Beastmaster.. what is it good for?

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

Marksmanship 10 (9+1)
Expertise 11 (9+2)
Beast Mastery 14 (12+2)

Skills:

1. Read The Wind
2. Otyugh's Cry
3. Penetrating Attack
4. Feral Lunge
5. Scavenger Strike
6. Poisonous Bite
7. Heal As One (E)
8. Charm Animal

Only thing at moment is maybe a lack of interrupt.

The Real Roy Keane

The Real Roy Keane

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

Dublin, Ireland

Is this for PvE or PvP? If it's PvP, the standard hammer wielding Bunny Thumper is better than any of the above builds.

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

It is not for PvP

Don Zardeone

Don Zardeone

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Oct 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Demi
what exactly is a beast ranger good for? I'm somewhat new to GW and I just wanted a little clarification. thanks.

-d PvE:
Tanking: pet can tank, but eh need to convince your team it can
General damage: bow is meh, pet is weeeeeeee
Group farming: b/p groups
Solo farming: pet tank solo bossfarmer. It's how I got all my bows.

PvP:
- RoA

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

What would you guys say is the better pet? Right now I am using a Black Bear. But, would you say that the Black Widow is a nice pet to have ^^ ?

Wakka

Wakka

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Sep 2006

Northern Ireland

R/

I think thier all the same, some deal different damage but I think in terms of the amount of damage and hp etc their the same.

Also thier great for just adding some extra DPS to your build, it really helps to pile on the pressure along.

The Shelf

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Sep 2007

R/Me

I think all the pets are the same except for two things. Bears should generally be avoided (unless you just have to have one) because they have a special attack (Bestial Mauling?) that doesn't do anything. It's just a normal attack, but the drawback is that it takes longer to activate than a normal attack. I think the polar bear is okay to use, though.

The other thing that differs between pets is the attack type. Most pets use slashing, I think, while only a few use piercing. The Black Widow is an example of a piercing pet. You should be able to find all this info on wiki.guildwars.com if you want more details.

Rathcail

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Jan 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by The Shelf
I think the polar bear is okay to use, though. It is. Mine wastes no time for useless mauling.

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

Well I like Blackbears. I would prefer a Polarbear but I cannot be bothered to level it up all the way too 20 again!

One other thing to realise is it is not always about being the best, it is about enjoying your time (a general note that we all should consider).

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

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

R/

If it helps, you can afk death level a polar bear with just Gwen the resmer along.

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

Okay, Lenny. I have never came across that terminology. Can you expland please; though it does sound like I can just go away from keyboard and have him level himself..

Note: I have only Proph, Fac, NF.

Yanman.be

Yanman.be

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2005

Belgium

[ROSE]

A/

Yeah you die so he gets xp, he levels up, you cap him at level 20. ( I think )

lennymon

lennymon

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

Seattle

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

R/

ah, polar bear is only gwen. and yes, death levelling makes dire pets 100% of the time, as they are killing you before you charm... over and over
gwen is there to keep ressing you
after it hits 20th, you just charm

it's best to clear a spot around the beasty though so you wont be interrupted by like a charr warband first however.

Rexion

Rexion

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Aug 2007

[Luck]

E/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Floski
Absolutely nothing. pun intended?
cause if it was, i chuckled...


beast mastery...
hmm... wasting slots?

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

Okay I am now using the Black Widow (Which, as it spawned, is an Elder pet).

I really miss my bear though. I was thinking of getting a white Bear from EotN.

1. Does a White Polar Bear do Piercing dmg?

2. Piercing dmg from a pet is the better to have, yes?

Angelus...

Angelus...

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2007

Webel Wising [wawr]

try this build out for size if you're looking for something with good dmg

Savage Shot
Sloth Hunters Shot (change if you dont have GWEN)
Brutal Strike
Feral Aggresion (a beastmasters must-have skill)
Heal as One (E)
Lightning Reflexes
Charm Animal
(some form of rez)

I currently have a dire polar bear.

use a shortbow

I've now switched to using this in almost all PvE situations. Capable of high dps due the Shortbow and Feral Aggresion. I'm currently really loving this.

