Guild Wars 2

So theory crafting on how to use the new SB and CoTW changes. Seems have to take BM at minimum. Now you could take MM for the swap or SK for the SB cool downs.

If you take MM it frees up the WH slot for another offhand.

Where does that leave surviving though? Seems either Druid has to go for WS or you become super vulnerable to conditions unless I’m missing something.

With the healing nerf and CA nerf is it really wise to take druid on a roaming capacity anymore? Sure CA clears conditions but it’s also 15 sec gated now assuming max AF generation.

Too early to get anything but theorycrafters with no experience with the ranger. Wait a week or so, so veterans can test the nerfs

We are going to be fine. As solo roamer and 0 healing power i usually took 12~15 sec to fill up CA on a 1v1 and about 9~10 sec to fill in outnumbered fights. So its almost the same.

Lynnie.7213:

We are going to be fine. As solo roamer and 0 healing power i usually took 12~15 sec to fill up CA on a 1v1 and about 9~10 sec to fill in outnumbered fights. So its almost the same.

It really is the same

blitzkrieg.2451:

Lynnie.7213:

We are going to be fine. As solo roamer and 0 healing power i usually took 12~15 sec to fill up CA on a 1v1 and about 9~10 sec to fill in outnumbered fights. So its almost the same.

It really is the same

Exactly. It affected the most people who used to run high healing power for roaming, which i find unnecessary or zerg druids, those ones got really wrecked, because 5 seconds in a GvG means a lot.

That’s the thing, you won’t be able to sustain that 0 HP now. Base heals got nerfed by 30-50%, I wouldn’t call that ‘fine’.

I mean, with 0HP, why run druid? Condi clear is nice I guess, but can already do that a bunch of different ways with Ranger, same with stealth. Ancient seeds is decent but not the best elite out there. The rest of the druid traits are….meh.

Gotejjeken.1267:

That’s the thing, you won’t be able to sustain that 0 HP now. Base heals got nerfed by 30-50%, I wouldn’t call that ‘fine’.

I mean, with 0HP, why run druid? Condi clear is nice I guess, but can already do that a bunch of different ways with Ranger, same with stealth. Ancient seeds is decent but not the best elite out there. The rest of the druid traits are….meh.

Heals that got nerfed are in CA. So my CA regenaration will be the same, taking the same time to fill up. I barely use the heals in CA as roamer. If i take my time to heal in CA i get more damage than heals, unless i am fighting someone with no gap closer or no ranged weapon. Most thing i use in CA is #3 > #5.

I’m going to try SB + S/T or Staff in a condi slanted cele build probably this weekend. The SB changes look usable. Will have to play with the traits quite a bit.

Fluffball.8307:

I’m going to try SB + S/T or Staff in a condi slanted cele build probably this weekend. The SB changes look usable. Will have to play with the traits quite a bit.

I used to run that in sPvP. Also with my trapper roaming build pre HoT. Not sure I’d go back but do post about it. I’m wondering if it is viable. Not trap runes, but just the general play. I just can’t see using that bow due to the failed range.

Crapgame.6519:

I used to run that in sPvP. Also with my trapper roaming build pre HoT. Not sure I’d go back but do post about it. I’m wondering if it is viable. Not trap runes, but just the general play. I just can’t see using that bow due to the failed range.

I almost exclusively roam and the range I get when I run zerker LB is not highly useful. It’s DEVASTATING in small group fights, I mean you can single handedly change the course of a 10v10 PUG fight. But for solo roaming, LB is mostly utility. I think SB can compete now, or at least that’s my gut feeling without having even equipped one yet.

Back the double bow wvw/spvp meta? used to hate fight against that build.

Lynnie.7213:

Gotejjeken.1267:

That’s the thing, you won’t be able to sustain that 0 HP now. Base heals got nerfed by 30-50%, I wouldn’t call that ‘fine’.

I mean, with 0HP, why run druid? Condi clear is nice I guess, but can already do that a bunch of different ways with Ranger, same with stealth. Ancient seeds is decent but not the best elite out there. The rest of the druid traits are….meh.

