Guild Wars 2

Hello Rangers!

So i am trying to find a mele dps build that works in PvP. I dont enjoy condi builds but i do enjoy the ranger mele challenge. here is what i have so far

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR8XjMqUxaBLOsw1aAChaZA8utXhSIFYGvFQJXqB-TJBFwA12fYxFBoaZAAPBAA

i have never tried a mele build in pvp before so any advice would be appreciated!!!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR8XjEq0vaLLOsQ1aAAhaVA0eGahw2dUsDjdJXKK-TZBFwAEOCA12fYxFBoaZAAPAAA

or

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR8XjEq0vaLLOsQ1aAFhq5HkBML3AwdPcCPdBraA-TZBFwAEOCA12fYxFBoaZAAPAAA

In both, consider swapping shared anguish for wilderness knowledge.

First build: 2 in MM for malicious training and dual spider for super long immobs.
Poison mastery because its permanent poison in 1 v 1s (which is huge). SotF for active condi clear and fury.

Second build: More fury, not as long immobs but you get the cc from canine F2 and their kd (especially if you control it with F3, F1 skill cancelling). However, the loss of poison mastery sucks vs the celestial meta.

Other things to consider: Sharpened edges is relatively worthless without a condi build, spotter is useless in PvP.

thanks a lot!

PS. really like the Men In Tights reference!!!

@Eurantien – keen to hear what you think ranger melee needs to be more viable as a sidepoint/1v1 build.

I’d say it is already pretty strong vs thief and has good mobility. But obviously lb damage is so good right now that melee is the inferior option…

Does melee need more damage or more survivability to be challenge for this spot?

Sube Dai.8496:

Does melee need more damage or more survivability to be challenge for this spot?

The annoying thing about melee ranger is there is no really clear build. The traits are not ideally placed, and they wind up really lending themselves to a hybrid build, which completely defeats the point of greatsword.

For example the obvious build most melee rangers run is 6 in NM and WS, but that gives you:

• No bonus damage unless you take SoS
• No added power, precision or ferocity via traits
• Max condi damage and condi damage on the sword, which makes you immediately want to consider a melee condi build or at least hybrid

And now all the sudden you’re running the s/t condi build.

And you still didn’t bring the team support a medi sword/GS gaurd or shout sword/hammer warrior bring.

The other option is to go glassy as kitten, which works great in roaming, but you’re not going to hold a sidepoint like that. You basically turn yourself in to a thief with slightly less mobility.

Edit: Or the final option, the one I like, is to go celestial with main hand axe on swap. You can hold a point and contribute to team fights. I hope we get a 2nd 1 handed melee option at some point (mace?) so you can run a full melee hybrid build, which rangers are just born to run.

Fluffball.8307:

Sube Dai.8496:

Does melee need more damage or more survivability to be challenge for this spot?

The annoying thing about melee ranger is there is no really clear build. The traits are not ideally placed, and they wind up really lending themselves to a hybrid build, which completely defeats the point of greatsword.

For example the obvious build most melee rangers run is 6 in NM and WS, but that gives you:

• No bonus damage unless you take SoS
• No added power, precision or ferocity via traits
• Max condi damage and condi damage on the sword, which makes you immediately want to consider a melee condi build or at least hybrid

And now all the sudden you’re running the s/t condi build.

And you still didn’t bring the team support a medi sword/GS gaurd or shout sword/hammer warrior bring.

The other option is to go glassy as kitten, which works great in roaming, but you’re not going to hold a sidepoint like that. You basically turn yourself in to a thief with slightly less mobility.

Edit: Or the final option, the one I like, is to go celestial with main hand axe on swap. You can hold a point and contribute to team fights. I hope we get a 2nd 1 handed melee option at some point (mace?) so you can run a full melee hybrid build, which rangers are just born to run.

So sounds like your issue Fluffball is that if you trait for the sword the damage is low, and if you don’t the survivability is weak…

Would you prefer to see the two sword traits in marks/skirmishing, and run either 6/x/x/6/x or x/6/x/6/x?

Or would a buff to GS damage be better?

Or even a condition removing GM skirmishing trait to replace striders…?

