Before I say anything, please be indulgent with my spelling, I'm in France since 2002 so I don't practice my English skills a lot
Ok so : Welcome to my Ranger Guide! I’m here to try to help you play/play better your Ranger. If you already play ranger, well I have nothing to sell you so just go check the builds and tips it’s what you’re here for I presume But if you don’t play Ranger and are interested or just curious about this profession, you’re at the right place !
-First of all, I’m human; there for this may contain mistakes or inexact information. If it is the case-
- please let me know by PM I’d be glad to have your feedback

To my eyes rangers are the masters of the nature. They have their pet always with them in life as in death. Their pet can rez a team mate, deal a lot of damage, slow you foe/grant you swiftness to catch up, and moste of all, it can take damage at your place or even take no damage while taking damage at your place! But that ain't the base of the ranger. The ranger is also the best bow user of this game. Shortbows allow you to shoot realy fast at your opponent and poison or even run away, while the longbows allow you to deal a crazy amount of damage per shot and even atack as fast as with a shortbow for a few seconds but with a long bow. You can also use it to push back enemies and spray an arrow storm over the opponent's team's head to slow and damage them for 12 seconds! The Ranger wears medium armor but can still be tanky in a spirit focused build.

First of all, because rangers are awesome! There are builds of all kinds, pet focued/Condition focused/assist focused/Critical focus/Pure power focused. If you play for instance with Greatsword/longbow using Quickening Zephyr (quickness for 4s) You can totaly wreck your opponent. Mad at those thieves that double skill you? Well I'm sorry but Ranger won't help you Add the fact that your pet is a principal pros to the ranger, a lynx can deal easily half your dammage.

The rangers have 10 weapons at their disposition:
        One handed:
_Axe (usable in both hands): Used as ranged weapon. Can apply bleeding/chill

_Sword (right hand): Used as melee weapon can apply poison/cripple/might

_Dagger (left hand): Used as ranged weapon can apply poison/cripple/bleed

_Torch : Used to burn at range and set a fire on the floor to burn foes who go threw or to send projectiles threw it to burn your foes at distance

_Warhorn: Used as ranged weapon. Can apply might+fury+swiftness Can also call hawks to swarm your foe.

         Two handed:
_Shortbow: can apply bleeding/poison/cripple/stun/daze and swiftness
_Longbow: can apply vulnerability/knockback/cripple and swiftness for your pet
_Greatsword: Used as a melee weapon. Can apply bleeding/Knowkback/daze/stun

          Underwater:
_Harpoon Gun: used as ranged weapon. Can apply bleeding/cripple/blindness/fury
_Spear: skills similar to the greatsword's. Can apply bleeding/vulnerability/immobilize/knockback

Right hand skills:

ricochet
splitblade
winters-bite

Left hand skills:
path-of-scars
whirling-defense

The axe is often used in main hand in many builds because it attacks 3 targets with the basic attack, attacks and bleeds all targets touched by the 2nd attack and can slow your foe. I personaly like it quite a lot.
Traits related:  honed-axes +10% critical chance when wielding an axe in main hand
  hand-training -20% cooldown on Off-hand CDs

slash →  kick →  pounce

hornet-sting →   monarchs-leap

serpents-strike

The sword is fancied by alot of people. But in my opinion an Axe will always be more usefull. Maybe I didn't play around anough with a sword.
Traits related: martial-mastery Sword skills recharge 20% faster.

stalkers-strike
crippling-talon

The dagger is one of the less used ranger weapon from what I know. Probably because people prefer having the benefits and mobility of the horn. Still we could maybe see a better use to it in the future.
Traits related: off-hand-training -20% cooldown on Off-hand CDs

throw-torch
bonfire

The torch is nice for group pve. But in pvp I don't find it realy usefull. Like for the dagger, we may see a better use for it in the future.
Traits related: off-hand-training -20% cooldown on Off-hand CDs

hunters-call
call-of-the-wild

To my sense, this is the best off-hand for rangers. "Hunter's call" does a big amount of damage and the boons granted by "Call of the wild" are awesome. In a lot of builds you'll find the combination Axe+Warhorn.
Traits related: off-hand-training -20% cooldown on Off-hand CDs

crossfire
poison-volley
quick-shot
crippling-shot
concussion-shot

The Shortbow is the favorite weapon of a good amount of players from what I've heared/seen because it offers mobility, conditions and control without neglecting the attack speed ot the attack damage
Traits related: quick-draw Reduces Shortbow's CDs by 20%
piercing-arrows all arrow attacks pierce damaging foes behind your foe.

