Cripshot Ranger
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A cripshot ranger (or cripshot for short) refers most broadly to a ranger using the skill Crippling Shot. Specifically, it refers to a more general build style which has been around Guild Wars PvP for a long time and embodies the spirit of a versatile character by combining many useful elements into a single character. One-on-one cripshot fights are a popular pasttime among PvP players (much like dodgeball but older), and cripshots have a use in virtually any level of PvP from 1v1 to 12v12.
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[edit] Roles and Capabilities
Historically, cripshots have been used in the following tactical roles, to one degree or another:
- Snaring
- Interrupts
- General pressure (health degeneration, interrupts, and snaring)
- Splitting
- Ganking
- Harrassment
- Backline defense (with snares and sometimes traps)
- Flag running or double running if necessary.
Normally cripshots are designed with all of the above possible roles in mind as possible uses on the battlefield, and circumstances have the ranger change to whichever role the team needs him on. This makes cripshot one of the most demanding roles in the game on player flexibility but one of the most powerful to a team.
[edit] Attributes
Cripshots always have a high Expertise and a moderate-to-high Marksmanship to fuel Crippling Shot. Wilderness Survival is also common for self-healing or traps. Cripshots have fairly flexible attributes, so the specifics depend on the build.
[edit] Skills
The fundamental skill to every cripshot bar is Crippling Shot, with Apply Poison coming a close second. These skills are used together because the poison from Apply Poison covers the Cripple from Crippling Shot. Other skills include:
- One or more interrupts, usually Savage Shot and/or Distracting Shot.
- A self-heal for health and/or conditions, such as Troll Unguent, Restful Breeze, Mending Touch, or Signet of Malice. The choice depends largely on how the Ranger is most commonly expected to operate.
- Sometimes Hunter's Shot or Screaming Shot is used to inflict bleeding for additional pressure. Barbed Trap is also sometimes used for the same purpose, especially for stopping opponents at key objectives such as the Tower Flag Stand.
- Sometimes a defensive skill such as Natural Stride, Whirling Defense, or Distortion (the latter is less popular since a nerf) is used if the Ranger is expected to be playing a more offensive role.
- Blackout used to be very popular on cripshots, until it was nerfed.
- Sometimes, if the Ranger is intended largely for backup running or ganking, a speed boost is used such as Storm Chaser, Natural Stride, or Dash.
[edit] Tips
- If in the range of enemies, activate Natural Stride or Distortion while putting up Apply Poison or Troll Unguent. This lessens the risk of getting one of your key skills interrupted.
- Recurve Bows are the bows of choice for Cripshot Rangers as they have the lowest arc (so you have a higher chance of hitting your target).
- Familiarize yourself with which people on the other team have strong spells with high cast times such as Heal Party, Aegis and Diversion and interrupt those as often as you can, especially if the spell hinders the other players on your team.
- Consider using a Poisonous mod and a bow with a quick attack rate (Recurve Bow or Shortbow) if you run low on energy so you can at least spread poison around on enemies. With a Crippling string, be aware of rounding so you don't put too many or too few points into Marksmanship to achieve your target effect time.
- If you're using defensive stances such as Natural Stride or Distortion you can afford to overextend on flag runners to hamper his/her running or through the team into the base to gank NPCs.
- If you feel your character isn't being too helpful (e.g. a Mesmer is constantly casting Diversion on you), feel free to split and/or gank NPCs.
