Skills and Feats: More on what you need to strikeI've broken the Feats up into the following categories:
1. Initiative
2. Attack Bonus
3. Damage Bonus
4. AC/Defense/Saves Bonus
5. Multiclass Feats
6. Skill Feats
7. Mobility Feats
8. Racial Feats
9. Utility
Some feats will appear in more than one category, as they help multiple things. I'll also try to group similar feats together, so that they may be more easily compared.
[sblock=Heroic Tier Feats]
Heroic Tier
1. Initiative Improved Initiative [—] +4 to initiative checks
Quick Draw [Dex 13] Draw a weapon with attack action, +2 to initiative
These two feats will help you
win initiative, but they do not stack, so you should take either of them, but not both. Quick Draw is especially good (moreso at Heroic levels) for the TWF Ranger that pushes Dex, as they may have a bow in hand while scouting for the party. Then he can get hit the enemy with a few ranged shots, and then draw his melee weapons as a free action. Otherwise, it would take his minor and move action to draw both weapons. For pure melee or ranged archers, II would be the better choice. And going first often means the difference between having CA on your enemies or them having CA on you. One of these two should be one of your first choices.
Group Insight [Half-Elf] Grant allies +1 to Insight and initiative. Your party will never object to bonuses to see and act before the enemy.
2. Attack Bonus Action Surge [Human] +3 to attacks when you spend an action point
Elven Precision [Elf] +2 to reroll with elven accuracy
If you're spending an action point or rerolling a miss, it's probably the time during the encounter when you least want to miss. These two feats help to insure that.
Blade Opportunist [Str 13, Dex 13] +2 to opportunity attacks with heavy blade or light blade
Combat Reflexes [Dex 13] +1 to opportunity attacks
Who doesn't like bonuses to hit, as they increase damage more than anything else. The downside of these feats is that they only work on oppurtunity attacks. How useful these are, depends upon your GM.
Far Shot [Dex 13] Increase projectile weapon range by 5 squares
Far Throw [Str 13] Increase thrown weapon range by 2 squares
Both of these help you keep your range Ranged Ranger. I could only see Ranger/Rogue multiclass PCs using the Far Throw feat.
Hellfire Blood [Tiefling] +1 attack and damage with fire and fear powers
Nimble Blade [Dex 15] +1 to attacks with light blade and combat advantage. I could only see Ranger/Rogue multiclass PCs using this feat.
Precise Hunter [Wis 15, ranger, Hunter’s Quarry class feature] Allies gain +1 attack against target hit by critical hit
Press the Advantage [Cha 15, rogue] Retain combat advantage with a critical hit
These two are too situational to be useful when you need them.
3. Damage Bonus Weapon Focus [—] +1 damage with chosen weapon group
Weapon Proficiency [—] Gain proficiency with the weapon of your choice
Two-Weapon Fighting [Dex 13] +1 damage while holding a melee weapon in each hand
Power Attack [Str 15] +2 damage for –2 to attack
Powerful Charge [Str 13] +2 damage, +2 to bull rush on a charge
Even those races that get +2 with a weapon will want Weapon Focus by Epic Tiers. The PitFighter builds will want to get the WP(Bastard Sword) to help their damage. TWF is useful here, but it is also a prerequisite for Two-Weapon Defense and Two-Weapon Flurry. Power Attack can provide additional damage (there's a thread about it somewhere in the CO board), even though it does make your PC miss more often.
Dwarven Weapon Training [Dwarf] +2 damage and proficiency with axes and hammers
Eladrin Soldier [Eladrin] +2 damage and proficiency with longswords and spears
Dwarven rangers using Hammer Rhythm will want this in the Heroic tiers, but will train out of it to Weapon Focus sometime during Paragon. Eladrins are the only ranger that would want to fight with longswords into Paragon, but with their Dex bonus, even they should be tempted to retrain to Scimitar Dance.
Lethal Hunter [Ranger, Hunter’s Quarry class feature] Hunter’s Quarry damage dice increase to d8s
Backstabber [Rogue, Sneak Attack class feature] Sneak Attack dice increase to d8s
These two will increase the damage dealt by 1 point per dice. So they are nice to have, but not an immediate pick-up. But LH only applies once per round, and Backstabber (for a Ranger with Rogue MC) would only apply once an encounter.
