Types of packhunter, and role?

[Kafiri_Mkorogai]

I really enjoy playing my ranger with a pet, even though they are sub-par in a number of ways. As such, I tend to gravitate towards the few build styles that tend to utilize them as effectively as possible.

I know that a bow ranger's primary role in pve is the spread conditions and interrupts. Playing as a packhunter, however, what should I aim to be my role in the party? Simple dps with spear+pet? Conditions as well? Essentially the same things as a bow ranger, except with a spear and sidekick? What would you recommend as the most effective packhunter builds for pve?

Also, the only pvp I tend to play is AB. Could you essentially answer the same Q's as above, with builds, except for AB?

My final question is, regarding pets, if I were to go without one in either AB or pve, but still generally use a spearchucker weapon model for my ranger, would there be any advantage to this (I'm assuming the role would then be essentially mid-line dps)?

Thanks a lot for your time. I'm just trying to get the most effective use out of my pets as possible, even though they've been nerfed to mediocrity by themselves at best, and the AI can be depressing.

[Miska Bow]

As far as AB is concern, you can play any gimmick you want. I sometimes go in with a Banana scythe or a candy cane bow from winter fest. ( You can survive and be helpfull in AB with just running skills, self heal, condition/hex removing and /taunt):D

Thumper is fun too, but remember that a dead pet = no skills for 5 sec. (that can fell like an eternity sometimes)


In the ALL section of PVE builds on PvXwiki there are 2 spearmaster builds that seems nice.

[Chthon]

I know that a bow ranger's primary role in pve is the spread conditions and interrupts.

With the exception of dazed (which I class under "interruption"), none of the conditions a ranger can deliver are worthwhile in PvE. A ranger's primary roles in PvE are interruption and serving as a delivery system for the armor-ignoring buffs/curses that kill things (Splinter/Orders/GDW/Barbs/MoP/etc.).

How does a pet fit into that? Well, really it doesn't. Here's the best you can do: (1) GDW on the pet, and/or (2) Standard Splinter/Barrage/(Concussion Shot)/D-Shot or BHA/Splinter/Volley/D-Shot build with a pet thrown in at 8ish mastery. Along the lines of option 2 there, you can offsource the Splinter to a hero (Racthoth has a N/Rt splinter/orders that works nicely posted somewhere) to free up more attribute points for beastmastery.

[Aldric]

With the exception of dazed (which I class under "interruption"), none of the conditions a ranger can deliver are worthwhile in PvE. A ranger's primary roles in PvE are interruption and serving as a delivery system for the armor-ignoring buffs/curses that kill things (Splinter/Orders/GDW/Barbs/MoP/etc.).

How does a pet fit into that? Well, really it doesn't. Here's the best you can do: (1) GDW on the pet, and/or (2) Standard Splinter/Barrage/(Concussion Shot)/D-Shot or BHA/Splinter/Volley/D-Shot build with a pet thrown in at 8ish mastery. Along the lines of option 2 there, you can offsource the Splinter to a hero (Racthoth has a N/Rt splinter/orders that works nicely postedsomewhere) to free up more attribute points for beastmastery.
A blind spamming Ranger is very effective , even better if twinned with a BHA Ranger :)

GDW works nicely on a pet , I run that on a R/P build and the KD is very helpful. Granted R/P is not the most powerful build for DPS but it is pretty effective and fun to play :)

usually I have something like

12 Spear / 10+1 BM / 8 +1 +1 Exp iirc

[Never Rampage Alone][Great Dwarf Weapon][Charm Animal][Heal as One][Spear of Redemption][Holy Spear][Merciless Spear][Spare]

Spare slots could be [Apply Poison][Pain Inverter]["I am the Strongest"] or a def stance

I carry Res scrolls instead of a Hard Res since Pet bars are pretty tight to run.