spvp longbow question
The most important skill with longbow is combustive shot because it is a combo field.
Use that whenever you can, preferably at stage three (although it’s not required) and then use Arcing Arrow and Call to Arms inside combustive shot as they are both combo finishers and will provide you with three might stacks each. Combustive shot also does a good amount of burning damage and makes it difficult for players to stand inside the point if you have it covered with combustive shots aoe.
Pin down is also a good skill but because it is somewhat telegraphed you need to use it when they don’t expect it. Assuming you hit them with pin down, it’s a good time to use arcing arrow (big damage) and then swap to land an eviscerate as they will still be immobilized.
Smoldering arrow has its uses. It’s especially good if you have fast reaction time and use it while someone is charging a skill with a longer cast time than Smoldering arrow. Since you can blind them to negate the skill and avoid using a dodge.
Fan of Fire is something you want to hit them with in melee range. Because it releases three arrows that spread the further away they’re from the target. At melee range, you will land all three and it will deal some pretty good burn damage.
As far as skill rotations go, I don’t really think LB has one. It just depends on the situation. Although, assuming you just used a stage three Combustive Shot, I’d try to land a pin down asap and then follow it up with an Arcing Arrow(To make the most out of Arcing Arrow, you can shoot an Arcing Arrow from a distance, swap to the axe set just before it lands, making Arcing benefit from your Superior Sigil of Intelligence too.), then swap to axe and use Call to Arms and finally follow it up with an eviscerate. If all goes well, you will have critical hit them with both arcing and eviscerate (because of pin down immobilize and Intel sigil) while also applying 6 might stacks to yourself. Just make sure you do all this quick enough so the Combo Field lasts throughout the entire rotation.
(edited by Kagamiku.9731)
Hi,
I’ll assume you mean PvP here.
I play axe/warhorn longbow, since hambow seemed a bit hard to use. I’m wondering when and what skills to use on the longbow. I hardly ever use longbow, and I’m not sure what skill/rotation I should use on it.
Let’s review the skills and see how they can be put to use effectively.
Burst Skill (Combustive Shot) is one of the most interesting one:
- It has a large AoE, which can be useful to defend or contest nodes (if the opponent moves away from the node, then you get the advantage from a conquest point of view).
- It also is a fire field, meaning it provides you with might combos (blast in it for area might, leap for fire armor).
- As long as it hits the ground, it is considered successful, meaning it works wonders with Cleansing Ire, as a condition removal technique.
Basically, you want to use Combustive Shot as often as possible and maximize its value, which is why related builds usually include Cleansing Ire and Burst Mastery.
Skill 1 (Dual Shot) is not very interesting. Its damage is average, and its fire rate is pretty slow. I use it mainly to remove Aegis on foes, or when I have nothing else to do (rarely happens).
Skill 2 (Fan of Fire) has three projectiles. In order to make sure that all three hit your target, you want to use it point-blank. It’s a good skill, so use it when you like, as long as you’re in melee.
Skill 3 (Arcing Arrow) is excellent: it does solid AoE damage, and is also a blast finisher. Use it as often as possible, and if possible in some sort of combo field – the most obvious one being right after Combustive Shot.
Skill 4 (Smoldering Arrow) is just a blind: I usually try to save it to mitigate an opponent’s burst, or to blind a downed enemy.
Skill 5 (Pin Down) is very good. It does nice condition damage, and provides a long immobilization. In your setup, you can use it to pin an enemy in your Combustive Shot, immobilize him to ensure a successful evisceration, or simply keep her/him away from a node (for instance when you decap).
Your setup offers the additional following synergies:
- Combustive Shot, then Eviscerate, gaining a fire armor,
- Combustive Shot, then Call to Arms (Warhorn #5), to make a might combo.
The basic build for your setup shall therefore:
- Maximize the burst rotations, since both bursts of your weapon set are interesting. Consider using Cleansing Ire and Burst Mastery.
- Maximize the might building, since you have access to a frequent fire field (Combustive Shot), two blast finishers (Arcing Arrow, Call to Arms), and one Leap finisher (Eviscerate). Consider using either the Runes of Strength of the Runes of Hoelbrak.
A celestial setup might work, although the main-hand axe and the war horn do not apply condition pressure, so you might want to go for a more physical-based setup (e.g. soldier, berserker or knight).
Since you’re likely to invest 4 points in Tactics for the improved Warhorn, you could also exchange Burst Mastery for Vigorous Shouts, and go for a shout-based build.
HTH.
Longbow is mostly useful for fire blasts and area control.
Even if you dont pin them, using your burst and the arcing arrow is very effective for zoning, especially with intelligence sigils that give you a 100% crit on arcing arrow.
You should basically never have your arcing arrow available for an extender period of time. Use it on cooldown whenever possible.