When will RANGER get some LOVE in PVP???

I really wonder,why almost all the classes got an upgrade with the Path of Fire expansion with their new specializations,only the soulbeast is still bad in pvp?!?? why the ranger must be out of meta unless it plays druid tank where he is as good as his team is?!?!?.... WHY do rangers need to find new builds and combinations all the time cuz NONE of them are working,why most of the plat players are playing all the other classes but ranger???? the ranger some say it is easy to play, the moves are easy indeed, but playing it is actually hard,playing it in order to be competitive with other META classes requires A LOT OF SKILL JUST TO COMPETE, not even talking about OUTPLAYING .......... you just can't do much on the ranger to actually do something in a game if you get a sh.t close map like skytower or forrest of mithel where the battle is only close-combat .... and most of the maps are on close combat,i don't whine about close combat,i just say that ranger should get some buffs in order to be competitive in close combat too,and yes there are builds,BUT those builds are sh.t in comparison with other classes...CAN ANY DEVELOPER ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ??? I LOVE PVP,BUT DO I REALLY NEED TO PLAY OTHER CLASSES IN ORDER TO DO WELL IN PVP???..CUZ RANGER IS TOO LIMITED ....

@Mash Out.9731 , I don't know what build do you play in sPVP (I guess you talk about sPVP and not about WvW), but Soulbeast is rly strong too even is not in meta and neither in great zone according with mettabattle. Beside Mesmer and Scourge (Scourge is a problem only when you should keep a node , other way you can fight from range and you should win) I don't see any threat ... Holo it is a real challenge too if you fight with him for a node, due to his huge amount of CC and damage. Vs other classes you can stand without problem.If you take a close look, you will find many posts with sPVP and WvW builds for Soulbeast.Atm Soulbeast is not the best in sPVP but neither the worst, I can say is in a good spot. In WvW definitely he is in a very good spot, due to mobility and range fights.

I would imagine a pet rotation/pet absorb build doing really well in SPVP as a damage dealer with sustain.

I tried trolling with a Soulbeast today. Loved the huge damage. They're making a nice change to Signet of Stone so that'll help a lot.

@ParanoidKami.2867 said:I tried trolling with a Soulbeast today. Loved the huge damage. They're making a nice change to Signet of Stone so that'll help a lot.

I thought these changes are not out yet?

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:@Mash Out.9731 , I don't know what build do you play in sPVP (I guess you talk about sPVP and not about WvW), but Soulbeast is rly strong too even is not in meta and neither in great zone according with mettabattle. Beside Mesmer and Scourge (Scourge is a problem only when you should keep a node , other way you can fight from range and you should win) I don't see any threat ... Holo it is a real challenge too if you fight with him for a node, due to his huge amount of CC and damage. Vs other classes you can stand without problem.If you take a close look, you will find many posts with sPVP and WvW builds for Soulbeast.Atm Soulbeast is not the best in sPVP but neither the worst, I can say is in a good spot. In WvW definitely he is in a very good spot, due to mobility and range fights.

i didn't say it's awful...but as you said,other classes are meta,why can't ranger ever be meta in sPvP ... i really struggle to get above 1500-1600 score.. i mean i'm not any bronze guy that doesn't know anything about the playstyle,that's why i'm asking for a change because it's obv the ranger is not in an even place with other classes and that's a problem in the balance system ..

They hardly touched Soulbeast traits, beside Leader of the Pack. Only gave the Beastmode skills some % damage buff and made some Stances better. That's all Soulbeast had received since PoF.

I'm not surprised it's not meta and not doing ''enough'' in sPvP. It lacks punch. What can you do beside bursting unblockable Rapide Fire or Maul, Smoke Assault, hope Worldly Impact crits and hits, then use a Supportive pet to heal yourself ? THIS resume Soulbeast right now.

@Mash Out.9731 and @Krispera.5087 from my POV you both are wrong. The fact Soulbeast is not in meta dosen't mean that he can't be really good. Mash, like I said in my opinion based on my experience with Soulbeast in sPVP we have 3 enoying class who can put as problem, 3 from 9! I think this is pretty good:

1. Mesmer because of his higher damage and higher abilities to evade, block, clones invisibility (I found the Sick'Em + Signet of the Hunt are very useful against them)
2. Scourge only if you rly want to fight on node ... you will lose the fight ... but if you (or your team) can afford to lose some seconds/minutes point , you can fight with him from range and after you kill him you can claim the node.
3. Holo due to his cc and his high damage ... but again, you lose against him only if you stay on node , other way you can kill him

In WvW the only real threat for Soulbeast is Mesmer (power one) ... but , also there with Qwl you can manage to face him for long time, and even escape if you feel you can't kill him. In fact when you fight with a Mesmer you should use often and continuously normal mode and beastmode, because pet is your best friend in a fight vs a Mesmer. Basically you must play mostly passive than offensive, and because of this I am a little bit aware that new changes in sPVP and WvW , with the nerf of passive defensive traits/buff without nerfing damage will be a real , real problem vs Mesmer.

