End Game questions

nowhere64

Am leveling HR after a long time away from the game. Have a few qs:

1. is perfect vorpal really the best offensive enhancement? how about lightning, plaguefire etc. Anywhere close in terms of dps?

2. are enhancements still genuinely available on the AH, or have they all been consumed in the new refinement process?


3. which is the best artifact? Do people chose by the stat bonuses, or are the effects actually relevant?

4. Is it hard to get a group for a t2 etc as an HR?

Thanks.

oniwasabisama

1) I haven't been at the endgame for all that long myself, but as far as I can tell: It depends! Perfect Vorpal is the best (from what I've seen) enchantment for increasing your personal damage as much as possible. I personally like my Plaguefire better because it ups the entire group damage notably (though I'm not willing to sit around to try and do the math to find out which is a more significant gain across an entire dungeon with different group comps)

2) Enhancements are available from Auction. I don't know if they're radically different in price than they used to be, since I didn't start playing until well after the current refinement system was active

3) Whichever one you can get upgraded for the best stat bonuses! As far as active effects I think the healing one (Waters of something-I-don't-remember-but-I-think-starts-with-an-E) works best for Rangers as it adds some extra survivability to a squishy class

4) I have not had difficulties getting any groups during Delve event, haven't tried much otherwise

elminster

1: Well the short answer to this question is simply to have both in your toolkit. Personally I think Plaguefire is the superior enchantment because it increases damage throughout the party instead of just you, but there's a hitch: Plaguefire enchantments do not stack, so having more than one in the party is completely worthless. In a situation where multiple players have Plaguefires you should have a Vorpal. If there is no other Plaguefire in the party then you should have one of those slotted instead.

2: Oniwasa already answered this

3: I like Waters of Elah'zad for the stats, but for effects I'm trying to get either a Bloodcrystal Raven Skull or Eye of Lathander (RNG ftw >.>). The Waters are essentially a free potion but I think the Raven Skull would be better in that regard since it gives 90% of missing HP as temp hp, and the Eye is a free "oh sh*t!" button when the Cleric or tank bites it.

4: I've never had issues getting into T2 dungeons, but I also have a guild that focuses on these dungeons at the moment. Outside that it can get frustrating because a lot of randoms will only take one or maybe two rangers, favoring wizards for their ability to throw adds off of cliffs. In dungeons like PK, ToS, or SC you might have issues getting groups since these favor a wizard's push ability, but for most others it shouldn't be too difficult. My advice would be to do like most everybody else and find a guild that focuses on these dungeons and runs them regularly and you shouldn't have to worry too much about not finding groups.

charononus

nowhere64 wrote: »

Am leveling HR after a long time away from the game. Have a few qs:

1. is perfect vorpal really the best offensive enhancement? how about lightning, plaguefire etc. Anywhere close in terms of dps?

Vorpal is good, it's definately at the forefront. Currently testing a lightning for even more aoe.

2. are enhancements still genuinely available on the AH, or have they all been consumed in the new refinement process?

plenty still on the ah

3. which is the best artifact? Do people chose by the stat bonuses, or are the effects actually relevant?

For the most part go for the stat bonuses. My preference on an hr is the raven pvp artifact in active, then the latern for dps stats, then waters. The crown would be nice too but far more pricey.

4. Is it hard to get a group for a t2 etc as an HR?

Thanks.

Don't use lfg often so not really sure. Be aware the queue system is completely useless so you will want to use lfg, a channel, or guild to form up for dungeons.

daimyo3

1. Yeah, Vorpal is 10 times better, end of story. Still vorpal becames better only from Greater onward, so my advice is: buy a Lesser PF ASAP (it's less than 100k), then save your AD for a Greater VP.

2. You can find plenty of enchantments in the AH.

3. I use the Raven's Skull, the Lantern and the Emblem of Seldarine. This last one is on active, and I use it both for stats and for power: the overall party healing buff is AWESOME, expecially on PvP and will not only save you and your allies, it's great to work as a backup healer when running full-DPS parties.

4. Up until you're at least 13k well yes, it may be somewhat difficult, more or less you're worth as much as a TR. Get a Ioun Stone ASAP, it helps a lot. After 14k-15k it will be much easier, but still you're not the Prom Queen like a CW.

nowhere64

Thanks all. appreciate it.

charononus

daimyo3 wrote: »

4. Up until you're at least 13k well yes, it may be somewhat difficult, more or less you're worth as much as a TR. Get a Ioun Stone ASAP, it helps a lot. After 14k-15k it will be much easier, but still you're not the Prom Queen like a CW.

