Guild Wars 2

Im wondering what happens to Bear Stance when we are merged with our pet.
Its the only stance that mentions pets in them. Hoping to either an increased heal or more condi removal if there is a change.

Also with dolyak stance, if we take Leader of the Pack, is the stability duration that we apply to allies at full duration or 50%?
Could be a contender for Guardians “Stand Your Ground!”

Traits seem to be the weakest point atm. Hoping they balance them right and not over buff then nerf them to the ground like some Druid traits were.

Not sure if anyone posted this before me but sharing anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqj-yOPEudA
soulbeast at 28:33
looks really meh compared to the rest of the new elite specs. A but disappointed but hopefully turns out great!

Edit: I wouldn’t wanna confuse breadth with depth. Sure it seems SB has a ton of various things to switch from according to the situation. I realized everything you listed having read the thread and watched the stream. But one has to actually play to find out whether it has depth. There is reason to get excited but I wouldn’t claim it to be the most in depth among other specs just yet.

jcbroe.4329:

mistsim.2748:

https://youtu.be/nqj-yOPEudA?t=2120

One of the GM traits literally gives you a second life if you’re in beastmode when you get downed. looks like an incredibly powerful elite spec overall. as per usual ANet antics, there will be no reason to roll with any GM other than Eternal Bond in pvp.

For the GM traits from a different thread, thanks to mistsim. Can’t screenshot right now or I would.

Personally I think the stance sharing GM alone is incredibly strong support, especially given that some of the screenshots imply that you can bring AoE heals and boons with this spec too. Ultimately we’ll have to see how it works, but sharing out Bear, Dolyak, Wolf, and even Griffon stance looks like strong group utility, at least for PvP and WvW.

WoW, this is amazing and exactly as I theorized from the trailer videos. Everyone that saying this specialization is “boring” doesn’t have a clue. This specialization got probably the most depth to it among the other specialization. Some things I noticed:

1)Beastmode will give you 3 new abilities(F1-F3) depends on pet pick(Pet F2 abilties are being replaced with “pet group” abilities, so NO henya clone). You can still swap pets(in normal form) SO you can basically be adding up to 6 new utility skills to your build which you can pick from several kit options.

2)Beastmode will also give you passive buff depends on “pet group”-(In the video, the flower pet is giving the “deadly” passive, adding precision and condi dmg). You can swap pets so you can shift passive bonuses depending on the situation. The first minor is stating that some of the traits/abilities that effect pets, will be modified to effect the character(so you can theorized around that as well). So soul beat mechanic alone is giving you new skills, passive bonus and trait modification.

3) 3 new pets(the lightning thing is the plant tree skill).

4)Dagger movement ability(with the quickness) got a stacking mechanic(like mantras), you can use the skill at least twice. Dagger is not a condi weapon, it’s an hybrid like SB. Can be good on both power and condi.

5)Its seems that this specialization is really tapping into the all “reaver” play style, with the tresholds , which always was always very cluncy on a ranger, but it can work now. The GM trait is giving you the option to push this concept to the limit. It also seems that this specialization got good synergy with the “Skirmishing” trait line, with all the evading/thresholds buffs. It all also may be the first time players will be able to use MM/SM builds, as the new specialization giving you the option to get defensive abilities, condi defence and utility boons(swiftness/regen) from stances and/or pet kits while in beast mode.

Johnny.1634:

Ok then, since I clearly cant understand. Explain how the pet is going to grant might to my group when he’s gone. How is my pet going to hit faster and harder with “Sic ’Em!” while he’s no where to be found? “Search and Rescue!” with an invisible pet? Maul ain’t gonna do much when my pets inside of me.

lol

Dude, you’re asking how it’s gonna grant your allies might when you’re literally getting his F2 skill. You’re able to switch in and out of beast form as much as you want, with a 10 CD. Sic ‘Em’ lasts for 6 seconds and has a cooldown og 40 when not traited. And, what if the ranger gets the effect? We don’t know that yet.

