Guild Wars 2

Comprehensive Ranger Rework
Marksmanship
2. Predator’s Instinct: In addition to the cripple, add 10 stacks of Vulnerability, added functionality: when your pet damages a target below 50% health, it’s F2 skill is recharged
3. Clarion Bond: Now works outside of combat, similarly to Ele/Engi traits of the same nature
4. Brutish Seals: Added 2 seconds of Resistance on Signet activation
5. Steady Focus: Added functionality, Damaging a foe while at full endurance grants you 1 stack of might for 10 seconds. 1 second ICD
7. Predator’s Onslaught: Additional functionality: Cripple, Chill, and Immobilize you apply last 33% longer
8. Remorseless: Added functionality, now recharges Opening Strike upon interrupting a foe as well as when gaining fury.
Skirmishing
2. Primal Reflexes: Increase vigor duration by 1 second
3. Trapper’s Expertise: Removed Cripple effect, added Traps now remove 1 boon per pulse from affected enemies
5. Strider’s Defense: Removed RNG proj destruction, using Sword skills now grant a stacking buff on hit which grants aegis at 5 stacks (could be increased to need 5-10 if too many blocks)
6. Hidden Barbs: Damage increase to 33% (bleeding was substantially nerfed last patch)
8. Light on Your Feet: Increase damage bonus to 15-20%
9. Most Dangerous Game, Additional functionality, Gain 1 stack of might for 10 seconds when striking a foe below 50% health, 1 second ICD
Wilderness Survival
1. Soften the Fall: Should be removed, along with the other fall traits
3. Expertise Training: Duration increase to 50%, Condition damage increased to 450, Critical hits from your pet now inflict bleeding [taken from Companion’s Might]
4. Ambidexterity: Added range increase back to the trait
6. Shared Anguish: Removed, replaced with the old Hide in Plain Sight [HiPS is a more interesting, less RNG mechanic]
7. Empathic Bond: Pets now cure conditions, instead of ‘taking’ them [Pets should not be even bigger punching bags, they already die easily enough]
9. Poison Master: Added functionality, Gain 50% of your outgoing poison damage back as healing [to compete with Ranger’s only condi removal traits, this trait needs to offer some other type of survivability]
Nature Magic
1. Bountiful Hunter: Now adds the total amount of boons on you and your pet to the percentage number. Example: Pet has 5 boons, you have 3, would = 8% damage increase.
2. Instinctive Reaction: Added 5 seconds of Super Speed. Increased conversion rate of 12% of Healing Power converted into Power. [This trait is just pretty bad and needs additional functionality]
5. Vigorous Training: Added 5 seconds of 1 stack of stability to this trait.
6. Windborne Notes: Recharge reduced by 33% [This trait only affects two skills]
7. Nature’s Vengeance: Removed pulsating boon, Spirits now grant 5 seconds of corresponding Aura (Fire Shield, Frost Armor, etc) upon activation. [Pulsating boons as currently implemented are boring, Auras are interesting and add extra play to spirit activation]
9. Invigorating Bond: Added functionality, Your pet grants nearby allies a regeneration effect (scales with your healing power) from between 50-200 per second. Radius of 240 or 300 [Ranger needs more supporting GM traits if it will ever compete with meta builds, this trait would actually put emphasis on pet placement and support]
Beastmastery
2. Companion’s Might: Removed bleeding functionality, added: critical strikes from your pet now grant you might, 10 seconds, 1 second ICD
5. Two Handed Training: Damage increase to 10% [Greatsword DPS is awful]
6. Natural Healing: You and your pet gain Healing Power based on your toughness (10%) and gain Natural Healing, between 50-150 per second.
9. Honed Axes: Added functionality, Gain +150 Ferocity per Axe you wield. Winter’s Bite and Path of Scars now remove 2 boons from affected enemies

Weapon Functionality:
Shortbow
#4: Now applies 3 stacks of Torment + Cripple, Pet no longer applies Bleeds
#5: Now applies 3 stacks of Confusion upon successful interrupt
Offhand Axe
#5: No longer roots player in place, still channeled
Warhorn
#4: Now applies 4 seconds of revealed and 6 seconds of blind, cast time reduced to ½ second. Number of strikes reduced to 9 but spread over the same duration and base damage
#5: Number of Might stacks increased to 3
Greatsword
#1: Autoattack damage increased by 10% on second swing and 15% on third swing
Mainhand Axe
#1: Auto is replaced with a new melee attack chain which applies Bleed, Bleed, and then Cripple on the three part chain. Also scales decently well with power (about 20% less DPS than Sword not factoring in the condition damage)
or Now scales better with power + Cripples foes on the potential third bounce
Sword
Fixed to no longer lock players into attacking without access to dodge
Second half of Hornet’s String chain stuns for 1 second upon damage
Utility Skills
“Guard!”: Pet moves to selected area and gives allies within area 3 seconds of stealth and 4 second of protection
“Sic Em”: Recharge reduced to 35 seconds, Reveal duration reduced to 4 seconds.
Signet of the Hunt: Active now applies 20 stacks of vulnerability and 5 seconds of cripple, old functionality removed.
Spike Trap: Recharge time reduced to 30 seconds
Snake Trap: Recharge time reduced to 15 seconds
Spirits: Now move by default OR are stationary but are like banners, indestructible (still can be interrupted)

infantrydiv.1620:

