Chokolata.1870

Hi all! The issue with heal/quick untamed is the fact that it is overloaded on the Staff Ambush skill. We are also missing a secondary support set, which will probably be Mace main hand down the line. However, we can iron out performance through cantrip and trait tweaks. My suggestions: Ambush refresh on Weapon swap default and not tied to Let Loose - to improve overall options for builds as it will enable the other 2 GM traits to compete again. Nature shield - Cantrip and Ambush skills grant barrier in an 360 AOE around the caster(ranger) Base values reduced, Healing power scaling improved. Obviously nerfed values for PvP and WvW Cantrips in general - Provide boons in an 360 AOE around the caster(ranger) Exploding spores - Furthermore each spore heals 5 allies when it detonates for a mediocre amount. Has 2 charges. CD adjusted. Nerfed for PvP and WvW Forest's fortification - Furthermore reduced CD in PvE to 60 seconds. Mutate Conditions - instead of converting conditions to vulnerability, converts to boons (it is not a corruption Necromancer skill with low CD to have a penalty, it is more like the Guardian meditation utility) Perilous Gift - CD lowered to 25 from 30 seconds in all game modes. Let Loose - both PvE and PvP/WvW provide might (3 stacks) AND quickness on ambush. PvE quickness the same duration, Might duration 12 seconds. PvP and WvW might duration the same as currently, quickness 1.5 seconds. Enhancing impact trait - changed from boons on CC to addition boons to unleashed pet F1-3 skills. Venomous outburst provides 6 seconds on fury, Rending vines provides 6 seconds of regeneration, Enveloping Haze provides 6 seconds of 2 stacks of stability. All in 360 AOE. PvP and WvW durations halved.

It just goes to show, that if you whine hard enough on the forums, Anet will listen and nerf.

Depends if you're talking bell curve play or high tier play. And that right there my friend, is the very essence that fuels the pvp forum wars balance discussions. So from what i seem to understand here is, that at mid to low level ranger is strong due to pet damage reliability but at the higher level of play isn't. It is just a matter of who you are balancing for, correct?

Can anyone tell me what is the golden standard in the current meta for how a class should perform? Perhaps that would help focus the discussion on whether the ranger is OP or not.

The trade off is fair considering how good the perks that SB spec brings are. They could have even limited the pet to one, but considering they gave engineers and elementalists weapon swap options out of combat they left pets with that option as well. Soulbeast is good in all game modes except large scale WvW

Ranger is viable/meta in all content except organized squad based WvW. In Fractals,Strikes or Raids: Power DPS soulbeast (3 variants)Condition DPS soulbeastHeal DruidPvP,WvW roaming: Core power rangerSick them soulbeastHope this helps. There are sites with specific builds you can check out.

The main problem with Ranger condition builds is that it does not offer any trait-utility-weapon synergies.Even the main PvE condition build is all over the place and is for the most part single target with a flanking restriction to boot. The reasons for that, in my opinion , are: sharpened edges and trap mastery are in direct competition with each other (instead of sharpened edges being a minor)traps (other then healing spring) offer no utility and sub par damage (no stun break for example)torch offers no utility or control; its just one stack of long bleed and some AoE bleed ticks (for example throw torch could be a blind or a daze)hidden barbs is just a damage boosting trait for the ranger and not the pet.Things that I would do... Traits: sharpened edges is now a minor adept traithidden barbs moved to master minor slot; changed to - 25% bleeding damage to ranger, 50% bleeding damage to pettail wind and furious grip merged into a adept major traitHunter's tactics is now a 10% critical chance bonus against bleeding foes (no flanking requirement anymore) for both pet and rangerLight on your feed - removed the dodging mechanic damage bonus; flat 120 expertise, another 120 when wielding a Short bow; removed piercing (added to some SB skills default)new trait - Preparedness - cast a spike trap when hit by CC effects; 90 seconds internal CDUtilities: Spike trap - no cast time and is now a stun breakIce trap - 1.5 second AOE freeze on triggerFlame trap - blinds on initial burstVipers nest - weakens on initial burstHealing spring - pulses some heal tics alongside regeneration and condition cleanse on activationWeapon skills: poison volley pierces by defaultcrippling shot pierces by defaultconcussive shot changed to concussive blast - 240 AOE 1 second unblock able stunthrow torch dazes for 1.5 seconds on impactbonfire pulses 1 might You can take traps, short bow and a condition off set and still have some utility and sustain. Thoughts?

The nerf to pet attributes is irrelevant for PvE. The glyph of empowerment removal was noticeable however. As for PvP or WvW, removing pet stats is a big deal because of much less health and damage reduction on them. Perhaps a better way to go about it would have been to remove pet swap for example.... but even then... Astral form is cumbersome to use as you have to jump through many hoops to use it: generate astral force, time limited, CD limited. It also has no damage skills.

The new glyph is very strong, especially in Astral form. It revives extremely quickly