Guild Wars 2

It is my understanding that Search and Rescue does not work or stops working upon the death of your pet. But I have other questions about it…

If I use Search and Rescue and nobody is in a downed or defeated state, will my pet be in a “Search and Rescue” mindset and will go rescue someone as soon as they’re downed OR did I just waste a skill for 85 seconds?

If the former, how long of an internal timer does the pet have to be in that state before it “gives up” and doesn’t care about searching and rescuing? What if I switch pets?

If there are multiple people downed/defeated, will my pet go rescue another after rescuing the first?

If I or my pet are out of range of a downed alley, did I again waste 85 seconds by calling the skill?

I fear the answers. This is a very neat skill, but the number of downsides and disadvantages makes it incredibly situational and tends to just waste a skill slot.

From my experience:

No

Pet doesn’t get that mind set. Switch pets would ruin the link anyway.

No

Yes.

SafiMoyo.5130:

If I use Search and Rescue and nobody is in a downed or defeated state, will my pet be in a “Search and Rescue” mindset and will go rescue someone as soon as they’re downed OR did I just waste a skill for 85 seconds?
—————————————>you just wasted it
If the former, how long of an internal timer does the pet have to be in that state before it “gives up” and doesn’t care about searching and rescuing? What if I switch pets?

If there are multiple people downed/defeated, will my pet go rescue another after rescuing the first?
—————————————>only one and then wait for 90 s

If I or my pet are out of range of a downed alley, did I again waste 85 seconds by calling the skill?
—————————————>yes, but the range is based on you, not the pet

I fear the answers. This is a very neat skill, but the number of downsides and disadvantages makes it incredibly situational and tends to just waste a skill slot.

Also, the skill does not work when the pet is dead or dies (pet still walks over the body, but does nothing, just stands there) and usually does not work on slopes, only flat terrain

Can sum it up in one word: Poorly.

Search and Rescue should work even if the pet is dead, as far as I know, because it is a utility skill that doesn’t depend on the health of the pet.

Doesn’t work with a dead pet or if the pet dies during the skill.

….but…. but I don’t like these answers! Why such a long cool down for a skill that already has so many restrictions on top of it?

Safi….. just let it go.

SafiMoyo.5130:

….but…. but I don’t like these answers! Why such a long cool down for a skill that already has so many restrictions on top of it?

Its ok, acceptance will come, negation is just the first stage, we’ve all been through that….

Bran.7425:

Doesn’t work with a dead pet or if the pet dies during the skill.

I just tested it with a dead pet; I begrudgingly admit that the pet only runs to the target if dead, it does not actually heal unless the pet itself gets healed (ie, leaving combat auto-health renewal will make the pet snap into healing if completed).

SafiMoyo.5130:

….but…. but I don’t like these answers! Why such a long cool down for a skill that already has so many restrictions on top of it?

Of the reviving utilities Search and Rescue has the shortest cool down I guess that is part of the ‘balance’ with ranger skills.

I try to use search and rescue for opponents such as Lupicus who have big aoe circles that I prefer not to personally sit in while reviving people. All the problems mentioned above come into play though. You have to be in range (or does the pet have to be in range?). The pet needs to be alive but generally isn’t since it doesn’t dodge red circles. The pet will usually be killed in the next aoe circle anyway while it is reviving. I work round this by leaving a defeated pet active until I need search and rescue, swap to a live healthy pet and then immediately tell it to rescue.

It’s quite notable that the main times you want to use the pet or spirit to revive people – big aoe or red circles that you don’t want to sit in – are the times your spirit and pet will fail as well. You can trait your spirit to give its benefit when killed but that is really only compensating for failures of the spirit itself.

SafiMoyo.5130:

….but…. but I don’t like these answers! Why such a long cool down for a skill that already has so many restrictions on top of it?

Because we’re rangers, not thieves or guardians or warriors or elementalists or mesmers. We have the weakest signets, the weakest spirits, the weakest shouts, the weakest class-specific F2, the weakest traits, and the weakest weapons.

If you’re in the game to win, don’t play the ranger unless you enjoy being the underdog.

You have to be in range.
Despite the name of it, which would lead you to believe the pet is the center of the AOE, it’s mechanically a standard Shout which is centered on the player.

I think that’s the worst part of thing. Dead, I can live with. Horrible rez speed, I can live with. Not making proper use of the whole ‘separate entity’ part of Ranger and centering the AOE on the player? Totally unforgivable.

does the pet know to try and bring up players and not downed npc’s first?

Xante.2184:

does the pet know to try and bring up players and not downed npc’s first?

Don’t know. Don’t see how it’s relevant either. It’s a useless utility.

SafiMoyo.5130:

….but…. but I don’t like these answers! Why such a long cool down for a skill that already has so many restrictions on top of it?

Safi….safi….I reeaaally like you. Heeeheee, remind me of saffron (saffi) from Absolutely Fabulous.

S&R.=rubbish. I would say replace it with…..but it’s also rubbish…..EVERYTHING IS RUBBISH. We are a broken class

Well it gets people who are totally dead back up. But i think its best in say a dungeon and someone dies. Since reviving cuts down in speed considerably in combat, it pretty much allows you to revive someone while keeping damage on the boss.

The other good thing is that drake pets kinda… Well their stance has their groin on your face. Would like a little licking animation for lick wounds instead of my drake laying on me like when he was light enough not to crush my chest in glee for a treat. Now he just has to hop up and I fall to my back and he gets the treat that flew out of my hand. With a smug smile on his scaled lips.