Guild Wars 2

As the title says I’m looking for a LB+GS build. I’m very fond of the longbow and love using the greatsword, my only problem is I’m horrible at making builds. I’ve had the game since release, but haven’t played it enough to really get a good feel so I’m extremely horrible at making builds atm.

Can anyone help me out with a build to point me in the right direction? I’m looking for something to help support a small roaming group but with some survival in case i get caught by myself. Any help is greatly appreciated.

This is what I use in WvW:
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRnUqQtg2vCGsAXLGYPoWHAFwZz+CGhQw1BnyquyaqA-TVCFABIcIAA4CAUo6PXpEEp9HlfC8AASTHQGaCW4IAQGA9JA-w

Stay at 1500 range. You won’t miss a shot. Focus down 1 enemy at a time.

If you get in trouble, use knockback or stealth on longbow. These won’t miss either.

If you’re still in trouble, use Protect Me. Leave Signet of Renewal on passive, unless you really have to use it.

If you’re still in trouble, switch to Greatsword and try to land your next 3 hits because Sigil of Intelligence causes crits. It’s nice to use Swoop out of stealth.

If you need to bail, switch to Greatsword. Swoop away and use Rampage As One for Stability+swiftness. Also, use Protect Me if it’s still up.

So, you have Stealth, Knockback, Protect Me, Signet of Renewal and Rampage as One to use in combat. If that’s not enough, switch to GS and either go for the kill or run away with Swoop/Rampage as One/Protect Me/Signet of Renewal/Counterattack(block).

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Don’t forget to leave your bear on passive or Protect Me and Signet of Renewal won’t work.

Good luck in PvP, I’ve tried everything to make a LB build. Spirits will always be our niche, we have no other purpose. The closest we got to something outside of this Shout Bunker and that is outpreformed by Decap engie and Guardain.

I keep hearing about a BM LB hybrid but I cant seem to find it for myself.

Our best LB builds are
6/6/0/0/2, Attack of Opportunity and Signet of the Beast Master. After stacking Vuln from LB, with Sigil of Intelligence, GS can combo Swoop → Hilt Bash → Mual, the Mual can hit 8K+, the pet also has the bonus of not being useless.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRjMqUxa/KOsw1aA/gadDEALA7JID2gXXbBrmA-TpRBwAXOCA02fgwDAgcZgHHCAAXAAA

And this new one to pop up had almost made me Happy.
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRjMq0yaHLmsw1ag9gadAUAndrhw9WUEtdBrmA-TZBFwACuAAA3fAxRAoaZAAPCAA
Learn to use your Survival skills to turn the flow of battle rather then burst. In team fights, stand at max range and toss a Muddy once in awhile. You can swap out RPAO for Entangle if you want. But I perfer RPAO on this build do to an overlooked minor trait. Each boon you get is shared with your pet, in otherwords.. you pet doubles up on RPAO. On top of the Fury from SotF.

There are 2 different builds that I used to play.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJARTjMq0waFLusw1agAhY9RQRrY2TXVFspC-TpBBwAfeAAQ3fAwhAwzFAocZAIHBAA
- This one is squishy if you don’t use your coodlowns , but really does it’s job. The 25% damage from SotW is noticeable. You could say it’s a build that highly depends on your skill.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJARTjMq0waFLusw1agAha9BEAFQzYYEc+E7bBnqA-TJBBwAQ3fAwhAAdZAIHBAA
- this is a variation of that build – better fitting your role in sPvP. You have high survivability like this, and also roaming possibilities Thx to Greatsword and Longbow. Your damage isn’t that high, but still noticeable.

I always run for Signet of the Beastmaster if I go for Longbow and Greatsword. It peeks your damage and also provides you with precious survivability.

Please don’t be a glass cannon bearbow. This is why rangers have a bad reputation and are specifically targeted first.
I main an engie but needed a break from it. At the beginning of the week I dusted off my ranger that I made at launch and threw together this build http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQJATRnMqQvgWyCusAVLGYPoWGAFAzLYEcvFHRTfiCsmK-TlSBwA7U/xsSwrK/i8AA6cEAIu/AedAo0Es4QAA4CAQKA9EGB-w

I’m no where near done tweaking it but so far in a week of roaming I have lost to 1 person in a 1v1 fight and won at least a couple dozen fights including some 1v2’s. I can’t flip camps as fast as I can on my engie or necro but they still flip in under a minute.

The perma speed and regen from guard are fantastic, especially if you want to roam with some of the slower classes like necros or mesmers and it makes your pet a lot more useful and survivable thanks to the stealth, protection, regen and swiftness

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

solrik.6028:

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

I was really hoping that was a troll and not the typical advice seen on the ranger forums

Jim Hunter.6821:

solrik.6028:

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

I was really hoping that was a troll and not the typical advice seen on the ranger forums

Don’t listen to these folks. He wants a small-group roaming build, so I assumed WvW.

