Guild Wars 2

G.L.E.E.P. – Gelatinous Absorption -AT: 1s -CD: 90s
G.L.E.E.P. hurries towards its master, using its own body to shield them from all harm.
Effect: Your pet takes all damage and conditions you would have taken. You cannot move.
Duration: 10s or until G.L.E.E.P. dies

Fenrir – The Great Hunt -AT: 1s -CD: 90s
Fenrir calls forth some of his kin from the mists, these Kveldulfs use lesser versions of Fenrir’s skills.
Effect: Summon 2 Kveldulfs, these Kveldulfs can be controlled as you would do with a normal pet (attack target, come back).
Duration: 20s

Fenghuang – Immortal Flame -AT: 1s -CD: 90s
Fenghuang sacrifices his own life energy to cast an immoral flame over his master and his allies, creatures affected with immoral flame cannot die.
Effect: Creatures effected with Immoral Flame cannot fall below 1 Health
Duration: 5s

Aijundu – Queens Tremor -AT: 1s -CD: 90s
Aijundu infuses the earth around her with magical energy, creating unstable ground. Unstable ground knocks enemies back and grants allies stability.
Duration: 10s

Rakoff – Twisting Jaws -AT: 1s -CD: 90s
Rakoff bites her foe with razorsharp fangs, targets suffer from an open wound. Downed enemies struck with this ability are finished.
Effect: Creatures with Open Wound suffer from bleeding each second
Duration: 10s

Minor Adapt – Spiritual Conduct
You can equip Spears on land and gain access to Infusions. G.L.E.E.P. replaces your pets.

Minor Master – Rallying Essence
When rallying G.L.E.E.P. give it a copy of your boons

Minor Grandmaster – Mightiest Infusion
You and your pet gain Might when using an Infusion skill.
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Major Adapt – Relentless Assault
When using your you mark a target, your pet will now relentlessly attack the selected target even when its master changes targets. When activating Relentless Assault your pet gains superspeed (3s ITC 10s).

Major Master – At Your Command
Reduces the recharge of Commands (20%). Commands remove movement impairing conditions (Cripple, Immobilized, Chill) from your pet.

Major Grandmaster – Lingering Spirit
When an infused G.L.E.E.P. returns to his original form some of its former power sticks to you granting an effect based on the mist creature you conjured. (Fenrir: +100 Power/Precision, Fenghuang: +100 Healing Power/Concentration, Aijundu: +100 Toughness/Vitality, Rekoff: +100 Ferocity/Condition Damage)
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Major Adapt – Fragmented Power
Casting a Infusion infuses nearby allies with a fraction of its power.
Infusion of Fangs (5x Might, 10s), Infusion of Wings (Regeneration, 10s), Infusion of Husks (Protection, 5s) and Infusion of Claws (Fury, 10s)

Major Master – Mistfire Familiar
Your strong spiritual presence draws a Lesser Mistfire Familiar which feeds on conditions converting those to boons (convert a condition every 10s).

Major aster– Infuse Life
Casting a Spiritual Infusion fully heals your pet, you are able to revive allies from range (Range: 600).
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Major Adapt – Lock-on
You deal an additional 15% damage against foes tethered to you or your pet.

Major Master – Spear Chucker
Reduces recharge of your Spear skills (20%). While wielding a spear you attack 20% faster.

Major Grandmaster – Sun’s Spear, Moon’s Shield
While wielding a spear create a shield to block an attack every 5 seconds. If the shield is destroyed, it explodes and damages nearby foes.

Gash (AA) -AT: 1/4s
Fenrir bites his foe dealing damage and crippling them for a short duration.

1. Vengeful Charge -AT: 3/4s -CD: 20s
Fenrir dashes through the mists appearing next to your opponent dealing damage and knocking them down.

2. Challenging Howl -AT: 1s -CD: 30s
Fenrir lets out a challenging howl taunting and dealing damage to all opponents.

3. Natural Temper -AT: 3/4s -CD: 30s
Fenrir builds stacks of Blood Lust when attacking increasing his attack speed. When activated he howls and grants superspeed and quickness to nearby allies for each stack of Blood Lust.

