Guild Wars 2

i cant find a use for my ranger in WvW. and i’ve pushed him to the max.

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors
- spirits suck – even if they weren’t instakilled, their buffs and actives are useless
- burst – done way better by just about every single profession
- chasing – not bad, but again, done way better by warriors, thieves and d/d eles
- sieging – barrage? send pet over wall? not bad, but i’d rather play a mesmer, ele, engie, or necro for this

i already rolled with PVT and zerker gear, LB and GS for long range engagements/sniping/burst. i found this to be just alright at times. most of the time, i’d be easily dispatched by thieves. and my biggest issues with the build was that Rapid Fire burst even with QZ was virtually negated by a single dodge roll.

right now im using a bunker BM build to distract thieves until my group kills them. this is by far the most useful thing i can do as a ranger. as opposed to my meditation guard, who wrecks WvW by providing serious buffs, virtually unlimited CC, and decent burst all with one build.

this isnt just an angry pointless post, which is how i feel as a ranger. id love some tips!

nerva.7940:

i cant find a use for my ranger in WvW. and i’ve pushed him to the max.

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors
- spirits suck – even if they weren’t instakilled, their buffs and actives are useless
- burst – done way better by just about every single profession
- chasing – not bad, but again, done way better by warriors, thieves and d/d eles
- sieging – barrage? send pet over wall? not bad, but i’d rather play a mesmer, ele, engie, or necro for this

i already rolled with PVT and zerker gear, LB and GS for long range engagements/sniping/burst. i found this to be just alright at times. most of the time, i’d be easily dispatched by thieves. and my biggest issues with the build was that Rapid Fire burst even with QZ was virtually negated by a single dodge roll.

right now im using a bunker BM build to distract thieves until my group kills them. this is by far the most useful thing i can do as a ranger. as opposed to my meditation guard, who wrecks WvW by providing serious buffs, virtually unlimited CC, and decent burst all with one build.

this isnt just an angry pointless post, which is how i feel as a ranger. id love some tips!

Honestly, time and patience are going to be your best friends here. Everyone sucks at first, and everyone feels useless at first. It took me a solid month of WvW before I discovered what I enjoy doing, and what I do well.

My personal experience is that a balanced, or more damage oriented build is preferable in WvW. Balanced if you want to roam solo or in a small group, damage if you are running with the zerg or defending predominately. Don’t be afraid of completely scrapping your build and trying something radical. I basically sat down and identified the things that were the biggest nuisances for me, and traited to compensate for those things. These days, I run an oddball build that adapts well to most situations.

Also, try looking at the ranger from a different perspective. Yes, it’s true that every other class does something better than the ranger, but it’s also true that there isn’t much that the ranger can’t do adequately at least. Use that to your advantage as it means that you will be good enough in every situation, rather than the best at any one situation.

It appears you haven’t touched the one thing that really helps in WvW…traps. While it seems like they’re only situational, you can use and abuse them often if you have Skirmishing to 30 and have Traits 8 and 11 on. Your traps can do some serious damage to enemies and you can throw them at the enemy. In a small group or even a zerg, throwing a trap at an enemy allows numerous combos to be set up, and can also screw the enemy up enough to get them kill.

Frost Trap can slow them down and their skill recharge, giving your guys the slight edge to win (plus being able to use your arrows to keep chill going on them keeps the effect going). Flame Trap does high damage fast, and as you know, damage from flames can be quite deadly. And if you’re using Healing Spring, dash in near the melee fighters and throw one down so they can keep their health up and spread the healing out if they have a Blast Finisher.

Its not ranger who offers nothing in wvw , its you who offer nothing to ranger.

Traps. Use them in small passages, near gates or entrances. Put some in the way if you see some of your troops chased by large zerg group , you will save many lifes.

Shortbow. Perfect for openfield zergs . Cutting down fleeing enemies with bleeds in their kitten and stun/slow.

