Guild Wars 2

I just created a Ranger last night and played around a bit in sPvP just to get a basic concept of the class. I was wondering though, are there any decent guides that you all know of which outline the options available in both WvW and sPvP?

For WvW, I’m looking for something that can be effective as a roaming build (great mobility) while also being able to help with the zerg. From what I’ve seen, the LB pretty much sums up zerg combat.

For sPvP, I suppose it’s all about survival. I ran into a Ranger the other day on my Mesmer and she was an amazing bunker Ranger. She pretty much kept me busy long enough for the rest of her team to arrive and force me to retreat or die. I’ve never seen that before from a Ranger.

Hello there mate, one thing you need to be aware is that both the builds that you describe have a high skill cap, so practice will make master. PvP will be your friend in this aspect, it surely will be something you can translate into WvW.

PvP build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAV8fjEq0xaLLmsQ1aABhaVA0uGS2u2d+eDfdBbqA-TphAwAeOCAL3fgcZAAHEgOXAgNPAAA

In PvP, a bunker condition ranger has many different applications. I personally run this build, but feel free to listen to other comments and modify it as you like. So far its quite successful for me, but don’t forget about that high skill cap. For this build, consider your Wilderness Survival grand master trait to be a personal choice between Poison Master and Bark Skin. I like Bark Skin more, however it doesn’t hurt to try Poison Master. I am sure you can see the benefit of surviving longer vs dealing more damage, they are quite interchangeable and you can play around with either depending on your enemies.

In WvW it’s just as you said, Power damage will conquer in large zerg play. However the only thing is that wielding longbow does make you quite vulnerable in certain situations, especially the melee combat kind. Be aware that the following build, while quite efficient, is certainly not optimal as a pure and optimal build for rangers in WvW does not exist. You will have to be the judge of what works best for you and how to apply yourself. The positive? It’s strong and it serves a purpose. Also you can take the above pvp build into WvW with the right gear, trinkets and food:

WvW ultimate skirmisher (roaming version):
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAT8YnEqQLLWLIWsAXLIAQoWFAtrh9NGYmvZgrookPVB-T1DFABFcEAY4ACcoaHI8AEWSZmSKNaT3wkqgAwFAoQVB2Z/hEOABLcwAUTDjgKBJDg5EA-w

WvW ultimate skirmisher (long range version): http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRnEqQLLWLIWsAXLGoPoWfAJQA0eHC4bg1/exTVNB-T1DEABJcIAg4ACsoaHM8EEeSJWc6CuUFkEVF4n9HkS5BAXAgGOABPcgAcTDjhKBJDg5EA-w

WvW bunker sniper: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRjEq0xaLLmsw1agAha9AEAbdrbw9TsvhdJfqC-TFDEABaq+DEHQAGOCCPp8bp9HWRXgEXAAAeAAPcoAa4AEYoSQ30wQIAWLAA-w

WvW power signet bunker: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRjEq0ya/KOsw1aA/AZdjALa3LWNXVL4TF-TlCHwAEOgAAOACy1BMU53v9HEp+zgDEQgDQgelgi1wQIAWLAA-w

WvW roaming shouts: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAV8fnEqQvgWLIWsAVLGAToanAdaA86Gc3sLwEXynqA-T1hLwAb1IkT53n9HUoLAgGmMq/EWJIhAQuGA-w

WvW roaming signet conditions: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAV8fjEq0ya/KOsQ1aABhadAUADQ7aIZbhXfRJfqC-T1iAABecEASUHAAHEAc0Ms0+Dsoh5I1fkUJoYK/24BA0xFAgMAMjB-w

There are plenty more builds to come up with, but the ones above should provide a decent starting point on ‘what I think I like’. Remember that ranger is the hardest profession to master, so be open minded, have fun and keep your skills sharp by going to PvP.

Rangers can be go a good bunker and roamer/spiker. It really depends on your playstyle. A ranger is well-known to be a home node defender in tpvp.

If you want to be a bunker, you can play a spirit ranger which is very efficient as a duelist and also a team fighter/support. Trap rangers can be a bit weak but if played correctly can be be very useful for the team. If you wanna be a roamer, you should go full glass cannon. It maybe a risky build but it has high rewards. You can move fast from node to node to decap and it can also be a good duelist vs other roamers.

@Awge,

Thanks for posting this VERY detailed guide on the Ranger class and the build options available. I will be going over each of these this evening as I try to find something that I like playing. I always hated those sniper builds in WvW as once they get in a tower, they just cut down zergs. I suppose though you probably get a ton of bags though.

Bumping up in order to help the ranger community, all builds have been updated with collaboration of [Winds]. Feel free to make any suggestions and additions to this post, share with those who need guidance!