Guild Wars 2

I recently started running a Spirits build in solo / team queue PvP. I am not running a bunker variation; instead, the goal of my build is to rotate between conflicted points and provide group support and single target condi burst.

To this end, I am currently running a 0/2/6/6/0 Rabid build: link

In a spirit build, is Nature’s Vengeance actually worth the trait slot? For the most part, I don’t stand on point, opting to stay at range with SB for more bleed, burn and might procs. If needed, I can fight on point for a while before being pushed off.

Generally, I will use the sun spirit blind ability if I need to stand on point, am fighting 1v1, or need to secure a stomp. I’m not sure the increased range is much help here. For the stone spirit immob / cripple, I really only find it useful to slow an opponent running to the same point as I am. Obviously, the nature spirit active is super powerful, but I think you could position within 600 range before casting it.

If I drop Nature’s Vengeance, I could pick up either Quick Draw (more evade & CC) or Keen Edge (more condi burst). For people that have run spirit builds without NV, did you miss it?

Also, any other general advice on the build above?

Spirit Ranger is all about team support. You play that build not to be a spiker but to buff, heal, and rez your teammates. If you are playing it to kite your opponents from afar then you are playing it wrong.

Valentin.2073:

Spirit Ranger is all about team support. You play that build not to be a spiker but to buff, heal, and rez your teammates. If you are playing it to kite your opponents from afar then you are playing it wrong.

I’m not sure where you got the idea that I am playing to “kite [my] opponents from afar.” I did say that I usually don’t stand on point, but that is because standing on the point is the fastest way to kill off my spirits. That doesn’t seem very supporty. Instead, I generally try to stay just outside of AoE and melee cleave range, which is still plenty close to pass my spirit buffs onto allies.

Also, you can still buff (stone spirit), heal and rez (spirit of nature) teammates while running a build with offensive capabilities. Granted, I am not running Healing Spring, but the benefits of the water field are generally lost in SoloQ. From what I have read, the standard Spirits build pre-Apr. patch used Carrion stats instead of a more defensive setup, so obviously offensive power was still valued in the build.

That’s all somewhat off-topic though. Did you have any thoughts on Nature’s Vengeance or specifics of the build?

if you are afraid to stand on a point then you should not be playing a spirit ranger build. that build is meant to play as a home point defender and a team supporter. you need to stand on the node. it will happen that your spirits would die from aoe that’s why you need to have nature’s vengeance.

the radius of the buff is not that big and if you are kiting your enemies from the side, im sure not all your teammates would get the buff. the main purpose you are there was to buff them. a spirit ranger should be aggressive. you fight like a guardian and a warrior. you need to change your build if you think you are dying fast.

Sigh. I honestly wonder if you are even reading my posts…

But I am starting to understand why we see things differently. You seem to be of the belief that spirit rangers must be home-point defenders. I, on the other hand, think they are better at rotating between points and acting as a team fighter / point defender. I’ll note your opinion that Nature’s Vengeance is important for a home point defender setup.

That said, I am not afraid of standing on point. I am not dying too quickly. I am not kiting all of my enemies from the side (whatever that actually means). I never said nor implied any of these things. The only thing I said is that I tend not to stand on point [in team fights], so that my spirits stay alive longer.

You don’t NEED NV. The first use of Spirit of Nature did not use NV (or even spirits unbound). However, the extra range is REALLY nice, so that you can always get the rez off (even if they are on the other side of the node). The extra range keeps the spirit just that much further from the fight which can keep it from potentially getting interrupted or cleaved by forcing it to be too close to the fight to make sure you get the rez. The fact that it activates on death giving a rez, and a full condi clear is really nice. There are many times where my spirit dying has turned the favor of a team fight. I don’t like taking NV cause its not an active trait but I feel its better than the other options I could take for a spirit build. I have also had sun spirit active save me a few times when it gets killed when I get hit by an earthshaker or something, allowing me to get out of the chain cc.

I don’t like stone spirit. When you need the protection you are being focused/chain cc’d. So I would opt for SoR and LR and sun. Or if you wanted 2 spirits I’d take storm over stone. That’s just my personal preference. I’d rather kill them before they kill me. Most spirit rangers don’t take rabid they go carrion or settler’s and use keen edge (some say its too prevent the bleeds from being at the top of the condi stack, but with a sb the bleeds will be at the top always). Rata Sum runes used to be popular with rabid because the radiation field can crit and stack bleeds as well.