My bearbow build is excellent for that since Read the Wind. These guys are either uninitiated or thinking about PvE / sPvP meta. It’s not a build for sPvP nor PvE. It’s a WvW build which works best in group combat. I wouldn’t advise 1v1 with it, but it’s not impossible and it has excellent escape options.

Also, you could go 6/0/2/6/0 with Survival of the Fittest, but I really don’t see the point in doing so when you’re playing WvW in a group. You’ll have less damage, less stealth, less barrage, less knockback and less rapid fire.

Holland.9351:

Jim Hunter.6821:

solrik.6028:

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

I was really hoping that was a troll and not the typical advice seen on the ranger forums

Don’t listen to these folks. He wants a small-group roaming build, so I assumed WvW.

My bearbow build is excellent for that since Read the Wind. These guys are either uninitiated or thinking about PvE / sPvP meta. It’s not a build for sPvP nor PvE. It’s a WvW build which works best in group combat. I wouldn’t advise 1v1 with it, but it’s not impossible and it has excellent escape options.

Also, you could go 6/0/2/6/0 with Survival of the Fittest, but I really don’t see the point in doing so when you’re playing WvW in a group. You’ll have less damage, less stealth, less barrage, less knockback and less rapid fire.

Sorry if I’m not initiated into the generic bearbow club but your build is just bad. Like I said before, this kind of terrible zerk ranger build is why rangers are laughed at and targeted

You are also using 2 on crit sigils on the same weapon, and 2 on swap sigils on the same weapon. These will not stack, you can only get the benefit of 1 of them.

On top of that, suggesting he leaves his pet on passive is seriously crippling his damage output. A good chunk of a rangers damage comes from the pet, if you want to run around as a zerk without a pet then reroll as a war or thief, you’ll do a lot more damage.

Holland.9351:

Jim Hunter.6821:

solrik.6028:

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

I was really hoping that was a troll and not the typical advice seen on the ranger forums

Don’t listen to these folks. He wants a small-group roaming build, so I assumed WvW.

My bearbow build is excellent for that since Read the Wind. These guys are either uninitiated or thinking about PvE / sPvP meta. It’s not a build for sPvP nor PvE. It’s a WvW build which works best in group combat. I wouldn’t advise 1v1 with it, but it’s not impossible and it has excellent escape options.

Also, you could go 6/0/2/6/0 with Survival of the Fittest, but I really don’t see the point in doing so when you’re playing WvW in a group. You’ll have less damage, less stealth, less barrage, less knockback and less rapid fire.

Maybe stop trolling and be serious.

It works best in group combat because you can just sit back and pew-pew from afar, which is stopped when someone starts to attack you and the others realise that you’re a squishy ranger that can’t do anything because you have two signets (which is visible to them) and a bear which is the same as a big sign that reads “I HAVE ‘PROTECT ME’” all over it.

LB + GS requires skill to be played well. There are at least ten different combos which let you toss your enemy around and some of them allow you to stun them for over 10 seconds. The pets and skills you chose are horrible for the purpose given.

I am sorry to say this, but you are a bearbow. It’s bad, because it’s the same as a braindead hambow except that hambows actually contribute.

Jim Hunter.6821:

Holland.9351:

Jim Hunter.6821:

solrik.6028:

Sanguinem.3452:

Thank you! I’ll give it a shot and see how it works out.

Please don’t, he is trying to trick you into using the worst and most hated build ever.

I was really hoping that was a troll and not the typical advice seen on the ranger forums

Don’t listen to these folks. He wants a small-group roaming build, so I assumed WvW.

My bearbow build is excellent for that since Read the Wind. These guys are either uninitiated or thinking about PvE / sPvP meta. It’s not a build for sPvP nor PvE. It’s a WvW build which works best in group combat. I wouldn’t advise 1v1 with it, but it’s not impossible and it has excellent escape options.

Also, you could go 6/0/2/6/0 with Survival of the Fittest, but I really don’t see the point in doing so when you’re playing WvW in a group. You’ll have less damage, less stealth, less barrage, less knockback and less rapid fire.

Sorry if I’m not initiated into the generic bearbow club but your build is just bad. Like I said before, this kind of terrible zerk ranger build is why rangers are laughed at and targeted

You are also using 2 on crit sigils on the same weapon, and 2 on swap sigils on the same weapon. These will not stack, you can only get the benefit of 1 of them.

On top of that, suggesting he leaves his pet on passive is seriously crippling his damage output. A good chunk of a rangers damage comes from the pet, if you want to run around as a zerk without a pet then reroll as a war or thief, you’ll do a lot more damage.

They do stack. Seems like you missed the last big update!

solrik.6028:

They do stack. Seems like you missed the last big update!

My mistake, thanks for correcting that. I still stand by everything else I said though.

solrik.6028:

It works best in group combat because you can just sit back and pew-pew from afar

Exactly, and not miss a shot.

solrik.6028:

which is stopped when someone starts to attack you and the others realise that you’re a squishy ranger that can’t do anything because you have two signets (which is visible to them) and a bear which is the same as a big sign that reads “I HAVE ‘PROTECT ME’” all over it.

