Guild Wars 2

I think I’ve decided to pick the ranger as my main. I’ve got a lvl 55 Ele and a 45 Thief, but I don’t like them much. The ele is really squishy and you either stay in fire most of the time or switch like mad. I don’t like that there’s not really a middle ground. The Thief is also squishy, and I feel like they should have more access to stealth.

Anyways I chose Ranger because I think it fits what I like to do for each mode the best. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems like they are great at solo pve, and I don’t feel lonely because I’ve got a furry friend. They are also support in dungeons, which I like to do.

I don’t really know what their role is in pvp / WvW though. What do Rangers / Druids do in those modes?

I’d say your assessment is spot on. I can’t tell you about pvp/WvW though.

For pvp rangers (specd with the druid line) act as a point holder/support and also can also fulfill the role of dps/burst with longbow (druid line is not required here but a dps build can be made with it), tho this particular play style is not very viable in the last ~4 months due to the op’nes of bunkers and the overabundance of magnetic auras but keep in mind that all of those are getting nerfed in the upcoming patch.
Another viable way to play is a bruiser build (can go full melee or with a longbow and a melee, just do not camp the bow that is a bad way to play) or a sustainable condition build (again druid is not necessary here).

For wvw you an go full glass with a bow or staff or make a balanced build (basically sustained dps with a stat split between power ferocity precision and toughness, you can look many variants on ytube).

Just keep in mind that the druid line does not fit in all builds and it does not make every single one better, infact it can be more advantageous to take another line instead (depending on the build).
Allot of ppl slot in the elite specializations just because of the name and cripple their build (elite specs are strong but do not fit with every build is the point i am getting across, so do not just copy what you see on the build sites try to figure out what works and what doesn’t on your own).

I’ll have some time getting used to the class more when I level it. I have one at level ten right now, but I think I’m going to reroll and see what race I like the best. I’m torn between human and Sylvari

The most valuable form of support is Damage.
Never forget that.
And yes, we are the best class for solo PvE.

And well, I think we are currently the best supports in the game one can get.
38,5% damage increase and Healing for raids in higher fractals on top of that.

We are not there for personal DPS, though. Our DPS is not on par with other classes.

Tragic Positive.9356:

The most valuable form of support is Damage.
Never forget that.

Well every class has damage, I want to be useful outside of that too.

VicariousJambi.6452:

Tragic Positive.9356:

The most valuable form of support is Damage.
Never forget that.

Well every class has damage, I want to be useful outside of that too.

Then you give your party more damage

OtterPaws.2036:

Then you give your party more damage

What about buffs, heals and cc?

VicariousJambi.6452:

OtterPaws.2036:

Then you give your party more damage

What about buffs, heals and cc?

Because of the dodge mechanic and self heal to prevent “looking for healer”, GW2 PvE has always been and always will be about damage. Bosses are tuned around the fact that players can mitigate big attacks by dodging, and then heal themselves if they mess up. It’s very “action oriented” instead of just heal numbers and what not from older RPGs.

Buffs; ranger has some outstanding damage buffs. The defensive buffs are basically limited to an AoE block on the guardian so you don’t have to bother dodging that time.

Heals; useless in 99.999999999% of PvE content. The expacs 10-man raids use a healer, otherwise people take care of themselves.

CC; everyone has CC and it’s used almost exclusively for a mechanic bosses have where you need to mass CC them to stop some ultra powerful ability. If that bar isn’t up, CC often doesn’t even affect the boss.

PvP and WvW are where you want to be if you care about doing something other than damage.

Fluffball.8307:

Because of the dodge mechanic and self heal to prevent “looking for healer”, GW2 PvE has always been and always will be about damage. Bosses are tuned around the fact that players can mitigate big attacks by dodging, and then heal themselves if they mess up. It’s very “action oriented” instead of just heal numbers and what not from older RPGs

So then end game PvE is just “do damage and stay out of the red circle”?

VicariousJambi.6452:

So then end game PvE is just “do damage and stay out of the red circle”?

