Guild Wars 2

I know there are multiple forums on here about rangers needing more support based updates etc to compete with other classes in WvW; especially in zerg warfare. I just want to post this as in game evidence that we really are disliked by the community because we’re seen as either useless or loot gatherers. We’ve already seen posts of GWLFG with “no rangers” and heard people being kicked out of dungeon teams for being rangers…now WvW? This is super disheartening…

I’m not sure how everyone else plays but when I’m on my ranger, which is my main, and I’m fighting zerg vs zerg, I try to control the battlefield with barrage and piercing arrows to “herd” the enemy zerg into a specific area. I think that’s being useful, but apparently not. I’m also really good at fast capping supply zones when I’m roaming by myself and my pet. So I’m not sure where all the hate is coming from :’(

I already have one sylvari for every class and ranger is the one that I feel best fits my play style…no I’m not just talking about “pew pew” with two separate bows I do play spirit build, bunker, beast master, trap…w.e. the situation calls for…and I just don’t really care for several of the other classes as much.

Anyone have any ideas about what we can do as a class to try to change opinions? I’m not looking for any “reroll you’re kittened” posts or any “We’re a broken class just kitten give up” posts…I’m looking for real ideas that we can do to try to change community opinions.

Unfortunately they do have a point and as it stands you will never be a sought after class. We just simply don’t have the best tools for that and everyone knows it.

What you can do though is when running with the zerg is focus on controlling enemy movements the best you can (which we can do rather well) and making sure you have your pet trigger any marks and traps that were laid down whine running in. Don’t use Entangle carelessly or it will get destroyed. Using your water field at the right time goes a long way as well. People do see these things and although they’ll probably think, “We’ll that’s one slightly less useless Ranger.” its a step in the right direction.

Ranger is not a large teamfight class. You have no sustained aoe, most of your condition builds deal single burst condi stacks mostly so no necro-like aoe condi sustained application, and your class mechanic is dead most of the time.

And when that class mechanic isn’t dead, if it isn’t a drake it’s still useless as single target attacks are worth nothing in a format that necessitates cleaving.

Thanks guys…it’s still not pleasant to hear most/all of the community complain about our class.

Makes me super sad panda.

This comment from someone on my server in WvW says it all. You will never hear a comment like this about thieves or mesmers.

Maybe change servers. Ive never heard the Commanders on fort aspenwood complain about rangers (not during oceanic time anyway). Rather they are asking us to drop water fields, fire fields, and get defenders/siege off the tower walls.

Cuchullain.3104:

This comment from someone on my server in WvW says it all. You will never hear a comment like this about thieves or mesmers.

Im in fang, and im a ranger xD

i will say this, wvwing on my ranger compared to other things is like trying to walk across hot kitten coals, hard as kitten, its rewarding when i do get a kill, while roaming or in a zerg, but other classes just have it so much easier, like come on, thieves, warriors, elementalists…….srs….d/d eles still are out there trolling the kitten out of everyone, im not saying that we suck (either its just me, or maybe we actually do) all im saying is that playing a ranger in wvw, if you dont follow specific specs and specific things, is hard as kitten

A commander that has time to complain about rangers is a commander not doing his or her job to lead the zerg.

Just saying

Ranger is realy bad class for zerging for various reason buy mainly cause the half of you (read pet) is totally useless in zerg fights. Any other class can perform better.

However ranger is pretty good roaming class.

Miyu.8137:

Ranger is realy bad class for zerging for various reason buy mainly cause the half of you (read pet) is totally useless in zerg fights. Any other class can perform better.

However ranger is pretty good roaming class.

Honestly, i just got done playing WvW for like 8 hours. I got 300 badges in SoS Borderland. U have decent aoe (whether u go trap and roam in the stacked group, or piercing shot and barrage)
You have a lot of survival techniques and evades.
You roam on par with the best to form the holy trinity of roamers.
Spirit builds are great if you can learn to position yourself right. No one else brings those buffs.
Water field #1.

