Are there any builds that use a longbow but without Berserker?

[GoingMenthol.7281]

I know berserker is made for condition and hybrid builds but is there anything else that works well with longbow? Can it be used as an ok power weapon? Specifically about using in PvE

[HnRkLnXqZ.1870]

Before taking this challenge, I quickly searched my research notes and found a red X on the Warrior Longbow, indicating the weapon should not be used for a camp-build. So I knew where this was going to end. Anyway

Due to the slow AA, permanent Quickness is mandatory. The kit hast good access to crowd-control, so I went for celerity-sigil and Aggressive Onslaught (Strenth). First test run on full Diviner's with 100 % cirt rate ... 4.5 k DPS ... YIKES! I went with Spellbreaker and a CC spamming build, which works great in Open World if you get your DPS to 8-12k. But 4.5 is healer damage. On offensive stats, that is giant red "NO!"

Then I went on Celestial stats, which I normally use to see where a build is leaning towards, damage wise. First test, 5.2 k DPS. Better, but still trash.

So I went for more condi-traits, replacing strength with discipline. Decided to get Quickness from the Technician for a start and look where it goes. Almost 7.2 k. Almost acceptable for Open World. The problems were the amount of buttons to press to achieve this and the time you spend watching your cooldowns, instead of the fight. As well as standing in low range to your target to get all three arrows of Fan of Fire to hit. Bah.

Next test with Bladesworn. Mostly for a quick demo of Lush Forest and Guns and Glory effect. Back to 5k, NOPE!
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At this point I knew, I need an elite specialization - due to power creep of those - and Bladesworn is not going to work = back to Spellbreaker. In addition, I need power + condi damage stats, preferably with boon duration, but only if it can outclass celestial stats. We are in GW2, dealing with ANet. Those stats do not and will never exist xD.

Which means going for full Viper's and getting rid of the self-quickness concept completely. ... To make it quick: 8.7k DPS, standing almost inside the enemy hit-box, mashing all damage-skills off cooldown + the elite signet. You need to run with Jade Tech Offensive/Defensive boons. The build is very CC heavy. You can cleanse, stun-break and passively regenerate health. http://gw2skills.net/editor/?PKgAMNlZwQYYsOWJWaX1vaA-DSJYmKVMcZERKESF45ZAWeUaDA-e

Do I recommend using it? NO. There are kits out there which need a fraction of the tweaking to reach more than twice the damage. And I was not allowed to touch Berserker, which I guess would have made the whole endeavor significantly easier. I'm not good enough to squeeze out more efficiency under those conditions. Which means I stop at this point. Still, it was a fun challenge ^^.

EDIT: For the sake of completion, I did one more test under raid/strike conditions. Assuming you get full buffs + the target has 25 vulnerability permanently. 11.2k. That will not work out. Don't bring this build to group-content!
 

Edited July 14 by HnRkLnXqZ.1870

[Aaron.1294]

@GoingMenthol.7281Short answer-no, there isn't and probably will never be because arenanet still refuses to update outdated weapons.

[Verdict is Vengence.6912]

It's just kinda too slow. It has power as a power weapon, given that you use all power gear and choose damage increasing traits.

I use power longbow in wvw, both core and berserker, and it is devastating when it lands. But that's usually against grouped up enemies who have to stay in a particular area to ram a gate or catapult a wall.

Anything 1v1 and longbow turns into one of the worst weapons around. It's just so slow, not to mention its inaccuracy.

Celestial isn't bad. I've been killed by celestial warriors before, sword/sword and longbow. Maybe it works in pve too?

[GoingMenthol.7281]

Thank you everyone for the info, especially @HnRkLnXqZ.1870 for taking on the challenge for finding the dps numbers. I didn't know it was that bad

[Guy.9207]

Longbow on Power has a decent power coefficient on certain skills, but its main gimmick would be for AoE tagging in Open World, where mobs have such a low health you can practically one-shot these guys even with it. Generally, you shouldn't really be using a ranged weapon on Warrior anyway because you're stuck with either this or a rifle (let's not even go there), but if there's a reason to go range (at least until JW comes out) then Longbow is likely your best option, tragic as it may be.

[mirage.8046]

Longbow does synergize with bladesworn's traits; arcing arrow and fan of fire pretty good power damage, and the explosion effects from longbow 3 and 4 give you +250 ferocity from guns and glory and +10% damage if taking fierce as fire. However, that's where it ends. Longbow is only useful for tagging enemies in the open world, so it's not helpful against bosses. In PvE, smoldering arrow's triple charges for daze + blind may help at breaking bars, but it still doesn't compensate for longbow's subpar DPS.
 

You are far better off taking melee weapons than longbow. You sacrifice too much damage or synergy for ranged capabilities. By taking that weapon, you rely on too much resource management and damage modifiers for extremely subpar DPS.
 

[GoingMenthol.7281]

1 hour ago, mirage.8046 said:

You are far better off taking melee weapons than longbow.

The reason for a ranged weapon is for the bounty bosses that force ranged combat with Phase-Shifted, and world bosses like the Megadestroyer that stand in lava

Edit: Also I think bows are cool

Edited July 18 by GoingMenthol.7281

[mirage.8046]

56 minutes ago, GoingMenthol.7281 said:

The reason for a ranged weapon is for the bounty bosses that force ranged combat with Phase-Shifted, and world bosses like the Megadestroyer that stand in lava

Edit: Also I think bows are cool

I do not disagree with you. Range is very useful when you get into bounties with phase-shifted or scenarios where there are many AOEs (fractals in particular are great examples of the latter). 

For sure, bows are so cool! I love pewpewing a lot. Longbow needs its power damage tuned up in general.