Ranger

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Rangers rely on a keen eye, a steady hand, and the power of nature itself. Unparalleled survivalists with traps, nature spirits, and a stable of loyal pets at their command, rangers can adapt to any situation.

— GuildWars2.com Ranger

Ranger is a profession of defenders of nature who tame and train animal companions, pets, as their profession mechanic. Rangers and their pets fight as one, wielding the power of nature to empower their allies, enduring combat with their wilderness survival skills, concealing traps anticipating fights, and overwhelming their enemies with the strength of the pack. As an adventurer profession, rangers wear medium armor.

Rangers who venture into the Heart of Maguuma with the Heart of Thorns expansion can choose to become druids, communing with nature and the stars to channel astral force and become Celestial Avatars to heal and empower their allies, while learning glyph skills.

Rangers that traverse the Crystal Desert and the Kingdom of Elona with the Path of Fire expansion can choose to become soulbeasts, literally becoming one with their pets in Beastmode to overwhelm their enemies with the combined force of their merged attacks, and adopting animal stances.

Rangers who wander the Canthan Empire of the Dragon with the End of Dragons expansion can choose to become untamed and gain more control over their pets. They wield cantrips and the raw power of nature, juggling this primal force between their pets and themselves to unleash their pet or unleash themselves to access their full power and crush their enemies.

Abilities

Profession mechanic

Pet

Primary article: Pet

The pet is the ranger's profession mechanic. NPCs that fight alongside the ranger, with their own user interface that can set basic behavior modes and activate a skill. Four pets in total can accompany the ranger (two for fighting on land, two for aquatic), but only one pet will fight at a time. Rangers can switch pets during a fight to adapt to in-game situations.

Pets have 4 skills; three shared by all pets in the same family of animals, one which is unique to that species of pet (e.g. polar bear or brown bear).

Skills

Primary article: List of ranger skills

Primary article: List of pet skills

Utility skill types

• Command — Skills that give orders to the ranger's pet, or provide boons to both the ranger and their pet.
• Signet — Signets grant passive effects while equipped, and produce a powerful effect when activated. The passive effect is lost while the signet recharges.
• Survival — Defensive skills to turn the tides of battle.
• Spirit — Summoned spirits that provide boons to allies or inflict conditions to enemies when they stomp.
• Trap — Traps placed on the ground that activate when a target walks over them.

Skills unique to elite specializations

• Druid: Glyph — Double-faced skills focused on support that interact with the druid's profession mechanic of Celestial Avatar.
• Soulbeast: Stance — Skills that grant the soulbeast positive effects over a few seconds, inspired by the strengths of the depicted animals.
• Untamed: Cantrip — Skills that focus on sustain and crowd control. They provide offensive boons when the ranger is unleashed, and defensive when the pet is unleashed.

Specializations

Rangers have five core specializations, and three elite specializations:

Core

 Marksmanship — Focuses on strike damage and starting fights with burst damage. May enhance longbow and harpoon gun, and signet skills.

 Skirmishing — Focuses on critical hits for both strike and condition damage, enhances weapon swapping, and emphasizes on positioning. May enhance sword, short bow, and trap skills.

 Wilderness Survival — Focuses on defense, removing incoming conditions, gaining protection, and inflicting conditions. May enhance torch and dagger, and survival skills.

 Nature Magic — Focuses on support through healing, boon generation, and increases the effectiveness of regeneration. May enhance warhorn and spirit skills.

 Beastmastery — Focuses on improving your pets, their beast skill, and pet swapping. May enhance greatsword, axe, and command skills.

Elite

 Druid — Focuses on support, gives access to staff, glyph skills, and the ability to transform into a Celestial Avatar.

 Soulbeast — Focuses on merging with your pet, gives access to main hand dagger, stance skills, and the ability to enter Beastmode.

 Untamed — Focuses on greater pet control, gives access to hammer, cantrip skills, and the ability to enter Unleashed.

Traits

See list of ranger traits.

Equipment

Armor

The ranger is an adventurer profession and wears medium armor.

Weapons

See also detailed list of ranger weapon skills.

• Two-handed
  • Greatsword — A brute force, heavy-damage melee weapon with emphasis on countering and evasion. It has a skill that can grant Attack of Opportunity to your pet.
  • Hammer — A melee weapon made to control enemies. (Untamed specialization or Weaponmaster Training)
  • Longbow — Powerful, long-range weapon used for Rapid Fire strikes and AoE barrages. It has a skill that gives your pet Swiftness.
  • Short bow — Quick skirmishing weapon relying on movement, positioning, and conditions for quick kills. It has a skill that can make your pet's next attacks inflict Bleeding.
  • Staff — A support oriented long range weapon. It has a skill that grants your pet Protection. (Druid specialization or Weaponmaster Training)

• Main-hand
  • Axe — Medium ranged throwing weapon which can ricochet off a target or can toss a cluster of axes. It has a skill that can make your pet's next attack inflict Weakness.
  • Dagger — A swift melee weapon designed to overwhelm with conditions. It has an attack that can make your pet's next attack inflict Poison. (Soulbeast specialization or Weaponmaster Training)
  • Mace — A melee weapon that tries to strike a balance between offensive and support capabilities. (Expanded Weapon Proficiency)
  • Sword — A melee weapon with heavy emphasis on mobility via leaps and evasion.

