Sic em soulbeast nerfed -- What's the next build to play?

[Joshewwah.2956]

So given that they nerfed sic em soulbeast, and that now you can't easily kill people from far away with unblockable, whats the next build to play? Is there still a faceroll build that you can play as soulbeast so you can easily kill people from far away in WvW? Since unblockable is nerfed for the longbow, I was thinking of something like a boonbeast, where you would get max might stack and compensate for the damage loss. However this build runs NM + BM for maximum damage, and thus you wouldn't be taking WS for condi cleanse. I'm not sure how viable this build is, but I think it should be slightly stronger than before, considering that Twice as Vicious is going to be 10s. So instead of focusing on killing enemies within a single burst, within 4 seconds, I was thinking of distributing the damage over a longer time. This will give enemies more opportunity to run away, but if they're caught in the middle of nowhere, then they will have nowhere to run.

[GaijinGuy.8476]

Condi power hybrid for WvW. Works well and catches many off guard. Has some definite poor match ups though.

[Joshewwah.2956]

@GaijinGuy.8476 said:Condi power hybrid for WvW. Works well and catches many off guard. Has some definite poor match ups though.

what build

[GaijinGuy.8476]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJATVnUqAtsglsA2CCUtglJB7JIUr+YNBgH3EIv3OcLun4cqrC-jVSFQBTVZWyuEAfQTAWVCCgnAwTUaki9HIq6P6UHApA8TZF-w

You could switch out BM line for skirmishing to get more condi pressure, but I have found sustain better using BM with commands to grant swiftness and regen.Open up with sharpened spines (and sharpening stone if you have it slotted) for a quick bleed burst, un meld with bristleback do some kiting and switch to black bear and SB when people come to close.

It is amazing? Not really, but people don't expect it from a SB. Works well for out numbered too.Weavers and holos are a pain in the ass though.Edit: runes can be what ever you want. I’m just using kraut cause they are cheap and effective. Soulbeast runes would synergize well though.

[Revolution.5409]

The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

[InsaneQR.7412]

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

Exactly.

Its not as face rolly as before and you have to bait projectile deflects.Otherwise I think it's still good with WH5 weaponswaps and PBS combo.

[Joshewwah.2956]

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

[Revolution.5409]

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Simple, using the weak points of the opposing builds and giving priority to targets that have few defenses.

[anduriell.6280]

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Simple, using the weak points of the opposing builds and giving priority to targets that have few defenses.

Or use SoH, if you depend so much of the unblockable. My build never needed unblockables in wvw and except in some situations with bunker guards and scrappers I haven't felt the need to equip one.

[Joshewwah.2956]

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Simple, using the weak points of the opposing builds and giving priority to targets that have few defenses.

What does this even mean?

@anduriell.6280 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Simple, using the weak points of the opposing builds and giving priority to targets that have few defenses.

Or use SoH, if you depend so much of the unblockable. My build never needed unblockables in wvw and except in some situations with bunker guards and scrappers I haven't felt the need to equip one.

Whats SoH? And most sick em builds rely on unblockable so that you can hit your combo on almost anyone. Now that its nerfed, you will not be able to hit guardians or warriors at all

[Stand The Wall.6987]

why do ppl think everyone and their mother has blocks up 24/7

[knite.1542]

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Attack when they aren't blocking like other classes without unblockable spam do?

[Anput.4620]

It already got stomped by thief/holo/rev/mes before the update because those are straight up better vs anyone with half a brain and this will keep happening.

Sadly they balance around bad players and pubstomping (ranger isn't used in high ranking PvP either).

[Revolution.5409]

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

Simple, using the weak points of the opposing builds and giving priority to targets that have few defenses.

What does this even mean?

It means you have to learn to play without traits that completely ignore the defenses of other professions.

[mulzi.8273]

I do find it kinda ironic that any site, like metabattle that lists classes for each mode (wvw, pvp, pve) never, ever lists the ranger as 'meta'. Yet these classes seem to get nerf after nerf after nerf. Playing WvW 75% of folks are on FB or scourge. Thats the balance problem.

[Revolution.5409]

@mulzi.8273 said:I do find it kinda ironic that any site, like metabattle that lists classes for each mode (wvw, pvp, pve) never, ever lists the ranger as 'meta'. Yet these classes seem to get nerf after nerf after nerf. Playing WvW 75% of folks are on FB or scourge. Thats the balance problem.

This happens because many people think that WvW is an extension of PvE.Those who come to complain here are pugs that are killed by players who instead play WvW with competitive builds.

For anet it is not important if WvW is dominated by 3 professions, if the wvw update is not successful, I think the game mode will die completely.

[SoV.5139]

Could always play druid and pop that sweet sweet staff3 evade...

Oh wait...

