Clarification on Nature Spirits.

Clarification, please. I was told IG to not use favorable winds because all foe within range have the advantage also. I don't agree but I have not found anyone that knows for sure.

The description for frozen soil is similar to favorable winds, "non-spirit creatures within its range" which effects everyone, so possibly this person was correct.


Favorable Winds

They affect anyone in range. Friend or foe.

Kumu Honua beat me to it; a spirit anyone places effects ALL non-spirit creatures within range. Enemy spirits that help them also help you, while friendly spirits also help them.

Yes, it's true, FW affects all players within range - friend & foe. But, then again, it does depend a lot upon circumstances - mainly, how many friends or foes there are that can get a benefit from FW. (How many rangers there are.)

As a general rule though, you should only use FW if there are several Rangers in your group. If you are the only Ranger, it would be better to use Read The Wind. (RTW is a preparation though, so it doesn't work with Barrage or Volley.)
For WiK content it's best just to not use FW at all.

Also, yes, Frozen Soil is the same, it prevents anyone (within range), friend or foe, from resurrecting. However, depending upon how well your party can stay alive, FS can be very useful in WiK content. If you use FS, I would tend to keep the number of points in Wilderness Survival at a minimum to reduce the time the FS stays up, so that you don't have to wait around too long to rez people should party members die. (And/or have someone with the Rit skills to kill FS when needed.)

Yeah, it's funny to fight them horsies people in EotN with a Dervish since they always have a Symbiosis nature spirit somewhere around lol.

Or fight Kournan's with my Paragon or Warrior and their use of Infuriating Heat nature spirit......

I am not sure if it helps them more then me though, but I seriously doubt it.

You can still take FW in plenty of areas with few or no rangers. Best to avoid it in places like Echovald Forest, Kourna or anywhere with charr. When you go to do a mission or quest, look it up on the wiki and read the list of foes.

The only extra thing to add would be, I like read the winds more in general...Especially when you're exploring an area, or "chasing" mobs around the map. Cause I tend to get out of range of FW.

FW is good when you need to "hold" and area. There are several missions that you need to defend a place/ someone and FW is really good in that situation.

actually WINDS is the only nature ritual spirit that ONLY effects foes...

Nope, thats only the real life winds (Effects all other creatures but not yourself).

The ingame Favorable Winds effects all creatures, friends or foes. You can test his by going up to a group of foes that uses this spirit. If it effects you, then yours will also logically effect them.

Edit: nvm. didnt think about the EotN PvE skill. oops

Thank you, now it is clear.
I have been refraining from using FW just encase and rethinking my skill bar. Usually in the time it takes to cast FW I have missed a lot of the fight so I don't bother with it.