WvW Zerging with Ranger

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Posted by: Sakashi.4506

Sakashi.4506

Q:

Hey everyone,

my question goes a bit along the lines of Why ranger will never be viable in WvW – I’ve been a Ranger for a long time (on and off GW2) and started WvWing with Zergs again.

I’m mainly a glasscannony longbow ranger (1H Sword/horn secondary for speed boost and evasion).

As a ranger, mostly one seems to get kicked out of squads on pure account of being a ranger (at least on weekends). That’s quite frustrating as I quite enjoy WvW even back from the early WvW days.

I guess my questions are:

  • Any good up to date WvW Ranger guide out there? Or any guide at all? (lots of them in the sticky are ~3 years old it seems)
  • what ranger build can be most effective in WvW?
  • Go Druid?
  • Switchup gear to have more Toughness and Vitality? (mostly running Berserker/Assasin atm) Especially now that I got ascended crafting I wonder what sort of stats should be on my new items (I still do a fair amount of PvE as well)
  • Special Pet recommendations?
  • cry, give up and play revenant (got one at 80) or guardian or ele or whatever?

Thanks everyone!

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Posted by: kappa.2036

kappa.2036

A:

Like Justine said, if you play ranger and you are looking at large scale encounters, support druid is what are you looking for. Anyway:

  • Any good up to date WvW Ranger guide out there? Or any guide at all? (lots of them in the sticky are ~3 years old it seems)
    In my experience, if you want to run in a gvg/zerg, staff and Celestial Avatar are your best friends. Heals, blasts, mobility, aoe stealth, aoe dazes and immobilize, mobile waterfields, aoe condi cleanses, and projectiles converted in healing for you and your mates. Pets are better in passive mode, near you, but you can yolo them for cc or good burst/marks procs if needed. For your secondary weapon, you can run something like sword-warhorn for mobility and more boonz/blast. You can also buff allies damage with Spotter or Grace of the Land (7% free crit chance and 10% increased damage in aoe).
    Right now people are still testing the potential of rangers in zergs, and that’s why is hard to find good zerg guides/builds. However, Metabattle has some examples on how it might be used: http://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Druid_-_Frontline_Healer
    Keep in mind that build change almost every week, but you can use it as a reference.

I’m still trying various things in gvg’s/zergs, currently i’m running something like this in zergs: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNQQNBmYD7keVoWQsfFwhFgrFswIYwN1paWlJc9tCAOhuS3p7kpZ1VA-TVyHABg/AAaV9nf2fUGAwRAgOlg5fQAQT3QtXAgjU6RKA/GaB-w
I don’t like full minstrel builds since you don’t have enough power to get bags from your enemies. With this setup i have over 2k power, 20k health, 3.3k toughness and 1.3k healing power. Boon duration is not a problem with quick draw + sigil of concentration. Also you can swap the ealing gliph for Healing Spring if you want more waterfields. “Protect me!” is an AoE stunbreak and Signet of Renewal is a really good panic button that cleanse all conditions (from your allies aswell) and is another stunbreak. Quickening Zephyr can be a good choice aswell if you want faster heals under the effect of quickness.

  • what ranger build can be most effective in WvW?
    It really depends on what are you looking for. 1v1 builds? Small scale builds? Large scale builds?
  • Go Druid?
    Definitely, yes.
  • Switchup gear to have more Toughness and Vitality? (mostly running Berserker/Assasin atm)
    The only way you can be useful in a zerg atm is going support. So yeah, you need another type of equipment support based. Anyway there’s nothing wrong if you have also a zerker set, especially when you are running with few people.
  • Special Pet recommendations?
    Smokecale/Bristleback in small scale fights are good (the only pets that can actually hit moving enemies lol). Smokescale/Brown Bear/Blue Moa/Red Moa/Electric Wyvern/Fern hound are a good choice if you are facing a lot of people.
  • cry, give up and play revenant (got one at 80) or guardian or ele or whatever?
    Just play whatever you want, this is a game
    Try to be useful for your teammates and you will never be kicked from a squad. Just don’t pewpew against a 50men zerg with your longbow dying from reflection and retaliation xD

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Posted by: Justine.6351

Justine.6351

For play under 10v10ish power shoutbow or survival are still viable.

