i think soulbeast is useless

[trunks.5249]

i thought i would goof off with soulbeast builds. has far has my play style is concerned its useless. i am up close and personal with sword and torch 75% of the time. i can not count how many times i have died do to the skills taking to long to activate . by the time the animal animation happens i have been hit to many times for the skill to help in anyway . the only real help i got from the soulbeast line is the break stun when entering beast but i have other stun options i can use . . i can see how it could help power rangers since they are far enough away for the animal animations to finish without getting hurt in pvp

[Krispera.5087]

Sword and Torch ? That's weird... but if it works for you, it's all it counts.

I do agree that many Beastmode skills activation/off cast-animations are slow and easily interrupted. They need to do some shavings.

[Ardenwolfe.8590]

I won't say it's useless, but it's definitely not better than Druid for my playstyle. That said, I'm sure it's perfect for someone else's playstyle. So more power to them. :)

[Za Shaloc.3908]

What's your build?

[EnderzShadow.2506]

But it's not working for him.

It seems to me that you are trying to get soulbeast to do something it's not built to do.

[Eleazar.9478]

Condi soulbeast sucks dude. No cc no cleanse no burst condtions. Go power shadeling is top in the top five for PVP with power soulbeast

[Vayne.8563]

Not sure why you'd use sword with a soulbeast, I prefer dagger/torch and shortbow. Also not sure what game mode you're talking about, but soul beast has been fun and effective for me. So much so that I swapped my main druid over to a viper's soul beat recently. I play more soul beast than any other profession at the moment.

[jihm.2315]

we are perfectly balanced but not in power creep category the only thing that i find ironic is that we have more pet management than our counter parts

[HeadCrowned.6834]

In PvP, condi ranger in general and so condi soulbeast won't work. If you wanna go soulbeast, play a power variant.

[EnderzShadow.2506]

@Vayne.8563 said:Not sure why you'd use sword with a soulbeast, I prefer dagger/torch and shortbow. Also not sure what game mode you're talking about, but soul beast has been fun and effective for me. So much so that I swapped my main druid over to a viper's soul beat recently. I play more soul beast than any other profession at the moment.

He says pvp in the post.

[EnderzShadow.2506]

@jihm.2315 said:we are perfectly balanced but not in power creep category the only thing that i find ironic is that we have more pet management than our counter parts

More? You stretching that definition a bit aint ya?

Soulbeast can merge with the pet.That's it.

[Lonami.2987]

I think it's not working from the design viewpoint. If they wanted an animal transformation, they should have gone much, much further.

There's way too many skills, and most of them useless. Soulbeast should have been a real transformation into an animal, using the already existing five pet archetypes for five transformations into different beasts. Lion, stag, serpent, crocodile, and giant eagle. Then give each transformation a significant stat boost, and useful skills.

Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

[Kreed.2768]

@Lonami.2987 said:Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Because GW2 doesn't need to copy everything other games do. It can do its own thing. I, for one, am glad Soulbeast didn't turn out to be some sort of shaman copy pasta.

Also, available resources and possible tech limitations.

[Lonami.2987]

@Kreed.2768 said:

@Lonami.2987 said:Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Because GW2 doesn't need to copy everything other games do. It can do its own thing. I, for one, am glad Soulbeast didn't turn out to be some sort of shaman copy pasta.

Also, available resources and possible tech limitations.

With that kind of mentality we would have never gotten mounts, and see where we are now, we have mounts, and they're better than any other MMO's mounts.

Soulbeast and druid are both missed opportunities to do shapeshifting elite specialization justice.

[DuckDuckBOOM.4097]

@Lonami.2987 said:

@Kreed.2768 said:

@Lonami.2987 said:Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Because GW2 doesn't need to copy everything other games do. It can do its own thing. I, for one, am glad Soulbeast didn't turn out to be some sort of shaman copy pasta.

Also, available resources and possible tech limitations.

With that kind of mentality we would have never gotten mounts, and see where we are now, we have mounts, and they're better than any other MMO's mounts.

