Ranger notes 12/11

[Substance E.4852]

Some buffs and some nerfs. Seems pretty inline with what others got.

 

Glad to see them going for specific things rather than just nuking an entire weapon or skill because part of it (or a combo) is too good.

 

Previous patches would have just removed the cooldown on axe skills from Honed Axes to make winter's bite weaker. Probably removed the homing and snipped 20% damage too.

[Laila Lightness.8742]

> @"Lazze.9870" said:

> I don't get why they have to nerf 3 fury sources at the same time, but I guess it won't matter for most builds.

 

Too encourage more support roles and fewer dps

[DuckDuckBOOM.4097]

> @"Krispera.5087" said:

> Dolyak Stance buff was really NOT needed for Soulbeast. It's only buffing Boonbeast to god tier. Meanwhile, [''Guard!''](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Guard!%22 "https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/%22Guard!%22") ...

>

> As for Winter's Bite, it's really more of a bigger nerf to Core and Druid since it was applied by the pets. Soulbeast didn't need Pet to apply it.

 

Boonbeast got consume plasma nerf, axe 3 nerf, moa stance nerf. Dolyak isn't buffing boon beast to god tier. If anything, I see Dolyak stance as a buff to potential front line SB builds for WvW. 33% dmg reduction that is not stripable with bonus stability. Probably not enough to make it meta for frontline wvw but getting there.

 

> @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > @"Eleazar.9478" said:

> > > @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > > Bye druid raiding with you was fun but i guess fb and tempest is better boon casters now

> >

> > Druid will be fine, it's minor boon duration buffs

>

> Yes but not meta anymore since why have it then fb or tempest can compisate for chrono nerf. Druid only do might

 

Lol what? FB does nothing but boons (quickness/aegis was never competing with druid), cc and damage/heals. Druid can do boons, cc, damage/heals too. Then comes the good stuff with spotter, frost and sun spirit, glyph of empowerment. Furthermore, the spirits (main affect and regen, might, fury, vigor, protection) and gotl are 10 target while FB only has 1x 10 target ability which is 10 target stability (and very low 10 target quickness because of this). Then add in the aoe immob, glyph of tides and a res that hits 10 targets. This is why Druid will still be meta/best in slot for various fights: better offensive buffs and better capacity to carry certain mechanics.

 

Tempest kicking Druid out of the meta because of 10 target overloads is also laughable. Water/Sun spirit + nature magic will still give 10 target vigor/regen at decent rates compared to Tempest. It still won't be first pick healer regardless of Druid's presence. FB/Ren can both be decent healers while providing boons too. Tempest is just buffed at being the second healer in a raid group.

 

FB is competing with Chrono not Druid. Since a FB require a Rev/Chrono to go along side it for alacrity, the meta will probably be 1 of the following depending on the fight:

2 FB, 1 Ren, 1 Druid

2 FB, 1 Ren, 1 ranger/soulbeast for spirits (minor variation of the above)

1 Chrono, 1 FB, 1 Ren, 1 Druid

2 Chrono, 1 Druid, 1 Extra which is maybe a tempest, another druid, or DPS if extra healing isn't required.

 

Edit: Just saw undocumented change of Dolyak having a 40 second CD. They really need to give SB 1 more source of AoE stability please! Help them be frontline support. Overall, patch looks ok for ranger.

[Tinnel.4369]

Dokyak is 30 sec in wvw.

[Eramonster.2718]

> Storm Spirit: This spirit now grants fury for 1 second instead of swiftness for 3 seconds on each pulse while this trait is equipped.

Buff. :smile:

> Frost Spirit: This spirit now grants might for 5 seconds for 1 stack instead of 3 seconds for 3 stacks while this trait is equipped.

Since most Might is from Grace of the Land. :neutral:

> Spirit of Nature Renewal: Fixed a bug in which the stability granted by the spirit of nature hit fewer targets than intended.

Buff. :smile:

> Water Spirit: The regeneration duration that this spirit grants has been reduced from 3 seconds to 2 seconds while this trait is equipped.

No difference since Regen with the longest duration overwrites shorter ones all the time. :neutral:

 

Nerf on Sun Spirit (Vigor) and Stone Spirit (Protection) :anguished: :anguished:

[Durzlla.6295]

> @"Eramonster.2718" said:

> > Storm Spirit: This spirit now grants fury for 1 second instead of swiftness for 3 seconds on each pulse while this trait is equipped.