Sword
Second half of Hornet’s String chain stuns for 1 second upon damage

I was going to say that’s an awful lot of CC, but then I compared it to some of the other classes and was like “mm ok I guess”.

Still, there is roughly a 0 percent chance that gets implemented.

I honestly stopped reading when I saw

2. Predator’s Instinct: In addition to the cripple, added functionality: when your pet damages a target below 50% health, it’s F2 skill is recharged, ICD increased to 60 seconds…
…7. Predator’s Onslaught: You and your pet deal increased damage per disabling condition on your foe, 4% per condition

Those would be worse than currently.

I think he meant the ICD of PI would be 60 seconds, not the pet’s F2. PI is so completely worthless it would be difficult to make it worse. We could hold a competition to see who could make a worse trait that PI and we’d all fail.

I think PO would need to have that damage boosted to like… 8% to be worth it. Typically you have chill and cripple on a PvE enemy through happenstance. Immob is rare and stun/daze/fear/taunt is pretty much nonexistant because of defiance.

I know he was referring to PI having a 60s CD. But that would be terrible, even if it did recharge the F2.

Take a look at Thief’s Ankle Shots. It is near as good as Predator’s Instinct and Predator’s Onslaught combined.

Ranger is a kiting class and Predator’s Instinct needs to reflect that by giving us excellent Cripple reapplication potential. 60s or even 30s ICD to do cripple is absurd, especially that now that every class (except Ranger) has access to movement debuff -% traits and movement skills ignore cripple anyway! Plus there are Runes and food with -% duration.

Predator’s Instinct needs to be able to maintain cripple on a player with no -% durations or clears, mathematically anyway.

Personally I think Warhorn 4 should apply a half-second blind per strike. Rangers currently don’t have too difficult a time with Thieves and applying revealed is generally worthless against Mesmers..

roamzero.9486:

Personally I think Warhorn 4 should apply a half-second blind per strike. Rangers currently don’t have too difficult a time with Thieves and applying revealed is generally worthless against Mesmers..

I have suggested the exact same thing before, 0.5s Blind over 16 hits would be pretty much perfect imo. 8s of blind with enough re-application that you can pretty much shut down someone’s damage for the duration. Exactly what Ranger needs on WH imo.

I really miss HiPS.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I honestly stopped reading when I saw

2. Predator’s Instinct: In addition to the cripple, added functionality: when your pet damages a target below 50% health, it’s F2 skill is recharged, ICD increased to 60 seconds…
…7. Predator’s Onslaught: You and your pet deal increased damage per disabling condition on your foe, 4% per condition

Those would be worse than currently.

Hmm, well personally I consider Cripple an incredibly weak condition and a free recharge on a Pet F2 skill would instantly make this trait 2x better than before. I suppose the ICD could actually just remain 30 seconds.

Predator’s Onslaught is a boring trait, and I consider it basically a PvE trait. Maybe instead of what I suggested it could also have an execute function added for 10% additional damage to targets under 50% health. Right now it just feels really bad in any build other than one looking for absolute max damage.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

roamzero.9486:

Personally I think Warhorn 4 should apply a half-second blind per strike. Rangers currently don’t have too difficult a time with Thieves and applying revealed is generally worthless against Mesmers..

I have suggested the exact same thing before, 0.5s Blind over 16 hits would be pretty much perfect imo. 8s of blind with enough re-application that you can pretty much shut down someone’s damage for the duration. Exactly what Ranger needs on WH imo.

This would be overpowered and complained about and nerfed instantly. 16 .5 second reapplications of blind isn’t the same as 8 seconds of blind, it completely negates someones damage for a long period of time on a short cooldown. Right now the skill is incredibly weak to classes with retaliation, which is why I suggest lowering the total number of hits and then also giving it the additional function of Reveal to make it actually incredibly useful vs stealth classes.

Fluffball.8307:

infantrydiv.1620:

Sword
Second half of Hornet’s String chain stuns for 1 second upon damage

I was going to say that’s an awful lot of CC, but then I compared it to some of the other classes and was like “mm ok I guess”.

Still, there is roughly a 0 percent chance that gets implemented.

A 1 second stun on a clearly telegraphed skill is just a slight boost to Sword in general. Mesmers now have a 1200 range instant cast stun that is usable like every 6 seconds.
The 1 second stun, when not dodged would allow Rangers to successfully land offhand skills like Torch 4 or Axe 4.

