I just created a Ranger/ Elementalist I plan on using pretty much just for PvE. I'd really like some ideas on what some good builds are for these two classes, my last character was a Me/N, so I don't know much about what the must have Ranger and Elementalist skills are or even what some viable builds are.
I know that builds depend on playing style and what how you want to play the character so let me tell you how I'd like to play it.
First off I want to use a bow, second I want a pet, thirdly this will pretty much just be PvE. Soloing would be nice, but I'm ok with just beaing able to deal decent damage to single targets with my Ranger skills and good AoE damage to groups with my elementalist skills in pick up groups.
I'd really appreciate some good build ideas from people who have a similar succesfull character.
Need some Advice on a PvE R/E build
Jimbodan
Gh0sT
Well from my experience you'll develop your own character on the run...
We can give you some good skill setup, but you wont get it for a long time anyway....
We do however can give you some skills which are obtainable early in the game and are really good...
One of them is Penetrating attack... a lot of PvE monsters will have very high armor, so this attack is really useful...
Ignite Arrows can be good as well, its a fire attack that causes splash damage...
Dual shot, shoot 2 arrows... couple it with ignite arrows and you have a firework party...
From my experiance as a R/E (im one too) you'll be using ur ranger skills a lot and at the start Fire Storm is great as well, but in the end you'll be primarily using ur ranger skills because ranger skills just fit the ranger good, and you'll use ur elementalist for conjure and maybe another nifty skill only...
ATM i play with this setup for PvE...
2 attack skills: Penetrating attack (just like it), Hunter Shot (powerful and bleeding)
1 Disruptiing skill: Distracting shot, its not that useful for PvE, but when you just cant get that monk down because he keeps healing... or when you meet a powerful boss with healing signet, this could turn the tables awefully fast...
1 Preparation: ATM i use apply poison, its a bit costy at first with its 15 energy, but when your expertise gets high its not taht bad anymore, and 4 health arrows degen is nice, especially coupled with the bleeding from huntershot which makes it 7 degen. Another one i like is Kindle arrows.
1 Speed Buff: i just got Tigers Fury, and i love it already... though you have to recharge it quite a lot the +50% damage output is noticable.
2 Pet skills: Charm and Comfort, for the pet... usually just have it as tank and for the RP'ing a bit... I go for comform over revive for 2 good reasons, 1 comform also heals, i use it when we are done with fighting to get going quickly again. 2. Revive needs you to be very close to the pet, whereas comform can be used from a distance.
Some say the 8 second penalty is annoying but from my experiance, you ressurect the pet when you're done fighting so you dont need attack skills at that moment... whereas revive cost 6 seconds to cast, which is IMO more annoying as the party often wants to move on after fighting.
1 Rez skill: Resurrection Signet, make sure you pick this up in Pre-searing ascalon... because its the best skill ever... i cant remember how many times ive used it both in PvP as in PvE... its just taht good... rezzing in 2 seconds, and recharging after you killed a boss or zoned...
We can give you some good skill setup, but you wont get it for a long time anyway....
We do however can give you some skills which are obtainable early in the game and are really good...
One of them is Penetrating attack... a lot of PvE monsters will have very high armor, so this attack is really useful...
Ignite Arrows can be good as well, its a fire attack that causes splash damage...
Dual shot, shoot 2 arrows... couple it with ignite arrows and you have a firework party...
From my experiance as a R/E (im one too) you'll be using ur ranger skills a lot and at the start Fire Storm is great as well, but in the end you'll be primarily using ur ranger skills because ranger skills just fit the ranger good, and you'll use ur elementalist for conjure and maybe another nifty skill only...
ATM i play with this setup for PvE...
2 attack skills: Penetrating attack (just like it), Hunter Shot (powerful and bleeding)
1 Disruptiing skill: Distracting shot, its not that useful for PvE, but when you just cant get that monk down because he keeps healing... or when you meet a powerful boss with healing signet, this could turn the tables awefully fast...
1 Preparation: ATM i use apply poison, its a bit costy at first with its 15 energy, but when your expertise gets high its not taht bad anymore, and 4 health arrows degen is nice, especially coupled with the bleeding from huntershot which makes it 7 degen. Another one i like is Kindle arrows.
1 Speed Buff: i just got Tigers Fury, and i love it already... though you have to recharge it quite a lot the +50% damage output is noticable.
2 Pet skills: Charm and Comfort, for the pet... usually just have it as tank and for the RP'ing a bit... I go for comform over revive for 2 good reasons, 1 comform also heals, i use it when we are done with fighting to get going quickly again. 2. Revive needs you to be very close to the pet, whereas comform can be used from a distance.
Some say the 8 second penalty is annoying but from my experiance, you ressurect the pet when you're done fighting so you dont need attack skills at that moment... whereas revive cost 6 seconds to cast, which is IMO more annoying as the party often wants to move on after fighting.
1 Rez skill: Resurrection Signet, make sure you pick this up in Pre-searing ascalon... because its the best skill ever... i cant remember how many times ive used it both in PvP as in PvE... its just taht good... rezzing in 2 seconds, and recharging after you killed a boss or zoned...
Stephen Hawking
All that is solid advice from Ghost.
My particular build swaps penetrating shot with dual shot, and swaps rez signet with conjure <whatevr> for whatever bow you're using. Strings are relatively cheap to buy, and you can even get a +enchantment damage bow if you like.
