Guild Wars 2

Hello ranger/druid community

I play a lot of sPvP, and you guys always manage to immobilize me and pump my face full of blue beams and arrows.

Please give me advice on how to beat you guys, (avoiding big skills, combos to watch for)

This is NOT a nerf ranger thread, but rather just one to find out weaknesses I might be able to play around and exploit.

Have A Nice Day/Night!

ErebusVindictus.6514:

Hello ranger/druid community

I play a lot of sPvP, and you guys always manage to immobilize me and pump my face full of blue beams and arrows.

Please give me advice on how to beat you guys, (avoiding big skills, combos to watch for)

This is NOT a nerf ranger thread, but rather just one to find out weaknesses I might be able to play around and exploit.

Have A Nice Day/Night!

Never! I’ll never betray our profession and giveaway our secrets which will lead to our defeat. Never! xD

Being serious now, i don’t think there is much to be avoided when a ranger uses staff, the auto attack is the only dmg source and it will keep ticking along you keep getting hitted.
On other hand, if they use Longbow you want avoid the skill #4 that will knock you back and proc the ancient seeds trait, that applies immobilize.
If you get CCed anytime, you’ll get immobilized right after, unless the trait is in cooldown.
Now useful tips to kill a druid: when they go Celestial Avatar, CC the hell out of them and try to bait stunbreaks.

Most damage from the Meta Druid build will come from its pet. Watch out for the teleport/flurry skill of the Smokescale pet, it will hit you many times and pretty hard. The other dangerous one is the spike barrage skill from the Bristleback pet, avoid that one!

Skills that pretty much all Druids use that you want to avoid/know:

• Smokescale (pet) “Smoke Assault” skill. This is likely to be the first attack the Smokescale uses. So it will happen right after the Druid swaps pets from Bristleback, or right after the Druid hits you with an attack while the Smokescale is out. The Smokescale will “revenant sword 3” and teleport around your position while hitting hard. Use blocks or a dodge to negate most of the damage.

• Bristleback (pet) Spike Barrage skill. This skill is manually activated by the Druid. You will see the Bristleback kinda do a “rear-back” animation, and then it will release a flurry of spikes in your direction that hit very hard. A single dodge should be enough to avoid this (tip: dodge toward the bristleback to avoid more spikes)

• Signet of Stone (utility). This signet passively increases the Druid’s toughness, but when activated it makes the Druid immune to direct damage for 6 seconds. Although, Druids are still susceptible to condi and CC during this time.

• Glyph of Equality (utility). This glyph is an insta-cast stunbreak and aoe daze, so there is not much in the way of avoiding it. However, you can predict what will follow well enough…

• Ancient Seeds (trait). This trait has an ICD of 10 seconds. It allows the Druid to summon immobilizing vines under you upon hitting you while you are CC’d. You will likely be hit with this after a GoE daze. Your best bet is to just have immob-breaking/clearing/transferring skills ready to negate its effects.

• Druidic Clarity (trait). This trait allows the druid to clear all conditions off of themselves and stunbreak upon entering Celectial Avatar form. Because of this trait, it is wise (when playing necro) to spare your condi-bomb until after they enter.

• Celestial Shadow (trait). This trait stealths and grants superspeed to the Druid and nearby allies (enemies) upon the Druid exiting Celectial Avatar form. While annoying, and making the Druid harder to kill, doing this will slowly tip the capture-point in your favor. Just be ready to re-target after the Druid enters CA form.

• Strength of the Pack (elite). Generally, this skill is used defensively as a stability-generator for 13 seconds. When playing a corruptionmancer, you can use this to your advantage to constantly corrupt their stability. In general, Druids are VERY weak to CC’s. They have a few stunbreaks, sure, but most of their skills are channels or come attached with 1-second cast times.

• Rejuvenating Tides (CA skill). Druids will often use this in CA form as one of their primary forms of group and self-healing. It is quite powerful in that regard — but easily interrupted. Stopping a cast or two of this will put most Druids in a panic.

• Natural Convergence (CA skill). Druids can use this when in celestial avatar form. They will bend down while pulsing out slow and cripple. It is hard to avoid this outright, but as long as you dodge the 3rd and final pulse, you will avoid half the damage and an immob.

• Seed of Life (CA (kinda) skill). Often this skill isn’t very prominently used, as most Druids will take Celestial Shadow for a trait and only use a couple skills in CA form, but some Druids will spam this. It is a small aoe that heals allies and blinds enemies. Try to avoid standing in them to not be blinded every 4 seconds.

Skills that some Druids use that you want to avoid/know:

• Point Blank Shot (skill). This is the Longbow’s 4th skill, it is a knockback that knockbacks more the closer you are to the Druid. It is important to learn to distinguish this animation from the rest of the Longbow’s shots. The Druid will tilt their bow sideways a bit, and white…wind? sprites? Well, white line-things will converge on the arrow before firing. Avoiding this will also be avoiding Ancient Seeds and a probable Spike Barrage + Rapid Fire (Longbow skill 2).

