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  1. #1

    Ranger pets and PvE

    So I am currently leveling my Asura Ranger currently lvl 45 I have been to only one dungeon but several world events and one thing I notice is that my pet dies within 5-10 seconds. this kinda sucks since many of my skills revolve around my pet.

    I am new to this game so maybe I am doing something wrong, I doubt it though since my pet barely makes it to melee range before it dies. Im using Lynx and Jaguar I think its called.

    I "complained" about this in a group I was in and one guy said that pets will be fixed in the upcoming patch and I have searched and searched but I cant seem to find that information anywhere it all about the upcoming custom arena and spectator mode everywhere I look. maybe im just a noob at searching.

    can anyone confirm that either I am doing something terribly wrong when handling my pets ( sending them into battle, I use Signet of the Wild, Quickening Zephyr and Rampage as one and then I swap the last skill our depending on what the grp needs, if its aoe slow or what is needed)

    OR if pets are indeed getting a fix, cause this way I cant really see a reason to even have a pet when it just runs in only to be oneshot from a cleave AoE or whatever spell it is.

    any help would be largely appreciated! (I love this game and I love my ranger so I hope a fix is inc)

  2. #2
    Use the bears. They never die.

  3. #3
    Ok, I'm a retired ranger so let's have a chat regarding your problems.

    Pets do die incredibly fast in dungeons. There are certain things you can do to "make them better" (like Signet of Stone) or the trait Companion's Defense but there's some issues.

    SoS has a really long CD which means you'd need to trait into Signets => traiting into signets for one signet is a waste so you'll want to bring at least one more SoR, SoH and SoW are our options. Major issue 2of those have better passive effects than actives (SoH/SoW) and SoR is simply not needed => your traiting only benefits one signet!

    Companion's defense is great to help your pet survive and quite frankly a must, don't be scared to dodge when your pet needs help or a big attack is coming since ranger has lots of evades for himself.

    Second thing is that you need to realise that your pet is about 50% of your damage (birds/cats anyway) meaning that you will have to use your heal skill to keep your pet alive.

    Next thing is that there's two ways of playing. The first is an always melee play-style (reduces travel time so your pet benefits from quickness on pet swap) with lots of "heel" commands to position your pet so it's flanking (and taking less damage). The second is standing at range and calling your pet back well before "the danger" is about to hit so it has time to run out of the bad stuff. This method usually brings a Jaguar (or bird depending on preference)+Moa so you can increase your dps by buffing when your pet isn't in melee.

    Most people just go "the easy" way and go BM bunker relying on high prot and regen uptimes for their pet where basically everything comes down to "nuke faster". Another "easy way" is to use ranged pets (devourers) but those really give up a lot of DPS.

    There will be buffs coming to pet HP but I doubt it'll be enough since that would mean pets become unkillable in PvP/WvW.

    TLDR: Ranger (pets) are horribly broken and I'm skeptical the upcoming patch will fix it. There are things you can do to increase your pet uptime though.


    EDIT:

    @Fencers
    While this is somewhat true there's again a big DPS pay-off meaning that if you do bring a bear (or any other tank pet) you might as well just bring a moa to buff you since that's more DPS.

  4. #4
    I cleared everything in the game except for the guild missions just using the bears. Rarely die. No need for anything else. Game is a cakewalk for Rangers.

    Use the bears.
    Last edited by Fencers; 2013-04-30 at 12:03 AM.

  5. #5
    Sure it's easy but it's not optimal

  6. #6
    Heh, if being optimal made any difference in the game I'd agree. GW2 is like Walt Whitman's evening perambulations through Brooklyn.

  7. #7
    Yea yea but going with that you could also play with a naked toon without traits but you wouldn't do that...

  8. #8
    I wouldn't put that past Fencers, Meledelion
    She'll probably take it as a challenge

    Quote Originally Posted by Ryngo Blackratchet View Post
    Yeah, Rhandric is right, as usual.

  9. #9
    Well I did clear Arah in a mishmash of level 40-70 gear with my sister tagging along in the same gear she had since Kessex Hills. Likewise, my brother-in-law and I cleared ACx in level 20 gear duo multiple times.

    I really think the "challenge" is an overblown perception. /shrug

    Point is: use the bears.

  10. #10
    Oh I agree it's doable (and mostly not even hard) but I think we can agree that the game isn't designed to play it that way

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Meledelion View Post
    Oh I agree it's doable (and mostly not even hard) but I think we can agree that the game isn't designed to play it that way
    Agree, gear and these sort of things do make a difference. It's not required but as an example, my exotic DPS set does roughly double the damage of my rare MF set so these things make a big enough difference to effect your quality of life in game.

