UW Trapping: The Definitive Ranger trapper party guide

After the recent Skill upgrade/buff/nerf (depending on how you view it), as well as a few little trick and tips I've discovered along the way, I'm giving this guide a total re-write. I still hope it's useful to new potential trappers, and that for anyone who read my original guide, it provides a lot more useful info:

Why Trap the UW? - The UW offers some of the most challenging monsters, and most valuable material drops in the form of Ectoplasm. A single Ecto can net you between 7-10k for your character, and if you're after the FoW armour, you're going to need LOTS!! The UW also offers good EXP if you want to get more skill points or reclaim refund points, as well as Eternal & Storm bows, Eternal Shields, and other weapon drops not available on any other map area. Plus, NOTHING beats the satisfaction of seeing an Ataxe go "Whoosh" in a blaze of crippling, burning, dusting agony.

Kitting up your Ranger Obviously, if you're going to be a trapper, you need traps. There are 4 damage-dealing traps in the game, and a good trapper should be equipped with all 4 (Spike, Dust, Flame and Barbed) - If you didn't unlock the traps through quests, then they should be easily obtainable through Skill Traders at various outposts, with the exception of Spike, which is an Elite. This trap can be captured from a boss Ettin fairly early on in the Ring of Fire. There are enough guides both on GW Guru, and at other websites to help you locate these traps.

Now, another crucial aspect of a trapper's arsenal are spirits. The two most important ones are Quickening Zephyr (QZ) and Energising Wind (EW), a team without these two spirits will struggle. Also useful but not necessary, are Winnowing, Edge of Extinction, Favourable Winds & Predatory Season. If your ranger has a free slot, then stick one of those in.

Also, your armour and weapon. Although Rangers have been associated with bows, a good trapper will use a staff, or some sort of weapon to boost energy levels (More Energy=more traps). Also, a set of Droknar's Druids Armour is a VERY useful thing to have.

Finally, your attributes must make your traps as powerful as possible. A maximum Wilderness Survival (WS) is imperative, and coupled with a traveler's Mask and a Superior Wilderness Survival rune, you'll hit a maximum of 16. Three trappers with a 16 in WS will easily be able to fry an ataxe. 5 trappers with WS of 13 or less will struggle.

My personal build is as follows:

R/Mo:

BM - 6 (5+Minor BM)
Ex - 10 (9+Minor Ex)
WS- 16 (12+Traveler's Mask+Sup WS)
Marks. - 9 (8+Minor Marks.)

Weapons:
Insightful Shadow Staff of Warding (+12 en)
Longbow

Armor: Druid Armor

Skillset:
Spike, Barbed, Flame, Dust, Serpen't Quickness, Troll Unguent, {spirit*}, Rebirth

(*Spirit is organised before entry)

Alternate Builds The above build is just my own personal trap build, and it serves me well. Serpent's quickness reduces expense, troll unguent is a good healing skill, and having rebirth is always a boon to a party. However, it can be built on depending on your role in the party. If you do not have Spike trap, take Poison Arrow Elite - It's easier to capture than Spike trap, and as there is no "Poison Trap", it will help despatch Ataxes and Smites. The additional spirits are also good if you find you have a surplus of skill slots to fill. The puller should also think about taking a defensive skill such as Whirling Defense, and, of course, everyone who Isn't a R/Mo should have a res signet handy. All R/Mo's should have repeat res, preferably Rebirth, as it will have ressed members transported to your location, and out of harms way.

Your Party OK - so, you've gathered a team of trappers, and you're ready to go into the UW. You're still far from ready!

Ideally, you should be aiming for 4 trappers, but I've been on 3-man and even 2-man smite runs, and as long as the other team members work together, UW with less than 4 members is very possible.

Make sure you know what spirits everyone is taking, and what level those spirits are. Ideally, 2 people should carry QZ, as it will die after about 45 seconds. Whoever has EW should aim for having the spirit last for approx. 70-78 seconds. EW then acts as a "Timer" to enable the puller to time the pulls.

Finally, the puller should be equipped with defence skills, such as Whirling Defense. Ataxes and Grasps are easy to pull, but smites need to be herded together before they are lured, and that may involve the puller placing himself at risk.

Trapping Now, we come to the actual "How to trap" bit. Trapping is not a case of sticking a trap wherever. There is a method to getting the most out of your energy, and your traps.

First, let the leader select a suitable spot, and have the party members who have QZ and EW drop their spirits right next to eachother (Stack them), then start laying your traps immediately in front of these spirits. All party members should trap together, and all in one focused spot (In other words, stack your spirits AND your traps!)

Pace yourself when laying traps, especially at the beginning. If a puller is late, or is struggling, fewer traps will die. I generally time each trap so that I lay a trap each time my En hits a multiple of 5. If EW and QZ is kept up, then a trapper should be able to plant 10 traps with ease before needing to wait for En to top up.

