Weaponmaster Training Beta Feedback: Ranger

[Rubi Bayer.8493]

The Weaponmaster Training beta event for Secrets of the Obscure is open to all Guild Wars 2 players from June 29 until July 2! Try out the combat changes that are coming with SotO on August 22 and let us know what you think. You can leave your feedback for the ranger in this thread.

[Nachthimmel.6802]

We gave you 50 pages of feedback already. When will those be adressed?

[Woop S.7851]

• Hammer and dagger on medium armor will likely be too soft for WvW/PvP front-line
• Staff will change the dynamic for Soulbeast and base Ranger mobility (if staff skills stays the same)
• Base Ranger: those without expansion can use staff for mobility and heal
• Beast master (Base Ranger): use Ogre rune's 6th trait that summons a rock dog, have 1 pet be Hyena, have it call a horde and spam Staff/Longbow/Shortbow damage + heal on target (need testing)
• Soulbeast (likely much more viable with Staff): Can use high damage Longbow while merged with pet + Staff for mobility/heal/support, the pet acts as auxillary damage and control
• Longbow has longest range & gives minor stealth, combined with 'Quick Draw' trait, staff 'wisp' mobility can be extended
• Soulbeast can 1st merge with pet, dish out high DPS using longbow in seconds to target, then run away using staff (wisp mode gives invulnerability + high movement range). Shoot, run, repeat.
• Previously Soulbeast had to escape using smoke fields from pet and/or Greatsword leap, staff was truly the missing equation
• There is a Condition Damage Shortbow/Staff build for Druid, likely not viable without 'immobilize' from the Druid trait, hence not much change for Base ranger and Soulbeast specializations

Edited June 29, 2023 by Woop S.7851
typo

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

Staff is pure murder in pvp if you build power.
The auto is a channelled beam atack - stuff of nightmares for thieves and great way to dps pressure a target.

Now combine that with survivable espec such as soul beast with bear pet or untamed with it's heal and you got a brand new use for your staff.

Edited June 29, 2023 by ZeftheWicked.3076

[Beddo.1907]

Hammer is probably not going to be used, due to the good part being locked behind Unleash and what we get is simply weak. Hopefully the unleash part will be thrown into a garbage pile and hammer is reworked.

Dagger has good hybrid dps and since the 3 change it has ok'ish mobility. Probably will see play in PvE as mh axe alternative. Pretty much the melee mh dps weapon we were missing.

Staff is probably the most interesting one, as it's the only full support weapon we have (not counting WH cause it's just offhand). Despite AA and wisp being the only damage, it has a potential to be used in PvP/WvW as a mix between dps and def weapon, thanks to allowing a 3rd power focused traitline.

[The Boz.2038]

Untamed: Unleashed needs to be on two skills and two skills only, for each weapon set. #2 and #5 sound good, as they cover both main and off-hand, as well as the low-CD DPS option and the high-CD Big Skill. Ambush remains as #1.

 

[Zyreva.1078]

2 hours ago, Woop S.7851 said:

• (wisp mode gives invulnerability

It doesn't. It used to be an evade, but that got removed long ago.

[Learot.8375]

solar brilliance is not proccing quickness from Let Loose

[Valfar.3761]

The dagger's unleashed ambush skill where you shadowstep teleport to your target is cool, but the range is only 600. Too short, it would be really easy to be too far and press and then not go there. Should be the same 900 distance as Unnatural Traversal. The fundamental problem with the clunky Unleashed Ambush mechanic would need to be addressed first, though.

[Woop S.7851]

8 hours ago, Zyreva.1078 said:

It doesn't. It used to be an evade, but that got removed long ago.

Ops, my bad, yes you are correct 👍, there is no invulnerability for the wisp, thanks for noticing it!

