Guild Wars 2

My Ranger will be benched for sure.

Why?

We bring almost nothing to the table in large group combat such as Guardian, Necromancers, Elementalists, Warriors, and Mesmers do. I have cheerleadered this profession in WvW to the point that I realize now the limited potential this profession brings to the table. It is sad that Anet is going to start this hardcore play mode in WvW and doesn’t have a clue of the current zerging meta. I mean WOW! Now I have to level a Warrior as my main toon in WvW because of the APATHY Anet has towards this profession.

This is just not a Ranger issue, this is going to be an issue for the Thieves and Engineers too because these professions don’t synergy well in the current WvW zerging meta. Yes, we might fit in a havoc squads or scouts but all of the reward in WvW is from zerging keeps and killing massive zergs in open field fights. Us players that like playing Rangers, Thieves and Engineers are already 3rd class citizens in the current WvW meta and this WvW season league thing hasn’t even started yet

As a hardcore Ranger and WvWer, I don’t think Anet understands these issues at all.

What I state in this post a few days ago is only the beginning of helping our profession:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/Improving-pet-s-F2-a-WvW-Zerg-PoV

Our F2 functions are super broken in massive group combat and it needs an overhaul, Desperately! Most of the Rangers F2 pet skills are AoEs bases but need a single target to position the cast and not having the abilities to ground target these abilities makes them USELESS vs massive organized groups and not worth using.

Please Anet, lets have a discussion about this because this has been an issue I have been warning about for sometime and now you will see the profession full discrimination once the WvW league starts to coming closer.

Thank you

Silly Ayden, we bring the most important thing when it comes to soloing camps for our country…survivability. Not to mention we’re one of the best classes to protect a tower/keep during siege when there are enemies down below.

I know how you feel Ayden. \_ (._.) _/

On the bright side, capturing camps, defending towers, and escorting yaks are surprisingly rewarding. Most of the players in my guild who prefer defense roles have a higher wvw rank than me and I’m Colonel now.

Actually, maybe that’s what rangers should be doing? Defending towers and scouting? I was talking to Bri yesterday about how much we like Rampager gear. I know Xsorsus is a fan of that set. Maybe I was wrong about “Hydralisk” (skirmishing/nature magic traps+boon duration) as evidenced by most people’s negative reactions to it? Maybe Dire stats coming out will change that?

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

Edit: Ryu get out of my brain! lol

Actually more on that. If you manually aim your bow, you can shoot over the walls and avoid “obstructed”. I don’t know if you guys knew that.

Wait, you mean manually by moving the camera? That’s the only way I’ve ever seen myself change the aiming of the bow.

RyuDragnier.9476:

Wait, you mean manually by moving the camera? That’s the only way I’ve ever seen myself change the aiming of the bow.

That is correct. It’s awesome and extremely satisfying. Try it next time you’re on the ground and shooting up to the walls. One ranger with shortbow can scare off many people from standing near the edge of the wall. You can also throw your traps up there. >:)

Many aren’t expecting it which makes it all the better. I basically do it by clicking left mouse button first then panning with right mouse button. Pretty sure that’s the sequence to get you into camera mode, although it’s a little quirky because sometimes it doesn’t want to let you aim because you didn’t hit the sequence correctly to activate “pan camera” mode. If that makes sense lol

Chopps.5047:

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

In my guild, you died, you run back. There is no rezzing because my guild focuses on wiping large zergs and doesn’t have the time to rez the fallen.

My rank on my Ranger in WvW is 125 which isn’t that high. My Guardian I leveled in late May is already rank 55 and I hardly play it. The Guardian ranks 3 times faster than a Ranger in WvW because of all the tagging and survivability the profession has.

AydenStar.4216:

Chopps.5047:

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

In my guild, you died, you run back. There is no rezzing because my guild focuses on wiping large zergs and doesn’t have the time to rez the fallen.

My rank on my Ranger in WvW is 125 which isn’t that high. My Guardian I leveled in late May is already rank 55 and I hardly play it. The Guardian ranks 3 times faster than a Ranger in WvW because of all the tagging and survivability the profession has.

That’s usually what happens, no time to rez. But sometimes, say, during a long, drawn out garrison fight, being able to “spike rez” is super helpful. And there’s not much time to run back or else you lose Lord’s room. Right? Or no?