When you start looking at numbers above that you should be switching to hammer rev for its piercing aa, non projectile ranged attacks and boons.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vlAQJASmnvN2gS6JvQRVlbosryPUYW5IKYs8ElFNFiNMnpN2DMhNstABoBA-TlSBABkfEAe+QAAwDCAPdEDqJYhLIgZKBpU9Ha2f4KlfBAQAu5Nzm3MbezcezbezbezzNv5Nv5NvZpACcYE-w

If you want to zerg on ranger your build will be something wildly different from the good ole archer. You are looking at druid with gear stats like celestial, cleric, magi or minstrels and picking up a predominately healing support roll.

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Posted by: FrownyClown.8402

FrownyClown.8402

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.


Bad Elementalist

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Posted by: Dovkan.3519

Dovkan.3519

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.

What makes you think half of ranger utility is tied to the pet? And what makes you think the only skills worth taking are shouts? Have you never used glyphs?

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Posted by: anduriell.6280

anduriell.6280

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.

What makes you think half of ranger utility is tied to the pet? And what makes you think the only skills worth taking are shouts? Have you never used glyphs?

Glyphs are the most unrewarding mechanic in this game: such a short range, weak effects and for taking one condition cleanse with 2 seconds delay you’ll loose mobility or defenses. Not that seeds of life are that big of a heal or whatever, still don’t understand the nerf.

You should keep in mind we are talking about WvW here, no raiding.

I TOLD YOU SO
Inverse to Apple: SBeast is the worst yet.. jurl jurl
I’m all in for Team Irenio!

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Posted by: Dovkan.3519

Dovkan.3519

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.

What makes you think half of ranger utility is tied to the pet? And what makes you think the only skills worth taking are shouts? Have you never used glyphs?

Glyphs are the most unrewarding mechanic in this game: such a short range, weak effects and for taking one condition cleanse with 2 seconds delay you’ll loose mobility or defenses. Not that seeds of life are that big of a heal or whatever, still don’t understand the nerf.

You should keep in mind we are talking about WvW here, no raiding.

I know we are talking about WvW. I main Druid in WvW and in GvG’s. If you think glyphs are unrewarding you’re not using them properly. Rejuvenation is a 10k+ burst heal, alignment another burst heal that removes conditions, empowerment a buff to damage or outgoing healing.. Tides/equality are both good and underused. Pet survivability isn’t as bad as you think either, especially if you take BM with bear/smokescale and swap accordingly. Losing pets isn’t that big of a deal either, it’s not like they’re being used for damage in ZVZ anyways.

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Posted by: Kovu.7560

Kovu.7560

Lol, no ele can outheal my no-blasting-required 6k Lunar Impacts, 600 regen ticks, 4k Ancestral Grace, 2.2k-per-pulse Rejuvenating Tides et cetera. But they bring a number of other elements to the table (heh, get it?) that Druids do not. Boons, auras and the such. Its probably a better support profession overall.

My problem with support Druid is healing is about all they do in the wvw environment. I really wish they hadn’t changed Spirits to be immobile, boon rangers (you know, beyond swiftness and regen) might actually be a thing in a zerging environment. Pulsing stability would be REALLY nice on the front line.

Also, run high HP pets when melee’ing with a zerg if you can. Even if they’re on passive, they’re still useful for swapping bonuses (I tend bring a sylvari hound to zerg fights for further regen, and swap to the tanky bear for aoe condi clear on demand).

~ Kovu

Charr Ranger, Necromancer, Thief
Fort Aspenwood. [CREW], [TLC], [ShW], [UNIV]

(edited by Kovu.7560)

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Posted by: Sakashi.4506

Sakashi.4506

Hey everyone,

thanks for the input – this has been really helpful

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Posted by: anduriell.6280

anduriell.6280

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.

What makes you think half of ranger utility is tied to the pet? And what makes you think the only skills worth taking are shouts? Have you never used glyphs?

Glyphs are the most unrewarding mechanic in this game: such a short range, weak effects and for taking one condition cleanse with 2 seconds delay you’ll loose mobility or defenses. Not that seeds of life are that big of a heal or whatever, still don’t understand the nerf.

You should keep in mind we are talking about WvW here, no raiding.

