Guild Wars 2

Thx for all the help as I learn the profession.

At times, I feel like the pet is not very responsive when I try to use the F2 (special attack) or F3 (return to me) commands. I’m wondering if there are a few rules or pointers that will help me to use these better.

Here are a few of the specifics that I see (for reference, I’m using river drake and marsh drake in part because they have a ranged attack so I feel like I have a fair chance of being in range when I use F2).

- Press F2 and nothing seems to happen. I sometimes see “pet is out of range” in the combat log, but what should the pet do in this case?

- Press F2 and the button “pulses”

- Press F2 and the pet starts attack, but stops before using all five

- Press F3 and the pet appears to stay engaged for a few more seconds

Press F2 and nothing seems to happen. I sometimes see “pet is out of range” in the combat log, but what should the pet do in this case?
This means the pet has a targeted ability and it’s way too far away to even consider using it. Nothing happens in that case.

- Press F2 and the button “pulses”
The ability is in the works, like if your pet just got knocked down it will try to stand and up reuse it, or if it’s repositioning because a target is close enough but still out of range. Also lag will do this.

- Press F2 and the pet starts attack, but stops before using all five
If you issue another command to your pet you can interrupt the special attack. Also any number of regular combat things can stop it, like the target dying, moving behind the drake (I think that applies to river drake, not 100% on that), drake getting CCd, etc.

- Press F3 and the pet appears to stay engaged for a few more seconds
You may need to recall it more than once. If you recall it and then attack, it will reengage. Anytime you start attacking something new or re-hit the autoattack you’ll need to recall it. Also if the pet is mid action there will be a slight delay.

Thx – very helpful answers!

If the pet is out of range for a ranged attack, and I haven’t given it any other instructions, is there any reason that it wouldn’t be closing on the target that I’m attacking?

I’m using agility training, so my pets move pretty quickly.

I’m just trying to build up some “natural responses” like: if I hit F2 and it doesn’t start to pulse, then just wait a couple seconds and hit it again.

eldenbri.1059:

If the pet is out of range for a ranged attack, and I haven’t given it any other instructions, is there any reason that it wouldn’t be closing on the target that I’m attacking?

Yup, usually a terrain difference, and/or you switching targets. You see this all the time in the PvP maps. An example would be you fight off enemy A at clocktower who bails, you don’t call back your pet, it chases enemy A and is not in range to help you fight enemy B who just showed up. Eventually it will move back to you, but your special ability will say “out of range”.

It’s often better to swap pets even if you’re in combat rather than wait for the pet to navigate stairs or other level changes.