• Off-hand
  • Axe — Enter a stance to reflect incoming projectiles or throw your axe like a boomerang to pull enemies in.
  • Dagger — Used as a crippling ranged attack, or a quick poisonous stab from melee.
  • Mace — A defensive weapon that enhances survivability while also providing some crowd control. (Expanded Weapon Proficiency)
  • Torch — Throw the torch at enemies for burning damage, or light areas on fire.
  • Warhorn — Used to deal damage over time or grant boons to allies.

• Aquatic
  • Harpoon gun — Use ranged attacks to strike multiple foes and makes use of the underwater environment. It has a skill that gives your pet Fury.
  • Spear — Keep foes at bay with close range spear stabs and swipes.

There are sixteen possible weapon sets for this profession and it can access two weapon sets while underwater. The ranger can equip and alternate between two weapon sets quickly while in combat.

Crafting

Rangers can craft items useful to themselves with the following disciplines:

• Weaponsmith — Axes, daggers, greatswords, spears, swords.
• Huntsman — Harpoon guns, longbows, shortbows, torches, warhorns.
• Artificer — Staves
• Leatherworker — Medium armor.
• Jeweler — Jewelry.
• Chef — Food.

Pets

Primary article: Pet

Personal story

In the biography step of character creation, rangers must choose one of three pets with which to begin the game. As rangers venture into the world, they will find all these and other pets for them to tame.

My pet _____ fights at my side and guards my back.
Asura		Moa — I raised my moa from the egg. Its devotion to me is unmatched, and I've seen it drop an enemy before I could even draw my weapon.
		Stalker — My stalker is a dear friend. It is quiet, still, and as quick as an arrow from a bow. Its intelligence shows in its eyes.
		Drake — I tamed my drake when it was a hatchling. Now, it follows me everywhere. It has proven itself a relentless and powerful friend.
Charr		Devourer — My devourer is a vicious and unforgiving fighter. I raised it from the egg and earned its loyalty. It will die in my defense.
		Stalker — My stalker is a dear friend. It is quiet, still, and as quick as an arrow from a bow. Its intelligence shows in its eyes.
		Drake — I tamed my drake when it was a hatchling. Now, it follows me everywhere. It has proven itself a relentless and powerful friend.
Human		Bear — My bear and I fight as a single unit. It takes only the slightest gesture to give a command, and then we're tearing through our enemies.
		Stalker — My stalker is a dear friend. It is quiet, still, and as quick as an arrow from a bow. Its intelligence shows in its eyes.
		Drake — I tamed my drake when it was a hatchling. Now, it follows me everywhere. It has proven itself a relentless and powerful friend.
Norn		Bear — My bear and I fight as a single unit. It takes only the slightest gesture to give a command, and then we're tearing through our enemies.
		Wolf — A wolf companion is considered a great prize. When fully grown, it's a shrewd hunter and a devoted ally.
		Snow Leopard — The beautiful snow leopard is a symbol of independence. Its grace and stealth makes it both inspiring and an unbeatable hunter.
Sylvari		Moa — I raised my moa from the egg. Its devotion to me is unmatched, and I've seen it drop an enemy before I could even draw my weapon.
		Stalker — My stalker is a dear friend. It is quiet, still, and as quick as an arrow from a bow. Its intelligence shows in its eyes.
		Fern Hound — My dog has always stood by me, even against the most dangerous attackers. I couldn't ask for a better friend and ally.

Lore

Amongst human rangers, Melandru is often worshipped as their matron goddess.

Notable rangers

See also: Category:Ranger NPCs

• Eir Stegalkin
• Rox
• Wurmmarshal Osa Ekolo

Associated items

• Superior Rune of the Ranger

Gallery

Concept art

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Pre-launch promotional screenshots

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Icons

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  Official icon

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Trivia

The Guild Wars Wiki has an article on Ranger.

• The ranger was previewed under this image until its unveiling on the 14th July 2010.
• At one point in development, according to The Making of Guild Wars 2 book, the ranger profession of the original Guild Wars was split into many different professions, notably the warden and the marksman. Eventually, with only marksman remaining, who only possessed the aspect of ranged weaponry, was combined with already scrapped elements of warden and beastmaster, and renamed the ranger for the sake of the original series.
• The ranger's pet skill mechanics helped flesh out the form of unique abilities of each profession.
• The main ranger concept art and art for its elite specializations feature a female sylvari.

External links

• Ranger on the official website.

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Ranger