Guild Wars 2

Chopps.5047:

Astute observation. I get really nervous when a longbow/brown bear ranger joins us for a PUG dungeon.

haha as do I. When I see one I usually think about alt-tabbing back to GW2LFG to find another group.

Sword IMO is probably THE best “escape/evasion” weapon Ranger has available. The amount of confusion you can create with your “whirling” about, plus the reverse-jump ability = CRAZY utility.

Leaf.3156:

The sword rangers couldn’t make it to this thread because they kept getting pulled back to their attack target.

^
This

XD

Well played sir

I use LB/Sword, taking the sword when the Longbow 4 skill is down and whatever I’m fighting is in my face.

DarkWasp.7291:

Berserker gear, Sword/Axe + Longbow here.

Melee is my primary, I only switch to range for quick bursts or very long ranges. In both cases the LB seems to work better than the SB.

The 2 extra evades, unfortunately, do not make you more dodgy. They allow you to sustain evasion longer, but two stages of the sword’s auto-attack can not be interrupted by either skill or a dodge roll. Even with auto-attack disabled (advisable, though it sucks that we have to) you still won’t be able to instantly dodge more than half the time you try to.

Only thing a longbow has over a shortbow is 300 range, if you are traited in terms of range and dps.

And in terms burst dps, I hope you don’t mean barrage. Because shortbow auto attack in the same casting duration of barrage deals more dps.

Otherwise, use LB only if you find the range or knockback useful (or aoe). Never because of its “dps”.

did you guys know that the third attack of the #1 chain is a large pbaoe? i didnt, until i accidentally downed 3 people while panicking on my power/crit SB build.

Uncle Salty.6342:

DarkWasp.7291:

Berserker gear, Sword/Axe + Longbow here.

Melee is my primary, I only switch to range for quick bursts or very long ranges. In both cases the LB seems to work better than the SB.

The 2 extra evades, unfortunately, do not make you more dodgy. They allow you to sustain evasion longer, but two stages of the sword’s auto-attack can not be interrupted by either skill or a dodge roll. Even with auto-attack disabled (advisable, though it sucks that we have to) you still won’t be able to instantly dodge more than half the time you try to.

Only thing a longbow has over a shortbow is 300 range, if you are traited in terms of range and dps.

And in terms burst dps, I hope you don’t mean barrage. Because shortbow auto attack in the same casting duration of barrage deals more dps.

Otherwise, use LB only if you find the range or knockback useful (or aoe). Never because of its “dps”.

I’ve done the testing for longbow vs short bow and longbow kicks short bow to the floor when barrage and max ranged auto attacks are involved, A LOT of people that do the sbow vs lbow tests forget that they deal 5% damage while flanking from the 25skirm trait and don’t put longbow behind the target too.

Longbow is more about burst than sustain, unless you’re at max range, then doing anything short of using hunters shot, barrage, and auto attack is a DPS loss.

vespers.1759:

also does not having auto target stop the terrible ADD targeting system from switching if you turn a milimeter in another direction?

If you have auto-target off and nothing targeted (e.g. you’re hitting 1 manually to attack), your weapon swing will be centered on whichever direction your character is facing. I found this out by accident while trying to hit three spread-out targets in a dungeon. I usually hold down right-click to move the camera (which also change the direction your character is facing). And I found out that pointing the camera (and my character) left or right would change which 2 of the 3 targets my attacks were hitting.

If you have something targeted, your attacks will always be centered on it. So there are cases where enemies can be positioned such that targeting one only results in 1 or 2 of the 3 being hit. But if you don’t target any and point the camera at the midpoint, you can hit all 3.

Durzlla.6295:

I’ve done the testing for longbow vs short bow and longbow kicks short bow to the floor when barrage and max ranged auto attacks are involved, A LOT of people that do the sbow vs lbow tests forget that they deal 5% damage while flanking from the 25skirm trait and don’t put longbow behind the target too.

It’s 10% (at least the tooltip says it’s 10%). And you don’t need to test longbow from behind. Just decrease the kill time you measure for longbow from the front by 10%.