Longbow. I dont even think i need to talk about it , its perfect wvw weapon. Both for defending structures and attacking them. Stand in tower and rain arrows on enemy troops, while #5 is on cd pick out single targets by your long range. Even if they run away its 1 enemy less to defend gates against. While attacking clean walls from enemy defenders. In addition if u see huge group moving you can distract them and give your team more time to prefer for defenses. Some or even half of enemy troops will start to chase you, run away.

GS . #3 gives you significant way to save ur kitten I escaped many zergs by swooping away.

Horn . All team benefits from ur #5

Pet. Send him to ressurect fallen comrades without leaving your defensive spot.

Its players who are bad, not classes.

gonna play devil’s advocate here. i get what you guys are saying, youre trying to see the positive in a sea of mediocrity.

traps – so im supposed to be the narrow corridor specialist? traps are next to useless in the open world. trap rangers are squishy, and i kill them all the time. the range on trap throw is much too small. necros, eles and engies do a much better job in this situation anyway.

longbow – youre right, you dont need to talk about it. it’s a terrible weapon. unless youre inside the keep, any build relating to the LB will get you killed. Rapid Fire burst is negated by a single dodge roll, or even strafing at 600-900 distance. past 900, the LB hardly lands any arrows unless the target is stationary or perfectly in line with the projectile path.

pet – i actually played a pet-centric build with the LB, and ive successfully unloaded 25k bursts on people. but it’s gimmicky, unreliable and done better by a warrior or thief. wasting a utility slot on Search and Rescue in pvp is the silliest thing ive heard in a while.

Time to take this apart.

nerva.7940:

traps – so im supposed to be the narrow corridor specialist? traps are next to useless in the open world. trap rangers are squishy, and i kill them all the time. the range on trap throw is much too small. necros, eles and engies do a much better job in this situation anyway.

That’s why I said Skirmishing up to 30. Trait 8 gives your traps a larger range when they activate, and Trait 11 doubles the time they last while lowering the cooldown time. Also, with Trait 8, you can also throw a trap somewhere and not set it down at you. Meaning it’s perfectly possible to throw a trap where the enemy is going and for them to hit it. Also, trap rangers squishy? To make the most out of the traps, you need a full 30 points into Wilderness Survival, which BOOSTS TOUGHNESS AND CONDITION DAMAGE. They’re going to take the hits, and it’s going to take multiple glass cannon hits or burst damage to throw them down. Also, nobody denies that necros can do it better. Eles though…I can take them out solo, and that’s while fighting somebody who knows how to fight as an Ele.

nerva.7940:

longbow – youre right, you dont need to talk about it. it’s a terrible weapon. unless youre inside the keep, any build relating to the LB will get you killed. Rapid Fire burst is negated by a single dodge roll, or even strafing at 600-900 distance. past 900, the LB hardly lands any arrows unless the target is stationary or perfectly in line with the projectile path.

Rapid Fire cancels its firing if YOU roll while you’re doing it, just like how every attack cancels if you dodge while you in the animation. The problem with the distance is to be expected, as it’s easier to dodge things from far off. However, if you combine Rapid Fire with Zephyr, it’ll come too fast for them to dodge. Also, the LB is useful if combined well with traps and the right circumstances. LB#4 plus a spike trap in front of you can immobilize an enemy quick enough to throw another trap on them or to switch to a Shortbow for faster hits.

nerva.7940:

pet – i actually played a pet-centric build with the LB, and ive successfully unloaded 25k bursts on people. but it’s gimmicky, unreliable and done better by a warrior or thief.

That one I’m not going to deny, is way too reliant on severe micro managing and the AI doing its job…which most of the time it doesn’t do.

And PvE dungeons. Don’t forget they bring virtually nothing to PvE dungeons

Jay.3284:

And PvE dungeons. Don’t forget they bring virtually nothing to PvE dungeons

Traps, condition damage, Healing Spring, DPS. That’s all I’ve ever needed to get into a dungeon run.