I know we are talking about WvW. I main Druid in WvW and in GvG’s. If you think glyphs are unrewarding you’re not using them properly. Rejuvenation is a 10k+ burst heal, alignment another burst heal that removes conditions, empowerment a buff to damage or outgoing healing.. Tides/equality are both good and underused. Pet survivability isn’t as bad as you think either, especially if you take BM with bear/smokescale and swap accordingly. Losing pets isn’t that big of a deal either, it’s not like they’re being used for damage in ZVZ anyways.

Yeh you are right, if you go full healbot and don’t even pretend to be rewarded for playing. Either any single one of the players will ever realise you are healing them because of the clutter.
So the only satisfaction your are going to get is for only you see the green numbers.

Not that will keep every single commander kicking you out from the squad or put you in the group of trash to be expendable (Never wondered why you get always with the thiefs or other druids in your subgroup, instead having better compositions like with a guard or revenant for that so much needed stab?)

I TOLD YOU SO
Inverse to Apple: SBeast is the worst yet.. jurl jurl
I’m all in for Team Irenio!

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Posted by: Dovkan.3519

Dovkan.3519

For large scale wvw the main reason ranger isn’t that good is because half of its utility is tied to its pet. The only skills worth taking to benefit the team are shouts and if your pet is dead or in the wrong spot its useless.

Also staff ele is a better healer than a druid.

What makes you think half of ranger utility is tied to the pet? And what makes you think the only skills worth taking are shouts? Have you never used glyphs?

Glyphs are the most unrewarding mechanic in this game: such a short range, weak effects and for taking one condition cleanse with 2 seconds delay you’ll loose mobility or defenses. Not that seeds of life are that big of a heal or whatever, still don’t understand the nerf.

You should keep in mind we are talking about WvW here, no raiding.

I know we are talking about WvW. I main Druid in WvW and in GvG’s. If you think glyphs are unrewarding you’re not using them properly. Rejuvenation is a 10k+ burst heal, alignment another burst heal that removes conditions, empowerment a buff to damage or outgoing healing.. Tides/equality are both good and underused. Pet survivability isn’t as bad as you think either, especially if you take BM with bear/smokescale and swap accordingly. Losing pets isn’t that big of a deal either, it’s not like they’re being used for damage in ZVZ anyways.

Yeh you are right, if you go full healbot and don’t even pretend to be rewarded for playing. Either any single one of the players will ever realise you are healing them because of the clutter.
So the only satisfaction your are going to get is for only you see the green numbers.

Not that will keep every single commander kicking you out from the squad or put you in the group of trash to be expendable (Never wondered why you get always with the thiefs or other druids in your subgroup, instead having better compositions like with a guard or revenant for that so much needed stab?)

I am rewarded for playing. I get the satisfaction of healing my team, providing valuable offensive buffs, and tagging plenty of bags. You can make the same argument if you play any support class, that no one will notice it because of “clutter.” I will say that people do notice when you heal them from 40% hp to full with one skill. Most commanders, if not all commanders I’ve run into have no problem at all with giving a support druid stab if they request it. Although It’s actually better when in open field imo to be kept out of party to focus healing on those who need it the most. Druid doesn’t have a problem with this if built properly.

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Posted by: Justine.6351

Justine.6351

Not that will keep every single commander kicking you out from the squad or put you in the group of trash to be expendable (Never wondered why you get always with the thiefs or other druids in your subgroup, instead having better compositions like with a guard or revenant for that so much needed stab?)

That can easily happen when the commander doesn’t know you. If you run something that impacts the squad positively you will get noticed regardless if it’s meta or not. Is also why server/guild fidelity is important.

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Posted by: jcbroe.4329

jcbroe.4329

I’ve run Ranger/Druid almost exclusively with my organized WvW guild for years now as the background/preface.

Yes, go Druid. You don’t need to go wet noodle, and you honestly don’t need to maximize Healing investment, but you do want to be invested primarily in healing power.

Personally I’ve been running a Zealots/Clerics or Zealots/Crusaders mix, although if I was considering the build for pure group play, I’d probably swap out the Zealot’s for Minstrels, but I enjoy doing damage too much.

Most Commander’s are building for a specific composition and guild groups will be especially strict on party organization. It isn’t to punish you, it’s to create functional groups.

Jroh | Former SOAC Ranger Podcaster | Platinum Division Top 100 Player
www.twitch.tv/itsJROH For stream, stream schedule, other streamers, builds, etc
https://www.youtube.com/user/JRoeboat