Guild Wars 2

I keep getting wrecked by rangers in pvp. This wasn’t bad until I have been noticing and influx of rangers recently. I’m unable to edge in because rangers have been pushing me out of fights and when I shift to uncapping, they block so many avenues of approach that it is hard for me to get to points without being attacked by them. So how do I deal with them? Or even what build should I be running with this high amount of rangers in pvp.

What is your build?

I’ve tried every build but right now I am set with d/p. But if the build is the problem. i’ll just change that.

#5#1#1#1 and disappear and #5#1#1#1 and disappear. How to disappear? Well try use some of your imagination :p. I think the important thing for thief is to sneak up and initiate the strikes. When you get caught it’s always bad so run away+hide.

tbh, thief is kinda usless at 1v1. i spent 3 hours dualing in wvw (not spvp) and won 3 fights- (they might of been meta 1v1 builds and i was my standard roaming build but still) . forget about all of this sneak up rubbish, if they see you then its an up hill fight for the thief.

The way to manage Thief v Ranger right now is to use infiltrators signet as a secondary gap closer. You can go from ~2100 range to 0 in under half a second and pop them for half their health. From there it’s just keep full pressure up and they pretty much always pop or blow signet (steath/sr and prep a repop)

So far my favorite tactic for dealing with Rangers, especially Longbow ones, is to bait them into using one of the heavier hitting skills, such as Rapid Fire… and then using Dagger Storm/Whirling Axe (If you stole from a Warrior prior) while closing the gap. Punishes the hell out of them if they don’t cancel the skills cast, or cast Signet of Stone. Plus once you’re up close, if you’re lucky, they’ve burned their major damage absorption ability and are typically ripe for the picking. Granted, it’s not a flawless tactic… but it works.

Always watch for them, try not to let them get the engage. As thief you always want to try and be the one that engages anyway. If they do get the engage, obstruct them and either get close with shadow steps, stealth, or pull away until you’re comfortable. Interrupt their rapid fire with headshot/steal. If they are running the stability signet, save steal to rip their stability. Blind their GS 2, 3, and 4.

As for them blocking routes for you to get to and decap points... You kind of have stealth for that.

You can run a test ranger if you’ve got an extra slot:) that’s what I did. Delete it once you’ve learnt enough about the class. I ran a lotta ranger builds to find their weakness. They’ve got plenty for the thief to take advantage of. Oh and keep in mind that they’ve still got great sword as a secondary if they’re power, avoid bear maul no matter what cause it’s really lethal, other then that you should be good to go if you’re close enough. Can use d/p build against them if you’re in hotjoin, they drop like flies once you gank them.

HelloPandaKitty.9410:

I’ve tried every build but right now I am set with d/p. But if the build is the problem. i’ll just change that.

Since you’re D/P:

When you first engage get 4 heartseekers into a black powder while outside their range. Or use shadow refuge. Apprach from stealth. Hopefully you are able to stealth out of site.

If you get jumped from range you’ll want to quickly gap close or LoS if available. Be quick, you’ll likely need to stun break and headshot (steal if stability) rapid fire, or Shadow Step behind cover.

Once you engage keep up your blinds with shadow shot, dont use shadow shot vs rapid fire or auto attack chain 3 on greatsword. Don’t use it vs swoop either, but often you may mess this up.

When they use their invulnerability, stealth and LoS. Do this immediately.

Figure out as soon as possible how many stabilities the ranger has. It’s going to be 0, 1, or 2. It’s usually never 0. Their stabilities are Signet of the Wild and Rampage as One. Only ever use steal vs rapid fire when stability is up. The only exception to this rule is if you are low on health and are close to dying.

If you can’t avoid a CC immediately stun break it.

Keep in mind you’ll probably die more to the pet and not the actual ranger in this fight. Assuming you react correctly to rapid fire and barrage and keep up your blinds.

Vs hunter’s shot your options are limited if you don’t land a shadow shot after the ranger enter’s stealth. If you didn’t land the blind you’ll probably be hilt bashed, mauled or point blank shotted. In this situation your options depend on position and cooldowns. You can Refuge, you can random dodge, you can shadow step for distance/LoS, if you are landing your auto attacks you can keep autoattacking and probably trade damage, and that’s about it.

If you did land the blind after Hunter’s shot your best options are to either kite out the stealth and dodge when you see miss or to keep autoattacking if they’re landing and dodge after you see miss. However, in my opinion the best option is to kite out the stealth if you landed the blind, because while in stealth a ranger can proc their invuln so if you’re antipating a damage trade you might be dealing 0 damage.

The biggest threats you need to be aware of from the ranger are rapid fire, barrage, maul, counterattack, hilt bash, dog howls, and dog swaps.

• Rapid Fire: Headshot this immediately (or steal if stability), if you can’t then LoS it, if you can’t then double dodge
• Barrage: Headshot this immediately (or steal if stability), if you can’t then Stealth and LoS until the AoE is gone.
• Maul: Blind this with Shadowshot or dodge.
• Counter Attack: Your best option vs this in 1v1 is to kite the pet and wait 2 seconds getting free initiative. If you’re not 1v1 you likely don’t want to wait the 2 seconds. Shadow shot this as you feel the block winding down. You’ll either blind and avoid the counter attack or blind and land some damage.
• Hilt Bash: Dodge this, unless you already have a blind up.
• Immobilize Howl: You might be able to eat this because of shadow shot and other gap closers. Your biggest risk is the ranger getting behind you while immobilzed. In which case you can shadow step behind them, or if you have withdraw use that.
• Fear howl: Dodge this
• Dog Swap: When a dog is swapped in if they have their knockdown off cooldown the first thing they do is use that. If you see them about to pounce dodge it.

In short, a power range with double dogs vs a D/P thief is ultimately decided by whether the thief can avoid enough of the 8 things listed above and stealth during the invuln. The 6 (7 if you include the immob howl) hard CC’s power ranger has make it hard to avoid them all, but you have 3 stun break opportunities between Step/Return and Signet. It’s a matchup that is often determined by who gets the jump on the other.

Added
Forgot about Roots. You’ll want to shadow shot your way out of this if it lands from range. If it’s used point blank vs you, you’ll want to autoattack your way out of it as you’ll cleave it and the ranger. React asap, because the immobilize will stack up.

use 6 in trickery so you can steal stability and interrupt rf if you got knocked back

really there are only 3 things to watch out
- avoid intial RF (dodge, los, interrupt)
- dodge roots/cleanse them with stolen ability
- kite/stealth when they got invul up

most of the time rangers are easy food, for dp at least
you can blind most of his attacks as well as pet with BP
inf. signet helps to close gaps (especially precast BP+ signet)
you can blast stolen spell to heal up

also there is a trick, if ranger RF you and you are close enough, you can get on top of them and walk through them which allows you to avoid at least some part of RF

Also… Daggerstorm. Great reflection abilities that are highly undervalued in any pvp game mode.

literally people are making this match up way to hard for themselves. just blind and headshot appropriate abilities (eg. if you see them start a rapid fire press 4 and it will cancel rapid fire completely. if they block use your unblockable blind.) this matchup is heavily weighted in the thief’s favor. ) Quick recap any cast time ability the ranger uses headshot it, for everything else there is shadow shot. oh and just auto attack to do damage or do the backstab combo if you want to be super esports and know they do not have their knockback up.

My god people, thief has a favorable match up especially if you are SA. Now I just have one word for you. Smokescreen. That is all. Have a good day.