Ranger Build (improvements welcome)

Killsmith

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2006

Here's a build I've had some success with in pvp. It's similar to Chris_nin00's quickshot build v2.0, but the skills that are different gear it more towards a one man spike build.

Attributes:
Exp 10
WS 10
Marks 11

Note: I do use runes, they are all superior and they are in different masks. I switch masks based on what I need. You don't have to do this, and if you hate switching masks in battle, just make sure your marksmanship is high and put in minor runes on the other two attributes.

Skills:
Quick Shot {E}
Kindle (+23 with appropriate mask, +17 otherwise)
Savage shot (+28 with appropriate mask, +24 else)
Dual Shot
Whirling defense (16 seconds base, 19 with expertise mask)
Distracting shot
Troll Unguent (+10 health regen with mask, 8 otherwise)
Res Signet

Bows
There's no increased arrow speed, so I use Elswyth's Recurve to drop the flight time of the arrows. A shortbow is a good choice if you want a faster refire rate. Zealous bowstrings are nice too.

This is really a skillset for spikes instead of sustained increased damage. Basically, I switch between a WS mask and a marksmanship mask to get the best bonus from my prep, and get the added damage of 15 marksmanship. Even with druids armor and the increased recharge of dual shot, you still only get to cycle through dual, QS, and savage 3 or 4 times before you're in need of energy. That's why I have an expertise mask too. With 14 expertise from the mask, I can still use my interrupts to stop spells and signets and send out the occasional quickshot if a team member gets someone's health down. Once my energy is back, I switch back to marksmanship to bring the damage back up. Depending on the target I do anywhere from 130-250 damage when I hit with dual->quick->savage.

Feel free to post comments if you think there's a way to get this build to do better damage.

On another note, I think I've noticed a strange pattern, but it may just be my immagination. Sometimes, when I'm trying to kill a good monk, it seems like it's easier to do with a weaker bow. By weaker, I mean not customized. What I do is use the weaker bow against the monks so they let their health drop lower than they would if I was doing more damage. Then when they let their health get low enough, I switch to the high damage bow and kill them with a spike. Has anyone else ever seen something like this happen before?

Maria The Princess

Maria The Princess

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2006

Aequitas Deis

seems good, but i still think a basic Spike build is better. and doesnt it distract changing masks?

and why would you use quik shot? try Punishing shot or even better... poison arrow to surprise a monk whos waiting for a damage spike and already casted "expensive" enchants and bonds, so he is is out of energy and energy regenaration to fight degenaration, and you can spam it often enouth to keep him out of energy if he uses a condition remover. if you want faster arows just plant a favorable winds, so you can use Kindle arrows+poison that on top of it move fast

Killsmith

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2006

I use quickshot because it fires much faster than a normal shot. Since it isn't an interrupt, I don't have any delay between quick shot and savage shot. If I decide I need to free up a slot for some other skill, I'll get rid of savage and quick shot and use punishing instead.

I tend to stay away from FW because it won't always benefit my team more than it benefits the other team.

And once you get used to switching masks it's not distracting. It only takes a double click.

K.Ichigo

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Nov 2005

It's not that great. Dual->QS->Savage takes too long to be considered a real spike. Not to mention you don't have Needling Shot, so you lose respect points from me. >.<

Killsmith

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Feb 2006

I don't have factions. Is Dual->Punishing->Savage any faster? I think the delay between the two interrupts lasts longer than the one second delay between Dual and quick.