Soulbeast and druid are both missed opportunities to do shapeshifting elite specialization justice.

I wanted this too but my fashion wars...Then again we have the green swirly which is annoying to deal with

[Obtena.7952]

To some people Soulbeast is the best thing to happen to Ranger ... because the idea of having a pet to manage as a Ranger was apparently too much for them to handle. If there is a wasted opportunity, look to the players that think they know better ... it's clear to me this direct was at least partly influenced by those cries for petless rangers.

[Crossaber.8934]

@Lonami.2987 said:I think it's not working from the design viewpoint. If they wanted an animal transformation, they should have gone much, much further.

There's way too many skills, and most of them useless. Soulbeast should have been a real transformation into an animal, using the already existing five pet archetypes for five transformations into different beasts. Lion, stag, serpent, crocodile, and giant eagle. Then give each transformation a significant stat boost, and useful skills.

Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Soulbeast is not transformation into a beast, it is on the other side, transfer your beast into spirit and absorb its power, thats why it is called soulbeast. I like it this way and i found i enjoy soulbeast a lot.

If it is the other way around, player get transformed to a beast. Soulbeast player will be forced to play a beast... There is a lot of way in GW2 to play as a beast, norn, charr is your choice.

I like how soulbeast as is, remove my pet, without transform myself into a beast.

[Lonami.2987]

@DuckDuckBOOM.4097 said:

@Lonami.2987 said:

@Kreed.2768 said:

@Lonami.2987 said:Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Because GW2 doesn't need to copy everything other games do. It can do its own thing. I, for one, am glad Soulbeast didn't turn out to be some sort of shaman copy pasta.

Also, available resources and possible tech limitations.

With that kind of mentality we would have never gotten mounts, and see where we are now, we have mounts, and they're better than any other MMO's mounts.

Soulbeast and druid are both missed opportunities to do shapeshifting elite specialization justice.

I wanted this too but my fashion wars...Then again we have the green swirly which is annoying to deal with

Imagine becoming a giant eagle and gliding while in animal form. How can someone say that's not cool?

They could always let you dye your animal form or something, and it could have some physical differences depending on the ranger's race. For example, give charr animal forms horns, norn ones tattoos, sylvari ones leaves, etc. WoW did something like this with their druid forms, but they're pretty cheap graphically.

@Obtena.7952 said:To some people Soulbeast is the best thing to happen to Ranger ... because the idea of having a pet to manage as a Ranger was apparently too much for them to handle. If there is a wasted opportunity, look to the players that think they know better ... it's clear to me this direct was at least partly influenced by those cries for petless rangers.

I think elite specializations should change and sometimes even remove the original mechanic, so I'm fine with a petless ranger. However, he better get something worthy in return, and be petless 100% of the time.

For example, imagine if druid had no pet, and could choose between 3 transformations at any time, with one role each (dps, heal, support), and they worked like Death Shroud, giving you an extra health bar. Now that's a worthy replacement. Soulbeast is a halfway solution that satisfies no one, if you're going with that design decision, take it to the end and finish the job.

[EnderzShadow.2506]

@Obtena.7952 said:To some people Soulbeast is the best thing to happen to Ranger ... because the idea of having a pet to manage as a Ranger was apparently too much for them to handle. If there is a wasted opportunity, look to the players that think they know better ... it's clear to me this direct was at least partly influenced by those cries for petless rangers.

some people seem bitter.

[Leo G.4501]

@Lonami.2987 said:For example, imagine if druid had no pet, and could choose between 3 transformations at any time, with one role each (dps, heal, support), and they worked like Death Shroud, giving you an extra health bar. Now that's a worthy replacement. Soulbeast is a halfway solution that satisfies no one, if you're going with that design decision, take it to the end and finish the job.

That's broken as crap. That'd be like giving Firebrand an HP bar for every tome along with their 5 skills. Why?

[Lazze.9870]

@EnderzShadow.2506 said:

@jihm.2315 said:we are perfectly balanced but not in power creep category the only thing that i find ironic is that we have more pet management than our counter parts

More? You stretching that definition a bit aint ya?