[Euthymias.7984]

You might be able to still use something like Marksmanship Remorseless SB to some success still to get a few quick kills from a distance or blow someone up who's lost most of their resources on something else. I just dont think its worth using compared to Rev/Holo in Ranked beyond a certain point. They'll both still have better plussing power and teamfight damage/utility.

But hey, I guess its "fine" as long as players stop crying about "Unblockable Oneshot" :) Anyone who complains about Soulbeast at this point just has to git gud.(Though Rangers will probably be nerfed again anyway, just because.)

[CETheLucid.3964]

I'm not so sure it's out of the running just yet. It'll be more vulnerable and the numbers won't be quite as big and that's fair enough, but it might still see play.

[Wolfey.3407]

@SoV.5139 said:Could always play druid and pop that sweet sweet staff3 evade...

Oh wait...

too soon....

F

[beatthedown.2651]

Boonbeast is still one of the strongest builds for smallscale and especially solo roaming. I can play WS/NM with dura rune and still 100% dismount ppl with Quickening Zephyr, Wh5 Wh4, elite stance and Rapidfire. You don't even need to use all of this, since most enemies don't have three endurance bars free. Killing ppl without passives fast is also possible, while being hard to kill and having one additional utility. You only struggle killing Scrapper and other Boonbeasts, but Scrapper can't even hurt you and other good Boonbeasts are not that common. When your enemy uses op damage reduction food, u may want to use that too, if you want to teach them pain.

[Lazze.9870]

@beatthedown.2651 said:Boonbeast is still one of the strongest builds for smallscale and especially solo roaming.

Only because Anet's weird way of skill splitting means it didn't get the same nerfs as the PvP version did.

[anduriell.6280]

@beatthedown.2651 said:Boonbeast is still one of the strongest builds for smallscale and especially solo roaming.Boonbeast is fastastic in zerg gameplay (from a survivavility point of view), Sicem was more common because of the brain dead mechanic. Axe\x - GS are good weapons just not 1800 pew pew.@Joshewwah.2956 said:Whats SoH? And most sick em builds rely on unblockable so that you can hit your combo on almost anyone. Now that its nerfed, you will not be able to hit guardians or warriors at allSignet of the hunt. And learn to position yourself so you don't get all the reflects from the zerg with your pewpew.I don't usually need any unblockables in wvw even when roaming around the zerg.About warriors and guardians, I guess you will need to learn to play with melee weapons as well.@Joshewwah.2956 said:How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)So don't use LB, the weapon is not designed to one shot, thats the revenant hammer,With 3 attacks of unblockable:

• winters bite.
• maul
• wordly impact.

Way I could think to use it.Sicem (for damage and extra speed) ->Call of the wild ->Winters bite (for the chill and proc quickness from sigil) -> takedown from dog or smokecale \ path of scars -> Wordly impact.If you go remorseless probably with the winters bite proc you already finished anyway.

Sicem build will be still viable, just not the meme brain dead.

Im thinking depending of the final damage from barrage some builds using predator onslaught + LB may be viable as well for zerging.

[Yasai.3549]

I'm willing to bet yur still gonna be able to 1 shot people with Winter's Bite and Worldly Impact, which Soulbeast has been known to one shot with.

Sicem was doing overkill damage with most of these skills anyway, and yur probably only gonna use LB to quick stack 25 Vuln so that yur actual 1 shots go through.

[Dahkeus.8243]

Personally, I prefer double axe boonbeast to Sic 'Em, but the unblockable trait was still nice for that build on some matchups and even that build will still take a hit from the Second Skin nerf and warhorn nerf.

@Joshewwah.2956 said:

@Revolution.5409 said:The build will still be usable after nerfs, it will just be more difficult to manage.

How can you deal damage with only 3 attacks being unblockable? (assuming the longbow 2)

If you're running Clarion Bond or warhorn offhand, you can use Point Blank shot to knock back and interrupt the block before popping Rapid Fire. However, that assumes you're running marks for Clarion with your pet not merged and pet swap not on cooldown (or are on your warhorn set with weapon swap on cooldown).

So realistically, pulling off an unblockable rapid fire is still possible, but highly unlikely.

The Barrage change is meant to offset the unblockable nerfs, but I doubt it will be enough to save the build from irrelevancy.

@"mulzi.8273" said:I do find it kinda ironic that any site, like metabattle that lists classes for each mode (wvw, pvp, pve) never, ever lists the ranger as 'meta'. Yet these classes seem to get nerf after nerf after nerf. Playing WvW 75% of folks are on FB or scourge. Thats the balance problem.

They aren't "meta" because they aren't as effective in the top tier of PvP gameplay, but they're very effective in lower tiers of gameplay. It's the same reason that Deadeye has seen so many nerfs. It's the same reason why turret engineers were nerfed long before that.