Right now I amdigging Sword/Dagger <---> Shortbow combo, seems nice for a single target nuke. Testing the Greatsword now, but first impression doesn't give as much as fluency feeling compared to Sword/Dagger (Leap out to evade attack, leap back in YO!!!). GS skill 1 saves lives though.

Shortbow is preferred to Longbow, due to bleed and speed. But thinking of testing out Axe in WvWvW setting, because of the AoE ricochet.

Btw, what pets are you guys rolling with? Spider/Cat here.

You mean the jump-back skill? It's a bit buggy sometime, that I am not jumping back far enough or suddenly I am back at the last position. I like the bleed on number 1 though. Send it pet and just snipe-snipe-snipe while bleeding them.

The stun/cripple pretty useful for the runners in WvWvW as well.

This post has been edited by mistabean: Aug 28 2012, 09:12 AM

Two ways to deal with it actually

1) Use Axe. Axe is your staple AoE weapon, with skill 1 hitting 3 targets, and skill 2 a conal AoE. It's not much, but it is something.

Longbow is actually a single-target nuke, with Barrage mainly for crippling a large number of mobs (particularly in WvWvW situation), while others are picking them off. Barrage is also useful in PvE to "tag" mobs to you, so that when others killed them, you will get some loot and XP. (If you use Shortbow, Skill 2 [Poison Volley] is the tag method I always use. But both of these are not so powerful AoE methods (i.e you can't aoe nuke like a frost mage in WoW). Single target until they die.

But no matter what Ranged Weapon you are using:
a) If you are being targeted KITE!!!. Axe Skill 3 is a chill. If you use an OH Dagger, Skill 5 is a cripple. If you are using Shortbow, Skill 3 is a jump-back, Skill 4 is a cripple, Skill 5 is a daze (stun if you hit from the side). If you have spike traps as your utility, use it!
b) Swap pets!! If you can, before the first pet die. But with two pets, you can handle up to 3-4 mobs in all honesty. Even moreso if you are using high vitality/toughness pet (though I am using cat, and he hits hard!!)

2) Go into melee. Melee attacks hits in a short cone in front of you, and you can hit upto 3 mobs at the same time. With a cat at your side, you can make short work of the mobs.

Greatsword skill 1 chain ends with an evade, skill 4 is a block with counterattack, skill 5 is a daze (stun if you hit from the side). Sword skill 2 is a leap-out, leap-in (great for evading stuff), skill 3 is evade and go behind the mob (though doesn't necessarily hit) while skill 1 chain is a moving and very fluent skill (can give you headache a bit, but nice to move around).

TL;DR: Know your weapons, know your pets, and dodge/kite like hell.

The thing is addicting like hell if you follow a zerg, but even better when you are in a guild group.

You know, what I wish with the Sword is actually a rushing attack. Kinda like Greatsword skill 3. I like Greatsword as well, but then it lacks the fluidity that the Sword has (even though skill 2 and skill 3 didn't connect most of the time ahahahaha)

Every race have a race-specific skills that is not tied to any profession. So far, there is no conclusive argument to say which racial skills goes well with which skill (from which weapon) of which profession. Because, it is as complex as you read my previous sentence =P.

Read about the racial skills about the wiki. IIRC, every racial have one healing, one elite, and a couple of utilities.

Also, Sword/Axe is kinda cool. But, I think Sword skill 1 locks you into place. I can't dodge nor evade when Sword Skill 1 is in full swing.

And now I am missing the Evade effect from the Greatsword . Need to find a Green Greatsword I guess.

This post has been edited by mistabean: Aug 30 2012, 09:04 AM

No, just feel for yourself . There is no right or wrong.

I like Longbow for PvP, Shortbow for PvE.

Maybe going to try Longbow/Shortbow for PvP, Shortbow/Greatsword for PvE.

My "dunno lols" build

Traps switchable to Spike Trap if I want more cripples.
Rampage as One switchable to Nature's Spirit if I want mass res, supports. Why so long CD though huhuhuhuu (dungeons and "I am late to that DE so everyone died")

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Added on October 4, 2012, 10:37 amoh and Signet of the Hunt switchable to Signet of the Stone if I need it in dungeons.

This post has been edited by mistabean: Oct 4 2012, 10:37 AM

Kinda, ye. Throw a trap into it, and Shortbow Skill 2 to tag them with Poisons. Longbow Skill 5 has too long of a CD =(

Quoted for truth. This and Nature Aspect I want shorter CD huhuhuhu... now can mass res twice only lols, with 3 players/NPC limit per res

Blasphemy!!! You should remember Tybalt more than that girl!!

Aaaaannyyyways... I need a new way of building my ranger, but too bad the only viable build now is condition damage I think.

This post has been edited by mistabean: Oct 22 2012, 03:28 PM

don't think there's a craftable toughness, condition damage items right?

Think the one I found is Grenth's one, I think and not all.

QZ+Entangle+Shortbow can be a IWIN button against a glass cannon build... mmhmmm

Also, QZ+Entangle+Shortbow+Piercing Arrow traits+Sigil of Fire also nice to break up zerg

or Mesmers who are able to stack confusion on you before they unleash that barrage