I never said that you don’t understand. I said you refuse to understand. Buffs like the AoO from Maul is a great question, I wonder that myself. But something like your F2 might? No wonder you’re kittening dissapointed already. You’re shooting it down without looking properly at it.

LughLongArm.5460:

Even if it does not has duration limit, it’s probably got a downside.

Obviously. All I’m saying is that they shouldn’t gate the mode behind anything akin to Astral Force or a short duration. From the looks of things, it only has the 10CD that starts when entering the mode. Which is great.

I can already imagine quite a few combos.

LughLongArm.5460:

3) 3 new pets(the lightning thing is the plant tree skill).

There are 5 new pets, she ignored two of them.

4)Dagger movement ability(with the quickness) got a stacking mechanic(like mantras), you can use the skill at least twice. Dagger is not a condi weapon, it’s an hybrid like SB. Can be good on both power and condi.

Dagger is a condi weapon, just like SB the power scaling will be bad. Shortbow doesn’t deal any damage with a power build compared to a condi build.

Lazze.9870:

LughLongArm.5460:

Even if it does not has duration limit, it’s probably got a downside.

Obviously. All I’m saying is that they shouldn’t gate the mode behind anything akin to Astral Force or a short duration. From the looks of things, it only has the 10CD that starts when entering the mode. Which is great.

I can already imagine quite a few combos.

No astral force like mechanic, only 10 sec CD. You can probably stay in form as much as you want. Your incentive to transform back is to swap pets(to change kits), to use pet F2 abilities(will not be part of beast mode) and while in beast mode you may be losing some of the skills/weapon abilities, pet only effects(not use about that).

Miellyn.6847:

LughLongArm.5460:

3) 3 new pets(the lightning thing is the plant tree skill).

There are 5 new pets, she ignored two of them.

4)Dagger movement ability(with the quickness) got a stacking mechanic(like mantras), you can use the skill at least twice. Dagger is not a condi weapon, it’s an hybrid like SB. Can be good on both power and condi.

Dagger is a condi weapon, just like SB the power scaling will be bad. Shortbow doesn’t deal any damage with a power build compared to a condi build.

I used to run power SB build pre HOT, believe me, it used be far more effective on hybrid/power build. Getting 1,200 crits every .05 sec was OP before the projectile hate state. Vulnerability and poison are great for both condi and power. Dagger 3 is power skill with quickness, dagger 2 got nice damage modify.

Miellyn.6847:

LughLongArm.5460:

3) 3 new pets(the lightning thing is the plant tree skill).

There are 5 new pets, she ignored two of them.

4)Dagger movement ability(with the quickness) got a stacking mechanic(like mantras), you can use the skill at least twice. Dagger is not a condi weapon, it’s an hybrid like SB. Can be good on both power and condi.

Dagger is a condi weapon, just like SB the power scaling will be bad. Shortbow doesn’t deal any damage with a power build compared to a condi build.

5 pets, even better than 3. Nice!

LughLongArm.5460:

No astral force like mechanic, only 10 sec CD. You can probably stay in form as much as you want. Your incentive to transform back is to swap pets(to change kits), to use pet F2 abilities(will not be part of beast mode) and while in beast mode you may be losing some of the skills/weapon abilities, pet only effects(not use about that).

She have access to the full weapon skills while in beast mode, but indeed it looks like a challenging spec cuz you’ll need to go in and out beast mode to land pet’s skills and use the F2 and gain benefits from pet swapping traits, pet’s dps etc. I can see build diversity and a lots of nich builds here in both condi power builds.

I doubt the power damage scaling of the dagger will be that impressive, but you can always hope. None of the GMs being directly related to conditions is kinda weird, when the dagger is mostly all about it.

SHAME that you can’t pet swap while in beast mode. Well, from the looks of it anyway.

borya.2964:

LughLongArm.5460:

No astral force like mechanic, only 10 sec CD. You can probably stay in form as much as you want. Your incentive to transform back is to swap pets(to change kits), to use pet F2 abilities(will not be part of beast mode) and while in beast mode you may be losing some of the skills/weapon abilities, pet only effects(not use about that).