That’s where skill and experience come into play.

solrik.6028:

LB + GS requires skill to be played well. There are at least ten different combos which let you toss your enemy around and some of them allow you to stun them for over 10 seconds. The pets and skills you chose are horrible for the purpose given.

He’s asking for a LB+GS WvW build. Also, pets are about as worthless as it gets in WvW outside of solo roaming. My passive bear pet with Protect Me+Signet of Renewal does more than any of the other pets I could pick. Also, my attention isn’t divided. Again, this is just speaking of WvW and only for a Longbow focused build.

solrik.6028:

I am sorry to say this, but you are a bearbow. It’s bad, because it’s the same as a braindead hambow except that hambows actually contribute.

You call it braindead because you don’t enjoy it. Since Read the Wind the longbow is actually an excellent contribution.

There are obviously other Longbow+GS builds with better survivability, but not with more damage. You really won’t need much survivability if you can sit at 1500+ range and not miss a shot. If you feel you die a lot, then sure, bring Knights gear and pick Survival of the Fittest.

I, for one can’t stand a zerker build, ANY zerker build. In a med to large group they’re the ones that are focused and die first. This is the build that I run http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNEQJARTjUqUzaJLGsQ1ag+ga5CEAt/hZoadeFDRFORC-TlSBwA+U/xoyv26CUY+D0FAIzRAQiSwFPAAAHCgY7PQKALWGB-w it has more survivablity and does comparable damage to any zerker build and you could switch out signet of the Hunt with Signet of the Wild if you’re gonna depend on others for speed buff

Fokyr.4012:

I, for one can’t stand a zerker build, ANY zerker build. In a med to large group they’re the ones that are focused and die first.

This. If you expect that people are going to let you sit at 1500 range and pew pew away you are wrong. When I see a bearbow zerker I immediately target them because they are almost always an easy kill.

Jim Hunter.6821:

Fokyr.4012:

I, for one can’t stand a zerker build, ANY zerker build. In a med to large group they’re the ones that are focused and die first.

This. If you expect that people are going to let you sit at 1500 range and pew pew away you are wrong. When I see a bearbow zerker I immediately target them because they are almost always an easy kill.

Not in my experience. I survive more encounters than most. That’s the thing though, if you need more survivability, please go and get it. If you feel you could do with less survivability and more damage, then go for it too.

Holland.9351:

Jim Hunter.6821:

Fokyr.4012:

I, for one can’t stand a zerker build, ANY zerker build. In a med to large group they’re the ones that are focused and die first.

This. If you expect that people are going to let you sit at 1500 range and pew pew away you are wrong. When I see a bearbow zerker I immediately target them because they are almost always an easy kill.

Not in my experience. I survive more encounters than most. That’s the thing though, if you need more survivability, please go and get it. If you feel you could do with less survivability and more damage, then go for it too.

Yeah but just surviving most situations isn’t the same as pulling your own weight.
By being so fragile you are actually harming the group more than you are helping, you are bringing sub par dps and acting as a rally bot.

Does anyone know what the loss in damage is by not using a pet for anything other than a spare life pool? I’m betting you can do just as much damage without going zerk by using a bird or cat, and you would be a lot more useful to the group.

OP: if you’re a pretty casual player, LB might be very frustrating.

Holland: I also play a GC longbow, but I think you’re missing out enormously by not using your pets. Pets rarely if every die in small scale combat, let alone 1v1s.

I use “Protect Me!” as well, but I have a wolf providing triple the defense of a bear, and I can count on the wolf being alive up to about 9v9 (or whatever.)

I think that one little change would dramatically increase your effectiveness both in offense and defense. You’re getting literally zero attack out of a bear on passive and very little utility.

@OP, simply put use the second build posted by Aylpse. And for the love of all the fluffy kittens DO NOT use bears!

I was really not expecting to see so many replies to my thread today O.o wow. I know how alot of you feel. I’ve tried bearbow zerker and I honestly hate the berserker armor because a small breeze is enough to drop me. what gear besides zerker would be better for more survivability?

atm i am pretty casual, I’ve come from games like WoW and FFXIV so the combat and gameplay style of GW2 is still pretty fresh to me, but so far i’ve found the LB and GS to be my favorite combo, so i plan on working my (insert here) off untill I can get down the play style perfectly.

Sanguinem.3452:

I was really not expecting to see so many replies to my thread today O.o wow. I know how alot of you feel. I’ve tried bearbow zerker and I honestly hate the berserker armor because a small breeze is enough to drop me. what gear besides zerker would be better for more survivability?

Since I receive vitality and perma regen from the traits in Nature Magic I use knights for the added toughness. This build offers immobilizes, stealth, block, stun breaks, knock backs, daze, and a darn good leap. Having perma swiftness on top of all that makes me pretty hard to hit. But unless you are fighting against someone really terrible you will eventually get hit, it’s nice not falling over after being hit twice.

I felt the little extra toughness from my armor was enough to get me by and it’s been working for me, but you could always switch out one of the trinkets for something with toughness and/or vitality.