Guild Wars 2

As the title says, does anyone else think ranger builds have become rather plain and predictable?

Has anyone come up with any wacky off meta builds or gear sets they think might work?

Elite specs automatically remove 1/3 of the traitline choices for all professions. And most professions also have a borderline required 2nd traitline like our BM.

I don’t think there is any solution until a 2nd round of epecs are released.

Every class is stale until Anet decides to put Effortinto making more traitlinesband weapons viable, but from experience they only want to put effort in “balancing” a few options

Fluffball.8307:

I don’t think there is any solution until a 2nd round of epecs are released.

There are solutions, but it would involve a lot of work and redoing traits/utilities while cutting off much, if not all, synergy to elite specs from core.

Almost to the point where an elite spec augments a singular focus rather than an overall premise. That workload is more than what Anet is willing to do and elite specs would be reduced to… side-grades.

Wondrouswall.7169:

Fluffball.8307:

I don’t think there is any solution until a 2nd round of epecs are released.

There are solutions, but it would involve a lot of work and redoing traits/utilities while cutting off much, if not all, synergy to elite specs from core.

Almost to the point where an elite spec augments a singular focus rather than an overall premise. That workload is more than what Anet is willing to do and elite specs would be reduced to… side-grades.

So no there isn’t any solution…

Ah nope. I just use a slight variation of the Bunker. HoT and subsequent balance-for-non-versatility-patches locked us into Mender’s Amulet, Nature Magic, Not Glyphs, and Beastmastery.

You can run many slight variations of cookie cutter, but anything too far outside the norm is… weak.

Warhorn instead of Dagger
Guard instead of Signet of Restoration
Both might sigils on both weapon sets
Leadership Runes
Warhorn Traited

Better in group, not so great in 1v1, but in Gold right now… 80% of players can’t 1v1 so group support is better (maybe?).

This is what I’v been using for this season and the last 2 seasons. It does can take your opponents by surprise and even make them go, WTF?, in some 1v1 scenarios.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJARWnUqAVsi1CC+CCctgl/Ab51lBCAPphfwwDet+WvrlMtwA-TpBFABMcEAKa/BAuAAtdIA6vMQEPAAA

The idea is to mix strong healing supportive capabilities with lots of combat presence. Like most non-meta builds, this build is also much more about careful position/movement and smart damage mitigation and condi removal.
This build came to be because i felt that the healing meta druid cant “finish the job” with pug group that doesn’t understand the concept of stomps and cleaves. It felt i weren’t able do deny revives efficiently. With this build you can play both defense and offence. I also found out that with this build, mender is almost as good damage as maraduer/demolisher only with much better survivability and support.

Main tips: 1) If you c that the opponent team got 2 thives and another power class spec like rev, I change guard to SoS. 2)Don’t fight condi warrior on point before you have full AF. I avoid capping “close” vs groups with condi warrior even if we already have another support on team. Make your pet eat punishment first if you fight DH/necro, bad mitigation at the start of a fight, can be the end of you.

nah, as i see it in competitive you only have one choice: going with the meta bunker with trooper runes.

Otherwise you will miss:

• the cleanses you need to survive this condi meta
• or the might generation to be able to deal some damage
• or the damage from the pet
• or the mobility you will need.

So until maybe some day Anet decides to rework the pets, the traitlines and the skills so i’m not forced into bunker because the actual and real lack of burst so you may win before the enemies heals and blocks are up again i’ll have to go with this.

It ismthe same case as the druid traitline. Is not ancient seeds it that amazing but the other trait choices are so bad that make anything looks good in comparison, anything,

i do not know if you would find this build boring i think it is fantastic and a blast to play has good cc,helps team out and kills fast and has nice , survivability plus i love flying around .http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNAsfVnUqAlrgVsCOsAUtgFMBD+m2TLqNLrOVA45GM5iclsi0A-TZRAABAcIA2vMQM7PEwJAwjnAAA

I dont understand this thread you can litarlly use any weapon or trait line and have a viable build. You got the shout trooper, which you Menders,seekers, muarder, diviner all work great with, power survival is great.
Condi bleed ranger is fun, can make some use out of it in wvw and pvp deff not meta but if your really good you can make it work.
I have 2 rangers and theres not one neglated traitline I use, yea theres dumb traits but Id say ranger is on of the most versatile classes right now. all ranger weapons have a purpose and niche.

Eleazar.9478:

I dont understand this thread you can litarlly use any weapon or trait line and have a viable build.

Because every good build in all 3 game modes revolves the druid traitline and how to power CA; 93% of the time it’s BM which also makes our ranger profession mechanic work and staff. It gets a little old.

That’s a problem with all 9 professions though, they just need a second round of Especs to shake things up.

Fluffball.8307:

..snip

That’s a problem with all 9 professions though, they just need a second round of Especs to shake things up.

Don’t hold your breath Fluff. I don’t remember were but i think Anet said you won’t be able to mix up spec. You can go druid or whatever is the new one, but not both.

For example if the next is a burst dps oriented at thief style, you will miss the self sustain part in the ranger so you will be completely trashed unless we get the same perma stealth, dodges and mobility the thief has (so a reroll as a thief)

Nah, first core ranger needs some love. Most of it is just reestructure some traits and skills it not like it needs something big mostly is because our traits and utility skills are really plain, they lack effects compared to any utility from any other class so they need to be very good at the only thing they do.

Pets is another tale that would need much work done there even a complete rework i could say, but well i gave up on that.
Once core ranger is average and may be played in the competitive scene, then yeh i would go as far as to question about future specs.

Ya they definitely said you can only do 1 spec at a time, but if all the new especs are at least as powerful as druid, it will give us some variety. I expect the next round to be 9 new majorly OP specs that will be tuned down once the expansion is mostly done selling.

If the next ranger epec is all DPS, you could have a thought-out 5 man team with a druid and a “murderer” or whatever the next spec is called.

Fluffball.8307:

Ya they definitely said you can only do 1 spec at a time, but if all the new especs are at least as powerful as druid, it will give us some variety. I expect the next round to be 9 new majorly OP specs that will be tuned down once the expansion is mostly done selling.

If the next ranger epec is all DPS, you could have a thought-out 5 man team with a druid and a “murderer” or whatever the next spec is called.

You assume there wont be an elite spec with permanent projectile shield and another with permanent laser beam shield and yet another with minion immunity.

Justine.6351:

You assume there wont be an elite spec with permanent projectile shield and another with permanent laser beam shield and yet another with minion immunity.

There will be but hopefully the murderer (please let that be the name) Espec will have a plasma cannon.

Hmm the third specialization .How abut the Ranger/Druid /Enviro kitten. Give full crowd condi clears and retaliation with high DPS protests.