She have access to the full weapon skills while in beast mode, but indeed it looks like a challenging spec cuz you’ll need to go in and out beast mode to land pet’s skills and use the F2 and gain benefits from pet swapping traits, pet’s dps etc. I can see build diversity and a lots of nich builds here in both condi power builds.

Ofc you have access, I meant the passive effects on weapon skills that effect pets only. Like maul – your pet gain attack of opportunity.

Lazze.9870:

I doubt the power damage scaling of the dagger will be that impressive, but you can always hope. None of the GMs being condi centered is kinda weird, when the dagger is mostly all about it.

SHAME that you can’t pet swap while in beast mode. Well, from the looks of it anyway.

One of the GM trait, make condis last longer on a specific scenario. It also an hybrid trait that also give 10% damage bonus.

LughLongArm.5460:

One of the GM trait, make condis last longer on a specific scenario. It also an hybrid trait that also give 10% damage bonus.

I know, I kinda ignored the condi part of the skill because it’s just a mere 10 % condi duration tapped on to a 10 % power damage modifier. Now, if Anet just stops messing about and make the shorbow GM trait apply to weapon evades aswell. And let it stack with this new one.

Hoping that trigger scenario is percentage based. It’s literally useless in any game mode if not.

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Lazze.9870:

I doubt the power damage scaling of the dagger will be that impressive, but you can always hope. None of the GMs being directly related to conditions is kinda weird, when the dagger is mostly all about it.

SHAME that you can’t pet swap while in beast mode. Well, from the looks of it anyway.

Obviously power builds won’t use main hand dagger, but we still have LB, GS, sword and warhorn. And i was mainly thinking about pets skills with good direct damage, the leaps and hard cc you’ll access. Just think about Takedown and Smoke Assault from Smokescale with a melee soulbeast etc.

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

In WP stream he said that all elites do the Chrono thing where each row is based around a theme (In chrono this was slow for top line,Alacrity/quickness for the middle and illusions for the bottom).

Based on the GM traits that could mean, top line gives us defense or healing, middle is stances or supoort and bottom damage.

Wonder if the pet-targetting skills will affect the ranger while in Beastmode. That +40% damage from Sic’em would be epic… Beastmode Tail Swipe on a power build with Sic’em and SotH activation buff would be something to behold!

From what I saw, “meh”. But I have hopes that turns into “my god, that was brilliant!”

borya.2964:

Lazze.9870:

I doubt the power damage scaling of the dagger will be that impressive, but you can always hope. None of the GMs being directly related to conditions is kinda weird, when the dagger is mostly all about it.

SHAME that you can’t pet swap while in beast mode. Well, from the looks of it anyway.

Obviously power builds won’t use main hand dagger, but we still have LB, GS, sword and warhorn. And i was mainly thinking about pets skills with good direct damage, the leaps and hard cc you’ll access. Just think about Takedown and Smoke Assault from Smokescale with a melee soulbeast etc.

Well, from what we saw on her Video (expecting the Weapondamage to be correct and all), the Dagger Powerscaling is really bad. She Moved her Mouse over Dagger 5, where the Tooltip said 594dmg, that’s about what Marauder-Amu + Power Main rune give, and According to the Screens we have AA is somehwere in the 300 dmgwise (we can hope for high Attack-speed i guess?, Dagger 2 is about 50%dmg of Maul on twice the CD, and 3 is the double leap, which would be stronger than swoop if you land both.

I love this part of the release phase where theorycrafting and suppositions are running wild, and balance is sort of hand waved aside since nothing is set in stone but everyone is still thinking up combos to try out for fun (as opposed to when it’s already “solved”)
On that note has anyone seen what it looks like when eg. the ranger is the one using a bird’s swoop or a wyvern’s wing buffet? Not really in a position right now to trawl through videos for things like that.

