Guild Wars 2

As I keep having fun learning about the ranger profession, I am experimenting with pets.

It seems the pig pets are rarely used and recommended. I’ll do some testing, but I’m curious why they don’t seem to have any place they fit.

Also, if you use the F2 skill and inflict a condition, I assume that uses the character’s condition damage and condition duration. Is that right? Thx!

Could be fix by making pop the foraged items right in the hand of the ranger… And maybe add a non-random item.

And for your question, yes it does. There is some troll build that use 100% condi duration and moment of clarity to get a fear out of boar items to ~8 sec.

The picking up is the one making them suck. Make it like thief’s steal and now we are talking.

Porcine’s are actually rather good pets. They don’t deal very good damage but all of them have pretty good F2 abilities as well as having a nice knockdown. They’re obviously rather crappy in PvE but in PvP or WvW they are more than an acceptable pet to use. The problem is with their Forage skill that forces us to move to the item in order to pick it up and also that enemy players can pick the item up as well.

Siamoth is probably the best of the porcine’s simply because it forage’s two stealth’s and a plasma all of which are pretty strong defensive utilities. Not many Rangers use porcine’s because as you’ve said, they don’t exactly “fit” anywhere. Still, they are acceptable to use and I would by no means classify them as bad pets.

Ones to avoid are bears and devourer’s. Bears have terrible damage and only two of them (black and brown) have useful F2’s. None of the devourer’s have useful F2’s, none of them deal good damage, they pull bad aggro with their “retreat” skill and conditions destroy them.

I guess you’d have to distinguish between pvp and pve.
From a pvp perspective, the siamoth is actually real strong, and I use it quite often (I know of several other rangers who do that too).
The others aren’t really terrible either.

The pig is OK for its seed pod that it can dig up, but that’s a 1/3 chance and it’s other 2 aren’t really worth picking up (elixir of heroes has a nice invuln dazes and the eggshell restores initiative?! Wuut)

I forgot the names of the other 2 but I think the boar with its stun items that it digs up can be really nice in conjunction with moment of clarity.

The last one can be fairly ok for conditions builds as it digs up stuff you can throw like gunk that cause are conditions.

So yeah, they definitely aren’t terrible in spvp. They can soak up and live through a lot of the aoe that just always happens in pvp

eldenbri.1059:

If you use the F2 skill and inflict a condition, I assume that uses the character’s condition damage and condition duration. Is that right? Thx!

No.
F2 skills use the pets conditions dmg and duration, just like other F2’s use other stats like precision/power.

Foraged items that you pick up and use skills on use your stats because it was you who activated the skill.

(There would be no sense in having stat-altering traits for pets otherwise)

SpellOfIniquity.1780:

The problem is with their Forage skill that forces us to move to the item in order to pick it up and also that enemy players can pick the item up as well.

There is more than enough time before the enemy can pick it up. Literally, there is a cooldown before they can pick it up.

Some of the consumables stay on ground for very long time, some disappear after ~30sec.

Many of the consumables once picked up last for like 30sec before poofing. The notable exception is the Hero’s Elixer which you can carry around permanent like till used.

I wont use pig seriously simply because I like knowing what my skill is going to do once used. Random hero elixir and stealth feathers seem more like a chore to pickup and use just cause I pressed f2 wrather then actually needing the item provided. Ive seen roaming vids with someone using pig and they would use f2 and pickup feathers and stealth for no apparent reason other then it was available to do so.

Its difficult to use a random natured skill, skillfully.

solrik.6028:

SpellOfIniquity.1780:

The problem is with their Forage skill that forces us to move to the item in order to pick it up and also that enemy players can pick the item up as well.

There is more than enough time before the enemy can pick it up. Literally, there is a cooldown before they can pick it up.

There was no reason for enemies to be able to interact with them at all image how pained-in-their-rear area, the elementalist would be the first time the enemy team used their own conjured weapon against them

SpellOfIniquity.1780:

Ones to avoid are bears and devourer’s. Bears have terrible damage and only two of them (black and brown) have useful F2’s. None of the devourer’s have useful F2’s, none of them deal good damage, they pull bad aggro with their “retreat” skill and conditions destroy them.

I do agree with how you see the bears but not the devourer.
Let me explain, the real strengh of the devourer is it’s synergy with “rampage as one” there ain’t better pet to grant you might stack than the devourer. In fact, each time they attack they hit twice (meaning 2 might stacks) while in the same time other pets will only hit once. Also, carrion devourer have a good F2.

they can be amazing to use but you have to use some sort of CC build not a dps power lb/gs build you need to get the targets to slow down so that Maul and charge of theres hits hard and i mean hard if you have them buffed with might , its just as nasty as the flesh golem if it crits , and the long knock back is well worth the trouble.

the items are generaly a prepair > plant and kite pick up , never make a B-line for them using them in your plan of attacks works much better than trying to use it Reactively.

plant it down and then its there ready if you need it, keep a eye on your pets location too.