Marverick

Marverick

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2006

R/

Is Great Dwarf Weapon still bugged right now?

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

I was just wondering what Pet dmg is more effective:

Slashing or Piercing?

Lurid

Lurid

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Mar 2006

Mo/

Technically they're the same, so long as you aren't fighting an enemy who has like..a shield with +AL vs Slash / Pierce.

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

I like my little spider, but I think I prefer something bigger and more aggressive looking. The Bear fits this description. However, Black Bears become useless with their Brutal Mawling. When I get EotN I will probably charm a Polar Bear. Unless there is any major reason someone can come up with to stick with the Black Widow..

Angelus...

Angelus...

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Oct 2007

Webel Wising [wawr]

Go with the polar bear, it's awesome.

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

Yeah I am thinking of doing that.

Though, I am tempted to make him an Elder, rather than a regular Hearty.

1. Does the polar bear still growl like my Black Bear did
2. How do pets gain XP. Do they get exactly the same XP you do?

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Marverick
Is Great Dwarf Weapon still bugged right now?
Think so. I also find it painfully expensive without expertise.

Quote:
Originally Posted by 3246251196
I was just wondering what Pet dmg is more effective:

Slashing or Piercing? There's very little difference. They each have an inscription that hoses them, which you encounter rarely. They each have a skill which hoses them (shields up and bladeturn refrain), which you encounter rarely. Necromancers have an armor insignia that hoses piercing, which no one wears. Probably the biggest difference is that there's a number of Prophecies plant monsters that are weak to slashing. Besides, most of your pet damage in a full-on beastmaster build is untyped, armor-ignoring +damage from skills anyway.

Marverick

Marverick

Forge Runner

Join Date: Aug 2006

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chthon
Think so. I also find it painfully expensive without expertise.
Well if the +damage is working properly then I'll probably run Ferocious Strike with it as I don't need Enraged Lunge, that'll give plenty of energy for Great Dwarf Weapon and some other PvE skills.

cr00mz

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2006

i was thinking of going beastmaster but i wanna know when you got like all BM skills, what do you as a player do? you just stand back and let your pet attack? or do you use the bow as a back-up? but if you use a bow wouldnt you spread your attributes too much?

3246251196

3246251196

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Aug 2007

North East England; Sunderland

A/

For an effective beastMaster the majority of your skills should be beastMaster. I, for one, use two other skills not from beastMaster. That being Favourable Winds (interchangable with Read the Wind, of course) and the other being Distracting Shot.

While your pet is attacking causing -7 Degen with Poison and Bleeding as well as hitting massive when the enemy is under a condition and being healed with ease with HaO AND having the advantage of Otyugh's Cry - you can stand back and look out for those skills that the enemy try and use to either heal them selves or whatever. This is my style. Of course, you AND your pet could have an interrupt. It all depends on what you want.

cr00mz

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2006

and how have you put your attributes?

Chthon

Grotto Attendant

Join Date: Apr 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by cr00mz
and how have you put your attributes?
Attributes on a beastmaster are kinda ugly. Since there's no BM-linked weapons, you have to split 3 ways to get the job done. Generally you should use:
  • Beast = 12 + 1 (headpiece) + X (rune) Marks = 8 + 1 (rune) Exp = 10 + X (rune) Now, here's the nasty part: What do you do with the runes? Lots of BM skills scale pretty decently at the top, and you get increased base damage on the pet. That's a strong incentive to go with the sup rune to get 16 BM. But, lots of BM skills are also 5e skills, and the next Exp breakpoint for 5e skills is at 13. That moves your costs from 3 to 2, or a 33% energy savings. So it's also very, very enticing. But it takes a Sup rune too. So what do you do? Since you're in the backline with decent armor, you can usually get away with 2 sup runes (I can hear the throngs of Minor Rune Nazis clamoring in anger over that comment). In fact, I often do just that when I play beastmaster. Otherwise you have to make some hard choices about what's more important and whether to consider a major rune somewhere..