Rashagar.8349:

I love this part of the release phase where theorycrafting and suppositions are running wild, and balance is sort of hand waved aside since nothing is set in stone but everyone is still thinking up combos to try out for fun (as opposed to when it’s already “solved”)

It’s my favourite time too, with the early preview weekends, when you can have fun and abuse it all before most of it gets balanced into averageness. Also, in WvW and sPvP, there’s the fun of not quite knowing what new toys the other classes got. It’s a precious moment that you don’t get to enjoy for long, a bit like early WvW when we were still figuring out the mechanics and the maps…

Rashagar.8349:

I love this part of the release phase where theorycrafting and suppositions are running wild, and balance is sort of hand waved aside since nothing is set in stone but everyone is still thinking up combos to try out for fun (as opposed to when it’s already “solved”)
On that note has anyone seen what it looks like when eg. the ranger is the one using a bird’s swoop or a wyvern’s wing buffet? Not really in a position right now to trawl through videos for things like that.

https://youtu.be/lhFrgfUw2c4?t=20

just saying.. but did you realise SB doesn’t have any access to swiftness or a movement skill? remember we won’t have access to celestial stride anymore.

Go back to the lacklustre signet of the hunt? This is going to be terrible in a thief d/d like gameplay…

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Irijia.6073:

The unused pets still won’t be getting a boost as you will only be using them to absorb their abilities…

Got a source for that?

Sorry for the late reply. It’s not a source thing. It’s a “they couldn’t be bothered to fix the old pets with the release of HoT and I don’t expect them to do that here either” thing. What we have here is literally a way for them to sidestep making fixes to pets by making them a non factor outside of giving the rangers a few new abilities and stances. The new pets might be good but I don’t believe for one second – and history thus far bears this out – that they will invest resources into buffing/fixing the pets that aren’t used because they just aren’t good enough to compete with HoT or newer pets.

My feelings about the Soulbeast and the fantastically vague description they gave on the reveal and the lackluster animations I’ve seen thus far are that they really phoned it in on this class for the next expansion. I feel they are relying on the theme of the spec and it appeasing people who want to be petless to carry it instead of putting actual effort into the class or making real improvements for people who might opt out of using Soulbeast and have been waiting for fixes to pets for a while now.

That said, maybe Anet will surprise us and this is all just negative speculation that will come to naught.

Dagger mainhand with poison and bleeding, pet abilities….looks like Anet saw the old post about my specialization concept
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/New-Ranger-Elite-Specialization-the-Stalker/first#post6476302

Anyway, seems we are gonna obtain the most versatile specialization in the entire game, look how many options we have:
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/List_of_pet_skills
Relevant skills are:
- Defy Pain: Wiki says the skill last 5 seconds. Also, will this skill be considered as a Stance like is it for warriors? Will be possible to share Defy Pain to our allies with the GM trait Leader of the Pack?
- Devourer Retreat: Retreat by tunneling through the ground. 3 seconds evade. I think this can be a nice survivability option especially for condi soulbeast.
- Harmonic Cry: Well, finally we can use it when we want atleast!
- Smoke Assault: REVENANT 2.0 incoming.

Also, will our trait Lingering Magic stack the pet boon duration to ourselves? We will see. I don’t care much how the Soulbeast GM traits sucks just because probably Anet will balance them multiple times in these months.

anduriell.6280:

just saying.. but did you realise SB doesn’t have any access to swiftness or a movement skill? remember we won’t have access to celestial stride anymore.

Go back to the lacklustre signet of the hunt? This is going to be terrible in a thief d/d like gameplay…

Have you seen all the traits? I only saw the 3 GMs.

Irijia.6073:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Irijia.6073:

The unused pets still won’t be getting a boost as you will only be using them to absorb their abilities…

Got a source for that?

Sorry for the late reply. It’s not a source thing. It’s a “they couldn’t be bothered to fix the old pets with the release of HoT and I don’t expect them to do that here either” thing. What we have here is literally a way for them to sidestep making fixes to pets by making them a non factor outside of giving the rangers a few new abilities and stances. The new pets might be good but I don’t believe for one second – and history thus far bears this out – that they will invest resources into buffing/fixing the pets that aren’t used because they just aren’t good enough to compete with HoT or newer pets.