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by Meledelion View Post
    There will be buffs coming to pet HP but I doubt it'll be enough since that would mean pets become unkillable in PvP/WvW.
    Adjusted health and/or armor of ranger pets:

    Ursine pets: health increased from 26,000 to 29982; armor is now 2061 (up 687). Polar bear’s power now matches that of all other bear pets.
    Dogs: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 2061 (no change).
    Cats: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
    Devourers: health increased from 11,089 to 14868; armor is 2748 (no change).
    Birds: health increased from 11,894 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
    Drakes: health increased from 11,683 to 22,425; armor is 2061 (no change).
    Spiders: health increased from 18,646 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
    Pigs: health increased from 20,538 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687).
    Moas: health increased from 16,781 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
    Armor Fish: health increased from 16,781 to 22,452; armor is now 2748 (up 343).
    Jellyfish: health increased from 11,089 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
    Shark: health increased from 13,000 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687)


    Called it... (also lol at the shark buff seeing as it already was one of the strongest pets out there together with the armor fish )

  13. #13
    you have to understand that event most melee-characters can't stay alive in melee against certain foes, so don't expect your pet is godmode. A few things to consider:

    -) play your pet actively - f3 calls it back to you, use it when you see danger incoming (for example heavy aoe, call your pet out of it)
    -) since dungeons make heavy use of strong melee-mobs consider taking ranged pets
    -) I'm not sure if every healing-skill heals you as well as the pet,... healing spring does. It's also one of the best healing-fields in the game, so use it in dungeons often.
    -) swap your pets if they are low on health and your healing skill is on CD

    here from the update-notes:
    Pet Attributes

    • Adjusted health and/or armor of ranger pets:
      • Ursine pets: health increased from 26,000 to 29982; armor is now 2061 (up 687). Polar bear’s power now matches that of all other bear pets.
      • Dogs: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 2061 (no change).
      • Cats: health increased from 13,000 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
      • Devourers: health increased from 11,089 to 14868; armor is 2748 (no change).
      • Birds: health increased from 11,894 to 14,868; armor is 1374 (no change).
      • Drakes: health increased from 11,683 to 22,425; armor is 2061 (no change).
      • Spiders: health increased from 18,646 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
      • Pigs: health increased from 20,538 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687).
      • Moas: health increased from 16,781 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
      • Armor Fish: health increased from 16,781 to 22,452; armor is now 2748 (up 343).
      • Jellyfish: health increased from 11,089 to 22,425; armor is 1374 (no change).
      • Shark: health increased from 13,000 to 22,425; armor is now 2061 (up 687).
    • Summoned creatures and pets can no longer draw aggro from enemies that have not already aggroed on their master.
    • Adjusted ranger pet AI when fighting enemies in PvE. Melee pets now attempt to move behind enemies as long as they are not actively being targeted by the creature.

  14. #14
    The Unstoppable Force Kelimbror's Avatar
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    1) Bear durids R 4 fite - Seriously, needs moar bears. For solo and open world play, everything Fencers says is true. I use bears and it eliminates headaches. Especially if you are playing a shortbow ranger, it's much easier to get your bleeds maxed with bears.

    2) F3 is your friend. If there's anything on the ground you wouldn't stand in, don't make your pet do it either.

    3) Resist the urge to save your heal for yourself. Your pet is now a tank and you are a healer and dps. Tanks are your priority.

    4) If your pet is taking lots of damage, don't be afraid to pull them with F3 and 'take' aggro yourself for kiting/sacrifice. Your pet can rez you, which is one of the more OP abilities in open world situations.

    I don't find Rangers as cheese as my faceplanting Warrior is, but it's certainly not difficult.
    BAD WOLF

  15. #15
    I always save my heals for my pet, i use the signet that makes my pet immune to dmg for a few secs, and don't forget to pet swap all the time.
    I don't normally use bears because they don't do as much dmg as other pets, but i agree that they survive easier...

    Pets kinda sucks in dungeons imo, i'm no hardcore ranger, and have had some trouble keeping my pet a live in dungeons. I guess calling the pet back is always an option, but i just can't stand all the micromanaging.

  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Highangel View Post
    I guess calling the pet back is always an option, but i just can't stand all the micromanaging.
    Then why roll a ranger? IMO you can't micro manage enough...

  17. #17
    This may just be me, but has anyone else noticed their pets seem to not be able to aggro as well in solo PvE after the patch? I never had a problem much with stealing aggro from my pet before, but now it's to the point where I literally just stood there, not having attacked the enemy once, and it just continued to bash on me as my pets (an arctodus and whiptail devourer, respectively) kept uselessly attacking and not taking the aggro at all.

    I hadn't even attacked yet, and yet the enemy would act as though my pets weren't even an option to target. That was an extreme case, I think, when I was fighting some risen mobs, but I've ran around in various zones and after just a few auto attacks it seems like I've pulled the mobs off my pets and to me instead. I'm not a powerful dps character, either. Most of my points are stacked in utility slots and the trees that grant +vitality and +healing, etc.
    "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Dr. Carl Sagan

  18. #18
    Have you tried agroing first, then stopping agro and letting your pet take over? I solo'd the living story dungeon earlier today with my pet just keeping agro 90% of the time.

  19. #19
    Well, pets have higher health and (some have higher) armor now, which are 2 of the things that (can) have an impact on aggro.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ryngo Blackratchet View Post
    Yeah, Rhandric is right, as usual.

  20. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Meledelion View Post
    Then why roll a ranger? IMO you can't micro manage enough...
    Well i really like the ranger, but i am levelling another one at the moment...
    Only had problems with pets in dungeons, and i'm not really grouping much anyway.

    There is micromanagement and then there is too much micromanagement imo

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