Guild Wars 2

Sever loyalty is a joke. Every PvE area is already megaserver, EotM is EotM, and WvW is full of people coming and going everyday.

You would still be with everyone from your home server, along with new faces that I’m sure everyone would like to see. More people = More fights, More defense, More roamers, More Fun. What is WvW without people? A PvE zone. If you want to ktrain go to EotM, and if you want to flip camps over and over and over and over and over you will still be able to do it!
Right now there are no blobs outside of t1. The largest groups are around 30 man SoS zergs which only are spotted at prime time. Seasons will act as a temporary fix, bringing in PvErs for the four week span. After that though they will cause even more decline in populations, as we have seen happen after seasons one and two.

There is ZERO reason to play on a dead server. If you are in it for the ppt night capping ruins all your fun, if you are in it for the roaming server merges will provide more duels and small skirmishes.

People keep acting like higher tier play is simply blobvblob, which simply is the case anymore.

Just wondering, what build(s) will you be trying/running?

I find LB power ranger one of our best options right now, especially with the buffs inc. I also play a bunker condi build with pretty strong 1v1 capability.

And then there are spirits…

Longbow Ranger vs D/P thief.

Who wins? I know.

HENGE OF DENRAVI. WON BRONZE WON SILVER NEEDS GOLD WIN. VERY IMPORTANT BEST BANDWAGON KINGS THATS WHY I AM TYPING IN CAPS.

Please Anet, please. We need this.

Only way to bring dead game back to life.

I has idea.

Free transfers to any server with a lower rating than your current server.
Or
Merge servers 1 and 24, 2 and 23, 3 and 22, etc.

This is the only drastic change that could maybe save WvW.

It’s ok, Esports never die…

I play zerk LB ranger and I can honestly say thieves are the easiest opponent for me. When fighting them it’s all about timing. Knowing when to pop you skills mean everything in these fights where the burst is real and the healthpools low. For me, common combos are barrage on myself → whirl + retal → PBS → Rapid fire. The two pets that seem to give thieves the most trouble are wolves and drake hound. Slow thief is dead thief.

Run zerk power build if you want to learn how to dodge intelligently.

@ hihey

Thanks for the feedback. Good to hear from someone actually in a “Top Tier” guild.

Yes I used a question in my OP to spur discussion on this topic. Does this mean I can’t express my opinions?

Also, a well played ranger should be nowhere near the melee train. You have 1200+ range on your longbow so use it! If the melee train decides you are a threat and comes for you, simply stealth, sword 2 back and leap away. If you are caught (which shouldn’t happen to any decent ranger) pop SoS ans spam sword/dagger evade. Your own melee train is going to have to work with you a bit on this. If the enemy comes for you they will be leaving their backs wide open. We have to assume we are taking about higher level play in which players know how to capitalize on their enemy’s mistakes.

Now to defense against thieves and mesmers. When a thief moves to burst you he leaves himself in a terrible spot; you can pop invuln and or evades. Thiefs have no invuls (to my knowledge) or at least none that they would take for a gvg. This forces the thief to pop his own dodge rolls and or shadow step before the reveal wears off. Mesmers will most likely pose a larger threat then thieves, as decoy works even with reveal. But then again, mesmers can’t consistently put up the numbers of thieves (or even rangers).

What’s this about not building for yourself? You are offering a condition clearing water field, on demand reveal, and lots and lots of damage. That seems like enough to me. I get to take 1 utility to save my own kitten .

Lol
THIS IS FOR AFTER THE PATCH AS THE TITLE OF THE THREAD MAY INDICATE.

I do have an invuln, 6 sec on a 60 sec cd.

I can be stealth 1/4 of the time. I can be invuln 1/6 of the time. I can evade around 1/3 of the time. I would call this an adequate defense.

You say I have no utility, then wtf is Sic Em???

I am not and have never said that rangers are viable as of now. I am also under the impression that neither of you have actually read the patch notes, which you would be wise to do so before making uninformed posts.

Ok Straegen I seriously doubt you have ever played in a GvG. Everyone seems utterly confused. Of course rangers can’t offer the kind of AoE damage eles and necros can. If you will notice I specified counter-periphery / gank squad. This means they (with a small group of other thieves and mesmers) target the enemy gank, before moving on to pressure the enemy backline.

Rangers are going to offer the highest ranged single target damage in the game after the patch. And no, they don’t have to sacrifice offense for defensive / escape options. Evades from the sword and dagger and stealth from the longbow provide plenty. Not to mention signet of stone.

Offence? check, Defense? check, Utility options? check.