> Buff. :smile:

> > Frost Spirit: This spirit now grants might for 5 seconds for 1 stack instead of 3 seconds for 3 stacks while this trait is equipped.

> Since most Might is from Grace of the Land. :neutral:

> > Spirit of Nature Renewal: Fixed a bug in which the stability granted by the spirit of nature hit fewer targets than intended.

> Buff. :smile:

> > Water Spirit: The regeneration duration that this spirit grants has been reduced from 3 seconds to 2 seconds while this trait is equipped.

> No difference since Regen with the longest duration overwrites shorter ones all the time. :neutral:

>

> Nerf on Sun Spirit (Vigor) and Stone Spirit (Protection) :anguished: :anguished:

 

How were sun and stone spirit nerfed?

 

And I still wish they’d change the frost spirit boon to something other than might.

[Laila Lightness.8742]

> @"Durzlla.6295" said:

> > @"Eramonster.2718" said:

> > > Storm Spirit: This spirit now grants fury for 1 second instead of swiftness for 3 seconds on each pulse while this trait is equipped.

> > Buff. :smile:

> > > Frost Spirit: This spirit now grants might for 5 seconds for 1 stack instead of 3 seconds for 3 stacks while this trait is equipped.

> > Since most Might is from Grace of the Land. :neutral:

> > > Spirit of Nature Renewal: Fixed a bug in which the stability granted by the spirit of nature hit fewer targets than intended.

> > Buff. :smile:

> > > Water Spirit: The regeneration duration that this spirit grants has been reduced from 3 seconds to 2 seconds while this trait is equipped.

> > No difference since Regen with the longest duration overwrites shorter ones all the time. :neutral:

> >

> > Nerf on Sun Spirit (Vigor) and Stone Spirit (Protection) :anguished: :anguished:

>

> How were sun and stone spirit nerfed?

>

> And I still wish they’d change the frost spirit boon to something other than might.

 

I wish unique buffs to be gone make spirits more intresring anet i want spirit to get spirit weapon treatment

[Levetty.1279]

**UNSPLIT AXE SKILLS!**

 

I'll even take this axe nerf in PvE as well just unsplit the skills, why do you do this to me Anet! :'(

[Clyan.1593]

These changes on spirits seem to me like they don't know how far they can go with nerfing something.

I don't think this was necessary at all. Spirits are good, because they give group wide buffs while other abilities from Ranger are kinda meh.

[Krispera.5087]

> @"Levetty.1279" said:

> **UNSPLIT AXE SKILLS!**

>

> I'll even take this axe nerf in PvE as well just unsplit the skills, why do you do this to me Anet! :'(

 

It's a meme at this point :/ . Also, on a more serious note, I think they know that unsplitting axe skills and Splitblade will spike Power Soulbeast DPS in sPvE through the roof since it's on a very short cooldown.

[Lazze.9870]

> @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > @"Lazze.9870" said:

> > I don't get why they have to nerf 3 fury sources at the same time, but I guess it won't matter for most builds.

>

> Too encourage more support roles and fewer dps

 

OK? The skills/traits I'm talking about are pvp changes only. All they do is making it a bit more tedious for a ranger to have permanent fury in pvp. Which is the one buff it shouldn't have a problem to keep up as it is the mainstay boon of the ranger (along with switfness and regen due to Anet's lack of creativity).

[Substance E.4852]

> @"Levetty.1279" said:

> **UNSPLIT AXE SKILLS!**

>

> I'll even take this axe nerf in PvE as well just unsplit the skills, why do you do this to me Anet! :'(

 

Because it would probably completely outpace 1h sword with a proper Split Blade.

[InsaneQR.7412]

> @"Substance E.4852" said:

> > @"Levetty.1279" said:

> > **UNSPLIT AXE SKILLS!**

> >

> > I'll even take this axe nerf in PvE as well just unsplit the skills, why do you do this to me Anet! :'(

>

> Because it would probably completely outpace 1h sword with a proper Split Blade.

 

Sword would be so darn easy to fix.

All AA should cleave.

Hornet sting and monarchsleap should swap and the duration between should be prolonged.

