Ranger elite specialization for the 3rd expansion.

With the recent announcement of a third expansion I thought it would be fun for us GW2 rangers to speculate/make requests for what we want our next elite specialization to be.In my view this thread is for ranger players, not ranger haters. Everyone likes their own class and wants it to be more powerful, everyone hates classes that are too powerful when you don't play them. If you want to name your idea or theme that's fine, if you have multiple that's fine. Obviously it's up to the dev team to make it balanced but I figure this would be a way to show what we want for the future of our class. I am also operating of the assumption that a few new pets will be added so if you have ideas based on GW1 of what those should be go ahead and post that here as well. Last bit of general info, as a player I mostly play WvW (Go Yaks Bend) and play PVE. I know many people are into competitive PVP and Raids and they may be able to give more insight into what would benefit the class in those realms.

Druid relates to nature magic. Soulbeast relates to beastmastery, although I know many will not agree with that statement as beastmode gets ride of your pet, I still believe that soulbeast is a pet focused elite specialization. Because of this I feel that the new spec should focus on marksmanship, skirmishing or wilderness survival. Personally I feel that a skirmishing or marksmanship based spec would be great. Maybe wilderness survival could be good too but I have no ideas for it personally.

As far as weapons I would NOT want to see pistols in either hand or a rifle. I don't feel it would benefit the theme of the class nor add to the play style. I know many people have suggested rifle but I do not see how it would be different or better than the longbow but if you want to make an argument for it go ahead. I also tend to not enjoy the steampunk/futuristic elements so theme wise I am biased against the guns as well. I would also not want to see maces in either hand. Scepter and hammer I feel it could be okay but if the spec is going to lean towards magic I would rather have a focus. Hammer I simply have no ideas for, although i'm sure the dev team could make either work. I think a more magical ranger with a focus in the off hand would be a ton of fun. I also see potential in adding shield or off hand sword for a more melee focused ranger. So the weapons I would want to see are (in order) Focus, Shield, and off hand sword. I think each of these could bring an interesting element to the ranger, particularly a melee focused skirmishing ranger. Lastly on weapons, some threads have requested new weapons like nets, sling, crossbows, etc but as there is no precedent for adding new weapon types to GW2 I have ignored this idea, although you should feel free to use your creativity.

Mechanics I can imagine are a class more focused on weapons or possibly on some sort of gear. If you lean towards a wilderness survival type the gear especially could be interesting, almost like engineer. Another mechanic I can imagine would be having multiple pets at once or sacrificing your pet for an additional third weapon swap. Adding a stealth option as some sort of hunter/stalker mechanic is another feature that could be interesting. I know some of these might be OP but that is for the devs to decide.

Finally, as far as skills go the only type I can think of adding to ranger would be mantras or shouts. But I am unacquainted with some classes and there skill types that could make interesting ranger skills so feel free to make recommendations.

I hope everyone enjoys adding to or critiquing my ideas and I look forward to reading your ideas. Stay positive.

Hello, I had two ideas, which could give really nice touch to the ranger. First is the one with rifle, Ive always wanted it since the day one, but, as you said, I wont go over it here as its been spoken about alot.

Second one would actually be more interesting, and that is Ranger getting the Ritualist. As original Guild Wars wiki says, Ritualist is a type of ranger that is connected to spirit world, or nature. It would fit with both themes of our ranger profession and Cantha (If it wont get a whole new profession treatment that is).Weapon of choice could be a focus. I would love having those focus skins with my ranger.Its elite spec mechanic would probably have to do something with the pets, and best thing that comes to mind would be using spirit power - so casting spirit enhancement on your pet, altering it with selectable spirits. Thats still different from Soulbeast and doesnt cross with Spirit skills.New skill line would either be weapon enhancements for yourself and allies, or urns for temporarily raising dead. (necro players wouldnt probably like that, but whatever)

I want to go opposite direction of soulbeast where you lose access to all pets and gain abilities based in MH weapon like warrior. Focus is 1v1 melee combat with offhand sword

I really hope that they will add reef lurkers to the pet list. Has been my personal favourite in gw1.

The ranger needs something in between druid and DPS. The DPS should be weaker than the other ranger's spec vs single target and should be stronger vs aoe. The healing should be weaker than the druid but the shaman should provide nice buffs to the party/squad. Something capable of AOE damage and squad/group buff. This is what the ranger lacks and this is why it can't find a place in a well organized or semi-organized squads.

My idea for the new elite spec is the Shaman. For example, It can replace the pet with the ability to summon totems that can buff the allies or weaken/damage the enemies. The shaman can harness the power of the elements too, to call mighty storms or earthquakes that can damage up to 5/10 enemies. Also, most shamans are specializing in voodoo magic, which can take control of the enemies or curse them. The new weapon would be scepter or potentially 2h hammer. The shaman should have instant AOE damaging abilities and should be durable but weaker versus single targets. His strength should increase if there are totems near him. The totems could levitate a little above the ground but moving slower and the shaman should be able to call them at his location once a minute, for example.

