PVE: The spirit and spotter are great and should be used if you can make room for them.
WVW: Spirits border on useless because they die in seconds and there’s simply no room for spotter in a WvW build.
sPvP: Our only competetive build uses all spirits.
Now if you mean the utility skills in general, it depends on spec. I run a signet build so I use Signet of Stone for the toughness and immunity. I also run Signet of the Wild for the damage boost and regen. Muddy Terrain is often my other choice unless I’m running glass ranger in which case I often run QZ.
The problem with the majority of our utility skills is they require 20-30 pts in traits before any of them are worth using. So without knowing your build we can’t offer much assistance.
Just for contrast, I run a general purpose WvW survival build withWilderness Knowledge, using Sharpening Stone, Muddy Terrain, and Quickening Zephyr. Sharpening Stone allows stacking of bleeds as an opener, and Quickening Zephyr gives a finisher damage spike, while Muddy Terrain allows me to kite and escape. (And I do swap in Signet of the Hunt when out of combat, just to get around the map.)
Rangers are kinda pidgeon holed into spending an insanely large amount of traits into making most utilities more than “meh”, that being said traited spirits and traps are REALLY strong in all aspects of the game, traited signets are really good for 1v1s and general damage, shouts are -ok- for support but are by and large pretty kittenty, and then Survival skills are good and can usually be used for defensive or offensive purposes.
If you’re NOT spending traits into them I’d say try to stick to a mix of traps, survival and shouts, signets are good without traits IF and I really mean IF you’re a beast master, otherwise avoid them unless you want the passive for something.
They sing dark, delicious notes about power and family.
As their mother, I have to grant them their wish. – Forever Fyonna
I disagree on Spirits being useless in WvW. Solo roaming, yes you are weak and will probably die a lot. But in a group, roaming about capturing nodes, you stand towards the back, use a bow and buff your team. Especially with the new healing spirit, very potent.
would like more wvw zerging knowledge