Just tested Soulbeast Longbow/Staff (WvW only), quick notes:

• The range for wisp is still 1200 range, with Quick Draw trait on, can run away 2400 range after bursting in Beastmode
• When used with Smokescale, the Staff skill 3 can land in the smokefield for aoe stealth, works wonders if 2 Soulbeasts (both Longbow/Staff) are roaming together while under pressure
• With Bristleback, can stack bleeding, if Ogre runes' 6th bonus is equipped, can stack more bleed from Rock Dog + have 1 more cannon fodder pet, Rock dog has a default leap/interrupt last checked, though I could be wrong. With 2 Rangers roaming that is 4 pets in combat, high mobility/heal/support from Staff, and 1500 range DPS
• With Fanged Iboga, can spam confusion vs healers while rupting/bursting DPS & conditions then run away if focused
• With Rock Gazelle, can spam interrupts, the addition of Staff now allows me to swap to 'full glass DPS/Condition Gear' due to staffs' high mobility/support, watch out WvW Necros! 😁
• Have yet to try Staff/Staff, in WvW, losing the 1500 range advantage from Longbow can be detrimental

Edited June 29, 2023 by Woop S.7851
typo

[Jopettaja.7451]

Untamed ambush skill with staff (Solar Brilliance) does not give quickness with Let Lose trait. It is really cool looking skill though

[Cytoplasma.8216]

Please repair let lose mechanics. I'm must unleash again after swap weapon. Ambush skill should be proc imidletly. 

 

Ambush staff - looks amazing. Animation 10/10 

Ambush dagger - amazing but give us 900 range 

 

Hammer is useless for druid and slb in pve imo. 

Staff for slb - useless in pve 

Dagger for druid - useless - axe much better. 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by Cytoplasma.8216

[Beddo.1907]

1 hour ago, Jopettaja.7451 said:

Untamed ambush skill with staff (Solar Brilliance) does not give quickness with Let Lose trait. It is really cool looking skill though

2 hours ago, Learot.8375 said:

solar brilliance is not proccing quickness from Let Loose

Same goes for dagger, so my guess would be, they didn't program quickness onto the new skills.

[RainbowTurtle.3542]

10 hours ago, Beddo.1907 said:

Hammer is probably not going to be used, due to the good part being locked behind Unleash and what we get is simply weak. Hopefully the unleash part will be thrown into a garbage pile and hammer is reworked.

Not to "um, actually", but if you go into the hero panel you can select which version of the skill you want! And it's per slot too- you could have unleashed 2-3-4 pet unleash 5 on a soulbeast.

[Beddo.1907]

15 minutes ago, RainbowTurtle.3542 said:

Not to "um, actually", but if you go into the hero panel you can select which version of the skill you want! And it's per slot too- you could have unleashed 2-3-4 pet unleash 5 on a soulbeast.

Ah thx! Didn't notice the miniscule grey arrows on a part of panel that I never look at.
In that case there might be some potential on Soulbeast at least.

[Batalix.2873]

If OH Mace isn't used as a flail, just cut it. I would rather have a focus that could augment/summon pets. As well as more specs that actually use criminally underserved OH weapons like focus, warhorn, and shield.

[iwatokage.5730]

・Natural Fortitude trait does not seem to have affected the staff and dagger.
・hammer is very interesting.

Edited June 29, 2023 by iwatokage.5730

[Gotejjeken.1267]

I don't care about PvE, from longtime competitive standpoint:

As I've mentioned a bunch of times, hammer is useless without the untamed synergy as it was designed as a combo weapon with itself.   

Staff did not magically become better because you can use it on other specs.  It's still a kiting only weapon, and always has been the best one we have.  Will be an option to get away from GS on power builds, but you lose all damage while doing that.  Mobility is also the same as on GS, but you lose the block and damage GS brings.  

The unleashed ambushes look fine, but the staff one could have just been baseline for the useless #2 skill all this time.  

Overall, illusion of choice over benefit.  Also, same bugs we've always had, just multiplied by a lot.  

[RainbowTurtle.3542]

20 minutes ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

As I've mentioned a bunch of times, hammer is useless without the untamed synergy as it was designed as a combo weapon with itself.  

Check what was said above about hammer. You can pick which skills use which version when not on Untamed via the Build Panel- right click the weapon skills on that panel.

[Gotejjeken.1267]

21 minutes ago, RainbowTurtle.3542 said:

Check what was said above about hammer. You can pick which skills use which version when not on Untamed via the Build Panel- right click the weapon skills on that panel.

Which is fine but doesn't cover the combo issue.  