I'd like to see a Magical specialization based on Nature Magic.It could go with Scepter/Focus or dual-wielding foci.Or, Arenanet could to something unique and use focus or scepter as a pseudo-twohanded weapon, giving it five skills.

Maybe make it a Geomancer, which we have seen among the Olmakhan.

heave already druid and sb. Any additional are useless. Will be very sad if anet see expansion as new specialization creation.

Remove the pet, and replace it by swarms of smaller pets, like pocket raptors. Give it two main-hand spears, and venoms which apply to the nearby swarm members, and I'm sold.

@"bOTEB.1573" said:The ranger needs something in between druid and DPS. The DPS should be weaker than the other ranger's spec vs single target and should be stronger vs aoe. The healing should be weaker than the druid but the shaman should provide nice buffs to the party/squad. Something capable of AOE damage and squad/group buff. This is what the ranger lacks and this is why it can't find a place in a well organized or semi-organized squads.

My idea for the new elite spec is the Shaman. For example, It can replace the pet with the ability to summon totems that can buff the allies or weaken/damage the enemies. The shaman can harness the power of the elements too, to call mighty storms or earthquakes that can damage up to 5/10 enemies. Also, most shamans are specializing in voodoo magic, which can take control of the enemies or curse them. The new weapon would be scepter or potentially 2h hammer. The shaman should have instant AOE damaging abilities and should be durable but weaker versus single targets. His strength should increase if there are totems near him. The totems could levitate a little above the ground but moving slower and the shaman should be able to call them at his location once a minute, for example.

@Bealis.6023 said:Hello, I had two ideas, which could give really nice touch to the ranger. First is the one with rifle, Ive always wanted it since the day one, but, as you said, I wont go over it here as its been spoken about alot.

Second one would actually be more interesting, and that is Ranger getting the Ritualist. As original Guild Wars wiki says, Ritualist is a type of ranger that is connected to spirit world, or nature. It would fit with both themes of our ranger profession and Cantha (If it wont get a whole new profession treatment that is).Weapon of choice could be a focus. I would love having those focus skins with my ranger.Its elite spec mechanic would probably have to do something with the pets, and best thing that comes to mind would be using spirit power - so casting spirit enhancement on your pet, altering it with selectable spirits. Thats still different from Soulbeast and doesnt cross with Spirit skills.New skill line would either be weapon enhancements for yourself and allies, or urns for temporarily raising dead. (necro players wouldnt probably like that, but whatever)

I really see potential to mix your two ideas here.

I'm not sure what to do with it, but the Echovald Forest in GW1 had a bunch of wardens protecting it. The ranger versions used traps and bleeding.

Honestly I have no idea what GW2 needs since basically every archetype I can think has already been filled in one way or another.

I would really love the new specialization to be pet focused. The previous two specs fought the class mechanic. Druid weakens your pet, soulbeast removes your pet the majority of play (individually depending on your game mode). I want to see the specialization enhance the pet.

I was thinking something like a Warden. A tanky build that adds a shield as a weapon. The ranger may split some of its damage to the pet or receive damage reduction within a certain proximity of the pet. The Warden could potentially use wells where they gain fortitude by connecting with the earth.

Hammer

1 pet that we can level up (extra stats, bonuses) through the zaishen menagerie. Synced attacks + lower cooldowns to make up for the loss of the other pet.

@Saulot.7259 said:I would really love the new specialization to be pet focused.

Factions did give an elite beast mastery skill, although that's probably totally irrelevant for what the devs feel like creating for GW2.

Would be cool to have a super damaging pet for PvE but they'd never let it happen in PvP (again) without making the ranger itself take a massive hit. Like your pet does triple damage because you give it 2/3s of your own life kind of stuff. That's not a fun example, but you get the idea.

@shadowpass.4236 said:1 pet that we can level up (extra stats, bonuses) through the zaishen menagerie. Synced attacks + lower cooldowns to make up for the loss of the other pet.

That's a cool idea. You'd have to give it a dodge ability though.

Off hand sword or spear. Samurai or ronin espec. Expansion is asian theme and be weird if a ronin or samurai spec didn't result from it. Warrior gs,sword and bow skills are as far from ronin or samurai as u can get. Ranger by far has the most technique stylings to its gs,sword and bow skills to relate to either samurai or ronin and with swashbuckler medium armor colored right u can already create a very ronin like look. There's lots of ways to tie into nature like have a special tiger or some other asian symbolic animal as the pet and or have a pet print on komodo that emerges from u in spirit form to aid in the fight and while its active print on kimono is gone, that be sweet lol. I kno a lot of people will say no warrior would get it but I'd be silly unless they reworked warrior gs,sword and bow skills as well as giving it it's new weapon.Anyway all subjective but that's my take.

