New Ranger Elite Profession Idea, the Tracker

Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked (quarry). A further goal of tracking is the deeper understanding of the systems and patterns that make up the environment surrounding and incorporating the tracker. -Wikipedia

Overview

• Unique weapon: Rifle
• Ability to have 2 pets out at once (no more pet swapping)
• New Marked mechanic that functions similar to Revealed
• New pets, such as a Bloodhound
• New Pack skills that grant bonuses for you and your pets

The main intention with this specialisation is to give the Ranger something actually ranged this time. The first elite spec, the Druid was focused on making the Ranger a (healing) "mage". The second elite spec, the Soulbeast was focused on making the Ranger a melee fighter. Now the third elite spec, the Tracker is focused on making the Ranger, an actual Ranger.

The rifle is given to give the Ranger a new playstyle along the lines of a Tracker or a Hunter, hence the name Tracker. (Also who doesn't want to play a Ranger with guns?) In history, trackers or hunters often had multiple dogs with them while they would track their target's footprints and give chase. The main concept of the Tracker is a Ranger who weilds a rifle, looks at footprints or other sources of evidence to track their target, while giving chase to that target with their 2 dogs. Obviously with customisation in GW2 players can choose not to use a rifle and not to use dogs.

With the advent of thief's stealth being cancerious in WvW, the Tracker is a solution to this. The Tracker will have abilities to Mark their targets and reveal them from stealth. This type of debuff would be different from your typical Revealed and this one cannot be removed from Shadow Meld. If a thief ever gets Marked, they have 2 choices: fight (without their Stealth advantage) or flight. This would not completely make the Tracker an Anti-Thief so to speak. If a Thief can manage to use the environment to their advantage, and if there is a lack of preparation on on Tracker's side, then the Thief will have the upper hand.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths

• Single-target Ranged dps
• 2 Pets allowing for versatility in play style and more tools to bring to the field
• Lots of abilities to activate revealed
• Anti-thief / anti-flanking capabilities (especially for WvW)
• Damage is diversified, i.e: not all eggs are in one basket

  Weaknesses

• Lack of AoE/cleave
• Lack of mobility
• Lack of innate survivability / tankiness
• Reliant on pets for some of the damage

The Tracker is a high damage single target ranged dps.For PvE, players can easily solo most of the content comfortably with their Rifle and 2 pets. It is essentially Longbow + Bear 2.0. However with the lack of an AoE ability on the rifle, tagging mobs for farming may be more difficult.For PvP/WvW, players will have insane single target ranged damage. The role of the Ranger, being a roamer in WvW hasn't changed, and for existing roaming Soulbeasts who wish to play something new, this is for you. However, for Rangers who wish to be part of zergs or smaller parties, the Tracker's support capabilities can actually help. Being able to Reveal thiefs from far away while in a zerg can help protect your zerg's flanks and rear from being picked off by some opportunistic thieves. Mirages that try to do this too may find themselves reconsidering going for some picks knowing they cannot stealth. However, just because a Thief or Mirage may be revealed, doesn't mean that it will prevent them from potentially getting some easy picks from a zerg.For Raids, players will still have the insane single target ranged damage. The two pets will most likely consist of a Jacaranda and something else that gives high dps. The single target damage and debuffs should allow the Ranger to actually be a dps option in raids, instead of the situational Soulbeast and the must-have Druid.

The high damage would come from the debuff abilities of the Tracker along with its 2 pets. Damage dealt is from 3 sources: the Ranger itself and it's 2 pets. One advantage for this is that if the ranger is blinded or stunned, damage can still be dealt from the pets. However, dealing the same amount of damage that other professions can do on their own requires slightly more work. If the Tracker would be in a situation where their pets cannot hit the target (e.g: the target is on higher ground, the pets are attacking something else, or the pets are dead) then the Tracker's damage would be somewhat lower than what it could be. Proper positioning of those fighting the Tracker is essential.

Given the theme of the Tracker, it makes no sense to give it lots of leaps/dashes/shields/etc. So unlike the other Ranger elite specs which rely on Healing for the Druid and innate tankiness for the Soulbeast, the Tracker has other ways of mitigating damage. It does this primarily through its high damage, killing the target before it can kill it (like the thief), and through other sources of both healing, tankiness and evasion (but not as good as the Druid's or Soulbeast's).

Rifle Skills

Overview

1. Snipe
2. Chasing Shot
3. Hunting Shot
4. Rifle Bash
5. Headshot

1. Snipe

Range: 1200Deals damage and applies vulnerability (1, 6s).

Notes: Your typical auto attack.

