Ranger Skills You'd Like to See Changed

[Vincent Woland]

Anet has been doing a pretty good job of addressing skills that are on the thin side of useful, shall we say. There are a few, however, that they may have missed. My current list:

• Quickening Zephyr – I feel that the duration nerf and the cost nerf would have been excessive on their own, but together? A Quickening Zephyr spirit must have stolen someone from Anet’s girlfriend… The worst part is, there is a very good chance we will NEVER see this skill changed again, as it is practically unheard of for a developer to “un-fix” a fix. Oh, what a craptacular fix it was…
• Bestial Pounce – So, this sucker is pretty much the same skill as Disrupting Lunge, but it only affects spells instead of all skills, won’t disable the spell that has been interrupted for 20 seconds, and has triple the recharge. Where do I sign up for this one?
• Fertile Season – The only reason this spirit was ever used was to keep other spirits laid down for the spirit-spam build alive. Well, we don’t have spirit spam anymore, thanks to numerous nerfs. While this spirit may have uses, they are EXTREMELY limited, as the spirit toughens the enemy just as much as it toughens you team. Hooray, longer match!!! Not only that, but if you blink, you will miss it, as it is very shy, and will only last for 39 seconds with a Beast Mastery attribute of 15. 15? Recent studies have shown that 88.6% of Rangers don’t even know there is a Beast Mastery attribute…
• Melandru’s Assault – +5-17 damage with another +5-17 damage if the target is enchanted? Pretty good, but it is too much like Brutal Strike, and has double the recharge. May be useful if you really hate people with enchantments…
• Symbiotic Bond – In theory, this one is a winner. One pip of regeneration for your pet, plus half of its damage redirect to yourself will keep you pet alive much longer. But wait, what good is a living pet if it just hangs around your corpse and whines… “It’s your fault I’m dead, Fido!” Not to mention the fact that players are much more prone to attacking other players, as opposed to their pets. Maybe if this skill worked the other way around, we would have something.
• Power Shot – This skill really isn’t that bad until you read the description for Penetrating Attack. Why would you choose a skill that does slightly less damage and has twice the recharge of another skill in the same line?
• Dryder’s Defenses – Again, this one isn’t that bad, but the recharge is horrible. Elemental damage isn’t really that much of a problem, is it?
• Called Shot – It doesn’t interrupt, so what do I care about flight speed?
• Melandru's Resilience - This skill would be great if either it wasn't a stance, or it increased the health regen from 2 pips to 3. It is an elite, after all...

So there is my list. What do you guys think?

[Pardoz]

[*]Called Shot – It doesn’t interrupt, so what do I care about flight speed?

You don't, except insofar as it makes it harder to dodge by movement. The "cannot be blocked or evaded" makes it a very nice delivery system for dropping some DoT on an evading target, though.

[Entrapping Arrow]

I think we need a paralization shot.

Paralization Shot
For 1...5 seconds target enemy becomes paralized. Paralization is a condition that renders the enemy from making an action(Move, Attack, or use a skill).

[IWantMORIDIN]

I think we need a paralization shot.

Paralization Shot
For 1...5 seconds target enemy becomes paralized. Paralization is a condition that renders the enemy from making an action(Move, Attack, or use a skill).

Reworded:
Knockdown Shot
For 1...5 seconds target foe is knocked down. This is an overpowered skill.

I think Symbiotic Bond might affect every pet in your party, but I'm not sure.

IMO called shot should be changed to 5 energy. The only real use I can think of is Incendiary Arrows+called shot against targets that like to evade.

[hahnsoo]

IMO called shot should be changed to 5 energy. The only real use I can think of is Incendiary Arrows+called shot against targets that like to evade.

I thought it already has? From the most recent patch notes:

Called Shot – Decreased Energy to 5 and recharge to 3 seconds.

Dryder's Defenses is okay as it is, because it is based on Wilderness Survival rather than Expertise and it only costs 5 Energy. It's an alternative to Whirling Defense for folks with lower Expertise and high Wilderness Survival, not a substitute. Also, the increased Elemental armor is very handy in PvE situations.

Melandru's Resiliance is one of the few skills that give you added Energy regen, making it an Elite. The Health regen is just icing on the cake. Use it in Hex-heavy PvE areas, like against Bog Skales or Mergoyles.

In the past, Power Shot was calculated differently from other Bow Attack skills (added to the base damage rather than the bonus damage). I'm not sure what it's like now.

I will also note that if you look at Korean PvP players who use Fertile Season (before and after the nerf), they regularly had Beast Mastery up to 15 or 16, mostly because those Rangers were dedicated Ritualists. Probably why they used it so effectively in a team setting.

[FluxCapacitor]

Playing a bit of the devil's advocate:

I agree with Quickening Zephyr. The change was a bit drastic. But, keep in mind, it is one of the very few ways in the game to positively affect the recharge time of skills, and it affects all of your skills. Of course, its everyone else's, as well.

The nice thing about Bestial Pounce is the knockdown. Not only do you disrupt the spell, but you prevent them from doing anything else for that extra second. This, along with Spike Trap (which is elite), are the Ranger's only forms of knockdown.

Fertile Season has a few other uses. It can protect against spike teams. It can make ressurecting someone, and keeping them alive, much easier. Also, understand that there are two aspects of the game - PvP and PvE. So, just because something doesn't work quite as well as you want in one, it may work well (or even be overpowered) in another. Fertile Season isn't bad when coupled with a summoning Necromancer.

Melandru's Assault is the only AOE beast master attack. Its not exceedingly powerful, but it does deal damage to more than one opponent.

Again, Symbiotic Bond may not be great in PvP, as players tend to avoid the pet, but it can greatly increase the survivability of your pet in PvE.