Chopps, honestly I think its a good idea but selling it a zerg leaders is harder than it looks

Chopps.5047:

AydenStar.4216:

Chopps.5047:

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

In my guild, you died, you run back. There is no rezzing because my guild focuses on wiping large zergs and doesn’t have the time to rez the fallen.

My rank on my Ranger in WvW is 125 which isn’t that high. My Guardian I leveled in late May is already rank 55 and I hardly play it. The Guardian ranks 3 times faster than a Ranger in WvW because of all the tagging and survivability the profession has.

That’s usually what happens, no time to rez. But sometimes, say, during a long, drawn out garrison fight, being able to “spike rez” is super helpful. And there’s not much time to run back or else you lose Lord’s room. Right? Or no?

I -am- that battle medic lol, such a powerful asset to a Zerg, I end up with literal perma swiftness and just run through the area and Rez, because with 3.5k armor (not using buffs at all) while rezzing allows you to shrug off most things, that and rezzing people up to 50% health also greatly increases their chance of survival.

Leave no man behind! Until it turns out poorly and I need to flee…. But that’s an entirerly different story!

You guys are more well versed in other professions than me. Does any other profession compare to things like “healer’s celerity” or “compassion training + search and rescue + stability training + bear”? Or zephyr’s speed rez? Not to mention the spirit.

Chopps.5047:

You guys are more well versed in other professions than me. Does any other profession compare to things like “healer’s celerity” or “compassion training + search and rescue + stability training + bear”? Or zephyr’s speed rez? Not to mention the spirit.

Compassion training (and thus healing power in general) do not affect Rez speeds.

But yes, most profs are pretty good at it, but in different ways, guardians and mesmers have slower, but more guaranteed rezes, thieves prevent stomps and are good at rezzing unfocused targets, warrior has fast sturdy rezes (like the ranger) and can have THE BEST rezes in the game I believe due to mercy rune effects stacking(minus the toughness), however rangers have the fastest rezes, and can maneuver through the battle faster due to Healers Clarity, not to mention you help your allies get back into the fight, we’re also the only prof that can spike Rez someone with our easy access quickness + pet rezzing with quickness.

Ranger doesn’t have the biggest or most guaranteed rezes, but they can get A LOT of people up really really fast, and both trapper, and BM builds can become really good rezzers really quickly with just a messily 10 point investment into WS (which most do anyway), and mercy runes whereas warriors need to dump 25 in tactics to be in a good spot, and then mesmers/guardians have a long CD on how often they can become useful rezzers (AMAZING in small fights but becomes less, and less, and less useful as the size increases).

EDIT: completely blanked on my ele rezer, he may be -the- best option for what he does when he rezes, when he picks someone up (assuming he’s an aura buffer build which he should be) both him, the ally, and all nearby allies get an aura based on his Attunement. IE: Rez in air = AoE static aura. However eles are REALLY squishy when they stop moving (like in rezzing) so they’re HIGHLY vulnerable to actual attacks, so to counter an ele rezzer is to blow their face off while they try to devastate the flow of battle lol.

Are you sure healing power doesn’t affect rez speed? Without it, I rez a lot slower. Very informational post btw, thanks durz.

Chopps.5047:

Are you sure healing power doesn’t affect rez speed? Without it, I rez a lot slower. Very informational post btw, thanks durz.

Everything I’ve done (in the mists granted, never had gear for it in PvE until now) showed there was no change.

EDIT: Oh, I wanted to add that both Warbanner AND Spirit DO NOT give any benefits of rezzing the player that would be applied if you did it yourself because for w/e reason it’s coded so that something else casts the spell to Rez, not you.

All other skills IE sig of mercy, glyph of renewal etc, will all give the benefit of rezzing someone.

Ranger doesnt do what this class does…
No kidding. And guardians are slow at capping camps/killing yaks… scouting.
Necros have low mobility while we have great mobility and do they have a blast finisher?

2 sides to every coin really. Yes I understand these classes do some things better in areas of zerg lemming. There is nothing stopping us from playing those classes for that role.

If you want to homogenize the game more so every class is equal in all roles bleh, wait until you see the forums then.

Yes this class has some issues that will/can be worked on to improve it. The comparisons to other classes is getting old unless you show both sides.

Durzlla.6295:

Chopps.5047:

Are you sure healing power doesn’t affect rez speed? Without it, I rez a lot slower. Very informational post btw, thanks durz.

Everything I’ve done (in the mists granted, never had gear for it in PvE until now) showed there was no change.