Rainbow Fire (AA) -AT: 1/2s
Fenghuang summons flaming wisps that bounce between targets, dealing damage and burning foes while granting allies random boons

1. Solar Flare -AT: 1/2s -CD: 10s
Fenhuang shines brilliantly blinding and burning enemies

2. Revitalizing Feathers -AT: 1s -CD: 30s
Fenghuang drops some of his feathers around her, allies can pick up these feathers gaining regeneration and enormously increasing the effectiveness of regeneration.

3. Aura of Eternity -AT: 1/4s -CD: 30s
Fenghuang passively generates random boons. When activated this skill prevents the expiration of boons on allies.

Junundu Siege (AA) -AT: 1s
Aijundu hurls a large, slow moving, homing boulder towards an enemy, dealing a high amount of damage in a small radius.

1. Junundu Tunnel -AT: 3/4s -CD: 10s
Aijundu digs into the ground and reappears some time later at the targeted location dealing damage and knocking back enemies.

2. Tunnelling Assault -AT: 1/2s -CD: 15s
Aijundu partially burrows herself and travels to a target’s location, dealing damage and crippling foes along her path.

3. Royal Traversal -AT: 2s -CD: 30s
Aijundu tunnels and after a short delay appears at her master’s location. Swallowing allies and transporting them to her original location.
(Works on downed allies)

Vicious Assault (Auto Attack) -AT: 1/2s
Rekoff viciously strikes a foe twice, dealing damage and inflicting bleeding

1. Sharpen Claws -CD: 15s
Rekoff’s sharp claws inflict bleeding and make her target vulnerable when she attacks.

2. Infectious Talons -CD: 20s
Rekoff starts attacking with her talons inflicting poison and weakening her foes.

3. Broodmother’s Promise -CD: 30s
Rakoff passively transfers her conditions to a foe when attacking. When activated Rakoff transfers all conditions from her master to herself.

In this post I use some abbreviations for those of you who are unfamiliar with these this is what they mean:

• AA = Auto Attack, the basic attack of you and your pet, has no Cool Down.
• AT = Activation Time, the time it takes to activate a skill (not counting aftercast).
• CD = Cool Down, the time it takes for a skill to recharge.

1. Mighty Throw/Vicious Attack (AA)

Mighty Throw: Attack a foe at range, gaining might, gain more might the less health your target has.

Vicious Attack: Attack a close range foe dealing more damage the less health your target has.
Range threshold: 150

2. Spear of Fury – AT: 1/2s -CD: 5s
Throw a spear that grants you fury when it hits an enemy. Your pet next attack cripples them.

3. Spear of Redemption -CD: 15s
Block attacks, you and your pet lose one condition each time you block an attack.

4. Chained Throw -AT: 1/2s -CD:10s
Hurl a spear that tethers enemies struck and after a while immobilizes them.
Maximum Count: 2
Count Recharge: 10s

5. Unblockable Throw -AT: 1/2s-2s -CD: 25s
Charge a powerful throw with your spear that can’t be blocked
When fully charged knockdown your foe

1. Throw Glob (AA):
G.L.E.E.P. throws a glob of its highly volatile slime towards an opponent exploding on impact.

2. Symbiotic Bond -CD: 8s
The love G.L.E.E.P. has for its master makes it periodically granting a copy of its boons to its master.

3. Gelatinous Attraction -AT: 3/4s -CD: 15
G.L.E.E.P. tethers itself to an enemy, enemies that attack its master are pulled toward GLEEP and are taunted.

F2. Volatile Slingshot -AT: 1s -CD: 20s
G.L.E.E.P. launches itself towards a targeted location exploding and launching enemies in range. The explosion leaves behind volatile globs of ooze that heal allies and deal damage to enemies that walks over them.

“Do you know why Trahearne won’t be attending this year’s family dinner…
Last year he blew it!”

“Have you heard, Braham is thinking about starting a family?
They say it is because he would like to have a heir again!”

“I wonder what happened to that brilliant Asura Zoja.
Guess something Snaffed out her light!”

“How do you call a lonely Charr on Claw Island?
Tybalt all that’s Left is a Paw!”

“I can tell you Orrians know how to party, once met a girl named Sieran on Claw Island, well…
After the party we called her Ceasar Salad!”

This and many, many more jokes.