Sounds pretty good to me. And if you guys are wondering, I do have extensive tpvp and GvG experience. I know how to dodge thiefs and mesmers, with this build it really isn’t that hard. You guys are forgetting that you are going to have a thief and/or a mesmer with you to give you mass invis and shadow refugee while the enemy is going after you.

Edit: Added the build
http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAT8YnMqQDLWyCuCCXLGYPoWHAFwZ3uHu2dw1WUyoeC-TVCFwACuAAA3fApyPGHEAWq/kW3wijAAgHAwVlgBAQA25OTn1ZgduzduzduzCBMaCA-w

Signet of Stone

McWolfy.5924:

pets dont have cleave dmg, pets cant fight against multiple targets, pets cant hit moving targets. ele have 90k dmg within a second, thief have 80k. ranger dont have fields or blast finishers or even mass cc. a tanky warrior do the same dmg with hammer as a zerker ranger + cc
somewhy devs think pet is an advantage
(btw ranger will be better as now)

Lol I think you missed my point. First of all, have you read the patch notes? I highly doubt it if you believe ranger will be better as of now. Also, how is it that thieves can deal 80k damage in one second??? If that is true I have been really missing out while playing on my thief.

I was saying that ranger could offer RANGE (FROM A DISTANCE) damage comparable to that of thieves. Their main burst skill (post patch) tracks through stealth, and the Sic Em utility will provide 6 (8?) seconds of reveal. Not sure if you have played a GvG before, but 6 seconds is easily enough time to burst a stealthless thief.

Again no clue where you are getting your numbers from, but a 7-10k Rapid fire seems to me like a fine way to get the enemy gank.

No combo fields? Ranger has the longest lasting water field in the game (not saying it would be the best option) and provides a blast finisher that grants fury, might, and swiftness. Don’t like the blast? Take Dagger instead to further help you self survivability. Don’t have stealth? Oh wait yes we do, and it happens to be on a very reasonable cool down.

Of course we will need support from our fellow gankers, but I feel that they will have both the survivability and burst output increased in this patch.

Ok, my question is this: will rangers be viable as counter periphery / gank squad after the next balance patch?

With reduced cast times and signet changes I feel as if rangers will be able to offer burst damage comparable to that of thieves (All the while staying at range). The signet changes are going to offer a very impressive invulnerability skill as well as a significant damage output (plus stability) utility. Another option that should not be overlooked is Sic Em. This skill is apparently receiving a buff to its reveal portion, which I believe could prove invaluable in targeting the enemy gank. 3k autoattacks are mean enough already, I would hate to think what a 1.5 second Rapid Fire (that tracks) could do to that squishy squishy thief over there.

I guess no one knows for sure just yet, but I feel that these may be just the changes we need in order to find ourselves a place in GvGs.

Ok first of all, I am referring to the current state of each class.

Like I said in my original post, the majority of the playerbase is willing to simply be carried by this specific build/trait. That is why the Mesmer community is not nearly as vocal as that of the Ranger community. This, however, does not mean the problems with Mesmers are any less severe or needing of change.

I also think you are mistaking “group support” for utility options. Sure the Mesmer has skills that can be unparalleled in specific situations, but how useful are they in everyday gameplay?

Wow, you need some straightening out.

First of all, Mesmers are bottom tier in many (all?) modes of the game. The exception is one very cheesy build (trait?) that acts as a crutch for terrible players. Outside of this build making a Mesmer effective requires an enormous amount of both effort and skill.

The same is currently true of Rangers, however they lack a singular build that is incredibly strong.

Mesmers and Rangers are more alike than you know… Both classes can certainly use some love in the next patch.

With proper gear, traits and utilities Rangers can deal anywhere from 172% to 177% of their base damage for 8 seconds.
Breakdown:
25% (SotW) + 10% (Steady Focus) + 5% (Eagle Eye) + 10% to 15% (Vulnerability) + 7% (Ranger Runes) + 5% (Bountiful Hunter) + 10% (Sigil of Force x2) = 172-177% Damage Output
Now add quickness and the decreased cool downs and you are in for some serious DPS.

I WANT IT NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I play Warrior, Mesmer (Shatter), Ranger, Thief, and Engi.

A shatter Mesmer simply can’t beat an eviscerate Warrior in a 1v1 (assuming skill levels are remotely comparable). The Mesmer’s ability to “kite” is completely nullified by the Warriors high mobility, high area control, and various CC options. I understand however that some builds are supposed to counter other builds.

