Guild Wars 2

I’m trying to figure ways not to be bored in WvW. Thus far its been; shoot bow; watch pet die; realize that 1200 isn’t nearly enough range; step closer; shoot bow again. So far not much fun. So what am I doing wrong?

Longbow and + range trait. Shortbow only for roaming. Longbow for defence and offence of keeps.

The only “fun” I had in wvw on my ranger was the 1 in a 1000 times I could find a spot to snipe from during a keep defense or if I managed to catch 1 or 2 lone opponents out in a field somewhere. The low damage output of all classes and the relatively high defense/hp of all classes means that you will almost never have enough time to down someone with your bow unless they are just stupid and stand there (which happens occasionally) or you have 5 other ranged classes all spamming them.

Out in the field at close range… I hate zerg, so I just refuse to do it which has limited my experience considerably to say the least.

So… I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. The mechanics just need a lot of work to feel satisfying.

Don’t have to be with the zerg though. A group of 5-10 can accomplish a lot, and that’s where the shortbow shines. The only thing about bows is that arrows travel waaay too slowly, making them so ridiculously to dodge. Just spamming left right left right in quick succession will guarantee a majority of your shots will miss.

I, so far, having great fun with my ranger in WvW. I don’t know what’s your playing style or what you expect from pvp. Maybe try to use another combination of weapon sets? I personaly use longbow+shortbow and swaping them pretty often as the situation changes. Longbow for passive fight, aoe and sniping from long distance where you can deal up to 3,5k dmg each hit (depends on build tho). Shortbow for closer combat and active fight, cripling and stuning enemies, active dodging with your skill and also dealing decent dmg (1k crits with the frequency of shoting is not that low imho, and yet to that some bleeding and poisoning)
Melee weapons can deal more dmg, but frankly, it’s still more comfortable to smash your enemy from distance then rush into enemy group with melee weapon and die there fast.
As for animals, I can recommend you spiders, they attack from range therefore don’t attract so much attention also having some useful skills for pvp like stun. And also don’t care about its life, just once your pet dies, swap to another one.

try spirits.. i know they are squishy, but for the sake of fun and trying, why not..

I love WvW and PvE with my ranger. For the last few days I haven’t been using any bow.

I think the biggest mistake you can make is thinking that you have to use a bow because the description says that rangers excel with them. Bows DO have their uses, and are often the right choice in the right situation. For me that situation was in defensive mode using LB (where I felt safe to stand in one place).

You asked what you are doing wrong. Well, I dunno what you are doing. Maybe you haven’t been on in a busy time. From your post it sounds like you are most concerned about what skills and tactics you are using…and that is ALL WRONG. Succeeding in WvW is about being in the right place when you are called for. You need to pay attention to Map (/m) and Team (/t) chat, and you need to acquaint yourself with the map you are on and learn the various call names, and know how to get to them fast. (DB, EH, Champs, Faith, Gods, Crag, Vale, Briar……etc). You need to look for the yellow swords-crossing on your map view (but know that not all of them mean an important battle is occuring…which is why you need to read chat). My point is, that in the end, if you are going to where the action is and making the right battle choices, you can have fun.

That being said, it doesn’t hurt to maybe try something different. My favorite weapon combo is Sword/Torch and Axe/Warhorn. My slot traits are all traps (Bleeding, Poison, Fire). If I have to choose over high condition damage or high power, I will choose high condition damage. My condition damage is about 1330. My traps hurt. I use axe a lot while throwing my traps. I find bows boring in comparison.

Anyways, I think you will have a LOT more fun just playing if you try a different build. Ranged weapons keep you very distanced from the battle, and sometimes that takes the fun out of it. Try using traps, spirits, melee weapons, etc.

Miyu.8137:

And also don’t care about its life, just once your pet dies, swap to another one.

Very very wrong. Always swap your pet BEFORE it dies! If you do this, the cooldown for the next swap is three times shorter. Also, if you are spec’d right you get quickness everytime you spec your pet, and better, you can get this every 15 seconds! OP!

Look up the spec I posted in the sticky at the top of this forum. This is a strong and fun build for WvWvW.