Wintertouched [—] Gain combat advantage against foe vulnerable to cold
Astral Fire [Dex 13, Cha 13] +1 damage with fire or radiant power
Burning Blizzard [Int 13, Wis 13] +1 damage with acid or cold power
Dark Fury [Con 13, Wis 13] +1 damage with necrotic or psychic power
Raging Storm [Con 13, Dex 13] +1 damage with lightning or thunder power
All of these could be useful, if you get a weapon with that power. Wintertouched is the exception because of the combo with it and Lasting Frost(Paragon Feat) and Frost weapons. Dragonborn and multiclassed PCs will probably get more benefit out of most of these feats.
Dragonborn Frenzy [Dragonborn] +2 damage when bloodied
Enlarged Dragon Breath [Dragonborn, dragon breath racial power] Dragon breath becomes blast 5
Hellfire Blood [Tiefling] +1 attack and damage with fire and fear powers
Dragonborn get to do more damage when they are hurt! And they can ask their leader for temporary hit points instead of healing. An Enlarged Dragon Breath could really clear out the minions, and if it's cold, it sets up the Wintertouched combo. Tieflings will want to use fire and fear powers to get additional bonuses to hit and damage.
4. AC/Defense/Saves Bonus Two-Weapon Defense [Dex 13, Two-Weapon Fighting] +1 to AC and Reflex while holding a weapon in each hand. This is the AC feat designed for the Melee Ranger. It makes TWF worth getting.
Armor Proficiency (Chainmail) [Str 13, Con 13, leather or hide armor] training with Training with chainmail armor
Armor Proficiency (Scale) [Str 13, Con 13, training with chainmail] Training with scale armor
Armor Proficiency (Plate) [Str 15, Con 15, training with scale armor] Training with plate armor
Shield Proficiency (Light) [Str 13] Proficiency with light shields
Shield Proficiency (Heavy) [Str 15, Shield Proficiency (Light)] Proficiency with heavy shields
Forget the shields, you're going to have both hands full with either a bow or two weapons. The WIS builds will probably want to get Scale Armor, with the Dwarven Hammer Rhythm build going to Plate Armor. The DEX Melee Rangers and Archers will want to keep their light armor, so that they can use their Dexterity bonus to AC.
Defensive Mobility [—] +2 to AC against opportunity attacks. If a ranger can't figure out how to use his powers to avoid OAs, then that's the only reason to take this.
Halfling Agility [Halfling, second chance racial power] Attacker takes a –2 penalty with second chance reroll
Dodge Giants [Dwarf] +1 to AC and Reflex against attacks of Large or larger foes
Human Perseverance [Human] +1 to saving throws
Lost in the Crowd [Halfling] +2 to AC when adjacent to at least two larger enemies
Halflings pretty much get to avoid critical hits with this feat. Humans get a bonus to saving throws (not defenses). And at some point in your PCs career, they're going to realize that most of the monsters they are facing are Large or larger.
5. Multiclass Feats Sneak of Shadows (Rogue) [Dex 13]
Initiate of the Faith (Cleric) [Wis 13]
Student of Battle (Warlord) [Str 13]
Student of the Sword (Fighter) [Str 13]
Soldier of the Faith (Paladin) [Str 13, Cha 13]
Pact Initiate (Warlock) [Cha 13]
Arcane Initiate (Wizard) [Int 13]
With Sneak of Shadows and one of the DEX builds, your party won't need a rogue. Because Rogues only need WIS to find traps, they often use it as a dump stat, so most rangers would actually be better at finding traps than the Rogue, and some Rangers are just as nimble as the rogue at disarming them. Warlord and Cleric multiclass feats allow you to help an ally spend a healing surge, and a good number of their powers use abilities that a Ranger is going to favor. Fighter is good for the TWF ranger, as it offers both the Iron Vanguard and Pit Fighter paragon paths. But the rest are just too MAD, as they use abilities that are supposed to be dump abilities for a ranger. Below are some other useful multiclass feats for rangers.