Ignite arrows + dual shot + conjure flame, and hunter's shot for the other spammable attack.
I do admit I like the pet, but usually don't have enough to afford in beastmastery, so usually bring a party help tool like healing spring, or another trap combined with the defense skill. Since you generally need to buff expertise, marksmanship, wilderness, and <whatever> elem magic.
Also you can use apply poison instead of ignite arrows, it gets cheap relatively fast with expertise... But fire theme and all, not to mention, I can hopefully get rodgort's mark to keep em burning for a longer time.
If you don't mind, the wards are also very helpful party tools. Ward vs melee for your defense skill besides the whirling defense is pretty nice party buff.
My particular build swaps penetrating shot with dual shot, and swaps rez signet with conjure <whatevr> for whatever bow you're using. Strings are relatively cheap to buy, and you can even get a +enchantment damage bow if you like.
Ignite arrows + dual shot + conjure flame, and hunter's shot for the other spammable attack.
I do admit I like the pet, but usually don't have enough to afford in beastmastery, so usually bring a party help tool like healing spring, or another trap combined with the defense skill. Since you generally need to buff expertise, marksmanship, wilderness, and <whatever> elem magic.
Also you can use apply poison instead of ignite arrows, it gets cheap relatively fast with expertise... But fire theme and all, not to mention, I can hopefully get rodgort's mark to keep em burning for a longer time.
If you don't mind, the wards are also very helpful party tools. Ward vs melee for your defense skill besides the whirling defense is pretty nice party buff.
Jimbodan
Thanks for the advice guys, but I was thinking about using the elementalist portion for a couple AoE spells, like Meteor Shower or Fire Storm, how would that change the build and what skills I bring?
Stephen Hawking
The elem part usually requires a lot of energy which the ranger doesn't have unless using their own skills.
Think of it this way.. you get maybe 1 or 2 elem nukes before emptying dry (at least the good ones) when you could fire potentially any amount of ranger ones forever. Not to mention traps, etc. I mean there's versatility, but there's also spreading yourself way too thin.
At the beginning it is nice to use elem nukes with say glyph of whatever to lower the cost, etc. But in the end, you'll want the extra slots for other skills, and being able to disable a target with debilitating/distracting shot tends to be more valuable.
Think of it this way.. you get maybe 1 or 2 elem nukes before emptying dry (at least the good ones) when you could fire potentially any amount of ranger ones forever. Not to mention traps, etc. I mean there's versatility, but there's also spreading yourself way too thin.
At the beginning it is nice to use elem nukes with say glyph of whatever to lower the cost, etc. But in the end, you'll want the extra slots for other skills, and being able to disable a target with debilitating/distracting shot tends to be more valuable.
Jimbodan
What about going E/R? Would that solve the energy problem and still let me do enough damage with the bow to be viable?
Tavenlen
Non-primary rangers shouldn't really bother with a bow because they don't have Expertise. Without Expertise, skills are just too expensive to be as effective.
Anyway, the skills I use are:
Power Shot
Penetrating Attack
Troll Unguent
Serpent's Quickness
Dual Shot
Apply Poison
Whirling Defense
Resurrection Signet
Power, Penetrating, and Dual are my spam attack skills. My bow has +12% damage while in a stance, so I use Serpent's Quickness for a stance to help increase my damage (this will change to Tiger's Fury once I get it). I always have Apply Poison on, which is really helpful in areas where the enemies have high defense. Unguent and Whirling are skills that allow me to tank in an emergency. Signet is, obviously, to resurrect people.
I am a R/E and used to use some E skills, but took them out in favor of other skills. I used Fire Storm for a while on any stationary targets (Charr Hunters, Shamans, etc.) but it's too energy intensive for me. Then I switched that to Lightning Javelin because I had points in Air Magic (going Conjure Lightning when I get it). That was in there until I figured out I could do more damage with a Ranger attack skill. Armor of Earth is handy if you don't have a reliable party. It allowed me to finish the Borlis Pass and Gates of Kryta missions with a dead party.
It really just depends on what you find yourself needing. Make your build on the fly because one person's preferences could be what another person hates.
Anyway, the skills I use are:
Power Shot
Penetrating Attack
Troll Unguent
Serpent's Quickness
Dual Shot
Apply Poison
Whirling Defense
Resurrection Signet
Power, Penetrating, and Dual are my spam attack skills. My bow has +12% damage while in a stance, so I use Serpent's Quickness for a stance to help increase my damage (this will change to Tiger's Fury once I get it). I always have Apply Poison on, which is really helpful in areas where the enemies have high defense. Unguent and Whirling are skills that allow me to tank in an emergency. Signet is, obviously, to resurrect people.
I am a R/E and used to use some E skills, but took them out in favor of other skills. I used Fire Storm for a while on any stationary targets (Charr Hunters, Shamans, etc.) but it's too energy intensive for me. Then I switched that to Lightning Javelin because I had points in Air Magic (going Conjure Lightning when I get it). That was in there until I figured out I could do more damage with a Ranger attack skill. Armor of Earth is handy if you don't have a reliable party. It allowed me to finish the Borlis Pass and Gates of Kryta missions with a dead party.
It really just depends on what you find yourself needing. Make your build on the fly because one person's preferences could be what another person hates.