[Elite Suggestion/brainstorm] - Dark Ranger

[Chokolata.1870]

Hello to everyone who might spare some of their time to read this!

 

I am a long time Ranger player and secret Necromancer admirer, but always saddened by a lack of a dark roamer/ dark archer theme missing from guild wars. Recently, I have stumbled on a poll on what archetype the next Necromancer elite spec should fill and Dark Ranger was one of those listed. Having thought about it for a while myself, I just wanted to throw in my thoughts on the matter.

 

From what I understand, balance aside (DPS meters, numbers, etc..), Necromancer currently covers three distinct roles:

Core - versatile with Shroud form providing a jack of all trades form (but lacking in multiple ways)

Reaper - melee AOE DPS/brawler (pseudo Dark knight)

Scourge - Heavy AOE condition/boon strip pressure (pseudo Dark priest)

 

So from what I could tell the game play archetype that is missing is the single target ranged pressure spec. Hence why Dark Ranger.

 

Niches to fill:

- single target ranged pressure

- dueling through life leach and active defenses

 

New Mechanic: **Unnatural Quickness**

There would be no new shroud form or alternative abilities considering that we already had two of those. This would be more of the approach Daredevil had with an extra endurance bar.

A twist on Rangers grand master Quick Draw could do the trick.

Swapping weapons/Entering should procs **Unnatural Quickness** which reduces the next Weapon/Shroud ability CD by 50%. Internal CD of 5 seconds

 

New Weapon: **Longbow**

A 1500 range weapon that focuses on single target spike damage along with integrated active defenses and disabling abilities.

**Frost arrow** - Longbow 1 - Fire an arrow that inflicts 1s of Chilled if the target is above 900 range - Rate of fire slower then other longbows, but does more damage

**Black bolt** - Longbow 2 - Charge up and fire an arrow that does more damage and applies more stacks of torment and weakness duration the further the target is away from you

**Strafe** -Longbow 3- directional movement ability (similar to warrior whirl) that dashes the character 900 units forward while evading attacks. Takes 1.5 second and shoots up to three times onto 5 different targets

**Tormenting shot** - Longbow 4 - Fire an arrow that immobilizes the target and steals health and life force

**Wailing death** - Longbow 5 - Fire a slow moving wall that destroys projectiles, strips boons and does heavy damage to enemies it passes through

 

New Utilities:**Cantrips**

**Drain Life** - Heal - restore initially for a moderate amount and link up to an enemy. Drain up to 4000 life from target to self over 5 seconds. The Chain breaks if the enemy disables you

**Unholy frenzy**- break stun and apply quickness to yourself. Steal up to 15% of damage done as health. Duration 6 seconds.

**Ghost Dance** - break stun, clear 3 conditions and teleport up to 1200 away

**Ghastly Familiar** - summon a ghostly wisp that follows you around and provides 5% extra critical chance and life leach for up to 10 characters. Detonate familiar for AOE life steal.

**Possesed weapon** - Imbue your weapon with otherworldly entities providing un-blockable and extra condition damage and power damage for 4 seconds. Ammo 2

**Charm** - Elite - Cause a long lasting taunt up to 3 seconds on enemy while providing revealed, weakness and slow. Lowish CD.

 

Minor Traits:

**Unnatural Quickness**

**Imbued sight** - Deal more damage to enemies based on their distance. 7% below 600 and 13% above 600. Applies to both condition and power damage

**Insatiable** - Critical hits drain life

 

Adept Major Traits:

**Cursed Bow** - Gain 250 ferocity while wielding a Long Bow. Long Bow skill CD are reduced by 20%

**Lingering spirit** - Use **Lesser Possesed Weapon** when you hit an enemy under 50% health.

**Nether Weave** - Entering or exiting shroud provides 1.5 seconds of distort

 

Master Major Traits:

**Shadow's embrace** - Enemies that attack you from beyond 600 range proc regeneration and protection on you for 3 seconds. (20s ICD)

**Cantrip Proficiency** - Cantrips restore health,life force and have a 20% reduced CD

**Siphoned Vigor** - Entering or exiting shroud restores 25 endurance

 

Grand Master Major Traits:

**Doom** - Deal 12,5% more damage to Stunned, Dazed, Taunted or Feared. Double that if the enemy is further then 600 range

**Eternal Thirst** - All life leech damage and healing is increased by 50%

**Between life and death** - When in shroud take 15% less damage, when outside shroud attack 15% faster

 

 

 

 

[derd.6413]

if your more familiar with ranger, why not make a dark ranger spec?

[Yannir.4132]

> @"derd.6413" said:

> if your more familiar with ranger, why not make a dark ranger spec?