One such combo is Unleashed Pet #3 to Unleashed Ranger #2; you can assign these statically but then you will lose access to the blind that Unleashed Ranger #3 gives.  

So, to me it is useless because you are literally losing half your skills on any spec that isn't Untamed.  Again, you can assign them but cannot change them in mid-combat like Untamed can, so you lose access to them.  

Which is why I said illusion of choice.  They could have just combined the hammer skills into one set to match all other Ranger weapons, because Hammer is the only one with a dual state.  This would make it work across all specs without losing any skills.

The other example is Staff ambush, they could just apply that baseline to Staff #2 instead of locking it behind an Unleashed Ambush.  

The last is not weapon related, but they could make full pet control across all specs--because that is the most impactful of the changes due to how bad the pet AI is and how powerful being able to command them at will is.

First reply really summed it the best:

14 hours ago, Nachthimmel.6802 said:

We gave you 50 pages of feedback already. When will those be adressed?

Fix what's broken before breaking things further is generally a good practice.   

Edited June 29, 2023 by Gotejjeken.1267

[Trevor Boyer.6524]

None of the Ranger weapons bring anything to the table for any new builds for pve or wvw or pvp.

Necromancer gets a lot of interesting synergetic cross overs with the new weapon mastery stuff, as example. But Ranger benefits nothing from any of this.

Here's hoping this mace/mace stuff isn't going to be completely useless, because so far Ranger is getting absolutely nothing out this content.

Edited June 29, 2023 by Trevor Boyer.6524

[Arheundel.6451]

On 6/28/2023 at 5:14 PM, Rubi Bayer.8493 said:

The Weaponmaster Training beta event for Secrets of the Obscure is open to all Guild Wars 2 players from June 29 until July 2! Try out the combat changes that are coming with SotO on August 22 and let us know what you think. You can leave your feedback for the ranger in this thread.

Ranger weapons are too terrible to change anything, it's Greatsword or die like a dog....the whole class has been nerfed to behind garbage levels..Ranger is 100% Garbage to play overall....

[Krispera.5087]

1 hour ago, Trevor Boyer.6524 said:

None of the Ranger weapons bring anything to the table for any new builds for pve or wvw or pvp.

Necromancer gets a lot of interesting synergetic cross overs with the new weapon mastery stuff, as example. But Ranger benefits nothing from any of this.

Here's hoping this mace/mace stuff isn't going to be completely useless, because so far Ranger is getting absolutely nothing out this content.

Because all weapons we received are boring and doesn't give anything new. You can replace all the new weapons with something we already have. 

Mace/Mace is another set of weapons that will bring nothing new. We just had a Hammer... What's the difference with Mace/Mace ? It's just two little hammers.

Hammer could be good on Soulbeast and MH Dagger on Condi Druid, that's all I can see for PvE. 

Staff is in dire need of a rework. It never changed since launch. Why is the Wisp still a projectile ? Why is the Vine line AoE so small ? Why is Sublime Conversion still not a Cone ?  Staff Ambush is nice, but that's the only good thing about it for Untamed. 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Krispera.5087

[Learot.8375]

1 hour ago, Trevor Boyer.6524 said:

None of the Ranger weapons bring anything to the table for any new builds for pve or wvw or pvp.

Necromancer gets a lot of interesting synergetic cross overs with the new weapon mastery stuff, as example. But Ranger benefits nothing from any of this.

Here's hoping this mace/mace stuff isn't going to be completely useless, because so far Ranger is getting absolutely nothing out this content.

dagger will be good in both condi druid and condi untamed. staff might work on hand kiting and will work on PvP. Hammer has potential.

[Ehecatl.9172]

I'm not really a numbers cruncher so I can't say how good the combos are, but staff certainly feels more fun on Untamed than it did on Druid. The extra Ambush skill with the wide AoE damage and heal looks cool and is fun to use, and Unleashing the pet compensates a lot for the otherwise low damage of the staff while you're using it for utility/mobility and waiting for the weapon swap cooldown to end.

Daggers are similar. That extra teleport coupled with its dash gives the weapon more life. It makes you feel like a druidic assassin teleporting through the leaves and stabbing enemies in the head. Teleporting your pet in and then swapping Unleash to teleport yourself in right after also feels very fun.