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Pathfinder VS Stormwarden
georgemb
Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Knight of the Feywild Users Posts: 8 Arc User
Hi guys, so I just recently got lvl 60 and got the respec token and I wanted to know which paragon path is best for PvE, since I only do that. Most guides I see are outdated so I wanted to know what is a good guide that isn't outdated and good for PvE, and which path is better.
Also, what is better for PvE, melee or ranged?
Thanks in advance
Also, what is better for PvE, melee or ranged?
Thanks in advance
Post edited by georgemb on
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But PF isn't completely 100% useless in PVE like the SW is in pvp. You'd have to sacrifice an at-will for careful attack. You can get by using only Split shot though, since careful attack procs every 1.5 seconds. Plenty in your arsenal to deal with other things. SS does good enough damage on a single target anyway. Honestly, why would you go PF if you won't use it's at-will.
A PVE combat HR performs better as a SW. For Mod 4, trapper and archery, it won't matter which path as much. PF has better survivability.
Gain cruel recovery/careful attack, ect as PF, or a plain old 12% damage buff against mobs as SW. Just go PF if you're going to go archery or trapper.
And they're not really just pure melee. You'll still want to use rain of arrows and thorn ward for serious DPS and fox shift becomes your go to move for a tight spot to avoid red area attacks and deal heavy damage.
Archery will still deal more damage in the long run with decreased cooldowns, and boosted single target damage. Combat just has longer sustainability.
Lots of people are saying that Combat will be even worse off in Mod 4 which drops on Aug 14 so I would hold out on making any big decisions until then.
The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.
I prefer Pahtfinder in PvE mostly due to Cruel Recover. I use a lot of multi-hit powers (Seismic Shot, Rain of Arrows, Thorn Ward, Fox Shift, Split Shot and Careful Attack are usually on my bar) and with a crit rate close to 50% (due to Correcting Aim, 2,6k crit and 23 Wis) Cruel Recover provides an endless stream of THP that allows me to be far tankier than a Stormwarden (sometimes when activating Rain of Arrows over a group of mobs I feel like I'm in a blue Astral Shield).
DPS is quite close overall with the Pathfinder having usually the upper hand because I have to lose less time dodging.
I tried Mod 4 extensively and still like Pathfinder more for the same reasons. I'm testing an Archer with AotLW and Cruel Recover. It still outdamages everything except SW with the bugged Diabolist set and is quite tanky. Especially in the last fight at Lostmauth where you get a lot of DoT from the boss, dropping Rain of Arrows on him is quite helpful.
Born of Black Wind: SW Level 80
Lucky for the split the sky buff in mod3, or SW would serve no purpose for an archer. PF all the way for the trapper though.
Its a bit playstyle if you opt to build ap fast and make daily a big part of your playstyle SP is nice but SW has the classfeatures to make it more pure dps in pve.
Full archer I find it very hard to see how PF would be better unless as mentioned above you want to build daily fast.
And yes I think you get a free respec token as they remove one path totally..
I ran: Split the Sky, Thorn Ward, and Rain of Arrows.
Aspect of the Pack, and Twin Blade Storm.
Disruptive Shot, and Forest Ghost.
Rapid Shot and Split Shot
I recently started a Pathfinder because I wanted to compare the damage outputs of the two.
I plan to run: (Ambush/Binding Arrow/Commanding Shot), Thorn Ward, and Rain of Arrows. (Because I wont have Split the Sky).
Aspect of the Pack, and Battle Honed
Disruptive Shot, and (Forest Ghost/Slashers Mark)
Hunter's Teamwork and Split Shot
The Way I set up my Dailies, Encounters, At-Wills, and Class Features, are mostly the same.
The reason I am making a Pathfinder is particularly because of later levels.
I have read in many parts of the Forum that Split the Sky is really good. I have been using it on my Stormwarden without really knowing why. I feel like while split the sky may hit multiple enemies, but it doesn't dish out the damage. Am I wrong? Am I missing something?
I feel like the biggest flaw in my style of play, or when I play Hunter Ranger (as an Archer), is that in dungeons or skirmishes (particularly the later level ones), where there is a big mob, if I somehow manage to aggro a monster with crippling crowd control, or just a large mob, I can't put out the damage needed to finish them off quickly enough (I tend to run by shifting or using Forest Ghost).
I think overall the problem for me is that while I am always the greatest paingiver etc (dealing the greatest amount of dmg over time), I don't see myself killing mobs or stronger monsters that have aggro on me.
Will changing to pathfinder help or is this just a flaw of the Hunter Ranger class and I am better off with a stormwarden?
With 2 CW in party -they usually control agro and nobody is really hit often. For this cases rain does perform better - when CW packs enemies in tight circle putting rain on them is marvelous.
Also Split the sky is nerfed in mod 4 hard. It is now even more slow to trigger.
Another nerf is about stromstep action can not be used as often as it was before with same effect.
Lvl 60+ gameplay changes a lot.
Wait till mod 4 goes live tomorrow. Play it a bit. But idea that you will have to run away from agro as archer will still be there. Even more with incoming nerfs to constructive arrow and thread generation changes (not tested well yet).
This is "by-design" now.
For the most part, I only see "Twin Blade Storm" being proc by "Split Shot" and "Rain of Arrows" (If it hits more than one enemy and I'm not putting it directly over a boss).
How does the extra damage from "Twin Blade Storm" stack up against the extra damage from "Careful Attack"?
How useful is "Ambush" in getting away from aggro when you are in a pinch?
For Soloplay, it activates WAY too slow. For Group play, even ONE CW will now turn StS into a wasted encounter Slot, since they keep everything frozen.
Archery also now promotes a bad playstyle that might be harmful to the group (Stillness of the Forest Crit Bonus).
Ambush has been reported as being utter garbage due to dropping you out of it whenever you nudge by even a single pixel.
To put it short, Pathfinder came with Mod3, and is one of the main causes that the class as a whole has gotten the nerfbat in Mod4.
If you absolutely WANT Stormwarden, my opinion is:
Stormwarden for Electric Shot/Clear the Ground, and the Class Feature 'Bladestorm' if you want to PvE as Melee HR.
CtG animates way faster than Split Strike, Bladestorm procs very often, dealing an additional AoE proc around the target.
Twinblade Storm only helps when you attack more than 1 Target at a time, and this has to happen in the exact same moment (thus, StS most likely doesn't benefit from it, since it is unlikely that 2 mobs hit at the exact same time).
Bladestorm can proc any time, it is quite nice when used with 'fast' activating skills like Rapid Strike and CtG.
And I love stormstep action..... even though its getting nerfed.
Dunno pathfinder looks more defensive and ive never had survivability problems as a hr even playing in ur face with 0 deflect stat (ls all the way baby)
So id rather take the more offensive passives with SW for pve as thats the main difference i see between one path and the other (none of the 2 encounters im very fond of) , and hr has been lacking more on the offensive side.
What is this new Stormstep Action nerf being mentioned? It was already toned down in Mod 3 (max 2 sec CD reduction and 9-sec Daily usage change). I still tend to use it on my SW Archer for lack of nothing better but if it gets nerfed again it won't be anywhere near my action bar ever again.
The most important thing in life is to be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Always be Batman.