Ranger viable in zergs

[Mell.4873]

Druid is you go to Zerg class much like how Chronomancer is for Mesmer. 

[Mell.4873]

On 7/27/2023 at 7:06 AM, Custodio.6134 said:

Heal-Scrapper is completely out of the pool, not even guilds are considering it at the moment on the support-position. It seems that you are trying to state your opinion as "facts", which is not the case. 

I personally raid in a WvW-guild. I have done a LOT of testing in guild-raids and public-zergs. And the conclusion is basically: Tempest is still currently the strongest off-support, with a close contender being Druid. Heal-Vindicator is currently struggling with cleanses, while Heal-Scrapper is struggling with both, healing AND cleanses. The latter is (in its current state) completely inferior to all the other options, especially against Heal-Tempest.

Additionally: some of the major reasons why heal-scrapper dominated the meta for years was not due to the healing- and cleansing-output, although they obviously played a big part too. It was picked for its other utility. Damage-mitigation (Bulwark gyro), Superspeed (pre-nerf), Mass-Stealth (pre-nerfs), Condition-conversion (pre-nerfs), ranged-CC (which really benefitted the pirate-ship meta), the list goes on. you may have noticed: there have been a ton of nerfs in the last ~year (MDF, Superspeed, Sneak-Gyro, PoP, Medkit etc). 

 (Just a small note: i´ve been a heal-scrapper-main for almost 90% of my total playtime in WvW, which is about 2000 hours of WvW on heal-scrapper alone. If there is any bias included in my judgement, it is pro-heal-scrapper!)

Scrapper in its current state ist an absolutely viable pick on the DPS-position. It can pull off a stupidly high amount of damage in a melee-push. But on the healing-position, ESPECIALLY compared to druid (which the original topic is about), it is currently objectively inferior. 

For me it always felt out of place that Scrapper was such a good support. It always felt like a front line Bawler to me pretty much what Untamed is for Ranger. 

[oatsnjuices.1698]

I know a ranger that can break 300k in a zerg fight almost every time and never have support.

[Arbriel.4397]

On 7/26/2023 at 6:06 PM, Leo.5829 said:

Picking ranger for wvw zerging is griefing. Please don't do it. It's not viable.

Not true it is not greifing as there are viable roaming ranger builds with alternative options that work very well. Zerging too, with Druid builds as mentioned by other members has viable options too.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Arbriel.4397
additional info added

[Absurd.2947]

4 hours ago, oatsnjuices.1698 said:

I know a ranger that can break 300k in a zerg fight almost every time and never have support.

It's very easy to top the meters with barrage that does absolutely nothing but carpet damage. 

[psizone.8437]

8 hours ago, JusticeRetroHunter.7684 said:

i only have 1 pet, the default bear you get on character creation lmao

Hop to the south camp on alpine and pick up a pig or boar, it's not best in slot but it'll do for a second pet if you don't have time to go PvE hunting.

[babana.7521]

I was on my ranger behind a friendly zerg and I killed others that is straying behind enemy zerg killing our backline. This could be viable. 

Also the build I was using was created by the very person I killed hahahaha. I shan't  say who's build. 

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

On 7/28/2023 at 6:59 AM, psizone.8437 said:

Hop to the south camp on alpine and pick up a pig or boar, it's not best in slot but it'll do for a second pet if you don't have time to go PvE hunting.

I frankly don’t like any of the pet options but I settled on bear and fern hound right now. With fernhound and invigorating bond, it’s beast skill becomes a 10 man target heal.

[Stand The Wall.6987]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:24 AM, Absurd.2947 said:

It's very easy to top the meters with barrage that does absolutely nothing but carpet damage. 

like scourge

[Decado.9304]

Heal druids are the only ranger that should really be in the zerg* for me.

Core or SB have their role but can do that without taking up good zerg space. I generally just go full zerk SB and follow the zerg, If i wanna be fully in the action i'll switch to necro/guard/rev since I do indeed suck at keeping people alive so druid would be just a waste of time

* I am not long returned, still looking at untamed so please excuse me not including them anywhere yet 🙂

[DanAlcedo.3281]

On 7/26/2023 at 5:19 AM, hugeboss.5432 said:

Every profession has at least 1 viable "useful" role they can use in zergs. But there's alot of guilds that just try to follow the standard meta comp info (even tho it's a bad tactical choice). Prolly coz they don't want to spend time designing comps themselves, or have poor global profession understanding how to implement working synergies "on the fly".

It really more about only having 5 slots pet group. 

You build the best 5man comp possible and copy that 10 times. 

You have some leeway here and there but for the most part, that how zergs were build for the longest time. 

[kaltseto.9564]

i play a soulbeast ranger healer and i give regenaration to allies ~750per sec life for many time with the commands.

at the past, arenanet decided to change the shouts of ranger to commands(first slap). 

after that, if you put rune of the trooper into your armor....absolutely ranger can not cleance with the commands the allies from condies(second slap).

in my opinion they must   change the commands back to shouts.

also put at commands(shouts) big time of alacrity on use at allies.

also put cleances on warhorn.

also reduse the cooldown from 35sec to 15sec of the Spiritual Reprieve.

also put some superspeed at shouts

For me Soulbeast shouter with big regen and alactrity , will be great sustain for the team.

sorry for bad english

 

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by kaltseto.9564

[Mell.4873]

On 7/28/2023 at 8:24 PM, Absurd.2947 said:

It's very easy to top the meters with barrage that does absolutely nothing but carpet damage. 

