Most Useless ranger skills ever

KillerGuitar666

KillerGuitar666

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

Eternal Sorrows

R/Me

OK, some ranger skills are awesome, but some....down right suck

My list:
Famine
The Pet Hea elite One, forgot the name
equinox


i cant think of any more right now, feel free to add on

BaconSoda

BaconSoda

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Apr 2006

*Somewhere Under The Rainbow*

Leo

Me/

Famine can be used with Edrainers for extra damage and can be awesome in HoH. Equinox can be used to make The mesmer skill which adds exaust to every skill actually useful. Heal as One can be used with monks or mesmers in the arenas to stay alive. I tested this actually and it works very well for a self heal if you can sacrifice a skill slot for a pet. Every skill has it's uses, just because you can't think of one doesn't automatically mean there is none.

lightblade

lightblade

Forge Runner

Join Date: May 2005

The Etereal Guard

Me/Mo

Famine is useless, yes...because there are no skill that do massive energy drain.

Heal as One is not useless because pets are used very often

Equinox is not useless because there are manual way to force exhaustion onto your enemy. i.e. Exhausting Failure, Acane Languor

Gusnana1412

Gusnana1412

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

M Cheese [cese]

R/Rt

@KillerGuitar666 i dont really agree with you~

For me less usefull Ranger skills are Point Blank Shot and Zojun's Shot
Well if i'm wrong, please tell me how to better use of these skills >.<

Ecklipze

Ecklipze

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Feb 2006

R/

Useless ranger skill = Otyugh's Cry

capblueberry

capblueberry

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Nov 2005

Lexington, SC

Grenths Mercenaries[DEAD]

power shot- i think is useless, because you can use precision shot which cant b blocked or evaded that gives the same exact damage bonus and has the same recharge and energy cost

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecklipze
Useless ranger skill = Otyugh's Cry
I agree.

Quote:
Originally Posted by capblueberry
power shot- i think is useless, because you can use precision shot which cant b blocked or evaded that gives the same exact damage bonus and has the same recharge and energy cost Precision is easily interrupted, Power Shot is not.

I capped Archer's Signet the other night, and I must say I am not very impressed. Doesn't seem elite-worthy to me. I'm sure there are some limited uses, like the odd Concussion Shot, but still...

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Practiced Stance
Otyugh's Cry
Broad Head Arrow


Marksman's Wager (<---IMO)

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

Practiced Stance used to suck, but now it's pretty nice. You can keep Choking Gas up 24/7 pretty easily now. Although, admittedly, that's about the best use of it, so I guess I can see how it's very specialized.

vv LMAO vv

Beat_Go_Stick

Beat_Go_Stick

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ecklipze
Useless ranger skill = Otyugh's Cry QFT

If they haven't fixed this skill, there is no doubt it is the worst in the game. The last time iI used it, all the animals in the area became hostile and attacked me instead of my enemy. Not that it really mattered that 2 level 5 animals started attacking me, mind you, but it still just made me shake my head and laugh.

Why did Otyugh cry? Because he realized his name would go down in history as the indesputable master of silly skill creation to ever exist in Tyria.

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lasher Dragon
Practiced Stance used to suck, but now it's pretty nice. You can keep Choking Gas up 24/7 pretty easily now. Although, admittedly, that's about the best use of it, so I guess I can see how it's very specialized. Yea there's really only two preps you'd need to use it with...and of those two only choking gas is really worth it. IMO an elite needs to be useful in many situations.

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

True, my same feelings about Archer's Signet. I mean, it's not like there are a lot of high-energy bow attacks anyway. Also, I think it's too limited.. I think at 13 expertise it was like the next 4 bow attacks cost no energy. Maybe if they made it recharge the skills you used for free faster or something.

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by lightblade
Equinox is not useless because there are manual way to force exhaustion onto your enemy. i.e. Exhausting Failure, Acane Languor I beg to differ, if you've seen the mesmer section, you'll find almost everyone in it thinks Arcane Languor absolutely sucks. I really doubt you'd see this skill enter into PvP because you'd need to bring a Ranger wasting his elite just to hope it works well. If anything Equinox is purely a skill that mobs will use in PvE along with AC. Really not a good skill.

