Hoko's 34rng/17sin/15mm guide for 1.5 (New Sozu Spec)

[Hokonoso]

This is the best dps I could come up with the Sozu spec. Calling it something stupid like the hokosozu spec will get you laughed at.

Spec: 34rng/17sin/15mm
If you already know how to play the sozu spec, stop reading here and have fun, otherwise continue reading for guide.

Macros:
Sozu Button
#show Crippling Shot
petattack
petcast Rend
petcast Bloodied Blow
petcast Razor Lash
cast Crippling Shot
cast Quick Shot
cast Expose Weakness

AoE
#show Rain of Arrows
petattack
petcast Rend
petcast Razor Lash
petcast Bloodied Blow
cast Rain of Arrows
(it is spammable now, no reason to even get trick shot, use fan out for when stuff dies too fast)

Starter
#show Shadow Fire
petattack
petcast Rend
petcast Bloodied Blow
petcast Razor lash
cast Expose Weakness
cast Shadow Fire

Finisher
#show Rapid Fire Shot
petattack
petcast Rend
petcast Bloodied Blow
petcast Razor lash
cast Rapid Fire Shot
cast Head Shot
cast Expose Weakness

Pet Control
#show Quick Shot
petpassive
cast Crippling Shot
cast Quick Shot
cast Expose Weakness
(I show quick shot here so I can tell which buttons are which, i dont name my macros in game)

Rotation: Sozu rotation. SF>spam>finisher till SF bout to fade, then repeat. at the start with fervor you can get off 2 RFS before you need to SF again, rotation starts and ends on a RFS so keep that in mind, a full cycle back to 2 RFS takes 2min 14seconds without the ranger synergy crystal, so once you master those 2min 14seconds of rotation, you can close your eyes as the rotation stays the same and is super duper easy.

I will most likely not be making a marksman guide, so If you cannot figure out how to play marksman and you still want to range and want the spec/rotation handed to you, then have fun with your pet!!! If todays huge nerf to marksman isnt so bad then maybe a guide will be made, but for now marksman is too painful to play for anything but sicaron where you need a purge.

[Drathmar]

did you try 34rng/32mm? I got that to parse pretty close to 51/15. Unless they changed something other than the munition having ICD single target damage should be roughly the same for that build as before that change.

[Hokonoso]

did you try 34rng/32mm? I got that to parse pretty close to 51/15

i did try a variation, but the standing still + rending munitions never made my atks hit harder than simply taking 17sin. if the dmg was higher i might have stuck with it, but this build here has 100% mobility since you get no buff for standing still, thus all shots can be done on the run (minus SF ofc). if i want to stand still i will use 51/15 :P

oh and im still hoping they buff the 4pc hk bonus, also headshot should make shadow fire instant just like deadeye shot makes ES instant, that would be nice :P

[Daayou]

I had to do this . . . you know, early morning stuff.




So this is the hokosozu spec?






*ducks*

[Geistcreeper]

did you try 34rng/32mm? I got that to parse pretty close to 51/15. Unless they changed something other than the munition having ICD single target damage should be roughly the same for that build as before that change.

You'll do better with 28mm/38rng using splinter shot. The ranger crystal makes it even better for the reduced cast time on that and shadow fire. Trying to squeeze in the strafe with the MM cd's screws up the synergy between you and your pet and ends up being a slight dps loss.

[Dunharrow]

Whats this, about 500 DPS behind MM? And now there's no "but I want to be ranged" excuse.

[Hokonoso]

Whats this, about 500 DPS behind MM? And now there's no "but I want to be ranged" excuse.

this is the mobile ranger spec. there are many mm specs out there, play one of those if you want to stand still. obviously this is behind the top specs in dps, but this spec does the same dps on every last fight in the game and thus is way more consistent. i tested it in mms and was doing 1650-1750dps on every last boss, where some melee would do 2k+ then 1100 depending on how friendly the boss mechanics were.

basically, there are fights where this will be #1, and then max dps fights where it wont be. once people start raiding hk they will be surprised how often they actually move, and even more surprised how much a dps dip the mm specs take when movement is involved.

[Drathmar]

You'll do better with 28mm/38rng using splinter shot. The ranger crystal makes it even better for the reduced cast time on that and shadow fire. Trying to squeeze in the strafe with the MM cd's screws up the synergy between you and your pet and ends up being a slight dps loss.

Not really, the wolf does less than 50dps... the raptor was doing over 400dps for me.

@Hoko, I can definitely see where the new sozu would be good and I did try a 34/17/15 buid and it does work, much better than old hoko spec, and more mobile due to no pedastal so ya this could be better.

I will most likely use 51/15 or this (depending on how much EM nerf affects dps).

[Rendicia]

What I noticed in the macros was the added line of Expose Weakness. Good to know that that has been added.

Thanks for the work.

[Chovie]

Thank You!

[Mulch]

Thanks, I may come back to this for my rogue. I've used ranger builds mostly for daily quests and brain-dead solo play, cuz the pig keeps me company.

Is there any hope that a ranger-based spec will match up with 51-MM for dps in 1.5? Maybe not aoe but st?

[Hokonoso]

Thanks, I may come back to this for my rogue. I've used ranger builds mostly for daily quests and brain-dead solo play, cuz the pig keeps me company.

Is there any hope that a ranger-based spec will match up with 51-MM for dps in 1.5? Maybe not aoe but st?

not with the current crystal, but the pet somewhat scales with raid buffs so we will see how it goes. they really need to change the pet stats tho to scale higher with our gear cause right now it is bad.

[Chovie]

Thanks, I may come back to this for my rogue. I've used ranger builds mostly for daily quests and brain-dead solo play, cuz the pig keeps me company.

Is there any hope that a ranger-based spec will match up with 51-MM for dps in 1.5? Maybe not aoe but st?

Is 51 MM the new top dps for ranged then?

[Hokonoso]

Is 51 MM the new top dps for ranged then?

yes, at least for fights where you can stand still... like matron... but then again you lose rain of arrows so ranger still wins on matron for overall dps, but for sicaron mm is def the best spec to use by a good margin. also on king/prince depending on if you are melee or ranged, mm could be great for both since you can easily switch targets from anywhere.

[Galibier]

I will most likely not be making a marksman guide, so If you cannot figure out how to play marksman and you still want to range and want the spec/rotation handed to you, then have fun with your pet!!! If todays huge nerf to marksman isnt so bad then maybe a guide will be made, but for now marksman is too painful to play for anything but sicaron where you need a purge.

I'm not seeing that bad a hit from the change tbh. Is it as good as it was on test? Exactly. Is it a waste? No, I am actually doing better with 51 MM/15 Rng than I do with my sab dancer.

I hate 51 pt builds but meh