Core Ranger Build?

Hi all, I’ve been wanting to level a ranger since coming back to the game but have heard they are no longer suited to actually being ranged. Is core ranger viable in anything at level 80 or should I roll a diff class for pure ranged (if so what class?)

Thanks so much in advance!

Core ranger is perfectly viable for open world, dungeons and low tier fractals. Longbow is mainly used in the open world, but in fractals and even dungeons it's lackluster because you can't do much with it in terms of damage. Either play greatsword + axe/axe core ranger/soulbeast or play support druid.

I main a core Longbow Ranger myself and I very much enjoy it.

Longbow gets a bad rap because of it's single target damage which isn't overall that bad imo, certainly not the best by any means but the Longbow is at it's core an AoE weapon not a single target DPS weapon.

The way I see it far too many people focus entirely on DPS and ignore everything else about the game.. which is why so many builds and playstyles get written off.I'm no fan of that mentality or the Gw2 meta culture in general and prefer to play my own builds and my own playstyles.

If you want to use a Longbow Ranger then go for it, I do and I love it.I love being a glass canon with more survivability than a Warrior.I love being able to manipulate aggro with spirits and pets so I can focus entirey on pressure dmg.I love being able to obliterate groups of enemies by tactfully positioning myself to burst down multiple foes with piercing arrows.I love playing Ranged support and not being a burden on my team by constantly going down, dying or requiring any healing or support myself.

LB Ranger is one of the few builds/playstyles that I consider more effective without any elite specs involved in it.

Positioning, pet swapping and aggro manipulation are important if you want to play an archer.. but master those things and you'll be breezing through the harder PvE content on a glass canon and not even feeling any kind of difficulty spike at all.. even in dungeons and low end fractals you won't really feel it either.. hell some dungeons you can outright solo with a glass LB Ranger.. I've done it myself.

Build I use specifically isFull Zerker stats Gear + 6 Superior Rune of the Ranger.Longbow: Superior Sigil of Strength + Superior Sigil of BloodSword and Warhorn: Superior Sigil of Rage + Superior Sigil of Battle

As for traits.Marksmanship: Lesser Signet of Stone, Farsighted & Lead the Wind.Nature Magic: Bountiful Hunter, Windborne Notes & Natures Vengeance.Wilderness Survival: Oakheart Salve, Shared Anguish & Wilderness Knowledge.Skills: Water Spirit, Quickening Zephyr, Frost Spirit, Stone Spirit & Strength of the PackPets: Jungle Stalker & Smokescale/Shark & Armor Fish.

Lots of boons and AoE boon spam from spirits (upto 10 allies), damage reduction and damage increase from boons as well, some stability and protection from disables as well as a Stun break (Quickening Zephyr) which doubles as a riposte.. get knocked down, break the stun and take advantage of the quickness and fury for extra dmg which can also give you more health and boons.Smokescale and Longbow skill 4 can be used effectively against break bars and so can Frost and Stone Spirits sacrifice abilities if you position and trigger them at the right time.Once you're used to conserving Hunter's shot to stealth and de-aggro an enemy to one of your pets or spirits you'll soon find it's very easy to maintain constant pressure damage and also learn when it's a good time to swap to your sword and warhorn and rush into melee for a good burst of damage while keeping an easy escape route to back off and go back to range if need be.Oh yeah and you get passive healing from both Regen and Protection with this build.. and thanks to Water and Stone Spirits you'll be getting spammed with both of those Boons constantly so long as both spirits are active :)add the little bit of lifesteal from your Sigil too and more lifesteal or passive regen from food as well as the damage reduction from both the protection spam and the regen.. (33% from protection, 5% from Regen) you will certainly notice that despite being pure Zerker.. you're a lot less squishy than you might think :P

I've been using this build for years with only minor changes, most of which came from balance patches and not actively swapping traits and skills.It's one of my personal favorite builds and I have no plans to ever change it unless one of Anet's updates utterly breaks it or something lol but since I've been using it since pre HoT that's really unlikely :)

Yeah... LB will help you pull your own weight... Need not depend on a party member to rezzz u at all... Deal dmg and use lb3 to drop aggro and break targeting and lb4 is a life saver and a strong cc ... Lb5 inflicts cripple on pursuing mobs and u'll have enough time to make decisions... Try going SW defend during mordrem attacks... U'll know the difference

Core ranger is not viable in any endgame pve or wvw content since they nerfed condition ranger

For open world and PvP you you could run ws top mid mid /bm bottom mid mid/mm bottom mid mid gs long bow, go demoliser or paliden for PvP zerker for pve

For core pets go a bird and wolf or drakehound

I agree entirely with Teratus, and share his sensibility about playing the game for fun. However, the question seems to suggest the OP wants to fit into what is generally considered 'viable', and in that respect I agree with Eleazar. So it depends on whether you enjoy the mechanics of core ranger and just want to have fun, or if you want to be effective in 'endgame' content and welcome in groups.Personally I don't think any spec/build I've made for ranger is more fun than core with axe/axe and traps. But that's just me, my playstyle. I would never suggest that this would be any good for example in wvw.

@Eleazar.9478 said:Core ranger is not viable in any endgame pve or wvw content since they nerfed condition ranger

For open world and PvP you you could run ws top mid mid /bm bottom mid mid/mm bottom mid mid gs long bow, go demoliser or paliden for PvP zerker for pve

For core pets go a bird and wolf or drakehound

I have a paid gw2 account I havent played in quite some time.Its soft. Way softer than I remember.

I recently dusted off my core ranger and what I've noticed

First, it was funbut...

SB stats are betterSB dmg difference noticeably betterSB Instant cast stability, toughness, condi removal and resistanceSB Team support. Ranger is very Lone wolf non support.SB Escapability and Survival of SB FAR better than Ranger.SB Utilities are a HUGE advantage to Rangers available Utilities

The SB is better, not just in terms of pure statsbut the synergy of stats and utilities

Running Divinity and Demolisher on my Core Ranger lb/gs with SoS gives me 18,372 hitpoints (mark, wild, beast)2128 Attack Power1818 toughness2637 armorLesser muddy Terrain Traited2 Condi removals each with Removal with, Troll, light reflex, sig of renewal and sor.

With Eagle and Marauder21522 Hitpoints (23022) while melded2029 Armor1000 ToughnessWild, Beast, Sb2050 non melded attack power and 2400 Melded

I play core ranger because I don't have PoF and I don't like druid. The build I use works in WvW and is great for open world as well. The best thing about it is having near permanent swiftness and with the runes you are at 66% speed (awesome if you don't have mounts like me which are also going to be in WvW soon).Maybe this can give you an insight.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNAT8YjUqQJL2yCOsAVLGmEqPIq1PuDgHfC8JvCy8SUZaA-jFDFQBpRXASUGgj9HShqKoQtiFcQAEwDAQhK9uiSwMoRAAXAAIcEAIFQ5KjA-w

Sometimes I switch out NM for Marksmanship to get Clarion Bond for some unblockable.

open world pve makes everything viable, tho youre always better off relying on active defenses while being glass cannon burst dmg build (raw dps is prefered but strong condi dps is also good nowdays).

As a ranger you have a lot of dodges via skills on top of your regular 2, and you also have 2 pets to switch around that can tank for you.

Longbow /gs berserkers gear burst dps ,or shortbow /axe+torch condi is also good (Rampager, sinister, vipers gear is all good)

Druids still rely on core weapons and skills for dps, and soulbeast while leaning towards condition dmg, also has the ability to perform very strong bursts of raw dmg.