Vet's thoughts on ranger & weapon changes - Not Good.

[mistsim.2748]

Spent an entire day testing weapons, builds, catching up. I last played during the powercreep clusterfk when PoF launched.

Unless you play LB and GS, the state of ranger is abysmal guys. I don't know what else to say. I did not come back after 2 years to play more LB/GS.

Druid is dead. This isn't new to you, but I'm quite stunned how this "elite" spec got gutted.OH Axe is trash. They took away PoS' damage. It was bad then, now it's complete trash.Sword is dead. My on-demand i-frame is gone. Christ what have they done with this weapon...unbelievable. Before it could be paired with a few things because it gave some decent survivability, but now it gives nothing.SB has never been a thing (outside of spirits way back), and remains trash.MH dagger, never a thing. Remains trash.

MH axe, OH dagger, and WH are the only mediocre weapons, but using them instead of GS or LB still gimps you.

Rangers have terrible utilities, and that's another discussion. This is why it's still not possible to build a high impact condi build on the ranger. Outside of GS, LB, and a few utilities, the ranger still has no cohesive kit. Literally, not a single dev plays this class.

Before, strong amulets could cover up some massive flaws allowing the condi bunker and a few druid builds. Now, just more LB/GS because theyre the only weapons with 1) decent innate survivability options that are also 2) high impact. Core or SB, doesn't matter. It's basically one build with two slightly different flavors.

The only time this game had any build variety for the ranger was 1) vanilla right before HoT launch, and 2) mid-way through HoT. By "variety" I really mean like 2-3 viable builds at the high level. After PoF launched, druid got gutted and SB became the new glassbow.

I came back to try something new, to play as Aragorn and not goddamn Legolas. There's nothing new after 2 f'in years.

[Murshid.9854]

Wait bro people are still crying asking for pets nerfs next.

Ranger representation in top 100 and tournaments are almost not existent but somehow more ranger nerfs are comming based on bronze-gold complains!!

Ranger have no support with druid nerf and by default no AoE, only thing left was dualing 1v1 and they nerfed it and still they plan to nerf it more so I think they just want us to stop playing PvP maybe and stick to PvE.

[Abyssisis.3971]

Yup. You are just repeating what has been said for years, nothing changes other than more nerfs to the few viable things rangers have, pretty sure the dev’s goal is to nerf it till they can delete it from the game. Personally the final nail in the coffin came when they nerfed trash level skills and traits in the big balance patch for the sake of pretending like they spend time looking at ranger skills and trait, instead of actually looking at them and seeing that they were lacking and needed to be buffed.

[Sandzibar.5134]

@mistsim.2748 said:Unless you play LB and GS, the state of ranger is abysmal guys. I don't know what else to say. I did not come back after 2 years to play more LB/GS.

Its probably only going to get worse for you.

Id imagine GS maul / block and pets will probably be heavily nerfed next big balance patch - maybe even the WS line too. The forums drive the devs, and the forums hate GS and pet damage and the synergy WS provides.

The forums dont give a fook that all your other weapon choices are utter dog sheet.

Then youve got certain popular thief main twitch streamers screaming for even more ranger nerfs every chance they get.

Better off rolling prot holo or condi rev or something meta for guardian as they seem to be nerf immune and much more effective.

[Revolution.5409]

@Sandzibar.5134 said:

@mistsim.2748 said:Unless you play LB and GS, the state of ranger is abysmal guys. I don't know what else to say. I did not come back after 2 years to play more LB/GS.

Its probably only going to get worse for you.

Id imagine GS maul / block and pets will probably be heavily nerfed next big balance patch - maybe even the WS line too. The forums drive the devs, and the forums hate GS and pet damage and the synergy WS provides.

The forums dont give a fook that all your other weapon choices are utter dog sheet.

Then youve got certain popular thief main twitch streamers screaming for even more ranger nerfs every chance they get.

Better off rolling prot holo or condi rev or something meta for guardian as they seem to be nerf immune and much more effective.

Modifying WS is tantamount to destroying the profession entirely, Rangers are forced to that stretch line because every alternative of condi removal has been intellectually destroyed by Anet in the past, Druid could and is now rubbish, we could use soldier runes and they turned our shouts into commands .. if this really happens it is the right time that I change class. xD

You're right Nobody in this game fixes the negative aspects of this profession, pets are the worst game mechanic, we don't have a viable Condi build, Druid is garbage, 1h sword has been ruined without real motivation .. but it nerf pets OP and we continue to keep FB, necro and rev perpetually in Meta

[mistsim.2748]

@Abyssisis.3971 said:Yup. You are just repeating what has been said for years, nothing changes other than more nerfs to the few viable things rangers have, pretty sure the dev’s goal is to nerf it till they can delete it from the game. Personally the final nail in the coffin came when they nerfed trash level skills and traits in the big balance patch for the sake of pretending like they spend time looking at ranger skills and trait, instead of actually looking at them and seeing that they were lacking and needed to be buffed.

My jaw dropped when I saw what they did to Spike Trap and Path of Scars. :s Yeah guys, nerf abilities that like 2 people used in the first place.

[mistsim.2748]

@Sandzibar.5134 said:

Better off rolling prot holo or condi rev or something meta for guardian as they seem to be nerf immune and much more effective.

I think the only way I'll get any enjoyment out of pvp is if I play my guard or necro. Or yeah, pretty much any other class.

[Kodama.6453]

@mistsim.2748 said:

@Abyssisis.3971 said:Yup. You are just repeating what has been said for years, nothing changes other than more nerfs to the few viable things rangers have, pretty sure the dev’s goal is to nerf it till they can delete it from the game. Personally the final nail in the coffin came when they nerfed trash level skills and traits in the big balance patch for the sake of pretending like they spend time looking at ranger skills and trait, instead of actually looking at them and seeing that they were lacking and needed to be buffed.

