Guild Wars 2

Hello!

I haven’t played in quite a while, but I’ll be doing a full map completion/jump puzzle run with my wife who will undoubtedly play a max DPS build- probably a Warrior. I’m not looking to do PvP at all on this character, so this build will be geared entirely toward PvE.

I’m having problems optimizing what I’m looking for as far as playstyle and build.

I’ve learned from my experiences as an Elementalist main that I like being tanky and I like healing and supporting people- Rangers aren’t really built for that but I love the playstyle.

I also like spirits, and maximizing the capabilities of the pet bond Ranger’s have. I know pet swapping is important, but I’d rather use a single pet if at all possible. I’m assuming Master’s Bond would be a good trait to support a single pet. The spirit capabilities, the pet capabilities, utility, and tankiness are all more important to me than my own personal ability- my character’s ability should be focused more on control.

I figure at least 2 in Beast Mastery for Master’s Bond, and at least 4 in Nature Magic for 70% spirit proc and spirit follow is probably the best route to go there.

For weapons I like swapping between Longbow/Shortbow as I feel this gives a large variety of utility and helps me feel in control of the battlefield. Otherwise- Shortbow/Greatsword is usually my preferred.

Because of this- 4 in Skirmishing for Quick Draw would be best, probably.

Now, I’m stuck as to where to put the other points:
I could place 4 more in Beastmaster for Invigorating Bond, which heals people on using a pet skill.
I could put 2 more in Skirmishing for the lovely pet stuff in there- making my pet a bit stronger and to add damage to my flanking.
I could put 4 in Marksmanship for Condition Duration and Piercing Arrows

Not really sure what I’m doing- and I’m not horribly sure about the optimal setup of equipment.

How would you build a support PvE Ranger or what I’m looking for?

Keep in mind regen and water field combos are based on the healing power of the person using them, not the person who provides them, which is one of many reasons healing power is borderline useless in PvE. Because your wife will be playing a warrior, she really does not need you for another other than boosting her damage (warriors are extremely durable.) If you go full support you will be fairly useless to her and will only be doing a tiny fraction of her damage, which probably won’t be fun in the long run.

I like Lugh’s builds as open-world support concepts, but I would try to get as much damage as possible out of your gear. Are you planning on buying a matching set of exotic armor? If so you’d probably want berserker or rampagers (and berserker will double as the only acceptable armor if you ever decided to do dungeons with other PUGs.)

Another thing, I would probably try to get both spotter* and piercing arrows out of the marksmanship line, which means 6 points in to it. Bows really need piercing arrows to be even mildly effective in PvE.

Finally you can do better than a pet bear. Red Moa has a little AoE healing and provides AoE fury; that’s one of the best support-y type pets. Ice drake for AoE damage plus chilling things so your wife can catch them more easily. And the ever popular jungle stalker for the best single target damage and AoE might.

*That’s presuming you wind up using mostly a shortbow at close range and the greatsword. One of the problems with longbow is you are so far away from your allies they can’t receive any of your boons. Which sounds totally incompatible with how you want to support your wife!

Gabe.6810:

Not really sure what I’m doing- and I’m not horribly sure about the optimal setup of equipment.

How would you build a support PvE Ranger or what I’m looking for?

Check out the extensive guide here:
http://www.dtguilds.com/forum/m/6563292/viewthread/12497757-dnt-ranger-build-415-patch

J Eberle.9312:

Check out the extensive guide here:
http://www.dtguilds.com/forum/m/6563292/viewthread/12497757-dnt-ranger-build-415-patch

Thanks, and I do appreciate that build. Looks like a monster- though it’s not really geared to what the goals are.

Hi, the build mentioned above is optimal for experienced rangers farming dungeons or doing fractals with experienced groups. From what I understand you want to casual PVE with your wife (DPS warrior) you also want a support build that make good use of the pet.
Here is my recommendation(2 options)
Option 1
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNBjOD7kQF6F0WVwiF4axA7B1yAIgZmBdg7noKa6Lu7kJ-TxRGABA8EA0TJYCXEAi2fYR1fcT3wlK/IFgXDjA-e
The build offers most good thing the ranger can bring to the table. Spotter, frost spirit, 100% up time to fury, regeneration, swiftness and nice might boost.
You have 1000 healing power so your regeneration is really effective as a support heal, you also have little healing boost from your runes and moa.
The build focuses on giving your pet 25might 90-100% of the time and to protect it with strong heals and 100 uptime protection.
Tons of support, tons of survivability, ok damage(63% crit chance with prema fury, 2400 power with, 10 might and you can go up to 25 might with RAO).

Modification options:
SB instead of LB – basically you take the LB for the barrage and rapid fire, you can’t get the max out of your Lb because you want to be in the 500 range for the buffs to apply on you, on your pet and on your partner/s. The rapid fire and barrage can boost your pet might realy realy fast. The SB fast shooting rate will produce close result.

Sword instead of axe in main hand – If you like it and know how to control it go for it, The axe auto attack and splitblade also boost your pet might very fast but so is the sword. Axe put weakness on foes which can be nice(hard damage reduction).

Drake instead of moa – iF you need more aoe vs garbage or more durable pet.
Healing spring instead of troll if you want the field combo option(horn and drake are blast finishers) and the condi removal.