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Backstabber [Rogue, Sneak Attack class feature] Sneak Attack dice increase to d8s
Improved Dark One’s Blessing [Con 15, warlock, infernal pact] Pact boon grants 3 additional temporary hit points
Improved Fate of the Void [Con 13 or Cha 13, warlock, star pact] Pact boon grants additional +1 bonus to die roll
Improved Misty Step [Int 13, warlock, fey pact] Pact boon grants additional 2 squares of teleport
Press the Advantage [Cha 15, rogue] Retain combat advantage with a critical hit
Surprise Knockdown [Str 15, rogue] Knock target prone with critical hit
6. Skill Feats Alertness [—] No combat advantage when surprised, +2 to Perception
Skill Training [—] Gain training in one skill
Skill Focus [Training in chosen skill] +3 to checks with chosen skill
Escape Artist [Trained in Acrobatics] Escape a grab as minor action, +2 to Acrobatics
Long Jumper [Trained in Athletics] Make standing jumps as if from a running start, +1 to Athletics
Sure Climber [Trained in Athletics] Climb at normal speed on any surface, +1 to Athletics
Alertness could be pretty good for a ranger, as the ranger is normally going to be the Perception monkey for a party, and not granting CA when surprised is a very nice bonus. Skill Training should only be used if your planning on multiclassing (to Fighter?) and you want a skill from another class (Thievery?); otherwise, your normally better off using one of the multiclass feats. Skill Focus could be ok under the right circumstances. The last three are too situational to be of much use, but Escape Artist could be very useful if your GM wants to grab you, and not let go.
Jack of All Trades [Int 13] +2 to untrained skill checks. Int is a dump stat for rangers.
Dragonborn Senses [Dragonborn] Low-light vision, +1 to Perception
Group Insight [Half-Elf] Grant allies +1 to Insight and initiative
Light Step [Elf] Add to overland speed of group, +1 to Acrobatics and Stealth
All of these could be useful in the right circumstance.
7. Mobility Feats Fast Runner [Con 13] +2 to speed when you charge or run
Light Step [Elf] Add to overland speed of group, +1 to Acrobatics and Stealth
Agile Hunter [Dex 15, ranger, Hunter’s Quarry class feature] Shift as a free action after scoring a critical hit
Fast Runner could be very good for Archers who want to run to the side to flank, so that they can get their quarry bonus. Light Step will help the group in wilderness areas. Agile hunter is too situational to be of much use, but will probably be better in Epic tiers where criticals are easier to get.
8. Racial Feats These feats are covered elsewhere.
Action Surge [Human] +3 to attacks when you spend an action point
Dodge Giants [Dwarf] +1 to AC and Reflex against attacks of Large or larger foes
Dragonborn Frenzy [Dragonborn] +2 damage when bloodied
Dragonborn Senses [Dragonborn] Low-light vision, +1 to Perception
Dwarven Weapon Training [Dwarf] +2 damage and proficiency with axes and hammers
Eladrin Soldier [Eladrin] +2 damage and proficiency with longswords and spears
Elven Precision [Elf] +2 to reroll with elven accuracy
Enlarged Dragon Breath [Dragonborn, dragon breath racial power] Dragon breath becomes blast 5
Halfling Agility [Halfling, second chance racial power] Attacker takes a –2 penalty with second chance reroll
Hellfire Blood [Tiefling] +1 attack and damage with fire and fear powers
Human Perseverance [Human] +1 to saving throws
Light Step [Elf] Add to overland speed of group, +1 to Acrobatics and Stealth
9. Utility Toughness [—] Gain 5 additional hit points per tier
Durable [—] Increase number of healing surges by 2
If you're an Archer, you probably want to pick up Toughness. And Durable isn't bad for a TWF Ranger.
Alertness [—] No combat advantage when surprised, +2 to Perception
Dragonborn Senses [Dragonborn] Low-light vision, +1 to Perception
Since the Ranger is normally the perception monkey for the party, and out front scouting, it won't hurt to notice things about to surprise the party. And not granting CA when you are surprised is a nice bonus. The low-light vision is the main bonus for the Dragonborn, especially if you're in a party of non-humans that don't need light at night.
Surprise Knockdown [Str 15, rogue] Knock target prone with critical hit
Ferocious Rebuke [Tiefling, infernal wrath racial power] Push 1 square with infernal wrath
These two powers do affect positional tactics of your enemy. So they can help there. And if you decide to MC into Rogue DaggerMaster, then Surprise Knockdown becomes even more valuable.
Mounted Combat [—] Gain access to the special abilities of your mount
Too situational to get a better color than purple. But if you chose a ranger build that doesn't emphasize Dex (and Stealth), and your GM likes mounted combat, then it might actually turn out to be useful. But that is a lot of ifs.
Linguist [Int 13] Learn three new languages
Ritual Caster [Trained in Arcana or Religion] Master and perform rituals
You need smarts to do these things, and rangers normally aren't smart or very charismatic. Let the clerics, wizards, and warlocks handle those things.