long-range-shot
rapid-fire
hunters-shot
point-blank-sho-t barrage

This is one of my favorite weapons. Realy efficiant to steal a boss on Forest of Nifhel and coupled with "Quickning Zephyr" the "Rapid Fire" is to my feeling one of the quickest high damage source of the game. "Point blank shot" is also realy powerfull in term of control, and "Barrage" is an excellent group control.
Traits related:  eagle-eye increases longbow range by 5%
  quick-draw Reduces Longbow's CDs by 20%
  piercing-arrows all arrow attacks pierce damaging foes behind your foe.

slash → slice → power-stab
maul
swoop
counterattack → crippling-throw

hilt-bash

This is my favorite weapon. The animations are beautiful, you have the longest distance charge of the whole game, you have a counter attack, a daze, a bleed, an evade and a knockdown. Play with it, you'll see, it's awesome!
Traits related: two-handed-training increases Greatsword's damage by 5%
martial-mastery GreatSword skills recharge 20% faster.

splinter-shot
coral-shot
feeding-frenzy
mercy-shot
ink-blast

Quite nice but I use it realy less than the Spear. Question of preference.
Traits related: eagle-eye increases Harppon gun's range by 5%.

stab → evasive-strike → swirling-strike
dart
counterstrike→ counter-throw
man-o-war

These skills are nearly the same as the sword ones except for "Swirling strike". To be short: awesome.
Traits related: two-handed-training increases Spear damage by 5%.
martial-mastery Spear skills recharge 20% faster.

As a Ranger, your pet is your best friend and ally. If you go down he can still deal damage. Realy useful to take down your foe or steal a boss or even to come back up. If he goes down, you stay up. until bwe3 if I'm right, you don't need to resucite them any more. they do it by their self when out of combat.
There are three kinds of pets; Land, Aquatic, and Amphibious.
In those kinds we'll note different families (canines, felin, birds,...). Each famili has their own attributes but no pet from a famili will have the same special skill (F2) than his brother/sister.
Here are the traits associated to pets:
Beastmastery:

zephyrs-speed
Grants 2s quickness on swap, realy useful to finish an enemy before he interrupts you or even to revive an ally that is downed and goingto be finished by an enemy. Can also be chained with quickening-zephyr

commanding-voice
F2 skills recharge faster

speed-training
Pets recharge their skills 10% faster

mighty-swap
grants 3 stacks of might to your pets when they are called.

masters-bond
only useful if you're able to do a killing spree or in pve.

compassion-training
pets heal for more.

rending-attacks
Some types of pets inflict bleeding on critical hits.

stability-training
Some typesof pets gain stability when disabled.

intimidation-training
Canines and spiders cause cripple.

vigorous-training
Some pets cause an Area of Efect Vigor when called.

loud-whistle
Swap Cool Down reduced by 20%

instinctual-bond
When you are downed your pet gains a 5s swiftness boon.

natural-healing
Your pets regain health over time.

Marksmanship:

beastmasters-bond
You gain fury and might when your pet's health reaches 25%

malicious-training
increases condition duration for the conditions caused by your pet.

alpha-training
Pets have opening strike.

precise-strike
Opening strike critical hits.

Skrimishing:

pets-prowess
Pets deal 30% more damage on critical hits.

companions-might
Critical hits grant might to your pet.

agility-training
increases your pets' movement speed by 30%

carnivorous-appetite
Pets heal on critical hit.

companions-defense
you and your pet gain 2 seconds of protection when you dodge roll.

shared-anguish
Disables are transfered to your pet (CD to long to be useful to my sense.)

expertise-training
Pets deal extra condition damage

empathic-bond
Your pet periodicly takes conditions from you.

bark-skin
You and your pet take 30% less damage when under 25% hp.

Nature Magic:

fortifying-bond
Any boon you get is shared with your pet.

Bountiful-hunter
When you have a boon, you and your pet deal 5% extra damage.

concentration-training
Boons applied by your pets last longer

enlargement
When you reach 25% hp your pets get Enlarged (I don't know what that means...)

