Removing Shared Anguish In March 19 Patch Will Be A Massive Crippling Nerf To Non-Druid Ranger Builds - Don't Do It

[Trevor Boyer.6524]

Here's the whole list of March 19 changes. As usual there are some highly questionable "just why" types of changes going on.

But I had to post and speak up about this one Ranger change. The listed problem was vs. Druid specifically, but instead of targeting changes to vs. specifically Druid, this patch targets changes that will absolutely cripple non Druid builds that are already suboptimal, and it will place those builds into a spot where they are no longer viable at all.

Right here:

• Empathic Bond: This trait has moved to the master tier, replacing Shared Anguish. This trait now cleanses conditions when swapping pets instead of when using a Beast skill.
• Carnivore: This trait has been added to the grandmaster tier slot previously held by Empathic Bond. Steal health from enemies when you or your pet disable them.

This change will greatly harm several Ranger builds. Non Druid Rangers do not get access to Stability outside of "Strength of the Pack!" - Guild Wars 2 Wiki (GW2W), Dolyak Stance - Guild Wars 2 Wiki (GW2W), Forest's Fortification - Guild Wars 2 Wiki (GW2W). These are also extremely short lived Stability durations. The ability to play pet swaps with Shared Anguish to get a single stack of Stability to counter-offense in competitive modes against high levels of CC like from Spellbreaker or Holo or while playing into Shock Aura Share, is the one thing remaining that allows Ranger builds to remain viable. If you remove that Stability from Shared Anguish, Ranger will become entirely dysfunctional amongst a roster of classes/builds who are pumping more and more and more Stability & CC in recent patching.

Everything else keeps getting buffed with Stability sources & shortened ICDs on CCs. Stop nerfing Rangers, especially in areas that you KNOW is going to cripple them detrimentally. There is now such frequent heavy CC in this game, direct, passive, and even force effects like Spectral Ring or Ring of Ward ect ect, Ranger cannot deal with any of this if you keep removing Stability from it.

The problem was listed as against Druid, not Ranger, not Soulbeast, not Untamed. Get your patching right and stop making changes that target already suboptimal classes/builds.

Arenanet, all you have to do is drop this idea of "Carnivore" and just simply move "Shared Anguish" into GM tier. That's all you have to do. Try doing the right thing for once. Maybe your fanbase will praise you instead of giving you a ratio 10 confused faces to 1 like.

Edited February 17 by Trevor Boyer.6524

[Gotejjeken.1267]

IMO, Carnivore should just give stab when you disable someone.  Can have a 5 sec ICD or whatever to not make it OP, but better than lifesteal.

But alas, time for Druid to be "spellbreaker punching bag" again I guess 😂

[Eddie.9143]

the goal is to make sure that you're not enjoying stability through pet swaps, in between stab from untamed ult or rampage as one, then filling the voids with stealth. you should have areas of weakness without evades, blinds, stealth, or stab, or barrier. 

why not see how this plays out, considering ranger is extremely overtuned right now and gaining hammer buffs. 

now power builds have an option for more sustain within the ws tree. 

[Eddie.9143]

3 minutes ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

IMO, Carnivore should just give stab when you disable someone.  Can have a 5 sec ICD or whatever to not make it OP, but better than lifesteal.

But alas, time for Druid to be "spellbreaker punching bag" again I guess 😂

lmao no. we need less stab in this game, not more.

[Gotejjeken.1267]

1 minute ago, Eddie.9143 said:

lmao no. we need less stab in this game, not more.

So, you want more stunlock spam? Now with health gain added to it? 

Well okay then....

Big brained right there.  

[Eddie.9143]

1 hour ago, Gotejjeken.1267 said:

So, you want more stunlock spam? Now with health gain added to it? 

Well okay then....

Big brained right there.  

I def don't need the person stunlocking me to have stability.