The problem arises when there are VERY few builds to counter this eviscerate build. Any condition build might as well not show up, and very few power builds can match the sustain/dps ratio the warrior brings to the table.

As a Warrior among other things, I can safely say anyone that in favor of the eviscerate build being “just fine” has either A. Never played another profession/build or B. Is simply a bad player afraid to be nothing without his or her crutch.

Just want to get a thread out there to see what everyone is thinking about for the patch. Feel free to link builds you will be trying after this patch hits.

I’ll start, after the patch I will probably be trying out something like this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAT8XnEqQrgWyCWsAXLGYPoWHAFwZzKDe3Gh7TXwkD-TZBFwACuAAA3fYxBBoaZAAPBAA

So, when entering combat your initial damage will be increased by over 57% !!!
Add quickness, the LB speed buff from RtW, the reduced cast time on Rapid Fire, outstanding pet damage (from Sic ’Em, points in Beastmastery, and Pets Prowess) and both on crit sigils and you have got yourself a genuine killshot build.

Note that this build does lack condition removal and basic defensive options (outside LB stealth and sword evades). I feel that if you can get the jump on a thief or mesmer however they are as good as done.

LET THE THEORYCRAFTING COMMENCE !!!

WHY CANT WE HAVE THIS NOW I AM SO GOD kitten EXCITED

I Really hope this isn’t some bad joke Anet is playing on us, seems a bit too good to be true.

In any case I’m going to get to do some serious theory-crafting. So many new options for power rangers. What to I give up for SotW ??? I would also really like to use sic em as I hate permastealth thieves with a passion.

Tyvm Anet

Also just bought a fused longbow skin so I hope it can get some use with these changes. When are these changes expected to hit ???

@ OP

Your tears are delicious, give me more.

You should probably quit typing a and get back to manning your arrowcart.

Your analogies are terrible and make absolutely no sense.

You contradict yourself with every post.

Hello,

I find that power based builds are currently our best option in a pvp setting. Here is the build I currently run.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fNAQNAT8XjEq0yaJLGsw1ag9gadAUAndrhw9WUEtdBraA-TZBFwACeAAA3fYxRAoaZAAXEAA

It is a power based build using the longbow and sword/axe combo. Playing this build you usually move around between points using your longbow to support you team. What I really like about this variant of the power longbow is its ability to 1v1 as well as its ranged damage. One type of enemy to avoid engaging in a 1v1 scenario is the condition bunker. Other than that this build provides great single target damage as well as AoE CC.

Hope you have fun with this build, just don’t try to solo bunk mid. I have found each map offers some great spots in which you can fully utilize your longbow range (and damage). Feel free to respond or whisper me in game with any questions.

So after playing with both weapons for a little while longer I prefer the axe in most situations. With so many three shot lich necros out there I find the reflect invaluable. Same goes for other power based longbow rangers, and even condi thieves and engis. The whirl is a perfect skill for fighting thieves, as it forces them to lose around half of their hp to carry out their rotation or wait until the skill finishes ( which at that point they will most likely have to stealth again). Path of scars is great for fighting pretty much any class, as it provides some serious damage. Really the only class I would take dagger against is warriors, as I have trouble keeping a 100% poison uptime on them with all their cleanses and what not.

+1
15 characters

Lol wut
15 chars

Recently I have been playing a glassy Longbow ranger in tpvp. So far I am really liking the ranged burst and CC brought by the longbow, but I can’t decide on an offhand weapon to compliment my single handed sword on weapon swap. I have tried both warhorn and axe, the latter being my favorite at the moment.

I believe I can rule out warhorn, as both RaO and SotF provide me copious amours of fury. The swiftness is not essential as I also run SotH, the #4 skill is absolute kitten damage, and while the blast is nice I seem to do just fine without it.

That leave us with two options, offhand axe or dagger. I’m really liking the axe so far; the damage is much better than that of the warhorn and both the reflect and pull seem to give it an edge in terms of utility. I have not tried the dagger as of yet, but the evade seems like it could add another great survivability option and the cripple could contribute to my soft CC.

Thoughts?

What timezone does your guild play during?
I know FA queues 3 maps easily on weekdays during NA, so I would go with Mag or SoS if you are a NA guild. If you do play during "off hours" then FA could use your help! SoS has been night-capping all our kitten for three days, slowly catching up. Not positive about Mag’s coverage, so I won’t say anything about them.

For a 5 man comp it can really vary, as the builds are much more important than the professions themselves. Once you get to the 10-15 range the class composition becomes much more important. If you do ever get 10 people together, I would go with 4 guards, 2 wars, 2 eles, 1 necro, and one utility (thief, mesmer, etc.)