Practiced Stance is useless, so what if you can keep Choking Gas up 24/7, it costs alot of energy to do so and then makes the rest of your skillbar useless. Plus 1 interrupt on Choking Gas and your useless for a bit till it recharges.

I can understand why Archers Signet is linked to Expertise, but at the same time i don't see the point. You spend all those points on Expertise to lower your energy costs, then get a few free shots? At least improve recharge too and possibly boost the no. of shots.

I've always thought Greater Conflagration was pretty useless. All it does is help a ranger by giving him a bonus to the now elemental physical damage, the warriors still suffer. Winter is more useful purely for things like Spinal Shivers. Unless your thinking of using Mark of Rodgort and saving buying yourself a Fiery string...

Mercury Angel

Mercury Angel

Avatar of Gwen

Join Date: Apr 2005

Wandering my own road.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
Practiced Stance is useless, so what if you can keep Choking Gas up 24/7, it costs alot of energy to do so and then makes the rest of your skillbar useless. Plus 1 interrupt on Choking Gas and your useless for a bit till it recharges.
Choking Gas is an adjacent AoE interrupt that adds a minimal amount of non-defense ignoring damage that hits regardless of defensive stances or blind, interrupting spells on impact. In that sense, it's not awful at all.
As to the cost, meh, without spamming energy attacks, you don't really have a lot to spend it on.
As to being interrupted while using it, that is an unfortunate problem in general with many. Practiced Stance would remedy it by shortening the recharge time so that you don't have to wait long, but it doesn't, because the shorter recharge only applies to spells and skills that have been successfully completed.

It's a one-trick pony, for the most part, but for the most part, it's not an awful one. It's not superb either, but that's what you get for using a skill-less build, I suppose.

This is the kind of build that really does well in the arena, at least. Anyone with even half a functioning brain can run it and perform fairly well. Simple, gets the job done, and leaves you with the slots that random arena builds often need to stuff with self-defense skills. (Death by mediocre degeneration is an awful way to go in the arena <_<)
It's a bit fragile, as you indicated in terms of what happens when you don't get Choking Gas up, but as I said, it's really best as an Arena build, where you don't normally have to worry about it.

But, I suppose not everyone validates skills by their arena usage due to just how much you can get away with in the arena anyway that wouldn't work in any kind of organized PvP.

Quote: Originally Posted by Evilsod I can understand why Archers Signet is linked to Expertise, but at the same time i don't see the point. You spend all those points on Expertise to lower your energy costs, then get a few free shots? At least improve recharge too and possibly boost the no. of shots. What's funny is that I was very hesistant about using it before. Then, when Factions was released, it got nerfed. I'd rather run Oath Shot + Ether Signet or something x_X At least that'd be a lot more flexible.
Why anyone would run it is really anyone's guess <_< The only builds I could imagine where it would help much are ones that run under Quickening Zephyr, where skills like Concussion Shot are still pretty expensive, regardless of how much expertise you have. And that way, you could use both the Signet and Concussion Shot twice as often. But meh, I don't really see anyone using it.



Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
I've always thought Greater Conflagration was pretty useless. All it does is help a ranger by giving him a bonus to the now elemental physical damage, the warriors still suffer. Winter is more useful purely for things like Spinal Shivers. Unless your thinking of using Mark of Rodgort and saving buying yourself a Fiery string... They threw in Conflagration, a non-elite version. Don't even need it for that now for Mark.
Greater Conflagration is actually a very powerful skill, in my opinion, worthy of its elite status, in a vacuum. In practice, it's a poor skill though, because spirits are just so fragile. Interrupts set you back for a minute, 2-3 hits from a hammer war removes your spirits from the battlefield in no time flat, and to make good use of it, you really have to build around it, making it all the worse on you when it's unavailable.

lagrand1

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jan 2006

Zombies of War

W/

Broad head arrow. OMGosh, same cost as concussion 25, and it takes the elite slot.