EDIT: Oh, I wanted to add that both Warbanner AND Spirit DO NOT give any benefits of rezzing the player that would be applied if you did it yourself because for w/e reason it’s coded so that something else casts the spell to Rez, not you.

All other skills IE sig of mercy, glyph of renewal etc, will all give the benefit of rezzing someone.

I will go to triforge waypoint in brisban wildlands and test rez and report back.

Edit: You’re right, the changes I was seeing were due to being out of combat it seems.

Dead Muppet.9718:

Ranger doesnt do what this class does…
No kidding. And guardians are slow at capping camps/killing yaks… scouting.
Necros have low mobility while we have great mobility and do they have a blast finisher?

2 sides to every coin really. Yes I understand these classes do some things better in areas of zerg lemming. There is nothing stopping us from playing those classes for that role.

If you want to homogenize the game more so every class is equal in all roles bleh, wait until you see the forums then.

Yes this class has some issues that will/can be worked on to improve it. The comparisons to other classes is getting old unless you show both sides.

Look, if ranger were THE BEST scout/soloer I’d be ok with us being THE WORST Zerg prof, but we aren’t, that role goes to the thief, they are THE BEST at mobility and have easy stealth making solo capping and scouting their role of choice. And know what? They’re still better than we are in a Zerg because of how easily they can Zerg surf with CnD and other stealths.

We are not asking to be THE SAME as every other prof we are asking to be BALANCED in large scale fights because we flat out aren’t.

I love my ranger to death, but it has its limits. As a class with very limited direct utility support (extreme lack of boon sharing/stacking, or group wide healing/cleanses), rangers have always benefited most for building towards themselves, similar to how thieves operate.

In saying that, I do believe rangers are one of the strongest and most sustainable and escape capable classes in the game. But… that’s honestly where it ends. Maybe a niche role as a sniper class, like seeing a dedicated zerker group of rangers spike single targets (rspike 2.0), or something of that nature, but really, it is mostly because the skills we have access to are just boring, especially the ranged weapons. And then there’s always pets, that carry a chunk of the rangers damage output and aren’t really reliable in large group settings.

I mean, I love my ranger to death, but I finally got my necro fully geared out at 80 yesterday, and it’s a world of difference at the roles I feel I can compete in. The AoE output is just ridiculous in full rabid gear, and in small fights, I have 2.7k armor and 20k hp, plus deathshroud, plus a fear chain. So even though it isn’t a rangers healing and dodging, it’s more of a defense through offense type of situation. More importantly though, the nicest part about it is that I can pop plague, tag a zerg and get off a huge portion of pressure damage, then make it to the friendly zerg and actually have something I feel like I can contribute, which is something I don’t really feel on my ranger, because even if hitting people with 2k autoattacks is useful, its boring and it is only guaranteed to hit 1 person (the others are good luck and bad positioning on their part), and then no team support.

AND I just got my Guardian to 80. I’m only about halfway geared into, so no anecdotal example from that yet (I’ve played lots of guardian in s/tpvp though), but I’m sure that I’ll have a similar experience as a frontline supporter.

With all of that going on, I’m just not feeling the ranger class lately. Given that it holds ALL of my gameplay time up until now, except for the recent month or 2 where I’ve been into my necro and guard a bit more, but I just don’t feel like the class has enough depth to its design anymore. The weapons and utilities and traits are all in desperate need of updates, reworks, and polishes, and the longbow needs to be doing something other than “shoot arrow, shoot a bunch of arrows, shoot a stealth arrow, shoot a knockback arrow, shoot a bunch of weak arrows at a spot.” I mean, at least some more functionality in what the skills do (and that doesn’t just apply to the longbow). And the pet needs a serious rework, because, if anything, it should at least be a fluid and functional mechanic in all of the games content.

Oh, and @Dead Muppet; yes, necros have a best finish on staff 4, but it can’t be used on demand (aka it has to hit an enemy).

I missed something. WvW league?

Khayoss.2019:

I missed something. WvW league?

There’s a blog post on it. Basically, there’s 3 leagues and a season is something like 7 weeks. I might have the numbers wrong. But basically they compete and you get rewards for winning in a league. I think that’s it in a nutshell. Something like 9 servers per league. And weekly rotating matchups.

Well tbh in my opinion the ranger in wvw is the guerrilla fighter. You don’t rush ahead with the guardians and warriors into the fray, you stick to the sideline and cause havoc from there. Traps, the longbow’s barrage and some smart thinking helps. Plenty of time i was ignored as a ranger by the enemy zerg and remained behind their lines and raining traps, entangle and barrage over them. Also you can cut their retreat if you go for the back lines.

