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nSin
17-05-2005, 04:19
Hey,

This would be my first post in this section. I have been playing diablo for a few years and I finally decided to get GuildWars. My first character is a R/W because everyone told me that Rangers are currently the least overpowered race.

First I chose to go Bow, with frenzy+lightning reflexes and ignite arrows, basicly trying to get an as high as possible area of effect damage , the downside.. enemies often didnt stand next to eachother, and the added damage wasnt all that amazing, I used Favorable Winds to up my damage, but when I used all that I toook 8 seconds just for preperation skills, didnt prove to be effective. Only Warrior skills I used were frenzy and sprint, and sprint was soon replaced by dodge because it did everything and more.. heck if lightning reflexes had a shorter cooldown it would be way superior aswell.

All together, I didnt feel like I was very useful, without tanks in front of me I died relatively easy and I wasant really able to turn the tides in combat.

Sword Build

So at 4AM this morning I just tought, lets just take a totally different approach, not saying that the other one can't work, as it was quite nice with 2 tanks and a monk (though in my opinion outclassed by ele) but I just felt like doing something else. I focussed my hero on Expertise + Sword Skills, with a few skills in tactics just for healing signit and perhaps some future skills

Skills you should look at:

Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Frenzy
Dodge

Sever Atary
Gash
Hamstring

Apply Poison

Troll Urgent
Healing Spring
Healing Signit
Res Signit

Sword Mastery - 9+
Tactics- 5+ (if you go Healing Signet)
Expertise - 8
Wilderness Survival - 5+ (If you go Spring/Troll Urgent I like this better)

-Expertise seems to hit a "magic number" status at 8. This is generally where you'll find the best returns for the energy costs of the skills you use. Drop it to 7, and get yourself a +1 Expertise item. If you use a lot of skills that require 10 energy, then 9 expertise may be a better option.

-In the end, you might find yourself putting more points in Wilderness Survival then Sword Mastery, as it gives you better healing and more poison damage while Sword Mastery is only damage oriented.

Hammer Build

-Specialize in the Hammer. Stances are this build's primary form of defense, given that a Ranger has plenty of abilities that give it a 75% chance to dodge/block. Go for the highest damage

-Hammers also seem to have the most skills that require energy to use. This is no problem for a Ranger, who can spam Flourish and take advantage of Expertise to constantly use those powerful Hammer attacks.

-Belly Smash and Throw Dirt each allow you to buy yourself valuable time to use Healing Spring, as will Dryder's Defenses and Whirling Defense.

Skills for my typical R/Wo Melee Build:
Irresistable Blow
Belly Smash
Flourish
Throw Dirt
Apply Poison
Dryder's Defenses
Whirling Defense
Healing Spring/Troll Urgent

Abilities:
Hammer Master 12
Expertise 8*
Wilderness Survival 10+
Tactics: xx (throw it in the mix if you want to use healing signet and some shouts)

Sword vs Hammer

Both are good options really, sword gives more armor which comes in handy for that 25% of the time that you are hit, it also allows for Hamstring which is quite useful for PvP. Neither of them is better by definition though just different.

Thanks to zeekiryo and Green Bird for some help, hope you enjoyed reading.

Ņaz

nSin
17-05-2005, 23:59
you're all allowed to comment... even criticize

Infoceptor
18-05-2005, 00:46
One question... PvE or PvP?

nSin
18-05-2005, 01:59
I think any build can be PvP just depending on your opponents. In general, this character has a long time of 75% dodge/block against melee, so it can serve as a tank and outdamage warriors aswell. It's an excellent mage killer as it exceeds in killing targets 1vs1, but this subclass is not topnotch when it comes to AOE damage or AOE effects. Unless ofcourse you put a trap in there.