 

Ranger doesn't have space for it. You can't go changing Core weapons to suit the needs of an Elite Spec.

If there's ever going to be a Dark Archer-type ESpec in this game, it has to be necro or rev.

[Deadvillager.1956]

I love your Longbow ideas. The utility skills are rather inconsistent though. Elite specs bring one set of skills with them, while you suggest a variety of skills (spirits, spirit weapons,...). Your dark ranger would fit either traps or spirits/spirit weapons I believe. Spirits could work similar to the renegade spirits where a creature is summoned and does direct attacks (shadow archers for example) or buffs/debuffs players in some range.

 

One thing this spec also definitely needs is any kind of use for life force. Make it a holosmith like damage boost for certain attacks or whatever but necros are built around life force and shrouds. Anything works really but it needs to be some kind of twist on the concept.

 

EDIT: Maybe as a shroud idea...

F1: convert collected life force into 1-20 dark arrows (with a neat shadow quiver animation). Dark arrows are used for shroud abilities

F2: teleport to a location within 900m, release a barrage of arrows around you after teleporting. consumes 2 arrows

F3: shoot a terrifying arrow at your target, fearing the target and crippling targets around it. consumes 4 arrows

F4: summon a giant shadow fiend that charges towards a choosable direction. heavily damages enemies in its path and leaves a trail of corruption that puts conditions onto enemies. consumes 5 arrows

F5: shoot a frozen dark arrow at a location. If a target is hit, stun targets and release a huge nova, chilling enemies around the target. Leaves a chill field behind. If no enemies are hit, only leaves the chiling field. consumes 6-8 arrows.

[Yannir.4132]

> @"Deadvillager.1956" said:

> I love your Longbow ideas. The utility skills are rather inconsistent though. Elite specs bring one set of skills with them, while you suggest a variety of skills (spirits, spirit weapons,...). Your dark ranger would fit either traps or spirits/spirit weapons I believe. Spirits could work similar to the renegade spirits where a creature is summoned and does direct attacks (shadow archers for example) or buffs/debuffs players in some range.

>

> One thing this spec also definitely needs is any kind of use for life force. Make it a holosmith like damage boost for certain attacks or whatever but necros are built around life force and shrouds. Anything works really but it needs to be some kind of twist on the concept.

>

> EDIT: Maybe as a shroud idea...

> F1: convert collected life force into 1-20 dark arrows (with a neat shadow quiver animation). Dark arrows are used for shroud abilities

> F2: teleport to a location within 900m, release a barrage of arrows around you after teleporting. consumes 2 arrows

> F3: shoot a terrifying arrow at your target, fearing the target and crippling targets around it. consumes 4 arrows

> F4: summon a giant shadow fiend that charges towards a choosable direction. heavily damages enemies in its path and leaves a trail of corruption that puts conditions onto enemies. consumes 5 arrows

> F5: shoot a frozen dark arrow at a location. If a target is hit, stun targets and release a huge nova, chilling enemies around the target. Leaves a chill field behind. If no enemies are hit, only leaves the chiling field. consumes 6-8 arrows.

 

I think the idea was that you would retain your normal shroud.

[Deadvillager.1956]

> @"Yannir.4132" said:

> > @"Deadvillager.1956" said:

> >

>

> I think the idea was that you would retain your normal shroud.

 

Yeah sure but that thing is already as outdated as they come. Giving it a fancy weapon swap mechanic as an elite spec would just infuriate way too many people. Especially since every elite spec was supposed to play around the shroud theme.

[Catchyfx.5768]

If we get this mobility stuff. I would like to see our classmechnic will be not dmg soaking it will just turn you into "something" and boost dps output and overall quickness for few secs..or something like that.

But if I consider traits, we need something like "shroud".

Longbow hase similiar skills as ranger but after F1 press you get those you type (black arrow,) but boosted(cuz LF cost).

just some ideas.

 

Overall not that bad but utility skillz looks rly OP to me.(necro lifebar)

Like it

[BadSanta.6527]

Nice idea for longbow

 

[EdDreath.2508]

I like the theme and weapon. However I would like its melee aspect to be not underwhelmed as well while still retain the role as single-target duelist in all content. As most endgame pve require to be at melee range and toning down the meat-shield nature of necro in exchange to stronger dps and active defense is the direction that this espec should be.

 

Id love the minion aspect to be enhanced as well on this espec. Thatd makes more of a dark/death ranger.

[InsaneQR.7412]

Can live with the theme and the weapon would benegit the profession.

But the name is hopefully just a placeholder.

Something like headhunter would suit it vetter.