I believe that the Short Bow should greatly enhance the mobility of the ranger while preventing opponents from getting close/getting away. The damage from a Short Bow should come from a combination of direct damage and short-lasting conditions.

• Crossfire
  Fire an arrow to Bleed your target. If you hit them from behind or from the side deal 50% bonus damage.
  Damage: 134 (0.6)
  Bonus damage from flanking: 67 (0.6)
  Bleeding (3s): 66 Damage
  Range: 900
  Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile (20% change)

Like StickerHappy.8052 I believe the application of bleeding should be on its AA, the bonus damage on hitting an enemy from behind or from the side encourages proper positioning and will reward the player with higher damage. Also I would like to create some interaction with Light on your Feet but more on that later.

• Poison Volley Cast Time ¼s, CD 9s
  Fire a spread of five arrows, poisoning and slowing enemies hit.
  Damage (5x): 170 (0.5)
  Poison (5x) (4s): 670 Damage, -33% Healing Effectiveness
  Slow (5x) (1s): Increases the activation time of skills and abilities by 50%
  Range: 900
  Pierces

I think Poison Volley is already a good skill but it could use some extra flavour. Slowing enemies hit for every arrow should accomplish just that. With the theme of the Short Bow being hitting without getting hit slowing your opponents should help you kite their abilities. Also the closer your enemies are the more effective this skill becomes (more arrows hitting your target).

• Quick Shot Cast Time ¾s, CD 9s
  Fire a quick shot in an evasive retreat and remove immobilized. Gain Superspeed if the shot hits. This can be used while retreating.
  Damage: 118 (0.5)
  Superspeed (3s): Movement speed is greatly increased.
  Evade: ½s
  Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile
  Range: 900

Quick Shot must be my favourite skill from the Short Bow, for a long time I’ve used this skill to dodge all kind attacks. Now with the huge amounts of immobilized in sPvP and properly WvW dodging with this ability is almost impossible. With this ability you should be able to keep moving while you have a guaranteed evade.

• Crippling Shot Cast Time ¼s, CD 12s
  Fire an arrow that cripples your target. Your pet’s next three attacks inflict immobilized.
  Damage: 118 (0.5)
  Crippled (4s): -50% Movement Speed
  Immobilized (½s): Unable to move
  Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile
  Range: 900

Crippling Shot should do exactly as the name implies, cripple your opponent. In its current form a 3s Cripple and Bleeding on your pets next 3 attacks is pretty lacking in doing so. The application of Immobilized from your pet should help triggering the bonus damage from Crossfire and help you keep a safe distance from your opponent.

• Concussion Shot Cast Time ¼s, CD 25s
  Daze your foe with an arrow. Stun them if you hit from behind or from the side. Interrupting a foe lowers this skills cooldown by a fixed amount.
  Damage: 128 (0.5)
  Daze (2s)
  Stun (2s)
  Recharge Reduction on interrupt: 5s
  Combo Finisher: Physical Projectile
  Range: 900

To truly cause a concussion I’ve upped the damage from this ability, also the Recharge Reduction on interrupt promotes skilful use of the ability. I’ve seen some people suggest adding Confusion in addition to the Daze/Stun but I find this counterproductive since your opponent shouldn’t be unable to use skills during the Daze/Stun (Stunbreakers excluded). When traited and used correctly the cooldown of this ability would 15s.

I think that the combination of Sword & Dagger should enable Rangers to stay close range, while not taking a ton of damage while acting as sitting ducks. With the Sword & Dagger Rangers would have access to 3 different skills with an evade. And with the revamped Minor Traits this should enable the Ranger the dance around their opponents. With properly timed evades Sword & Dagger Ranger will deal plenty of damage.
Sword

• Slash Cast Time ½s
  Slash your foe. Deal bonus damage if you hit your target from behind or from the side. (33% bonus damage).
  Damage: 257 (0.7)
  Bonus damage from flanking: 92 (0.7)
  Number of targets: 3
  Range: 130

• Crippling Trust Cast Time ¼s
  Stab your foe, crippling them for a short time.
  Damage: 257 (0.7)
  Crippled (3s): -50% Movement Speed
  Number of targets: 3
  Range: 130

• Precision Swipe Cast Time ¾s
  Deliver a blow to your foe. You and your pet gain might when hitting a movement-impaired foe.
  Damage: 257 (0.7)
  Might (5s): +30 Power, +30 Condition Damage
  Number of targets: 3
  Range: 130

The auto attack from the Sword should promote positioning and make use of the cripple condition. This could make it very difficult for your opponents to get away from you. Since a lot of people think the Sword AA should deal more damage, I’ve increased the damage output when positioning correctly.