Ok here we go.

We can all agree that WvW is bleeding out. Its on its final legs so I believe it needs one last boost to temporarily revitalize it. In the following paragraph I will provide a solution to this problem.

WvW needs a significant change. I believe that this can be accomplished by more free server transfers and added PvE objectives. I think that the WvW community would benefit from the adding of more champions around the maps, removal of tower/keep/castle upgrades (to keep the doors nice and ripe for a good session of rough, hard PvD), and the overall removal of PvP activity. I really like the idea of guilds from opposing servers working together to 1111111111111 down a giant grub or harpy, or combine their forces to drop a gate in sheer seconds. I also think that all the WvW servers should be mashed up together so everyone can PvE together. I feel like at the moment there is WAY to much incentive for players to fight other players. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS ISSUE ASAP!!!

/sarcasm

Please Anet, make this happen. Great job putting this together OP. hopefully Anet will listen this time and make the necessary changes.

LOL +1
Great idea, I think implementing this could really freshen up WvW. Seriously though, keep checking your mail because if you keep coming up with ideas like this you’re going to have a job offer from Anet in no time.

How about this:
-Every kill awards a certain number of points. If that server has minor bloodlust every kill awards 1 point, major awards 2 points, and superior awards 3 points.
-Stomps award twice as many points (2,4,6 for each type of bloodlust)
-Remaining PPT system remains unchanged

I think this would give WvW an entirely new style of play. Top servers would need to have ALL of their players on board to be successful. I also think this would help to reduce blobbing as guild groups would have the ability to significantly influence the PPT while still doing their open field fighting. This would also help roamers as it would give them an important objective (bloodlust ruins).

Our backline has filled out very nicely, now putting an emphasis on frontliners (Hammer Guardians and Warriors). Feel free to whisper or reply on the forums with any questions.

Possibly later in the week, how many?

Don’t count HoD out. Underneath the layers of band-wagoners lies a strong community that has experienced every tier of play.

Feel free to whisper me if you have any questions.

For HoD:

- Airstrike [INC] has disbanded for now.
- [MUNT] is an active guild, however only during night coverage.
- [ASAP] Zerg is a new, active group as well

……..Bump……..

Bump:
Currently still have room for all professions listed above.

[ASAP] Zerg
Henge of Denravi

[ASAP] Zerg, a small group of avid WvW players on HoD, is now recruiting. We are primarily looking for GWEN WvW players, with an opening for one to two Mesmers. We focus on team play and improving in fights against larger PUG groups. We are a low commitment guild, only requiring players to rep. when rolling with the guild. Usual raid times are from 5-9 pm (server time) on weekdays, with weekend raids varying. TeamSpeak 3 is required, it serves as our means of communication.

Again we are looking for Guardian, Warrior, Elementalist, and Necromancer professions, but as stated above have room for one to two Mesmers. Please be willing to adjust your build to maximize effectiveness and support the team.

If interested, please contact one of the following players in-game or reply to this post for additional information and build specs.

Minotaurius (leader)
Starkar (co-leader)
Dharok The Ravenous (driver)

Pyrotechnic Hell.3209:

Will DePaper – HoD – MMK, lol

LOL, mmk

Only a WvW player would wait in a tower for 30+ min hoping to port a zerg in.

“Hello,
Please note that we do not allow Match-up threads on the Guild Wars 2 forum. You can read about our forum changes here:
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Guild-Wars-2-Forum-Moderation-Updates
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/wuv/wuv/Upcoming-Forum-Changes-to-WvW-Match-ups-Sub-forum
The WvW Community has created a new space for Match-Ups and other off-topic discussion. You can find the Player Community-run site here:
http://www.GW2WvW.net”

lol

Quick! Get to the raft before we drown in BG tears!

+1 to Dayra’s post.

Yes, I believe this along with free transfers to any server ranked lower then your current one would fix the “stacking” issue that continues to haunt WvW.

+1 to OP

Having played WvW since launch, I too have always anticipated new WvW maps. Unfortunately, Anet decided to create a Karka ridden zone that no one visits instead.

As to the issue of balance, the only real factor is that of distance between towers/keeps. As long as the same number of towers can be hit by trebs from tower A, the map is balanced enough for me. I personally would be very, very happy if Anet decided to work with WvW (which is 99% of endgame material) instead of focusing on living story updates. Just give everyone an automatic 1k achievement points every two weeks so meaningful updates can proceed. Hopefully now that the feature pack is out we will start seeing more attention given to WvW.