Not only the picking-up-the-item sucks, but their charge is just ridiculous. They have a roughly 0% chance of landing it, and they fling themselves completely out of the fight after they miss. It’s so bad it even misses in PvE.

Thanks very much for the help and advice.

I’ve been doing a little today. I agree that the charge is more miss than hit. The “tell” animation takes forever…

I’m thinking about using one of the offensive (warthog/boar) types as I’m roaming in WvW. My idea is running around with the item in my hands most of the time and using it at the start of the fight. They last 30 seconds once you pick them up, so this going to be a bit of a pain to manage (along with swapping warhorn and signet of the hunt).

Anyone ever try to play in WvW with this kind of approach?

The elixer of hero’s lasts until consumed.

eldenbri.1059:

Anyone ever try to play in WvW with this kind of approach?

Check out Flopy The Rabbit on youtube. He has tons of videos of him roaming with a pig.

I’ve roamed with a pig, it was mediocre. If they changed it so that whatever is foraged went directly to your f2 slot I would start using them all the time.

Dadnir.5038:

I do agree with how you see the bears but not the devourer.
Let me explain, the real strengh of the devourer is it’s synergy with “rampage as one” there ain’t better pet to grant you might stack than the devourer. In fact, each time they attack they hit twice (meaning 2 might stacks) while in the same time other pets will only hit once. Also, carrion devourer have a good F2.

I had to go and test this out on the PvP golems to see how true it is. What I found is on a perfectly still target that is completely alone the devourer will get you up to 12 stacks of might for a couple seconds before it starts dropping off again. This is the highest on a single target as long as it doesn’t move.

Now if the target is within 900 range of any other target such as a door, supply, ambient, npc, etc. the marshdrake will easily stack more might.

With the moving golem that goes in circles at normal speed the devourer missed almost every hit, and every other pet I tested ended up stacking more might, even the spider because it managed to land its immobilize.

So I guess in rare situations where you have a solo npc that doesn’t move, and you would rather have about 2 more stacks of might than a pet that could provide buffs to your entire party, the devourer might be worth bringing.

get a video to test it , i’ve never had this problem while using a soimoth because the targets are too busy getting ganked by condis to risk picking it up and if they try to good they are now nearly dead all it would take is a team T target and he is down.

if those players on your team let the enemy take advantage of somthing that gives your team a dual advantage shame on them for letting the foes steal it off you.

pig is simply not a Solo pet like cats or wolfs where they and you can fight alone because of its low dps rate and damage but massive utility support to team mates thats the trade off and the risk people must take.

if a foe picks it up its not the foes fault but the user.

I always roam with siamoth/wolf when I’m running lb/sw+d. It’s not that tricky to use once you get used to it but it only works for solo roaming and really small scale, after that things get too cluttered and you are better off taking other pets. There are quite a few ways you can use it: to initiate, while creating distance with sword leaps and just in general when you swap pet and the pig is right next to you. Easily my favorite and most effective roaming pet when used with wolf.

edit: during my 6 months using Siamoth with power builds it has been stolen only ONCE by an enemy warrior when I was careless and maybe twice by some friendly who was closer

I love my pig!!

Been using it in PvE, PvP, and WvW. As a WvW small group roamer, it has been very helpful. When I first started using it my guildies were all like “What the….!!” A Pig!?" But then I started using my F2 and popping up healing seeds, elixer of heroes, and eggs, and they quickly began to accept it. Plus it looks freaking AWESOME!!!

I call mine Wilbur :P

@ Sai Locke.

I agree entirely that it should function like steal. I am just saying that I still feel it is one of our strongest pets for dueling/roaming. Seems to me you are the one starting to fight it out when i’m just telling you about my experiences with the pet. Pets in general need a buff in functionality. Also I am fully aware the enemy can punish you when you start picking it up. First of all it’s best to learn to use in a way that you can pick it up safely or in a situation where it is worth the risk. Nobody is telling you to start picking it up with a warrior using 100 blades on you.

Maybe it’s a playstyle thing. I don’t run full zerker and I run a rather mobile build (inspired by Flopy who was mentioned above). With siamoth you can be very very tricky to pin down. The other pigs I havn’t found worth the trouble.