Just started up an R/Me (PvE) need suggestions.

So I just created an R/Me for PvE as the title says and I just wanted to see what suggestions as far as skills, armor, weapons and strategy I should use? Yes I did the search option but couldnt find what I was looking for so please do not flame me .. Anyway, I was thinking that barrage/interrupt would be a good strategy so I could use the additional Mesmer interrupts for some added incentives to being a good interrupt Ranger. Just wanted to see what some of you experienced Ranger players out there had to share with me about this build and how I can benefit best in PvE.

Thanks in advance,
~Hellfire

Well what do you intend with your ranger? Is it gonna be a farming character, or just going through missions?

The build you mention would be interesting, barrage w/zealous to keep energy up for the mes interrupts. Switch to a non-zealous bow if you get low on energy.

For armor, I think Druid's is the best choice. Rangers have enough armor against elemental damage anyways.

Skills...some sort of defensive skill like Throw Dirt or Whirling Defense...conditioning skills are nice...

Weapons...I personally have 15^50 bows, but those aren't cheap...Graygore's Zealous Short Bow is nice for energy...Drago's Flatbow is a good choice with some sort of arrow speed increaser...I personally like my 10/10 Sundering 15^50 +30 HP Longbow...but it's your preferance.

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First off, dont use sundering, its worthless. If you intend on shooting fast, use a short bow, and if you want to interupt with ranger skills, use a composite. Energy wouldnt be an issue but you want to use barrage so we cant fix that. BTW barrage is only worth using when you have 5 targets. Otherwise its just not worth it. Punishing shot, deals great damage, and interupts, solves two issues at once. Leech sig is good from mesmer, free interupt+energy back. Cant beat that. Ive used r/mes a lot, but not for damage just interupts. Trying to do both, honestly, might limit your ability in each. You might want to focus on one... Realize that even when you interupt you deal damage, its not as if you are doing nothing. And, if you truely wanted to deal damage, you could be a monk second, use a horn bow(10% AP always), and judges insight with barrage.

Sundering is really useful! When you get a perfect sundering, you sell it to nubs and get huge cash!

And, of course, to help you Tyrael...

I'm not really experienced with the Ranger part, only the Mez part...

Cry of Frustration is a bit too energy heavy for a R, or else I would take that...

I'll post more later since I'm nodding off to sleep right now.

What should I set my atts. to?

Sundering is the worst mod anybody can put on a weapon it has 10% armor pen but 10% is 1 armor pen lo you wont do more dmg than a Shocking bow string lol

And at time's when you want to buy a urber Storm bow with a 10/10 sundering on it and you pay a fortune for the bow you have to cash out more for a decent mod. Shocking bow string's are good for dmg.

NO, you sell it to noobs since they don't know, and get huge cash! You don't use it! Idiots use it! (I mean sundering!)

In other words, it is crap for using, but it is extremely useful for money gain purposes.

Erm...

R/Me...I'm using Expertise and Marks and Inspiration with a bit of Domination. Please critique, since I'm a caster and I'm no Ranger...

Expertise: 8 +1
Marksmanship: 12 +3 +1
Domination: 5
Inspiration: 9

Drain Enchantment
Barrage {E}/Punishing Shot {E}
Dual Shot
Savage Shot
Penetrating Attack
Signet of Humility/Power Drain
Shatter Hex
Resurrection Signet

I'm going to prepare for some pretty harsh criticism...*Braces oneself*

Nice build Lightning. Only difference I would make is get rid of domination put skills in expertise. Maybe even lower inspiration some. A high expertise and drain enchantment=permo-energy. Instead of shatter hex, I would put Read the wind, will help with all bow attacks, and make easier to interrupt.
I know, shatter hex is a beautiful skill, just doesn't fit here.

IMHO...

I'm always so tempted with R/Me's to use Greater Conflagration, Winter and Mantra of Frost with Frostbound Armor. but that would be silly

My r/me is my favorite pve character and my oldest too. I made him go all out Wilderness Survival and my bow req and illusion i forget the build cause i havent done much besides trap b/p and cripshot with him for a few days. O and a pet always helps in pve.

The greatest gift the Mesmer secondary gives to the Ranger is the skill Arcane Conundrum.

Give this build a try:

Marksmanship: 16 (12+3+1)
Expertise: 9 (8+1)
Wilderness Survival: 8 (7+1)
Illusion Magic: 8

Read the Wind
Penetrating Attack
Punishing Shot {E} or Poison Arrow {E}
Savage Shot
Distracting Shot
Arcane Conundrum
Troll Unguent
Rez Sig

Nice mix of damage and interrupts.
Arcane Conundrum allows you to easily interrupt things that are normally much more difficult to interrupt, specifically 1 second or less spells. And you still get decent damage output with Read the Wind, Penetrating Attack (about every other attack), and Punishing Shot/Poison Arrow.

EDIT: On a side note, if you want to be a good interrupter, leave Barrage at home. Simply put, you need Read the Wind to be a fully effective interrupter, and Barrage unfortunatley does not work with Preps. Besides, the Read the Wind, Penetrating Attack, Punishing Shot/Poison Arrow combo I described above out-damages the hell out of Barrage in terms of single-target damage. Save the AOE stuff for the fire Elementalists and just concentrate on your interrupts (while dealing high single-target damage between interrupts, of course).
Barrage is wildly overrated BTW.

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The only reason I'm going Domination is because of Shatter Hex (as you said), and the only reason I bring Shatter Hex is because most of the other Mezzes are halfwits. I've seen one bring Echo + Arcane Echo + Conjure Phantasm. Conjure is beautiful, but 3 of them together is just plain ... ... ... crap.

Oh by the way, thanks for the compliment.

Excellent build idea, I appretiate it

My build for FoW parties, nothing special but it does its job, which is interupting, don't know it's effectivity for PvE in general but i thought I'd share.

Read the Wind
Punishing Shot (E)
Savage Shot
Distracting Shot
Concussion Shot
Power Drain
Whirling Defence / Ether Feast
Resurrect Signet

Marksmenship: 14 (mask + minor rune)
Expertise: 10 (minor rune)
Inspiration: 9

The build isn't very powerful as far as damage is concerned but that's not really the point, the point is to keep the interupts coming out and hassling the enemies.

I use druids armour but if your using a different armour might want to invest more points in expertise from marksmenship to compensate for the energy lose.

Should wait tilll your energies low before using power drain, normally a good idea if used after you've fired out a concussion shot or two.

This is my first post, hope it doesn't get torn to pieces ^^