If EW has been set properly to 70-78 seconds, then the puller should act as soon as it dies. In the beginning chambers, it should be easy to pull creatures within 12 seconds, but as you progress, 12 seconds will not be enough time.

If all has been done properly, the aggroed monster will be lured, and their first target will be the spirit(s)...right where you should have been dropping your traps. If all the team have done their job, the creature(s) will trigger all the traps, (In a well organised 4 man team, that could be approx. 50 maximum strength traps). The sight of traps going off and reducing a menacing Ataxe into a smoking pile in a split second is one that fills anyone who sees it for the first time in awe and amazement. Best of all, if it's done properly, the team remain safe.

While the above tactic works well for Ataxes and Smites, there are also dryders and Coldfires who are ranged monsters. What about them? Similar tactics really, but spirits need to be set further back. If the traps are set too close to spirits, the Colds will destroy the spirits from a range before coming closer, and by then, your traps may have died. Same goes for Dryders.

When things go wrong Sometimes, it happens that a creature does not bear the full brunt of the traps and survives them, or a single smite wanders over and sets off the traps just as your puller is busy rounding up the rest of the herd. What do you do?

Different creatures call for different actions.

Ataxes: A rampaging Ataxe is one of the most dangerous creatures in the UW, but also pretty stupid. If it is limping, blinded and bleeding, a few shots with a bow and a poison arrow should be enough. Just in case, though, it's well worth to drop a dust or a spike trap (Or both) at your feet, just in case he comes within striking range.

Your team may also choose to "Bullfight", by dropping traps, with one luring the Ataxe to where he is, and running to another team member when the traps are set off. The other team member also draws away to the 3rd etc, while the first is busy laying more traps at a safer distance. With a good chain, even an Ataxe at 1/2 health can be controlled and killed

If an Ataxe is near full health though, and you are in dire straits, RUN! Always aim for heading to your starting chamber, as running to an unexplored area may get you and your team into more trouble. If you are in your starting chamber, run between the wall and the two ghosts to the left of the chamber. If you're lucky, the Ataxe will get stuck there, and you can finish him off at your leisure.

Grasps: These creatures are FAST, and 99 times out of 100, will almost always die in the traps as a group. If one or two are left over, they are easy to kill, even in low man groups. If you can, set a flame trap, and plug away. The problem with grasps is that they can sap energy. This is where switching weapons can be handy. If you're low on Energy, switch to your staff, and you'll have an instant 10 en at hand, just enough for a trap or 2.

Smites: Don't underestimate them. They heal quickly, and have good defensive attributes. If you have a straggling smite, ONLY SHOOT TO POISON! Otherwise, DO NOT SHOOT AT ALL!! This is very important, and I've seen several teams get wiped by a single smite because they do not realise this! A smite will cast reversal of Fortune, and Judgement on itself, so hitting it with a bow not only heals it, but does damage to you, and knocks you down. Again, the "Bullfight" scenario is useful here. If you have 2 or more smites on the loose, just run. They are easy to outrun, and your party can regroup and start over.

Coldfires: Coldfires are again easily underestimated, but it's also easy to protect yourself and to kill a straggler. One member should fire arrows at it, while the rest of the group traps at its feet. (Cast troll unguent first). A coldfire may slow you down, but the majority of its damage can be minimalised with troll unguent. With 3 people trapping at its feet, the cold will go down fairly quickly, even if one trapper is constantly disrupted or knocked down.

Dryders: Same as the Colds. Alsthough their damage is harder (Immolate, Meteor etc), they focus more on ranged damage, and will seldom attack a trapper at their feet. Try to keep the R/Mo at a distance. Also, if you are dealing with Dryders, try to keep alive, but don't worry if you die. Chances are you're near to completing the "Clear Chamber" quest, and your DP will magically disappear.

Coldfire Stalkers: A bit like a minature Coldfire, but more deadly. Their "Aftershock" will harm the whole party. Try to keep a safe distance.

General Hints, Tips and Etiquette A trapper party who understand and cooperate will be more successful. New trappers should expect to be instructed for a reason. It's a dangerous map, and anyone goofing about may get the party killed.

