 1 sec sounds short, but trust me, that 1 sec fear will make your opponentkitten blood.

Superior rune of the undead may seem like a viable choice also. However…

The undead one gives you +50 toughness and +95 condition damage than nightmare. Nightmare gives +10% more condition duration (applies to chilling and poison too) and has a chance to fear the attacker.

Since 10% more duration is more damage than 95 condition damage (without rocket science) it’s a matter of weighing 50 toughness to fearing attacker. The choice is clear.

And that’s about it! Please leave any questions below.

Here are some of the tips I wish the tool tips included:

1. Bird call can be casted while moving

2. Even if you start casting the bird call out of range from the target, as long as you are close enough by the end of the cast, the spell will be casted perfectly.

3. Same for chilling axe.

4. There is no casting animation for sharpening edges. It can be cast ANY time. (even while casting other spells like bird call.)

5. Being up close with splitblade puts more stacks of bleed. Being up close with poison arrow makes the poison last longer.

6. Pets can be switched, and given command when you’re in a down state. When your teammates are trying to revive you, AOE fear with wolf is great.

7. Guardians have aegis that sometimes block your number 2 interrupt while you’re down. Try to get the aegis down first with auto attacks before interrupting.

8. Wolf’s aoe fear can also be used to stop the enemies from reviving allies.

9. Stone spirit has a 2 second cast time. The mud pool also requires the stone spirit to channel for 2 seconds before creating.

10. Already mentioned, but using your elite for the second time after summoning it will revive you, if you use it right before dying.

11. Crafting with Tourney token + crystal + medium armor tokens will give you the Leather Set with a chance of getting Rugged Set pieces. Token + sliver + armor token will give you Rugged with a chance of Mist Walker Set pieces

I already posted this in the “Post your Build” sticky so I am just going to put it here.
—————————————————-
This is my PvE oriented Condition Trapper build:

10/30/30/0/0

10 MM for Steady Focus
30 SKRM for Sharpened Edges, Trapper’s Expertise, Trap Potency
30 WS for Soften the Fall, Oakheart Salve, Bark Skin

I use Troll Unguent for heal, Spike Trap, Flame Trap, and Frost Trap for utilities, and Rampage as One for Elite.

For pets I use Black Bear for aoe weakness and Carrion Devourer for a sturdy ranged pet with aoe poison.
I use Rampage as One with Carrion Devourer out and hit F2 right after. The aoe poison field that the Carrion Devourer does procs a hit of RAO’s might buff per poison tick. So I can easily get to 15+ stacks of might when using this combo quickly when fighting more than 1 mob. Spike/Frost Trap helps to keep the mobs in the poison field.

For gear I run Rampager’s and for runes I run 6/6 Runes of the Undead. I do this for the extra condition damage and toughness and the 6 piece conversion of toughness into condition damage. I plan to use the Artificer’s consumable crystal for extra condition damage from toughness. For jewelry I plan on using either Carrion or Rampagers, but probably Carrion for some Vitality.

For sigils I use Superior Sigil of Earth in my Axe and Short Bow and a Major Sigil of Earth in my Warhorn. Short Bow of course for single target and Axe/Warhorn for AoE fights.

- Ghaz, Fort Aspenwood

Thank you very much for the build ideas. I am going to go give this a shot in PvP right now.

You’re welcome! Glad I was of help

Bump in the hopes of people trying out the build

hmm i think the link doesn’t work

you’re right. i’ll put up another link

I’m definitely going to give the PvE build a shot as I’m leveling my new Ranger, and will keep the PvP seriously in mind as well. I was looking for a tougher condi based Ranger build and this seems to fit perfectly!