Heroic Tier - N/AArmor of Bahamut [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Bahamut] Use Channel Divinity to invoke armor of Bahamut
Armor Proficiency (Leather) — Training with leather armor
Armor Proficiency (Hide) [Str 13, Con 13, training with leather armor] Training with hide armor
Avandra’s Rescue [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Avandra] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Avandra’s rescue
Corellon’s Grace [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Corellon] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Corellon’s grace
Distracting Shield [Wis 15, fighter, Combat Challenge class feature] Target hit by opportunity attack takes –2 to attack rolls
Expanded Spellbook [Wis 13, wizard] Add additional daily spell to spellbook
Harmony of Erathis [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Erathis] Use Channel Divinity to invoke harmony of Erathis
Healing Hands [Paladin, lay on hands power] Add Cha modifier to damage healed with lay on hands
Inspired Recovery [Warlord, Inspiring Presence class feature] Grant ally saving throw with Cha modifier bonus
Ioun’s Poise [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Ioun] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Ioun’s poise
Kord’s Favor [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Kord] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Kord’s favor
Melora’s Tide [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Melora] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Melora’s tide
Moradin’s Resolve [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Moradin] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Moradin’s resolve
Pelor’s Radiance [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Pelor] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Pelor’s radiance
Potent Challenge [Con 15, fighter, Combat Challenge class feature] Add Con modifier damage to target hit with opportunity attack
Raven Queen’s Blessing [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship the Raven Queen] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Raven Queen’s blessing
Sehanine’s Reversal [Channel Divinity class feature, must worship Sehanine] Use Channel Divinity to invoke Sehanine’s reversal
Shield Push [Fighter, Combat Challenge class feature] Push 1 square to target hit by Combat Challenge attack
Tactical Assault [Warlord, Tactical Presence class feature] Ally gains bonus to damage equal to your Int modifier
[/sblock]
[sblock=Paragon Tier Feats]Paragon Tier
1. InitiativeDanger Sense [—] Roll twice for initiative, use the higher result
This feat will help you
win initiative, and it stacks with either Quick Draw or Improved Initiative. DS is better than QD for initiative purposes only. DS and QD are better than II by itself. DS and II are pretty much an I win initiative combo. (This was a close call between Blue and Black.)
2. Attack BonusSeize the Moment [Dex 17] Gain combat advantage over foe with lower initiative
Well, with a Dex 17, you should have a nice initiative roll. Combine this with the initiative feats, and you should start almost every combat with CA. And feats that give you CA when you want it are very nice.
Back to the Wall [—] +1 to melee attack, damage, AC when adjacent to a wall
If you do a lot of Dungeon Delving or have a friendly Wizard that likes putting up walls, then this feat will help you a lot.
Distant Shot [—] Ignore –2 penalty for long range
Point-Blank Shot [—] Ignore cover and concealment within 5 squares
Running Shot [Elf] No attack penalty to ranged attacks after you run
If you're an Archery Ranger (and an Elf), there's no reason why you shouldn't take all of these feats. Distant Shot is normally considered better than Far Shot, but they are still nice together.
Sweeping Flail [Str 15, Dex 15] +2 to attacks with flail against foe with a shield
What are you doing using a flail? With a Dex like that, you should be using Scimitars (or at the least, Bastard Swords).
3. Damage BonusScimitar Dance [Str 15, Dex 17] Deal Dex modifier damage on miss
Hammer Rhythm [Str 15, Con 17] Damage with hammer or mace on a miss
Well, if you're using a Hammer or a Scimitar, you're building around this power.
Heavy Blade Opportunity [Str 15, Dex 15] Use at-will power with opportunity attack
Deadly Axe [Str 17, Con 13] Treat all axes as high crit weapons
Light Blade Precision [Dex 13, Small or Medium size] +2 damage against Large or larger targets
Polearm Gamble [Str 15, Wis 15] Make opportunity attack against adjacent enemy
For heavy blades, this is a great feat, because it lets you make 2 attacks on an enemy instead of one. Deadly Axe is good for battleaxes, and you shouldn't be using a greataxe. Some would argue that a ranger shouldn't be using an axe at all, but without HR and SD, a battleaxe is second only to Bastard Sword in damage, and it doesn't require a feat, so a WIS build TWF ranger wouldn't be too bad off with this weapon choice. Light Blades are only good if you're multi-classing Rogue, but this is a good feat there. And a TWF Ranger should never be using a Polearm. And an Archery Ranger shouldn't be wasting feats on polearms.