From the elitist point of view.
Yes. If you are capable of remembering the time when mechanics (and red circles) occur, you can prevent mechanics by mechanics and positioning.

So let’s say … There is an AoE attack that hits hard if people don’t stand in a circle but can be negated if mesmer creates a Blur effect on all raid members – preventing any damage taken whatsoever without anyone following the mechanics.

It requires a lot of awareness of numerous mechanics simultaneously which isn’t really easy. In fact, 90% of raiding people won’t be able to do that.
At those cases – you as a Druid are what everybody is searching for. A babysitter to correct other people’s mistakes and heal them up after they screw. This way the raid sacrifices a tiny bit of DPS for increase of chance in success by around 60% (yes, having a healer and not having one is a difference as clear as night and day). I made that number up, it’s based on my observation so it’s strictly personal. I don’t know how much difference other people can do.

A ranger / Druid is just as squishy even in togh/vit gear you gonna die in a few seconds on most things in H.O.T or on the front lines of WvW so def go ranged lb/staff
Now if you want a tank i would suggest a Reaper This bad boy in nothing in exotics vendor trash will face tank a axe master with all the ground dmg and laugh even when it goes into a spin it can’t kill you if you go into reaper shroud and just do your own spin

Now i love my Ranger it’s my main and always will be but atm we are very very underpowerd vs the other elites you will have much more fun on others than ranger/druid atm imo

But if you must have a ranger remember STAY in ranged or you are gonna die no matter what gear or traits you use

Tragic Positive.9356:

At those cases – you as a Druid are what everybody is searching for. A babysitter to correct other people’s mistakes and heal them up after they screw. This way the raid sacrifices a tiny bit of DPS for increase of chance in success by around 60%

Sounds like a more realistic approach for what actually happens in raids. I like to make sure my party / team succeeds, not just throwing big numbers out there.

Valky.2574:

Now i love my Ranger it’s my main and always will be but atm we are very very underpowerd vs the other elites you will have much more fun on others than ranger/druid atm imo

I don’t really care about flavor of the month. Who’s to say reapers wont get nerfed and rangers won’t get buffed? I just want to pick a do all class that I’ll like.

VicariousJambi.6452:

I don’t really care about flavor of the month. Who’s to say reapers wont get nerfed and rangers won’t get buffed? I just want to pick a do all class that I’ll like.

I don’t think I got my point across very well, but this is basically what I was trying to get at. Don’t worry too much about who heals or who can survive or who does damage, etc., because GW2 allows all professions to do everything (+/-).

Play a profession, and if it’s enjoyable, continue playing. Also make as many professions as you can fit in your character slots. Your preference will change over time.

For example I started with a thief main because I loved the evasive, acrobatic melee style. Liking melee, I also gave warrior a try. I grew to like using the rifle in WvW, but found the melee style of warrior very dull. I finally settled on ranger once I realized it was basically the combo of these two things I had discovered I like in other professions.

Valky.2574:

Now i love my Ranger it’s my main and always will be but atm we are very very underpowerd vs the other elites you will have much more fun on others than ranger/druid atm imo

Druid is in a better state than some other elite specs. And definitely not very very underpowered. In none of the three gamemodes.

Valky.2574:

But if you must have a ranger remember STAY in ranged or you are gonna die no matter what gear or traits you use

Ranger/Druid is very capable of fighting and surviving in melee. Even with offensive gear/traits.

Fluffball.8307:

For example I started with a thief main because I loved the evasive, acrobatic melee style. Liking melee, I also gave warrior a try. I grew to like using the rifle in WvW, but found the melee style of warrior very dull. I finally settled on ranger once I realized it was basically the combo of these two things I had discovered I like in other professions.

I kind of had the same realization. I liked fire attunement and elementals on my elementalist, but not much else. Then I started playing a thief and I liked the melee style, but missed the nice ranged options and thought, “Isn’t ranger both?”

VicariousJambi.6452:

I kind of had the same realization. I liked fire attunement and elementals on my elementalist, but not much else. Then I started playing a thief and I liked the melee style, but missed the nice ranged options and thought, “Isn’t ranger both?”

