Guild Wars 2

Is the shortbow a viable alternative to longbow in PvE? I really like the way it plays, but i dont want to lack the dps is the longbow is simply better. Hope you guys can help.

Longbow is terrible, as is shortbow. Iirc shortbow auto attack deals more damage than longbow at melee range, but i never bothered to verify that.

Oxtred is right.

The longbow and shortbow are awful weapons for PvE DPS. Significantly below that of Sword.

At the moment, Shortbow does more DPS than short and mid range for the Longbow, but is less at max range. Come next patch it will do less at mid and max range.

What sort of PvE Marciez?

If you’re just soloing around doing ya thing then who care’s what dps you do as long as you’re having fun, anything is viable.

If you’re doing dungeons via PUG though then what the guys said above rings true, you’ll need to be running a sword to get much joy.

Just remember to flank often/always with SB to get the bleeds, probably best run with a bear/dog pet to hold agro while you circle

Thanks for the reply guys.

I am using sword for melee, but sometimes you just have to be ranged. So thats why i was asking.

But i’ll just keep using it then, thank you!

If you really need to range, go with axe. That way you still have kitteneful offhand ( axe for reflects and pull, warhorn for fury, dagger for evades). But it’s better to melee most of the time, so keep practicing with greatsword since it’s easier than sword.

If you can reliably flank to keep those bleeds coming the shortbow is a great weapon for 1v1. Don’t forgot that the bleed is a vital part of it’s auto damage and it grows real fast with shortbow’s aa speed. Pure berserker won’t unleash it’s true power A power+condi hybrid will. Those bleeds might seem laughable compared to raw power of berserker’s build crits, but with condi duration (which isn’t hard with right food) you can easily double bleed damage simply on it lasting twice as long, and that’s nearly at no sacrifice to power damage itself. Then you can build for more condi damage, which just like power gets affected by might stacks, and see where that takes you.

Stronger then sword? Probs not. Close to sword? yes. With far greater range and much needed mobility.