With my current build, I seem to be best at solo capping supply camps and supporting my team with heals and crowd control.

What’s your build? Mine’s a 10/30/30/0/0 build with emphasis on traps, and I use LB and SB exclusively in WvW.

I just had a great time in WvW as an 80 ranger (30 WS/10 NM/30 BM). A specific example would be a tower defense that myself and maybe a dozen or so teammates had against an enemy zerg. While on the wall, I was able to use Guard with my jaguar and successfully and consistently target and attack enemy siege equipment being built. He was able to SOLO destroy them (jag’s invisibility worked wonders) before they could even finish constructing them, even though they were way beyond my attack range. He tallied up 3 ballistae, 2 flame rams, an arrow cart and a catapult. And if he was noticed and concentrated on, I’d just swap him out for another dps pet and do it over. This was infuriating for the enemy zerg and it took them another half hour to penetrate the tower.

On top of this, thanks for my modified tanky equipment setup and Bark Skin, I was able to stay on the wall 100% of the time without coming close to death which allowed me to revive my allies and heal everyone with Healing Spring as well as harassing enemies with the longbow and Barrage. I may not have actually been TOO helpful, but I certainly FELT very helpful, and more importantly…I had fun!

Crowd Control. Emphasis on Crowd

I don’t know the other classes extremely well but I don’t think anyone else can do it as well as the ranger can. I don’t really do this anymore because I prefer solo roaming and camp/neutral capping. Build doesn’t matter a huge amount but I’ll outline the general idea starting with the skills.

Important Skills
Swoop – As far as I’m concerned this is an absolute must have. You just need to be able to get in and out of enemy zergs and/or chase and catch your target and nothing else works as well. This does mean you’re using a greatsword as one of your weapons.

Longbow – Barrage
Axe – Winter’s Bite
Shortbow – Crippling Shot/Concussive Shot
Dagger – Crippling Talon
Spike Trap
Frost Trap
Muddy Terrain
Entangle
Signet of the Hunt
Canine Pets (Wolf, Drakehound, and Arctic Wolf preferred)

Your Job
Basically your job is to stop the enemy from getting where they want to go, that’s it. If they’re running away you swoop after them and cripple, chill, and immobilize everyone you can. If you’re running away, do the same thing. If a warrior or a thief darts in to your zerg to poke and/or skirmish you make sure they don’t leave again. If someone on your side does the same you make sure they get out when they want to.

I know this doesn’t sound very glorious and odds are many times no one will notice you did it, but it works and it helps.

Back when I used to run this sort of setup I used a 0/30/30/0/10 build with GS/Axe-Horn and Spike Trap, Frost Trap, Signet of the Hunt, and Entangle. I would go in zerg fights and the second I saw some people from the other zerg had over extended I would make them suffer for it.

Send in the non-wolf and F2 -> Swoop -> Entangle ->Run Deeper with Counter Attack -> Throw Traps to prevent retreat and/or lockdown new targets -> Pet Swap to Wolf -> AoE Fear (enemies behind get feared into my zerg) -> Weapon Swap (I had Axe) and use single target CC on choice targets.

You aren’t actually trying to kill anything, once someone is locked down and your zerg is pouncing you keep running to the next target. Your goal is simply separate the weak ones. If you time it right your zerg will sense the weakness and pounce on those you hit with CC. You set them up, they knock them down. The other zerg will likely retreat or at least not push back because your side suddenly has momentum.

I don’t know how well I explained all that but the tl;dr is basically spam AoE CC everywhere at the right time and win because your bloodthirsty zerg will jump on them.

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Pretty sure a full zerker longbow traited ranger kills lots of stuff attacking and defending structures. I’m pretty sure of this because that’s how I traited one of my rangers, and she does in fact kill plenty of stuff.

