I’m playing mostly WvW and I’m using LB. Lately I got a little bored with running in zergs and I’m flipping camps alone or in small groups. I thought to change my build to trapper (20/30/20/0/0, rabid/carrion, SB). I’m using this build in sPvP and I love it, but will it work in WvW? And how would it work in sieges or ZvZ if I’ll need to go there?
I’d just test it myself, but buying whole set is a bit too much for me atm
Also, I wanted to keep my LB on swap. With low power it won’t do much dmg, but I guess barrage will still be useful to AoE siege on wall (do traps deal dmg to it?)
I run trapper in WvW (T3 Dragonbrand) and it works quite well. The biggest issue with it is cleansing in ZvZ but only against a heavily team oriented zerg. You apply so many conditions that minor cleansing really doesn’t matter. I would say it is the best ZvZ ranger build out there due to the survivability and aoe damage (you will be able to tag many people and live through it). Traps won’t detonate on siege, but they will detonate on players not moving and can be thrown on walls. However, the physical damage they produce is miniscule. I use them as a way to “burst” enemies on that get too close to the edge of the wall (often times forcing them to use a heal or else die).
Obviously, the smaller the fight, the more potent it becomes.
I love it.
Its so freaking strong in WvW you don’t have insane damage but you have insane utility.
Spiky trap for making enemies slow + bleed during zergs.
Muddy Terrain to root + slow enemies in zergs
Entangle for insane AoE damage + root
so much cc for your team to annihilate the enemies , I just love to play trap ranger in zergs.
I also use shortbow for AOE poison and devourer with poison cloud.
Combine it with entangle and muddy terrain and you are a nuker yourself
I love trapper in wvw – although I only see its success in a large group if we are taking on a large group- never on my own since Im always taken down by a zerg or larger group if Im on my own. but 1vs1 or no more than 3 im usually alright- by far its my personal yfav since in Gw1 I went trapper.
Trapper Condition Ranger is very potent and fun. In duels or sparring, it is not uncommon for ppl to exclaim how much my build hurts. With food and sigil of corruption on top of the carrion gear with rune of the undead, I peak at right about 2k Condition Damage. For traits I run 0/30/30/10/0 and use the traits in the precision line to improve traps. Sometimes I’ll do a 10/30/30/0/0 depending on my mood. For traps I tend to go to the damage ones (poison, flame, spike, and for Elite I use Entangle, which can max at around 18k dmg but most ppl don’t stay trapped long enough to get the full whammy).
I remember being tempted into a zerker build by a friend who thought it was the most effective DPS for wvw, and one day I sparred with her in pvp on trapper and she was so impressed by the DPS, she promptly suggested she wanted to organize a 5-man wvw team of the trapper build.
For weapons I always use a shortbow, and usually axe/warhorn, but lately I’ve been going back to shortbow and sword/torch. Verdict is still out on sword but torch is just another way to capitalize on the condition damage.
Trapper is much better in WvW than Longbow. You can hit more targets more reliably and apply real CC, not the stupid long channel that is barrage. You can also cover your escape with traps so zergs don’t run you over.