    Johnny Madhouse

    Johnny Madhouse

    Ascalonian Squire

    Join Date: Aug 2007

    SKOB

    P/

    I believe that the black bear's mauling skill can actually be useful at times, since the introduction of paragon anthems that trigger on use of an attack skill. I'm not sure, but I think I read somewhere that brutal mauling does count as an attack skill for the purpose of anthems.

    cr00mz

    Academy Page

    Join Date: Dec 2006

    the 9 in marksmanship is just for the bow? you dont use any bow attacks?

    Chthon

    Grotto Attendant

    Join Date: Apr 2007

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cr00mz
    the 9 in marksmanship is just for the bow? you dont use any bow attacks? Yep, it's just so that your auto attacks aren't wasted. You may not be a warrior, but your auto attacks still aren't so trivial as to just discard.

    cr00mz

    Academy Page

    Join Date: Dec 2006

    if the pet skills allready is cheap, then 2-3 isnt really much difference, (in the long run it will be, if you think how much energy/min you save) but in a battle i think you wont get Out of mana since the ranger has 3 arrows of regeneration and pretty low mana pool, it will be regenerated quickly

    Chthon

    Grotto Attendant

    Join Date: Apr 2007

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cr00mz
    if the pet skills allready is cheap, then 2-3 isnt really much difference, (in the long run it will be, if you think how much energy/min you save) but in a battle i think you wont get Out of mana since the ranger has 3 arrows of regeneration and pretty low mana pool, it will be regenerated quickly They also recharge quickly. The difference between 2e and 3e is often the difference between spamming Enraged Lunge on the recharge for an entire battle and running out of energy and needing to rely on auto attacks while your energy recharges.

    Saving 1e off your Enraged Lunge every 5 sec is the equivalent of 3/5 of a pip of energy regen. And that's just one skill. Let's take a example with more skills: Assume you've got 16 BM; and you're using Enraged Lunge, Brutal Strike, Otyugh's Cry, Feral Aggression, and Call of Protection as your often-used, expertise-caring-about skills; and you use everything either on the recharge or when it expires, whichever is longer. For all of those skills, 13 expertise saves 1e over 11 expertise. Now, we prorate that 1e over the each skill's frequency of usage, and we get: (1/5) + (1/5) + (1/30) + (1/21) + (1/120) = ~0.49 e/sec = ~1.5 pips of energy regen. So, for this build, the difference between 11 Exp vs 13 Exp is the same as 3 pips vs 4.5 pips of regen. That's a very big difference (+50%!!), and it only gets bigger the more fast-recharging attack skills you add.

    That's why I said that choosing between sup BM, sup Exp, or risking dual sup runes is a tough one.

    3246251196

    3246251196

    Frost Gate Guardian

    Join Date: Aug 2007

    North East England; Sunderland

    A/

    Maybe you could risk having two Superiors if you use a Sup Vig.. What you guys think?

    Lourens

    Lourens

    Forge Runner

    Join Date: Mar 2006

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by 3246251196
    Maybe you could risk having two Superiors if you use a Sup Vig.. What you guys think? thats a pretty waste i run mostly minors and have 75hp more (i care more for 75hp then 2 more points in an atribute)

    3246251196

    3246251196

    Frost Gate Guardian

    Join Date: Aug 2007

    North East England; Sunderland

    A/

    Yeah, something I never really considered but a good idea. I normally use two Maj. But the minors is an interesting point ^^

    Marverick

    Marverick

    Forge Runner

    Join Date: Aug 2006

    R/

    Except in PvE most PuG casters are tards running around with dual sups, and henches only have 480 health, so having more than them is just meaningless because mobs will just go bash on them.

    cr00mz

    Academy Page

    Join Date: Dec 2006

    how is this build.

    Call of protection
    symbiotic bond
    enraged lunge
    feral aggression
    charm animal
    comfort animal
    otyhgs cry
    some kind of res.

    atributes would be
    9 marks
    12 bm
    expertise the rest

    note that this is for pve