Ranger OH axe?
I like the OH axe and the pull, but not the fact that you have to stand still while using Whirling Defense. Might be nice with a Sigil of Frailty for stacking Vulnerability, though.
Its OK
I actually like Whirling Defense. I wish you could move while using it , would be a much better skill. I don’t use it as there are better alternatives I feel for an offhand, but it’s a fun skill.
I remember in WvW a few months ago the guild I used to be in was holding a choke point in Danelon’s Passage while trebbing Langor gulch. We had a good standoff for about 20-30 min with the other server. I just happened to be on my ranger at the time and swapped my axe to my offhand and would go stand near the entrance of that choke and watch all the reflected arrows and fireballs fly back in their face.
Was good fun, other than that I didn’t find much use out of it.
Yea, it’s not inherently bad, but I find that offhand axe rarely synergizes well with a build.
Axe OH is better than many think, still it shouldn’t be run as standard Off-Hand. It is a very situational weapon. Just equip it whenever you feel like needing a reflect and/or pull. I always carry one in my inventory.
Founder and former leader of TxS Community! For more information, please look here =)
http://www.reddit.com/r/txs
http://www.reddit.com/r/txs
Axe OH is better than many think, still it shouldn’t be run as standard Off-Hand. It is a very situational weapon. Just equip it whenever you feel like needing a reflect and/or pull. I always carry one in my inventory.
^ Yea, solid advice. It’s handy in situations, but seldom a good main weapon.
OH Axe is a very good and very underrated weapon, especially in PvE. If your group stacks properly the AoE of Whirling Defense (when traited) is a proper reflect that also stacks vuln. Compared to Feedback and Wall of Reflection it has a lower cooldown and doesn’t force the group to use a generally useless combo field.
Path of Scars, with a coefficient of 1.2, has the same damage as Backstab if it hits twice. Getting both hits is very easy if your foes are against a wall, and the interrupt will provide some active damage mitigation. The pull comes in handy if your pugs are dysfunctional.
In PvP, the pull is good for interrupting stealth stomps (no need for a target, just aim it), and if you tank up, the retaliation and reflect from Whirling Defense is surprisingly useful in zergs. The big advantage of Whirling is that’s it relatively hard to see in traffic, unlike a gigantic purple bubble or shiny wall.
It’s nice for Karka farming. The young ones love using channeled projectile attacks at point blank range, and don’t have the good sense to interrupt it.
Damage+Vulnerability+Reflect = lol.
OH Axe is a very good and very underrated weapon, especially in PvE. If your group stacks properly the AoE of Whirling Defense (when traited) is a proper reflect that also stacks vuln. Compared to Feedback and Wall of Reflection it has a lower cooldown and doesn’t force the group to use a generally useless combo field.
Path of Scars, with a coefficient of 1.2, has the same damage as Backstab if it hits twice. Getting both hits is very easy if your foes are against a wall, and the interrupt will provide some active damage mitigation. The pull comes in handy if your pugs are dysfunctional.
In PvP, the pull is good for interrupting stealth stomps (no need for a target, just aim it), and if you tank up, the retaliation and reflect from Whirling Defense is surprisingly useful in zergs. The big advantage of Whirling is that’s it relatively hard to see in traffic, unlike a gigantic purple bubble or shiny wall.
That’s the problem with axe, you need to trait for it when you want it to be a decent reflect. The trait is in a highly defensive and undesirable traitline for PvE, meaning you give up too much damage or group support to grab. You also have to stand still and channel it, meaning you don’t get to continue moving or using skills while reflecting unlike mesmers and guardians. Whirling defense damage is inferrior dps to auto attacking, standing still can be a problem in some fights like Grawl Shaman
Path of scars is great damage, but you need to be careful not to CC bosses when they have 0 stacks of defiance. (Unless you’re trying to pull or interupt them). If you want a knockdown, other classes have much better ones and using path of scars is a giant waste of boss CC.
