Guild Wars 2

Actually, it’s my primary killer. It’s extremely precious having a high-DPS move that keeps you on your target with all the crippling and lunging when it’s time to go for it. My typical kill strategy when I’m ready to try and gun someone down is to have my snow leopard pounce them for the chill so they’re less likely to get away, and then pop quickness and start swordhumping them as hard as possible. It’s been an extremely potent kill tactic for me when well-timed. I run berserker, of course.

The biggest tip I could offer to anyone is -do not have it on auto-. Because then, yeah, I agree, it sucks, it locks you down, but if you’re comfortable mashing 1—which I am, in fact I prefer it because it’s more precise—I have 0 problem with it affecting my movement in unwanted ways.

I really like the number 1. It’s nice to have something that lets me hold on to a target I’m trying to take down. Mostly you just need to keep it on manual.

We shouldn’t have to keep it on manual just to make it useable.

Agadar.4931:

We shouldn’t have to keep it on manual just to make it useable.

It’s useable off of manual… it’s just not as good, which is fine seeing as how it works the same way with keyboard turning and clicking.

agree, #1 is good.

1. is ok. it would be really good, if there was not this attack delay before jumping back. I can not count the number of time where i wish i would have jump back sooner. Add a little lag, and you start to wonder if you actually pressed the button.
2. is average. Good output but very hard to use , since you need to have the space to use it.

my 2 cents

^ This. I have been melting people left and right with my current setup. I have people message me all the time in sPvP asking about my build and weapon I used...after I smoked them.

What are you running off hand with sword?

Torch or dagger?

weird somehow the text i typed was formatted differently, i meant :

agree, #1 is good.
-#2 is ok. it would be really good, if there was not this attack delay before jumping back. I can not count the number of time where i wish i would have jump back sooner. Add a little lag, and you start to wonder if you actually pressed the button.
-#3 is average. Good output but very hard to use , since you need to have the space to use it.

I use torch with sword, for offensive, since two sword abilities already provide some evasion.

Yeah sword auto is pretty much the best DPS ranger has to offer, and it’s fun watching people trying to kite away only to have you leap all over them like a rabid mongoose in heat. Between it and some rugged high damage pets I can pretty easily melt most people I run into in SPvP despite being a very bunkery build myself.

Sword auto is not only the best ranger DPS, in my opinion it is the best sustained DPS in the game. Notice the word sustained; other classes may have better burst with bigger numbers, but over a longer period of time, ranger sword is king.

What trait builds & skills do you use with Sword? I’ve been mixing up all my weapons while levelling my new ranger (level 46 now) and trying various combinations to get a good “pure” melee build. I’ve been enjoying Sword & Warhorn the most lately for the birds and fury.

I too like the sword but I have changed my mine about the lunging and have decided I do not like how it makes your character uncontrollable during the attack animations(regardless of manual/auto).

Since beta I chalked it up to unique flavor and just used it for the flavor. However I do like skills and I think it’s damage is good and I’d love to use it more but those small lockouts preventing dodging and making it really difficult to keep yourself not in front of enemies really make it a literal double edged sword.

If they could fix it so that you could strafe while in the animation and make dodging more responsive that would be fine otherwise I’d prefer it being reworked.

I just wish #3 didn’t have pathing problems on Y axis. Same issue as the Thief Flanking Strike where you just fly off in some random direction and don’t hit anything.

Elthurien.8356:

What trait builds & skills do you use with Sword? I’ve been mixing up all my weapons while levelling my new ranger (level 46 now) and trying various combinations to get a good “pure” melee build. I’ve been enjoying Sword & Warhorn the most lately for the birds and fury.

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-GF3g;1sEVx-c2VEF-0;9-9;4T9T;449A2;016BKNX6;2jwmAjwmA2Vv

There you go elthy! It’s the one I use for my sPvP ranger.

Lysico.4906:

What are you running off hand with sword?

Torch or dagger?

Dagger! I stack evasion as hard as I can. Someone earlier said they don’t like serpent’s strike. I’m like whaaat that’s my favorite non-auto.

