RNG Group 2 Merits

[pingpong]

Just wish we could merit barrage recast /sigh.

QFT... how come SAM get to merit Meditate and we don't get to merit Barrage? c'mon

afv1 gloves +1 is nice tho

[Shadida]

Yea... but if we could merit Barrage recast then it would be worth it to merit Sharpshot recast... Just gonna end up sitting on Rapid Shot merits and shaking my fist at Scavenge and Camouflage Recast categories... seriously SE what the fuck

[Beckwin]

For people knocking Flashy merits, I think its kinda worth it for xp. Its another acc buff, essentially, that you get to throw in the mix. More WS with acc buffs = better.

Right now I'm at 1 flashy 1 snap, but I'm just horribly undermeritted in general. If I get around to it, my group 2s will be 3 flashy 3 snap.

[Raizins]

3 snap shot
1 flashy
1 recycle

and moved on from there.

After getting 1 flashy, I basically capped snapshot. Even though I really did'nt know what it did, it sounded ok.

Flashy recast is just way too high, but I'm sure most jobs feel that way about their group 2 merits.

Does flashy and stealth stack? If they did, then you'd get the level difference with no added artificial hate (still get increased hate from more damage i'd assume).

As far as pulling hate in long fights, it doesn't always have to do with how good your tank is. Perhaps how fast you pull hate does, but in a drawn out fight where you take 0 damage while dealing constant damage, you're bound to draw attention when tanks are losing amounts of hate when they take some damage.

[Shadida]

For people knocking Flashy merits, I think its kinda worth it for xp. Its another acc buff, essentially, that you get to throw in the mix. More WS with acc buffs = better.

Right now I'm at 1 flashy 1 snap, but I'm just horribly undermeritted in general. If I get around to it, my group 2s will be 3 flashy 3 snap.

Explain please... I thought all Flashy Shot did was eliminate the pDIF penalty. Oh, and I've missed enough Flashy Shot Sidewinders that I can't bring myself to believe it adds any accuracy.

[Falaras]

Snapshotx3
Stealth Shotx2
Flashy Shotx1 here

Snapshots obvious and by far the best at least in my opinion.
Stealth Shot is nice for mobs that don't die fast like old style Kirin or Faust or somethin.
Flashy Shot for Epeen....its kinda worthless but I find it fun.

[RKenshin]

Flashy Shot x3
Snapshot x3

Having fully merited Muted Soul, I'll happily say I'd never waste merits on Stealth Shot. Basically, Muted Soul only allows you to melee with Souleater on to an extent. Any situation where you're doing massive damage with a kraken club or a WS, you're going to pull hate regardless. Likewise, the only time you're going to use Stealth Shot in the first place is with a WS, so you're most likely just going to pull hate anyway.

In addition, for places I normally use RNG now I'm either going to be killing the mob with the WS, or in a situation where DDs are sharing hate and kiting the mob (Salvage bosses). Neither of which would really benefit from that merit.

Then, I'm just not interested in Recycle. The impact of even capped Recycle would have little effect on how much I spend on ammo, especially when I often use RNG in zergs or with Kraken.

I also use Flashy Shot just about the second it's up, and considering the alternatives I'd rather have its recast capped. Regardless Flashy is definitely worth at least one merit, it's unmatched for zergs. Snap Shot goes without saying IMO.

[Vertabreaker]

Flashy Shot x3
Snapshot x3

Having fully merited Muted Soul, I'll happily say I'd never waste merits on Stealth Shot. Basically, Muted Soul only allows you to melee with Souleater on to an extent. Any situation where you're doing massive damage with a kraken club or a WS, you're going to pull hate regardless. Likewise, the only time you're going to use Stealth Shot in the first place is with a WS, so you're most likely just going to pull hate anyway.

In addition, for places I normally use RNG now I'm either going to be killing the mob with the WS, or in a situation where DDs are sharing hate and kiting the mob (Salvage bosses). Neither of which would really benefit from that merit.

Then, I'm just not interested in Recycle. The impact of even capped Recycle would have little effect on how much I spend on ammo, especially when I often use RNG in zergs or with Kraken.

