(edited by Bri.8354)
On pet swap effects are unnatural.
The On-Swap mechanic is perfect for us, since we swap pets a lot, if you are not swapping pets a lot, you are doing it wrong. Don’t camp pets, Wolf for example can be swapped to 3 times before the F2 even recharges, so you may as well be swapping and hitting the F2 on your other pet. These new traits are total gold for Ranger. If you cannot see the synergy in this, you need to re-roll as all is vain.
How can you say that pet swapping is “designed” to keep pets alive yet also “best used sparingly and tactically, not frequently like these traits encourage”? Swapping asap is far better for pets longevity as the swap is a full heal and condi removal. Do you think that if ANet “designed” pet swapping to be in-frequent as you claim, that they would make these traits?
Your opinion is flawed I’m afraid, ANet disagrees with you, and in practice swapping is an excellent way of keeping your pets alive and making the most of the skills the both of them have.
If you use a skill like RaO, you obviously do it when the pet is at full health and you do not swap it out unless it is about to die, so that you get the full duration of the might out of it. But that only lasts as long as a swap CD anyway (couple seconds longer actually).
(edited by Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582)
> • Poison master: When you swap pets, your pet’s next attack will cause 2 stacks of poison for 8 seconds.
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Poison_Master – Read Bug Note 2 – I doubt this will be fixed.
> Clarion Bond: Cast call of the wild when you swap pets.
1.) Does the buff affect your pet as well as you?
2.) Does this version act as a blast finisher?
3.) Why does ArenaNet never say when these traits are in combat – I assume so?
> • Poison master: When you swap pets, your pet’s next attack will cause 2 stacks of poison for 8 seconds.
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Poison_Master – Read Bug Note 2 – I doubt this will be fixed.
> Clarion Bond: Cast call of the wild when you swap pets.
1.) Does the buff affect your pet as well as you?
2.) Does this version act as a blast finisher?
3.) Why does ArenaNet never say when these traits are in combat – I assume so?
It literally says “cast call of the wild”, as in the skill. Of course the blast finisher is there. It’s even affected by the warhorn trait.
Refined Toxins <3
Pet swap works perfectly with some pets less with other pets. Raven/owl combo for example works very good with it, swap as much as you can.
The Clarion Bond the same as Zephyr’s Speed will pally the buff after the swap, so basically the pet is coming fresh with might/fury/swiftness/quickness.
Sawp also good for pet positioning and like @Nado saied , Refined Toxins.
With both poison master and Refined Toxins, the pet will aply 3 stacks of poison on his first attack after swap.
Pet swap works perfectly with some pets less with other pets. Raven/owl combo for example works very good with it, swap as much as you can.
The Clarion Bond the same as Zephyr’s Speed will pally the buff after the swap, so basically the pet is coming fresh with might/fury/swiftness/quickness.
Sawp also good for pet positioning and like @Nado saied , Refined Toxins.
With both poison master and Refined Toxins, the pet will aply 3 stacks of poison on his first attack after swap.
I can’t wait to test out Clarion Bond, Expertise Training, Refined Poisons, Go For The Eyes, Wilting Strike and Beastly Warden on a Drakehound or Alpine Wolf. AoE Immob/Chill, Poison, Blind, Weakness and Taunt with +20% durations, Fury, Swiftness, Might… LOL
(edited by Heimskarl Ashfiend.9582)
Heimskarl, I have to disagree with you. Ask any experienced ranger that cares about efficiency and they will tell you to hold off swapping pets to maximize efficiency and save your next pets skills for a good moment.
Take the popular PvP strategy; you start with a spider or canine and don’t swap your pet until you have a use out of the wolves F2, which can be used right next to you immediately upon a swap, which it will then follow with a knockdown. If you swap pets constantly you will not be able to use this as both their knockdown and pet swap will be on cooldown when you best need it.
Take PvE, where a top strategy is using a feline and drake. You swap to the best one out of combat (feline for single target, drake for AoE) and remain with it for as long as you can, stacking as many boons as possible. If you use a jungle stalker for group might stacking, you use it right before the fight, then swap to your other pet before the fight starts. Pet swapping in these cases does not benefit from the traits, which only activate in combat.