That’s how i see the ranger. The guerrilla figher that dosen’t engage ofthen in melee combat but keeps his distance and causes havoc and disesntion. Nothing is more fun than placing a AC behind the enemy zerg and raining arrows on them melting them down.

WvW zerg blob fights are completely different than GvG fights in WvW.

No class is unwelcome in zerg vs zerg wars. If that was true then there would be no underleveled toons…which there always is. Zerging is all about bodies.

GvG ? Yep, there will always be the 3-4 favoured classes…and sometimes one of those classes gets booted when another gets a boost. It’s the same scenario in every single game like this. What’s also the same is people making whine posts when in fact there is no solution. Min/maxers will always use the 3-4 best(perceived best) classes…which in turn will exclude the rest of the classes. Every….single….time

theodor.3480:

Well tbh in my opinion the ranger in wvw is the guerrilla fighter. You don’t rush ahead with the guardians and warriors into the fray, you stick to the sideline and cause havoc from there. Traps, the longbow’s barrage and some smart thinking helps. Plenty of time i was ignored as a ranger by the enemy zerg and remained behind their lines and raining traps, entangle and barrage over them. Also you can cut their retreat if you go for the back lines.

That’s how i see the ranger. The guerrilla figher that dosen’t engage ofthen in melee combat but keeps his distance and causes havoc and disesntion. Nothing is more fun than placing a AC behind the enemy zerg and raining arrows on them melting them down.

Exactly correct.

Durzlla.6295:

Dead Muppet.9718:

Ranger doesnt do what this class does…
No kidding. And guardians are slow at capping camps/killing yaks… scouting.
Necros have low mobility while we have great mobility and do they have a blast finisher?

2 sides to every coin really. Yes I understand these classes do some things better in areas of zerg lemming. There is nothing stopping us from playing those classes for that role.

If you want to homogenize the game more so every class is equal in all roles bleh, wait until you see the forums then.

Yes this class has some issues that will/can be worked on to improve it. The comparisons to other classes is getting old unless you show both sides.

Look, if ranger were THE BEST scout/soloer I’d be ok with us being THE WORST Zerg prof, but we aren’t, that role goes to the thief, they are THE BEST at mobility and have easy stealth making solo capping and scouting their role of choice. And know what? They’re still better than we are in a Zerg because of how easily they can Zerg surf with CnD and other stealths.

We are not asking to be THE SAME as every other prof we are asking to be BALANCED in large scale fights because we flat out aren’t.

There you have it, want to be the best solo’er role a thief? Rather than coming into the forums and moaning about it. Want to be the best condition aoe, role a necro.

You have all the answers youre looking for before anyone responds. Yet you punish yourself into playing the ranger still.

I play it because its fun for me, I could care less what it offers to some random player 50+ miles away from me in a random wvw encounter.

Its just the constant moaning and crying about it here in the forums, gets well old. Like flies trying to fly through a window just beating your heads thinking each time youre going to get through.

There will be changes to the classes, and rangers. How about something constructive in the forums rather than straight comparisons of apples and oranges?

There will be changes to the classes, and rangers. How about something constructive in the forums rather than straight comparisons of apples and oranges?

We have to have apples, to compare them to the oranges. Let us know when we get our apples.

AydenStar.4216:

Chopps.5047:

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

In my guild, you died, you run back. There is no rezzing because my guild focuses on wiping large zergs and doesn’t have the time to rez the fallen.

My rank on my Ranger in WvW is 125 which isn’t that high. My Guardian I leveled in late May is already rank 55 and I hardly play it. The Guardian ranks 3 times faster than a Ranger in WvW because of all the tagging and survivability the profession has.

Every zerg I’ve run with has had the general rule of spike rez downed, but double downs run back or wait for rally at waypoint.

Either way, a Thief and their ghost house is going to do that job better. Preventing the death spike is a pretty big deal in both large and small scale.

Fordel.3208:

AydenStar.4216:

Chopps.5047:

Has anyone tried playing a resurrection role in a zerg? Why or why not?

In my guild, you died, you run back. There is no rezzing because my guild focuses on wiping large zergs and doesn’t have the time to rez the fallen.

My rank on my Ranger in WvW is 125 which isn’t that high. My Guardian I leveled in late May is already rank 55 and I hardly play it. The Guardian ranks 3 times faster than a Ranger in WvW because of all the tagging and survivability the profession has.