2. Chasing shot

Range: 1200Activation Time: 1/4sRecharge Time: 8sFires a shot that cripples (5s) the foe and grants swiftness (8s). Grants might (10, 5s) and this skill has 50% faster (recharge) cooldown when attacking from behind or from the side.

Notes: This skill is your bread and butter for chasing down targets. Targets attempting to run away from you will only make things worse for them.

3. Hunting shot

Range: 1200Activation Time: 1/4sRecharge Time: 9sFires a powerful shot that bleeds (3, 12s) the foe, applies vulnerability (10, 8s) and reveals them (3 or 4s). Your next Rifle skill deals 50% more damage (4s).

Notes: This skill is your bread and butter for dps.

4. Rifle Bash

Range: 130Targets: 3Activation Time: 1/4sRecharge Time: 12sKnocks back the target (knockback: 600).

Notes: Your typical knockback. Grants some tools against those that like to get up close.

5. Headshot

Range: 1200Activation Time: 1/4sRecharge Time: 24sFires a precise shot to the target's head, dazing them (2s) and applying torment (4, 2s). If the target is below 25% HP, they are knocked down instead.

Notes: Typical CC.

Usage

Your opening combo will most likely be 3 -> 2 -> 1. Then just use whatever comes off cooldown. This is the bulk of your damage. 4 and 5 are more situational.

For PvE with CC bars, 4 and 5 can help.

For PvP and WvW, 4 and 5 can be used situationally to make plays and interrupt enemies. 2 can also be spammed much more often (especially in this game mode) against players that aren't facing you or are running away from you. The might and the ability to constantly reapply cripple makes it easy to chase down targets who are trying to run away from the battle.

For raids, the principle is the same, using 1,2 and 3 for your damage, and saving 4 and 5 for CC bars. Because the rifle has no damage penalty (unlike the Ranger's longbow) and has no kneel (unlike the Deadeye's rifle), dps can be done at "melee" distance and you can stick with your group for buffs. Its also much more better than those 2 weapons because you can still do max dps at close range and you'll have the mobility to be able to do the mechanics. If you positional yourself behind the boss, you can slightly increase your dps being able to spam 2 more.

Traits

(Minor Proficiency) Tracker Proficiency

Allows the Ranger to wield a Rifle, granting new abilities. The Ranger now has 2 pets active at once (pet swapping is disabled).

(Minor Adept) Awareness

The Ranger will periodically Mark a random target (Range: 2000) every 10 seconds (they are also painted on the map as a red dot). Hitting an unmarked target with 3 attacks will instead mark the new target. Also gain access to the new Pack skills.

Notes: This is your typical anti flanker behaviour, specifically for WvW. It will not put you in combat.

Attention to Detail

The Awareness ability has a 30% faster recharge time (7s now) and Marking now paints a trail of the target's movement on the ground (lasting for 6s, trails/footprints last for 15s)

Notes: A useful WvW ability to help in combat. This is very useful in 1v1s (against Thieves) or in small skirmishers, where the constantly reapplied Reveal can make things easier and prevent other classes from using their occasional stealth. Marking zergs can also show their movement and where they might have gone.

Bloodseeker

Attacks against marked targets apply bleed (1, 3s) and heal health whenever enemies take bleed damage.

Notes: More sustainability through healing and condi damage.

Perserverance

Cooldown: 8sWhenever you gain swiftness, gain protection (4s). While you have swiftness, cleanse a condition every second.

Notes: More survivability through swiftness.

(Minor Master) Marked and Hunted

Marking a target now also applies vulnerability (5, 5s) and reveals them.

Notes: This should help increase damage against marked targets. If you can mark a large group of players, this will help your zerg deal more damage. This actually gives zergs a reason to include the Tracker.

Hunting The Prey

You deal 5% increased damage when flanking. Your pets deal 10% increased damage when flanking. Gain fury when flanking (4s, 8s Internal cooldown)

Notes: More situational damage. Good for raid dps and wvw/spvp when ambushing or for prolonged solo fights.

Predator's Tactics

Cooldown: 8sAttacking a marked target cripples them (3s). If the target was already crippled, steal 2 boons.

Notes: Makes hunting solo targets easier in WvW and sPvP. Stripping boons is also helpful in WvW and useful for some bosses in raids.

Pet Resilience

Your pets have 15% increased HP, take 66% reduced damage from multi target abilities and cleanse a condition every second. You also cleanse a condition every 4 seconds.

Notes: This should help pets not die so easily in WvW, especially in zergs.

(Minor Grandmaster) Hunting For More

Killing a marked target automatically refreshes Awareness and grants regeneration, vigor and fury (3s)

Notes: Something to help in WvW and when clearing trash mobs.