Soulbeast can merge with the pet.That's it.

@Lonami.2987 said:

@Kreed.2768 said:

@Lonami.2987 said:Other games do animal transformations well, can't see why we shouldn't be able too.

Because GW2 doesn't need to copy everything other games do. It can do its own thing. I, for one, am glad Soulbeast didn't turn out to be some sort of shaman copy pasta.

Also, available resources and possible tech limitations.

With that kind of mentality we would have never gotten mounts, and see where we are now, we have mounts, and they're better than any other MMO's mounts.

Soulbeast and druid are both missed opportunities to do shapeshifting elite specialization justice.

No, they aren't. Because they're both great specs. Soulbeast just needs smaller tweaks and petswap in beastmode.

Don't get why people are so hyped about shapeshifting anyways.

[malisivo.5264]

@"Lazze.9870"No, they aren't. Because they're both great specs. Soulbeast just needs smaller tweaks and petswap in beastmode.

Don't get why people are so hyped about shapeshifting anyways.

To add to that, Norns are already shapeshifters; go create a Norn Soulbeast and see how that goes. Actually, I wonder how Beastmode would work while one is transformed into their spirit animal. (LOL, that discussion is for another time.) The whole point of Soulbeast is to absorb the souls of beasts and become one with your pet, not turn INTO your pet.

Now, OP, it is entirely up to you whether you would like to use Soulbeast, but it is not wise to say that the elite spec is completely useless when the devs took the time to create something that most, if not all, ranger mains have been requesting for quite some time. The pets are essential to a ranger, so the devs thought of a (brilliant, in my honest opinion) way to keep what is essential to rangers, while satisfying the requests of their players.

Soulbeast needs some tweaking, yes, but it is up to the players to "make do" with what is given to them. You don't need to use Soulbeast. Core ranger is still an amazing class to play. Druid is in high demand for end game content. If what you are using is upsetting you, make changes or switch to a different profession.

[bearshaman.3421]

@malisivo.5264 said:To add to that, Norns are already shapeshifters; go create a Norn Soulbeast and see how that goes. Actually, I wonder how Beastmode would work while one is transformed into their spirit animal. (LOL, that discussion is for another time.)

It won't work. The norn elite skills override the class mechanic entirely. So no Soulbeast mode while being a werebear.This is true for other classes too. It overrides guardian virtues, warrior burst skills, engineer's tool belt, etc.

If this wasn't the case, I'd have rolled a norn soulbeast at launch.

[EDDIE WRECKER.1375]

I love playing MM BM WS core ranger, to play Soul beast I have to drop one of my core trait lines, Dropping weakens longbow, drop BM reduces pet damage and utility, if i drop WS i lose so much condi clear that I need to get druid trait line or try running rune of the trooper with shouts which is not enough. We have to sacrifice so much for the SB line that I dont see the point. I melt ALL soul beast builds I come across on my core and non meta druid in pvp and wvw. I really wanted it to work but it really doesnt for me ... well so far. Still trying but I think it might just be me trying to make it do too much.

The problem is that what it is meant to do is just not obvious like say spell breaker. That has an obvious use, soul beast seems a little lost. I would love to use dual daggers but the other ranger weapons are just so much more useful.

[Time.3650]

I have been looking at several differ options.  Does charr race provide better Elite skills? 

 

i think a huge down side to axe is you have to stand still in order to use in off hand.   another down side is you cannot switch while in beast mode.  ranger soulbeast has the potential to be the best if someone finds the right combo in my opinion.  i think an example of pet usage versus type game mode your in Pve vs pvp vs wvw.  i would not use jacaranda in pvp or wvw but definitely would use in Pve.   

 

plus side of soulbeast is damage is different according to pets used like using bristle back you precision increases to 100 plus and your condition damage increase to 200 plus when merging.  on top of that you get buffs and each category of pet is different.  making sure your elite skills line up with weapons being used and style you play is important i think.

 

At an