Build:R/Me UW Trapper

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This build has been designed for the following use:

PvE
farming

This article might need to be rewritten.

Reason: Skeletons of Dhumm update

This build is designed to farm the Underworld as a solo ranger trapper. The build uses the skill recharge bonus from trappers speed and the energy bonus from ether signet to lay down as many dust traps as possible.

Attributes and Skills

<pvxbig> [build prof=range/mesme wilder=12+1+3 expert=12+3 inspir=3][dust trap][arcane echo][echo][barbed trap][flame trap][ether signet][trappers speed][whirling defense][/build] </pvxbig>

Equipment

Full Druid's Armor or equivalent in function (Radiant Insignia)
Two Runes of Attunement
The best Rune of Vigor you can afford (but at least a major)
Any staff with 15 or 20 energy bonus with + 7 armor against physical damage
For extra protection when pulling you could take a replacement armor piece for one of those with a superior rune in it and a staff with +60hp. This will allow you to survive two hits from a Bladed Aatxe.

Usage

This build is for experienced trappers who want more challenge and get all the loot for themselves. It is hard at first but with practice, becomes pretty easy to handle. The idea of the build is to keep the mobs on the Dust Traps for their full activation time. This is difficult as AoE damage causes the enemy mobs to flee.

First, choose your trapping spot near an angle or any small confined space (e.g. in the Chamber, just under the stairs, close to the walls). You will want the mobs to be blocked by the walls when they try to flee the AoE damages. Once you've got the trapping spot,
Start Arcane Echo and during its activation use Trapper's Speed so that you have the stance before the casting of Arcane Echo finishes. Then use Echo, Dust Trap, Echo (copied with Arcane Echo), Dust Trap (copied with Echo), and Dust Trap (copied with Echo copied with Arcane Echo).
At this point you should be low on energy and able to use flame trap or barbed trap then use Ether Signet
Walk backwards a couple of steps, keeping clear from the wall(always about the distance of activation of a trap) and put down Barbed Trap. As soon as the Dust Traps have recharged, lay them down and keep Trapper's Speed up (usually wears off at the end of the 5th Trap, so recast) and spam Barbed Trap when possible.
Now you can go pull the mobs. Hit Whirling Defense during aggro and run towards the traps you just lay. The blindness will keep you alive while the traps go off. Meanwhile they will take all the damage waves from the Dust Traps as they try to flee through the walls.

Counters

The main flaw of the build is lack of self healing. Surviving in emergency situations and during pulling is possible with Whirling Defense, Barbed Trap, and clever movement.
Whirling Defense will prevent most of the hits from foes. However Aatxes hit hard, so don't try to pull them from too far away or you'll have a greater risk to get hit and the traps set might start to go off on their own.
When the enemy mob survives the initial traps, run away, put down Barbed Trap, lure the surviving enemies into it, and run far away from them. They should lose aggro.
When Smites or Coldfire Nights survive, just run away from them until they break aggro.
Coldfire Nights and are the hardest mob to kill with this build. Avoiding them is the best tactic.
Skeletons of Dhuum are notoriously hard to pull. It's possible to trap the path of those that have a patrol although usually they can simply be ignored as they won't follow you unless they're constantly in your aggro bubble and lack the firepower to do a dangerous amount of damage.

Variants

Replacing Whirling Defense with Dryder's Defenses helps a lot when going against Terrorweb Dryders and Coldfire Nights. You can also echo it if you want to make a big pull.

Notes

This build is for experienced trappers and is hard to use.
Once you've got the trick, you can clear out the chamber, take out most of the smites, and come back and clear the mobs in the southern part of the chamber within 1 hour. It usually takes an average 2 minutes per mob. Once you've finished a group, your skills and energy should have fully recharged while moving to the next trapping place.
This is the most efficient trapping build for farming, considering the fact that there are no other players getting drops.
You can replace Whirling Defense with Tripwire to farm the Stygian Veil.