Archive:R/W Ferocious Strike Bunny Thumper

The Bunny Thumper specializes in Hammer Attacks, particularly knockdowns, all the while making use of the combination of high Expertise and the skill Tiger's Fury for a constant speed increase with almost no downside. It also has a pet for additional damage and interrupts. This build is primarily designed for PvP, but is usable in PvE also if the player is aware of its limitations.

The colloquial term "Bunny Thumper" for this build comes from the fact that the Ranger running animation while carrying a hammer is seen as a comical hopping motion in the manner of a bunny or rabbit. The "thumper" part comes from the sound certain hammer attacks make when they strike their target.

Attributes and Skills
[build prof=range/warri expert=8+1 beastm=10+3+1 hammer=12][hammer bash][irresistible blow][crushing blow][tigers fury][ferocious strike][charm animal][comfort animal][resurrection signet][/build]

Replace Comfort Animal in Team or Random Arenas.

Equipment
Standard PvP hammer is decent, but Zealous weapons are preferable for providing energy as are Furious weapons to help charge Hammer Bash. Switch into a non-Zealous weapon when not actively swinging to keep up energy regeneration.

Usage
Play style is important for this build. As with any knockdown or interrupt based build, timing is essential.

Pet damage is secondary to Hammer damage, but worthwhile. Pure damage output can be increased by switching into different Pet attacks at the cost of disabling / interrupting.

Tiger's Fury is essential for increasing the slow attack rates of hammers. Frenzy is usually not a meaningful better option, because you will have enough energy to use Tiger's Fury to avoid risking Frenzy.

Variants

 * Ferocious Strike could be replaced with Backbreaker (Backbreaker offers a second knockdown although you can find yourself running low on Energy without Ferocious Strike).
 * Comfort Animal could be replaced with Disrupting Lunge or Brutal Strike (This can be a good change if you know that you'll meet a warrior friendly area.) Using Predator's Pounce is a compromise; it gives you pet healing along with increasing your DPS, but gives you no way to revive your pet if it dies.
 * Ferocious Strike could be replaced with Enraged Lunge. Enraged Lunge should be used right after activating Tigers Fury so that there are 4 recharging Beast Mastery skills that count towards Enraged Lunge damage (Charm Animal, Tiger's fury, Comfort Animal, and Enraged Lunge itself). This build is capable of more raw long-term damage, and spike damage, but lacking in energy management.
 * Take Run as One instead of Comfort Animal to keep up with running targets.
 * Bestial Mauling can replace Comfort Animal in Random or Team arenas, to be used right after Hammer Bash, along with Crushing Blow, which will knock down casters, give them a Deep Wound, and Daze them.
 * If playing in Alliance Battles or Competitive Missions, you can replace Resurrection Signet with one of the previously mentioned skills, or alternatively with a defensive skill such as Throw Dirt or Antidote Signet.