Spirit of nature instead of RAO for the fights you want extra heals\condi removals\revive

option 2:
The master’s bound option. I myself not a fan of the trait, to many things reset the effect. If you like it remember you can’t swap pets so you want to choose the most durable pets bear or drake. In this option you must take sword/horn and SB to compensate for the lack of companions might. Rest is ore or less the same(you will not have as much fury as before, no moa and no furious grip).
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNBlYD7kQF6F0WVwiF4aBB7B1yAIgZlBv2W3PRV00ncnrMB-TxRGABA8EA0TJYCXEAi2fYR1fcT3wlK/IFgXDjA-e

Ho ya, in the second option you can take somthing else instad concentation trainig – nature protection/ spirits unbounds/ strengh of spirit etc….

LughLongArm.5460:

Hi, the build mentioned above is optimal for experienced rangers farming dungeons or doing fractals with experienced groups. From what I understand you want to casual PVE with your wife (DPS warrior) you also want a support build that make good use of the pet.
Here is my recommendation(2 options)
Option 1
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNBjOD7kQF6F0WVwiF4axA7B1yAIgZmBdg7noKa6Lu7kJ-TxRGABA8EA0TJYCXEAi2fYR1fcT3wlK/IFgXDjA-e
The build offers most good thing the ranger can bring to the table. Spotter, frost spirit, 100% up time to fury, regeneration, swiftness and nice might boost.
You have 1000 healing power so your regeneration is really effective as a support heal, you also have little healing boost from your runes and moa.
The build focuses on giving your pet 25might 90-100% of the time and to protect it with strong heals and 100 uptime protection.
Tons of support, tons of survivability, ok damage(63% crit chance with prema fury, 2400 power with, 10 might and you can go up to 25 might with RAO).

Modification options:
SB instead of LB – basically you take the LB for the barrage and rapid fire, you can’t get the max out of your Lb because you want to be in the 500 range for the buffs to apply on you, on your pet and on your partner/s. The rapid fire and barrage can boost your pet might realy realy fast. The SB fast shooting rate will produce close result.

Sword instead of axe in main hand – If you like it and know how to control it go for it, The axe auto attack and splitblade also boost your pet might very fast but so is the sword. Axe put weakness on foes which can be nice(hard damage reduction).

Drake instead of moa – iF you need more aoe vs garbage or more durable pet.
Healing spring instead of troll if you want the field combo option(horn and drake are blast finishers) and the condi removal.

Spirit of nature instead of RAO for the fights you want extra heals\condi removals\revive

option 2:
The master’s bound option. I myself not a fan of the trait, to many things reset the effect. If you like it remember you can’t swap pets so you want to choose the most durable pets bear or drake. In this option you must take sword/horn and SB to compensate for the lack of companions might. Rest is ore or less the same(you will not have as much fury as before, no moa and no furious grip).
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNBlYD7kQF6F0WVwiF4aBB7B1yAIgZlBv2W3PRV00ncnrMB-TxRGABA8EA0TJYCXEAi2fYR1fcT3wlK/IFgXDjA-e

Thank you very much! Pretty fantastic ideas here.

Fluffball.8307:

Keep in mind regen and water field combos are based on the healing power of the person using them, not the person who provides them, which is one of many reasons healing power is borderline useless in PvE. Because your wife will be playing a warrior, she really does not need you for another other than boosting her damage (warriors are extremely durable.) If you go full support you will be fairly useless to her and will only be doing a tiny fraction of her damage, which probably won’t be fun in the long run.

I like Lugh’s builds as open-world support concepts, but I would try to get as much damage as possible out of your gear. Are you planning on buying a matching set of exotic armor? If so you’d probably want berserker or rampagers (and berserker will double as the only acceptable armor if you ever decided to do dungeons with other PUGs.)

Another thing, I would probably try to get both spotter* and piercing arrows out of the marksmanship line, which means 6 points in to it. Bows really need piercing arrows to be even mildly effective in PvE.

Finally you can do better than a pet bear. Red Moa has a little AoE healing and provides AoE fury; that’s one of the best support-y type pets. Ice drake for AoE damage plus chilling things so your wife can catch them more easily. And the ever popular jungle stalker for the best single target damage and AoE might.

*That’s presuming you wind up using mostly a shortbow at close range and the greatsword. One of the problems with longbow is you are so far away from your allies they can’t receive any of your boons. Which sounds totally incompatible with how you want to support your wife!

Thank you, that’s a very good point.
I’ll need to take that in consideration. We don’t really have the holy trinity in this game so ranged DPS support would probably be best!

Hi Gabe, glad the build suits your needs.
@ Fluffball made some strong points but I’m not sure about all of them.
I 90% sure regeneration is determined by the source and not by the beneficial. The statements about water fields is true but healing power scales horribly with blast finisher any way (1300heal with 0 HP – 1500 heal with 1000HP). Regeneration on the other hand scales amazingly ( 130 with 0HP – 255 with 1000 HP) giving your group 100% regeneration up time with 255 hp/sec is very welcome. More importantly the 100% regeneration uptime + SOTW + 100% uptime protection to your pet (from guard skill) giving your pet 630 health every sec before even using your main heal(TU) and 33% dmage reduction, that’s how you can actually make the fragile stalker strong tank and if needed swap to moa which is much more durable at base.
Your damage will be fine, the might stacking will do the work, cat with 25 might and “pets prowess” and swiftness hits hard and often. From my experience the build actually shines in dungeons runs with pugs I carried many groups with the build, staying alive much after they all died, tanking with pet and reviving them 1by 1. Its less effective in dungeon farming groups that are only after the DPS so they can finish cof in 5 min and high level frac that handicaps your healing and pet.( Low level frac is another story, you can solo Ascalon frac with the build). Regarding the pet choice for “option 2” I agree with @ Fluffball, red moa could be a really good choice as only pet with master’s bound(instead of bear/drake) with concentration training for more fury and the aoe heal.