• Hornet Sting Cast Time ¼s, CD 8s
  Stab your foe, then evade backward.
  Damage: 293 (0.8)
  Evade: ½s
  Number of targets: 3
  Range: 130

• Monarch’s Leap Cast Time ½s
  Leap back into the fight, crippling your foe.
  Damage: 403 (0.7)
  Crippled (3s): -50% Movement Speed
  Combo Finisher: Leap
  Range: 600

Slightly reduced the Cast Time of the ability so evasions with that ability are easier to use.

• Serpent’s Strike Cast Time ¾s, CD 15s
  Do an evasive roll around your target, striking them and poisoning them.
  Damage: 293 (0.8)
  2x Poison (8s): 536 Damage, -33% Healing Effectiveness
  Evade: ¾s
  Number of targets: 3
  Range: 130

Slightly reduced the Cast Time of the ability and increased the poison duration.

Dagger

• Stalker’s Strike Cast Time ½s, CD 10s
  Do an evasive roll around your target, striking them and poisoning them. Deal double damage if your target is already poisoned
  Damage: 87 (0.5)
  Bonus damage when poisoned: 87 (0.5)
  3x Poison (8s): 804 Damage, -33% Healing Effectiveness
  Evade: 1¼s
  Range: 250

Added bonus damage from foes already suffering from poison, the damage is still low, but at least it’s higher than before.

• Crippling Talon Cast Time 1s, CD 15s
  Leap at the legs of your foe, Crippling and Bleeding them
  Damage: 252 (0.75)
  Crippled (6s): -50% Movement Speed
  3x Bleeding (8s): 528 Damage
  Combo Finisher: Leap
  Range: 600

Due to the lack of a good initiate on the Sword I’ve added the leap on the dagger. This way closing in with on your target should be faster, also launching at the legs of your foes sounded like something a dangerous animal would do.

When taking Skirmishing the go-to weapons in my opinion should be Short Bow, Sword and Dagger. All three weapons are fast attacking, highly mobile weapons. These weapons all have some form of an evade, something I think should be the main feature of the Skirmishing trait line. For this I’ve reworked the minor traits and some of the major traits. The deference with the Daredevil is that this trait line focusses on evasion from weapon skills instead of using the dodge mechanic.

Minor Traits
I find the current Minor Traits weak in their current form. Minor Traits are the traits you’ll always have access to when taking Skirmishing, so they should be the most versatile. Swiftness and Fury are both boons Rangers already have plenty of access to. I do however like the idea of Hunter’s Tactics.

When playing with Short Bow (Quick Shot), Sword (Hornet Sting & Serpent’s Strike), Dagger (Stalker’s Strike), Greatsword (Power Stab & Swoop) or Staff (Ancestral Grace) these minor traits will enhance your playstyle.

• Minor Adapt Hunter’s Tactics name changed to Hunter’s Insight
  Chance to critically strike is increased by 10% after evading (5s duration)
  I likes the way Hunter’s Tactics used flanking to increase critical strike chance, so I wanted to incorporate the ability so it would fit thematically with the evasion playstyle from Skirmishing. The change to having the 10% increased change to critically strike after evading makes the effect trigger on the evasive skill of a player instead of the ability to flank your opponents.

• Minor Master Tailwind name changed to: Vigorous Wind
  Gain Vigor (5s) and Swiftness (5s) after evading (CD 5s)
  I’ve combined the original Tailwind and Primal Reflexes and made them into this Minor Trait. While the 5s Swiftness on a weapon swap is kind of boring when combining it with Vigor gain it could make for a much more meaningful trait. Also the activation on evasion promotes proper timing when using dodges/evades separating good Rangers from Great ones. The CD for this trait is in place to prevent massive Vigor and Swiftness stacking from dodge/evasion spamming.

