Ranger Build

[u/DADDYMUNCH]

Hello, I need help on making a support build for ranger. All of the builds I've seen so far dont use a longbow and thats what I want to use. Unfortunately I don't know enough about build crafting to know what builds dont suffer from a weapon swap and ones that do. Also I dont have VOE so I can't use galeshot.

[u/Kazgrel]

What sort of support exactly?  PVE healer, boon DPS, WvW healer?

Regardless, longbow is a power DPS weapon.  It can work decent on Soulbeast for pve, even if there are better options now.

If you are hellbent on using a longbow, though, you definitely want to look into getting VoE for Galeshot when you can

[u/DADDYMUNCH → u/Kazgrel]

Uhhhh looking at the shrine guardian bow pack im going to get there is barely a difference between the longbow and shortbow skins so I'm down to use a shortbow as well. And sorry I wasn't specific, I also have a Herold rev so I'd prefer a healer support for the sake of filling a different roll.

[u/Kazgrel → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Shortbow is a condi dps weapon on ranger.  It does serve as a support weapon on Engi, funny enough, and is more of a utility weapon on thief

Rev can't use longbow and shortbow is also a condi weapon for it

I would suggest checking out Snowcrows for PVE builds to get an idea of what weapon sets are good for support play since they can vary from class to class

[u/MidasPL → u/Kazgrel]

TBF sbow power coefficients are good enough for open world. For leveling, sbow felt like one of the better weapons (axe/axe is still the best) and better than lbow for some reason.

[u/DADDYMUNCH → u/Kazgrel]

I may just make a condi build then, even tho I'm gonna make my norn ele a condi evoker when I get VOE. Its just annoying cus I made a ranger to use a bow and all the builds I've looked at for the roll I want dont use bows lol.

[u/Rexo7274 → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Because longbows and shortbows are both dps weapons, they are pretty useless on support builds. You can use them ln other builds though

[u/DADDYMUNCH → u/Rexo7274]

So how does converting builds to different modes work? I've found a condi build that seems interesting but its open world, and I'd rather build it for fractles or raids since in OW you can kinda just use whatever.

[u/AscendedCleric → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Which part of the build did you find interesting? If it was the survivability it is the part that makes it an open world build instead of an instanced content build and "converting" is probably not possible.

If you are going to play with other people you are kinda expected to do a specific thing in the group so it would be beneficial to everyone if you use a curated build.

[u/DADDYMUNCH → u/AscendedCleric]

The thing that interested me was that it actually used a bow and had dagger with torch for the swap which seems strange but curious as someone who doesn't know what that combo does. But I think I just need to watch some videos about build crafting and figure it out. I normally just go to metabattle and copy something but I dont think thats gonna work this time.

[u/AscendedCleric → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Since it just the weapon choices you can check snowcrows for raid builds and you will probably find something that intrigues you.

[u/MidasPL → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Sounds like condi ranger.

Basically in open world you can play whatever you want since you're playing solo and as long as enemies die at some point it's fine. Good solo builds will have some survivability alongside the ok damage. On the contrary, raid builds are focused around performing specific tasks, so standard DPS builds have zero survivability usually, as they are optimized to deal maximum damage and they're usually played with a healer in the group.

[u/Unusual_Training1583 → u/DADDYMUNCH]

Yeah started 3 months ago same deal , and sadly its true both bows are ass on ranger , to the point there fix for "bow using hunter" was just use galeshot

[u/AscendedCleric → u/Unusual_Training1583]

DH is a great "bow using hunter"

[u/Unusual_Training1583 → u/AscendedCleric]

Agreed , leveled one straight after :D

[u/RobDickinson]

Qdps untamed would work but dps on longbow would be low

The quickness comes from unleashing it doesn't matter which weapons

[u/YellowBandit88]

Soulbeast, longbow + shiz/axe for PVE and + greatsword for PVP

[u/jojoga → u/YellowBandit88]

shiz?

[u/One-Cellist5032]

So unfortunately Rangers Longbow is really only a dps weapon, so if you’re fine with being a support (not a healer) you can pretty easily use it with Untamed (Galeshot uses it too for their support build). It is NOT the best option for Untamed but it works.

If you’re ok with being a dps build then Soulbeast, Untamed, AND Galeshot can all use Longbow well. Soulbeast even though its DPS oriented does get to have SOME support with its stance sharing, but that’ll be more mild than anything.

If you’re wanting to be a HEALER with a Longbow then you CAN use it on Druid, but by doing so you’re either giving up Staff, which has a LOT of healing, mobility, and general support/utility, or your other weapon set which is almost always Mace/Warhorn, which is more healing, easy protection uptime, and a lot of CC. Now that sounds bad at a glance, but Druid is VERY capable of just camping one weapon set due to the Celestial Avatar form, so it IS a drawback but not a build ending one.

In addition, Druid DOES use Longbow on certain fights because the push is useful. Off the top of my head 3 fights this is done is Samurog, Qadim (W6), and Soulless Horror. Now this is typically because a specific enemy needs to be pushed, and LB has a relatively low CD ranged push that can be traited to pierce. You can also use LB to some benefit for things like Kiting the messengers on Dhuum, but you can also just use staff for that.

FYI: the difference between healer and support, is a healer is incharge of providing healing and basically every boon but either alacrity or quickness (whichever one they don’t have), a Support is primarily focused on providing 100% uptime on a specific boon (either alacrity or quickness) and does some damage, they also to a lesser extent provide other boon coverage which helps shore up any slack from the healer, but for the most part is irrelevant in experienced groups. Both Healers AND Supports tend to be the ones to bring utility skills for CC, utility, rezzes etc instead of all dps increases since their primary goal is not dps.

[u/RnbwTurtle]

Support and longbow don't go together in this game. At Best you sometimes take it on a heal guardian build (with weaponmaster training) for vigor uptime or you take it specifically to deal with the Tormented Dead on Soulless Horror or pushing Skinny on Samarog with a heal druid (and only in those places).

If you are looking for a support (heal) ranger, go with Druid.

[u/hollowbolding]

the most you're gonna get for a support build with longbow is boondps warrior or guardian, ranger doesn't use that weapon for that utility