In PvE, this hero is a good tank, in those 20+ seconds of "invulnerability" you can tank just about everything but spells. If you need longer then you still got troll urgent and dodge (this class is very good at escaping situations)

Hunt3r_kill4
24-05-2005, 07:02
Thats hardly any damage output at all...the only skills for sword you managed to incorporate is sever artery + gash. Maybe you should consider fitting in more attack skills such as final thrust

Zero
24-05-2005, 11:39
A good damage output build would go along these lines:

Swordsmanship 11
Tactics 9 (shield)
Expertise 8 + 1 from helm +1 from rune
Wilderness survival 8 +1 from rune


Sever Artery
Gash
Final Thrust
Hamstring/Sotrm chaser (depending if you want to cripple an enemy or chase them down..i prefer chaser for those warriors who run away after a fight with sprint)
Lightning reflexes
Whirling defence
Apply Poison
Troll ungent/heal signet (whichever you prefer)

Just something i quickly threw together. The build gives a nice damage output and has some nice life degen. Great for those 1 on 1 battles and also assasain runs. I have a few builds similar and can they tank pretty well and have alot of warriors running.

I'll put up some more/better comments later when i have the tiem (and if i remember :rolleyes: )

Gentle
25-05-2005, 01:07
A good damage output build would go along these lines:

Swordsmanship 11
Tactics 9 (shield)
Expertise 8 + 1 from helm +1 from rune
Wilderness survival 8 +1 from rune


Sever Artery
Gash
Final Thrust
Hamstring/Sotrm chaser (depending if you want to cripple an enemy or chase them down..i prefer chaser for those warriors who run away after a fight with sprint)
Lightning reflexes
Whirling defence
Apply Poison
Troll ungent/heal signet (whichever you prefer)

Just something i quickly threw together. The build gives a nice damage output and has some nice life degen. Great for those 1 on 1 battles and also assasain runs. I have a few builds similar and can they tank pretty well and have alot of warriors running.

I'll put up some more/better comments later when i have the tiem (and if i remember :rolleyes: )


i use a similar build but consider that tactics are a waste ... instead of a shield i use a great off-hand chakram (+15 energy +30 health) thus allowing me to have higher expertise/wilderness. Skills i use:

1.Seeking Blade (ussually start off with this - energy cost not ADR) great against other rangers or warriors that use stances.
2.Sever Artery
3.Final Thrust (or galrath Slash)
4.Hamstring
5.Apply Poison
6.Troll Unguent
7.L. Reflexes
8.W. Defense

sometimes depending on enemies (pvp and pve) i would equip Winter instead of 1 sword skill and dress up in the +15 resist to cold armors

anyway it's great to see other ppl use use this build too (in PvP i'm ussually understimated till it's too late and in PvE ppl are morons and don't really acknoledge the power of this build - untill they see my Cyclone axe in action lol)

LWjd
25-05-2005, 01:47
I have used builds similar to the above 2 and they worked very well.

About the tactics thing: it is NOT worthless! 7 tactics, which is a small portion of your attribute points, gives you 16 armor. 16 armor is enough to warrant the points IMO. with the extra armor a shield gets, you are almost (under by about 10) up to the physical armor of a warrior (a warrior without a shield of course). There are also some good tactics skills. My current build is:

3 axe skills (vary)
tigers fury
healing signet
whirling defense
charm animal
rez or something else

Obviously there is no wilderness survival in this build. I have tigers at 9 seconds, and it really helps for damage. Builds up adrenaline very fast. If I am going for pure damage I use cyclone axe, swift chop, and cleave. with expertise I can constantly use the first two, and i can usually use cleave 2-3 times before tigers fury wears off. This actually works better than I thought. the only bad thing about this is it is hard to chase down runners. My plan for the future is to incorporate crippling shot (the elite), because it is a constant 15 second cripple. I also change axe skills to cripple when I feel like it.

Sometimes I alternate between wilderness/beastmastery. Apply poison works well.

nSin
25-05-2005, 02:32
I'm actualy using the axe build for a while now, instead of either sword or axe

I feel like I've perfected it as far as my own desire goes

Troll Ungent
Cyclone Axe
Dismember
Cleave/Hundred Blades [Elite]
Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Dodge/Storm Chaser (rather take storm chaser as it's excellent for chasing, long duration.(
Apply Poison

Optional-
-Res signet, instead of Dismember
-Barbed Trap, same
-Healing Spring for early levels and lack of monks this works decent

I dont have hundred blades yet, but I captured cleave yesterday. It's AMAZING, only 5 adr needed to use so when you hit about two with cyclone axe you're set for high damage. Hundred Blades wold add a more powerful cyclone axe to this build... though I'm not sure if that desirable as you only need one good hit, I'll get back on that when I get it.

