Q:
Looking for a strictly ranged...Ranger Build
Is it just me or is Ranger supposed to ranged?
What makes you think you should be at range? Ranger has a good bow option but it’s also very much a melee profession.
The power longbow druid buffer build in metabattle.com is probably what you’re looking for for group play. If you want to play solo as some sort of archer there is no reason not to. Play LB/SB or whatever, which is utter garbage but if it’s fun for you then it’s fun for you.
Edit: Condi is also totally fine and potentially better for higher level fractals, but it’s also a melee range choice. All good team builds are used in melee because you need to be in range of your teammates.
(edited by Fluffball.8307)
Well for one when you say, Hunter or Ranger in any game the bow and arrow comes to mind. I think to be clear, I feel i am “forced” to play melee when i want to play ranged, but not having to be a caster as you pointed out here
Play LB/SB or whatever, which is utter garbage but if it’s fun for you then it’s fun for you.
Its not fun when you die constantly doing little damage.
Its like The bow is just to get the mobs attention and if your pet fails to hold aggro you in melee range or constantly running away.
I mean if i wanted to play something always in melee range i would have “chosen” a Warrior, or any of the Heavy Armor classes.
(edited by AkumaKazama.8426)
D&D hunters used duel melee weapons. I don’t think of rangers or hunters as being ranged. It’s just a misconception of this particular archetype on your end. There isn’t a pure archer class in this game, on all professions they want you to swap weapons frequently and use both melee and range appropriately.
I don’t think of rangers or hunters as being ranged. It’s just a misconception of this particular archetype on your end.
Seconded. Its a ranger, not an archer. Whenever I think of rangers, I think of a sort of ‘rogue-ish/warden-ish’ archetype that uses a bow to some extent but also has proficiency with finesse based melee weapons, traps, tracking, handling animals, etc.
But to answer your question, if you are hell-bent on sticking with a range only build, power longbow is your option. But as mentioned by others, longbow and frankly power ranger builds are total jokes. There is a reason why every end game ranger runs condi. You can easily outdps a power build by close to 2 times with a condi build. In open world, dungeons, and low tier fractals, a power ranger will get the job done just fine. But if you ever want to join the ‘big boys club’ and do high tier fractals and raids, you’ll need to get condi gear. Trying to join a T3+ fractals or raid pug group as a power ranger will most likely result in an insta-kick.
However, you could circumvent this problem somewhat by playing as a druid. Most of the times druids run magi gear for max healing, but it is not uncommon to see druids running with berserker gear + longbow/staff depending on whether the group needs a lot of healing or not. Since a druid’s job is primarily healing and buffing group with grace of the land, spotter, and spirits, not many people will expect good dps from them.
Thanks Daedraz, but everyone is telling me what i already knew. I can’t play how I would like because its not….viable. This illusion of making your own build is frustrating when everything always ends up with sites like MettaBattle. To do awesome dps…do exactly this. (even if your skill level isn’t to the level of the poster.) Just thought I’d ask. I guess ill have to spend what i have to buy and make condi gear again.
I don’t think of rangers or hunters as being ranged. It’s just a misconception of this particular archetype on your end.
Seconded. Its a ranger, not an archer. Whenever I think of rangers, I think of a sort of ‘rogue-ish/warden-ish’ archetype that uses a bow to some extent but also has proficiency with finesse based melee weapons, traps, tracking, handling animals, etc.
But to answer your question, if you are hell-bent on sticking with a range only build, power longbow is your option. But as mentioned by others, longbow and frankly power ranger builds are total jokes. There is a reason why every end game ranger runs condi. You can easily outdps a power build by close to 2 times with a condi build. In open world, dungeons, and low tier fractals, a power ranger will get the job done just fine. But if you ever want to join the ‘big boys club’ and do high tier fractals and raids, you’ll need to get condi gear. Trying to join a T3+ fractals or raid pug group as a power ranger will most likely result in an insta-kick.
However, you could circumvent this problem somewhat by playing as a druid. Most of the times druids run magi gear for max healing, but it is not uncommon to see druids running with berserker gear + longbow/staff depending on whether the group needs a lot of healing or not. Since a druid’s job is primarily healing and buffing group with grace of the land, spotter, and spirits, not many people will expect good dps from them.
Thanks Daedraz, but everyone is telling me what i already knew. I can’t play how I would like because its not….viable. This illusion of making your own build is frustrating when everything always ends up with sites like MettaBattle. To do awesome dps…do exactly this. (even if your skill level isn’t to the level of the poster.) Just thought I’d ask. I guess ill have to spend what i have to buy and make condi gear again.
I understand your frustration. And frankly this is a design flaw on behalf of Arena Net. If power rangers can only do like 18K dps and condis can do 33K, then of course everyone is going to choose the latter.