I also use Flashy Shot just about the second it's up, and considering the alternatives I'd rather have its recast capped. Regardless Flashy is definitely worth at least one merit, it's unmatched for zergs. Snap Shot goes without saying IMO.

That's why I did flashy x 3 and snap x 3. I just couldn't word it as well as you did lol.

[Beckwin]

For people knocking Flashy merits, I think its kinda worth it for xp. Its another acc buff, essentially, that you get to throw in the mix. More WS with acc buffs = better.

Right now I'm at 1 flashy 1 snap, but I'm just horribly undermeritted in general. If I get around to it, my group 2s will be 3 flashy 3 snap.

Explain please... I thought all Flashy Shot did was eliminate the pDIF penalty. Oh, and I've missed enough Flashy Shot Sidewinders that I can't bring myself to believe it adds any accuracy.

Isn't there a level penalty concerning accuracy? It's not major but it's there I think. I've missed PPA and/or Sharpshot Sidewinders too, sometimes its just a matter of "shit happens."

[Seyrr]

I also use Flashy Shot just about the second it's up, and considering the alternatives I'd rather have its recast capped. Regardless Flashy is definitely worth at least one merit, it's unmatched for zergs. Snap Shot goes without saying IMO.

I've heard a friend describe 3/3 Snap Shot as "having a permanent Speed Belt, but just for ranged attacks". Is that accurate? For that matter, does haste affect ranged attacks? I've never been able to get a definite answer.

[VZX]

does haste affect ranged attacks? I've never been able to get a definite answer.

This is a no. At least until someone proving the otherwise... which is kinda hard to test.

I've heard a friend describe 3/3 Snap Shot as "having a permanent Speed Belt, but just for ranged attacks". Is that accurate?

ranged attack delay is based only on weapon delay, not ammo delay
Also there is an 2.9~3.0 seconds overhead after you shoot. So 6% delay cut should be the delay cut on ranged weapon delay, not the overhead delay cut

[Sonomaa]

3 snaps, a flashy, and 2 recycle, works great for me, I accidently bought the wrong super arrow and decided to fire it off and forget it, 3 recycles in a row with no AF2 head on, decided I should keep the arrow

[RKenshin]

I've heard a friend describe 3/3 Snap Shot as "having a permanent Speed Belt, but just for ranged attacks". Is that accurate? For that matter, does haste affect ranged attacks? I've never been able to get a definite answer.

Well, speaking literally yes that's basically what capped Snap Shot does. A 6% decrease in delay is about the same effect of 6% Haste with a few minor differences. As far as it being noticeable though, it isn't really very noticeable.

But no, no forms of Haste effect ranged attacks.

[Alathar]

For that matter, does haste affect ranged attacks? I've never been able to get a definite answer.

no. However, on the bright side, it's not affected by slow either ...

[pingpong]

flashy shot doesn't give any acc, I always use it with SS/US/PPA if I can. As for my merits, I put 1 into flashy, 2 into snapshot, but ideally 3/3 flashy/snap is the way to go for the reasons rukenshin mentioned. As a RNG, most of the important stuff I do requires getting more hate/emnity than everybody else, usually to help with kiting. I can also see putting 2 into recycle for the reasons sonomaa mentioned, but steath really can't see it being all that useful.

[Quixotic]

If haste ever affected ranged attacks i'd be one seriously happy taru.

And to stay on topic my (unfinished) RNG merits would be:

Flashy 1
Stealth 2
Snapshot 3

People underrate the effect of -enmity imo. If you've ever tanked something, you'll understand.

[Stellar]

True, Rukenshin has probably never tanked anything..

[Quixotic]

Wasn't a shot at ruke, but ok. Its just my personal opinion/philosophy: I'd rather take that extra ability that lets me do more damage a little bit longer before I pull hate and probably die in an extended fight, than just outright go nuts and die, rr and start over. This has been discussed before (the differing strategies of holding out as long as you can vs going nuts and dying and just starting over).

[pingpong]

was probably a shot at me =P

[Burginator]

Atm, I rock 3xSnap, 2xStealth, 1xFlashy. I'm a /war enthusiast, so that -20 enmity really does make a big difference on any fight longer than 5~ mins.

Recycle is just money saving, I'd prefer to actually increase my performance with merits :/