• Minor Grandmaster Furious Grip name changed to: Evasive Assault
  Damage and condition duration is increased by 10% after evading (4s duration).
  Concept taken from Light on your Feet, I’ve replaced dodging with evading. When an experienced Ranger (or a lucky one for that matter) times his evades correctly he/she is rewarded with a short damage and condition duration boost. The greater the ability to time evades the higher the damage output will be.

Major Traits
I believe that the Major Traits should achieve the following:

• Support the corresponding weapons (Short Bow, Sword and Dagger)
• Support the mobility of the Ranger
• Support short lasting, stacking conditions
• Support Traps
  By doing so the traits will add to the playstyle I think would suit this trait line.

Adapt Traits

• Primal Reflexes Merged with Tailwind into Vigorous Wind
  (New) Cleansing Strife
  Periodically lose conditions while moving (1 condition removed every 8s, priorities Torment)
  While moving works great to avoid direct damage, it is less effective against condition damage. Especially Torment can utterly destroy anyone that continuous to move while inflicted with the condition. By making the condition cleanse tied to movement, experienced players can use proper timing to make the most out of this trait.

• Sharpened Edges Merge with Hidden Barbs into Serrated Hunter
  Chance for you and your pet to cause bleeding (3s) on critical hits (66% change). Bleeding you cause is more dangerous (damage increase 33%)
  While as two separate traits both feel weak and unrewarding to take, combining the two makes for a much more meaningful choice. Especially Rangers that want to deal more damage through bleeding.

• Trapper’s Expertise
  Boons and conditions caused by traps last longer (Recharge reduced 20%, Duration increase 60%). Traps recharge faster. Offensive traps cause cripple (3s) and defensive traps grant Resistance (2s).
  While I like this trait in its current form I’ve always felt that defensive trap should grant some kind of boon. Granting a short Resistance boon should help Rangers with this trait to keep moving even when under movement impairing conditions. Also this way Rangers will have access to the boon.

Master Traits

• Hidden Barbs Merged with Sharpend Edges into Serrated Hunter
  (New) Evasive Bond
  When you evade give your pet a ¾s Blur
  A lot of people are asking for an ability that allows pets to dodge, this seemed to fit in with the theme of evading and dodging.

• Spotter exchanged for Predator’s Onslaught
  You and your pet deal increased damage (10%) and condition damage (10%) to disabled or movement-impaired foes. Affected conditions are: Stun, Taunt, Daze, Cripple, Fear, Immobilize and Chilled.
  While Spotter itself is an very useful trait I’ve always found it a trait more befitting to the Marksmanship trait line, while Predator’s Onslaught seemed more befitting for the Skirmishing trait line. Also added increased condition damage while cutting the power by 5%.

• Strider’s Defence name changed to [Viper’s Defence]
  [i]Sword and Dagger skills recharge faster (20% recharge reduction). Gain increased condition duration (15% increased duration) while wielding a Sword or Dagger. Inflicting poison has a change to blind (4s) your opponent (50% change to blind, CD 10s).[i]
  When going for condition damage most Ranges will use a Torch instead of the Dagger. While the Dagger is a more mobile weapon better fitting the hybrid playstyle. So I’ve moved the Dagger CDR to this trait and added an interaction with poison. A condition both the Sword and Dagger have access to.

Grandmaster Traits

• Light on your Feet
  Short bow skills recharge faster (20% recharge reduction). Crossfire removes movement impairing conditions (CD 5s) Affected conditions are: Cripple, Immobilize and Chilled.
  I find the ability to keep moving with a Short Bow very important. However due to the high amounts of Immobilize in sPvP and WvW this can be very hard. So instead of having piercing arrows I would rather have a condition cleanse for movement impairing conditions. The bonus damage from dodges is now on Evasive Assault

• Most Dangerous Game
  Increase condition duration (duration increase 25%) when if you hit your target from behind or from the side. When you hit a target suffering from cripple gain 1 stack of might (10s).
  The current form of Most Dangerous Game encourages being low on health. This makes it a dangerous and unrewarding trait to use. I rather have this trait promote skilful positioning and utilizing the cripple condition then almost dying. Now you really are the Most Dangerous Game!

• Quick Draw
  When swapping weapons, the next ranger weapon skill you use will recharge faster (66% increased recharge).
  Personally I don’t use this trait, but I know there are plenty of people who (ab)use this skill, so I’ll keep it the same.