Build:Soulbeast - Sic 'Em Sniper

The community gave this build a rating, making it second-tier: Good

Focused on: Direct damage and Control

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Difficulty:

TBD

This build was last updated on February 21, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A Soulbeast power build for PvP with exceptional burst damage.

Skill Bar

Longbow

Greatsword

Utility

Slot Changes

Utility

• "Protect Me!" over Quickening Zephyr - while both are stun breaks, Protect Me is a better defensive pick in case you want more sustain.

Elite

• "Strength of the Pack!" - some extra Stability should CC be a problem.

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Specializations

Variants

• Oppressive Superiority offers higher burst damage but limits your Beastmode options by removing the ability to easily swap between pets while merged.

Equipment

Longbow

Sigil

Sigil

Greatsword

Sigil

Sigil

Rune

Amulet

Equipment Variants

Sigils

Longbow

• Sigil of Revocation - gives Point Blank Shot a chance to remove Stability and CC the target.

Usage

Elite specialization basics

• Soulbeast allows Rangers to meld/merge with their pet, becoming one. This is done through Beastmode which has a 10s CD.

• Traits related to swapping pets now activate upon entering/leaving Beastmode.

• Pet related traits and skills such as Pet's Prowess continue to function even while merged, but this time you'll be the one who benefits from them, not the pet (although sometimes the effects are lessened).
  • IMPORTANT: skills that affect your pet like "Sic 'Em!" have to be used after merging if you wish to benefit from them, already active skill effects will be lost just like when swapping pets.

• You can also meld with dead pets and then exit Beastmode to instantly revive them.

General

• Dodging applies Protection, which also heals thanks to the trait Rugged Growth. If taken, Second Skin reduces the condition damage you take by 20% while affected by this boon.

• Survival skills cure 2 conditions and grant Fury. Troll Unguent can cleanse 4, because it triggers another Survival skill from Child of Earth.

• Greatsword and Rock Gazelle's beast mode allow for great mobility and disengaging/kiting. Beastmode in general grants a flat 30% movement speed boost on its own via Pet's Prowess.

• Zephyr's Speed has many uses.
  • It can be used offensively for the Quickness, most notably to boost Rapid Fire, Maul, or Greatsword autos for downed cleave.
  • Defensively by keeping your pet swap ready in case you need to cleanse 2 conditions.
  • Alternatively the Superspeed can help you escape damage or chase down targets while on Greatsword.

• Smokescale's F2 Smoke Cloud is a useful combo field:
  • Projectile finishers like Point Blank Shot and Rapid Fire could Blind your target, increasing your sustain.
  • Swoop and Worldly Impact could be used to stack Stealth. While your kit isn't the best for stacking stealth, dropping this field before a fight for your team to execute combos in is generally a good idea.

• Use Hunter's Shot in Beastmode while roaming between capture points if you lack Swiftness.

• Siamoth's Forage is something of a gamble. Your pet starts digging, created an item anyone can pick up - even your enemies if you're not fast enough! There are 3 possible items, 2 of them grant stealth while plasma grants boons. You should consider using this skill even when not in combat, as these items are bundles you can carry into your next fight.

Beastmode

• Merging with the Siamoth gives a bump to your defensive stats while Smokescale grants offensive stats which make it great for burst combos.

• Smokescale's Smoke Assault (soulbeast) could be used both offensively (delivering damage while making it impossible to kite you) and defensively (it's an instant cast evade frame).

• Takedown (soulbeast) is a great setup for Worldly Impact or Maul.

• Siamoth has an extremely strong defensive skill of its own called Unflinching Fortitude which breaks stun, grants immunity to direct damage and even cleanses some conditions.

• Much like Smokescale, Siamoth has a knockdown - Brutal Charge (soulbeast porcine).

• Don't forget to unmerge once beast skills are on CD or you're done with your burst combo, as you have greater DPS while you let your pets attack your enemies.

• If taken "Strength of the Pack!" used while in Beastmode will grant you Might on each hit you land. Barrage -especially against multiple targets- can quickly build up 25 stacks of Might which is best used on Rapid Fire (Longbow), Maul (Greatsword), or Worldly Impact (Beastmode).

Doing damage

• Maul grants Attack of Opportunity to you while melded, this is best used for boosting Worldly Impact's damage.

Longbow burst combo example:

1. Make sure you have Fury by the time you'll unload your Longbow skills.
2. Elite-dependent Use One Wolf Pack before the burst.
3. Get Quickness from either Zephyr's Speed or Quickening Zephyr.
4. Beastmode for some extra stats.
5. Elite-dependent "Strength of the Pack!" if you have it.
6. "Sic 'Em!" which boosts the Soulbeast's own damage if used in Beastmode.
7. Point Blank Shot to increase the chance of landing your burst and to proc Twice as Vicious.
8. Rapid Fire for damage.

Greatsword burst combo example:

1. Beastmode
2. Maul
3. Hilt Bash your target for CC and to refresh Maul.
4. Maul again.
5. Swoop to make the most of Maul's Attack of Opportunity buff which in Beastmode applies to the Soulbeast and not the pet.

Top Streamers

• Twitch: Boyce

• Twitch: ROM

Related Builds

• Ranger - Power Survival - core PvP version, usable by F2P players.

• Sic 'Em Roamer - the WvW Roaming version of the build.