I’ll cut to the chase, there is so much underwhelming ranger traits that they fail to see any action. This is also the reason why build diversity is really minuscule.
MARKSMANSHIP
Enlargement
Signet of the Wild is soo useless with this because: 1.) It’s on a high CD 2.) Has A long Cast time and 3.) It cancels Druid Form out.
Changes:
- If your target has 2 or more boons, Activate Signet of the Hunt.
Your next attack and your pet’s next attack deal more damage.
- +15% damage on next attack. Attack of Opportunity (4s):
15% increased damage lasts the entire 4 seconds
30 second ICD
Reasoning: Again we do not have options to deal with boon farting meta. This effect also fits the MM DPS line and you can get the effect more frequently. So think of this effect not as a damage boost, but as a utility
Predator’s Instinct
- Absolutely useless trait for a whopping 30 second CD, no explanation needed on this one
Changes:
- You and your pet Inflict Cripple on a Target if you hit them below the threshold. You and your pet gain Superspeed if it hits.
- Threshold: 50%
Superspeed (3s): 100% Movement Speed
Crippled (5s): -50% Movement Speed
ICD: 15 seconds
Reasoning: This will open up Predator Instinct builds and at the same time helps our pets hit moving targets reliably without having a big pet revamp. This will also help old pets get some spotlight. (Credits to Tragic Positive)
Steady Focus
- I feel like 10% on a full endurance suits primarily for pve, so I intend this to make a little bit stronger for pvp too with the given endurance requirement.
Changes:
- You and your pet’s damage is increased when endurance is full.
- Damage Increase: 10%
Reasoning: Just another tweak so that our pets will still help with DPS without being pigeonholed into beastmastery.
Alpha Training Minor
- Merge with Opening Strike Minor
Precise Strike
- Moved From Grandmaster Minor to Master Minor
New GM Minor (Insert Name Here)
- Remorseless’ Gain an Opening Strike when you gain Fury
Remorseless
- Opening Strikes are Unblockable and Deal 25% more damage
Reasoning: For the longest time, the Opening Strike minors had a major flaw of not being effective in continuous engagements as it used to only refresh when out of combat or relying on a Grandmaster trait, Remorseless.
These suggestions aim to make these minor traits accessible to various builds and play styles. By merging Alpha Training together with Opening Strike, and taking half of the current Remorseless trait and using it as a Grandmaster minor trait, the Opening Strike minors can finally be used without solely relying on the Remorseless trait.
As an added suggestion that was brought up in [this thread], Remorseless can gain a new feature in which it makes Opening Strikes unblockable. Since Opening Strikes only apply to the next attack, this can introduce an alternative for the Ranger profession to bypass blocks and aegis besides using traps.
Being held as a Grandmaster in Marksmanship will also limit its access and create a definitive choice for players when selecting a build and trait lines. It will not only create diversity within the competitive aspects of the game, but for all game modes, as well as with various gear and builds using low precision and different sources of fury; be it with pets, weapons, traits, runes, or group compositions. (Credits to Wondrouswall)
SKIRMISHING
Trapper’s Expertise
- Currently the cripple part only affects offensive traps, so It would only be fair for our defensive trap get something in return too.
Changes:
- Boons and conditions caused by traps last longer. Traps recharge faster and offensive ones cause cripple. Defensive traps grant Vigor to allies when cast
- Movement speed decreased by 50%; stacks duration.
Crippled (3s): -50% Movement Speed
Vigor (5s): 100% Endurance Regeneration
Radius: 240
Recharge Recharge Reduced: 20%
Radius Duration Increase: 60%
Reasoning: Just made the trait more consistent with traps. It is also very reminiscent of the old ranger trait that was deleted: Vigorous Renewal.
Light on Your Feet
- This trait is kinda okay but the dodging mechanic makes it a little meh. So you have to burn a dodge in order to get the modifiers. Also, 10% condition duration is absolutely pathetic.
