Guild Wars 2

Hello, can you people insight me on both the shortbow and longbow in all aspects on this game like pve, dungeons, wvw, and pvp on mostly power based set ups.

Been a while since Iv touched my ranger and my natural instinct is bring me back to it and I really want to use a bow… which bow idk since theyre both fun to use and plan on making aether/azureflame

improved on both , longbows damage has been increased by 20% for shortest range and 15% for medium to long and 0% for the longest , shortbows got a little nurf in damage but are now Clearly ment for condition use and interruptions.

is you do make a condi build now with the right traits and amount of duration+ condi damage the shortbow skill 2 poision volly shot gun can poision hit for 5k x5 (if all 5 arrows hit) using the new poison master , making it a realy nice Pvp/WvW shotgun

For PVE high content such as dungeons and fractals you’ll be harming your potential damage output if you use short bow and will not be getting the effects of the group if you chose long bow.

This game’s community are cold against players who think they might to use a bow on a ranger and kicks from group for having either bows still happens.

As for WvW amazingly you need the swords for manoeuvrability rather than bows (wtf).
There’s some viability in LB-GS roaming builds thought you’re still at the bottom of the roaming food chain. As for zergs (of any kind) you have extremely little you can contribute with at all.

To summarise, bows are not really viable – and every day that continues AN are emphatically failing to deliver on a core game mechanic. And it’s a joke – just look at the warrior they have 20% cooldown AND piercing arrows on ONE trait that we need TWO for. (source: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/balance/ranger-lb-traits-vs-warrior-rifle-trait/first#post4059217).

By no standards can AN say that bows are even remotely balanced. And the lack of communication/recognition on the subject makes me sour.

a bit nagative , above is for fractal use and the stacking meta, yes bows are better than they was before april patch , considering all the new traits and changes.

but currently if you build for QZ using longbow+ s/w , frost , spotter 4,0,4,6,0 its got good damage , good survival and trait slots for spirit traits , off-hand cooldowns , a 30% boon duration on the warhorn , the survival skills grant you fury and the warhorn has a 900 radius traited with boons for 19 and 1/2 secs , so its possible to use a longbow from short to medium range , but only if at the time , the situation is need to use it, if there is an Option for melee always choose melee.

like some bosses teleport you away , use you longbow and T – target till you get into melee range again.

sitting little bit back from the group 500 yards max for a Temporay amount of time till your able to go melee again , almost every boon Radius skill has that range so you’ll still be effective at that range just go melee when ever possible .

WvW
packing Rune of the Centaur for
+25 power
+10% Swiftness Duration
+50 power
-50% Incoming Cripple Duration
+100 power When you use a healing skill you and all nearby allies gain swiftness for 10 seconds. (cooldown: 10s)
with the bonus 30% boon duration and 10% swiftness boost.

the warhorns swiftness is at 24 secs out of 28secs (cooldown when traited ) and when you use your healing spring or troll ungent it grants people nearby 14secs of swiftness , 38secs of swiftness on Rotaion of warhorn and healing spring every 30secs thats pretty much perm swiftness on a 900 Radius and 600 radius from the runes, giving it some pretty good active combat potential when things get rough, if your in the back lines of a zerg , theres going to be people without swiftness , its basicly a warroir swiftness set up but not having to Scarifice the utility letting you keep your escape skills/muddy terrain and a signet or two.

The traits don’t Justify the longbows/shortbows usefulness the traits just a bonus as it is on anything that reduces its cooldown.
its a different story if the traits arn’t balanced compaired to other classes , but atm currently the traits maybe balanced for the ranger.

i’d suggest go to the mists for pvp ,
use Celestial amulet ,
longbow(sigil of fire, 7% crit chance sigil) Sword/warhorn (sigil of strengh on sword , and sigil of torment on warhorn/ or somthing you prefer)
4,0,4,6,0
keen edge
Piercing arrows
wilderness Survial
off-hand training
spirit(70% chance)(sun spirit/frost) or Strength of spirit
master your choice
and Survial of the fittest

utility QZ/muddy terrain(for team use), Lighting reflexes , and signet of the wild for regen or signet of Renewal if you prefer.

test that and see how much damage you can do on a Aoe scale while piercing up to 5 targets.