And its hella fun.

kitten, I even roll deep in melee of zergs from time to time with sentinal gear and ignore the pet except to give me 6s of invuln.

Furthermore, when youre in a zerg, try using the pets that give buffs on passive.

Celestina.2894:

A commander that has time to complain about rangers is a commander not doing his or her job to lead the zerg.

Just saying

And he/she can’t even spell. OP, I find no reason that you should get upset by this.
I’m new to playing a ranger in WvW but i find that i can do a lot for my team: scout, run supply, (being one of the fastest roaming class), siege attack/defense with quick burst (QZ + LB #2 to finish off fleeing enemies when they just got hit by siege and trying to heal), lay down combo fields, etc.

I don’t know why, but I’m having a pretty easy time killing things in WvWvW. I run longbow and greatsword. I use cats and birds. I’ll keep the bird passive, and when ever I need a speed boost, I’ll just click something random and tell it to attack then call it back real quick. It starts every attack with a screech that boosts speed.
I’ve got bezerk gear with scholar runes, and a lot of ruby stuff.
If I’m hitting random people with 1 on the longbow at full range, I’ll usually take out about a quarter of their health in one hit. With Hunter’s Tactics, Eagle Eye, Steady Focus, and Sigil of Night (if it is night) I get 35% extra damage and crits are insane. Before hand, it is easy enough to use Quickening Zephyr, the cat’s might boost, and Rage as One then hit them with rapid shot, the number 3, then 4 if they need it to knock them down and finish them off with 2 or 3 regular shots. If they aren’t squishy and running, and they start to get close, I loose a barrage right on top of me, then switch real quick and hit them with the greatsword’s 5, 3, then 2. Once the cool downs reset, I jump away with Lighting reflexes and switch to LB, hit them with 4 and about two more arrows should finish the job. I’ve slaughtered a guardian and warrior wielding legendary weapons (So I assume the rest of their gear was pretty good) this way. I didn’t mention the pets, because not much you can do with them. They die pretty insanely fast anyway. Just switch them out right before it happens so you don’t have a minute long cool down. Also, my build stacks vuln like a champ.
I use lighting reflexes to get out quick, then number 3 on the GS away from the enemy to get out of combat. The 5 and 4 works well at stopping a player in their tracks as well, and if they are extra squishy, the 2 will just murder them.
In Zergs, I’ll stay on the outside and blindside unsuspecting warriors for massive damage, and mesmers as well… I don’t like Mesmers… I’ll also switch the bird for the bear, and just keep pet swapping while using their roars to give the group might, and condition heals. Its a lot to keep track of.

But yeah, enjoying the ranger in WvWvW. I think people still think of rangers back when all the kids where pew pew pew with shortbow’s 1 and didn’t do anything else. Not even dodge.

Zerging in WvW is all about builds. Guardians are pigeonholed into Shouts and Hammer all the time, staff Elementalists for fields and staff Necromancers for marks and wells. Without that no zerg is going to make it far. Mesmer only contribute veil, portal and a zerg only needs 2 or 3 and Warriors are just basically there for banner rezzing and shout condition remove just like the guardian. The 3 medium armor professions just feel out of place because Guardians and Elementalists provide all the support a large group needs ATM.

WvW right now is still at a primitive state that zerging guilds are starting to use more field/blast combos more; therefore, a group of Guardians and Elementalists are going to be desired first because of Guardians having a blast on a 4sec CD and Elementalists having the right fields the group needs but don’t think for one sec that Rangers don’t bring anything to the table. Stability from “Stand your Ground” is soft countered by cripple, immobilize and slow which Rangers provide all of them. Also, we have a great water field and other tools that help the group out.

http://www.anook.com/topic/1763

The link above is a draft of the builds I have been working with since the last couple of patches. I only use the longbow when I have to switch from zerging to roaming but you need to play the Ranger in a zerg as a bunker/melee/CC and not as a glass cannon range.

