Shortbow Usage

Cebe

Cebe

The 5th Celestial Boss

Join Date: Jul 2006

Inverness, Scotland

The Cult of Scaro [WHO]

E/

So, While taking my Necro through The Desolation the other day I came across a *gasp* Zehtuka's Shortbow! So, I notice it is inscribable which suggests to me it will be moddable...yes? If I were to use it...what situations are shortbows good for? As far as I can see Recurves OWN any other type of bow outright... Just because of it's slightly special nature I'd like to find a use for it...any thoughts?

Edit: for spelling

Narayanese

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Jul 2006

Any damage build, especially ones that include an interrupt.

While recurve bows are good against caster-only mobs, where you are likely to use interrupts almost on recharge and switch targets a lot, and thus need that slightly better chance of hitting in time that recurve gives, the added pressure from a shortbow is better in most situations.

Commander Ryker

Site Contributor

Join Date: Jun 2005

R/

Short bows don't really excell at anything except having a fast refire rate and making you fight up close. If I wanted to do that, I'd be a warrior.

The recurve bow is a good choice for pretty much everything else, especially interrupting. I myself prefer the long bow because it has a greater distance. Although I do have a recurve for interrupting.

There are people that like the short bows, but personally, I don't ever use them.

Link for all info on bows: http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Bow#Bow_Types

Painbringer

Painbringer

Furnace Stoker

Join Date: Jun 2006

Minnesota

Black Widows of Death

W/Mo

I could be wrong but a Ranger/Paragon or Paragon/ranger can stay inside shout range of melee characters with a short bow very handy for Barrage Go for the eyes spamming.

XvArchonvX

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Commander Ryker
Short bows don't really excell at anything except having a fast refire rate and making you fight up close. If I wanted to do that, I'd be a warrior.
I think you have overlooked the fact that a shortbow has the fast refire rate of a flatbow, but doesn't need read the winds to make the arc reasonable. Since they keep you near your enemy as well, they aid in interupting.

Admittedly, short bows don't excell in as many builds as other bows (such as Recurves and Flatbows), but they can be very useful in some situations. The best example I can think of a build that is really suited for a short bow is a practiced stance + choking gas build:
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Build:R...ing_Gas_Ranger

This build became popular in HA for a while, but a lot of PvEers really have overlooked the usefulness of this build. There are a lot of areas where a lot of caster enemies tend to group up and are subsequently easily shut down by choking gas.

Franco Power

Franco Power

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2006

UK

W/

Shortbows are the best to use on a choking gas ranger or a broad head arrow ranger ( when your target is dazed), this is because you don't actually have to hit the person with choking gas, even if your arrow is blocked or evaded the choking gas will still have the same effect, so the accuracy of a recurve bow doesn't matter much, since the shortbow has the best refire rate, and you want to make sure you're choking your target as much as possible it is the best bow to use with choking gas and also broad head arrow or any dazed enemy that is not blocking your attacks. I'd keep the shortbow, and if you dont want it, tell me the stats and I'll buy it off you if i like lol.


EDIT: Archon stop syncing posts x_X.

Commander Ryker

Site Contributor

Join Date: Jun 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by XvArchonvX
I think you have overlooked the fact that a shortbow has the fast refire rate of a flatbow, but doesn't need read the winds to make the arc reasonable. Since they keep you near your enemy as well, they aid in interupting.
Nope, I didn't overlook it, reread my post, I said "Short bows don't really excell at anything except having a fast refire rate..." . As far as flatbows go, I don't use them at all. I don't like that arc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Legendary Ultimatum
Shortbows are the best to use on a choking gas ranger or a broad head arrow ranger ( when your target is dazed), this is because you don't actually have to hit the person with choking gas, even if your arrow is blocked or evaded the choking gas will still have the same effect, so the accuracy of a recurve bow doesn't matter much, since the shortbow has the best refire rate, and you want to make sure you're choking your target as much as possible it is the best bow to use with choking gas and also broad head arrow or any dazed enemy that is not blocking your attacks. I'd keep the shortbow, and if you dont want it, tell me the stats and I'll buy it off you if i like lol. True, because choking gas gas lasts a short time, so a fast refire rate is necessary. For choking gas to effective, you need to hit mulitiple targets with it, that way everyone will be affected. Even so, I still don't want to be that close to the bad guys.

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

If you refuse to use shortbows or flatbows in the situations/builds that warrant their use, you are seriously crippling yourself as a Ranger.... But that's been debated and rehashed in other threads.

Shortbows would work well with the recently buffed elite Glass Arrows. I'm going to do some testing(and math) over the weekend to see how it stacks up compared to RtW and Kindle. But a shortbow would take the most advantage out of the +damage since a flatbow would be somewhat less effective without RtW.

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

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I tried my shortbow last night with the new and improved [skill]Incendiary Arrows[/skill] in an r/w with flurry, pin down, hunters, some interrupts and natural stride at 16 WS. The polls are in: LOADS-O-FUN!!!!

