Build:R/any Barrage Ranger

From PvXwiki

The PvXwiki community finds this to be an excellent build. Through the PvX vetting system, it has reached an overall rating in the range from 4.75 to 5.0 and thus qualifies for the highest category of working builds: Great. This build has been designed for the following use: PvE hero PvE general

This build is a basic Barrage Ranger that can be used and modified for many situations and secondary professions. The main goal is to use the common elite skill Barrage so as to synergize with other skills for a better effect or at least other skills that compliment it in its most common uses. Barrage is most often used to target groups of enemies while using increases to damage output or other effects on each barrage.

[edit] Attributes and Skills

Ranger / No profession 12 + 1 + 1 Marksmanship 8 + 1 Expertise Barrage Core Ranger. Marksmanship 14 Barrage Elite Bow Attack All your Preparations are removed. Shoot arrows at target foe and up to 6 foes adjacent to your target. These arrows strike for +19 damage if they hit. 1 3 Distracting Shot Core Ranger. Expertise 9 Distracting Shot Bow Attack If Distracting Shot hits, it interrupts target foe's action but deals only 10 damage. If the interrupted action was a skill, that skill is disabled for an additional 20 seconds. 10 ½ 3 Savage Shot Core Ranger. Marksmanship 14 Savage Shot Bow Attack If Savage Shot hits, your target's action is interrupted. If that action was a Spell, you strike for +27 damage. 5 ½ 6 Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Optional Core No Profession. Unlinked Optional Optional Optional. Template code

[edit] Ranger

Marksmanship or Expertise (put remaining attribute points in Expertise)

• Favorable Winds more damage and faster arrows means you won't get strafed.
• Throw Dirt as an emergency skill to blind foes attacking you or your allies.
• Triple Shot increased single target damage
• Sloth Hunter's Shot increased single target damage

Wilderness Survival (make Wilderness Survival 10)

• Antidote Signet removals some status alignments
• Winnowing to add 4 damage to each arrow.
• Conflagration to change your bow's damage type to fire damage.
• Winter to change any elemental damage to cold damage.

Beast Mastery (make Beast Mastery 10)

• Comfort Animal Adding a pet to the build will then turn you into what is referred to as a B/P ranger.
• Melandru's Assault and many other pet skills to beef up your pet
• Edge of Extinction additional damage to others upon finishing a foe. Be careful when deciding to use against human foes.

[edit] Warrior

No Attribute (put remaining points in Expertise)

• "Save Yourselves!" for a constant +100AL boost to the entire party

Tactics (make Tactics 10)

• "Watch Yourself!" charges quickly and can increase the party's AL
• "Shields Up!" can be used to reduce the damage your party members take from projectiles.

[edit] Monk

Protection Prayers (put all remaining points in Expertise)

• Rebirth is a useful skill to replace Resurrection Signet in PvE

[edit] Necromancer

Curses (make Curses 10)

• Mark of Pain may cause scatter but can be most useful in narrow passages.

[edit] Elementalist

Elemtental Damage (put 10 in the appropriate Magic type)

• Conjure Flame (and other Conjures) with the appropriate bow string can add damage to each barrage. If you wish to use a Vampiric or Zealous Weapon then use Conflagration
• Intensity to increase damage output of conjure skill

[edit] Ritualist

Channeling Magic (make Channeling magic 10)

• Splinter Weapon can be used for more AoE damage.
• Nightmare Weapon good single enemy damage, when combined with Triple Shot.
• Wailing Weapon same as Warmonger's
• Warmonger's Weapon can add interruption to a mass of foes for the entire duration.

Other (put remaining attribute points in Expertise)

• Flesh of My Flesh generic resurrection spell
• Death Pact Signet for a res without the health sacrifice
• Summon Spirits can be used to keep Favorable Winds with you, lowering its downtime to 0.
• Vampirism if you are not using all your PvE-only skill slots, and you have space for it

[edit] Paragon

Command (put 10 in Command)

• "Go for the Eyes!" to increase damage and chance of crit
• "Find Their Weakness!" to increase damage and chance of Deep Wound.
• "Stand Your Ground!" to add armor to your party while not moving.
• "Fall Back!" to speed your party up
• Bladeturn Refrain defense and blocking for your party members
• Anthem of Envy can add some minor damage at the easy cost of adrenaline.
• Hexbreaker Aria party wide hex removal
• Signet of Return is useful as a repeatable resurrection skill, even without access to the Leadership attribute.

[edit] Dervish

Mysticism

• Heart of Holy Flame can be used to change your weapon damage type to holy damage.

[edit] PvE-Only Skills

• "I Am The Strongest!" for additional damage
• Ebon Battle Standard of Honor for additional damage per arrow (very effective with Barrage)
• "Finish Him!" fits in well especially if no deep wound is present in the build.
• "You Move Like a Dwarf!" can be useful for keeping enemies grouped and keeping your backline safe.
• Drunken Master allows for a long lasting IAS and movement speed buff so long as you have alcohol available.
• "By Ural's Hammer!" to boost damage from Splinter weapon.
• Pain Inverter for high damage.

[edit] Equipment

• Any armor can be used though Survivor insignias are best.
• Vampiric or Zealous bow strings are used a lot in Barrage builds as you get multiple hits per shot (provided the build doesn't call for an elemental string) though a Sundering string is a good stand-by if you don't want to worry about the degen and makes a good switch-out weapon.
• A Flatbow is commonly used in a barrage build provided Favorable Winds is brought as well to lessen the large arrow arc from a Flatbow and to help speed the arrows to their targets. Otherwise, each bow has its own ups and downs but can be used as preferred. If you wish to use a green Flatbow:
  • Ironwing Flatbow or Forgotten Flatbow is ideal.
  • Chkkr's Flatbow is good, and is easy to farm right outside of Saint Anjeka's Shrine.

[edit] Usage

• The function of a barrage build varies slightly but the overall effect is to do damage to a group of foes with each use. Therefore, attacking the central most target in a group is desired for the best effect rather than the closest.
• Placement of any spirits before hand is key as they usually increase the damage and speed the arrows fly at. Be sure to place them where they will be effective yet not attacked by enemies.
• Often, interrupt skills are brought along to take out any big skills or those that might hurt you like Meteor Shower or Resurrect as examples of big skills or Spiteful Spirit as examples of a skill that can seriously hinder or hurt you. Be aware that you will have to wait for the barrage animation to finish before the interrupt will fire.
• Some sort of self heal, condition removal (primarily for blindness), or defensive stance is popular as well though not required.

[edit] Counters

• Any standard melee/ranger counters such as blindness, on attack/hit hexes, or blocking.

See also:

• Build:A/R Critical Barrager
• Build:Team - Barrage/Pet