In PvE, while in combat, you only swap pets is in a few situations like when your pet is at risk of death/down, to instantly reposition it, and in prolonged fights such as those that started with a group of enemies but is down to 1 where you switch from the drake to your feline.
These traits are in conflict with proper pet management, making players feel like they have to switch pets as often as they can for effects, not hold out for more boons, better sustainability, and better use of pet skills.
Actually, up until now there was no reason to swap pets that often, but now that you get quickness+ 3 might on swap + Call of the wild every second swap there is. I suppose its more for glass builds to compact your burst spike. It is also very useful with quickstomps and quick f2 casts. The jungle stalkers 3s cast time becomes a much faster 2s cast time, wolf howl is near instant, etc…
And if you want a different play style, you can do that too now as well.
The quickness on pet swap is the only one that fits in. It works great in combination with F2 skills. But giving the player quickness and both parties might as well? That starts turning pet swap into a method of burst damage.
This is the issue I’m trying to get across, which I probably explained poorly in my OP; pet swap is being turned into a means of boon and condition application when it should be a way to manage pets. Traits should be granting effects that support this management, such as applying quickness which speeds up the next pets F2. Other effects, like applying posion, vigor, and granting quickness to the player, belong in other places.
Heimskarl, I have to disagree with you. Ask any experienced ranger that cares about efficiency and they will tell you to hold off swapping pets to maximize efficiency and save your next pets skills for a good moment.
Take the popular PvP strategy; you start with a spider or canine and don’t swap your pet until you have a use out of the wolves F2, which can be used right next to you immediately upon a swap, which it will then follow with a knockdown. If you swap pets constantly you will not be able to use this as both their knockdown and pet swap will be on cooldown when you best need it.
Take PvE, where a top strategy is using a feline and drake. You swap to the best one out of combat (feline for single target, drake for AoE) and remain with it for as long as you can, stacking as many boons as possible. If you use a jungle stalker for group might stacking, you use it right before the fight, then swap to your other pet before the fight starts. Pet swapping in these cases does not benefit from the traits, which only activate in combat.
In PvE, while in combat, you only swap pets is in a few situations like when your pet is at risk of death/down, to instantly reposition it, and in prolonged fights such as those that started with a group of enemies but is down to 1 where you switch from the drake to your feline.
These traits are in conflict with proper pet management, making players feel like they have to switch pets as often as they can for effects, not hold out for more boons, better sustainability, and better use of pet skills.
Honestly, use your brain. Do you seriously think taking a bunch of on-swap traints and canines into PvP with the intention on not swapping asap is a good idea?
Your PvE example is stupid because you can just start the fight, then swap, and your fresh drake would get 8 might, swiftness, fury and quickness (with those traits) while also executing its blast finisher immediately for double blasts. Also, if you are applying boons while ooc in PvE, you are just wasting time. Your ‘top’ strategy is not compatible with on-swap traits. Do you think that running zerker with condition traits is a good idea? No, because the traits do not fit the play style, same as on-swap traits do not fit the playstyle of someone who wants to camp pets in PvE. Honestly, just forget the feline and run dual drakes. A good party just has no need of he stalkers 15s of might as the PS warrior will stack that much in the first couple of AAs.
Also, the CD on Clarion Bond is 24s.
If you took all the on-swap traits, there is nothing stopping you from using the canine to KD your target after the swap (under quickness effect) plus having much increased chance to crit and 240 power… Then, F2 into your burst combo.
Start thinking about pet swapping differently. Just because you are going to get that buff for swapping, doesn’t mean you need to swap asap. I just remember the CDs on the canines so can judge when the next one will be off kd and extend the time up until its off recharge, then swap.
By your logic, Loud Whistle is also counter to pet management because it lowers the CD on swapping to 16s.
The quickness on pet swap is the only one that fits in. It works great in combination with F2 skills. But giving the player quickness and both parties might as well? That starts turning pet swap into a method of burst damage.
