Guild Wars 2

I’m trying to level a ranger, and can’t quite seem to get the skill rotation down.

Most of the time, I send in my pet, and then with a longbow, use skill 5, then 2. And then I’m kind of stuck just auto-shooting 1 until the cooldown is over. I could switch to a different weapon and go running in I suppose, but that doesn’t feel very smart on champion or large encounters.

I’m only level 38, so maybe I’m missing something. What else am I supposed to be doing?

Luckily, both of rangers melee options (sword/greatsword) have plenty of evades that allow you to stay up close without taking a lot of damage as long as you position yourself well, especially if your pet has aggro. Greatsword has evade every few AAs + block on 4, stun on 5; sword has an evade on 3, and another evade/backwards jump on 2 if you need to get out of dodge quick.

I personally run sword/warhorn; pop 5 and 2 on longbow, then swap and cast warhorn 5, warhorn 4, then jump in and autoattack with sword, and use my evades when I need them. Coupled with quickening zephyr, you can take things out pretty fast; if it’s a nastier mob, I use Lightning Reflexes or Sword 2 to get out after I start taking heavy damage. I don’t generally need to, as using leap+blast finishers inside of Healing Spring will keep me alive through the damage I can’t avoid.

(If you aren’t used to melee on ranger though, I recommend starting with greatsword first; less damage but a lot more defense.)

This strategy works pretty well in 99% of the open world; some spots in Silverwastes it can be to your advantage to stay at range if there’s way too many mobs charging around, but generally camping Longbow is not only boring but will really lower your damage potential and abilities.

For PvE, there isn’t anything else to learn about the LB. It’s up to you how you want to play, but if you want to learn about the ranger for WvW/PvP or simply be more active, I would stop using the LB for leveling, or at least only use it for the opening burst and then switch to another weapon.

S/A or S/D + GS is the most active way to play the ranger.

Rangers are different.

Our highest DPS output comes from autoattacks
Exceptions:
GS = Maul
Longbow = Barrage, Rapid Fire
Off-hand Axe = Path of Scars

Rangers are played of a way of autoattacking and waiting for opportunities to use your other abilities. Not the other way round.

If you find yourself out of cooldowns, you are most probably doing it wrong.

best thing to do , is not to stay at range 100% of the time use the LB as a Burst weapon and for killing far off targets rather than the main damage source of AA’ing.

switch between LB and the melee set while fighting under 600yards and using utility + or main hand sword skills to create gaps when in danger.

its all good using a Lb for Leveling you can hit more targets than having to run , to the target and or chasing it when you get there a warroir/guadian/thief/ele larva font has killed them.

so its much more Viable to use Range and a Melee set at the same time, since PvE mobs don’t heal really and your stuck with Lb cooldown , go after a closer target with sword/dagger (as a practice set its got enough evades just incase you get mobbed)

those mobs that you where shooting with the Lb will walk or run over to you where you can use Sword to finish them off while the LB is on cooldown.

and most important don’t keep your pet away from you , keep it moving if you plan a attack ahead of time and you know your going to draw a target towards you , recall your pet early so you can re-engage the target at sword range.

there is more to learn about LB than just the skills but the distances like swapping out early or at the wrong range only to find your 300 – 400 yards too far away for that dagger throw or Gs throw effectively wasting time by pointless movements or not moving enough.

the more you learn to use LB in support of active melee weapon use,
the better you get at using it, at that point using a LB is less boring.

Don’t think of rotations. Rangers are about constant damage.
Think of your weapon skills 2-5 as a tool kit. You have a bunch of skills for specific situations, which don’t synergize much with one another. Just use the skills, when you need them.
The auto attack is where the money’s at.

naphack.9346:

Don’t think of rotations. Rangers are about constant damage.
Think of your weapon skills 2-5 as a tool kit. You have a bunch of skills for specific situations, which don’t synergize much with one another. Just use the skills, when you need them.
The auto attack is where the money’s at.

^Yup

Start at max range with AA’s, use 2 when they get closer and your AA is doing less damage, then 4,3,5, swap to melee and fight in your barrage circle.

Of course most mobs are dead before you ever have to swap, and on champs/dungeons you shouldn’t be sitting back as you’re missing out on all the buff sharing going on in melee range.

I do the following…
(A/W & LB)
Start in Axe/Warhorn
1.) Send pet in.
2.) Warhorn 5
3.) Warhorn 4
4.) Wpn Swap (& Pet Swap but I’m specced for Quickness on pet swap) Longbow 2
5.) Longbow 5
Aggro reset = LB 3
Wpn Swap/LB AA camp (Axe AA stacks might but LB AA tends to hit harder… Depends on situations. I usually camp in LB AA for a little but not too long to let my CD’s wind down. Having Might stored for WH4/LB2 is beneficial.
Axe and then kind of rinse/repeat.

I will say that Warhorn 4 in quick conjunction of LB 2 puts out some good numbers.