Huntmaster

Huntmaster

Banned

Join Date: Jan 2006

I is not canadien

Guillotine Tactics [GanK]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
Otyugh's Cry
Broad Head Arrow Pretty much all that needs to be said.

Pitha

Pitha

Banned

Join Date: Dec 2005

Isle of Dead

Pain Theory [Pain]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
Practiced Stance
Otyugh's Cry
Broad Head Arrow


Marksman's Wager (<---IMO) Broadhead Arrow is great... I like to annoy casters with that

Lasher Dragon

Lasher Dragon

Draconic Rage Incarnate

Join Date: Apr 2005

Iowa

Alphahive

R/A

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evilsod
Practiced Stance is useless, so what if you can keep Choking Gas up 24/7, it costs alot of energy to do so and then makes the rest of your skillbar useless. Plus 1 interrupt on Choking Gas and your useless for a bit till it recharges. Practiced Stance + Choking Gas + Needling Shot completely owns casters... I don't see how it "makes the rest of your skillbar useless", either.

I do agree, as I said, that Practiced Stance is very limited, but it used to be a lot worse. At least now there IS a viable use for it.

Gusnana1412

Gusnana1412

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

M Cheese [cese]

R/Rt

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pitha
Broadhead Arrow is great... I like to annoy casters with that Agreed, Broad Head Arrow is a powerfull skill for ranger, shoot it with Silencing Recurve Bow with 16 Mark and RTW or AP will give 100% daze condition (if it landed) for 26secs, long enough to annoy caster especially monk.

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
Practiced Stance
Otyugh's Cry
Broad Head Arrow


Marksman's Wager (<---IMO)
Practiced stance has few function but a little potential to use it. I can do PS+ Incendiary Arrow ( as a R/Me) with Aidan.

Otyugh's cry.......Next!

Broad Head Arrow... cost 25, fly slower, interrupt if foe casts a spell and instant daze is it hits. I love this skill. A well shot of this skill and the casters cry like crazy, even monk. Try to remove Daze while daze and get spammed by needling shot.

Marksman Wager has is build. good to recovery a miss concussion shot thought.


My vote goes to Trapper Focus and Otyugh's Cry

Mercury Angel

Mercury Angel

Avatar of Gwen

Join Date: Apr 2005

Wandering my own road.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gusnana1412
Agreed, Broad Head Arrow is a powerfull skill for ranger, shoot it with Silencing Recurve Bow with 16 Mark and RTW or AP will give 100% daze condition (if it landed) for 26secs, long enough to annoy caster especially monk. As a note, nothing affects the arc on Broad Head Arrow, to the best of my knowledge.

Flight time of Flatbow + Broad Head Arrow = Flight time of Recurve Bow + Read the Wind + Favourable Winds + Broad Head Arrow

The only way to Daze a target with Broad Head is to hit them while they're casting a nice long spell, to snare them, or to hit a target that doesn't move much. (Usually, NPC's in the latter case)

Hence why it gets the hate it does, stacked with the disparity in cost and recharge rate vs condition removal.

But if you're playing PvE in an area low on condition removal, or trying to solo certain NPC's (such as the resurrection priest, I guess), it's not bad.

Gusnana1412

Gusnana1412

Academy Page

Join Date: Mar 2006

M Cheese [cese]

R/Rt

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mercury Angel
As a note, nothing affects the arc on Broad Head Arrow, to the best of my knowledge.

Flight time of Flatbow + Broad Head Arrow = Flight time of Recurve Bow + Read the Wind + Favourable Winds + Broad Head Arrow

The only way to Daze a target with Broad Head is to hit them while they're casting a nice long spell, to snare them, or to hit a target that doesn't move much. (Usually, NPC's in the latter case)

Hence why it gets the hate it does, stacked with the disparity in cost and recharge rate vs condition removal.

But if you're playing PvE in an area low on condition removal, or trying to solo certain NPC's (such as the resurrection priest, I guess), it's not bad. Yes you are right, also as a note this skill very helpfull to defeat group with 3 Doylak Master and mission like Ring of Fire Mission

Maria The Princess

Maria The Princess

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2006

Aequitas Deis

im rdy to be flamed at,

but IMO Quik Shot is the biggest elite spot waist i've ener seen.