Heals that got nerfed are in CA. So my CA regenaration will be the same, taking the same time to fill up. I barely use the heals in CA as roamer. If i take my time to heal in CA i get more damage than heals, unless i am fighting someone with no gap closer or no ranged weapon. Most thing i use in CA is #3 > #5.

Right, so why take druid at all? You’d be better off with almost anything else if you are using CA only for a condi clear / quick stealth.

Which is pretty much what anet wants. Druid isn’t supposed to replace the core ranger, just augment it. The annoying part is core ranger is so bad everyone thinks they have to run druid even if its not doing anything for them.

Gotejjeken.1267:

Lynnie.7213:

Gotejjeken.1267:

That’s the thing, you won’t be able to sustain that 0 HP now. Base heals got nerfed by 30-50%, I wouldn’t call that ‘fine’.

I mean, with 0HP, why run druid? Condi clear is nice I guess, but can already do that a bunch of different ways with Ranger, same with stealth. Ancient seeds is decent but not the best elite out there. The rest of the druid traits are….meh.

Heals that got nerfed are in CA. So my CA regenaration will be the same, taking the same time to fill up. I barely use the heals in CA as roamer. If i take my time to heal in CA i get more damage than heals, unless i am fighting someone with no gap closer or no ranged weapon. Most thing i use in CA is #3 > #5.

Right, so why take druid at all? You’d be better off with almost anything else if you are using CA only for a condi clear / quick stealth.

Which is pretty much what anet wants. Druid isn’t supposed to replace the core ranger, just augment it. The annoying part is core ranger is so bad everyone thinks they have to run druid even if its not doing anything for them.

From roaming perspective you want druid for some extra heals, stealth, condition cleanse and staff. And there are still pretty good ranger builds out there.
Ofc i’d be happy with some buffs still, but just saying.

Any roamer, especially power based would be using CA to get the invis + super speed and the condi clear and stun break from the druid line… The heals are just icing on the cake. It is literally the reason I even consider the Druid trait line that extra active survivability is much needed and ancient seeds is really good with bow / gs , my main weapon.

It looks like celestial druid might have taken a hit ? Maybe , not sure.

blitzkrieg.2451:

Any roamer, especially power based would be using CA to get the invis + super speed and the condi clear and stun break from the druid line… The heals are just icing on the cake. It is literally the reason I even consider the Druid trait line that extra active survivability is much needed and ancient seeds is really good with bow / gs , my main weapon.

It looks like celestial druid might have taken a hit ? Maybe , not sure.

Exactly! the ones who suffered with this change in WvW are the zerg druids who actually use CA to heal the party.

Gotejjeken.1267:

So theory crafting on how to use the new SB and CoTW changes. Seems have to take BM at minimum. Now you could take MM for the swap or SK for the SB cool downs.

If you take MM it frees up the WH slot for another offhand.

Where does that leave surviving though? Seems either Druid has to go for WS or you become super vulnerable to conditions unless I’m missing something.

With the healing nerf and CA nerf is it really wise to take druid on a roaming capacity anymore? Sure CA clears conditions but it’s also 15 sec gated now assuming max AF generation.

So I gave this a try today and it was interesting. http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBMhVakQFKZxKWwlFoaxihgxEAGdNA4s6XNt20BSdtgSWRaA-TlSAABAcIAaTJIFnBAxUi5jqBBu/wXKP4RNHFeAAvoPIAACA7cnHdnH9olCQspRA-wa
It’s pretty amusing having birds constantly pecking away at people and then stomping them with the scarecrow finisher which summons even more birds lol. It definitely has some weaknesses, especially vs players with a high uptime of retal, but it’s not too bad.

Between the sword and pets your direct damage is pretty solid against players with a lot of condi removal, and if you need to escape you can blast smoke cloud 3 times and use the multiple super speed skills to get away.

Doesn’t hold up to well against warriors though.

Edit: I also tested it with BM instead of druid, it was a nice increase to damage but it was tougher to survive