The video above is from a guildie but you see me there a lot (I am the female human with the Dragon helm and Holographic wings). I am the only Ranger that runs with the guild because I focus on team support and CC more then damage. If you want easy loot bags, play the guardian. I rather help wipe two large zergs then getting loot bags by spamming 1 on my staff. Learn when to use muddy terrain, spike trap and entangle and you will see results.

Any commander that talks like that about any class is a waste of time. Very high chance he is a PvE special that farmed his way to his commander tag. In a ZvZ scenario a good commander will take whatever he can get. The only time they might get a bit specific is reset night when they prefer all level 80’s.

I see the denial patrol is out in full force as usual.

…maybe they should be IN GAME instead arguing these points with the masses (and beating them if they think their ranger build is anything close to meta’ble)

looks like ranger is in a better position than thieves at least.

Excalibur.9748:

looks like ranger is in a better position than thieves at least.

It depends on the situation. I still see people respecting thieves for their cluster bomb blast finishers, group stealth and superior scouting ability. They might not bring anymore to a zerg fight than a ranger, probably even less due to their supreme squishiness, but they do seem to fill some rolls that no one else can fill as well.

Their insane speed also means they can keep ahead of a zerg to trigger supply traps early and get into circles to hold them up long enough for the cavalry to arrive.

Aside from the ranger debate …. one of the problems is that if you run with zergs most players have no idea who is buffing them. So, your contribution is lost to the masses.

I run with a small group of about six or seven …. sort of a havoc squad. You can alleviate some bad ranger perception that way. I use nature`s voice, healing spring, warhorn, wolf fear, s hound heals, muddy terrain, spotter or piercing arrows, and frost trap. Players notice your benefits using these in small groups.

I’m not saying other classes don’t do it better …. just my two cents to helping the OP.

Substance E.4852:

Excalibur.9748:

looks like ranger is in a better position than thieves at least.

It depends on the situation. I still see people respecting thieves for their cluster bomb blast finishers, group stealth and superior scouting ability. They might not bring anymore to a zerg fight than a ranger, probably even less due to their supreme squishiness, but they do seem to fill some rolls that no one else can fill as well.

Their insane speed also means they can keep ahead of a zerg to trigger supply traps early and get into circles to hold them up long enough for the cavalry to arrive.

Thieves serve a function perfectly, and that’s harassing the staff eles, since staff eles are totally worthless by themselves and cannot sustain themselves without babysitting.

A thief popping daggerstorm on their backline is also really annoying.

Also, ranger cripples are useless it’s not like you don’t have necros and eles laying chilling fields which are superior, but the necro and ele are doing actual aoe damage to boot on top of the utility.

The ranger just offers the cripple fields and maybe spirits. His damage in a zerg fight is nonexistent.

lol damage nonexistent, I love coming here for a good laugh. thanks, I needed that

Well, after playing ranger since launch and having tried pretty much every type of ranger build available for WvW, I am sadly hanging up my bow and sword until things change. Going to be rolling myself a Mesmer, Guardian, thief, or necro now so I can enjoy WvW more.

Roll a mesmer to enjoy wvw! Ahahahaha I’m dying laughing over here. Aw my ribs hurt, stop! STOP! Ahaha

Chopps.5047:

Roll a mesmer to enjoy wvw! Ahahahaha I’m dying laughing over here. Aw my ribs hurt, stop! STOP! Ahaha

LOL! Mesmer? Enjoy? WvW? Thats a joke right? I am sorry but I played a Mesmer at launch to 80 and 3 weeks later started playing a Ranger and never looked back.

This is why I love the ranger, the other classes shun him/her. That’s why he/she’s a ranger, they have a pet companion, they don’t need any help. They are the lone walkers of Tyria.

They can have their generic classes. I like my ranger very much. I will continue to collect bags in WvW as a result.