Guild Wars 2

Lightning reflexes-Never had problems using it although it is hindered by Immbolizes,chills and cripples.

Lick wounds-I have been noticing the same thing lately but not sure.

Entangle-Its good for catching noobs but most people can dodge, kill your binding roots most time but its still a fun skill for me.

Edit: down skill 2 doesnt work if they have stability, stealth or invulns.

if the ranger isnt focused on trying to activate the f2 ability than rangers will be wayyyyyy to powerful if we actually were attacking. Hence they made it a bit harder for rangers to do so just so we dont roll people.

lol i play with the exact same runes also using greatsword but i like the shortbow better. whats your traits armor and jewls? also on janthir outnumbered. I play on eternal battlegrounds all the time though getting jumped left and right north and south =p

Even when pet is dead you can press 3 on down state and pet will revive fully than heal you. Very useful and that is the sole reason ranger is so strong lvling to 80 in pve.

Pow/Pre/CritDmg , Only good condition weapons are the torch and and maybe shortbow.

EDIT: Axe 2 is the only condition dmg skill on MH and you have to get really close to be effective. Don’t try for condition dmg with axes go for the stats i stated above trust me.

Summary- OP hasn’t got the ranger to lvl 80 nor has he spent a significant time on it. Talks random gibberish and says ranger is fine and to leave the devs alone yet he hasn’t a clue about ranger class.

Most people dont post builds on here as they figure out their own because all ranger players have their own style, only time there are builds is to show ranger class isnt completely useless and people take those ideas into their own builds.

what do you plan on doing with shortbow, pve, wvw, dungeons.

I play WvW alot so I can give my advice on that.

30 Wilderness Survival(VI-survival skill 20 percent recharge, IX-hide in plain sight, XI- empathetic bond)

10 Nature Magic(VI protection for 5 seconds, good vs anyone trying to burst you)

30 BM(V-pet f2 recharge,IX-f2 for canine and spider cause cripple, Xii-pets natural healing)

As for spvp and tpvp you would most likely want to build for a quick win engagement. I dont use traits that give me faster recharge because if i kill the person, by the time they get back to me my skills will be back up. Its up to you though, your style, your build.

EDIT: Also runes, armor types and sigils always play a big role.

Is this for WvW or spvp/tpvp?

well it depends on the situation and your runes/sigils traits. If you have other sources of endurance regen than that 5 isnt needed, also the 5 in BM isnt needed if you dont plan on stomping quickly. In WvW I switch targets when i down one and let teamates stomp but again i switch traits around and sometimes i do have 5 in BM. In pve its personal preference, in spvp and tpvp prolly you will need.

Traits(20/5/30/0/15)
Marksmanship-(=V=Apply cripple to foes under 25percent,=VII=Increase precision of nearby allies)

Skirmishing-(Swiftness on swapping weapons)

Wilderness Survival-(=VI= survival skills 20 percent recharge,=VII=Offhand longer range+ 20 percent recharge,=IX=Apply camouflage when Crowd controlled.

Beastmastery(=V= Pet f2 recharge faster)

Armor(Berserkers, with some vit and crit dmg rings and accessory)
Superior Rune of Water all 6(10 percent boon duration,5% chance to remove condition when hit, +90 healing, When using healing skill you and nearby allies are healed for small amount=Around 800)

Weapon Set 1- Sword/Warhorn(Sigil of Superior Energy/SoS Hydromancy)
Weapon Set 2- Axe/Axe(Sigil of Superior Restoration/SoS Speed)

Healing Spell- Healing Spring

Utilities
Quickening Zephyr
Lightning Reflexes
Signet of the Wild

Elite- Entagle or Spirit of nature

Pets-So many options
Red Moa- Fury on demand
Brown Bear- Cure Conditions
Fern Hound-Regen
All the pigs- good drops
All the birds-Team swiftness
Basically any pet is good, find out which one best fits your situation.

You wanted a good frontline build, this has a balance of all. Killing power, Sustain/Evade, and team play.

Traits 30/30/5/0/5
If you don’t care about survivability at all, and I’m assuming you will be in full beserker gear.

Best burst is Longbow 2 switch right away to Short Bow.
Or you can go Shortbow and switch to greatsword in close combat.

Now to mix in some utilities would include Quickening Zephyr-Signet of the Wild(make sure you have 30 in marksman, and Sick EM) Elite-Rampage as one.

Keep your pet on avoid combat mode and bind your pet attack to a different key instead of f1-to far for me. That’s the best burst build you can do, runes, sigils up to you. Switch pets for more quickness.

Rhbyn Yew

Profession: Ranger
Traited: DPS (Exotic)
Experience: Played Arah dungeons before they updated to stop resets
Time: EST 9am-11pm
Note: I can run different armor and builds.