So, a few things to do and not do:
1. Do not accept ANY quests until your party agrees, and then, ONLY accept the quests that you are told to take. This includes tha very first ghost at the beginning.
2. Know when to run. A ranger who stubbornly takes on an ataxe single handed is a dead one. A ranger who knows when to retreat could be the saviour of the party.
3. Work as a TEAM! I've been on several UW runs, and have experienced the best and worst in groups. The best have included experienced trappers who have a laugh, but just get on with the job, and new trappers, who are keen to listen and learn. The worst have included the usual "l33t-haxx0rz" who will be ill-prepared, only have a single trap, and a WS of 9, who will be extremely bossy and do very little else, or will just like to stir up trouble by aggroing, or taking on quests at the wrong time. Leaving your party during the game (at any point in the game) without at least having the courtesy of saying goodbye is also very bad form. (This isn't Arena PvP!) A good trap team will yield good results. A bad trap team will yield animosity, and most good trappers will keep a network of friends, and a blacklist of n00bs.
4. Enjoy it! This is a game, after all. Yes, you may be in the UW for several different reasons - you're looking for Ecto, you want to make money, get a storm or elite bow, or just looking for a challenge, but sometimes, it can get a little boring or repetative, or you may be disappointed cos others seem to be getting the good drops. UW can be a grind, but only if you make it to be one. Don't get tired or impatient. Keep at it, and you'll be rolling in Ectos as well as making good friends before you know it!

Thanks for the detailed guide, I'll give some of your hints a shot when I level up my Ranger. Nice work.

wow great guide. Thanks. Ill be sure to use it when i start trappin the uw!

Gladiator's Arena
PvP Discussion
A gathering for PvP players to discuss strategies and tactics.

Description of the section of this forum. UW Trapping is NOT PvP. Please post in the right forum

For my trapper that's in pure traps only mode, I drop marksmanship to nil and kick expertise to at least 13 or 14. Put the rest of the points in BM (which really only helps if you're carrying EW). This allows me to trap like a madman with SQ, QZ and EW up and never run out of juice without really really trying. Another key is to not launch Serpents Quickness until the spirits are already up. If you wait for the spirits, you'll notice that your serpents recharges at the same time it wears off... real handy, you can maintain it throughout the entire trap cycle. Launching SQ too early means a significant down time while you wait on the recharge. I can drop some 14, 16 traps easy before the first one blows... by then the victims should already be pulled.

So to enhance a bit...

WS 16, EX 14, rest BM
Insightful staff of whatever... up to +15 energy
Druids armor, of course... plus it looks good
Bring a bow for pulling, not for damage dealing
Four traps, SQ, Whirling D, Spirit (EW good with this build) and Rebirth.

Ah, Whirling Defense! Forgot to add that as well... I like to be the smite puller. Whirling D is great for herding smites... can ball them up nicely with minimal damage and lead them en masse to the trap location. Ideally, someone has laid a long lived spirit (hears a good place for winnow) in the heart of the trap field... nice target to run to when pursued by a mob of smites.

Well, that's my two cents. Enjoy!

Hey ,
Your build Works very good. (Thanks fore sheared you build)
Only you need to find a group whit 4 rangers that hard to find
Only I need Dust trap, where can I bay ore get it?
And I don’t get WS to 16 I have only 15 max points and +3 +1 +1 (rune)

One thing people should know if they're thinking of doing this: It's insanely slow.
It works, and it's easy, but it takes ages. It can be done with anywhere from 1 to 5 rangers, depending on the skill of the group leader and the amount of time you want to spend on each group.

If you're going for most runs per hour, go with a monk and a necro it's at least 5x as fast. Trapping is fun for awhile though, I'll give 'em that

have fun ^_^ happy hunting.

Wow, for a guide posted 08-19-2005 it's still decently accurate. Aside from the skill refunds and the [no "Poison Trap"].

ok trappig the uw is one of the easiest things to do no and 2 years ago, i frist got into it about 18 months ago doing 4 man groups and things have changed alot in my mind 4 mans are over kill and i hardly got ecto drops or anything good..

now i mostly do 2 man and 3man groups i got into alittle soloing (very hard in my oppion plus you need alittle luck , but can be done )(and thats not the whole uw its the frist chamber and a couple of smits, just til i get 2 ectosd at least ) anyways.......
build now are very different when i run a group the set up is and has to be this way for 3 man or 2man or it just dont work right

1ranger runner
att= 16 wilderness and 15 exp
spike, barbed, dust, tripwire, serphants q,wirling d ,troll,escpe
1 with this build
spike ,flame,barbed , tripwire,serphants q,winnowing ,rebirth(or rez other then sig),wirling d

if you trap as one this 2 man build works well the frist ranger can sub tripwire with a rez but if both work togather you will not need it
note this is not a build to do the whole uw just the smits drakes and axes plus the gaspings to do the rest of uw i would take 2 more trappers just to clea harder areas

I made a ranger/mesmer, saw a UW solo trapper in guildwiki, but I read this guide and now wan to change to R/Mo.

I am only lvl 7 lol...with my ranger that is. Can't wait until I can actually try this.

Great guide!

I prefer soloing with my ranger than going with a group.
It takes me 40min to clear the smites, the chamber, coldfires, attaxes and when I get bored I push trough and take out the other side of uw with all the grasps.

Overall I think the Ranger is a reliable way to farm UW.
Maybe it's just the pug trapper groups I've been with, but I have not had a decent drop or any speed improvement to tag along with others..

To not take away from OP.
This is a nice guide ..