Devastating Critical [—] Deal additional 1d10 damage on a critical hit
But it turns to Blue, when you take one of the improved critical feats at Epic Levels.
Blood Thirst [—] +2 to damage against bloodied foes
Fiery Rebuke [Tiefling, infernal wrath racial power] Cause fire damage with infernal wrath
Empowered Dragon Breath [Dragonborn, dragon breath racial power] Dragon breath uses d10s
Since a lot of monsters get nastier when they get bloodied, this is a worthwhile feat. Tieflings can add a lot of damage with this power. The EDB will add at least 4 points of damage to the breath.
Lasting Frost [—] Target hit with cold power gains vulnerable cold 5
Inescapable Force [—] Force powers ignore insubstantial, deal additional damage
Lightning Arc [—] Affect second target with lightning power on critical hit
Resounding Thunder [—] Add 1 to size of blast or burst with thunder keyword
Lasting Frost/Wintertouched is a good enough combination to make you want to get a frost weapon. And since Cold/Acid are the two least favored resistances by monsters, they get a lot of use. Inescapable Force is useful, if you have to fight a lot of insubstantial creature (e.g. Undead). Lightning Arc and Resounding Thunder probably won't work with a lot of the Ranger Powers. Check with your GM. If they do, then they move up a category.
Sly Hunter [Wis 15] +3 damage with bow against isolated target
Steady Shooter [Con 15] +3 damage with crossbow if you don’t move
Sly Hunter is situational, but if there is a creature with nothing else within 3 squares, you probably do want to put it down quick. Steady Shooter, why are you using a crossbow? Rangers want to move, and getting sneak attack once a round isn't reason enough to take a feat.
4. AC/Defense/Saves BonusAction Recovery [Human] Gain extra saving throws by spending action point
Dwarven Durability [Dwarf] Increase number of healing surges, healing surge value
Feywild Protection [Eladrin, fey step racial power] +2 to defenses when you use fey step
All of these are good enough to take if you qualify.
Armor Specialization (Hide) [Con 15, training with hide armor] +1 to AC with hide armor, reduce check penalty by 1
Armor Specialization (Chainmail) [Dex 15, training with chainmail] +1 to AC with chainmail, reduce check penalty by 1
Armor Specialization (Scale) [Dex 15, training with scale armor] Ignore speed penalty of scale armor
Armor Specialization (Plate) [Con 15, training with plate armor] +1 to AC with plate armor
Shield Specialization [Dex 15, Proficiency (Heavy or Light)] Shield +1 to AC and Reflex when using a shield
Hide, Scale, and Plate are the armors of choice for a Ranger. And a Ranger should NEVER be using a shield. Not to mention that it only stacks with Scale specialization for its +1 FEAT bonus to AC.
Uncanny Dodge [Wis 15] Enemies denied bonus to attack from combat advantage
Defensive Advantage [Dex 17] +2 AC when you have combat advantage against enemy
Combat Anticipation [—] +1 to defenses against ranged, area, close attacks
I see all three of these being useful at different times. If you're a TWF Ranger that wants to get a lot of flanks, then the first two will be most useful, but the first one will be more useful, as it helps you deal with the enemy flanking you back. It won't stop a Rogue's Sneak Attack ability, but it will make it harder for the Rogue to hit with his sneak attack. Combat Anticipation is very useful for the Archery Ranger that is staying at range.
Great Fortitude [—] +2 to Fortitude defense
Iron Will [—] +2 to Will defense
Lightning Reflexes [—] +2 to Reflex defense
Pick up one (or two) of these to shore up your weak defense(s).
Evasion [Dex 15] No damage from missed area or close attack
Mettle [—] No damage from missed area or close attacks
You would think that as good as these were in 3.5, that they would be at least a Blue power in 4.0. Unfortunately not, as this thread shows:
Mettle and evasion: not worthwhile yet.
Improved Second Wind [—] Heal 5 additional damage with second wind
Not as good as toughness, because it doesn't scale with tier.
Solid Sound [Con 13] +2 to defense after you use thunder or force power
Not good enough to make you take a thunder or force weapon, but if you have one, then it's not a terrible feat.
5. Multiclass FeatsSteady Shooter [Con 15] +3 damage with crossbow if you don’t move
Why are you using a crossbow? Rangers want to move, and getting sneak attack once a round isn't reason enough to take a feat.