Maybe if we all run around without armor they might buff our stats xD.
Serious note: =(

Warhorn still the better choice than axe.

Viability of this Ranger update in WvW?

Guard: Pets will no longer guard areas that should be inaccessible to them.
***Well guess you rangers will need stand on ledge to do something useful now.
If you are using this utility you are wasting a slot. Ive used this numerous times and it is fun but you arn’t doing much if you use it.

Crippling Talon: Cooldown of this ability has been reduced from 18 seconds to 15 seconds.
***If you are soloing/roaming this would be useful, I don’t see it helping in group fights, but there are already better roamers than you (way better).

Empathic Bond: Fixed a bug that wouldn’t apply transferred conditions to pets. This trait now transfers three conditions to the ranger’s pet every 10 seconds rather than all of them.
*Rangers don’t need over powered stuff like this, good fix.

Hawk and Eagle now have their own unique icons instead of sharing one.
*Now you don’t need to read the names to make sure. Overall thoughts? LMAO

Path of Scars: This ability’s damage has been normalized between traited and non-traited versions. Damage has been increased by 85% when not traited.
*Not very useful with main hand axe or sword, you will be to close to enemies while fighting and rangers are easy targets. 5 skill on offhand axe roots you in place if you are trying to block attacks, I would just use a greatsword for escapes and blocking(skills 3 and 4). I will be testing some builds to work around trying to make something happen? NOTE: These kinds of builds will be more for fun than useful though.

Icy Screech: The White Moa activated ability now applies 3 seconds of Chill, and the skill fact has been updated appropriately.
*LOL, literally… I think the gw2 balance team should ask the League of Legends balance team for some advice, seriously.

If you find the information helpful I suggest to bookmark it.

NOTES/THOUGHTS Listed by date of entry.

NOTE:Several builds I found effective in World vs World. You can switch around traits/skills to fit your playstyle/needs. The key is to kite/dodge and use your skills accordingly and you will end up with a better chance of beating your opponent. Knowing your class and the class you’re facing inside and out also helps.

NOTE:If you want to play vs a ZERG, I recommend these classes instead. In no particular order. There’s just much better skills/abilities to fight zergs on other classes. The ranger is best at small skirmishes 10 vs 10 or 20 vs 20. Not for big battles that happen in WvW, Tower Offense and Defense and such are not that great for rangers. The potential lies on the ground in small groups or sidelines waiting for the right opportunity. Although some builds I have used I jump right in the middle and survive, I think you will have to learn how to use the class/abilities properly before you do that though.

1. Engineer
2. Warrior
3. Elementalist
4. Mesmer
5. Necromancer

NOTE: Don’t complain about the ranger class, I’m working on some builds guides for you to play the ranger class effectively. Although you may complain about any bugs! I have played my Sylvari Ranger all the way to level 80 along with getting 100 percent world completion and a lot of time in world vs world with some sPvP. I dont find sPvP that fun because honestly I just win to easy =p and my personal preference is to WvW.

NOTE: Berserker’s set is the best all around set for Ranger. I have tried all kind of builds with all the different jewelry in [Heart of the Mists] and the Berserker’s is the stats you will want to go for in the end if you plan on becoming good with the class. If however you want survival than go with Soldiers as that is what I got first time around while getting use to the class in WvW and Dungeons.

NOTE: These are builds for when you reach level 80. For those who are on the path here I recommend you save your money and look over all the builds before you buy anything to expensive. Find what suits your playstyle and go for it. As you journey though go more for survival (power/toughness/vitality) so you can learn the class and how to counter other classes along with Dungeons/Events and anything else you like to do.

NOTE: If you have any questions on why certain traits/runes/sigils/weapons/armor/stats, please message me here or ingame as I want to keep these guides as simple as possible. I’ve tested every build for quite some time and these are the ones I myself find effective. I will also try to record and post of me using the builds. It will take me some time and ingame gold to get everything prepared.

NOTE: I know there is a Viable Longbow Build, I will let you guys know when I finish testing.

Commander Build/Guide (Tower Offense/Defense/Field Skirmisher)
(Fun Build for WvW)
http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.3.4.21.15.31.29.32.30.133.134.135.136.152.2.2.1.0.0.0.392.398.401.408.412.417.426.0.0.0.0.0.0.30.30.10.0

1st Weapon Set – Axe/Axe
5 ability really fun when you have all the rangers aiming for you!

2nd Weapon Set – Sword/War horn

Armor Attributes

Power/Precision/Critical Damage (If you aren’t that good or you find you die to easily go for more survival stats)

Utility
Spike and Flame Trap
+++Must have these
+++Use on walls
+++Use when chasing people down or running away.