• Barrage (skill). This is the 5th skill on the longbow. It is the AoE that rangers stop moving to lay down. It actually is quite attrisive, but can be halted easily by CCing the Druid while in their shooting animation.

• Glyph of the Tides (utility). This glyph allows the druid to push enemies away from them. It claims to be insta-cast, but actually have a 1/2 second cast time tied to it and can be interrupted. This is too hard to interrupt, though, so just look for the Druid reaching their hand out in circles while a shinny symbol floats in front of them.

In summary – Interrupt channels, avoid pet dps-bursts, and have condi-clear ready after a CC.

Honestly, why isn’t this in the PvP or Rev thread? My heartaches at the Ranger betraying their class. I’m sorry I mean Druids as no one actually is a Ranger :P

Seriously tho, good advice Razor. And tbh everything you said is HELPFUL TO RANGERS too to be better, as you explain why/how each skill is used. I even got some tips to improve my play. So jokes on you! :P

Something tells me you won’t tell us if you’re still getting rekt after the advice.

Razor.9872:

Skills that pretty much all Druids use that you want to avoid/know:

• Smokescale (pet) “Smoke Assault” skill. This is likely to be the first attack the Smokescale uses. So it will happen right after the Druid swaps pets from Bristleback, or right after the Druid hits you with an attack while the Smokescale is out. The Smokescale will “revenant sword 3” and teleport around your position while hitting hard. Use blocks or a dodge to negate most of the damage.

• Bristleback (pet) Spike Barrage skill. This skill is manually activated by the Druid. You will see the Bristleback kinda do a “rear-back” animation, and then it will release a flurry of spikes in your direction that hit very hard. A single dodge should be enough to avoid this (tip: dodge toward the bristleback to avoid more spikes)

• Signet of Stone (utility). This signet passively increases the Druid’s toughness, but when activated it makes the Druid immune to direct damage for 6 seconds. Although, Druids are still susceptible to condi and CC during this time.

• Glyph of Equality (utility). This glyph is an insta-cast stunbreak and aoe daze, so there is not much in the way of avoiding it. However, you can predict what will follow well enough…

• Ancient Seeds (trait). This trait has an ICD of 10 seconds. It allows the Druid to summon immobilizing vines under you upon hitting you while you are CC’d. You will likely be hit with this after a GoE daze. Your best bet is to just have immob-breaking/clearing/transferring skills ready to negate its effects.

• Druidic Clarity (trait). This trait allows the druid to clear all conditions off of themselves and stunbreak upon entering Celectial Avatar form. Because of this trait, it is wise (when playing necro) to spare your condi-bomb until after they enter.

• Celestial Shadow (trait). This trait stealths and grants superspeed to the Druid and nearby allies (enemies) upon the Druid exiting Celectial Avatar form. While annoying, and making the Druid harder to kill, doing this will slowly tip the capture-point in your favor. Just be ready to re-target after the Druid enters CA form.

• Strength of the Pack (elite). Generally, this skill is used defensively as a stability-generator for 13 seconds. When playing a corruptionmancer, you can use this to your advantage to constantly corrupt their stability. In general, Druids are VERY weak to CC’s. They have a few stunbreaks, sure, but most of their skills are channels or come attached with 1-second cast times.

• Rejuvenating Tides (CA skill). Druids will often use this in CA form as one of their primary forms of group and self-healing. It is quite powerful in that regard — but easily interrupted. Stopping a cast or two of this will put most Druids in a panic.

• Natural Convergence (CA skill). Druids can use this when in celestial avatar form. They will bend down while pulsing out slow and cripple. It is hard to avoid this outright, but as long as you dodge the 3rd and final pulse, you will avoid half the damage and an immob.

• Seed of Life (CA (kinda) skill). Often this skill isn’t very prominently used, as most Druids will take Celestial Shadow for a trait and only use a couple skills in CA form, but some Druids will spam this. It is a small aoe that heals allies and blinds enemies. Try to avoid standing in them to not be blinded every 4 seconds.

Skills that some Druids use that you want to avoid/know:

• Point Blank Shot (skill). This is the Longbow’s 4th skill, it is a knockback that knockbacks more the closer you are to the Druid. It is important to learn to distinguish this animation from the rest of the Longbow’s shots. The Druid will tilt their bow sideways a bit, and white…wind? sprites? Well, white line-things will converge on the arrow before firing. Avoiding this will also be avoiding Ancient Seeds and a probable Spike Barrage + Rapid Fire (Longbow skill 2).

• Barrage (skill). This is the 5th skill on the longbow. It is the AoE that rangers stop moving to lay down. It actually is quite attrisive, but can be halted easily by CCing the Druid while in their shooting animation.

• Glyph of the Tides (utility). This glyph allows the druid to push enemies away from them. It claims to be insta-cast, but actually have a 1/2 second cast time tied to it and can be interrupted. This is too hard to interrupt, though, so just look for the Druid reaching their hand out in circles while a shinny symbol floats in front of them.

In summary – Interrupt channels, avoid pet dps-bursts, and have condi-clear ready after a CC.

Thanks TON for all the advice, it really helps me win against rangers, but the good ones still get me haha.
Have a Great Day/Night!