I’d put the chance of any of my changes being implemented around 2%, actually :P

infantrydiv.1620:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I honestly stopped reading when I saw

2. Predator’s Instinct: In addition to the cripple, added functionality: when your pet damages a target below 50% health, it’s F2 skill is recharged, ICD increased to 60 seconds…
…7. Predator’s Onslaught: You and your pet deal increased damage per disabling condition on your foe, 4% per condition

Those would be worse than currently.

Hmm, well personally I consider Cripple an incredibly weak condition and a free recharge on a Pet F2 skill would instantly make this trait 2x better than before. I suppose the ICD could actually just remain 30 seconds.

Predator’s Onslaught is a boring trait, and I consider it basically a PvE trait. Maybe instead of what I suggested it could also have an execute function added for 10% additional damage to targets under 50% health. Right now it just feels really bad in any build other than one looking for absolute max damage.

Cripple is only weak if you have long CDs attached to it. If you can continually re-apply it, it is really good. I have suggested that PI should cripple your target for 2s if they are not already crippled with no icd, then you can maintain it, assuming they have no clears or -% duration. Which everyone will.
I would have PO stay the same 10%, but also add a duration increase to those conditions, say +20%. Not the daze/stun. Then there would be synergy.

infantrydiv.1620:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

roamzero.9486:

Personally I think Warhorn 4 should apply a half-second blind per strike. Rangers currently don’t have too difficult a time with Thieves and applying revealed is generally worthless against Mesmers..

I have suggested the exact same thing before, 0.5s Blind over 16 hits would be pretty much perfect imo. 8s of blind with enough re-application that you can pretty much shut down someone’s damage for the duration. Exactly what Ranger needs on WH imo.

This would be overpowered and complained about and nerfed instantly. 16 .5 second reapplications of blind isn’t the same as 8 seconds of blind, it completely negates someones damage for a long period of time on a short cooldown. Right now the skill is incredibly weak to classes with retaliation, which is why I suggest lowering the total number of hits and then also giving it the additional function of Reveal to make it actually incredibly useful vs stealth classes.

I have also suggested lowering the number of hits, but then it also nerfs its use with sharpened edges and “SotP”, which is actually very nice.

I know it completely negates someone’s damage, that is why I stated that “you can pretty much shut down someone’s damage for the duration. Exactly what Ranger needs on WH imo.”

I also don’t think that being able to shut someone’s damage down for 8s is too OP either, look at the damage that other classes can do, someone needs to be able to shutdown a burst class, it is a counter. Plus, you can dodge/LoS majority of it or channel block the whole lot.

A duration modifier for cripple, chill and immobilize definitely would work well with Predator’s Onslaught. Given how leaps are immune to chill/cripple and how many classes have -33% modifiers for these now, I’d say +33% increase wouldnt be unreasonable.

As for OH Warhorn, I could see it maybe doing an initial blind and then also Revealed. I still just think multiple short duration blinds is not the direction this skill can be taken in.

I’ll add these to the initial changes I posted though, thanks for the suggestions!

I think +33% for chill and immob is probly a bit over the top, +20-25% extends the duration a bit, but still leaves a benefit for someone taking those defensive traits.

I think it was Tragic Positive that suggested it 1st, but another good idea for Hunter’s Call would be to add a 4s slow on initial cast. Imo, if it were combined with a blind as well, it would make it a good skill. HC also needs it’s cast time reduced to 0.5s and CD to 18s.

CoTW needs to have its recharge and durations reduced by 33% imo. That would give it a 20s CD which would give it good synergy with Clarion Bond when not traited into BM and excellent synergy with Clarion Bond, Windborne Notes and Pet swapping when traited into BM.
I would also not add more might to CoTW skill, but 3 might for 10s to Windborne Notes to make it more attractive.

infantrydiv.1620:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

roamzero.9486:

Personally I think Warhorn 4 should apply a half-second blind per strike. Rangers currently don’t have too difficult a time with Thieves and applying revealed is generally worthless against Mesmers..

I have suggested the exact same thing before, 0.5s Blind over 16 hits would be pretty much perfect imo. 8s of blind with enough re-application that you can pretty much shut down someone’s damage for the duration. Exactly what Ranger needs on WH imo.

This would be overpowered and complained about and nerfed instantly. 16 .5 second reapplications of blind isn’t the same as 8 seconds of blind, it completely negates someones damage for a long period of time on a short cooldown.

Just wanted to come back here and point out (no ego involved) that the ele now has a 180 radius AoE pulsing blind on their WH #5. It is 5 pulses with a 2s blind and 10s vuln, every 2s. So that can shut down 5 players damage for 10s as well as placing 5 vuln on them! I’m thinking my suggestion is now underpowered!