Viper’s Nest or Frost Trap
+++I like using both, switch them when you feel like you need to
+++Poison for people on walls
+++Frost for People on walls or when your skirmishing

Elite

Entangle
+++Complements traps and weapons set as you are going to be close range.

Pet
Bear
+++Have the bear go in first to tank/decoy/get attention

Canine/Feline
+++When you are on your target switch to these pets
+++Damage/Knockdowns/cripple and other single target conditions.

Tank PvE Build/Guide
http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.12.3.0.15.14.14.0.16.133.134.135.141.152.2.9.45.0.0.0.392.397.401.410.415.417.0.0.0.437.0.0.0.30.30.0.10

NOTE:If you find you die to often to certain area/mob switch to short bow. This build has a lot of surviving power so try to change the way you use your skills,dodges.

Main Weapon – Greatsword (Sigil of Superior Restoration)

Secondary – Sword/Axe (SoS Restoration/SoS of Corruption)

Armor Attributes
Power/Precision/Critical Damage (Superior Rune Of Water)

Jewelry
Power/Vitality/Condition Damage
+++Total set is 240 Power/240 Vitality/336 Condition Damage

Utility
Spike Trap
Flame Trap
Signet of the Wild

Elite
Entangle

Pets
Use what feels best for you.
=============

The Recommended Build for Rangers getting use to the class. (World vs World or PvE)

http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.10.4.0.21.23.5.0.32.131.144.301.141.152.8.8.25.0.0.0.392.399.400.411.414.417.426.0.0.0.0.0.0.30.30.10.0

Main Weapon – Short Bow (Sigil of Superior of Ice)
+++Best dependable/consistent form of damage for rangers.
+++3 Abilities preventing target from getting close to you.
+++SoS Ice to keep targets from getting away.

Secondary – Axe/Warhorn (SoS Force/SoS Hydromancy)
+++Buff Yourself/Allies
+++Another long range slow Winter’s Bite.
+++When you’re in a tight spot with Short Bow switch to this to peel enemies off you with the SoS Hydromancy on the Warhorn, [Winter’s Bite] or even [Call of the Wild].
+++SoS force on axe, I found the axe attack speed to slow to get a chance to critical often so you might as well just buff the base damage.

Armor Attributes
Power/Toughness/Vitality (Superior Rune of the Pack)
+++Lots of surviving power along with the most consistent form of damage (Power).
+++Superior rune of the Pack for increased team play.(You may use whatever fits you though).

Utility Skills
Lightning Reflexes
+++Stun Break Evading Back
+++Endurance Regeneration
+++Quickening Zephyr just doesn’t feel the same. I found this to be more useful now.

Protect Me
+++60 Second cooldown comparted to 120 for signet of stone
+++Your pet takes damage for 6 seconds instead of you

Signet of the Wild
+++Passive regen for you & your pet

Elite
Entangle
+++WvWvW is full of people, this just provides more benefit for your team.
Rampage as one is also good. It all depends on your play style.
+++I like to make sure no one gets away and if I can stop several than that’s even better.

PETS
It’s all about what you want your pet to do.
Bear – Pure Tank
Feline – Damage
Canine – Crowd Control
Bird – Speed boost/Damage
Spider – Ranged/Ranged Stun
Devourer – Ranged/Survival
Moa – Tankish/Team Play.

1st Post – General Outline/Builds/Edits

2nd Post – Recommended Build for Newbie Rangers

3rd Post – Tank PvE Build/Guide

4th Post – Tower Offense/Defense and Skirmisher

5th Post – Notes/Thoughts
=============
Rhbyn Yew (WvW/PvE/sPvP) Builds

Very highly recommended WvW/sPvP Build for Advanced Ranger by me – http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.10.4.0.21.23.5.0.32.131.144.140.141.152.2.2.21.379.383.386.392.399.400.411.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.30.30.10.0.0

NOTE: Switching out Axe for Sword is also a good choice. You will have a lot of escaping power.
NOTE: Use 2 Canines or 1 Feline 1 Canine. (W\e you’re comfortable with or works for you.)
NOTE: Lots of killing power along with survivability for advanced rangers. I will not be writing a in depth guide for this build as I assume you know how to use everything and why I have chosen the runes/sigils/traits that I did. However if you have question inbox me.

WvW Recommended build for New or Learning Ranger – http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.10.4.0.21.23.5.0.32.131.144.301.141.152.8.8.25.0.0.0.392.399.400.411.414.417.426.0.0.0.0.0.0.30.30.10.0

Alternate Survival Skirmisher -

http://www.gw2build.com/builds/simulator.php#1.6.10.4.0.21.23.5.0.32.131.144.301.141.151.8.8.25.380.383.0.392.399.0.411.412.0.426.0.0.0.0.0.20.20.20.10.0

http://www.isleofjanthir.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=176&pid=1160#pid1160