When do you use Unleash Ranger vs Unleash Pet?

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

Hi fellow Rangers!

As I'm still learning how to play Untamed, one of the things I'm trying to get better at is knowing when to switch from Unleashed Ranger to Unleashed Pet and vice-versa. 

I'd love to read your thoughts on this and your experience. I for example switch more often when I wanna do more damage (or do damage more quickly?) because the Unleashed Pet is way stronger than its non-unleashed version, and also switch to cure conditions. 

What about you? 

[RainbowTurtle.3542]

There's a big problem with your mindset about unleashing here- the unleashed pet isn't stronger with the unleash effect on them. Only you get the 25% damage boost and the 10% damage reduction.

 

Honestly in my experience, if you really want to play untamed, you only unleash the pet for a finnicky projectile block, boon conversion, trying to get the pet to come to your target faster, or you're taking too many hits and need some damage reduction.

You do NOT want to unleash the pet in almost any other circumstance. And even then, being untamed isn't always worth the utility you lose from core ranger traits, even in pve open world.

 

If you are learning untamed because you think it might be good in instanced content as a DPS, sorry to say, but as of right now you're better off with soulbeast if you have access to it.

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

1 hour ago, RainbowTurtle.3542 said:

There's a big problem with your mindset about unleashing here- the unleashed pet isn't stronger with the unleash effect on them. Only you get the 25% damage boost and the 10% damage reduction.

 

Honestly in my experience, if you really want to play untamed, you only unleash the pet for a finnicky projectile block, boon conversion, trying to get the pet to come to your target faster, or you're taking too many hits and need some damage reduction.

You do NOT want to unleash the pet in almost any other circumstance. And even then, being untamed isn't always worth the utility you lose from core ranger traits, even in pve open world.

 

If you are learning untamed because you think it might be good in instanced content as a DPS, sorry to say, but as of right now you're better off with soulbeast if you have access to it.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I never realized that it wasn't the pet, but the Ranger, doing more damage while the pet was Unleashed.  

[Mell.4873]

I only Unleash the pet when I want to use the ambush since I am using power gear. When I do finally Unleash the pet I normally spam its three skills then swap right away since they remain after you swap.

In PvP it's a different story since you can do cool things like super speed the pet unleash him and have it zoom around following a thief. 

[Project exa.3204]

My opinion seems to be quite different than the others here so far, because I think with a 1 second cooldown that an Untamed should be leashing / unleashing more frequently. At the very least every 15 seconds so you're always capitalizing on your ambush skills. I've honestly found myself leashing / unleashing very quickly (sometimes 2-5 seconds in between) in the middle of combat. Below are a few situational times you may want to shift power. 

 

• When I unleash pet:
  • When I need projectile blocks from Enveloping Haze.
  • When I need the damage reduction. 
  • When I want combo field-poison or to apply weakness from finishers inside Enveloping Haze.
  • When I need to close the distance between my pet and the enemy with Venomous Outburst.
  • When someone is up in my face, and I need to rip boons or slow them down with Rending Vines
    • Note: If you want the slow from Rending Vines to apply you have to disable the enemy first.
  • When the hammer skill I want to use requires pet to be unleashed for the effect I want (such as daze, knockdown, immob, etc).
  • When I want a defensive boon from one of my cantrips.

 

• When I unleash ranger:
  • Whenever my ambush skill is ready.
  • When I'd rather have the damage boost than damage reduction.
    • Note: I find myself spending most of my time unleashed ranger unless pressured into defensive mode. 
  • When I want to use my core pet skills. 
    • Sometimes I use a pet skill (such as smokescale interrupt) then immediately follow up by unleashing pet so I can do some other combo like I described above. 
  • When I want an offensive boon from one of my cantrips. 
  • When the hammer skill I want to use requires ranger to be unleashed for the effect I want (such as 20% damage bonus to disabled, blind, or general bigger hits on my skills)

 

I almost always try to be the aggressor under unleashed ranger, but it's so quick and easy to get the -10% damage when you see your opponent winding up an attack. If you have the option of taking -10% damage in the middle of combat without sacrificing too much DPS (like if you're in between cooldowns or generally on the defensive) definitely take it. The same goes for if you're fighting defensively and you see an opening, you want to take advantage of that +15% strike bonus for your attack, then shift back into defensive mode. 

 

-Eros of Ascalon

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

20 hours ago, Project exa.3204 said:

My opinion seems to be quite different than the others here so far, because I think with a 1 second cooldown that an Untamed should be leashing / unleashing more frequently. At the very least every 15 seconds so you're always capitalizing on your ambush skills. I've honestly found myself leashing / unleashing very quickly (sometimes 2-5 seconds in between) in the middle of combat. Below are a few situational times you may want to shift power. 