I’m also pretty sure a beastmaster ranger with kitties provides a horrible bad shock to thieves and whatnot who see a ranger and think “Ranger. Easy Kill.” I have one of those, too. See, she’s a tank, but her kitten is most definitely not. And since people ignore pets to beat on the ranger…

The stuff on traps has been covered.

Now, if you want to feel useless in WvW, try playing a necro. Thieves can shake off their attempts and condition damage while cutting them to ribbons. Warriors just obliterate all three of their health bars. Their minions tend to sit around watching while their master gets splattered. Mesmers happily throw clones and confusion at them.

Glad to see plenty of people getting somewhere with the ranger, I was starting to worry this was the Jedi Knight forum all over again. Lots of moaning we’re useless and a few people, you just need to look at the class a little differently than you do the others.

I find plenty of use as a ranger in WvW, either as a trap throwing build, or as a BM build really annoying the enemy when they try and put up siege.

RyuDragnier.9476:

Jay.3284:

And PvE dungeons. Don’t forget they bring virtually nothing to PvE dungeons

Traps, condition damage, Healing Spring, DPS. That’s all I’ve ever needed to get into a dungeon run.

LOL seriously ? nothing of this is useful by ranger… it’s garbage, and DPS is not even close balanced to war.

I was playing WvW and PvP when guardian shoot me on roof with staff for more dmg than i done it with my bow or short bow… aren’t rangers masters of range??? wtf… and let me mention that guard didnt use any reflect dmg…

Unspecified.9142:

Crowd Control. Emphasis on Crowd

I don’t know the other classes extremely well but I don’t think anyone else can do it as well as the ranger can. I don’t really do this anymore because I prefer solo roaming and camp/neutral capping. Build doesn’t matter a huge amount but I’ll outline the general idea starting with the skills.

Important Skills
Swoop – As far as I’m concerned this is an absolute must have. You just need to be able to get in and out of enemy zergs and/or chase and catch your target and nothing else works as well. This does mean you’re using a greatsword as one of your weapons.

Longbow – Barrage
Axe – Winter’s Bite
Shortbow – Crippling Shot/Concussive Shot
Dagger – Crippling Talon
Spike Trap
Frost Trap
Muddy Terrain
Entangle
Signet of the Hunt
Canine Pets (Wolf, Drakehound, and Arctic Wolf preferred)

Your Job
Basically your job is to stop the enemy from getting where they want to go, that’s it. If they’re running away you swoop after them and cripple, chill, and immobilize everyone you can. If you’re running away, do the same thing. If a warrior or a thief darts in to your zerg to poke and/or skirmish you make sure they don’t leave again. If someone on your side does the same you make sure they get out when they want to.

I know this doesn’t sound very glorious and odds are many times no one will notice you did it, but it works and it helps.

Back when I used to run this sort of setup I used a 0/30/30/0/10 build with GS/Axe-Horn and Spike Trap, Frost Trap, Signet of the Hunt, and Entangle. I would go in zerg fights and the second I saw some people from the other zerg had over extended I would make them suffer for it.

Send in the non-wolf and F2 -> Swoop -> Entangle ->Run Deeper with Counter Attack -> Throw Traps to prevent retreat and/or lockdown new targets -> Pet Swap to Wolf -> AoE Fear (enemies behind get feared into my zerg) -> Weapon Swap (I had Axe) and use single target CC on choice targets.

You aren’t actually trying to kill anything, once someone is locked down and your zerg is pouncing you keep running to the next target. Your goal is simply separate the weak ones. If you time it right your zerg will sense the weakness and pounce on those you hit with CC. You set them up, they knock them down. The other zerg will likely retreat or at least not push back because your side suddenly has momentum.

I don’t know how well I explained all that but the tl;dr is basically spam AoE CC everywhere at the right time and win because your bloodthirsty zerg will jump on them.

And this is fun? As ranger you should HUNT and take down everything… that trap and crap is just annoying… In GW1 we barely used them because there was so many better and more enjoyable skills… i hope they bring more things from GW1 because trapping is not fun, it’s boring. I want to use my bow set more.