Elthurien.8356:

What trait builds & skills do you use with Sword? I’ve been mixing up all my weapons while levelling my new ranger (level 46 now) and trying various combinations to get a good “pure” melee build. I’ve been enjoying Sword & Warhorn the most lately for the birds and fury.

0/25/30/10/5 with full berserker gear. I use quickening zephyr, a wolf, and a snow leopard. Those’re the main staples of my aggressive behavior. Lemme know if there are more specifics you want to know. I’m not a pure melee build; my build is made to work in conjunction with a bow of some kind (usually short) in my other hand.

kuora.5402:

Elthurien.8356:

What trait builds & skills do you use with Sword? I’ve been mixing up all my weapons while levelling my new ranger (level 46 now) and trying various combinations to get a good “pure” melee build. I’ve been enjoying Sword & Warhorn the most lately for the birds and fury.

http://intothemists.com/calc/?build=-GF3g;1sEVx-c2VEF-0;9-9;4T9T;449A2;016BKNX6;2jwmAjwmA2Vv

There you go elthy! It’s the one I use for my sPvP ranger.

Came up as a bad Link El

Othayuni.7369:

Lysico.4906:

What are you running off hand with sword?

Torch or dagger?

Dagger! I stack evasion as hard as I can. Someone earlier said they don’t like serpent’s strike. I’m like whaaat that’s my favorite non-auto.

Elthurien.8356:

What trait builds & skills do you use with Sword? I’ve been mixing up all my weapons while levelling my new ranger (level 46 now) and trying various combinations to get a good “pure” melee build. I’ve been enjoying Sword & Warhorn the most lately for the birds and fury.

0/25/30/10/5 with full berserker gear. I use quickening zephyr, a wolf, and a snow leopard. Those’re the main staples of my aggressive behavior. Lemme know if there are more specifics you want to know. I’m not a pure melee build; my build is made to work in conjunction with a bow of some kind (usually short) in my other hand.

Thanks, this seems to be what i’m gravitating towards as I level up anyway. I hit 50 tonight so I’ve currently got 0/20/15/0/5 and it’s working as intended.

Elthuzar.9478:

Came up as a bad Link El

The board adds an extra carriage return in long links like that. You have to copy paste it.

This comes up SO often. I’m thinking of adding it as my sig. :P

brogarn.8723:

Elthuzar.9478:

Came up as a bad Link El

The board adds an extra carriage return in long links like that. You have to copy paste it.

This comes up SO often. I’m thinking of adding it as my sig. :P

Still failed, even when I copy/pasted & removed the Anet header and added the forward
slants back in. Not to worry, I’ll figure it out.

I’m still currently using Sword&Warhorn though, I just love calling in the hawks before switching to shortbow then switching pets for quickness. So many hits in so little time.

Elthurien.8356:

brogarn.8723:

Elthuzar.9478:

Came up as a bad Link El

The board adds an extra carriage return in long links like that. You have to copy paste it.

This comes up SO often. I’m thinking of adding it as my sig. :P

Still failed, even when I copy/pasted & removed the Anet header and added the forward
slants back in. Not to worry, I’ll figure it out.

I’m still currently using Sword&Warhorn though, I just love calling in the hawks before switching to shortbow then switching pets for quickness. So many hits in so little time.

so many poor little hits though..

Torch would be better. #4 to burn, #5 for aoe burn field.

Elthurien.8356:

Still failed, even when I copy/pasted & removed the Anet header and added the forward
slants back in. Not to worry, I’ll figure it out.

Ya, I just verified the link works with copy paste. Did you make sure you got both lines? Not sure what’s going on otherwise. Good luck!

brogarn.8723:

Elthurien.8356:

Still failed, even when I copy/pasted & removed the Anet header and added the forward
slants back in. Not to worry, I’ll figure it out.

Ya, I just verified the link works with copy paste. Did you make sure you got both lines? Not sure what’s going on otherwise. Good luck!

At work at the moment, I’ll give it another shot tonight. Chances are it missed copying the end section. I got as far as the website but no information so that’s probably the case.

Lysico.4906:

Elthurien.8356:

brogarn.8723:

Elthuzar.9478:

Came up as a bad Link El

The board adds an extra carriage return in long links like that. You have to copy paste it.