My jaw dropped when I saw what they did to Spike Trap and Path of Scars. :s Yeah guys, nerf abilities that like 2 people used in the first place.

If you mean the change for PvP, which completely removed the damage of these skills, then literally every other class got the same treatment. All the skills which apply hard CC got their damage removed from the CCing hit.

[mistsim.2748]

@Kodama.6453 said:

@mistsim.2748 said:

@Abyssisis.3971 said:Yup. You are just repeating what has been said for years, nothing changes other than more nerfs to the few viable things rangers have, pretty sure the dev’s goal is to nerf it till they can delete it from the game. Personally the final nail in the coffin came when they nerfed trash level skills and traits in the big balance patch for the sake of pretending like they spend time looking at ranger skills and trait, instead of actually looking at them and seeing that they were lacking and needed to be buffed.

My jaw dropped when I saw what they did to Spike Trap and Path of Scars. :s Yeah guys, nerf abilities that like 2 people used in the first place.

If you mean the change for PvP, which completely removed the damage of these skills, then literally every other class got the same treatment. All the skills which apply hard CC got their damage removed from the CCing hit.

while it is true that every class got the same treatment, ranger couldn't take this hit because of the class' exceptionally terrible toolkit. nothing new was given to replace these niche abilities.

[Turkeyspit.3965]

@"mistsim.2748" said:I came back to try something new, to play as Aragorn and not kitten Legolas. There's nothing new after 2 f'in years.

Technically Aragorn would be Longbow/GS while Legolas would be Longbow/Dagger Dagger, so.....

That's all.

I swear, Rangers and Necros should meet up and argue who has the better claim to victim status in this game. Necros at least have an edgy label to give themselves ("punching bag"), but you Rangers don't have anything as catchy. You should work on that.

[Revolution.5409]

@"Turkeyspit.3965" said:I swear, Rangers and Necros should meet up and argue who has the better claim to victim status in this game. Necros at least have an edgy label to give themselves ("punching bag"), but you Rangers don't have anything as catchy. You should work on that.

Necros has always been Meta WvW.Necros in PvP is one of the best professions for team fights.Since the release of the great balance patch Core Necro has been able to duel even 1vs1 on lateral nodes and is one of the best Meta Bunkers.The only weak point that the Necros have is the poor disengagement compensated for by an enormous vitality, there is little to feel victimized if you are the main Necro in this game.

"Punching bag" is a name given to necros for the amount of damage they manage to receive, it is not anything negative.

[mistsim.2748]

@Turkeyspit.3965 said:

@"mistsim.2748" said:I came back to try something new, to play as Aragorn and not kitten Legolas. There's nothing new after 2 f'in years.

Technically Aragorn would be Longbow/GS while Legolas would be Longbow/Dagger Dagger, so.....

That's all.

I swear, Rangers and Necros should meet up and argue who has the better claim to victim status in this game. Necros at least have an edgy label to give themselves ("punching bag"), but you Rangers don't have anything as catchy. You should work on that.

Not longbow. Aragorn mostly used a sword and dagger. He sometimes used a shortbow but mostly for hunting. He was not a marksman. Greatsword (at least how it is on ranger) belongs on a survivalist, not a skirmisher or marksman. None of what we have now makes any sense thematically.

Anyway, I was alluding back to the days we could run a condi bunker with a/d + s/t. My main point being that I simply want a little bit of build variety. I would even be happy with a druid build. At least when PoF launched, we had both SB's and druids running around.

[jcbroe.4329]

Yeah the sword change has been absolutely awful. It's been untouchable since they changed it, and it really belongs in the dumpster now.

Offhand Axe still has decent damage but you need to set that damage up, and the Barrage changes made it so that Barrage deals similar enough damage to Axe 5 and in a similar enough manner that the deciding factor comes to mainhand Axe or Dagger. Dagger is also garbage in PvP, so you're left with Axe, and Axe can be strong but so much damage was taken out of 2 that you're left with only autos and 3 being usable on a power build.

Compare that to Longbow and Greatsword and it just can't compete.

Skirmishing is awful still, and Nature Magic is now too weak to be a pickup on most builds because it's better just to invest in damage currently.

Druid got guttered. I mean, seriously, seriously guttered. Repeatedly nerfed all throughout PoFs lifetime, even when it's a dead last place competitive pick. Nothing about it is usable in a serious environment anymore, and the entire traitline, utility set, and staff weapon need an overhaul.

So there you have it. LB/GS Soulbeast or LB/GS Core Ranger. Maybe give Axe/Axe a go if you're feeling adventurous.

Welcome back and try not to get too hung up over any of it, it's just not worth the effort when the major issues we pointed out since day 1 have fallen completely on deaf ears.

[Krispera.5087]

@jcbroe.4329

You resumed very well why Ranger is in that state right now. There is one build with little variations because of the elite specs and that's it. Ranger is the only spec to rarely use their elite specs weapon.

Dagger MH is only used in one or two sPvE build.Staff is only used in the Druid spirit bot build.

Tried to make Torch work in PvP and it's laughable in comparison to Guardian's or any other professions Torch.

[Lazze.9870]

@Sandzibar.5134 said:Then youve got certain popular thief main twitch streamers screaming for even more ranger nerfs every chance they get.

The vast majority of thief streamers/youtubers I have seen throw shade at ranger at every single opportunity they get. 8 years and some of them still get spasms from talking about how Rapid Fire channels into their stealth.