Guild Wars 2

I have been playing ranger for a new alt/maybe even main and enjoying it, but I don’t particularly like the pet mechanic. The warriors flexibility of weapons is greatly appealing, along with the fact that I seem to be enjoying their utility skills available and heavy armor is a bonus.

My question goes out to you warriors who do a lot of ranged combat. I don’t want to play Warrior to end up finding out it’s more ‘melee with some ranged thrown in’. I’d want to play more the other way around and only use melee when things get too close the same as I have been doing with the Ranger.

I understand that the rifle is the better single target DPS ranged weapon the warrior has, but I hear some people saying it’s ‘overrated’, but I love using longbows in wvwvw so I’d like to hope this was viable on the Warrior, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be.

There seems to be enough skills in the trait lines to spec for this type of thing, but I’d love some input from you guys on this subject.

I have read around online and there seems to be some conflicting views on the viability of a ranged focused warrior which is what prompted me to hopefully gain some clarity on the matter from you warriors out there.

Thanks for listening!

Ranged Warriors tend to be better in PvP because melee just gets destroyed sometimes, whereas ranged can safely keep people off of them and attack from a distance. This is the case in virtually all MMOs.

Only difference between Rifle and Longbow is that Rifle is primarily single-target (doesn’t have an AoE that I can think of) and Longbow is meant for AoE. Longbow skills burn, and the burst skill creates a nice combo field for your friends. Rifle shots bleed, and can be traited to pierce.

As far as I know, ranged warriors are as viable if not more than melee for most things.

Thanks for your response.

Yeah, I get the impression that ranged>melee in PvP even more so than the standard MMO here too. The AoE on the longbow generally seems to be great for WvWvW when traited to the increased distance and what not.

I hear it isn’t viable to run rifle/longbow build, but especially in WvW I don’t personally see why not depending on your playstyle of course.

The answer is obvious. Just go Ranger. Ranged is king in this game like it is in every MMO.

Not sure what to say to that. The Warrior can use longbows AND rifles in-case you weren’t aware. No class is ‘fully melee’ the guardian being the “most melee” in terms of the number of ranged weapons it can use. There shouldn’t be any reason why you can’t play a ‘ranged warrior’ as effectively as a ranger.

Ranged warrior is very much so viable. I prefer rifle honestly. For a few reasons, longbow is purely AoE, in WvWvW it’s exceptional, in sPvP, not so much. Rifle applies bleeds, gets a knockback, slow, vulnerability and rapid fire. Not to mention the snipe burst for 8k crits.

Thanks for the reply bamfbear! As I said I love longbow in wvwvw and have played a bit of warrior with longbow and it seems great. I also am enjoying longbow for pve questing too because of all of it’s utility it offers vs. the rifle. i have been using rifle and axe/axe or axe/horn in spvp (not sure my melee choice is the best but both feels pretty nice), the rifle is definitely great in spvp as you said.

Just to confirm, unlike with the ranger, your damage with bow doesn’t decrease the closer you are, does it?!

The more I play warrior, the more I am leaning towards it over my ranger. No pet, heavy armor, no damage reduction if you aren’t at max range (i think!), more weapon choices (dual swords and rifles!!)

The problem with Rifle warriors is that anyone who’s decent in PvP will dodge your burst abilities… making you completely useless during the cooldown phases, unless you run and try not to be stunned too much :\

Running as a ranged warrior myself, but with a rifle. One thing you’ll absolutely will need as a longbow user is the trait to increase the range on longbows, otherwise the range just isn’t there.

No, your damage does not increase the further away you are. Even when we’re waving around a gun, warriors get in your face.

Whats the problem with pets? I see alot of ppl complaining about them… rangers are so good and many pets have great skills too… I love rolling my alt ranger on pvp.. its so much easier to get glory with him than with my warrior

Soylent – the range increase trait is one of the first things I’m gona get.

Nargaroth – I don’t think there’s any ‘problem’ with them, I just personally prefer to be dealing all the damage than managing a pet that does some of it for me. I enjoy the pet with my ranger whilst leveling it’s great tanking mobs for me, reviving me etc. but in wvwvw it turns into somewhat of a liability IMO just running around and getting killed pretty fast. I just like the idea of playing a ‘ranger’ without a pet and especially with wvw traited properly for the increased distance, the longbow warrior has some great AoE skills.

b rad.5190:

Just to confirm, unlike with the ranger, your damage with bow doesn’t decrease the closer you are, does it?!

Nope, but this does apply to your Harpoon-Gun in underwater combat.

In PvE, I pretty much use ranged weapons on my warrior and swap to a greatsword. If I’m fighting one enemy, I’ll use a rifle, but I’m usually fighting multiple dudes and circle kiting them in my Combustive Shot with my longbow. Why kill one at a time when you can do a bunch at once (esp. if they’re melee)? When I know their melee hits are weaker, usually a caster type, I swap to my greatsword and cleave them to a swifter death.

Like everyone had mentioned before: I, too, believe that there’s not once class that’s “primarily” ranged or melee. Most classes are good at both.

