Guild Wars 2

While I have had some success with the Longbow in PvE, sPvP(top ranking, zero deaths multiple times), and WvW, there is something that continues to confuse me. I will explain my logic and the build I am using before I go into my suggestions(suggestion is at bottom/build here).http://www.guildhead.com/skill-calc#mMRVmm0M0MwnGmMwnGmGp0afVRcRmo

I am currently running Mace/ Sword -> Longbow. I am specced for condition damage, and it typically goes something like this-> Pin Down 12k bleed( the lack of cast time and quick animation usually makes it difficult to dodge unless you’re at max range)-> Combustive Shot-> Switch Weapons, Impale(8.5-9k bleed)-> Bull’s Charge-> Healing Surge-> Mace Stun-> Pull sword out. If they aren’t dead by then, you have two riposites that will hit for a lot of damage, and one of them applies another 9k bleed if you’re specced for condition damage. If you manage to keep them in combustion field for the entirety, it does around 30k damage. Stability craps all over longbow, everytime, no matter if you outplay. The only mandatory utility is bull’s charge. Use whatever else you’re comfortable with. I use condition removal and either throw bolas or endure pain.

Now, that’s usually how I handle 1v1 situations with longbow. WvW in zergs my role is to call targets and immbolize stragglers, use pin down/ throw sword on WvW offense, combustive shot/ arcing blow on WvW defense. The greatsword is fine for mobility, but when you’re travelling with a zerg, you getting to point A-B-A -alone- does not contribute as much to warrant having a useless melee weapon for a condition build when mace/sword gives you more defense/utility in melee range.

My suggestion has to do with the longbow being in the tactical tree. I have no clue why it is there. The longbow does not benefit from vitality and boon duration doesn’t benefit any single weapon choice. The weapon doesn’t scale from health, and it doesn’t grant any boons. The only thing I can think of is that it’s the only warrior weapon that can offer and make use of a combo field(so it’s… tactical?). But isn’t that a little strange? Why not place it in Arms where it can make use of precision and condition damage, since that is what you’ll be speccing for when you equip a longbow anyway. The Rifle applies ZERO conditions but it is in Arms(I know (5) in Arms applies bleeds on critical hits, but that logical is backwards when comparing it to a longbow).

My suggestion is to place the longbow traits in the Arms tree instead of Tactics, because the weapon does not benefit from vitality and and doesn’t offer any boons, and the builds that take advantage of longbow as a primary weapon do not prioritize vitality or any shouts or signets(so boon duration is meh) besides Signet of Rage(because what else are you gonna use). And I don’t understand some ranged weapons having 900 range and having to spend 10 points and a trait to increase it to 1200. It’s -so- necessary to have 1200 range on a ranged weapon that it shouldn’t be an option to take it or not. It should just be mandatory on ranged weapons.

Before this happens, I want ANet to figure out what they want Warrior ranged weapons to be. Rifle is apparently the high dps single target direct damage weapon, but its auto-attack applies bleeds. Longbow is supposed to be the AoE conditon weapon, but it’s auto-attack does direct damage. They need to switch the auto attacks of rifle and longbow and then they can switch the traits as well.

I agree with the OP, longbow traits to Arms. One could maybe also argue that it should be in strength (condition duration/power), but not in the other trait lines.

I also agree. As it stands Longbow benefits from power more then condi dmg which makes no sense. To put it simply Carrion and Rampager builds should provide more dps then beserker when using Longbow. Right now Beserker outshines those two on longbow, ESPECIALLY if you miss Pin Down shot.

Anet: Just put a bleed on LB auto attack. For Rifle, take bleed off auto attack and improve its power scaling.

Veldan.4637:

I agree with the OP, longbow traits to Arms. One could maybe also argue that it should be in strength (condition duration/power), but not in the other trait lines.

Pretty much this. While it would be very nice to finally have those traits out of a useless tree, not all Longbow builds revolve around Condition damage.
As far as I’m concerned, pushing a pure Condition Longbow build is either hit or miss (literally). Pin Down makes up for so much of your damage and if it doesn’t connect…well yeah.

Lorelei.3918:

Anet: Just put a bleed on LB auto attack. For Rifle, take bleed off auto attack and improve its power scaling.

^

Personally Pin Down rarely work properly. I’m in range, visually it look like a hit but nothing happen.

Shinoobi.1259:

My suggestion is to place the longbow traits in the Arms tree instead of Tactics, because the weapon does not benefit from vitality and and doesn’t offer any boons, and the builds that take advantage of longbow as a primary weapon do not prioritize vitality or any shouts or signets(so boon duration is meh) besides Signet of Rage(because what else are you gonna use). And I don’t understand some ranged weapons having 900 range and having to spend 10 points and a trait to increase it to 1200. It’s -so- necessary to have 1200 range on a ranged weapon that it shouldn’t be an option to take it or not. It should just be mandatory on ranged weapons.

You do know Firefield + Blast Finishers will grant you with 3 stacks of mights for 20sec?

Get a Longbow/Sword+Warhorn combo and you get 1 Firefield, 2 Blast Finishers, 3 Projectile Finishers and 1 Leap Finisher. This is some crazy way to stack a lot of might in a limited amount of time. So vitality and boon duration makes sense to me sinds to grant might from Fireshield you need to get hit, so a higher health pool allows you to take more punishement and thus getting more might before you are downed. Boon duration on the other hand increase the duration from might, wich both increase Power and Condition damage for your Longbow and/or Swords. And it also increases the benefits from your Warhorn.

So when you think about it, both Warhorn and Longbow in the tactic tree are making sense.