Thief is the guy who appears out of nowhere and disappears whenever he pleases.

You can see ranger coming and you can see him escaping – but you know it’s going to be a hard time getting one to his knees. He’s acrobatic just like Thief but instead of appearing and disappearing, Rangers are more of a fighter class who’s HP will disappear and appear out of nowhere.

The only downside of the class is currently probably the clunky nature of pets and bugs. Apart form that – it’s bearable and successful.
We might not be the brightest peach in the shed but being able to win almost every 1v1 and also be able to bring that CC and heals into teamfights – that’s far better than the useless former Ranger self we used to be.

If you like the challenge – Ranger is for you.
Rangers are considered to be one of the worst classes in the game. What I personally love the most about it is that you can literally prove people wrong. In competitive, we have tools to offer. It might not be facerolling 25 AoE might by 1 button press (hello warriors) or 16K DPS (hello warriors… again) but we do.

Tragic Positive.9356:

it’s bearable.

Thanksu Fluff, almost spit my coffee all over the screen!

Tragic Positive.9356:

If you like the challenge – Ranger is for you.

I think it would be more of a challenge if I was trying to play a class I didn’t like.

VicariousJambi.6452:

Tragic Positive.9356:

If you like the challenge – Ranger is for you.

I think it would be more of a challenge if I was trying to play a class I didn’t like.

Ooooh believe me. There will be times where you’ll hate yourself for playing a Ranger.
I always get over it somehow. I like to counter mechanics by awareness.
It makes me remember that winning with a broken wooden stick against people with guns is rewarding as much as it is.

Ranger / druid might not be in the “best” spot, but I don’t feel we are lagging behind other classes.
We have many working builds (power/condi/healer with or without BM), where many classes only have one or two;
No class have all weapons equally useful / strong. Most have weapons nobody uses, either because of their clunkiness or of their poor scaling.
All distant builds are open to LOS problems on apparently flat ground.
We are not the only profession relying on deficient AI.

The Elem and mesmer ports sometimes get me struck – then I have to /emote to be able to move – easy to do, in combat. Sometimes, I even get struck like that when getting out of Deathshroud… Never figured why… Anyway, that never happened to me on ranger.
Since the stability change, melee classes don’t have it easy in WvW. Casters are insta-killed with DPS everywhere. The unwanted jacks of all trades of the past (engies end rangers) are, imho, the ones that do the best (not considering revenant).

As long as one do not expect rangers to be a ranged only classes, we are in a good position.
When I ask the PuG WvW l;eader which class I should bring, most say my main is best, while they used to ask me for elem or necro.

All classes have ups and downs.
And I do not believe rangers are still in the “more downs than ups” category…

For pve , its ok, otherwise you will regret

Tragic Positive.9356:

Ooooh believe me. There will be times where you’ll hate yourself for playing a Ranger.
I always get over it somehow. I like to counter mechanics by awareness.
It makes me remember that winning with a broken wooden stick against people with guns is rewarding as much as it is.

Eh, I’ve beaten Dark Souls as a level one so I know the feeling. I’m not scared of learning to “git gud”. My ranger is already a level 19 master chef!

Jocksy.3415:

As long as one do not expect rangers to be a ranged only classes, we are in a good position.
When I ask the PuG WvW l;eader which class I should bring, most say my main is best, while they used to ask me for elem or necro.

All classes have ups and downs.
And I do not believe rangers are still in the “more downs than ups” category…

Nah, I like having a raged weapon and a melee weapon on at all times. That’s why I didn’t like the ele or thief. Thief had no range and ele had no melee that I liked.

And I know all classes have their time to shine, that’s why I don’t care what’s meta and will learn to “git gud”.

kitteneese.4930:

For pve , its ok, otherwise you will regret

Why do you say that?

VicariousJambi.6452:

…

kitteneese.4930:

For pve , its ok, otherwise you will regret

Why do you say that?

It’s a popular saying.
Don’t ask me why. Probably because Rangers couldn’t be seen in competitive PvE for 3 years (which naturally changed lately). We lack utility.