Once again, I have a huge fun with Soulbeast in sPVP , I can kill another class, I can hold a point vs 1 or 2 classes and I can move rly fast vs points due to Owl.In WvW I don't think exist any better class who can offer you damage/survivability and mobility more than Soulbeast (Mesmer and Thief doesn't count )

I'm not saying Soulbeast is dirt, I'm saying it needs some oomph. The only problem on SBeast I have is still Warrior. Mesmer never been a problem with me, because it was my main for 3-4 years. Rangers are mostly direct counter to Scourge. Holo tho, this thing damage is just insane, but killable.

I'm playing Longbow, S/D, with Vicious Quarry/Quickness + WS, Owl + Smokescale. I'm doing just fine.

@Krispera.5087 said:I'm not saying Soulbeast is dirt, I'm saying it needs some oomph. The only problem on SBeast I have is still Warrior. Mesmer never been a problem with me, because it was my main for 3-4 years. Rangers are mostly direct counter to Scourge. Holo tho, this thing damage is just insane, but killable.

I'm playing Longbow, S/D, with Vicious Quarry/Quickness + WS, Owl + Smokescale. I'm doing just fine.

Just because of LB+S/D (I play S/Axe) and Owl /Smokescale, I don't have any problem with warrior, I can kite him on node till the end of the match :) ... using Sword/Axe + Lightning Reflex, Quickening Screech and time to time Swoop. Most of the time I stay in Owl/Beastmode vs Warrior. Also because sometimes I get out from the node I use Point Black Shot to balance the time outside of the node :). I go on Smoke only when he is low in HP and I feel that I can finish him. Ofc Dolyak Stance is my best friend too.

@InsaneQR.7412 said:

@"ParanoidKami.2867" said:I tried trolling with a Soulbeast today. Loved the huge damage. They're making a nice change to Signet of Stone so that'll help a lot.

They are not out yet. It's why I said "they're making".

Soulbeast is meta, just cause the majority of the playerbase is sleeping on it doesn't mean the people that main it in pvp don't know lol

Given recent patches and our past with 'buffs' in PvP? I wouldn't hold my breath. As others mentioned, albeit indirectly, I'm pleased they haven't gutted Soulbeast. Pretty obvious why, but that's another discussion. . . .

I predict SB viability in pvp by 2027.

@Mash Out.9731 said:I really wonder,why almost all the classes got an upgrade with the Path of Fire expansion with their new specializations,only the soulbeast is still bad in pvp?!?? why the ranger must be out of meta unless it plays druid tank where he is as good as his team is?!?!?.... WHY do rangers need to find new builds and combinations all the time cuz NONE of them are working,why most of the plat players are playing all the other classes but ranger???? the ranger some say it is easy to play, the moves are easy indeed, but playing it is actually hard,playing it in order to be competitive with other META classes requires A LOT OF SKILL JUST TO COMPETE, not even talking about OUTPLAYING .......... you just can't do much on the ranger to actually do something in a game if you get a sh.t close map like skytower or forrest of mithel where the battle is only close-combat .... and most of the maps are on close combat,i don't whine about close combat,i just say that ranger should get some buffs in order to be competitive in close combat too,and yes there are builds,BUT those builds are sh.t in comparison with other classes...CAN ANY DEVELOPER ANSWER MY QUESTIONS ??? I LOVE PVP,BUT DO I REALLY NEED TO PLAY OTHER CLASSES IN ORDER TO DO WELL IN PVP???..CUZ RANGER IS TOO LIMITED ....

My ranger is amazing at Spvp and WVW

@Applesauce.5271 said:Soulbeast is meta, just cause the majority of the playerbase is sleeping on it doesn't mean the people that main it in pvp don't know lol

Druid is sPvP meta. Soulbeast is PvE meta.

Personally i run core ranger in pvp/wvw. It's absolutely ridiculous, having so much damage and survivability. The only classes causing trouble are warriors (only because i cant personally win a matchup against wars) and mesmers (clones blocking your longbow shots).

Build is lb/ sw+wh with smoke/bristleback. Nature 232, BM 232, WS 122. Usual utility loadout with troll/lightning/zephyr/stone/SotP. The idea is to abuse bristleback F2 combined with the lesser zephyr quickness and rapid fire to get off a huge burst. Use warhorn4 for weakness, switch pets and weapons, rapid fire(more weakness) and bristleback F2. It's not a 100-0 combot but if you land everything it can take even 50% off them. Not to mention it's a short cooldown burst so you can use it often. You even have access to imobil whenever you heal so you can use it to prepare a burst.

