The High damage Glass Arrows ranger (PVE)

[Pericles]

Hello,
I'd like to share a build with you which i've been using to great succes with my ranger.

Armor: I use druid's with the best vigor rune you can afford and two superiors (rangers can have low health as they have longbows :p )

Weapons: I use an Ironwing longbow and an elemental one

Atts: expertise: 14
marksmanship: 16
rest whatever, maybe tactics for heal sig

R/W
Skills:
Triple Shot
Sloth Hunters Shot
Savage Shot
Concussion Shot
Frenzy/Flail
Lightning Reflexes
Glass Arrrows (elite)
rez/heal sig

Explanation:
Well this build is pretty solid, frenzy is the IAS which you can cancel with lightning reflexes, Sloth and triple shot deal massive damage. Try to spike with savage shot often, concussion shot is for annoying caster bosses who have 300 HP orison of healings or dangerous magic :eek:. Glass Arrows deals armor ignoring damage and may cause bleeding. I also like preps I don't have to recast every 24 seconds.

If you want to add anything to this, please don't hesitate ;) .

[xArcaeus]

Ooh Pericles I run a build very similar to this. I use a Zealous Flatbow though, which keeps me never lacking energy.

Expertise 12 + 1 + 3
Marksmanship 12 + 1

R/x
Triple Shot
Dual Shot
Distracting Shot
Needling Shot
Sloth Hunter's Shot
Glass Arrow
Favorable Winds
Sunspear Rebirth Signet / "I Am The Strongest"

I've also run the same build, but replaced Sloth Hunter with "Watch Yourself!" and ran 8/9 tactics, taking away from Marksmanship, since a higher Expertise will do more dmg here than higher Marks (Glass Arrows + Energy Mgmt), but I've found that the small boost in armor (+13, constant) isn't ultimately needed in most situations, so run the above one mostly.

I find myself never *not* using skills with my build, so an IAS skill is pointless for me. Energy management is very good, especially since Triple Shot costs me nothing (costs 4, Zealous gives back 3, regen 1 in shoot time). With Favorable Winds, lvl 16 Glass Arrow, and "I Am The Strongest!", each arrow does around 55 dmg, and when Dunkoro casts Judge's Insight on me, I've seen Triple Shot do a spike of 200+ dmg total, on high lvl foes.

Glad to see another using the Ranger as a high dmg dealer, I love this class!

[Shyft the Pyro]

Good work, but next time, could you perhaps include the template code for the lazy ones among us? :D

[relt]

If you want to add even more damage, consider going R/E with a conjure spell(based on the type of monster) with only minimal Marksmanship.

[Squishy ftw]

If you want to add even more damage, consider going R/E with a conjure spell(based on the type of monster) with only minimal Marksmanship.

Yup, that's one of my prefered builds on ranger, glass arrows, a conjure,.... :)

[Pericles]

If you want to add even more damage, consider going R/E with a conjure spell(based on the type of monster) with only minimal Marksmanship.

Yes, i considered this a lot but here were my two issues:
- if u spec for example 10 in a magic, you will have to spec a bit lower into marksmanship but it's probably worth it
-I will not be able to run an IAS, (granted, this isn't that necessary cause of the '1/2' cast time of the interrupts which already greatly improves your DPS.
-Also you'll lose your vampiric bow string.

[Lourens]

All i have to say is read the wind and burning arrow and needling shot

[aapo]

Expertise 12 + 1 + 3
Marksmanship 12 + 1

R/x
Triple Shot
Dual Shot
Distracting Shot
Needling Shot
Sloth Hunter's Shot
Glass Arrow
Favorable Winds
Sunspear Rebirth Signet / "I Am The Strongest"

- Looks alright, but a few notes I'd like to add:

Expertise over 14 reduces cost of 15 and 25 energy skills only, as seen in Expertise tables in GuildWiki. You have none of those in your bar. Lowering Expertise to 14 loses 2 points of damage and 4 seconds duration from Glass Arrows, but I think increase in Marksmanship could be worth it (12+2 Exp, 12+1+3 Marks). (If there's some math whizzes reading this, I would really like to know how much approximate DPS increase Marksmanship gives.)