I personaly prefer the cats because they have a high critical right due to their high precision and that I do mostly spvp so it's Op to my eyes.

_Bear

_Boar

_Cat

_Spider

_Devourer

_Dog

_Drake

_Bird

_Fish
_Jellyfish

The amphibious pets aren't determinated by their type so here are the few pets that are amphibious:
_Actodus :
_Black Bear
_Brown Bear
_Murellow
_Polar Bear
_Carrion Devourer
_Lashtail Devourer
_Whiptail Devourer
_Ice Drake
_Marsh Drake
_River Drake
_Salamander Drake
_Jaguar
_Jungle Stalker
_Lynx
_Snow Leopard

For a complete guide on the ranger's pets visit Sycthrex's Pet Guide Here

Here I'll recense all Utility skills (non-specific to the weapen).

        First of all: The heal spells:

troll-unguent
Heals you and your pet every second for 10 seconds.

The fact is, it is not a regeneration spell so you can cumulate the two of them.

heal-as-one
Basic heal skill, heals you and your pet. It has a shorter CD than the Troll unguent but the total heal is less important.
Depending on your preference, you can use either Heal as one or Troll unguent in a build if one or the other is suggested.

healing-spring
Heals you, your pet, and nearby allies and grants you regeneration. It also cures conditions on allies.
Realy useful in an assist build.

        The spirits:

The spirits grant a chance for nearby allies to apply a condition or gain a boon on strike.
The spirits also do all have a secondary skill that affects ennemies near them.
Originally your spirits are immobile. But the Trait
spirits-unbound allows them to follow you arround
sun-spirit →   solar-flare
Use to burn, reuse to blind.
Useful for condition builds.
storm-spirit →  call-lightning
Use to grant swiftness to nearby allies, reuse to dammage nearby foes.
Useful in an assist build.
stone-spirit →  quicksand
Use to grant protection to nearby allies, reuse to immobilize and cripple nearby ennemies.
Usefull in control and assist builds.
frost-spirit →  cold-snap
Use to chill(slow) your foe on strike, reuse to chill nearby foes.
Useful in control and assist builds

Traits related to spirits:
Posted Image Vigorous-spirits doubles spirits' health

Spiritual-knowledge +15% chance to provide their bonus
spirits-unbound Spirits can move and follow you
Natures-vengeance Larger active effects and they are caused on spirit's death.

        Pet related skills (Shouts):

As I said earlier, in gw2, the Ranger's pet is his best friend, it will not kill you even if you ask him. There fore, you have spells to boost up your pet or make him do something.
Still note that every signet when use effects your pet. So these are not the only pet boosts.

sick-em
Your pet gains speed and attack speed.
Useful to catch a foe running away or to start a fight with someone realy far since it has a 3000 range.
Search-and-rescue
Not often used, this is one of the increddible things a ranger can ask his pet to do. Your pet will go resurect the nearest fallen ally. How cool is that?
Useful for an assist build.
protect-me
Your pet stops attacking and takes all damage at your place. This can be realy powerful with a tanky pet or while using  Signet-of-stone.
Useful in a damage build.

guard
It's like a "stay and defend" order but I don't think it's really useful. Realy I'm thinking but I can't find a utility to this spell. To bad  let's say it'll be useful one day in a near future

Traps:
The ranger can use traps. The traps activate when an ennemie walks over them. They do direct damage, apply conditions.
Originally they'll appear at your position. But, with  Trappers-expertise They are ground targeted and 50% larger.

flame-trap
Applies burning
Useful in a condition build
Useful in a trap build (captain obvious )
frost-trap
Applies chill
Useful in a control build
Useful in a trap build (captain obvious )
spike-trap
Applies bleeding and cripple
Useful in a control build a condition build or even to run away in any build.
Useful in a trap build (captain obvious )
vipers-nest
Applies Poison
Useful in a condition based build
Useful in a trap build (captain obvious )

Traits related to traps:
trap-potency -20 CD on traps and condition duration x2 for conditions applied by traps
Trappers-defense Create a spike trap while reviving an ally
Trappers-expertise Trap skills are target grounded and range is 50% larger.