Use dodgerolls for constant healing ticks combined with the troll ungent heal.

@ChartFish.1308 said:

@Applesauce.5271 said:Soulbeast is meta, just cause the majority of the playerbase is sleeping on it doesn't mean the people that main it in pvp don't know lol

i think the majority of us knows about these combos,what rank did u get with this ?

@"Mash Out.9731" said:i think the majority of us knows about these combos,what rank did u get with this ?

I was in plat last season, i haven't actually done any ranked this season because of holidays.And maybe a lot of ppl know these combos, but no one seems to actually use them. People running soulbeast don't run bristleback (since it's a condi pet). People running druid don't run beastmastery/bristleback.

People see a core ranger and think "easy kill!" ib4 getting absolutely smashed. I was running this in WvW when a s/d weaver tried to hop on me when taking a camp. After a minute i had to retreat because i saw two more from their server approaching, but the weaver followed for a 1v1. They seemed genuinly surprised when my core beat their weaver. Told me they have never seen a ranger like me before, and had thought me an easy kill 'cos of core.

Soulbeast is definitely a beast in pvp. Extremely underrated spec.

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:Soulbeast is definitely a beast in pvp. Extremely underrated spec.

It is? I feel it's really weak in WvW, perhaps it's ok in pvp? I feel it needs a burst of a high damage skill that doesn't telegraph it's attack. Maul is a fun skill but it's slow as dirt.

@aspirine.6852 said:

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:Soulbeast is definitely a beast in pvp. Extremely underrated spec.

It is. I haven’t run it in WvW yet since I’m doing season 11, so I can’t say on that yet. I don’t understand all the hate for Soulbeast to be honest. Good damage, good sustain, good mobility. I can literally 1v1 any class with amazing success. I can 1v2 a lot of class combos. I’m good in team fights. I can also give boons to allies. I know it’s not really “meta”, but I love it. I’m terrible at Druid, but haven’t spent time with it.

I don’t use GS with my current build. Maul benefits greatly from Quickness, but it is easy to see coming, I agree.

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:

@aspirine.6852 said:

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:Soulbeast is definitely a beast in pvp. Extremely underrated spec.

What sustain? Outside the 40s CD supportive pet heal...all your sustain is core ranger to which druid got access to. In reality the dmg buff you get out of soulbeast is not that amazing to start with, gear a core ranger with full zerk and then a soulbeast, the dmg difference is negligible and not worth the sacrifice in sustain.

I was a fan of soulbeast too but then...I opened my eyes:-It did not create a zerg role for rangers, because 90% of merged pet abilities suck balls and the "good" remaining ones are single target-The increased stats don't do that much in the end of the days, they don't save you from outnumbered situations where a druid could have escaped easily-It really lacks sustain....-The master/GM traits are mostly useless-Outside longbow burst...I don't see anything else and that says a lot about the flexibility of the spec

@Arheundel.6451 said:

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:

@aspirine.6852 said:

@CaldaRaric.6305 said:Soulbeast is definitely a beast in pvp. Extremely underrated spec.

I don’t even use supportive pets man and I never stay in beastmode for long. I don’t think I ever said Soulbeast adds sustain that core Ranger or Druid doesn’t. I do gain sustain from the better boon uptime, condition damage reduction, boons from stances, and Smokescale evades/stealth, however. Other than that I believe the sustain would be the same as core Ranger. I’ve tanked 3 players on point before and lived more than a few times. I am in gold tier which isn’t the best and I’m not the best, so I probably don’t know what I’m talking about. Sounds like you’re referring to WvW of which I haven’t played yet.

Holding a 1v3 as a soulbeast... that definitely sounds like gold-level play to me. I'm a low plat player myself, usually hover around the 1530-1560 range. I really didn't care a whit about placement matches this season, so I started in low gold and have clawed my way up to 1487, will be plat again after 2 more matches.

Soulbeast seems to be an awful spvp spec. This is not to say that every soulbeast player is by default horrible, but rather that if you're succeeding with soulbeast, you can probably succeed even more with core or druid in the current meta. Yes, I've run soulbeast and found its burst occasionally impressive, but I've never taken an enemy from 100 to 0 on soulbeast that I couldn't already do on core (or even longbow druid). For the sturdier enemies that still remain standing after eating a burst, they might eventually die marginally faster, but again that margin hardly seems worth it given the tradeoffs. As for survival, no form of ranger seems to tank/troll side nodes like the bunker druid, and soulbeasts are no exception.

I hardly ever see a soulbeast in mid or low plat, and for good reason. It just doesn't seem to perform well enough to justify the tradeoffs from other flavors of ranger.

I think that sums it up. Anything you can do on a soulbeast.. youd be 2x as effective running druid.

Soulbeast is more fun though.