Jenosavel

Jenosavel

Master of Beasts

Join Date: Jul 2005

Servants of Fortuna [SoF]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_Go_Stick
QFT

If they haven't fixed this skill, there is no doubt it is the worst in the game. The last time iI used it, all the animals in the area became hostile and attacked me instead of my enemy. Not that it really mattered that 2 level 5 animals started attacking me, mind you, but it still just made me shake my head and laugh.

Why did Otyugh cry? Because he realized his name would go down in history as the indesputable master of silly skill creation to ever exist in Tyria. Otyugh's Cry is a pretty poor skill, but you know, if you're going to bash a skill you might as well look at what it actually gets used for. If you don't take into account the real reason the skill gets used then you won't be able to know the real reason the skill is poor...

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Francis Demeules
Practiced stance has few function but a little potential to use it. I can do PS+ Incendiary Arrow ( as a R/Me) with Aidan.
See that would make PS worthwhile, but Incendiary is Elite as well.

Orange Milk

Orange Milk

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Mar 2006

Ganking, USA

Retired

R/

Ya, whats with Quick Shot,, shoot ONE arrow that moves twice as fast. Why not use RtW and shoot a dozen that travel faster.

I like Braod Head Arrow, pisses off Monks in PvP and makes Glint a breeze in PvE.

Amarth d'Arc

Amarth d'Arc

Academy Page

Join Date: Nov 2005

The Seven Sisters

R/

"Broadhead is useless"? LOL

I Never had a better skill in PVE. Try BHE + Epedemic (you can add Apply Poison and Throw Dirt). Large groups of Casters or Assassins melt down like snow in hell (most Mobs don´t use remove conditions).

Although the flight and activation time of "BHE" is not as good as that of "Concussion shot" it is still far more reliable to get a target (specialy Assassins and Ritualists) dazed early into the battle because you don´t have to hit while target is casting a spell.

This is the best Ranger skill for PVE/Factions. A well played BHE + Throw Dirt + Epedemic Rangerbuild is far more valuable for a group than any Barrage build.

You should hear the surprized comments from Random Teammates "how fast and smooth" Corporate Mission runs are....

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Orange Milk
Ya, whats with Quick Shot,, shoot ONE arrow that moves twice as fast. Why not use RtW and shoot a dozen that travel faster. Read the skill description again. It shoots twice as fast. Not shoots an arrow that moves twice as fast. If it normally takes 2.0 seconds to fire an arrow, then quick shot fires in 1.0 sec.

Nivryx

Nivryx

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Mar 2006

Kenya

Mo/

throw dirt on a caster ftw
and trapper's focus, if i was trapping i'd just take spike trap and mantra of resolve and/or whirling defense, which has worked for so long.

Huntmaster

Huntmaster

Banned

Join Date: Jan 2006

I is not canadien

Guillotine Tactics [GanK]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnipiousMax
See that would make PS worthwhile, but Incendiary is Elite as well. Theres a reason the guy put (R/Me with Aiden.)

Aiden's elite is PS. Arcane Theivery steals that.

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntmaster
Theres a reason the guy put (R/Me with Aiden.)

Aiden's elite is PS. Arcane Theivery steals that. Wow, I didn't add that all up. I was wondering why he mentioned Aidan.

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntmaster
Theres a reason the guy put (R/Me with Aiden.)

Aiden's elite is PS. Arcane Theivery steals that. Not really "steal" exactly. Just get it for a while

Robin_Anadri

Robin_Anadri

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

Atlanta, GA

Girl Power [GP]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maria The Princess
im rdy to be flamed at,

but IMO Quik Shot is the biggest elite spot waist i've ener seen. <flame>

Ignite Arrows + Dual Shot + Quick SHot + Quick SHot + quick Shot + quick Shot + Dual Shot + quick shot...

Makes targets lose thier mind. They try to flee the AoE damage but can't because it *follows* them. Basically take a target out of action while dealing massive damage to it.

