Patch March 27, 2018 - Ranger

[Zuko.7132]

@MountainRunner.3576 said:

@Zuko.7132 said:The supportive pet change for soulbeast is a huge nerf. Now one of the merge stats on supportive pets is all but useless. Soulbeast isn't exactly spewing group heals.

Had very little time this morning to put many of the changes through the ringer but on owl at least spiritual reprieve still includes self heal along with the group component and resistance. Hopefully its just tooltip wording that leaves ambiguity.

Ya spiritual reprieve still heals self, but we no longer get bonus healing. I've tested.

[Arrys.7145]

@"Kilrik.6320" said:I am happy for the axe and greatsword users, but this patch seems like nothing but nerf to me otherwise. On my current build there was not one buff or even QoL change.The nerfs include Rugged Growth, Supportive Pet, Refined Toxins, and "WHaO." Not a good patch in my opinion, but not as bad as the boon nerf one last year.

Mixed bag on my GS use. Damage bonus is good but lost might or protection uptime depending on variant I am running. decreased uptime of rugged growth potential etc. So survivability decrease with burst damage increase. Trade off. Didn't play enough to decide like or dislike.

negatives:"We Heal As One!": Reduced duration of copied might stacks from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvP only. (Shout build)

Rugged Growth: Reduced healing coefficient contribution by 50% in PvP only. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to continue healing a ranger even when protection had fallen off them when used in conjunction with a specific set of other traits.

• Fixing the bug I get but Half;) - Again shout based build protect me plus rolling invested in protection uptime.

Protective Ward: Increased the cooldown from 18 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. - (only in my max defense builds.) BM,NM,WS for example

Refined Toxins: Increased the cooldown from 5 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only. -Shared Anguish: Increased the cooldown from 60 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP only. -"I really dislike these 2 changes as it really makes the middle level of WS blah for a core ranger power build. Axe doesn't have the utility to replace LB or GS so won't be adding an offhand dagger"

Benefited my build.Two-Handed Training: Increased the bonus damage from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW.

Running a shout based build I'm into WS for the condi clear and these changes (rugged growth plus RT SA change make tree modestly less beneficial).Marks, WS, BM - Is just a fun build(Damage to surviveability ratio) hope the survivability decrease leaves it so because burst will also improve slightly as a 3 crit GS chain is my burst.

Hadn't fully experimented with Soulbeast or Druid yet. Druid more than soulbeast. Not crazy about soulbeast mechanic.

[Dragonzhunter.8506]

@Arrys.7145 said:

@"Kilrik.6320" said:I am happy for the axe and greatsword users, but this patch seems like nothing but nerf to me otherwise. On my current build there was not one buff or even QoL change.The nerfs include Rugged Growth, Supportive Pet, Refined Toxins, and "WHaO." Not a good patch in my opinion, but not as bad as the boon nerf one last year.

Mixed bag on my GS use. Damage bonus is good but lost might or protection uptime depending on variant I am running. decreased uptime of rugged growth potential etc. So survivability decrease with burst damage increase. Trade off. Didn't play enough to decide like or dislike.

negatives:

"We Heal As One!": Reduced duration of copied might stacks from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvP only. (Shout build)

Rugged Growth: Reduced healing coefficient contribution by 50% in PvP only. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to continue healing a ranger even when protection had fallen off them when used in conjunction with a specific set of other traits.

• Fixing the bug I get but Half;) - Again shout based build protect me plus rolling invested in protection uptime.

Protective Ward: Increased the cooldown from 18 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. - (only in my max defense builds.) BM,NM,WS for example

Refined Toxins: Increased the cooldown from 5 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only. -Shared Anguish: Increased the cooldown from 60 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP only. -"I really dislike these 2 changes as it really makes the middle level of WS blah for a core ranger power build. Axe doesn't have the utility to replace LB or GS so won't be adding an offhand dagger"

Benefited my build

.Two-Handed Training: Increased the bonus damage from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW.

Running a shout based build I'm into WS for the condi clear and these changes (rugged growth plus RT SA change make tree modestly less beneficial).Marks, WS, BM - Is just a fun build(Damage to surviveability ratio) hope the survivability decrease leaves it so because burst will also improve slightly as a 3 crit GS chain is my burst.

Hadn't fully experimented with Soulbeast or Druid yet. Druid more than soulbeast. Not crazy about soulbeast mechanic.

I tested GS+LB Marksmanship/Survival/Soulbeast in sPVP. Didn't work. Sword/Axe + LB and Survival/Nature/Soulbeast remain the best build for Soulbeast in sPVP.

PS: warrior looks like he wasn't touched by this patch

[Zuko.7132]

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:

@Arrys.7145 said:

@"Kilrik.6320" said:I am happy for the axe and greatsword users, but this patch seems like nothing but nerf to me otherwise. On my current build there was not one buff or even QoL change.The nerfs include Rugged Growth, Supportive Pet, Refined Toxins, and "WHaO." Not a good patch in my opinion, but not as bad as the boon nerf one last year.

Mixed bag on my GS use. Damage bonus is good but lost might or protection uptime depending on variant I am running. decreased uptime of rugged growth potential etc. So survivability decrease with burst damage increase. Trade off. Didn't play enough to decide like or dislike.

negatives:

"We Heal As One!": Reduced duration of copied might stacks from 10 seconds to 5 seconds in PvP only. (Shout build)

Rugged Growth: Reduced healing coefficient contribution by 50% in PvP only. Fixed a bug that caused this trait to continue healing a ranger even when protection had fallen off them when used in conjunction with a specific set of other traits.

• Fixing the bug I get but Half;) - Again shout based build protect me plus rolling invested in protection uptime.

Protective Ward: Increased the cooldown from 18 seconds to 30 seconds in PvP only. - (only in my max defense builds.) BM,NM,WS for example

Refined Toxins: Increased the cooldown from 5 seconds to 15 seconds in PvP only. -Shared Anguish: Increased the cooldown from 60 seconds to 90 seconds in PvP only. -"I really dislike these 2 changes as it really makes the middle level of WS blah for a core ranger power build. Axe doesn't have the utility to replace LB or GS so won't be adding an offhand dagger"

Benefited my build

.Two-Handed Training: Increased the bonus damage from 5% to 10% in PvP and WvW.

Running a shout based build I'm into WS for the condi clear and these changes (rugged growth plus RT SA change make tree modestly less beneficial).Marks, WS, BM - Is just a fun build(Damage to surviveability ratio) hope the survivability decrease leaves it so because burst will also improve slightly as a 3 crit GS chain is my burst.

Hadn't fully experimented with Soulbeast or Druid yet. Druid more than soulbeast. Not crazy about soulbeast mechanic.

I tested GS+LB Marksmanship/Survival/Soulbeast in sPVP. Didn't work. Sword/Axe + LB and Survival/Nature/Soulbeast remain the best build for Soulbeast in sPVP.

PS: warrior looks like he wasn't touched by this patch

Axe? What is this weird build? I've never seen it.

[Dragonzhunter.8506]

@Zuko.7132 said:

@Dragonzhunter.8506 said:I tested GS+LB Marksmanship/Survival/Soulbeast in sPVP. Didn't work. Sword/Axe + LB and Survival/Nature/Soulbeast remain the best build for Soulbeast in sPVP.

PS: warrior looks like he wasn't touched by this patch

Axe? What is this weird build? I've never seen it.

Yes, Axe for Path of Scars (damage and CC) and Whirling Defense (higher damage of ranger skill and retaliation). Both skills are pretty hard to manage, but when you do, these two are very powerful.