How to interrupt casters on my 51 Ranger?

[Woodrow]

My ranger has always struggled with casters because I haven’t figured out how to interrupt their casting. As I see it my options are:
- kick (doesn’t seem to do much)
- weapon proc (too random)
- weapon “push” (ie. moving an enemy thereby interrupting them) (I don’t understand this mechanic really but I think more hits = more push?)
- spells (I’m not aware of a quick spell I can fire off when a caster starts to cast that will interrupt)

What do?

[Skarne]

More hits/Close to target as possible = more chance to interrupt spells, but this is not as effective as it used to be.

The only thing I can think of is using the push method with a stun proc weapon, although I don’t know one for ranger.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance, I main a bard

[Jibartik]

I remember when I played my first monk.

I was like.. Uh, im helpless in this scenario?!?!

Never played a class that couldn't at least try to force an interrupt until then.

Even an outdoor knockback spell for rangers would have been nice.

Rogues, and monks, rangers and anyone else? just SOL?

I spent like 15 minuets fighting a level 18 blue healer the other night on TLP lol

[Woodrow]

I'll add a 5th option:

- clickable effects (i'll have to look into whether there are any clickies or consumables with spell interrupt effects)

[Jimjam]

If the problem is a healer, say a spectral curate, they’ll only heal them-self if they are engaged in melee. Root them and shoot bow (toggle sit between shots to recover hp/m).

If it is a serious problem you can dw stun procs as well as cast your stun proc buff. Unreliable though.

[Jibartik]

If the problem is a healer, say a spectral curate, they’ll only heal them-self if they are engaged in melee. Root them and shoot bow (toggle sit between shots to recover hp/m).

If it is a serious problem you can dw stun procs as well as cast your stun proc buff. Unreliable though.

Oh cool I tried rooting while I melee'd because I knew there was something with root causing them to stop casting, but that didn't work.

What are some good stun procs to DW for ranger while Im asking?

[Baler]

Push was fixed (nerfed hard) a while back on P99. It is no longer a reliable method to interrupt mobs casting.

Faster attack speed would give you more chances to land hits and thus more chances to interrupt through damage.

[Andyman1022]

Rolfron totems

[radbeard]

i think stun proc weapons for ranger are fairly limited.

Ykesha proc stuff like Ykeshan War Club (9/24)
Old school Fluxbladed Axe (7/22)
Sarnack Warhammer is maybe the best bet (9/20)
Rod of Lamentation (2h: 25/36)
Veridix's Shortsword (13/24) & Veldrak's Shortblade (13/23) from VP

Sarnack Warhammer seems like far and away the most bang for your buck
the VP stuff would be neat

[Jimjam]

https://wiki.project1999.com/Trochilic's_Skean Has a huge duration stun,

Dragon horn ykeshka cheap.

[Woodrow]

Oh wow I didn't know about them only healing when in melee, very nice to know I'll have to experiment.

[Woodrow]

OK I looked at some items with charges and 2 items that can be clicked for instant DD are Raincaller and Wand of Frost bolts. Rain Caller would cost 240p per click and the Wand would cost next to nothing. It sells for 2000p even though the spell does like 4 damage. Going to look into what people use that wand for.

[radbeard]

You want a stun, not a DD I'd you are trying to interrupt a spell caster

[Woodrow]

So DD spells don't have any chance to interrupt? I assume there is some chance, as any melee hit has a chance to interrupt. If I have 5 clicks of instant DD and I fire them off, that won't have any increased chance of interrupt?

[Solist]

Rolfron totems

This.

When xp grouping I swap out my bag of wart pots for a bag of totems. Even 2 bags of totems on some classes. Laughable how easy your life is with interrupts like the old days of p99.

[Woodrow]

Rolfrom totems might be the ticket once Velious comes out on green.

[Videri]

So DD spells don't have any chance to interrupt? I assume there is some chance, as any melee hit has a chance to interrupt. If I have 5 clicks of instant DD and I fire them off, that won't have any increased chance of interrupt?

No, I don't think damage spells have any chance to interrupt at all.

I also don't think regular melee has a chance to interrupt.

Currently, on Green, push does not interrupt - at all. At some point, it will be implemented on Green, and then it will be like Blue, where you can interrupt mobs by pushing them.

Note that the chance to interrupt is based on the distance from where the spellcaster STARTED casting the spell to where it FINISHED casting the spell. It is not based on the length of the path over which you pushed it. If you push a mob in a big circle and right back to the start point, it's gonna get the spell off. If you push a mob in some kind of zig-zag, you're wasting time. Push it in a straight line and get it as far as you can from where it started the spell.

See also: corner-casting (pvp technique)

[Snaggles]

No, I don't think damage spells have any chance to interrupt at all.