Horbet sting should evade from start ro end and not somewhere in the middle.

 

And there you go sword as power weapon fixed.

If they would change poison master to like: "apply poison when applying cripple", you would have even a good condi weapon with sword.

[Dadnir.5038]

> @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > @"Lazze.9870" said:

> > I don't get why they have to nerf 3 fury sources at the same time, but I guess it won't matter for most builds.

>

> Too encourage more support roles and fewer dps

 

It's more that now you gain fury every 3 seconds with _storm spirit_ which allow rangers to proc _remorseless_ every 3 seconds and thus benefit from opening strike frequently. This is a nerf to the traditionnal rotation to maintain optimal uptime but at the same time a buff to _remorseless_ which might have been on the weaker side of the grandmasters in it's traitline.

[Lazze.9870]

> @"Dadnir.5038" said:

> > @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > > @"Lazze.9870" said:

> > > I don't get why they have to nerf 3 fury sources at the same time, but I guess it won't matter for most builds.

> >

> > Too encourage more support roles and fewer dps

>

> It's more that now you gain fury every 3 seconds with _storm spirit_ which allow rangers to proc _remorseless_ every 3 seconds and thus benefit from opening strike frequently. This is a nerf to the traditionnal rotation to maintain optimal uptime but at the same time a buff to _remorseless_ which might have been on the weaker side of the grandmasters in it's traitline.

 

It's neither. It's Anet's way to look for some way to shave off ranger boon duration and hit some of the meta traits/skills at the same time.

 

Remorseless wasn't the weakest in its line. Marksmanship in general is weak for pvp.

[Laila Lightness.8742]

> @"Dadnir.5038" said:

> > @"Laila Lightness.8742" said:

> > > @"Lazze.9870" said:

> > > I don't get why they have to nerf 3 fury sources at the same time, but I guess it won't matter for most builds.

> >

> > Too encourage more support roles and fewer dps

>

> It's more that now you gain fury every 3 seconds with _storm spirit_ which allow rangers to proc _remorseless_ every 3 seconds and thus benefit from opening strike frequently. This is a nerf to the traditionnal rotation to maintain optimal uptime but at the same time a buff to _remorseless_ which might have been on the weaker side of the grandmasters in it's traitline.

 

Remorseless weak lol check lead the wind its a joke of a grandmaster ☺

[Levetty.1279]

> @"Substance E.4852" said:

> > @"Levetty.1279" said:

> > **UNSPLIT AXE SKILLS!**

> >

> > I'll even take this axe nerf in PvE as well just unsplit the skills, why do you do this to me Anet! :'(

>

> Because it would probably completely outpace 1h sword with a proper Split Blade.

 

That says more about the state of 1h sword.

[PolarTitan.8519]

Revenant might be the new healer, it got something like a 326% healing boost for centaur stance

[Miellyn.6847]

> @"Eramonster.2718" said:

> > Storm Spirit: This spirit now grants fury for 1 second instead of swiftness for 3 seconds on each pulse while this trait is equipped.

> Buff. :smile:

> > Frost Spirit: This spirit now grants might for 5 seconds for 1 stack instead of 3 seconds for 3 stacks while this trait is equipped.

> Since most Might is from Grace of the Land. :neutral:

> > Spirit of Nature Renewal: Fixed a bug in which the stability granted by the spirit of nature hit fewer targets than intended.

> Buff. :smile:

> > Water Spirit: The regeneration duration that this spirit grants has been reduced from 3 seconds to 2 seconds while this trait is equipped.

> No difference since Regen with the longest duration overwrites shorter ones all the time. :neutral:

>

> Nerf on Sun Spirit (Vigor) and Stone Spirit (Protection) :anguished: :anguished:

 

Regeneration got changed a while back. The highest healing is the active buff, not the longest.

 

Nerfs to Fresh Reinforcement would have been better than nerfs to base ranger boon duration.

[Eramonster.2718]

> @"Miellyn.6847" said:

>

> Regeneration got changed a while back. The highest healing is the active buff, not the longest.

 

This is good info :smiley:.

 

> Nerfs to Fresh Reinforcement would have been better than nerfs to base ranger boon duration.

 

Sadly the patch was about boon sharing. Fresh Reinforcement being elite soulbeast exclusive and self boon not in the category.