This is the issue I’m trying to get across, which I probably explained poorly in my OP; pet swap is being turned into a means of boon and condition application when it should be a way to manage pets. Traits should be granting effects that support this management, such as applying quickness which speeds up the next pets F2. Other effects, like applying posion, vigor, and granting quickness to the player, belong in other places.
ANY boon on swap fits in, as its a boon on your pet! Are you serious? So, you don’t want a fresh pet to be immediately buffed up when swapping to it? Pet swapping is a major mechanic for Rangers and needs to have effects on it.
The quickness on pet swap is the only one that fits in. It works great in combination with F2 skills. But giving the player quickness and both parties might as well? That starts turning pet swap into a method of burst damage.
This is the issue I’m trying to get across, which I probably explained poorly in my OP; pet swap is being turned into a means of boon and condition application when it should be a way to manage pets. Traits should be granting effects that support this management, such as applying quickness which speeds up the next pets F2. Other effects, like applying posion, vigor, and granting quickness to the player, belong in other places.
ANY boon on swap fits in, as its a boon on your pet! Are you serious? So, you don’t want a fresh pet to be immediately buffed up when swapping to it? Pet swapping is a major mechanic for Rangers and needs to have effects on it.
Ok realx your horses here, the OP has reason to think like that.
Always is how you play ranger, the OP made some very good points. If you have two pets with 2 different F2 you may want to save them to the appropiate moment.
Clear enough brown bear and cabbage dog.
If you swap pets like crazy you may miss the healing or the cleanse when you really needed.
Not all of the rangers use the pets only for the DPS output but for a more complex micromanaging of their skills.
Do you not feel these trait effects would be better suited for another area?
• What if Poison Master activated the next time the player applied poison, or the pet would have a 20% chance of causing 2 seconds of poison on hit?
• What if Vigorous Training activated upon using a healing skill?
• What if Zephyr’s speed granted the player quickness on an opening strike (9 sec ICD) and/or granted the pet quickness, stability, and swiftness on a swap?
• What if Clarion Bond activated each time your pet received a condition, granting a boon based on the condition it received? Or what if it worked like opening strike, where it would only reapply out of combat, and your pets first attack would cause the buff to those around it?
If we moved the mechanics around like this they would have wider appeal and find their way into more builds as a result, in addition to no longer conflicting with smart pet management.
And to give an idea of what I view good on swap effects to be:
• Upon pet swap all conditions on your old pet are converted into boons for the new one.
• After pet swap, if you press F1 your pet will shadowstep to the target and cripple them.
(edited by Bri.8354)
No, I don’t really think they are suited better for another area tbh.
It is simple, you just do not use these traits if you intend on camping pets so that you can take advantage of a single skill that the pet immediately uses on swap. If you intend on swapping frequently so that the pet has high health, clears its condis, you are using two birds for example, or you are in a high damage scenario that requires fast swapping to prevent the pets death, they are perfect.
If you intend on camping pets in PvP, the F2 traits are better than the swap traits, although, DPS pets with shorter CDs work better for those too.
No need to ruin something that works awesome just because it doesn’t work for the particular way you want to play it. There are other far better traits for your desired playstyle.
I seriously doubt camping pets with fortifying bond will yield a higher dps than specing Beastmastery and utilizing the pet swap traits in the new pve meta. What we’re currently doing is irrelevant. Besides that, we still got the sword and the adept trait in bm to grant the pet additional might.
(edited by Lazze.9870)
I use Zephyr’s Speed to great use in my build. Depends on play style maybe but I like what I’m getting.
I use Zephyr’s Speed to great use in my build. Depends on play style maybe but I like what I’m getting.
ZS is golden with canines. They get quickness, KD immediately and you are free to Quickness Sword AA, RF or whatever with impunity.
Traits are great, and encourage more active use of pets.
Yaniam [Mesmer]
^ Usually only characer that i play on
^ Usually only characer that i play on
I like it. You don’t want your pet on cooldown, but you do want the benefits of the new pet and trait effects, so you have to decide what the optimal time to swap is.
In GW1, when you used frenzy on a warrior, you got a long duration quickness, but took double damage. That’s a cool choice. This is similar.
Also we swap pets pretty frequently as is, so they’re going to trigger a bunch regardless.