The issue with full melee ranger is that you can ONLY do small fights, preferably 1 v 1 because once there are more people you just don’t want to be in a melee position. When those big fights do occur then it would be great if we could run something that’s tanky. When pets were strong, we could. We could do gs s/x and bird pets in order to combo burst people pretty sufficiently with hilt bash and raven F2. That isn’t the case anymore and leaves the ranger to either be too squishy in group fights or not doing enough in a team fight. Even then, the point of a full melee ranger would have to be to push far in order to stop their 5th from entering the mid fight because whatever they bring to the team fight is going to be better than what you have as a ranger. So you push the 1 v 1. However, the only way to decap the node and to really make the fight worthwhile is to use lb because the gs block → kb isn’t enough against any decent player. I think what is needed in that case is just 3 weapon sets, so you can still decap. If we REALLY wanted to just make full melee work then realistically it wouldn’t be a zerker amulet but rather something with some tank… like a valk, soldier, cavalier, or clerics even and using intelligence to land big mauls kind of like eviscerate warriors. However.. that doesn’t have the sustained damage to beat out any cele build imo.

In conclusion, either a nerf to cele or the perfect storm of a combo that someone comes up with is needed to make full melee viable. However, given the game mode… it would be hard not to have ranged damage.

Eurantien.4632:

The issue with full melee ranger is that you can ONLY do small fights, preferably 1 v 1 because once there are more people you just don’t want to be in a melee position. When those big fights do occur then it would be great if we could run something that’s tanky. When pets were strong, we could. We could do gs s/x and bird pets in order to combo burst people pretty sufficiently with hilt bash and raven F2. That isn’t the case anymore and leaves the ranger to either be too squishy in group fights or not doing enough in a team fight. Even then, the point of a full melee ranger would have to be to push far in order to stop their 5th from entering the mid fight because whatever they bring to the team fight is going to be better than what you have as a ranger. So you push the 1 v 1. However, the only way to decap the node and to really make the fight worthwhile is to use lb because the gs block -> kb isn’t enough against any decent player. I think what is needed in that case is just 3 weapon sets, so you can still decap. If we REALLY wanted to just make full melee work then realistically it wouldn’t be a zerker amulet but rather something with some tank… like a valk, soldier, cavalier, or clerics even and using intelligence to land big mauls kind of like eviscerate warriors. However.. that doesn’t have the sustained damage to beat out any cele build imo.

In conclusion, either a nerf to cele or the perfect storm of a combo that someone comes up with is needed to make full melee viable. However, given the game mode… it would be hard not to have ranged damage.

Right, where as the range on longbow means you can still be squishy and contribute to the team fight. Makes sense.

I’m trying out the first build I posted. I think a big thing we lack is an insta cast stability on melee ranger.

I usually run slightly off the meta of power rangers for PvP. I put more zerk into it at the expense of survivability. The goal is to have fun in hotjoin/unranked matches.

The greatsword is my main weapon, and I use it more than the longbow.

I use two signets, Hunt for massive damage mauls (and the off chance that my wolf pounces.) And of course Wild for more damage, stability and run speed.

Now instead of Signet of Stone, and here’s where people are going to rage at me, I bring Quickening Zephyr instead. It makes barrage more deadly, and maul much harder to dodge.

My main weakness is immobilization and conditions in general.

I don’t seek out 1v1s as much as I look for ways to troll zerg fights. The greatsword does have a 3 target AoE afterall.

Thieves are almost never a problem (though that applies universally in PvP and I can’t believe people are still arguing against them,) but I have trouble in 1v1s against good mesmers or eles. I win most times against rangers running closer to the normal power ranger build.

I might actually try Fluffball’s 3rd option, cele GS with a/t on swap.

It will be like hambow without the CC. But that can come from pets

Eurantien.4632:

I’m trying out the first build I posted. I think a big thing we lack is an insta cast stability on melee ranger.

Medi guard is the perfect example of this. Ranger damage comes from sustained attacks in all but 2 cases, and both of those are slow to deliver. Compare that to our compatriot melee fighter, the medi guardian, and he precasts or instacasts every single skill in the burst.

Medi guards brings upfront damage in one massive spike, plus they bring some decent team support and survivability.

Even in WvW where I often run full ascended berserker, full bloodlust stacks, full guard stacks, borderland bloodlust, and consumables, I find the damage from ranger melee frustratingly slow, or I make myself too fragile to survive.

Basically, if you’re going 66XXX why not use a LB? And if you’re going XX66, why not use rabid or celestial?