(edited by TurtleDragon.3108)
I really like axe OH for the excellent damage and control options on it.
WD is so nice for reflects or aoe Vuln, esp if you have offhand training – though it is a little awkwardly placed. Since it’s paired with an awesome singletarget (plus collateral) ability I don’t really feel at a disadvantage at its limited use against singles.
That’s the problem with axe, you need to trait for it when you want it to be a decent reflect. The trait is in a highly defensive and undesirable traitline for PvE, meaning you give up too much damage or group support to grab. You also have to stand still and channel it, meaning you don’t get to continue moving or using skills while reflecting unlike mesmers and guardians. Whirling defense damage is inferrior dps to auto attacking, standing still can be a problem in some fights like Grawl Shaman
Path of scars is great damage, but you need to be careful not to CC bosses when they have 0 stacks of defiance. (Unless you’re trying to pull or interupt them). If you want a knockdown, other classes have much better ones and using path of scars is a giant waste of boss CC.
Mm, I think you exaggerate. In my experience, damage from reflected projectiles more than compensates for any theoretical damage loss, and the higher endurance regen helps maintain steady focus. Lower cooldown on QZ is also very convenient.
If you have other rangers in the group, I’d actually recommend 4/5/5/0/0 over 4/5/0/5/0. Traited and untraited spirits still stack, and peak strength is great with a traited WH because then the traited Call of Wild cd (28) lines up much more smoothly with the Healing Spring cd (30).
Also, with grawl shaman – Hunter’s Call, Entangle, then Path of Scars + Whirling Defense right underneath the bubble (the reflect protects both you and the root) is probably the safest and most reliable way to “solo” the bubble. Add river drake lightning to seal the deal.
If you use torch on your other weapon set, you can also do a whirl in the fire field… not sure if it ends up being that effective (IMO whirl finishers are often garbage), but it might be ok if it works anything like the mesmer’s iWarden.
You could also maybe use it with healing spring to heal up allies, though blast finishers would probably be better. Or use it on someone’s light field.
That’s the problem with axe, you need to trait for it when you want it to be a decent reflect. The trait is in a highly defensive and undesirable traitline for PvE, meaning you give up too much damage or group support to grab. You also have to stand still and channel it, meaning you don’t get to continue moving or using skills while reflecting unlike mesmers and guardians. Whirling defense damage is inferrior dps to auto attacking, standing still can be a problem in some fights like Grawl Shaman
Path of scars is great damage, but you need to be careful not to CC bosses when they have 0 stacks of defiance. (Unless you’re trying to pull or interupt them). If you want a knockdown, other classes have much better ones and using path of scars is a giant waste of boss CC.
Mm, I think you exaggerate. In my experience, damage from reflected projectiles more than compensates for any theoretical damage loss, and the higher endurance regen helps maintain steady focus. Lower cooldown on QZ is also very convenient.
If you have other rangers in the group, I’d actually recommend 4/5/5/0/0 over 4/5/0/5/0. Traited and untraited spirits still stack, and peak strength is great with a traited WH because then the traited Call of Wild cd (28) lines up much more smoothly with the Healing Spring cd (30).
Also, with grawl shaman – Hunter’s Call, Entangle, then Path of Scars + Whirling Defense right underneath the bubble (the reflect protects both you and the root) is probably the safest and most reliable way to “solo” the bubble. Add river drake lightning to seal the deal.
I think you’r exaggerating as well, no balanced group composition would run with 2 rangers. If I had other rangers in my group, I’d just bring my guardian instead for reflects. Nature Magic still gives you more power and a more reliable modifier than peak strength and wilderness survival. DPS-ing the bubble down isn’t even the hard part of the fight, it’s the elementals. Oh and other classes can do it better and there are plenty of different strategies for that fight that don’t invovle the ranger “solo”-ing the 50 stacks or whatever stacks.