And I still haven’t been that impressed with barrage. Yes it has the highest effective DPS (about 2.4x longbow autoattack). But that’s assuming the target stays in the barrage for the full duration of 7 sec (not 5 like I’d thought earlier). 7 sec is an eternity for a semi-intelligent target. If the target moves out of the barrage within 2.9 sec it’s less effective than autoattack. The threshold at which shortbow + bleed beats it depends on your build, but it’s up around 4.5 sec. If the target leaves the barrage before then, it’s less effective than shortbow + bleed.

About the only time it’s guaranteed a target will stay in the full 7 sec barrage is if it’s attacking you with melee. And in that case you’re suffering from longbow’s reduced damage autoattacks. So for me barrage’s main benefit is that it’s ranged AOE damage, and an AOE cripple. (Though there’s an argument for using melee, quickly switching to LB for vulnerability + knockback + barrage + rapid, then switching back to melee.)

Is their a way to have our camera view follow us better? I get lost when using the sword at times and being down an arm for now it can be a pain to get the views just right.

Uncle Salty.6342:

Only thing a longbow has over a shortbow is 300 range, if you are traited in terms of range and dps.

And in terms burst dps, I hope you don’t mean barrage. Because shortbow auto attack in the same casting duration of barrage deals more dps.

Otherwise, use LB only if you find the range or knockback useful (or aoe). Never because of its “dps”.

Rapid fire for me hits 15k damage and hits through stealth so it’s a very good thief destroyer, along with barrage after the inevitable shadow refuge. Rapid fire has to be used with quickness, and rangers have a lot of ways to acquire quickness. Auto-attack does about 4k from max distance so it’s a good finisher.

The range is incredible and the knockback is a lot of fun.

Only use longbow if you know how to manipulate range though. Sword #2 is very good for creating distance. I think the problem that makes a lot of longbow users seem weak is that they get drawn to melee too easily and can’t utilize the 1500 range.

I dont know why we’re talking about the lb now but the reality is that it does paltry damage unless the target is standing still at max range. Rapid fire is easily mitigated by a single dodge roll and then youre just twiddling your thumbs.

Sb dps is much greater in practice due to higher rof, maneuverability at shorter range and cc, all of which allow more of your arrows to hit. With piercing arrows, quickness and sigil of fire, the sb does beastly dps at all ranges

nerva.7940:

I dont know why we’re talking about the lb now but the reality is that it does paltry damage unless the target is standing still at max range. Rapid fire is easily mitigated by a single dodge roll and then youre just twiddling your thumbs.

Sb dps is much greater in practice due to higher rof, maneuverability at shorter range and cc, all of which allow more of your arrows to hit. With piercing arrows, quickness and sigil of fire, the sb does beastly dps at all ranges

Yes, but you’re clearly running a crit build and are drowning them with a lot of crits, where if i were to run a berserker build on a lb (you may have a daze i have a infinite target KB on a shorter CD =D) i’d be hitting for 1/3s of a gc’s health while i’m at 2.2k away, because incase you haven’t noticed you can aim your longbow yourself and thus hit further targets… nothing makes me smile more than killing the treb while standing ontop of the clock tower and my pet is kitten off the enemies on the point.

‘experienced rangers’
90% of the rangers in world vs. world attack keeps with a short bow. i want so badly to create a wormhole in my monitor and slap them in the face. other times i’ll find them roaming, and they’ll sit there and shoot me hitting for 200. i’ll start dancing(lolbunker vs shortbow)
to people that think longbow is limiting, i’d ask how you’re using it. longbow is your gap closer and long range dps. if you are using it at under 700 range, just switch classes.
i run s/d and longbow. never have the problems that i see people gripe about in the forums. in fact, since rapid fire got an additional 2 shots, i’d say you’re crazy if you won’t at least try it.

TheGreatA.4192:

Uncle Salty.6342:

Only thing a longbow has over a shortbow is 300 range, if you are traited in terms of range and dps.

And in terms burst dps, I hope you don’t mean barrage. Because shortbow auto attack in the same casting duration of barrage deals more dps.

Otherwise, use LB only if you find the range or knockback useful (or aoe). Never because of its “dps”.

Rapid fire for me hits 15k damage and hits through stealth so it’s a very good thief destroyer, along with barrage after the inevitable shadow refuge. Rapid fire has to be used with quickness, and rangers have a lot of ways to acquire quickness. Auto-attack does about 4k from max distance so it’s a good finisher.

The range is incredible and the knockback is a lot of fun.

