I don't understand Soulbeast, need help!

I just finished earning my 250 hero points in HoT and spent them on the Soulbeast specialization. Now I am totally lost.

1. Are you supposed to just toggle on beastmode and stay there?
2. How is beastmode supposed to increase your dps? Without it both you and your pet are attacking at the same time. With it just you are attacking.
3. The beast abilities (F1, F2, F3) seem to do less damage than the core ranger abilities so why use them?
4. Can the stances (Bear stance for example) only be used while beastmode is toggled on?

I'm obviously missing a bunch of stuff here. I have tried searching the forums and elsewhere and I can find recommended builds but no advice on how to actually play using the builds.

I only play open world PVE and WVW by the way, power spec with GS and LB. Could someone help me understand what rotation and build I should be using for max dps and decent survival when using the Soulbeast spec?

I'm an old guy by the way with not so agile hands so overly complicated rotations are not really an option.

Thanks a bunch!

1. for condi classes its better to camp beastmode for the bonus stats. for power builds it seems like its better to merge->use beast skills->unmerge and continue to dps
2. it adds raw stats to your character and gives you access to new skills. there's also a trait or two that have damage modifiers. i think condi builds benefit a lot better from beastmode than power
3. unless its condi most arent needed
4. stances can be used in or out of beastmode

Old guy here as well, Good Luck!

If you play WvW I recommend you to have 1 pet for offensive actions and 1 pet for defensive ... like Ferocious and Supportive (or Stout).

1. Definitely you shouldn't stay all the time in beastmode. Regarding of fight, your enemy class, situation, you must use both Pets skills and Beastmode Pets F1,F2 and F3.
2. In beastmode you benefit from Attribute Bonuses of your pet. For example Ferocious gives you +200 Power and +100 Ferocity (when you are in beastmode) and Supportive gives you +100 Vitality and +25% Outgoing Healing (this one seems to work properly only for you, not for allies)
3. F1,F2,F3 are not for main dps or to replace core ranger dps, but for extra cc, heal, etc who are more effective for you in combat than core pet skills when usual pet is far away from you. (Wordly Impact - F3 from Ferocious pet is very powerful with crit, gear etc can hit between 5k-7k or more)
4. Stances can be used in both Beastmode or normal mode (if you have Soulbeast traits line)

PS: I think old guy here as well too, like Prohet said ... I am 41.

@"Simeon Tregarth.5241" saidI only play open world PVE and WVW by the way, power spec with GS and LB. Could someone help me understand what rotation and build I should be using for max dps and decent survival when using the Soulbeast spec?

For open world, I've used the old Power Quick Draw DPS "rotation" with Sword/Axe and Longbow. It generally boils down to using Whirling Axe (Axe #5) and Rapid Fire Shot (Longbow #2) immediately after weapon swap (or using the mount Engage), autoattack until you can recast those two skills again, wait until you can weapon swap, and repeat. Once you're more comfortable with this part, you can start adding in additional DPS (or survival buttons), such as Sic 'Em, One Wolf Pack, etc.

Thanks, this all helps. I missed the increased stats that help make up for loss of the pet's dps. So in a power Soulbeast build, beastmode is just used when you want to take advantage of something like Worldly Impact or the bear's heal? The rest of the time you just use the normal core Ranger rotation (but missing some traits that you had to drop for Soulbeast). I'll have to figure out whether or not the extra complexity is worth it for me.

Soulbeast is all about weaving in and out of beast mode. You do it for specific combos. For example if im merging with smokescale its to try and land a takedown into maul or worldy impact. I get two benefits there. One is access to a new cc. and the other is whatever damage I do is gonna hit alot harder. I also take a bit less damage due ot increase stats if I take beast mastery. It depends on your traits really. But if your running X BM soulbeast. Merging is a very good way to boost your personal damage for a short time to try and land one critical attack to finish someone off. You dont camp it though like I see so many people try and do. The pet is still a very important part of the soulbeast gameplay.

If the increased stats in beastmode make up for not having the pet attacking then what is the downside to staying in beastmode?

Soulbeast relies a lot on skill timing and good rotations if you want to be effective, you can pull of some pretty hard hitting combos, but I just find it confusing and not at all that straightforward.

If you want something more enjoyable (and potentially less rewarding) go Druid unless you already have that.

@Simeon Tregarth.5241 said:If the increased stats in beastmode make up for not having the pet attacking then what is the downside to staying in beastmode?

If you stay in beastmode, you only get to use the merged skills. If you rotate between merge/unmerge you can use the pet's skill, then merge and use the merged skill too. I don't play sb but I believe there are also on-merge effects that last for a limited duration so you want to rotate merge/unmerge to keep reapplying those. One useful one in WvW I can remember is unblockable attacks for 10 secs on merge.

Unblockable attacks for 10 secs? I'll have to check that out. With my hands I'm not much good at skill timing and complicated rotations but perhaps just bouncing back and forth between beast mode and normal mode will be worth it. Thanks!

@Simeon Tregarth.5241 said:Unblockable attacks for 10 secs? I'll have to check that out. With my hands I'm not much good at skill timing and complicated rotations but perhaps just bouncing back and forth between beast mode and normal mode will be worth it. Thanks!

Unstoppable Union (the effect mentioned) is only 4 seconds duration. It also breaks stun.

I play soulbeast. The dagger condition stacking is nice. Three conditions, a spamable (twice) dodge frame, and then if you double dagger, another dodge and a range disable. Also the ability to merge for the extra skills, or for when there are a million aoe attacks and your pet would just be dead anyway.

@Shadelang.3012 said:Soulbeast is all about weaving in and out of beast mode. You do it for specific combos. For example if im merging with smokescale its to try and land a takedown into maul or worldy impact. I get two benefits there. One is access to a new cc. and the other is whatever damage I do is gonna hit alot harder. I also take a bit less damage due ot increase stats if I take beast mastery. It depends on your traits really. But if your running X BM soulbeast. Merging is a very good way to boost your personal damage for a short time to try and land one critical attack to finish someone off. You dont camp it though like I see so many people try and do. The pet is still a very important part of the soulbeast gameplay.

(Only for PVP senarios in pve it's better just to camp)