Let the flame wars begin.
First off, I love GW2. I’ve been playing since Beta, and this game has made some great advancements of the MMO genera (no mob/node tagging etc. among many others). However, with the success of these areas, I feel that certain weapon skills, particularly for the ranger class, have become ignored.
I’ve played all classes, and currently have 5 level 80s; in my opinion by far, the 1 hand weapon skills for rangers are the worst. All weapons are supposed to have a main function; some are better at pvp, some better for pve, some are best for direct damage builds while other are for dots. A lot of the 1h skills for rangers are a mash-up of pve and pvp abilities, and some just being complete trash. To polish the game, this must change. There is currently no set “berserker” main hand weapon for rangers. Greatsword, sword, torch and dagger are for pvp with the blocking, debuffs, snares and dots, while currently off-hand axes and warhorn are for the berserker build of direct damage, yet we can’t have both as our offhand weapons! :-(
AXES
First are main hand axes. The three skills are complete garbage.
Skill 1: Ricochet. Bounce your axe between multiple (3) foes (900 range). This skill is possibly the worst in the game. The damage is lower than 1h swords, and doesn’t even have any debuffs. You can do more damage to 3+ targets in melee with the sword or greatsword just by cleaving auto attacks! And forget about rolling it as your main “ranged” attack, longbow and shortbow offer superior damage and utility, thus making it a space saver ability, aka worthless. REMOVE.
Skill 2: Splitblade. Throw a spread pattern of five whirling axes that bleeds foes (900 range). This is another garbage skill. At range, the axes don’t hit the same target, so you are lucky to get even 1 bleed stack, rather than all 5 on one target. Skill 2 of weapons are supposed to be the “hardest hitting attack” for that weapon. This attack is just a joke, as it does very little damage, direct or dot. REMOVE.
Skill 3: Winter’s Bite. Throw an axe to chill your foe. Your pet’s next attack inflicts weakness. Again, terrible skill. (There was a very good reason why after rolling a Ranger players rushed to get any other weapon besides the 1h axe; terrible!) The damage is low, and the chill aspect only lasts 3 seconds when the skill is on a 10 sec cooldown. The weakness buff to pet is pointless, as other classes have auto attacks/superior skills that apply weakness, making it void of any real use (not to mention black bears have this as their own special attack). REMOVE.
SOLUTIONS!
To make main hand axes at all viable giving Rangers a pve direct damage melee attack, they should be the berserker melee skills for the class. Swords, Greatswords, torches and daggers are best for pvp (with the debuffs, dots and blocking), so the Ranger class NEEDS a pve melee weapon, as in the combo of main hand axe and offhand warhorn. I suggest removing off-hand axes from the game, and combining those attacks into the new main hand skills.
Skill 1: Auto attack = Winter’s Bite (new); Attacks target with chilling strikes. I’d love to see the auto chain (melee, not ranged) like the 1h axe attack warriors have. Since pure damage is more for that class, this attack wouldn’t have to hit as hard or as many times, but should at least attack 3 times with the last attack applying a chilled dot onto the target, lasting until the next end-of-chain-auto, or close to.
Skill 2: Whirling Defense – Block projectiles while damaging nearby foes. This is a lot like skill 2 for greatsword Warriors, does good damage in melee range, but roots the player while casting. This is good for pve, but not pvp, and so will void any crys of “Op in pvp” chants. Instead of the current 25 second cooldown, it could be on a 6 or 8 (up to 10) second cooldown, as the main attack for main hand axes, it can’t be on a 25 second to compete, must be shorter.
Skill 3: Path of Scars – Throw your axe so that it returns to you, striking foes each way. This is a great skill with a range of 900. The pull part of this skill, 450, should be increased to the full distance of 900 so it could set up the players skill 2. A spread pattern, or a 360 aoe attack pull would be great for this as well, but single target as it is now is passable.
With the main hand axe now the berserker weapon for melee ranger, coupled with off-hand warhorn skills of Hunter’s Call and Call of the Wild, rangers will FINALLY have a good PvE melee set.
To recap;
Axes now main hand only, with former offhand axe’s skills worked into main hand.
1 auto chain (new winter’s bite) – 2 Whirling Defense – 3 Path of Scars – 4 Hunter’s Call – 5 Call of the Wild
Main hand axe with off-hand warhorn = Berserker build for melee Rangers in PvE!