Changes
- Damage and condition damage is increased for a while after dodging. Short bow skills recharge faster and your arrows bounce to three targets after hitting the initial target
- Bounce Damage: 557 (0.3)?
Damage Increase: 10% :
Condition Damage Increase: 10%
On Evade (5s): Your condition damage and damage is increased.
Miscellaneous: Targets per Arrow: 5
Recharge Recharge Reduced: 20%
Duration Increase: 10%
Arrows Bounce off targets
Reasoning: Condition damage and Damage boosts are more in line with SB as a hybrid weapon. On evade makes it work with SW/D or any evades we have too. I changed the bouncing effect for more flavor to get some AoE. We can still retain the old piercing effect still if you want.
Most Dangerous Game
- The problem with this trait is that might as boon requires major stacks for it to work effectively, you will get killed or have to use your heal skill when that happens thus cancelling the proccing.
Changes
- While your health is below the threshold, you gain fury, quickness and retaliation.
- Health Threshold: 50%
Fury (1s): 20% Critical Chance
Quickness (1s): Skills and actions are 50% faster.
Retaliation (1s): Reflect incoming damage back to its source.
Boon Application Interval: 1s
Reasoning: The boons I mentioned DO NOT require ramp up time, thus ensuring instant effectiveness when you are low on health. The fury change can open up more Remorseless builds, The retaliation just suits the name pretty well and synergizes well with Glyph of Unity.
Furious Grip
- CD reduced to 8 seconds
Tailwind
- CD reduced to 8 seconds
Quickdraw
- CD reduced to 8 seconds
Hunter’s Tactics
- Increased Damage while attacking from behind or the side. Gain 2 Might Stacks when swapping weapons. ICD 8 seconds (Credits to Wondrouswall)
- Damage Increase: 10%
Might 2 stacks (10s): +60 Power, +60 Condition Damage
Reasoning: The 8 second CD traits are reduced to have better synergy with the Warrior Runes. I changed the critical hit chance when flanking because it does not make any sense in skirmishing where you easily get perma fury. 10% damage is more in line. Also I added Gain might on weapon swap to Give Skirmishing a more streamlined approach. 10% damage by itself is not worthy of a GM minor slot especially if it is really situational. Before anyone says this is OP check this for reference:
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL
Refined Toxins
- Another underwhelming trait for a Master spot. Not only does the 90% threshold hard to maintain in pvp, it only does 1 stack of poison too.
Changes
While you are above the health threshold, your strikes inflict poison. While your pet’s health is above the health threshold, its strikes inflict poison. Hitting a poisoned foe spreads to poison stacks to nearby targets.
- Health Threshold: 70%
Deals damage every second; heal potency decreased by 33%; stacks intensity.
Poison (6s): 201 Damage, -33% Healing Effectiveness
2 Poison stacks (2s)
Radius: 300
ICD: 10 seconds
Reasoning: Spreading poison stacks would further improve our condition application AoE without having to trait for traps, Having another unique effect also makes the trait an appealing choice. This will also open up Poison Master builds.
Poison Master
- This trait is kinda okay, I would buff this a little bit more just because you sacrifice condition removal for it.
Changes
After swapping pets, your pet’s first attack will inflict poison; your poison damage is increased.
Damage Damage Increase: 33%
Poison Effectiveness: 10%
Deals damage every second; heal potency decreased by 33%; stacks intensity.
2 Poison (8s): 536 Damage, -33% Healing Effectiveness
Reasoning: Buffing the trait would make it a fair trade off for not taking condition removal. I also matched the damage increase worthy of a grandmaster. For a quick comparison check:
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Potent_Poison
This might look op at first, but we gotta remember the poison from the pets scale from their condition damage, so you still have to build around it.
Empathic Bond
- Transfer 1 condition to your Pet every 3s. When your Pet is inflicted with a unique condition, gain Empathic Bond (10s).
