Guild Wars 2

Are rangers even viable in any game mode? As a new player i have been searching the wep for imformation about which class to choose. Every time people discuss rangers, they tend to call it useless and promotes other classes instead?
Is the ranger really that bad? I´m looking for info about rangers in every game mode btw.

Thanks

Yes.
Open world pve, everything works, but ranger is possibly the best/easiest.
Dungeons rangers played well do decent dps as well as buffing the entire teams dps with Spotter and Frost Spirit.
PvP/WvW condition builds have always been good for small scale stuff. Power builds also quite good after “recent” changes.

Play what you want. But to answer your question, yes they’re viable.

Rangers do quite well in PvE. With the right build you can solo champs (solo would include your pet), although this is probably true for most professions. The pet AI has a few issues, but they do tank well if you have a tanky pet (like drakes). I have never had many problems in PvE with my ranger.

In PvP, rangers have a very bad reputation thanks to a certain cheese build. I dont PvP very often so i tend to have a difficult time (likely a skill issue rather than a ranger issue)

In WvW, rangers are great. You can fire arrows from on top of walls. With the right traits, you can even capture a camp on your own. Pets die almost instantly in zerg fights though.

I dont run dungeons very often, so i cant say with certainty. In general i think people require rangers to have Frost Spirit skill and Spotter trait equipped for dungeons.

Rangers don’t get the respect that they should in this game by a moderate population of the player base. If you are a casual gamer who will group up with anyone, then ranger will probably be just fine for you. If you are a hardcore, run with elite groups kind of player, then you probably wont like your experience with ranger since most groups you would group with will likely just kick you from the party.

To expand on WvW, Rangers are pretty decent right now and the stigma of playing them is starting to go away. While a lot people still default to the “Only play GWEN” mindset, others are finally starting to learn to branch out. Old habits die hard, though, so you’re going to have people calling Rangers bad and useless.

The #1 thing I hear Commanders in T1 complain about is being targeted and pin sniped. The 2nd would be their zerg not staying together. Rangers cause both of those things with strong single target burst and having good access to Cripple and Immob.

While you still want more GWEN classes than not in WvW, Rangers definitely have their place.

For dunegons bring a jungle stalker for 5 stacks of might, spotter and frost spirit. The meta is LB and Sword/Axe, but I prefer Greatsword over the latter due to the cleave and the freedom to move while autoattacking without breaking my #1 key even though it’s a damage loss.

For PvE – we have 1 meta build that surpasses even DPS warriors and DPS guardians in damage.
For WvW – we are excellent at small-scale roaming parties. Not useful in Zergs at all.
For PvP – There are some viable condition builds. Also supporty builds through spirits. For PvP we have plenty of options, even though I wouldn’t recommend Power GlassBow at all. You’ll see many of then, so be aware.
For open PvE – we are easy to play, and profit is there.

Rangers are more than Viable. You’ll just need to get hold of it. Get used to pet management, pet choices and swallow up that for PvP you are glued to 2 must-have trait lines.

Dismissing rangers is usually a solid sign the player has not even the slightest idea what they’re talking about. A lot of people do it because they hear others doing it, and don’t actually have any real knowledge or experience to back it up.

Tragic Positive.9356:

For PvP we have plenty of options, even though I wouldn’t recommend Power GlassBow at all. You’ll see many of then, so be aware.

Not sure I would agree with this statement. For any class really.

Playing Glass/Zerk in any class brings high risk with great reward. It isn’t for the feint of heart, no. Nor would I recommend for the beginning player. However, there is a element of play style here that can prove to be a challenge.

With full zerk in WvW I can down just about anyone in under 3 seconds from upwards of 1800. Condi builds are solid such as trapper rangers, spirit rangers bring good team buffs as well as utility, bunkers don’t die, have tons of evades and dodges and if you know what your doing can take on groups of people in pvp no problem. DPS in dungeons is solid with main hand sword or Longbow for the vulnerability stacks etc.

We are completely viable, but there is still a stigma around Rangers for a lot of people because we have pretty much been the red headed step child for the past 2 years and people are upset that we aren’t walking loot bags.=

Tragic Positive.9356:

. For PvP we have plenty of options, even though I wouldn’t recommend Power GlassBow at all. You’ll see many of then, so be aware.

If you know what you are doing Glass bow is extremely good in pretty much every game pvp mode be it wvw or spvp. Aside from small group roaming which they excel in, they are extremely useful in wvw during sieges both defending or attacking, especially defending, get a few zerk rangers on the walls with sigil of fire and you practically have a few arrow carts. Taking out zerg leaders is another extremely useful thing to use LB rangers for seeing how we have the range and damage to reliably do so and we all know killing a zerg leader throws the zerg into complete chaos because zergs are mindless and require a commander to function. Most spvp maps have very good positions for rangers to sit above points, such as above the gate on temple or ontop of the crypts on foefire or the top of the clock tower on khylo, while applying massive burst and solid sustained damage and thanks to pets like the wolf with fear, knockbacks etc it’s pretty easy to keep people off these places. Need a bunker on a point dead? Target him and boom hes gone.

waitwaitwait!!!

No we are not viable!

We NEED MOAR BUFFS ANET!
;-)

Crapgame.6519:

Tragic Positive.9356:

For PvP we have plenty of options, even though I wouldn’t recommend Power GlassBow at all. You’ll see many of then, so be aware.

Not sure I would agree with this statement. For any class really.

Playing Glass/Zerk in any class brings high risk with great reward. It isn’t for the feint of heart, no. Nor would I recommend for the beginning player. However, there is a element of play style here that can prove to be a challenge.

I’m aware of your point. But since (I’ll help myself quoting the OP here)

Are rangers even viable in any game mode? As a new player i have been searching the wep for imformation about which class to choose. Every time people discuss rangers, they tend to call it useless and promotes other classes instead?

…

This is the reason why I wouldn’t recommend the GlassBow. 1st of all – it’s easily focused which is not a friendly environment for newcommers – it’s a bad reputation for rangers AND his own – and I couldn’t possibly see any good outcome doing so.

Of course there are several uses of GlassBow ranger. But that is up to the OP to decide when he becomes more friendly with the Ranger class.

Ya I agree completely with it being bad for new players in pvp. If you get caught in melee you have to pretty much use everything to survive. I had a few friends make Rangers for pvp over the weekend and they used my build which is 6/6/2 then LB/GS zephyr, hunt, wild and rampage and although they could handle them selves at range when not being attacked they had no idea what to do in melee or when being attacked and ended up swapping out some abilities and pets for more defense but in doing so lowered the damage which is the purpose of zerk LB.

Thanks people! From what you´re saying i figure… That rangers are just as viable as other classes if you just learn to play them right and micromanage your pets? The ranger for me is really fun, but i don´t want to put time onto something that i will just get kicked for playing :S

I didn’t have a problem joining any group, for a few months now.

If I don’t count “meta a**holes” that kick everyone except Warrior/Guard/Ele … While they don’t even realize that Rangers will beat the former 2 in damage scenario with the PvE meta build.