My feelings about the Soulbeast and the fantastically vague description they gave on the reveal and the lackluster animations I’ve seen thus far are that they really phoned it in on this class for the next expansion. I feel they are relying on the theme of the spec and it appeasing people who want to be petless to carry it instead of putting actual effort into the class or making real improvements for people who might opt out of using Soulbeast and have been waiting for fixes to pets for a while now.

That said, maybe Anet will surprise us and this is all just negative speculation that will come to naught.

As with the druid release I feel that the ranger is yet again getting the “Meh” treatment. With the lack of enthusiasm in the narration and the shear briefness of that very description does not bode well for the ranger. And Dagger? Really?

Now, druid did have a few aspects that I liked it fell short of what I was expecting. It was basically created for raids by raids and because of raids.

As I listened to the thief elite I was thinking “Wow, that’s the description of a ranger stalking his quarry in the wild.”

Well, I’ll hold out what little hope I have for the ranger elite, but my pessimism still holds strong here.

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

No, the thematic of ranger in GW2 (as stated by the devs around launch) was that as tech was showing up and thieves and warriors sorta embraced it and utilized it, rangers avoided it and instead turned to using more magic to augment them.

That being said, I highly doubt a rifle for ranger is out of the question via elite specs, is be amazed if we don’t get a rifle, or pistol, elite spec relatively soon that uses a lot of nature magic as well to show the distinction between ranger using a gun and everyone else.

Btw, for your outdoorsman argument, that doesn’t work as well when our world doesn’t have the option of them going and getting magic from nature itself so they don’t have to use technology, but still a good point.

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

I’m going to throw this out there since I haven’t seen anybody bring up the “how is this going to work” concept for it yet.

So the way that pet swapping is coded, a new object of the pet (fully healed, no boons except from traits, etc) is created.

Assuming that beastmode uses the same code to bring the pet back to the map; it’ll be a way to save your pet without swapping to a different pet.

Also, assuming you can still use beastmode with a dead pet and it comes back as a new object, no more long periods of time spent petless?

Not that it’s a true solution in gamemodes where it’s a problem but it does seem to have a lot of potential.

Anyone else feels soulbeasts success heavily depends on the offhand dagger functionality, and hopeful rework

anduriell.6280:

just saying.. but did you realise SB doesn’t have any access to swiftness or a movement skill? remember we won’t have access to celestial stride anymore.

Go back to the lacklustre signet of the hunt? This is going to be terrible in a thief d/d like gameplay…

Hmm, not sure if this comment is a replay for something I wrote or not, but regarding SB movement, SB 3 is giving 9 sec swiftness on 8 sec CD. I used to run with it off combat pressing alt+3, Even easier with boon duration. With soul beast you can also use bird to get another 10 sec swiftness . We also know almost nothing regarding new traits.

Hepatolith.6389:

borya.2964:

Lazze.9870:

I doubt the power damage scaling of the dagger will be that impressive, but you can always hope. None of the GMs being directly related to conditions is kinda weird, when the dagger is mostly all about it.

SHAME that you can’t pet swap while in beast mode. Well, from the looks of it anyway.

Obviously power builds won’t use main hand dagger, but we still have LB, GS, sword and warhorn. And i was mainly thinking about pets skills with good direct damage, the leaps and hard cc you’ll access. Just think about Takedown and Smoke Assault from Smokescale with a melee soulbeast etc.

Well, from what we saw on her Video (expecting the Weapondamage to be correct and all), the Dagger Powerscaling is really bad. She Moved her Mouse over Dagger 5, where the Tooltip said 594dmg, that’s about what Marauder-Amu + Power Main rune give, and According to the Screens we have AA is somehwere in the 300 dmgwise (we can hope for high Attack-speed i guess?, Dagger 2 is about 50%dmg of Maul on twice the CD, and 3 is the double leap, which would be stronger than swoop if you land both.