Sube Dai.8496:

Or even a condition removing GM skirmishing trait to replace striders…?

Yup, one of the biggest issues I have is that despite have more condi removal than any other profession, we’re still depressingly stuck going all in on defensive traitlines for the good ones. If I could go something like 6422 (just making up numbers, not real traits), that would be perfect. Look at gaurdian and warrior builds and their traits tend to be all over, picking up useful weapon or bonus damage traits. We have almost no choice but to go six for condi removal instead. HS + SoR and possibly even brown bear might be an option, but even then there are huge obvious drawbacks, like having a kittenty pet.

I was testing something similar to this
It’s fun to use, has good sustain (3 Leap and 1 Blast finisher for your HS, yey) and the quickness surprises a lot of opponents. It’s not perfect or anything and quite useless outside of 1v1s, but quite nice for sidenode fights.

Well, this is a build I threw together for someone who didn’t want to use longbow. It’s pretty well rounded for a melee zerk ranger, with condition cleansing, stun breakers and stability.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAsXRjEq0yaFL+rw1aAChaVA0OGKhUgdDEvPwJboCpA-TpBFwACOBAIOCA12fYxhAoaZAAPAAA

The focus of the spike is around triggering MoC and using Maul. There’s a few ways to trigger it, the easiest using Path of Scars. You can cast it, swap while the axe is in the air, cast Maul and by the time the enemy is pulled your Maul is coming down on them. They work really well together. I use it to open up combat and you get a free dodge to get closer with an energy sigil on greatsword. You can also use Counterattack and Hilt Bash to trigger MoC, I’m not sure if the wolf fear procs it or not though I haven’t tested it that far.

One downside is all condition cleansing goes to your pet, so if you use SoR, make sure to swap pets after to clear the conditions. There’s some decent survivability in there with an energy sigil, 2 evades on attack and a block. Gap closers help with mobility around the map, and Tail Wind/Pack runes will help with combat swiftness.

When things are going well with this build, it goes very well. It works good in 1v1 and even 2v2. I wouldn’t say it’s a team fight build though. It’s got enough survivability to manage, but it’s not ideal. You can always get out of dodge by using a Lightning Reflexes > Hornet Sting > Monarch’s Leap > Swoop to which not many will be able to keep up.

Here is my own build I have been using lately,

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR84Cts2wi/qBIEqVBQ7VoESB2xrHogJVA-TJBIwAAuIABeCAp2fgYZAA

Though not as much damage if I were to use zerker, I find this gives me a lot more sustain particularly fighting other celestial or tanky builds on point. One thing I find to be different is just my sigil choices. I believe the damage would be higher if I used air/fire sigils but I prefer instant damage that I can control. With the typical combo of hilt/counter>maul&birdF2>weapon swap I’m still able to down a number of builds below certain HP thresholds.

@fluffball, ill agree with that we lack good damage mods outside of steady focus only costing two points, while I believe all the rest require at least 5 points minimum investment to get two handed training and eagle eye both at 4, but both they are weapon specific). Compare that to guardians, which typically run x/x/6/x/4, they have a choice of getting two damage mods which require must less investments and works for all weapons. Though ill disagree in saying many zerker guards builds aren’t that versatile.

Basically we are similar to ele’s, we either go 6 in wilderness and/or nature, just so we don’t die of conditions. Of course the main downside as mentioned is most of condi removal is tied to a pet which sometimes dies much too easy ,imo, to cleave and ironically conditions.

I tried this last night with some success. i am still a noob with sword axe but i was liking it. the immobs from the pets work like a charm!

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAR8XjEqUxa/KOsw1aAAhadCEAZe7ZoFiBW57JXKKTA-TJBFwA12fYxFBoaZAAPBAA

I agree that the traits are distributed unfavorably for a mele dps set up.

I tried GS with celestial last night and the damage was embarrassingly low. Like 2-3k mauls. Here is a fun test, see how quickly you can clear a bunch of engi turrets with axe vs sword/gs…

I hope that wasn’t because of me Sube, heh. I meant I use celestial with the sword. Celestial with a GS feels like a complete waste, which is why I’d love to have a 2nd 1-handed melee option.

Some sort of CC bleed mace 1-hander with dagger offhand, and sword+torch could be very cool and viable.