And i don’t know why did they make thief the fastest class in game. They have stealth and stuff. Why did they get so much speed? lol it’s wrong if u ask me.

I have tried a couple of things that worked for me in WvW.

First, five man group as a sniper+trapper+support. Naturally weaker due to largely focusing on power+condition+crit and using traits that enhance trap use, condition damage and increase in critical chance (you can also make an effort to increase healing power for the better use of healing spring). The negative aspect always came about when fighting by myself, when being caught off guard, proper pet use. However as a support I did fairly well.

Next I tried to do a melee oriented build… tons of ups and downs since in most WvW situations you will face an overwhelming number of enemies at once. I moved away from that (using greatsword primarily and shortbow as backup) after seeing an inconsistent success pattern.

Today I run what is known as a beast mastery build. Focusing on my own survival 0/0/30/10/30 and allowing my pet to be the muscle and myself to be bulkier with strong condition damage output. Works really well in WvW, however much of your success depends on you playing the build correctly. If you do it right, you can solo and be highly efficient in groups. I think I enjoy being underestimated because of being a ranger, then I payback by doing a little dance on their corpses.

Firelysm.4967:

RyuDragnier.9476:

Jay.3284:

And PvE dungeons. Don’t forget they bring virtually nothing to PvE dungeons

Traps, condition damage, Healing Spring, DPS. That’s all I’ve ever needed to get into a dungeon run.

LOL seriously ? nothing of this is useful by ranger… it’s garbage, and DPS is not even close balanced to war.

I was playing WvW and PvP when guardian shoot me on roof with staff for more dmg than i done it with my bow or short bow… aren’t rangers masters of range??? wtf… and let me mention that guard didnt use any reflect dmg…

You don’t know how to play ranger. It’s likely not the class for you, sorry.

Holland.9351:

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Uhh, Engineer’s do.

Nurse.1085:

Uhh, Engineer’s do.

What’s an Engineer?

Nurse.1085:

Holland.9351:

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Uhh, Engineer’s do.

Please explain.

capuchinseven.8395:

Firelysm.4967:

RyuDragnier.9476:

Jay.3284:

And PvE dungeons. Don’t forget they bring virtually nothing to PvE dungeons

Traps, condition damage, Healing Spring, DPS. That’s all I’ve ever needed to get into a dungeon run.

LOL seriously ? nothing of this is useful by ranger… it’s garbage, and DPS is not even close balanced to war.

I was playing WvW and PvP when guardian shoot me on roof with staff for more dmg than i done it with my bow or short bow… aren’t rangers masters of range??? wtf… and let me mention that guard didnt use any reflect dmg…

You don’t know how to play ranger. It’s likely not the class for you, sorry.

I was thinking that he has no idea what he’s talking about. He can diss the LB, the pet, and the spirits, but when he disses the traps, which are some of our most powerful and useful slot skills, the man OBVIOUSLY doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

Holland.9351:

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Yeah technically with Eagle Eye you can fire from further away than any other class (with a LB). Unfortunately arrows rarely hit their mark at that distance, and Warrior and Thief outperform us in terms of damage output.

Holland.9351:

Nurse.1085:

Holland.9351:

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Uhh, Engineer’s do.

Please explain.

Grenades

Daemon.4295:

Holland.9351:

nerva.7940:

- long range sniping – done way better by GS mesmers and rifle warriors

This is what I do. Although I wouldn’t call it sniping. You’d need the 1500+ range trait for the longbow as well as piercing arrows and berserker gear + accessories.

No other class has as much range as the ranger.

Yeah technically with Eagle Eye you can fire from further away than any other class (with a LB). Unfortunately arrows rarely hit their mark at that distance, and Warrior and Thief outperform us in terms of damage output.

hitting anything past 900 with LB is unreliable at best. at 1500, u cant hit anything unless it’s stationary.

mesmer’s GS and warrior’s rifle do damage much more reliably.