That’s why I think its an hybrid weapon. main hand sword will be better for dps on zerk gear, but with the new stat combo option(main-power/main-condi/minor-precision/minor ferocity) Dagger have the potential to be damage king.

nacario.9417:

Anyone else feels soulbeasts success heavily depends on the offhand dagger functionality, and hopeful rework

Nah, I’m probably going to be a blasphemer and use off hand Axe and/or warhorn

LughLongArm.5460:

That’s why I think its an hybrid weapon. main hand sword will be better for dps on zerk gear, but with the new stat combo option(main-power/main-condi/minor-precision/minor ferocity) Dagger have the potential to be damage king.

I was just reffering to the Power argument (=, i feel it’s strongest in a hybrid spec aw… Theorycraftet something along these lines (of course this template expects us to get a boost out of the bonus-stats for pets trait ), and just replace Viper with the new stats.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJgYjitsgJLESEqPAS2ZuvgR/EGRaA-T1xXABroNYW1fGWJ3fHBAAUOQ6+DWrEMAACQIzZGYoDdoDdoDtbez28m3sUAit1C-w

Hepatolith.6389:

LughLongArm.5460:

That’s why I think its an hybrid weapon. main hand sword will be better for dps on zerk gear, but with the new stat combo option(main-power/main-condi/minor-precision/minor ferocity) Dagger have the potential to be damage king.

I was just reffering to the Power argument (=, i feel it’s strongest in a hybrid spec aw… Theorycraftet something along these lines (of course this template expects us to get a boost out of the bonus-stats for pets trait ), and just replace Viper with the new stats.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJgYjitsgJLESEqPAS2ZuvgR/EGRaA-T1xXABroNYW1fGWJ3fHBAAUOQ6+DWrEMAACQIzZGYoDdoDdoDtbez28m3sUAit1C-w

Looks solid ^^.

Levetty.1279:

Rashagar.8349:

I love this part of the release phase where theorycrafting and suppositions are running wild, and balance is sort of hand waved aside since nothing is set in stone but everyone is still thinking up combos to try out for fun (as opposed to when it’s already “solved”)
On that note has anyone seen what it looks like when eg. the ranger is the one using a bird’s swoop or a wyvern’s wing buffet? Not really in a position right now to trawl through videos for things like that.

https://youtu.be/lhFrgfUw2c4?t=20

Thanks for that. Not what I was expecting but good to know.

I was thinking more something like this as a hybrid, with the elite being One Wolf Pack and the eSpec heal or something depending on what it is.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner. Ranger in itself is a very versatile concept, with the druid spec hamming up the nature magic side of things, and Soulbeast going down the bestial path. After that, there are lots of things that ranger can be but then all we discuss is what it cannot be. Saying that ranger is not allowed to be outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed is just sad creatively speaking. May as well have called it Druid or Shaman from the start then.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I was thinking more something like this as a hybrid, with the elite being One Wolf Pack and the eSpec heal or something depending on what it is.

depending on how Companion’s Might (especially the “basic” attack bleed from pet crits) and the 150 p/v/t/prec and 300 fero is altered for Soulbeast, i think BM would be superior to skirmishing, but it’s all just speculation for now, Heal would be Bear and Free slot Dolyak. And yeah Offhand i wasn’t sure about, might as well change it to Torch or axe even.

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner. Ranger in itself is a very versatile concept, with the druid spec hamming up the nature magic side of things, and Soulbeast going down the bestial path. After that, there are lots of things that ranger can be but then all we discuss is what it cannot be. Saying that ranger is not allowed to be outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed is just sad creatively speaking. May as well have called it Druid or Shaman from the start then.

Well, I think the theme you are going for is more suited to Engineer.

Hepatolith.6389:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

I was thinking more something like this as a hybrid, with the elite being One Wolf Pack and the eSpec heal or something depending on what it is.

depending on how Companion’s Might (especially the “basic” attack bleed from pet crits) and the 150 p/v/t/prec and 300 fero is altered for Soulbeast, i think BM would be superior to skirmishing, but it’s all just speculation for now, Heal would be Bear and Free slot Dolyak. And yeah Offhand i wasn’t sure about, might as well change it to Torch or axe even.

