Why shortbow
Damage over time. The Shortbow’s autoattack hits 2.2 times per second. Over time, it does more sustained damage than any other weapon available to the class. That’s not even accounting for the bleeds, which do even more damage if you’re able to flank your opponent.
The numbers you see won’t be as big, but they’ll add up to significantly more over the course of a fight.
Shorbow regular attack speed is effectively rapid fire speed. The damage adds up quickly and shortbow also provides respectable cc/survivability. Longbow is much better against a group just with barrage, but against a single target shortbow will win outright.
You also get much more mileage out of shortbow with quickness.
Is the ranger a necromancer / warlock type of class? I always imagined the rangers being the pew pew spike damage instead of moar dots type.. so what gives?
I noticed in sPvP (from what I played so far) there ain’t much time to wait for dots, it’s probably just me but I just get zerged all the time.. I find that popping those 2-5k shots in that short time you have before you death is more useful than some dot that will outlast yourself..
Or am I horribly wrong and there some kind of uber duper dot build that you just pop and they tick for thousands of damage?
Marksman/skirmish builds can yield the pretty high damage output, especially if you utilize moment of clarity.
I think there may be an issue with the approach if you feel that you are suppose to die that quickly. If you are going full glass cannon, I highly suggest you reconsider.
Ranger is not constraint to just spike damage or dot. It depends on how they are built. Shortbow damage output will just be higher as the fight drags on due to good base firing speed and lack of range constraint. Longbow just isn’t as good in small skirmishes, but they have places elsewhere.
There isn’t an easy mode high damage build out there for ranger though. For best damage output, you also have to be able to use the pet well.
If you want, try marksman/skirmish with moment of clarity and longbow/gs. That is the most basic spike damage build with respectable cc.
But that’s the thing, from my experience, the fights dont drag on.. All the time, doesn’t matter where I stand, if I’m on the side of the map or in the middle, I get zerged..
On a side note, where can I look for premade builds? I have no idea about builds and I’d like to try out different ones, because I have no idea what to make, all I do is just put 30 in marks and skirm and just pick all the kitten that adds straight out damage or range..
The second part of what you said is why the first part of what you said is true. Fights don’t last long when you spec glass cannon.
Take 10 points out of Marks and Skirmishing and put them into Wilderness Survival, and take one or both of the traits that give you defenses against being CCed.
Try using Knight’s Amulet instead of Berserker’s.
Take at least one defensive utility, ideally two. Lightning Reflexes or Protect Me can go a long way in keeping you alive against burst.
Get pets with defensive capabilities. Wolves have an AoE Fear. Spiders have Immobilize. Lots of pets have Chill, which is a slow. Use these abilities to create gaps between you and your enemies.
If you want to spec glass cannon and blow people up, roll a Thief. They can get away with being squishy because they can stealth and leave when kitten gets heavy. Rangers generally have less burst damage but more survivability. Try speccing and playing yours that way and you’ll see an improvement in your results.
In theory, they longbow does substantially more damage at long range.
I’m not sure how well this actually holds up to practice.
I do love the knockback, and the rain-o-arrows can be devestating, especially when combined with Sharpening Stone. But honestly… it’s just not feeling like that powerful a weapon. I seem to be better off running up a few feet and spamming axes. Sad Charr Ranger Face.
In theory, they longbow does substantially more damage at long range.
I’m not sure how well this actually holds up to practice.
It doesn’t. At least not outside of WvW, where you can hide behind keep walls. In sPvP, maps are much more constrained and you’re constantly on the move. Maintaining max distance for Longbow is virtually impossible in most situations. This is particularly true when defending or taking control points.
That’s why Longbow is fantastic in WvW and pretty bad in sPvP.
Even if you ignore the shortbow conditions and statted power and precision, it out damages every other Ranger weapon. The longbow’s damage is pitiful, being one of the worst dps in the game, even at 1200 range.
How can rapid fire doing 2-5k hits be worst dps?!
How can rapid fire doing 2-5k hits be worst dps?!
Rapid fire isn’t hitting for 2-5k hits. That high damage number you see is the cumulative damage as it adds up over the course of the channel. The shortbow ‘1’ attack does more damage without the bleeds in the same time as rapid fire.
(edited by arcaneclarity.5283)
Ahh, now it makes sense..
I always thought that those rapid fire hits were separate, like 2k + 2k + 3k etc..
Ahh, now it makes sense..
I always thought that those rapid fire hits were separate, like 2k + 2k + 3k etc..
If that were the case you would see people die instantly and not seem to have 50k health.
Shortbow is the single target dps/control utility, longbow is the aoe/single target burst/control utility.
I disagree with the shortbow being the highest ST damage a ranger can do, one handed swords do much more damage ST.
Ahh, now it makes sense..
I always thought that those rapid fire hits were separate, like 2k + 2k + 3k etc..
If that were the case you would see people die instantly and not seem to have 50k health.
Shortbow is the single target dps/control utility, longbow is the aoe/single target burst/control utility.
I disagree with the shortbow being the highest ST damage a ranger can do, one handed swords do much more damage ST.
The sword does slightly less damage than the shortbow without the bleeds.
Both bows can be pretty crazy. Start shortbow and blow all cds, switch to longbow and blow your cds, then switch back and do it again.
No can defend.
Well other reason why I like the Shortbow over Longbow is the other skills. With Shortbow I get cripple and stun plus quick shot so that’s 3 control skill vs 1 point blank shot of the longbow.
If you still want to hit multi targets with shortbow grab the priece arrow 20 trait skill from the Markmanship.
Shortbow does more single target DPS especially vs med/heavy armor targets due to conditions.
However I rarely use shortbow anymore because of retaliation and confusion doing obscene amounts of damage back to you while using shortbow, especially with quickness. It’s so bad that I had to stop attacking people if I got confusion on me, where long bow you only take minimal damage due to slow attacks and channeled moves. I prefer the extra range, AOE and blowback on longbow at the cost of some dps.
(edited by Grizz.7045)
i use both, longbow for in WvWvW zerg fights and shortbow in 1v1 or running enemy.
Works nice:)