This comes up SO often. I’m thinking of adding it as my sig. :P

Still failed, even when I copy/pasted & removed the Anet header and added the forward
slants back in. Not to worry, I’ll figure it out.

I’m still currently using Sword&Warhorn though, I just love calling in the hawks before switching to shortbow then switching pets for quickness. So many hits in so little time.

so many poor little hits though..

Torch would be better. #4 to burn, #5 for aoe burn field.

I’ll have to wait and see when I reach 80 and gear up. I’m only using warhorn while levelling and combining it with flame trap so there’s little need for the torch at this stage when flame trap is on such a short cooldown. The little hits from hunters call and shortbow auto combined with quickness are quite good at my current level with my current crit damage. I will most likely switch to torch once I get to the berserker gear stage (currently only at the mid range gear that only has two stats). I’m not sure how the flame field will go in WvW though, it seems very avoidable, reminding me of black powder on my Thief.

I’m 100% with you.

I first chose a GS when I went for a melee option. And I really enjoyed it. I still think the 5 abilities are pretty nice but there’re two major differences at least for me:

- Attack speed. kitten GS #1 and #2 are cool but they are soooo slow. I’ve literaly had enemies just stepping out of maul’s AoE (with me trying to desperately land it right).

- Thieves. Sticking to them while they are stealthed with sword 1# is priceless.

In the other hand, there are some cons I can say about the sword:

- Dungeons. Being able to time and fully control my dodges is the most important thing.
- #2. The evade part has a too long cast time wich makes it almost useless as an evade (I’m talking about when you recognize an animation of an attack you want to evade, not just random evading), and the leap tends to miss a lot if the target moves, wich is what they usually do when you evade backward. So for me, #2 is only a way to gain distance and swap to my LB.

Engels.8537:

- Dungeons. Being able to time and fully control my dodges is the most important thing.

This is what kills it for me. In both dungeons and pvp, dodging key attacks is so crucial that I would never, ever want to lose my ability to do so. Mobility is cool, but at this cost, no thx.

There is one more point I that personally bugs me with it, but that I rarely saw mentioned: in dungeons and general pve, jumping towards your enemy does work against you occasionally. When I want to position myself so that I might hit as many enemies as possible, jumping towards one target often also jumps past others, so I actually lose more damage then I gain by closing in on targets.

Sword #1 would be fine if:

• dodge would override the sequence
• pressing F to stomp would override the sequence

If they fix those two things, I think it sword #1 would be perfect.

OGDeadHead.8326:

Sword #1 would be fine if:

• dodge would override the sequence
• pressing F to stomp would override the sequence

If they fix those two things, I think it sword #1 would be perfect.

I will say one thing for ALL #1 skills, manual it auto cast pressing ANY other skill or doing any other action (reviving, dodging, finishing etc) should cancel the #1 skills in que and take over. Or at least have an option for this.

Before anyone says it does, it doesn’t, so many hunters shots and phantasms not going off due to it not overriding…

Durzlla.6295:

OGDeadHead.8326:

Sword #1 would be fine if:

• dodge would override the sequence
• pressing F to stomp would override the sequence

If they fix those two things, I think it sword #1 would be perfect.

I will say one thing for ALL #1 skills, manual it auto cast pressing ANY other skill or doing any other action (reviving, dodging, finishing etc) should cancel the #1 skills in que and take over. Or at least have an option for this.

Before anyone says it does, it doesn’t, so many hunters shots and phantasms not going off due to it not overriding…

^
I just got this tattooed on my body this weekend, anet.
that’s how kittened important it is.
please pay attention.

Me too, I love everything about it, the way it sticks, the constant cripple, and even the animations. I love seeing single thieves coming up to me in WvW while i’m trying to take supply camps, probably thinking “oh hey, a ranger, this’ll be easy.” Then you just dodge their attacks and proceed to destroy them as they attempt to hobble away from your face-homing kick.

It’s quite fun.

Just hit 80 tonight. Setting up for a Rabid Sword/Torch and Trap build first off, then I’ll look into a zerker build once I accumulate the gear.