        Signets:

As for all professions in GW2 Rangers have their own signets.
As said earlier, the ranger's signets, on use, affect your pet. Still, signet-of-the-beastmaster Applies your signet effects on you to. But be careful, I don't if that means signet-of-renewal will pull all neaby allies' conditions on you too.

signet-of-the-wild
Regenerates health over time
On use your pet and yourself grow larger and your pet deals more damage and gains stability (un effected by controls)
Useful for almost avery build even if it isn't priority for any of them.
Still I like it a lot since I play GW2 to have fun also and that I love seeing my norn getting even bigger
signet-of-the-hunt
Grants a 10% movement speed bonus
On use your pet's next attack deals more damage.
Useful in a pet based build combined with sick-em becomes an awesome build.
signet-of-stone
Improves toughness for you and your pet
On use your pet takes no more damage from ATTACKS (please note that he still takes condition damage if he is under conditions) Combined to  protect-me can constitute a realy tough defence.
Useful in tanky builds or just dps builds.

signet-of-renewal
Cures a condition every 10 seconds
On use transfers all conditions for nearby allies and yourself to your pet.
Please note that this is not to be used with  signet-of-stone since it is condition damage and that Signit of stone only protects from attack damage.
Useful in an assist build with a tanky pet such as a bear.
Useful in any build against a condition based team.

        Survival spells:

quiickening-zephyr
Grants you quickness for 4 seconds
but you cannot be heald for the duration of the boon.
This is to my eyes one of the best spells the ranger has. To burst on your ennemi with a longbow or greatsword or even a shortbow, there's nothing better. What could be awesome is using this and then being quickened by a mesmer's elite!
Useful in dps builds
muddy-terrain
Immobilizese and then cripples foe. This is a ground target spell.
Useful for control and dps builds.
lighhtning-reflexes
Dodge back and gain Vigor (+100% endurance regeneration)
Useful with  steady-focus or just to evade.
Useful in any build depends on your gameplay.

Sharpening-stone
Your 5 next attacks inflict bleeding to your foe.
Useful in a condition based build.

And here's the part of the Elite Skills that are pretty awesome for our friends of the forrests:

Spirit-of-nature
This is a spirit that heals and cures conditions. On activiation, the spirit will revive and cure conditions on all nearby downed allies. Ain't that awesome?
Indispensable in a assist build or a Spirit build.
Useful in tanky builds and even dps ones for survivability.

entangle
Creates roots on all nearby foes. They are immobilized and have to kill the roots to be abble to move. This applies bleeding and cripple.
Extremely useful if you're not sure if you're going to survive the combat you're going to engage. You can just use it and run away.
Personaly I don't use it much. I find the roots to easy to kill even if there is a 2second delay before your foe understands why he can't move.
Still I hate getting trapped by this so if you want to zerg this is for you^^

rampage-as-one
Grants you stability, Fury and swiftness. And on every attack you make you grant 1stack of might to your pet.
Combined with quickening-zephyr your pet because a mighty burst!
nearly indispensable for a dps build. (can be replaced by spirit-of-nature for survivability or entangle if you are not sure of what's on the other side of this wall your going to pass. to avoid something like "Hey man! I'm a bus ! )

Okay, This is what most of people looking at this guide are looking for: The builds. So I don't want to decieve those people, but There are not all the builds disponible on the internet in this guide. I will only put builds I tried out and found good. Because I fell on a lot of builds that were worth nothing. Still, if you have any build you would want me to add, let me know by pm, I'll give it a run in spvp, tournament spvp and maybe WvW I am glad to have any feedback.
So here we go:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
This is a spirit condition damage build from vVv_Seiryss
I personaly find it awesome, Great survivability, great damage, great mobilitybut I'll let you give it a go and decide by yourselves.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f.
This is a Spirit support build using Torch/warhorn+Sword
I found it interesting in terms of gameplay even if I think it's a bit stupid to not take an Axe with the torch.
I found it here: sycthrexs-ranger-guide/

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
This build relies on slowing your foes for that your allies can do them a lot of damage. You must use alternately your traps and muddy terrain in way to nearly always have one up.
This is a based CC build there for it is shortbow/Axe+Dagger because dagger offers the best CC potential (There is it's utility )
Still you can change your dagger for a warhorn with no big changes.
found here: http://www.gamebreaker.tv/...