"I Am The Strongest" is a great DPS-enchancer with no activation time and can be used outside of battle. I suggest keeping it permanent on that bar. On the other hand I'm wondering what is Favorable Winds doing on this bar? 60 second recharge, 5 second cast and very often giving benefit to enemies sounds horrible choice for PvE. If you want even more damage, you can swap Distracting Shot for Disrupting Shot.

Anyways, great build. Thanks for sharing it :)

[dicecube]

All i have to say is read the windneedling shot

does needling shot synergize with read the wind? i clicked on RtW and it said, "Read the Wind does not stack with bow attacks which set projectile speed. This means that Read the Wind will not affect Called Shot,Needling Shot or Broad Head Arrow speed."

it only affects the +damage right? not the speed.. correct me if im wrong

TIA.

[distilledwill]

Dicecube, the increased damage is always useful with Needling (fave ranger skill btw), but it won't be affected by the decreased flight time. However, burning arrow + RTW is always nice.

[zling]

Dicecube, the increased damage is always useful with Needling (fave ranger skill btw), but it won't be affected by the decreased flight time. However, burning arrow + RTW is always nice.
Burning Arrow+Apply Poison is even nicer :P

so anyway, another option you guys are missing is to use Prepared Shot with Kindle Arrows and Conjure Flame
you dont need Fiery Bow String so you can keep your Vamp, you get enough energy for not using Zealous and even reducing Expertise, for Fire Magic. the only downside is that your dmg isnt armor ignoring, but than Prepared with Kindle+Conjure on more than makes up for it.
the entire bar would be:
Triple Shot, Dual Shot, Prepared Shot, Distracting Shot, Savage Shot, Kindle Arrows, Conjure Flame, Sunspear Rebirth Signet

note: I dont have EotN so I cant test all these new skills, however good alternatives seem to be Disrupting Shot, perhaps something else.

[Tyla]

Burning Arrow+Apply Poison is even nicer :P

so anyway, another option you guys are missing is to use Prepared Shot with Kindle Arrows and Conjure Flame
you dont need Fiery Bow String so you can keep your Vamp, you get enough energy for not using Zealous and even reducing Expertise, for Fire Magic. the only downside is that your dmg isnt armor ignoring, but than Prepared with Kindle+Conjure on more than makes up for it.
the entire bar would be:
Triple Shot, Dual Shot, Prepared Shot, Distracting Shot, Savage Shot, Kindle Arrows, Conjure Flame, Sunspear Rebirth Signet

note: I dont have EotN so I cant test all these new skills, however good alternatives seem to be Disrupting Shot, perhaps something else.

you're forgetting that the conjour+kindle damage can be neutralised,same with arrow damage without needling:) used to run a build like it(also seen some ranger using needling,no damage extras and only 4 marksmanship O.o)

[iridescentfyre]

does needling shot synergize with read the wind? i clicked on RtW and it said, "Read the Wind does not stack with bow attacks which set projectile speed. This means that Read the Wind will not affect Called Shot,Needling Shot or Broad Head Arrow speed."

it only affects the +damage right? not the speed.. correct me if im wrong

TIA.
That's exactly right. But the arrow speed increase isn't the point. Read the Wind adds 10 additional armor-ignoring damage to Needling Shot.

[anshin]

i use Glass Arrows with 15 expertise and that adds +20 to Needling Shot and if you add Favorable winds it will add another 6 and if you go crazy and put Winnowing down too it will add another 4 and with this Needling shot will deal 60 or so damage...

although i have to agree... BA+NS+RtW is my fav...

[dicecube]

That's exactly right. But the arrow speed increase isn't the point. Read the Wind adds 10 additional armor-ignoring damage to Needling Shot.

yup, needling shot is extremely fast already.. my new fav ranger skill

[squirrels_from_hell]

Expert Focus. Preparation. For 24 seconds, your bow attacks cost 1...2 less Energy and deal 1...8 extra damage. [EotN]

I've started replacing RTW with this for some of my old ranger builds. It synergizes extremely well with needling shot in particular. The added damage is basically the same except it is linked to expertise instead of marksmanship.


On the other hand, I love spiking with Triple/Dual+Glass+Conjure+other dmg modifiers, then finishing off with a few Needlings.
Besides "I Am The Strongest" and Fav Winds, Ebon Vanguard Standard of Honor can work nicely if you have a moderately high Ebon Vanguard rank.