6. Skill FeatsSecret Stride [Trained in Stealth] No penalty to Stealth with move while hiding or sneaking
Agile Athlete [—] Roll twice with Acrobatics and Athletics checks
Stealth is powerful in 4.0. Now imagine moving 6 or 7 squares without giving up your stealth. Agile Athlete just seems too situational, especially at this point in the game.
7. Mobility FeatsRunning Shot [Elf] No attack penalty to ranged attacks after you run
Secret Stride [Trained in Stealth] No penalty to Stealth with move while hiding or sneaking
Underfoot [Halfling, trained in Acrobatics] Move through spaces of Large or larger creatures
Fleet-Footed [—] +1 to speed
Running Shot and Secret Stride have already been covered. Underfoot can give you a shortcut, so that you might could use a shift instead of a move. And if the monster is really that big, you might not have to worry about other creatures being able to reach you. It does help set up CA on Solo/Elite monsters.
8. Racial FeatsAction Recovery [Human] Gain extra saving throws by spending action point
Dwarven Durability [Dwarf] Increase number of healing surges, healing surge value
Empowered Dragon Breath [Dragonborn, dragon breath racial power] Dragon breath uses d10s
Feywild Protection [Eladrin, fey step racial power] +2 to defenses when you use fey step
Fiery Rebuke [Tiefling, infernal wrath racial power] Cause fire damage with infernal wrath
Running Shot [Elf] No attack penalty to ranged attacks after you run
Underfoot [Halfling, trained in Acrobatics] Move through spaces of Large or larger creatures
9. UtilitySpear Push [Str 15, Dex 13] Add 1 square to distance pushed with spear or polearm
Unless you multiclass with fighter, this feat is useless.
Paragon Tier - N/AArcane Reach [Dex 15] Choose square within 2 as origin with close attack power
Combat Commander [Warlord, Combat Leader class feature] Bonus to Combat Leader equals Cha or Int modifier
Psychic Lock [—] Target hit with psychic power takes –2 on next attack roll
Second Implement [Wizard, Arcane Implement] Gain mastery with second arcane implement Mastery class feature
Spell Focus [Cha 13, wizard] –2 to saves against your wizard spells
Twofold Curse [Warlock, Warlock’s Curse class feature] Curse the two nearest enemies
[/sblock]
[sblock=Epic Tier Feats]Epic Tier
It's amazing how underwhelming the entire Epic Tier portfolio is. You might want to look at some of those Heroic and Epic feats that you couldn't quite squeeze in. Either that or wait for the book that has all of those wonderful Epic Tier feats.
1. Initiative2. Attack BonusBlind-Fight [Wis 13 or trained in Perception] Adjacent creatures aren’t concealed or invisible to you
By the time you get to Paragon tier, a lot of enemies will be concealed or invisible. At least if they are adjacent, you can see them, now.
3. Damage BonusHeavy Blade Mastery [Str 21, Dex 17] Critical hit with heavy blade melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Bludgeon Mastery [Str 19, Con 19] Critical hit with bludgeoning melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Axe Mastery [Str 21, Con 17] Critical hit with axe melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Light Blade Mastery [Str 17, Dex 21] Critical hit with light blade melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Flail Mastery [Str 19, Dex 19] Critical hit with flail melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Spear Mastery [Str 19, Dex 19] Critical hit with spear melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Pick Mastery [Str 21, Con 17] Critical hit with pick melee attack roll of 19 or 20
Whatever your weapon of choice, you should get the mastery that goes with it. Too bad for Archer Rangers that there isn't a Ranged Mastery. Again, Heavy Blades (Scimitars, Bastard Swords, and Long Swords) are normally a Ranger's favorite weapon. If you're a dwarf, then you probably have a warhammer and hammer rhythm. Battleaxes aren't bad, and if you MC into rogue, and you're not taking Daggermaster (why?), then daggers are a good choice. All other weapons are inferior for a ranger.
Two-Weapon Flurry [Dex 19, Two-Weapon Fighting] Make opportunity attack with off-hand melee weapon
What is not to like about another attack (except the penalty on it), but it should stack with Heavy Blade Opportunity (with Twin Strike), so that you get three attacks against an opponent.