But you also have to understand why everyone cares about metas so much. In raids, dps is a huge deal simply because bosses all have enrage timers and have a crap ton of HP. Fighting raid bosses is definitely not the same as fighting a training golem. There will be mechanics that will force players to move, there will be phases that will render the boss invulnerable until the phase is over, players will make mistakes and go down or even die, etc all while the enrage clock is ticking. The raiding community places heavy emphasis on dps to account for all possibilities of Murphy’s law. It also boils down to the matter of efficiency. Raiders want their tanks to tank well; they want their healers to heal well; they want their dps to dps well. Why take a power ranger that can only do 18K dps when they can take a condi ranger that can do 33K, a guardian that can do 34K, a engi that can do 33K, an ele that can do 34-36K, a thief that can do 32K, etc etc.
For open world events, and low end PvE, power longbow is one of the easiest and most effective builds out there, and you should feel free to make up any build you want.
It’s not until you get to the raids and fractals bit that you mentioned that there is potentially a problem, because you need some level of efficiency to complete the hardest content. And you could absolutely complete raids with a power LB druid, you just won’t get into PUGs. But if you have a guild that knows the fight well, people have completed them with like 4 people in masterwork gear.
I feel that in general, and for all classes in this game, that if you can switch weapons, you should have 1 ranged weapon and 1 melee-ranged weapon. If your foe teleports far away, then use the ranged option, but if they get up close, the ranged weapon isn’t necessarily a good option.
I think Anet should consider removing the time gate on weapon switching, and allow for a more fluid gameplay – simply allow everyone to swap weapons at will. Remove every “on weapon swap” effect in the game. Consider displaying the cd on the second weapon set with icons above the currently selected one(s).
That would make for more fun imho.
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Fully ranged play is viable for open world, and even in dungeons if you have a competent group and you know how to buff them. Also if you are resorting to melee because you need a dps boost, GS is not the right call. Although I haven’t done (or seen) any number crunching done after the rework to Maul and the hilt bash, GS is still a bit slow and feels defensive.
Long story short: full power longbow works for casual stuff.
What these guys above did not account for was the difficulty of maintaining dps in some scenario’s. Your efficiancy ultimately boils down to knowing your class and your rotations – an amazing 34k dps ele hero could easily under perform at ~10k dps should the boss simply move outside of the aoe fields. As Ranger is primarily melee/single target focused, your dps should remain about constant so long as you simply stick to the target.
As for the theme, not even a self absorbed archer would enter a battle without some other form of arms, for when the arrows run out or the enemy gets right in your face. Ranger longbow is still used for burst damage in the optimal power melee rotation – just don’t expect to get away with simply using auto attack.
for pve stuff Axe-x
for wvw staff-longbow.
Only power builds as the condi in ranger is a disaster, it being had nerfed, not that matters as it doesnt have a real condi weapon.
Uhhh… A little off topic Anduriell, but Condi Ranger has one of the highest single target DPS in the game (if played well). How is Condi Ranger a disaster?
Two options:
For condition, go shortbow + axe/x
For power, go longbow + staff
However, in raids/fractals, you usually can’t stay in range forever because you need to share and get buff to/from teammates.
Yeah, I’m not sure what Anduriell was getting at… condi ranger is in a really good place right now. and we have plenty of condi weapons.
I’ve really taken a liking to a full viper condi ranger setup, the standard SB/sxe+torch loadout. While I’m up in the enemy’s face 99% of the time, there are still enough 900+ ranged moves to reach out and tag mobs that are just a bit too far away. I like that flexibility.
Yeah, I’m not sure what Anduriell was getting at… condi ranger is in a really good place right now. and we have plenty of condi weapons.
I’ve really taken a liking to a full viper condi ranger setup, the standard SB/sxe+torch loadout. While I’m up in the enemy’s face 99% of the time, there are still enough 900+ ranged moves to reach out and tag mobs that are just a bit too far away. I like that flexibility.
you people keep talking about the qt dps tests on static big box targets for RAIDS and keep assuming everyone is talking about the 1% gamemode. Even then is not the best but simply good, which is rare for the ranger.
condi druid is really bad outside from raids but dont let me wake you up.
Yeah, I’m not sure what Anduriell was getting at… condi ranger is in a really good place right now. and we have plenty of condi weapons.
I’ve really taken a liking to a full viper condi ranger setup, the standard SB/sxe+torch loadout. While I’m up in the enemy’s face 99% of the time, there are still enough 900+ ranged moves to reach out and tag mobs that are just a bit too far away. I like that flexibility.
you people keep talking about the qt dps tests on static big box targets for RAIDS and keep assuming everyone is talking about the 1% gamemode. Even then is not the best but simply good, which is rare for the ranger.
condi druid is really bad outside from raids but dont let me wake you up.
Well, if we take the Qtfy tests at their word, the tests were performed on small hotboxes, and has a helpful suggested build for fractals with a few tips. But please, don’t let a small thing like reading the evidence in question stop you from making accusations.
I’ve seen many a condi druid melt through bosses in both Fractals and Dungeons. They’re definitely a solid pick for this game mode in my opinion – and as much as I loathe to admit it, they can do anything a power ranger can do… only with better dps.