Edit: I'll eentually update the wiki, but at 16WS it lasts 16 or 18 secs I cant remember right now.... yeah

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by lennymon
I tried my shortbow last night with the new and improved [skill]Incendiary Arrows[/skill] in an r/w with flurry, pin down, hunters, some interrupts and natural stride at 16 WS. The polls are in: LOADS-O-FUN!!!!

Edit: I'll eentually update the wiki, but at 16WS it lasts 16 or 18 secs I cant remember right now.... yeah Tis 16s at 16WS. I was thinking of trying it out yesterday in ABs, could be extremely irritating with Needling Shot vs low hp people... However i decided to use Melandrus Arrows instead... there had been an insane surge of Mending wammos, so i took that to cause some pain

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

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heh, killed me a mending wammo about 5 times in a row last night in AB . He just kept coming back for more... pinned down (I swapped to crippling longbow) bleeding, and on fire, he never got more than a few hits in before he died. It's a laugh a minute on the MM's and invincimentalists. Degen is what got me the times I died, even with a +10 troll....

Commander Ryker

Site Contributor

Join Date: Jun 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
If you refuse to use shortbows or flatbows in the situations/builds that warrant their use, you are seriously crippling yourself as a Ranger.... But that's been debated and rehashed in other threads.
I never said that I refuse to use the short bow, I said I prefer not to use it. If I'm doing HA or DoA with guildies, I always load the skills and use the weapon that they recommend. I don't always know the mechanics and I always trust the ones that do.

Quote:
Originally Posted by lennymon
heh, killed me a mending wammo about 5 times in a row last night in AB . He just kept coming back for more... pinned down (I swapped to crippling longbow) bleeding, and on fire, he never got more than a few hits in before he died. It's a laugh a minute on the MM's and invincimentalists. Degen is what got me the times I died, even with a +10 troll.... Oooh, that sounds interesting, care to share your build?

Franco Power

Franco Power

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2006

UK

W/

Well trust me I know the mechanic of a ranger in pvp... and choking gas isn't that short duration because you are suppose to combine it with Practised Stance, otherwise it's useless.

Snipious, glass arrows is already being used in Ranger spike in HA instead of the usual RTW. Feel free to do the math and tell us but It does do more dmg now, only problem is if you take Glass Arrows you're missing Punishing Shot, I noticed the Ranger Spike team I faced had Paragorns so GFTE+ Keen Arrow is probably being used aswel. I couldn't really pay much attention because it was in Courtyard and 2 teams were ganking my team. (kill count ftl)

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Legendary Ultimatum
only problem is if you take Glass Arrows you're missing Punishing Shot Doesn't matter. The added damage from Glass arrows totally makes up for any extra damage you get from Punishing shot. It also makes distracting shot a 30 damage hit.... which rocks.

Franco Power

Franco Power

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Dec 2006

UK

W/

True, I haven't looked into it myself as I don't really like spike groups :P, and been busy. Need to take some time out to check my ranger out don't I :O

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Legendary Ultimatum
...Keen Arrow.. Now that I think about it... this skill is freaking awsome even without GFTEs.

At 16 marks, it deals +24 damage (on average) for five energy!

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Commander Ryker


Oooh, that sounds interesting, care to share your build? Sure, here's what I used in Ab, Id swap in res sig for likely savage shot anywhere else: 10+1 marks, 12+3+1 WS, 8+1 expertise
[skill]Distracting Shot[/skill][skill]Hunter's Shot[/skill][skill]Pin Down[/skill][skill]Savage Shot[/skill][skill]Incendiary Arrows[/skill][skill]Troll Unguent[/skill][skill]Natural Stride[/skill][skill]Flurry[/skill]

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Why bring Pin Down when your have 3 other team members? Pin Down vs anyone with the sense to bring Mending Touch or have a monk in the group with condition removal is extremely ineffective.

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

Odin's Hammer [OH] - Servant's of Fortuna [SoF]

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this was what I ran for Ab, because for some reason most people can't be bothered to run condition removal there (you'll also note the lack of it in my skill bar ;P). It could certainly be improved upon for another venue, and yes you're right on as in my opinion mending touch was essentially the death knell of the cripshot ranger.

Commander Ryker

Site Contributor

Join Date: Jun 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
Doesn't matter. The added damage from Glass arrows totally makes up for any extra damage you get from Punishing shot. It also makes distracting shot a 30 damage hit.... which rocks.

Now that I think about it... this skill (keen) is freaking awsome even without GFTEs.

At 16 marks, it deals +24 damage (on average) for five energy!
This is why I love guru....you can learn so much. This is good stuff. Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by lennymon
Sure, here's what I used in Ab, Id swap in res sig for likely savage shot anywhere else: 10+1 marks, 12+3+1 WS, 8+1 expertise Thanks man, appreciate it.

Shinto Sharingan

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Apr 2006

Zealots of Shiverpeak

W/

Use Screaming Shot if you're using a shortbow, its really useful because you're already in earshot of the enemy.