Every zerg I’ve run with has had the general rule of spike rez downed, but double downs run back or wait for rally at waypoint.

Either way, a Thief and their ghost house is going to do that job better. Preventing the death spike is a pretty big deal in both large and small scale.

You know what that house does? Jack kitten against most half decent players, staff ele and necro just laugh and throw their kitten down anyway, same goes with trap rangers, and burst warriors (don’t need a target) and guardians, if I had a dollar for every thief I’ve slaughtered mercilessly while they tried to shadow home themselves, and/or others to safety, I’d be a rich rich man.

For every time that happens, there’s another half dozen where the ghost house saves people and they run off giggling into the night. Lets face it, lots and lots of people lose the target and it might as well no longer exist in their minds.

Like yea, it’s not going to save anyone if the AE dump is just coming anyways, but what is outside of a long rez CD?

Fordel.3208:

For every time that happens, there’s another half dozen where the ghost house saves people and they run off giggling into the night. Lets face it, lots and lots of people lose the target and it might as well no longer exist in their minds.

Like yea, it’s not going to save anyone if the AE dump is just coming anyways, but what is outside of a long rez CD?

Uh… A ghost house = “Drop all AoE there!!” For half decent players, just scorch all the poor kittens all at once, because face it, the thief will either be trying to save themselves or their friend from dying/getting downed.

Don’t base the “Ghost House is an amazing downed saver!” Argument over idiots who don’t realize that stealth =/= can’t be harmed.

Why not, there are plenty of idiots it works on :P hehe

It still prevents spikes though, that’s often enough on its own.

The answer is obvious though, new meta, mass spam ghost houses!

RyuDragnier.9476:

Silly Ayden, we bring the most important thing when it comes to soloing camps for our country…survivability. Not to mention we’re one of the best classes to protect a tower/keep during siege when there are enemies down below.

We are far from the best classes to defend a tower/keep during a siege.
Barrage cant be done behind ramparts, Grenades can. And it has a long CD
Piercing arrow is “meh” from above, pierces into the ground.
Wells still kitten the aoe.
Warrior/Guard still hold the line.
And eles still provide the support required.

Were bottom of that barrel, too.

Basically: Small group (5-10) we’re godmode. Anything larger, we’re kitten comparatively.

AydenStar.4216:

My Ranger will be benched for sure.

Why?

We bring almost nothing to the table in large group combat such as Guardian, Necromancers, Elementalists, Warriors, and Mesmers do. I have cheerleadered this profession in WvW to the point that I realize now the limited potential this profession brings to the table. It is sad that Anet is going to start this hardcore play mode in WvW and doesn’t have a clue of the current zerging meta. I mean WOW! Now I have to level a Warrior as my main toon in WvW because of the APATHY Anet has towards this profession.

This is just not a Ranger issue, this is going to be an issue for the Thieves and Engineers too because these professions don’t synergy well in the current WvW zerging meta. Yes, we might fit in a havoc squads or scouts but all of the reward in WvW is from zerging keeps and killing massive zergs in open field fights. Us players that like playing Rangers, Thieves and Engineers are already 3rd class citizens in the current WvW meta and this WvW season league thing hasn’t even started yet

As a hardcore Ranger and WvWer, I don’t think Anet understands these issues at all.

What I state in this post a few days ago is only the beginning of helping our profession:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/ranger/Improving-pet-s-F2-a-WvW-Zerg-PoV

Our F2 functions are super broken in massive group combat and it needs an overhaul, Desperately! Most of the Rangers F2 pet skills are AoEs bases but need a single target to position the cast and not having the abilities to ground target these abilities makes them USELESS vs massive organized groups and not worth using.

Please Anet, lets have a discussion about this because this has been an issue I have been warning about for sometime and now you will see the profession full discrimination once the WvW league starts to coming closer.

Thank you

My pet doesn’t do a thing most of the time when I use their skill – nothing.

My own skills – longbow – Point Blank Shot almost NEVER works in a zerg – and it has been very telling when I am in Clockwork Chaos events.

It’s not the only skill that doesn’t “work”, but right now, it’s the one that makes the most difference whether I die or can rez others.

Rangers should be powerful with real animals as their companions – and I use companion very loosely – talk about ignoring a major part of the game…

Rangers are not doing well except in very specific cases and I do NOT like melee nor am I good at it.