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
This is a Spirit support build using Torch/warhorn+Sword
I found it interesting in terms of gameplay even if I think it's a bit stupid to not take an Axe with the torch.
I found it here: sycthrexs-ranger-guide/

****************************************************************************

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?...
This is a spirit condition damage build from vVv_Seiryss
I personaly find it awesome, Great survivability, great damage, great mobilitybut I'll let you give it a go and decide by yourselves.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
This build relies on slowing your foes for that your allies can do them a lot of damage. You must use alternately your traps and muddy terrain in way to nearly always have one up.
This is a based CC build there for it is shortbow/Axe+Dagger because dagger offers the best CC potential (There is it's utility )
Still you can change your dagger for a warhorn with no big changes.
found here: http://www.gamebreaker.tv/...

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
It isn't realy a tank build from the view that you won't be able to get out victorious of a 4v1, but still, you can kill one foe in that fight and put an other one to the ground. This is an other build from vVv_Seiryss .

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
This is a realy powerful build even if it was done during BWE3. I still run around with it some times. It has great mobility and good damage plus a big survivability.
I found it here:

****************************************************************************

http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...
I actually run with this except one thing, I changed muddy terrain for Signit of Wild and not using the Elite alot when needed I exchanged it for Spirit of nature. So I have a better survivability.
Other wise it's very fun to play, and Realy powerful.
(my build gives this : http://gw2skills.net/editor/en/?f...)
I found it here: https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/fo...

This is the bonus part. The part where I'll give general gameplay advice and a few thing to not forget and to not do.
First of all, as a ranger, do never forget that the warhorn grants a long duration Swiftness boon to all your team. There for, try to always have a warhorn in your bag, switch to it to apply the boon and reequip your usual weapon right after applying it. It is a great way to start a match to have a swiftness boon on all your team but it is also great for going from a point to an other quickly.
Second important thing, as a ranger, you have the longest gap of all the game, there for, always have a greatsword in your bag for when you move. It is realy important to remember reequiping your normal weapon after other wise you'll enter a fight with the wrong weapon on.
Third important thing, Rangers have the possibility to be realy anoying on forest of nifhel by stealing bosses on forest of nifhel. Why? Because you can use  quickening-zephyr and with a shortbow or a long bow with  rapid-fire to be sure to place the last hit on the boss. (Only use when he's at 15% health to avoid throwing away time, points and granting points to your opponent.) There for, you shall always have a bow in your bag if you want to steal a boss and you must be able to remember swapping utility skills.
Fourth, Remember that you utility spells and elite skills are not blocked while in a match even if your traits are. There for, remember that depending on situations you may need one spell more than an other or one Elite more than an other. Note also that if you rarly use your Elite skill, maybe you should change it to one that seems more useful to your play style.
These are bases of becoming a better player. If you don't stay fixed to the build and do crazy things, sometimes it pays well. But keep in mind that changing weapons to move can be dangerous. Let's say you're moving from the WaterFalls to the GraveYard. You might be thinking to switch to warhorn/GreatSword to arrive quicker. Imagine that on your way you get attacked by someone on your side you didn't see. Well except if your a total kick ass or if your build can work with any weapon, you're going down in less than 10s. So always make sure what you do isn't to risky, not only for you, but for your team. because dying grants 5points to your opponents plus they can easily take the WaterFalls now that you're dead.
Same thing for your utility spells, if  quickening-zephyr isn't in your build, you must not forget to change it back for the original utility occupying the slot it took.
As a ranger, you may be tempted to send your pet attack your foe before he arrives on you. Don't be worried, you can. Simply note that you can heal your pet no matter how far he is and that if he's gone to far, telling him to come back will instantly teleport him at you side. So don't care if he gets low on health, just call him back. (This also works with the signets and pet utilities)
Depending on your game style, I recomandyou or not to take the trait  steady-focus since it needs your endurance to be at 100% to work. So if you're dodging all the time, exchange it for a trait more useful to your gamestyleif it is in the build you are willing to play. To my opinion dodging isn't primordial as a ranger since you have a lot of slows and a counter attack and even evades.

We are now touching the end of thisguide, so I want to thank you for going threw it.
I'd also like to thank Blowi, Moderator of arenAJunkies for letting me use his presentation, I thank vVv_Seiryss for her builds, I'd also like to thank my girlfriend for supporting me during the redation of this guide, it's good to know that your girlfriends admires what passionates you <3
If you have any feedback, anything to resay about this guide or any modification you would like me to bring to it, leave a comment or send me a pm I'm open to all propositions

Play a ranger, your pet won't kill ya'

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