Exactly why I run the Arrow Cart build with Quick Draw.

[Widebody.5071]

On 7/26/2023 at 10:06 AM, Leo.5829 said:

Picking ranger for wvw zerging is griefing. Please don't do it. It's not viable.

Almost like picking a thieve (any elite) or a mesmer or a mechanist or a willbender or a tanky water ele... Get the picture?

[kaltseto.9564]

22 hours ago, kaltseto.9564 said:

i play a soulbeast ranger healer and i give regenaration to allies ~750per sec life for many time with the commands.

at the past, arenanet decided to change the shouts of ranger to commands(first slap). 

after that, if you put rune of the trooper into your armor....absolutely ranger can not cleance with the commands the allies from condies(second slap).

in my opinion they must   change the commands back to shouts.

also put at commands(shouts) big time of alacrity on use at allies.

also put cleances on warhorn.

also reduse the cooldown from 35sec to 15sec of the Spiritual Reprieve.

also put some superspeed at shouts

For me Soulbeast shouter with big regen and alactrity , will be great sustain for the team.

sorry for bad english

 

 

 

 

and give also some stab at shouts

[Widebody.5071]

On 7/28/2023 at 1:24 AM, Absurd.2947 said:

It's very easy to top the meters with barrage that does absolutely nothing but carpet damage. 

What it does is cause confusion and fear in the opposing lines thus opening them up for exploitation. We've all been programed to fear the arrow barrage from watching all the hack and slash shows on television. With two rangers and a couple of casters you can run havoc on a zerg not paying attention.

Sometimes it's not all about the pure damage, it takes a little strategy also. Not just outmanning and bulldozing your opponent. or grabbing each other by the hip and spamming boons.

[Custodio.6134]

15 hours ago, Widebody.5071 said:

or a mesmer

How did Mesmer end up on there? Chronomancer is a monster of CC, has massive boonstrip and lots of utility with veil/portal/illu etc.

 

And even Virtuoso, with the right build can be an offensive boonstrip option nowadays

Edited August 2, 2023 by Custodio.6134

[Absurd.2947]

15 hours ago, Widebody.5071 said:

What it does is cause confusion and fear in the opposing lines thus opening them up for exploitation. We've all been programed to fear the arrow barrage from watching all the hack and slash shows on television. With two rangers and a couple of casters you can run havoc on a zerg not paying attention.

Sometimes it's not all about the pure damage, it takes a little strategy also. Not just outmanning and bulldozing your opponent. or grabbing each other by the hip and spamming boons.

Yes, barrage is terrifying. I couldn't sleep all night because I had nightmares involving 2 rangers and a barrage. Cold sweat and all. Must've been my subconscious lizard brain reacting to all the trauma and confusion. 

[chimera.3854]

Keep underestimating us, no worries! We're happy to be under the radar.

[Widebody.5071]

6 hours ago, Custodio.6134 said:

How did Mesmer end up on there? Chronomancer is a monster of CC, has massive boonstrip and lots of utility with veil/portal/illu etc.

 

And even Virtuoso, with the right build can be an offensive boonstrip option nowadays

Same mechanics different clothes.

 

[Widebody.5071]

6 hours ago, Absurd.2947 said:

Yes, barrage is terrifying. I couldn't sleep all night because I had nightmares involving 2 rangers and a barrage. Cold sweat and all. Must've been my subconscious lizard brain reacting to all the trauma and confusion. 

A cup of hot chocolate will do you good.

[JusticeRetroHunter.7684]

On 8/2/2023 at 5:18 AM, Custodio.6134 said:

How did Mesmer end up on there?

Lots of people here have no clue that’s why. Huge knowledge gap between those that roll and those that get rolled over

Edited August 3, 2023 by JusticeRetroHunter.7684

[MedievalThings.5417]

On 7/27/2023 at 9:54 PM, oatsnjuices.1698 said:

I know a ranger that can break 300k in a zerg fight almost every time and never have support.

There are a ton of builds that can pad their dps numbers while not actually doing anything to affect the outcome of a fight.

[oatsnjuices.1698]

Depends solely on the ranger. If a ranger waits until they see a down and then barrage. or in a pug v pug, they can wait until they see someone step out from the zerg and rapid fire them, esp if they panic from being low. They can also patrol the area and if running a few evades and hunt stragglers. Rangers are viable in their own way, don't hate the class, the player makes the plays. I feel everything has its place in this game and I have seen plenty of successful (and notorious) rangers.

Edited August 3, 2023 by oatsnjuices.1698

[Widebody.5071]

14 hours ago, JusticeRetroHunter.7684 said:

Lots of people here have no clue that’s why. Huge knowledge gap between those that roll and those that get rolled over

That's true but the knowledge gap between those that roll and those that get rolled over seems to make the ones that roll very very bitter and angry, why is that?

Edited August 4, 2023 by Widebody.5071