I'm using a Axe that lengthens the poison duration , together with a shield that adds +10 armor and life only 3 in tactics needed. On switch I'm using the same shield paired with an Earth damage Axe which is amazing for those high armor warriors/creatures.

Axe Mastery -11
Tactics -3
Expertise -7 (+1 for optimal effects)
Wilderness Survival - 11

LWjd
25-05-2005, 02:47
I'm actualy using the axe build for a while now, instead of either sword or axe

I feel like I've perfected it as far as my own desire goes

Troll Ungent
Cyclone Axe
Dismember
Cleave/Hundred Blades [Elite]
Lightning Reflexes
Whirling Defense
Dodge/Storm Chaser (rather take storm chaser as it's excellent for chasing, long duration.(
Apply Poison

Optional-
-Res signet, instead of Dismember
-Barbed Trap, same
-Healing Spring for early levels and lack of monks this works decent

I dont have hundred blades yet, but I captured cleave yesterday. It's AMAZING, only 5 adr needed to use so when you hit about two with cyclone axe you're set for high damage. Hundred Blades wold add a more powerful cyclone axe to this build... though I'm not sure if that desirable as you only need one good hit, I'll get back on that when I get it.

I'm using a Axe that lengthens the poison duration , together with a shield that adds +10 armor and life only 3 in tactics needed. On switch I'm using the same shield paired with an Earth damage Axe which is amazing for those high armor warriors/creatures.

Axe Mastery -11
Tactics -3
Expertise -7 (+1 for optimal effects)
Wilderness Survival - 11

fyi Hundred Blades is for swords only.

nSin
25-05-2005, 02:50
exactly what I was wondering, it has no attribute so I did have my hopes up.

I might be better off going back to sword with gash and final thurst if I have hundred blades.

AOE and spreading the poison around is too nice to pass upto.

Now just left to decide what build is better.. axe vs sword

LWjd
25-05-2005, 03:15
exactly what I was wondering, it has no attribute so I did have my hopes up.

I might be better off going back to sword with gash and final thurst if I have hundred blades.

AOE and spreading the poison around is too nice to pass upto.

Now just left to decide what build is better.. axe vs sword


I have tried both sword and axe. I liked both about equally, but it just seems like an axe is more suited to a r/w so thats what I use. Hundred blades isn't as good as you think it is though. Has a MUCH smaller radius than cyclone axe, and its elite. I'm not sure what other elites swords have, haven't looked into it.

nSin
25-05-2005, 03:23
swords have no elites, it's rather sucky.

Hammers have the most elites from the weapon trees with 3 elites and they are all class.

Axe has two, only one I have is Cleave, but I guess that Eviscerate can be just as good if I use disrupting chop aswell.. they should make cleave a normal skill, that would be the best solution for me.

Zero
25-05-2005, 16:09
From my sword/axe experiance i've found that for me Axe's are better for PvE and taking out groups of tightly clustered people (thankyou cyclone axe and your AoE) but swords can take down single targets quicker.
Course thats just from my experiance and my builds, won't be the same for everyone.

smedge
26-05-2005, 21:28
In my opinion hammers excel at PvP. I kill tanks all the time with mine. Hammers cause damage and distupt the attacker by knocking them down and blinding them (belly smash). During the pauses the hammer gives you you can fire a troll ungruent.

smedge
26-05-2005, 21:29
Oh yeah and each skill type has three elites, do not listen the above. Finding the bosses to capture the elites from is the hard part.

nSin
27-05-2005, 00:44
name the 3 sword elite skills now.

back up your statements.

Cordio Muffinhead
27-05-2005, 13:26
Originally written by Gentle: i use a similar build but consider that tactics are a waste ... instead of a shield i use a great off-hand chakram (+15 energy +30 health) thus allowing me to have higher expertise/wilderness. Skills i use:

What focus can a R/W use if they have no casting skills
Please inform me of a focus that would allow me to get the extra mana
WITHOUT needing a caster's secondary.