But I doubt you incline to become the world’s best PvP player to compete for money. Druids are totally fine in PvP theses days. One of the most powerful 1v1 skirmishers. We have our counters, but we can handle almost everything.
We are less useful in teamfights than others, though.

Good choice VicariousJambi.6452

You will enjoy this class. In the past I only found 3-4 builds who fit with me ( turret engi, condi theif, Dire mesmer, Cele DD ele) but I recently find the ranger and the whole class fit with my play style and past builds.

Since HoT ranger is more fun then ever, we can show our true skills with new pets and trait line. But we are still under power in pvp , not even meta. Anet know it they will probably buff it in the future.

Enjoy the power of the nature.

Tragic Positive.9356:

We are less useful in teamfights than others, though.

As I’ve been leveling I can see why. I’ve noticed a lack of aoe attacks. I run Sword/Axe and Longbow. Only aoe is both 5’s and the sword aa seems to have a small cone I think. Thief can whip out the shortbow which every attack is aoe and elementalist is obviously an aoe machine. Unless I’m forgetting a weapon or trick rangers can use to get more aoe.

JoTur.7256:

Good choice VicariousJambi.6452

You will enjoy this class. In the past I only found 3-4 builds who fit with me ( turret engi, condi theif, Dire mesmer, Cele DD ele) but I recently find the ranger and the whole class fit with my play style and past builds.

Since HoT ranger is more fun then ever, we can show our true skills with new pets and trait line. But we are still under power in pvp , not even meta. Anet know it they will probably buff it in the future.

Enjoy the power of the nature.

I really like the pet mechanic, it feels like I can really customize this class to play how I want it to.

I plan to explore a lot of the map. I’ve already got a few cleared! I can’t wait until I’m leveled up for HoT, everything I’ve heard is great about it.

VicariousJambi.6452:

As I’ve been leveling I can see why. I’ve noticed a lack of aoe attacks. I run Sword/Axe and Longbow.

Couple small things: Axe 4 will pull (up to) 3 enemies and your sword auto conveniently cleaves 3 enemies. And there is also a final tier trait that allows all LB skills to pierce. You probably haven’t unlocked it yet but when you do it will really speed up PvE.

Even though it isn’t a bad idea to get used to sword, i would recommend GS for leveling/open world PvE. Against multiple targets it is better than sword and it offers better mobility to get faster arround the maps. River drake’s F2 is a decent aoe ability too.

VicariousJambi.6452:

Tragic Positive.9356:

We are less useful in teamfights than others, though.

As I’ve been leveling I can see why. I’ve noticed a lack of aoe attacks. I run Sword/Axe and Longbow. Only aoe is both 5’s and the sword aa seems to have a small cone I think. Thief can whip out the shortbow which every attack is aoe and elementalist is obviously an aoe machine. Unless I’m forgetting a weapon or trick rangers can use to get more aoe.

JoTur.7256:

Good choice VicariousJambi.6452

You will enjoy this class. In the past I only found 3-4 builds who fit with me ( turret engi, condi theif, Dire mesmer, Cele DD ele) but I recently find the ranger and the whole class fit with my play style and past builds.

Since HoT ranger is more fun then ever, we can show our true skills with new pets and trait line. But we are still under power in pvp , not even meta. Anet know it they will probably buff it in the future.

Enjoy the power of the nature.

I really like the pet mechanic, it feels like I can really customize this class to play how I want it to.

I plan to explore a lot of the map. I’ve already got a few cleared! I can’t wait until I’m leveled up for HoT, everything I’ve heard is great about it.

I’m not really bothered by the lack of AOE. I just use piercing arrows … it feels awesome unloading rapid fire and having them all pierce …

dasaybz.9524:

I’m not really bothered by the lack of AOE. I just use piercing arrows … it feels awesome unloading rapid fire and having them all pierce …

I just blew my tomes to get him to 50, got sick of low level land. I got piercing arrows, I guess I should play some more and see how I like it!

I’m still trying to decide what species of pet I like the best.