Today is being a sad day. Tomorrow will be even sadder .

[Sovereign.1093]

with templates now you can go sdia builds and zerg builds. so it kinds helps

[Celsith.2753]

@Infusion.7149 said:

@enkidu.5937 said:True but I personally dont like those mid-size groups. Too big to effectively cover the maps and too small to get the big stuff done. It could work if they would fuse from time to time, e. g. if your home keep is under attack or to conquer an enemy T3 keep. But yeah, dont see that too often :/I've capped T3 keeps with two people before (even before the nerf to walls and gates), don't give that excuse you can't cap with 20...Use map politics to your advantage, if something else is being hit on the map or another map treb/cata from an obscure spot (not right in front of a wall or gate).>

@"mindcircus.1506" said:If more rangers specced properly and played well this wouldnt be a problem, the reality is most wvw rangers are living a longbow class fantasy and bringing nothing to a squad.The ability is there for Rangers to run a build that enhances a team and provides value but most rangers in wvw are just too bad at the game to bother and bring underperforming weapons like LB.If I were try-harding I would get all rangers off my squad until they proved they were specced properly . This has zero to do with Arenanet and their balance and more to do with the absolute trash gameplay the vast majority of rangers bring to a team.Pewpew longbow ranger is a meme at this point. Checklist:

• LB 4 to push things out of AoEs laid down by squad
• Out of range for boons , way off tag (why be in squad then)
• Rapidfire into spellbreaker/firebrand bubble or electrowhirl and eats retal and/or reflect
• Barrage on a cannon when should be hitting mortar or treb on inner wall
• Randomly chosen utility skills such as movement speed signet
• In keep/tower defense stays on wall longbow auto-ing (11111111) when everyone else is on tag
• Doesn't stow pet or go into beast mode but runs in stealth gyro fields

The other weaponsets don't really bring much to the table either:

• Axe is 100% projectile and strictly worse than necro staff if you want bleeds/chill
• Shortbow is condi-based and projectile
• Sword is strictly worse than warriors or revs running sword let alone daredevils with staff vault/bound
• Dagger hits 2 targets , similar to warriors you would rather a 3 or ideally a 5 target weapon ; the damage comes from condis
• Greatsword just does damage , you won't be able to make good use of counterattack kick when people have stability too
• Staff requires running druid and doesn't have the potency of elementalist staff in terms of heals on auto

In theory you could have stance share with Greatsword, but even then the only stance truly worth noting is

One Wolf Pack

which lasts around 6s on 60 cooldown.

• Bear Stance
  : because it is condi removal on 25s cooldown and only 3s long for allies (2 removed per second) , it pales in comparison to purge gyro or scourge condi removal on 10 cooldown
• Dolyak stance
  : -33% incoming condition and physical damage for ~4 seconds when traited with Leader of the Pack is about on par with Rite of the Great Dwarf on revs
• Moa stance
  : fury,might, swiftness are far more readily applied by revs so basically only the 66% boon duration is of value and is mostly wasted
• Vulture stance
  : poison/might for a few seconds isn't as potent as thief venoms if you actually decide to run this.

I've seen it myself where ranger "main" players that actually tried a proper WvW profession instead of being dead-set on ranger stay on staff necro (people that like to spam from range) or rev (people that want mobility + range). Their skill level improves as a result when they actually need to dodge and focus on positioning rather than letting pets tank everything and using longbow 3 (Hunter's shot) when needing to run.

Sorry but I have to point out that the active of the movement speed signet is 6s of unblockable and the reason why a decent ranger uses it to rapid fire deliberately into someone using a block or reflect that thinks they are safe.

Most don't though of course. Carry on.