- Empathic Bond: You take 2% less condition damage and deal 2% more condition damage. Stacks up to 5 times.
Reasoning:Not really a low-hanging fruit suggestion, but it can be interesting to have a trade-off for dumping conditions onto your pet. It can also bring out some interesting play, such as using Signet of Renewal’s active to gain 5 stacks immediately or cleansing conditions from your pet so they can gain certain conditions again in order to replenish stacks.
Those being said, EB can finally start to have some trait synergy with other lines due to combos. A bit in Marksmanship when using Signets and a bit more with condition-focused builds in Skirmishing. Finally, competition within WS Gm tier can be more fierce while offering an alternate way to deal with conditions when compared to Wilderness Knowledge, as well as being a stronger option for builds that do not slot Survival utilities. On the flip-side of things, it can be a competitive choice for more offensive condition builds between Poison Master (for being Poison focused) or EB as a way to increase the condition damage across multiple conditions, but at the risk of your Pet’s well-being. (Credits to Wondrouswall)
NATURE MAGIC
Bountiful Hunter
- Another trait that is so lackluster just because you need heavy investment on boon application in pvp in order to benefit from this trait. 1% is too low for it, 6 boons (which is rather hard to get solo will only give you 6% damage)
Changes
- You and your pet deal more damage per boon that is on you.
- Damage Damage per Boon: 2%
Reasoning: Making it 2% will be more realistic to get without a party.
Invigorating Bond
- This trait has so much potential for more team support in PvE and PvP, but the trait at the moment is too limiting.
Changes
- Your pet heals allies in an area when executing a command [F2] ability.
- Healing: 2,580 (0.5)?
Radius: 1000
Now scales with your healing power
ICD: 25 seconds
Reasoning: First of all 300 radius is too small for the trait, also when it scaled with Pet’s healing power, it was really limiting. Pet’s do not have a healing power stat to begin with. Even if they had it, you eventually had to trait into BM to get natural healing to make this trait worthwhile, not worth the investment for 2 trait lines.
BEASTMASTERY
Companion’s Might
- This is a good trait although it pales in comparison with the other two on the trait line.
Changes
- Your pet’s critical hits heal a portion of their health. Critical strikes from your pet’s basic attack cause bleeding.
- Bleeding (6s): 132 Damage
Healing: 500
Reasoning: We have so much ways of granting our pet might. Leeching attacks will make them more sustainable especially in boss mob fights in PvE for solo content.
Zephyr’s Speed
- I know a lot of people LOVE this trait, but I do not see the logic in it.
Changes
- Gain might and quickness when using your pet’s [F2] ability
- The quickness procs before the F2
- Quickness (3s): Skills and actions are 50% faster.
Might (15s): +90 Power, +90 Condition Damage
ICD: 15 seconds
Radius: 1000
Reasoning: So imagine you buff your pet with multiple boons and you wanna swap to get more quickness and might. All those buffs on the 1st pet disappear. It is such a waste. Having it on the F2 can make timing a little bit better, also having the quickness proc before the F2 ensures you can have a quick F2 usage ON THAT SAME PET, rather than swapping and ONLY the 2nd PET gets the benefit.
Honed Axes
All of the traits effects do not make any sense since MH is a condi weapon while OH is a power weapon.
Changes:
- While wielding an axe, gain 2% Damage and Condition Damage for each boon your opponent has. Winter’s bite is now an AoE skill. Axe skills recharge faster.
- Attribute bonus: Damage and Condition Damage Increase 2%
Number of Targets: 5
Radius: 240
Recharge Reduced: 20%
Reasoning: With this change, it benefits BOTH MH and OH on their respective roles. Another utility since we do not have boon strips or corrupts. This turns your axe into another utility weapon. Now with the change YOU DO NOT HAVE to have an axe in your MH since it also benefits you as an OH.
(edited by StickerHappy.8052)