Oh yeah, totaly agree! The only thing that prevented my putting that in is not knowing as yet and pessimism heh.

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner. Ranger in itself is a very versatile concept, with the druid spec hamming up the nature magic side of things, and Soulbeast going down the bestial path. After that, there are lots of things that ranger can be but then all we discuss is what it cannot be. Saying that ranger is not allowed to be outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed is just sad creatively speaking. May as well have called it Druid or Shaman from the start then.

Well, I think the theme you are going for is more suited to Engineer.

I was never going for a theme, I was defending some other guy who wanted rifles. Bother to read.

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner. Ranger in itself is a very versatile concept, with the druid spec hamming up the nature magic side of things, and Soulbeast going down the bestial path. After that, there are lots of things that ranger can be but then all we discuss is what it cannot be. Saying that ranger is not allowed to be outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed is just sad creatively speaking. May as well have called it Druid or Shaman from the start then.

Well, I think the theme you are going for is more suited to Engineer.

I was never going for a theme, I was defending some other guy who wanted rifles. Bother to read.

Appreciated mate.

And apologies for starting the debate, wrong thread for it, let’s keep this one about daggers and pet merge.

Woaw !
It sounds so great that i can’t wait to test it by myself.
But if it really works as a ‘petless’ class, i only can say : TYVM Anet for taking care of all ranger sensibilities !

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

Mackanstein.2503:

Miellyn.6847:

cafard.8953:

Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582:

cafard.8953:

Well, I still want a ‘hunter’ rifle-based spec at some point, but this spec looks fun to play, main-hand dagger always looks cool, and it actually synergises with pets, unlike our current cosmic healer spec… Looking forward to it.

Deadeye.

I’ll give it a go for sure, just as I tried rifle warrior and engie, but they never quite feel right. I miss the pet and the rest of our toys.

But neither rifle nor pistol fit the ranger theme in GW2. It’s all about nature and those two are the complete opposite. I don’t see this happen in the near future.

That’s so narrow-minded. Rifles have for a long time been the companion of the outdoorsman and explorer. American longhunters used hunting rifles, and they were very much nature guys. If the problem is that rifles are manufactured, then we shouldn’t be able to use swords or any other forged blades either. A GW2 Ranger with a rifle can be whatever you allow it to be, you just need to be a bit creative. The whole idea that rangers can only ever be themed around spirits and entangling roots just anchors the whole concept into a druid template, but we already have a druid spec.

Souldbeast is a cool concept though, and dagger makes sense as substituting a claw or fang, very bestial.

Rangers are nature magic themed, not outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed. A rifle has mechanical parts and requires the use of chemicals and other mechanisms to manufacture and operate. You can make a bow and arrows purely from totally natural materials without refinement. I think this is why most people do not agree that rifle/pistol is a Ranger weapon.

Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner. Ranger in itself is a very versatile concept, with the druid spec hamming up the nature magic side of things, and Soulbeast going down the bestial path. After that, there are lots of things that ranger can be but then all we discuss is what it cannot be. Saying that ranger is not allowed to be outdoorsman, hunter or explorer themed is just sad creatively speaking. May as well have called it Druid or Shaman from the start then.

Well, I think the theme you are going for is more suited to Engineer.

I was never going for a theme, I was defending some other guy who wanted rifles. Bother to read.

“Well, my point was that thinking of the ranger as being nature magic and nothing else really paints the concept into a corner” Well, making elementalist about Elements, Engineers about Engineering and necromancers about necromancy is not the same thing? You think being able to meld with your animal companion is not magic?
You were going for a theme in effect, a theme of outdoorsman/explorer type that would be able to use rifles. That is far more suited to a thief or engineer eSpec, which is exactly what we are in for this time around. Rangers refuse to use rifles and technology, but rather to develop their affinity to nature. That’s the lore. Bother to understand.