Pack Master

Pack skills also grant Protection (5s) and are also applied to allies nearby (Targets: 5, Radius: 360). Pack skills will now Mark your target. (Single target abilities only)

Notes: Gives protection to you, your pets and even allies. Gives more support and utility for WvW. Mass stealth, unblockable, superspeed and applied weaknesses can be a strategy utilised in WvW zergs, especially during mid fight.

Pack Alpha

You can now have 3 pets active at once. (Pets now deal 15% less damage)

Notes: Why not have more pets?

Analyzed

Marking targets apply weakness (4s). Gain incoming damage reduction by 20% when attacked by marked targets (4s). Gain fury while attacking marked targets (2s)

Notes: Reactive measures against thieves for wvw or for anyone in 1v1s.

Skills

Healing

Huddle Up

Pack skillActivation Time: 3/4sRecharge Time: 25sHeals you and your pets and cleanse 2 conditions. 30% of the damage you take is instead split amongst your pets for 4s

Notes: Grouping up with your pets so that they may take some of the damage.

Utility

Prowl

Pack skillActivation Time: 1/2sRecharge Time: 30sGrants stealth to you and your pets (4s). Breaking out of stealth makes you and your pet's next attacks unblockable (3s)

Notes: Something along the lines of a tracker moving after their prey and the prey is unaware. It also gives the tracker the element of surprised.

Flank

Pack skillRequires targetRange: 1500Activation Time: 1/2sRecharge Time: 25sGrants superspeed (2s) to you and your pets. You and your pets apply weakness (2s) with attacks for 4s. Your pets deal 30% more damage for 4s. (Pets will flank and attempt to attack the enemy from behind)

Notes: To be intended to be used in combat against a single target, either at the start of the fight, or in the middle of the fight. Focuses more on damage (the more greedier option) than Prowl.

Distract

Pack skillRequires targetRange: 1500Activation Time: 1/2sRecharge Time: 25sYour pets taunt the target (2s) and your target has vulnerability (10, 4s)

Notes: To be used during combat to interrupt an enemy. Taunt only works in melee range (130) for pets. When shared with "Pack Master", allied pets nearby will also taunt.

Elite

Hunt

Pack skillRange: 1200Radius: 360Targets: 10Activation Time: 3/4sRecharge Time: 80sYou and your pets gain alacrity, fury, swiftness and vigor for (5s). Mark all enemies in an area and they take critical damage while marked. (4s)

Notes: Ultimate boon buff for WvW and it's perfect for the pirate ship meta if you have Pack Master. Otherwise, it's good to have these boons when fighting a solo enemy. Other boons may also be useful for raids.

Addendum

This is incomplete and a work in progress. Suggestions and criticisms (constructive ones) are welcome.

Actually really like your ideas, however I'd much rather get a hammer aoe cleave spec first. (Since ranger is lacking in aoe since traps suck and ranger has no good cleave)

Single target range dmg is already a thing.The reveal stuff is interesting but i think rnager needs another niche. I am still for double mace/double scepter AoE control in a close to midrange.Its just more probably and fills more missing niches.

@InsaneQR.7412 said:Single target range dmg is already a thing.The reveal stuff is interesting but i think rnager needs another niche. I am still for double mace/double scepter AoE control in a close to midrange.Its just more probably and fills more missing niches.

I'm curious how such a close range build would be able to compete against the likes of like a firebrand and how good it would be in WvW given the pirate ship meta and lots of scourge aoes? And would that build be viable for raids with high dps?

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@InsaneQR.7412 said:Single target range dmg is already a thing.The reveal stuff is interesting but i think rnager needs another niche. I am still for double mace/double scepter AoE control in a close to midrange.Its just more probably and fills more missing niches.

I would say it should be viable in WvW in zergs (we have a lot if roaming, zerging would be fresh). I would also go with cobal AoE with the weapons like FB has but more groudbtargeted on the utilities. Focusses on pulls & roots as CC and barrier, stab and maybe some blocks/reflects as defenses.Overall a utility control spec.

I think it is not necessary to be a raid viable option, decent but not top tier. Druid and Sveast are welcome in raids so i think widening the applicable roles is the reasonable choice.

In regards to the WvW meta i think it might changes in the next 2 years until the new expac drops so i cannot make any predictions about that.

Where is my offhand sword..

If I had to make the pet thing work I think I'd go with keeping the pet swap and doubling the active pet instead.Of course stats will need balancing and both pets would technically function the same as one using the F skills so both using F2 at same time etc but each has their own HP bar.But I think multi pet could work in that way.. having two different ones out at once with different abilities would be far more complicated.

Sounds nice but:

1. Is ridiculously OP, you'd have to nerf all numbers basically to put it in line...
2. Noone would run rifle, Longbow and Greatsword would be better or Longbow and Axe/Axe, the rifle skills are unspectacular...