I'd rank a good tr higher for some fights. For instance in tos, a tr ranks far far higher than hr because of smoke bomb. HR doesn't have any fight like that where it can really shine.

kalebbaker

Ok so here is my end game question i wrote it on a guide but nobody is responding for a nature hunter wouldnt it be wiser since your a helper to have electric shot instead of the stealth they have and if so what would be a wise choice to substitute electric shot with since nature is a helper and the aoe will help alot

charononus

kalebbaker wrote: »

Ok so here is my end game question i wrote it on a guide but nobody is responding for a nature hunter wouldnt it be wiser since your a helper to have electric shot instead of the stealth they have and if so what would be a wise choice to substitute electric shot with since nature is a helper and the aoe will help alot

Not sure what you mean, at all. The only stealth power for an hr is a daily and electric is an at will. Also electric shot is absolute complete garbage that is only useful for it's melee side if you are combat specced. If you want an aoe at will at ranged go with split shot.

As far as everything you wrote about nature specced that doesn't make any sense either since you're asking about at wills and no at will has a buff. That means the at will choice is dependant on playstyle of range choice melee or ranged, and what encounter you're facing aimed vs rapid shots.

kalebbaker

its called forest ghost you slip into the forest and are unseen and hit anybody or anything you come into contact with. a Nature hunter from what i read on the guide is a buffer basically and a support so that is why i was asking about the aoe b/c you seem to be wanting to help your group instead of actually doing damage right. If I am mistaken plz enlighten me to what i am seeing wrong or reading wrong in that guide. any advice on what i should do for a HR would be helpful i like sniping basically.

charononus

kalebbaker wrote: »

its called forest ghost you slip into the forest and are unseen and hit anybody or anything you come into contact with. a Nature hunter from what i read on the guide is a buffer basically and a support so that is why i was asking about the aoe b/c you seem to be wanting to help your group instead of actually doing damage right. If I am mistaken plz enlighten me to what i am seeing wrong or reading wrong in that guide. any advice on what i should do for a HR would be helpful i like sniping basically.

Yes I know what forest ghost is. It's a daily power and you're asking about at wills. Your buffs are your encounter spells. Personal favorite buffs are Commanding shot, debuffs the mob and the melee side grants temp hp etc to the party, binding arrow little bit of cc and a light heal to the party, and fox cunning, damage dodge and decent melee range aoe. At wills will probably be split shot and aimed shot or rapid. Dailies are odd as we don't have a large damage daily imo like many other dps classes. Forest Ghost is nice as it can give you a little time to run away and get another potion in if you are about to die, not that crazy about it for damage. Seismic can be nice to push mobs over ledges, and disruptive can function like an encounter for single target since it's only 25% ap.

Now some groups aren't going to need your buffs to do well. So in those cases you will want to still use more damaging encounters. Thornward is nice as is Split the sky. Split the sky is crazy dps for you and will also increase the dps of any iron vanguards that are running trample the fallen as it's strikes apply a small snare.

Nature builds are great as they can add to any party but you really have to know your group and the fights to contribute to them the most. But all of that is based on your encounters. Your dailies and your at wills don't really have anything to do with nature vs archery. The only build that really changes your at wills is combat since some horrible ranged at wills have good melee sides to them.

kalebbaker

charononus wrote: »

Yes I know what forest ghost is. It's a daily power and you're asking about at wills. Your buffs are your encounter spells. Personal favorite buffs are Commanding shot, debuffs the mob and the melee side grants temp hp etc to the party, binding arrow little bit of cc and a light heal to the party, and fox cunning, damage dodge and decent melee range aoe. At wills will probably be split shot and aimed shot or rapid. Dailies are odd as we don't have a large damage daily imo like many other dps classes. Forest Ghost is nice as it can give you a little time to run away and get another potion in if you are about to die, not that crazy about it for damage. Seismic can be nice to push mobs over ledges, and disruptive can function like an encounter for single target since it's only 25% ap.

Now some groups aren't going to need your buffs to do well. So in those cases you will want to still use more damaging encounters. Thornward is nice as is Split the sky. Split the sky is crazy dps for you and will also increase the dps of any iron vanguards that are running trample the fallen as it's strikes apply a small snare.

Nature builds are great as they can add to any party but you really have to know your group and the fights to contribute to them the most. But all of that is based on your encounters. Your dailies and your at wills don't really have anything to do with nature vs archery. The only build that really changes your at wills is combat since some horrible ranged at wills have good melee sides to them.

i see thank you so very much for helping me out

obsidiancran3

Reads Charononus' post, hmm that's what I said in my guide....

charononus

obsidiancran3 wrote: »

Reads Charononus' post, hmm that's what I said in my guide....

Yup, you said a lot of it, haven't read your guide in quite a while. But everything there has also been confirmed by my play experience.

daimyo3

charononus wrote: »

I'd rank a good tr higher for some fights. For instance in tos, a tr ranks far far higher than hr because of smoke bomb. HR doesn't have any fight like that where it can really shine.

What about VT? HR Marauder's Rush can save you from that spare casket that no one can destroy because of hand/grip/dead/too far, and the dodge from fox shift is so **** useful during all the rotation phases with ghosts.