The Ranger from Guild Wars 2 is not just for Pokemon roleplayers but also for serious damage dealers. Because in Guild Wars 2, DPS is the answer to everything, and dealing as much damage as possible shortens the grind or lessens the time spent on dealing with bosses. That's why the "ultimate longbow Ranger" will always be one that prioritizes DPS.
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For someone who might not be familiar with the current Guild Wars 2 META, this might be confusing especially with the plethora of options available. It's easy to mess up your Ranger character or any for that matter. That's why we're here, to ensure that your ultimate longbow Ranger lives up to its name.
Craft Ascended Gear Or Better
Step one in ensuring you have the most efficient Ranger build in the game is by grabbing the best items stat-wise. In Guild Wars 2, the Ascended item rarity or class is the best-in-slot. It's actually the second rarest, right after Legendary but they have the same stats anyway.
Besides, crafting Legendary gear takes too much time. Ascended gear and weapons for a class can be completed in about a month or so. Now, for the bare minimum, you still can't go wrong with Exotic rarity gear but don't go below that as that's already a small downgrade in terms of damage.
Use Berserker/Zojja Weapons
As for which gear or weapon stats to look for, that would be Zojja's or the Berserker stat combination. For the uninitiated, Berserker stats consist of Power, Precision, and Ferocity with power being the highest value.
Simply put, craft a Zojja's Greatbow or if you're feeling fabulously grand, a Pharus or Kudzu. As for the alternate weapons for swapping, Zojja's Razor in the main hand and Zojja's Reaver in the off-hand are considered as the best even if that means switching to melee.
Use Berserker/Zojja Armor
Of course, a Berserker weapon won't do much by itself without the supplementary Berserker armor. If you don't have ascended medium armor yet, then acquiring Zojja's medium armor (Visage, Shoulderguard, Guise, Grips, Leggings, Striders) is undoubtedly the hardest part of crafting ascended stuff.
Still, they're very much worth it as they provide higher boosts to Berserker stats combined than the weapon. If you go for Ascended, you can consider them an investment since the Engineer and the Thief also use the same armor.
Use Berserker Trinkets
Speaking of Ascended investments, the accessories are probably the easiest to acquire. Even if players can't craft or don't want to, they can still grab these in the Fractal lobby or in some guild quests.
As for the stats, obviously, go for the Berserker ones as well. There are many variants of them but again, Berserker's stats are Power, Precision, and Ferocity with Power having the highest value. The backpiece is the most difficult one to acquire but the Living World maps provide plenty of opportunities to get them for free.
Sigil Of Force & Sigil Of Impact
Now on to the weapon slots. Sigils that complement the Berserker stats best have often been a subject of debate in the community. For the Ranger who uses a longbow, it seems the current META dictates usage of a Superior Sigil of Force and a Superior Sigil of Impact.
The first one gives a generous +5% damage while the other one grants as much as +10% damage to stunned or knocked-down enemies, +3% if they're upright. The same sigils go into the alternative weapons of the Ranger.
6 Superior Runes Of The Scholar
Much like Sigils, Runes are also a hot topic in the community as many players are constantly doing math and theory-crafing regarding the best. At the moment, the Superior Rune of the Scholar reigns supreme for ultimate DPS setups. The longbow Ranger is no exception.
Slotting in six Superior Runes of the Scholar in your Berserker armor gives a ton of Power and Ferocity along with a +5% damage increase. The catch is that players have to maintain their health above 90% in order to make use of the +5% damage increase. That shouldn't be too hard with the Ranger.
18 Mighty +5 Agony Infusions
Now the beauty in Ascended gear is that they also come with the bonus of Infusion slots which are separate from the Rune and Sigil slot. Infusions are a must for Fractals which are essentially upgraded dungeons in Guild Wars 2 but for the endgame.
It just so happens that the best Infusions also grant a bit of stat boost. For a DPS build, a blue-rarity Mighty +5 Agony Infusion gives +5 to the Power stat. It might not seem like much but there are 18 Infusion slots in total so that's +90 Power which helps a bit and adds up to the damage multipliers well enough.
Marksmanship + Skirmishing + Soulbeast Specializations
Now that the item requirements for the ultimate longbow Ranger build are settled, it's time to discuss the specializations. For the Ranger, pick Marksmanship and under that tree, pick Hunter's Gaze, Moment of Clarity, and Lead the Wind. Step two is picking the Skirmishing tree and then choosing Trapper's Expertise, Spotter, and Vicious Quarry.
Last but not least, select the Soulbeast tree and then under that, grab Live Fast, Essence of Speed, and Oppressive Superiority. You can change up the tree talents but changing the trees or specializations themselves isn't that advised unless you know your math.
Juvenile Red Moa & Juvenile Rock Gazelle For Pets
The best part of being a Ranger in Guild Wars 2 is getting to pick your pets. That's also one of the reasons why they're one of the easiest classes to play; they have helpers that can soak damage and the enemy's attention. Other pets provide utility or big bonuses.
The Juvenile Rock Gazelle is the Ranger's recommended first pet as it can provide a lovely situational crowd control by tossing the target into the air. Meanwhile, the second pet should be a Juvenile Red Moa that provides Fury for better critical rates and a heal.
The Right Skill Bar Combinations
Don't embarrass your pets by being a suboptimal Ranger now, it's time to carry your own weight with skills. For the Ranger, the most popular META healing skill is "We Heal As One!" For utility, pick Signet of the Wild for more Ferocity for you and your pets. Also grab "Sic 'Em!" as it's a universal pet command.
The final utility skill is situational and depends on your preference but "Protect Me!" or Frost Trap helps a ton. Meanwhile, for the elite skill, either One Wolf Pack or "Strength of the Pack!" should ensure maximum damage.