 

• When I unleash pet:
  • When I need projectile blocks from Enveloping Haze.
  • When I need the damage reduction. 
  • When I want combo field-poison or to apply weakness from finishers inside Enveloping Haze.
  • When I need to close the distance between my pet and the enemy with Venomous Outburst.
  • When someone is up in my face, and I need to rip boons or slow them down with Rending Vines
    • Note: If you want the slow from Rending Vines to apply you have to disable the enemy first.
  • When the hammer skill I want to use requires pet to be unleashed for the effect I want (such as daze, knockdown, immob, etc).
  • When I want a defensive boon from one of my cantrips.

 

• When I unleash ranger:
  • Whenever my ambush skill is ready.
  • When I'd rather have the damage boost than damage reduction.
    • Note: I find myself spending most of my time unleashed ranger unless pressured into defensive mode. 
  • When I want to use my core pet skills. 
    • Sometimes I use a pet skill (such as smokescale interrupt) then immediately follow up by unleashing pet so I can do some other combo like I described above. 
  • When I want an offensive boon from one of my cantrips. 
  • When the hammer skill I want to use requires ranger to be unleashed for the effect I want (such as 20% damage bonus to disabled, blind, or general bigger hits on my skills)

 

I almost always try to be the aggressor under unleashed ranger, but it's so quick and easy to get the -10% damage when you see your opponent winding up an attack. If you have the option of taking -10% damage in the middle of combat without sacrificing too much DPS (like if you're in between cooldowns or generally on the defensive) definitely take it. The same goes for if you're fighting defensively and you see an opening, you want to take advantage of that +15% strike bonus for your attack, then shift back into defensive mode. 

 

-Eros of Ascalon

Fantastic summary, thank you so much! I definitely learned with your comment. 

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

22 hours ago, Mell.4873 said:

I only Unleash the pet when I want to use the ambush since I am using power gear. When I do finally Unleash the pet I normally spam its three skills then swap right away since they remain after you swap.

In PvP it's a different story since you can do cool things like super speed the pet unleash him and have it zoom around following a thief. 

You're right, the ambush skills are for sure another good reason to Unleash the pet! 

[Manpag.6421]

This thread is interesting because it shows how differently people are playing Untamed, which might be why some people think it's trash and other people love it.

I play power (Berserker gear) in casual PvE, and I spend most of my time with my pet unleashed:

• I use the F skills to get my pet in doing AoE
• Exploding Spores
• Hammer 5 –> Hammer 3 for the stuns
• Fervent Force has usually recharged at least 2 of my F skills so I burst again with them
• Unleash Ranger, ambush attack –> Hammer 4
• Unleash Pet, F1 if it's recharged, start my CCs again if not

I'm basically either hammer CC to recharge the skills I actually want to use, but most stuff melts before I even need to unleash.

Edited April 15, 2022 by Manpag.6421

[WhoWantsAHug.3186]

Pretty much you stay in player unleashed most of the time. You pop into pet unleashed for a quick pet ability spam, then immediately swap back to player unleashed for your ambush skill. You want to be using ambush skills as often as you can as they are extremely good.

This is how you should be using it in pvp. There is a little more nuance to it with timing you projectile denial and using personal damage reduction during pet unleashed. However for the most part, you quickly pop in and out for that ambush skill. 

Edited April 16, 2022 by WhoWantsAHug.3186

[Gotejjeken.1267]

Yeah, I think the answer lies in using both states; as if you camp ranger unleashed then you are basically an enhanced core ranger and if you camp pet unleashed you aren't getting the full out of it.  

I do wish they'd complete the dynamic though--so if player is unleashed they should do more damage and move faster and pet should have greater defense; if pet is unleashed it should do more damage and move faster and player should have greater defense.  Would give more reason to use pet unleash and also more reason to take beastmastery.  

[MajinSoul.4512]

18 hours ago, Manpag.6421 said:

This thread is interesting because it shows how differently people are playing Untamed, which might be why some people think it's trash and other people love it.

I play power (Berserker gear) in casual PvE, and I spend most of my time with my pet unleashed:

• I use the F skills to get my pet in doing AoE
• Exploding Spores
• Hammer 5 –> Hammer 3 for the stuns
• Fervent Force has usually recharged at least 2 of my F skills so I burst again with them
• Unleash Ranger, ambush attack –> Hammer 4
• Unleash Pet, F1 if it's recharged, start my CCs again if not

I'm basically either hammer CC to recharge the skills I actually want to use, but most stuff melts before I even need to unleash.

That's how I am playing aswell (in open world PvE) and it works pretty well for me. I am pretty much unkillable and enemies die in all of the AoE damage. Been soloing stuff like HoT hero challenges without any problems.