Many situations can be resolved with fewer deaths by being ranged. ^_-

I run longbow, sword/axe for PVE right now.
Used to use rifle but didn’t care for the slower cool downs.
Love love love when a DE has clusters of mobs: longbow fire (2), aoe bomb (3) switch out weapons and become a top of whirling axes and win.

i love range classes in any game i play so natural i rolled the ranger..made it to lvl 10. Its super boring and the skills are even worse for being a bow user.

I rerolled my warrior with using swords and axes until i tried a rifel..Havent touched another 2h weapon since. Super easy to kite with rifel plus the insane damage you can dish out with the right skills. Also i love the knockback from the butt attack skill lol.

I run with rifel for main and dual axes for switch when i need to fight a crowd and deal some serious damage and fast. My girl is only lvl 51 with 18xx damage with signets active and close to 50% crit.

Today i tried replaying the ranger that is lvl 10..just cant do it lol…feel so weak compared to the warrior when it comes to range. Sure sure the ranger gets few aoe skills on the bow when the rifel gets only buttstock…the aoe on the bows are pretty terrible unless the targets are rooted to get the full efect of the damage.

Basicaly on my warrior i take full advantage of weapon switching while in fights to down any target.

It might come as a shocking revalation but a Warrior is a Warrior and a Ranger is a Ranger. The fact they can both use ranged weapons makes them about as similar as a Elementalist and a Guardian, because they can both use melee weapons.

xcount – Not sure what you’re getting at. It might come as a shocking revelation but all the professions can use both melee and ranged weapons so what are you trying to say? This topic is discussing the viability of using a longbow on a warrior compared to using it on the ranger, since you know, the ranger can also use a longbow. I understand the war longbow is more AoE focused but I just wanted to hear what other Warriors have experienced when using the longbow and a generally more ranged focused Warrior setup since there are conflicting views on it’s usefulness going around. Thanks though, I’ll keep in mind that a Warrior is a Warrior and a Ranger is a Ranger, all this time I was thinking a Warrior was a Mesmer and a Ranger was an Asura. Silly me.

Thanks for your replies guys, interesting to read your experiences. Think I need to try out axe/axe or axe/sword as my melee everyone seems to praise especially the axe a lot! I do enjoy the greatsword though.

Many valid points have been brought up, but I pose you this question…

… can rangers rock the Charrzooka?

^ this made me lol, especially the “[Charrzooka] – my favorite” haha, amazing!

Like many have stated here a ranged warrior is perfectly viable. I use longbow and sword/axe for my warrior and it’s very much effective in PvE and WvW haven’t tried sPvP but I’d probably switch to a rifle there.

I run longbow, sword/axe for PVE right now.
Used to use rifle but didn’t care for the slower cool downs.
Love love love when a DE has clusters of mobs: longbow fire (2), aoe bomb (3) switch out weapons and become a top of whirling axes and win.

Yep, yep, yep! This is how I work too. The whirling axes + sword bleeds simply do wonders. The whirlwind with the axe is simply amazing in damage output, builds adrenaline, doesn’t root you in place, and hits everything around you.

I use Rifle + Longbow on WvWvW and I’m a warrior. Bouth are just must have in there.

In PvE warrior should go for melee if you are againts weak normal monsters. Melee just deals more dmg. In dungeons it is better to go ranged as hugging a boss is something not to do even as heavy armor wearer. I have only played warrior further than lvl5, been lvl80 since game was officially 2days old and have to say the ranged option is AWESOME. Dunno would I play warrior without it. Ranged warrior just happens to be fun fun fun (which seat I can take) and…. warrior is only class I will ever play (Warriors are the best)

Many valid points have been brought up, but I pose you this question…

… can rangers rock the Charrzooka?
Attachments:

“Mister Kitty – Full Exotic 80 Warrior, Axe/Warhorn – Charrzooka
Completer of the World, Wielder of the Charrzooka Rifle, Master of Weapon and Armorsmithing
… also makes a mean truffle stew.”

Actually yes they can. If they are charr…

No they cannot, for the one you refer to is a skill and not at all like the rifle I posted.

I use rifle and longbow in WvsW. I am one of those that didn’t want to have to deal with the dead ranger pet all the time, so I chose warrior and play it with range only for pvp and do quite well with it.

I came looking for this as well.
I do enjoy the ranger but the pet is a waste in WvW and ok in pve
I was looking to see if I could make the warrior a petless ranger.
What builds are good for this?

^There are several viable rifle builds in this thread:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/warrior/Rifle-build-v1-0/first#post245880

I really do hope they put in a trait that increases ranger damage at the cost of their pet. they just don’t seem as viable.

If you go Rifle warrior, you MUST get teh 1 sec immobilize off snare in tactics, tier1 trait.

It makes kiting 2x easier. Seriously, when someone is running away, or you’re kiting or prepping for kill shot, hit your #2 and smack kill shot, sure kill shot takes longer than the duration of immobilize (unless you frenzy) but it gives them less time to react.

I just find that one trait makes it amazing for keeping people off you, or from getting away (it also cripples)