Elites are all about how you use them...

Evilsod

Evilsod

Banned

Join Date: Mar 2006

England

Lievs Death Squad [LDS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin_Anadri
<flame>

Ignite Arrows + Dual Shot + Quick SHot + Quick SHot + quick Shot + quick Shot + Dual Shot + quick shot...

Makes targets lose thier mind. They try to flee the AoE damage but can't because it *follows* them. Basically take a target out of action while dealing massive damage to it.

Elites are all about how you use them... Yup, the problem is that its yet another 'one trick pony'. Its just as useless as Practiced Stance. Both elites are only useful when used with 1 or 2 Preps.

Also you'd need a Pin Down in there somewhere if its in TA/RA, kiting is almost too frigging easy, specially considering some maps have huge masses of terrain.

Personally i prefer Dual Shot + Punishing Shot for normal PvE outings. Neither excessively spammable (which is good if you can't handle your energy ), but they can pack a nice punch.

Beat_Go_Stick

Beat_Go_Stick

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Feb 2006

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenosavel
Otyugh's Cry is a pretty poor skill, but you know, if you're going to bash a skill you might as well look at what it actually gets used for. If you don't take into account the real reason the skill gets used then you won't be able to know the real reason the skill is poor... Care to enlighten me then? What is the true usage of Otyugh's Cry? Aggro tiny things to buff up your Balthazar's or Essence? I always assumed it was broken...

Popping in and saying "Why don't you look at how it's used even though you obviously have no idea what I am talking about?" doesn't help

I have never seen anyone use this successfully in any build, ever. Maybe I missed the one time someone did. Regardless, why not explain yourself?

Robin_Anadri

Robin_Anadri

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jun 2005

Atlanta, GA

Girl Power [GP]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat_Go_Stick
Care to enlighten me then? What is the true usage of Otyugh's Cry? Aggro tiny things to buff up your Balthazar's or Essence? I always assumed it was broken...

Popping in and saying "Why don't you look at how it's used even though you obviously have no idea what I am talking about?" doesn't help

I have never seen anyone use this successfully in any build, ever. Maybe I missed the one time someone did. Regardless, why not explain yourself?
Quote:
Otyugh's Cry - Shout
All animals in the area become hostile to your target and gain +20 armor for 30 seconds. Otyugh's Cry cannot turn charmed animals against their masters or their master's allies. This includes your pet and all the pets on your team, provided they're in the area when used.

Guardian of the Light

Guardian of the Light

Forge Runner

Join Date: Sep 2005

Radicals Against Tyrants

W/

No skill is useless but some skills are just mroe useful then others.

Broad Head Arrow + Apply Poisen kicks ass.

Francis Demeules

Francis Demeules

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Jan 2006

Canada, Qc

[Holy]

Me/Mo

Quote:
Originally Posted by Guardian of the Light
No skill is useless but some skills are just mroe useful then others.

Broad Head Arrow + Apply Poisen kicks ass. I smell heavy energy in that but that hurts too.

And I agree with your statement about the skills. Each has its own effectivness and all players see a point about one skills, thinking if the skill is good or not for that player and not for other players.

Just another point I want to come out, one of my friend said Predatory Bond sucks if we want to be beastmaster. Well, not in every build

Another one I dont like, Run As One. Good to running but your pet must be alive to works it. If you want to escape a mobs and your pet dies, you're fried.

deus texaco

deus texaco

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: May 2006

I chosen I (few)

R/

just wanted to say ecklipse bang on with otyughs cry.ever seen the damage a lvl 5 crab can do to a 10 foot oni?neither have i....

Wolydarg

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Mar 2006

I Excentrix I [PuNK]

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by deus texaco
just wanted to say ecklipse bang on with otyughs cry.ever seen the damage a lvl 5 crab can do to a 10 foot oni?neither have i.... It gives all pets in your party +20 armor for 30 seconds is what he's trying to say.....that means they take half as much damage IIRC

My vote for most useless ranger skill definitely goes to Archer's Signet..