Only use longbow if you know how to manipulate range though. Sword #2 is very good for creating distance. I think the problem that makes a lot of longbow users seem weak is that they get drawn to melee too easily and can’t utilize the 1500 range.

Well big numbers are cumulative. Not per hit.

But that’s right. Using Longbow for utility is correct.

Just saying if you’re naming Longbow as a means of sustained dps, it isn’t going to work out.

Lightsbane.9012:

‘experienced rangers’
90% of the rangers in world vs. world attack keeps with a short bow. i want so badly to create a wormhole in my monitor and slap them in the face. other times i’ll find them roaming, and they’ll sit there and shoot me hitting for 200. i’ll start dancing(lolbunker vs shortbow)
to people that think longbow is limiting, i’d ask how you’re using it. longbow is your gap closer and long range dps. if you are using it at under 700 range, just switch classes.
i run s/d and longbow. never have the problems that i see people gripe about in the forums. in fact, since rapid fire got an additional 2 shots, i’d say you’re crazy if you won’t at least try it.

Few things. You dont seem to understand what a gap closer is. Secondly, lb arrows from 1200 can be fully mitigated by taking 2-3 steps to one side or by suddenly changing directions. If the person is aware of you youre lucky to get 50% of your shots in. Thirdly, my sb hits bunkers for about 900 per second without sigil procs. The issue here is people dont stack power but sb scales great.

I used lb for about 2 months in wvw. Only highly biased or new players praise it. Theyre certainly not helping the prof move forward..

Uncle Salty.6342:

Well big numbers are cumulative. Not per hit.

But that’s right. Using Longbow for utility is correct.

Just saying if you’re naming Longbow as a means of sustained dps, it isn’t going to work out.

I don’t think it works out too great as a dungeon/PvE weapon necessarily, but for WvW purposes the damage is more than enough. It’s not as much about damage per second as it is about landing the damage.

Longbow when used in combination with quickness is a very good weapon due to its range and the vulnerability, knockback and AoE it offers. I do think it should be looked into a little more and improved when it’s used in regular speed, because the arrows do have a hard time finding their target at times.

In 1v1 situations against shortbow users, who granted were probably not the best ranger players around, I was always able to utilize my greater range and burst damage to melt them. So there are ways for a longbow user to win against the shortbow.

I’m not saying longbow is better than shortbow but it has its uses and is not automatically a newbie weapon. There is no other weapon that can consistently hit 1500 range.

kidbs.8920:

Out of curiosity are any of you sword rangers trying to melee Giganticus Lupicus in Arah or are you switching to ranged for that fight?

I have been playing with the thought about it..And try Lupi someday

I just have to think of some skills and what would be the best

The test results are coming in right now…

Longbow is a terrible weapon. That’s what it says, right here. We weren’t even testing for that.

Honestly the only time I switch to longbow these days is for Giganticus Lupicus. Any other time I would much rather use a shortbow for it’s higher sustained dps. Stack might and profit with the shortbow.

Let’s stay on topic here! This thread was supposed to be about swords!

I run sword/axe and sword/horn in several dungeons. I don’t go down often and on occation I find myself soloing trash mobs or bosses when my party members go down. I also run full berserker (except for exotic back and earrings which I will replace as soon as I get the ascended stuff). Like all classes there’s a time and place to use melee and a time and place to use ranged. I carry two axes, two swords, a greatsword, shortbow, longbow, and horn because I use all of them for various situations. I also carry a separate set of power/vit/toughness gear in case theres not enough melee in the party to give me some support (i.e heals and defense buffs) in melee.

I never melee lupicus because its easier to kite him around with axe/horn and shortbow. I don’t even have melee pets for that fight.

I personally play with the longbow as primary, and a sword with horn as secondary

Because with the long bow (and traits in markmanship and skirmishing ) I can make the enemies weaker with vurnability. And do a good amount of damage. Which is handy in boss/dungeon fights. Although, i had to get a polar bear ( tanky pet ) for the longbow to be efficient.

And with the sword, i can be fast. Dodging attacks, or push myself backwhards to grab my longbow and shoot at the enemies again. With the horn i can buff myself with the “call of the wild” and see enemies being damaged by epic birds picking at them.

You just have to cover everything up, and hard to reach for the longbow to be effective.

Hope i helped.