Almost every enchanter DD had a interrupt component similar to Ykesha. A number of Druid DD’s have knock back. Plus the damaging stuns wizards and clerics get. True though, normal DD’s won’t. It has to be a secondary effect.

Rangers really have five options:
1. Stun weapons and call of sky/fire...pray to the RNG gods
2. Those stun totems from Stonebrunt
3. Try to burst via nuke when the mob is in the healing range (has to be a low hp npc)
4. Burn though the mobs mana with dps
5. Bow kite. Typically a NPC will try to root, nuke or dispell you. With range on them they will usually skip healing and run.

[Videri]

sigh

*Pure damage spells, aka DDs, don't have any chance to interrupt at all.

As long as OP understands he's not gonna interrupt anything with Burst of Fire or whatever.

OP, the only spells that interrupt are spells with a Stun component (even a 0.0 second stun aka an interrupt), Mesmerize, or Charm; and Knockback effects will have at least a chance due to displacement (again, not on Green yet).

[Jibartik]

videri is right, if a spell has a stun or knockback component its usually referred to as a stun or knockback spell.

Tradiationa DD's shock of frost, fire spells, those dont have knockback components and are pure damage.

So if you want to know if a spell has a knockback or stun to it it will say it has a stun component like these

https://wiki.project1999.com/Chaotic_Feedback
https://wiki.project1999.com/Fury_of_Air

[Snaggles]

I was mentally found down the ykesha road. Sorry for snipping that out of context :) .

Frankly I’ll promote the virtues and perks of rangers all day but their interrupt skills are garbage. A few on a planes raid with Call of Fire/sky spells on can interrupt since those proc so much but that’s dice roll odds.

Gotta out-think the npc, OP. The nice thing is this is one area you can’t be blamed...enjoy that benefit.

[Tnair]

Rogues, and monks, rangers and anyone else? just SOL?

I spent like 15 minuets fighting a level 18 blue healer the other night on TLP lol

The best way to interrupt a spell with a rogue is to backstab them .. we're kinda a one trick pony like that

[Woodrow]

I thought of another technique which is when meleeing and they start to cast, circle around behind them and continue melee. They wont turn to face you until casting is finished and I have a feeling stuns are more common when hitting from behind.

[Jibartik]

I thought of another technique which is when meleeing and they start to cast, circle around behind them and continue melee. They wont turn to face you until casting is finished and I have a feeling stuns are more common when hitting from behind.

not a terrible idea !

Has it been tried?

[Woodrow]

Ive been trying the technique, not enough to notice a difference yet tho.

[Jibartik]

It's not a very big window to be sure.

[Loadsamoney]

Unfortunately there's no consistent way. Warriors have Bash, and eventually their Kick can interrupt spells. Paladins and SK's have Bash as well, and Paladins have stun spells. Rogues can backstab a caster while channeling, and personally I would roll a Barbarian Rogue so I can Slam from the front when needed too. Bards have a song for spell interrupts I believe? Rangers get none of this.

IIRC, don't Monks also have a spell interrupt with Round Kick? I thought Round Kick was capable of stunning, unless I'm thinking of an AA in later expansions.

[Jimjam]

I’d hardly call bash/slam reliable. The timer is slow, often it misses and furthermore a hit doesn’t even guarantee a stun.

[Jibartik]

Less reliable than my cringe face watching that 5th heal that's about to go off 100% hehe

https://i.imgur.com/ch7kXVg.png

[Loadsamoney]

I’d hardly call bash/slam reliable. The timer is slow, often it misses and furthermore a hit doesn’t even guarantee a stun.

It's reliable in the sense that you can reserve it specifically for when spells get channeled. There's still a luck factor to it, but not nearly as bad as praying that you get a weapon proc at just the right moment.

I don't spam Bash unless I'm fighting a non-caster, then it's just some piddly extra damage, but against a caster I always save it until the enemy starts channeling a spell.

[mattydef]

Be better at auto attacking and pray you get a lucky CoS proc.

[Lartanin63]

The best option was stated earlier. If there is room, root them and get out of caster range. Bow them down till they turn and run then snare them. Can always carry around SSOYs or gnoll hide whips to quick swap if indoors and hope for the best.
It's just a weak point of the ranger.

Good luck,
Lartanin

[Snaggles]

Call of Fire/sky goes off a lot and is a -100 check. Ie: if it can be stunned, that’s extremely likely to do the job.

You can’t count on it solo but a group is a team effort. If the stakes are high (CH and gate) and the npc can be stunned everyone should be watching those casts, announcing and working to shut them down. Hope for a proc, toss a nuke, jolt away the aggro.

[Tethler]

The best way to interrupt a spell with a rogue is to backstab them .. we're kinda a one trick pony like that

Barbarian rogues can slam, though it shares a cooldown with backstab. Sometimes worth using vs gate/CH casts.

Best way for rangers to interrupt spells is to proc your OT hammer. The spell is interrupted if there is no target.