Blood Arrow also removes corruptions. That weird glitch you experienced with that elite happens frequently with ranged characters. As I understand it, every zone is broken down into a very large number of sub-zones. If the ranged character and its target are in different sub-zones, the game can’t create a pathing solution for the mob. This can happen with Lore-master and Captain pets, too. If you ever want to “fix” this problem in the future rather than take advantage of it, just take a step in any direction. Moving even a tiny bit refreshes your location data on the server allowing the server to calculate a path from the mob to your location across the sub-zones. Barbed Arrow does a decent DOT for Blue Hunters (they have a set bonus trait for it) and, more importantly, slows the target for Blue Hunters (effect is, again, from a set bonus trait). It gives you a bit more time before the mob reaches you or makes it easy to kite and remain completely out of melee range if you have the running room. It is a DOT though, so it will break Daze effects the next time the DOT ticks.
Yeah, there is a whole pathing issue that glitches all things pet/companion related. Similarly, running pets/companions through missions/instances can be frustrating. Leading the "summoned" companion through the "Houses of Rest" solo/duo instance being my most memorable issue in recent times. Especially with the instances companion summoning horn only existing at the entrance to the instance... Re: Barbed Arrow. It's all about induction times for barbedarrow/swiftbow/splitshot. A long-ish induction time to start a battle is acceptable for a hunter as long as you have the patience to actually wait for the battle to start :-) But after the battle has started there is little tolerance for relatively long induction times (any of those three skills). Also, the faster a battle is over the less useful the barbed arrow DOT actually becomes. I'll pop for the split-shot & swift bow critical chances with a trap set. The hunter can easily get one that dazes (all hunters) & one that stuns (top of yellow line). The barbed arrow makes the one that dazes useless because of the DOT. That leaves you with only one trap in your arsenal & that has a 30-40 second cooldown. Far to long to play sequential landscape encounters at Heroic+2 given you'd only be able to take down one-two critters every 40 seconds. Also, I've opted for the range extension tracery just to increase the blue lines range by 30%. That gives enough time to get a single barrage skill in before you use the second induction shot (swift or split). This second induction skill activates/completes after the critter has hit the trap. ie. you can time it so the second "induction" shot is spent on a dazed/stunned critter because of the trap. So, that time is not wasted while you watch the critter close on your position... So, it's all about timing the induction shots & using barrage just enough to not activate "barrage 3" with its long duration cooldown by using blindslide instead.
Thanks. I definitely should have shown the blue tree hunter being able to back up & generally kite opponents. It's definitely a strength that allows the character to take on more opponents. Also, I'm running in precision stance. It gives a constant regeneration of focus. Using barrage (1 & 2) really frequently in each encounter requires more focus than you generate from blindslide/splitshot/swiftbow combinations. Endurance stance with quickshot just doesn't do enough healing to make it viable on Heroic+2. quickshot has to hit something to heal. That starts the countdown to when the opponent manages to close on your position (unless you can move around a *lot*). ie. from my experience endurance stance just can't do enough healing after the opponent actually gets in the first hit (ie. when healing is actually needed). Also blue line has the only real heal for the hunter that is significant to use in combat (press onwards). So precision stance with barrage (levels 1&2), the yellow line trap, bard's arrow & the ability to kite just make sense to me at this character level.
Blood Arrow also removes corruptions.
That weird glitch you experienced with that elite happens frequently with ranged characters. As I understand it, every zone is broken down into a very large number of sub-zones. If the ranged character and its target are in different sub-zones, the game can’t create a pathing solution for the mob. This can happen with Lore-master and Captain pets, too. If you ever want to “fix” this problem in the future rather than take advantage of it, just take a step in any direction. Moving even a tiny bit refreshes your location data on the server allowing the server to calculate a path from the mob to your location across the sub-zones.
Barbed Arrow does a decent DOT for Blue Hunters (they have a set bonus trait for it) and, more importantly, slows the target for Blue Hunters (effect is, again, from a set bonus trait). It gives you a bit more time before the mob reaches you or makes it easy to kite and remain completely out of melee range if you have the running room. It is a DOT though, so it will break Daze effects the next time the DOT ticks.
Yeah, there is a whole pathing issue that glitches all things pet/companion related.
Similarly, running pets/companions through missions/instances can be frustrating. Leading the "summoned" companion through the "Houses of Rest" solo/duo instance being my most memorable issue in recent times. Especially with the instances companion summoning horn only existing at the entrance to the instance...
Re: Barbed Arrow.
It's all about induction times for barbedarrow/swiftbow/splitshot. A long-ish induction time to start a battle is acceptable for a hunter as long as you have the patience to actually wait for the battle to start :-)
But after the battle has started there is little tolerance for relatively long induction times (any of those three skills). Also, the faster a battle is over the less useful the barbed arrow DOT actually becomes. I'll pop for the split-shot & swift bow critical chances with a trap set. The hunter can easily get one that dazes (all hunters) & one that stuns (top of yellow line). The barbed arrow makes the one that dazes useless because of the DOT. That leaves you with only one trap in your arsenal & that has a 30-40 second cooldown. Far to long to play sequential landscape encounters at Heroic+2 given you'd only be able to take down one-two critters every 40 seconds.
Also, I've opted for the range extension tracery just to increase the blue lines range by 30%. That gives enough time to get a single barrage skill in before you use the second induction shot (swift or split). This second induction skill activates/completes after the critter has hit the trap. ie. you can time it so the second "induction" shot is spent on a dazed/stunned critter because of the trap. So, that time is not wasted while you watch the critter close on your position...
So, it's all about timing the induction shots & using barrage just enough to not activate "barrage 3" with its long duration cooldown by using blindslide instead.
Is this on Precision stance? Also, since you're using traps & bards arrow instead of kiting, why not Red for the range and damage?
Thanks. I definitely should have shown the blue tree hunter being able to back up & generally kite opponents. It's definitely a strength that allows the character to take on more opponents.
Also, I'm running in precision stance. It gives a constant regeneration of focus. Using barrage (1 & 2) really frequently in each encounter requires more focus than you generate from blindslide/splitshot/swiftbow combinations.
Endurance stance with quickshot just doesn't do enough healing to make it viable on Heroic+2. quickshot has to hit something to heal. That starts the countdown to when the opponent manages to close on your position (unless you can move around a *lot*).
ie. from my experience endurance stance just can't do enough healing after the opponent actually gets in the first hit (ie. when healing is actually needed).
Also blue line has the only real heal for the hunter that is significant to use in combat (press onwards).
So precision stance with barrage (levels 1&2), the yellow line trap, bard's arrow & the ability to kite just make sense to me at this character level.