Font of Radiance [—] Target illuminated with critical hit, takes radiant damage
Irresistible Flame [—] Decrease target’s resist fire by 20
Font of Radiance isn't DeepSkyBlue, because you have to hit first, and then you might illuminate some of your friends. But the extra damage is very nice. Irresistible Flame is redeemable if one of your weapons is a fire weapon (and your other weapon is a frost weapon, right?).
4. AC/Defense/Saves BonusTriumphant Attack [—] Target at –2 to attacks and defenses after a critical hit
An unnamed penalty on your enemy's attacks and defenses aren't too bad, but it takes a critical hit to get it. And there are other powers that give similar penalties.
5. Multiclass Feats6. Skill Feats7. Mobility FeatsUnfettered Stride [Trained in Acrobatics] Ignore the effect of difficult terrain on your movement
Flanking Maneuver [Dex 17, trained in Acrobatics] Move diagonally and through enemies’ spaces
Both movement feats are solid feats. Unfettered Stride is the same as Undaunted Stride (Ranger Utility 10), which is slightly better than the elf ability. If you're an elf, you probably don't need this feat. Flanking Maneuver isn't quite as good, because of its situationality.
8. Racial Feats
9. UtilityEpic Resurgence [—] Regain encounter attack power on critical hit
What is not to like about regaining an encounter attack power. And you also have feats that improve your critical at this tier.
Epic - N/A
Arcane Mastery [Wizard] Regain daily spell by spending action point
Spell Accuracy [Wizard] Omit squares from any area or close wizard power
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[sblock=Skills]
A Ranger gets 5 skills, one of which must be either Nature* or Dungeoneering*.
Nature (Wis)*
Dungeoneering (Wis)*
These two skills are pretty similar, with the difference being the environment. Even though some of the specific checks are under Nature, your GM will probably use those target numbers with the Dungeoneering skill check where appropriate.
Perception (Wis)
You're supposed to be the observant one in the party, as classes that NEED a good wisdom don't have Perception as one of the class skills, and the class, Rogue, that does have Perception as a class skill, doesn't need Perception for anything else. Rangers should want a good (and sometimes great) Wisdom score, and they have Perception as a class skill. Only half-elf clerics should be more perceptive than a ranger, and, even then, sometimes not.
Stealth (Dex)
Again, the rogue is the only class that shares this skill, but this time they will want it, also. What is this skill good for? Well, if you surprise your foe (with a combination of good stealth and perception), then you get Combat Advantage, and, by now, I shouldn't have to spell out how important that is. If you're an archer, and you're behind the front line of the party, then your allies grant you cover, which means you get to hide, again. Which means you have a chance to get CA for your next attack(s). TWF Rangers can still use stealth, after the first round, but it is harder for them, unless they can find some difficult terrain to hide in.
Acrobatics (Dex)
Athletics (Str)
These two are pretty even. They both have Escape a Grab. And for one's Balance, the other has Climb. Where one has Jump and Swim, the other has Escape Restraints and Reduce falling damage. Some people may want to help their stronger stat, while others may want to help their weaker stat. Neither is a bad strategy. Some may like both of these skills over one of either Dungeoneering or Nature.
Heal (Wis)
This skill doesn't help you directly, but you can use it to stabilize a fallen comrade, or help them use a second wind without an action (helpful if you're fighting a creature that you can't damage, and it is attacking your wizard who really needs some help, or if the battle cleric beside you needs some help). It is also good for those Archers who are going to MC into Initiate of the Faith (Cleric), since Religion comes with that feat.
Endurance (Con)
It can be useful at times, but those times seem to be very situational.
Others worth considering, some may be worth taking a feat for:
Thievery (Dex)
If the party doesn't have a Rogue (or Warlock with a good Dex), an Archer Ranger or a STR/DEX TWF Ranger might actually as good or better than a rogue with this skill. Why? Because a ranger is more likely to have a good perception score to actually see the trap before having to disarm it. You can get this feat either through the Skill Training feat, or by taking the Sneak of Shadows MC feat. Use the Skill Training feat, if you want to MC into a different class. If your party doesn't have a Rogue (or Warlock with a good Dex), they'll probably be very thankful that the ranger took the Thievery skill.
Insight (Wis)
If for some reason, your party doesn't have a Cleric, paladin, rogue, warlock, or wizard (or one without a decent Wisdom), then you might want to pick up this skill. Your charismatic face might be good at bluffing the other people, but unless someone in the party has a good Insight, you might find that they are bluffing you, and you don't find out about it until you fertilize the fan.
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