I agree that Power Shot is a bit . . . lackluster, when compared to some of the other bow damage modifying attacks. Probably the way to change Power Shot is to have Power Shot and Point-Blank Shot with the same damage modifier. Power Shot would have a slower recharge than Point-Blank Shot, but Point-Blank Shot requires you to be closer.

Yeah, the main problem with Dryder's is the long recharge with the short duration. However, compare it to some of the Warrior defensive skills. Take Disciplined Stance and Defensive Stance. All 3 provide the same block bonus, and last an equivalent period of time. Disciplined and Defensive provide 24 AL. Dryder's gives loads of AL vs elemental, which is arguably better, since you're blocking most attacks, but can't block most elemental attacks. Disciplined and Defensive will also end prematurely if other skills are used (only adrenal for Disciplined). So, if a change is made to Dryder's, there would need to be a change to several other skills, or balance is shot.

The main reason to use Called Shot is in conjunction with a preparation. It can work well with Marksmanship's Wager and Incendiary Arrows. Called Shot simply increases the odds of your arrow striking its target.

I admit, I haven't actually ever used Melandru's Resilience. The benefit I see with it? A way for the Ranger to deal with conditions and hexes, something they're lacking.

Here are a few that I'm not so sure about:

Determined Shot - yeah, I guess recharging your attack skills is kind of nice. But missing when you want can be a bit difficult, and most attacks skills have a fairly short recharge anyway. If you have 2 or 3 other attack skills in your bar, you can usually just cycle right through them, as the first is generally recharged when you're done with the last. If you've only got one other attack skill, then the benefits of Determined Shot are kind of negligible. The damage makes up for these shortcomings a bit, but I just don't think its enough. I'd rather take another bow skill that adds as much, or more, damage, but recycles faster. Using it with Oath Shot is all right. But, if you miss with Oath Shot, Determined Shot's not going to be available anyway. If you hit, well, then you've got all your other skills to use while Oath Shot is recharging.

Power Shot - as I noted above

Really, most skills are pretty well-balanced, taking into consideration the other professions' skill sets, and PvE and PvP.

[Gorani]

I´m missing Comfort Animal in your poll!

It´s not the fact that it should be combined with Charm Animal, but the fact it shuts down your skills for 8 sec after resurrecting your pet! (well another 8 sec, because you had that before when your pet died). Give Beastmasters a chance and make that time depend on BM attribute !

[Vincent Woland]

I thought it already has? From the most recent patch notes:
Dryder's Defenses is okay as it is, because it is based on Wilderness Survival rather than Expertise and it only costs 5 Energy. It's an alternative to Whirling Defense for folks with lower Expertise and high Wilderness Survival, not a substitute. Also, the increased Elemental armor is very handy in PvE situations.

Melandru's Resiliance is one of the few skills that give you added Energy regen, making it an Elite. The Health regen is just icing on the cake. Use it in Hex-heavy PvE areas, like against Bog Skales or Mergoyles.

In the past, Power Shot was calculated differently from other Bow Attack skills (added to the base damage rather than the bonus damage). I'm not sure what it's like now.

I will also note that if you look at Korean PvP players who use Fertile Season (before and after the nerf), they regularly had Beast Mastery up to 15 or 16, mostly because those Rangers were dedicated Ritualists. Probably why they used it so effectively in a team setting.

The problem with Melandru's Resilience is that you don't have any control over when you regain energy. Additionally, in order to do so, something bad must be happening to you. Compare this to Ferocious Strike or Marksman's Wager. Furthermore, I don't think the point of Mel's Resilience is to regain energy, it is to combat hexes/conditions. With respect:happy65: to the :clap: Fertile Season argu:love38: ment, what is the purpose of the spirit in the build that you mention?

I am actually glad people have disagreements. I tried to put as many options for people to choose, and any information I can gather regarding useful ways to implement these skills, the better.

P.S. Sorry about the emoticons, my girlfriend likes to pepper my posts with them. She thinks they are cute...

Good to see you back, Hahnsoo.

[FluxCapacitor]

Fertile Season + spirits = very tough spirits

You can create a wall against warriors. It can also make getting rid of the effects of a spirit very difficult.

With regards to Comfort Animal - you do have another option for resurrecting your pet, which doesn't kill your skill bar for 8 seconds. Another option is to simply use as many skills as possible before using Comfort Animal to bring back your companion. This helps lessen the effect. It would be nice to have the 8 seconds reduced some with higher beast mastery, however.

A lot of people have suggested combining the effects Comfort Animal and Charm Animal into one skill. Creating a new skill with the ability to rez a pet and have it follow along would help out the beastmasters. Obviously, there would need to be some sort of negative impact, like reducing the effective level of the pet, or maybe make it an elite (although, it would be tough giving up Ferocious Strike).

[Vincent Woland]

Fertile Season + spirits = very tough spirits

You can create a wall against warriors. It can also make getting rid of the effects of a spirit very difficult.

With regards to Comfort Animal - you do have another option for resurrecting your pet, which doesn't kill your skill bar for 8 seconds. Another option is to simply use as many skills as possible before using Comfort Animal to bring back your companion. This helps lessen the effect. It would be nice to have the 8 seconds reduced some with higher beast mastery, however.

A lot of people have suggested combining the effects Comfort Animal and Charm Animal into one skill. Creating a new skill with the ability to rez a pet and have it follow along would help out the beastmasters. Obviously, there would need to be some sort of negative impact, like reducing the effective level of the pet, or maybe make it an elite (although, it would be tough giving up Ferocious Strike).

Read the OP. Fertile Season no longer affects spirits. That is what it used to be used for. The patch that changed this also changed the duration. Like the qz "fix", this seems to be the case of "one or the other, but not both...". You obviously haven't played much since the end of August.