Guild Wars 2

What makes the bow so critical to so many builds? It doesn’t look all that great to me.

What am I missing that makes it so irreplaceable?

Well it’s largely irreplaceable in PvP only due to it being the only F1 skill that can’t miss, which syngergizes well with Cleansing Ire, and F1 provides great area denial by covering an entire point in PvP.

In PvP and WvW it’s not used nearly as often. In fact not at all for dungeon runs for the most part.

I should’ve clarified, I meant to ask specifically in a PvP context.

I can see how slightly more consistent condition removal would be an asset but does that really dictate the weapon choice alone?

I feel like support-based builds like shoutbow would benefit so much more with, say, a hammer. The peels and area CC would better facilitate group fights, which the build is, well… built for, would it not?

Shoutbow and Hambow are two very different builds.

Conditions absolutely rule PvP. Condi builds can endlessly spam extremely high damaging DoTs, while being incredibly tanky. That’s just how GW2 works. That means you can’t counter them with damage and must counter them with condi removal.

Sagramor has it. The fire field covers an entire point, provides 100% condition removal, but most importantly provides a fire field for blasting and leaping in.
Warriors need to understand the concept of might stacking, it separates the good from the bad. Learn to might stack with your fire field while in combat and you will suddenly see yourself dominating your enemies.
Remember, warrior blasts AND leaps in fire fields provide sources of might for you and your team. Projectiles are also more effective when shot through a fire field. Try it out.

Because it’s capture the point! who wouldn’t want a huge AoE that burns everyone on the point.

If the objective is not to capture the point, people would just back out and use long range weapon

Also annoying annoying thieves, you need that burning to burn them alive.

As mention above, bow f1, provides an high damage, long duration, large AOE fire field that can’t miss (Cleansing Ire).

If you stand in your own fire field, not only it is a deterrent for melee attacker, most of your shot does additional fire damage. Not to mention your ability to might stack in it. It serve both as an offensive and defensive measure both in pvp and wvw.

Even in pve, range attackers almost always have an easier time vs mobs and bosses.

Very interesting, I appreciate the responses

A longbow is stronger then you think. Besides of the might stacking and Condi cleansing you can aply extra burning by close range skill 2 your enemy. You can aply immobilize and bleeding at the same time. You can blind your enemy. With skill 3 you can make high crits as well.