My idea is called "Predator", in this e-spec the ranger will lose the access to pets permanently, on return ranger will get general stats increase and extra 5 skills that is centralized around ambush, stealth, and traps, regarding weapons there will be no new weapons but instead your LB and SB will have different skills that is better than the normal ones.

the idea to have to use your bow for damage from range but since you have no pet the foe will go to you directly so you will need to use your ambush/stealth/traps to deal with it in melee range, so its not perma range or perma melee, its hybird where your skills and decsion making will play a big role in this e-spec where you choose to take a range fight and keep running away constantly to kit the target or else start with range and then try to finish it in melee.

1. I agree riffles and pistols isn't something rangers need. We have a plethra of ranged weapons, we need more AoE and CC weaponry. Thematically this could be hammer, maces, shield or scepters
2. I think we had the celestial nature part of ranger as druid. We had the spirit/feral part of ranger as soulbeast but we hadn't the nature nagic/survival part if ranger that focusses on earth/plant magic or general environment manipulation
3. I guess concecrations could work really well thematically as CC tools and area denials and generally give us more AoE
4. I think mechanically I would want something that replaces the pet. We had a mechanic that enhances the pet with soulbeast or adds something to it with druid. But we had nothing that replaces it with an equivalent. So I would be happy about a totem that gives us access to pet and archetype skills in some kind or fashion we can position at will and utilize as a channelling tool.
5. Role wise this would be a tank/controller and area denier that focusses on barrier as a support and blocks for sustain

Basically a nature guardian

totally no pets spec pls because soulbeast went in wrong direction

@"Murshid.9854" said:My idea is called "Predator", in this e-spec the ranger will lose the access to pets permanently, on return ranger will get general stats increase and extra 5 skills that is centralized around ambush, stealth, and traps, regarding weapons there will be no new weapons but instead your LB and SB will have different skills that is better than the normal ones.

the idea to have to use your bow for damage from range but since you have no pet the foe will go to you directly so you will need to use your ambush/stealth/traps to deal with it in melee range, so its not perma range or perma melee, its hybird where your skills and decsion making will play a big role in this e-spec where you choose to take a range fight and keep running away constantly to kit the target or else start with range and then try to finish it in melee.

I feel we need rifles in there somewhere please although I agree with everything else because rifle feels like a beast master of sort or beast hunter giving additional ranged weapon, Ik people say we need AOE melee but hammer is very much Melee and doesn’t fall under the RANGER terminology IMO

Will probably be something menagerie-focused. Think Minister Cho's Estate. And yes, off-hand shield might be the accomplice, with a more stern focus on pet commands.

@Saulot.7259 said:I would really love the new specialization to be pet focused. The previous two specs fought the class mechanic. Druid weakens your pet, soulbeast removes your pet the majority of play (individually depending on your game mode). I want to see the specialization enhance the pet.

I was thinking something like a Warden. A tanky build that adds a shield as a weapon. The ranger may split some of its damage to the pet or receive damage reduction within a certain proximity of the pet. The Warden could potentially use wells where they gain fortitude by connecting with the earth.

Given current design principles, what would be the tradeoff? The core ranger mechanic is, for better or worse, pets, so an elite specialisation that only strengthens that would be hard to tradeoff short of a direct penalty to the ranger's stats. One possibility, I guess, could be to make it so that the F2 is no longer under the player's control, but happens when the pet chooses to use it - this could possibly fit for a case where the ranger has both pets out at once.

@draxynnic.3719 said:

@Saulot.7259 said:I would really love the new specialization to be pet focused. The previous two specs fought the class mechanic. Druid weakens your pet, soulbeast removes your pet the majority of play (individually depending on your game mode). I want to see the specialization enhance the pet.

I was thinking something like a Warden. A tanky build that adds a shield as a weapon. The ranger may split some of its damage to the pet or receive damage reduction within a certain proximity of the pet. The Warden could potentially use wells where they gain fortitude by connecting with the earth.

Sounds fine to me.Ranger gets both pets and loses stats for both pets.

What about renaming the beastmastery line to something else and having beastmaster as an Elite spec capable of commanding 2 pets at once?

@Abyssisis.3971 said:What about renaming the beastmastery line to something else and having beastmaster as an Elite spec capable of commanding 2 pets at once?

Name would fit new spec more than it fits the slb spec, beast Walker or something would have fit better imo. Not that I want another ai driven spec on ranger.

Name: WardenRole : Tank/dpsLore: The Wardens of the Evhovald forest are something of legend, their teachings and methods have been something that was thought to be lost in time. However you having become a living legacy to their methods and ways of life have learned to tap into the world around you. With Mace and shield you enter the fray and bulwark yourself with living vines and living constructs of nature. But the true power you bring to bear is in the pets you tame, massive monsters that would otherwise be thought to be unnameable have become your allies in this fight. They deal the decisive blow while you create an opening and together the two of you can conquer all odds for you are now a force of untamed nature.

The trade off would be the player is very reliant on the pet to deal the damage, or to be the tank. It can't be both and the player has to decide whether or not they want to be CC and tanky or Squishy and reliant on their beast to protect them. (The player won't do as much damage as say a soulbeast, but paired with the pet they could easily be more of a threat.)