So... you kids are all good at hacking and slashing. But you want more, you want to shred your opponents. Well then, you've come to the right place. We'll teach you to rip enemies up in ways you didn't think possible, and how to do it before anyone else can, too. It's not gonna be easy though, and some of y'all won't make it. You still in? Good!...
This Handbook will use the following system for ratings: Red: Garbage, or completely overshadowed by another option. Purple: Situationally useful, but overall pretty meh. Black: OK. You could do worse than pick this. Blue: Good stuff. You probably want this. Sky Blue: You want this. Period.
Ranger's Handbook. I hand out specific advice for certain builds here, whereas the Handbook is general advice for whatever you want to do with your character.>
Props to: Everyone posting (especially GeorgeFHarris and grailhawk for their help on formatting) Raymondcaleatry for suggesting the Ranged version of the Pit Fighter Aoihasu for the inspiration for my "Arcane Archer" build
If you want to have a hand in editing/updating this thread, log on to the Gleemax forums with the following account:
Some of you kids are pretty competitive folks: you just wanna win, no matter how. And you know what they say... if you ain't cheating, you ain't tryin' hard enough. Low kicks, hidden weapons, poison, sand in the face, sucker-punches, grabs, backstabs, I name it, you'll do it, so long as you get out of the fight alive. It ain't pretty, and it sure ain't nice, but it works, and that's all you seem to care about, so whatever.
Pros: Highest burst damage potential in the game, high DPR (damage per round), fairly durable, solid defenses, can act as backup defender (Melee build only), great Melee or Ranged capacity (but not both)
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Two-Blade Fighting Style. Nets you big weapons and more HP. As a Melee guy, both are great for you. This style has a lot of multiple attack powers, so that means it has more opportunities to apply the Wisdom to damage bonus. 2. Beast Mastery. Though it doesn't do much for your companion directly, Wisdom plays a part in a lot of Beastmaster powers, and it also helps your damage, so it does have some synergy. 3. Archery Fighting Style. The Paragon Path powers are wasted on you, but you have a bit more room to spend points on Wisdom. DO NOT make this a Son of Mercy; marking and Archers is not a good idea.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: Two-Bladers likely want Bastard Swords or Waraxes; the difference between these is pretty much negligible. Beastmasters will probably go for the Double Sword, two Scourges, or two Katars. Archers like the Greatbow or the Superior Crossbow. You might want a Handaxe or a Javelin for some Ranged combat capacity if you're a Melee guy. Armor: Archers are the only ones putting serious points into Dexterity here, so they want Hide. Depending on whether you value mobility over better defense, you might go for Scale or Plate. Companion: A Wolf for some good flank damage or a Bear for big damage and HP seem to be the way to go.
Epic Destiny: Demigod. This is the best right now, due to the need for multiple attributes that plagues this build. However, a case can be made for Beastlord for Beastmaster Rangers.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. If you wanna be able to force your way through some armor, I expect some exercise! Not so useful for you Archers; you can skip this class. 2. Wisdom. If you wanna stab someone in the liver, you'd better remember where the hells his liver is, eh? 3. Dexterity. Most of you laddies like scale mail, so you'd better keep your coordination up, so you can learn to use it with any kind of skill. Swords also require some fancy moves, so you're gonna do some stretching and reaction builders. This is NECESSARY for you Archers, so pay attention! 4. Constitution. You're going toe-to-toe with people, the last thing you wanna be is a wuss. One of your preferred weapon groups also likes this stat, so you're doing at least three sprints per day, every day. 5. Intelligence. You don't get hit on the head for a living (that much), but you're no Einstein. 6. Charisma. Seriously, throwing sand in people's eyes and sucker-punching them isn't gonna get you too many buddies.
Recommended Ability Score Arrays, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. This is the default array, and the one I personally prefer. 2. Str 16, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. If you favor the higher AC of Plate over the higher mobility of Scale, this is your array. 3. Str 13, Con 11, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8. This array, although unable to use the Pit Fighter path powers, is a capable Ranged force. 4. Str 18, Con 13, Dex 10, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8. This array allows Dwarves to match up to Shifters in the Str/Wis spread.
L11 - Armor Optimization. +1 untyped bonus to AC is NICE. L11 - Extra Damage Action. Are you serious? 1/2 Level to EVERY STANDARD ACTION ATTACK IN THE ROUND YOU BURN AN AP?!?! O.O... this pushes some Ranger powers to somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. L16 - Dirty Fighting. The reason you took this Paragon Path. +Wisdom to weapon damage? PERMANENTLY?! *stunned silence*
Powers
L11, Encounter - All Bets are Off. A 2[W] attack, with a dazing follow-up swing. Very solid. L12, Utility - Deadly Payback. +2 hit/+2 damage for the creature that hit you last round. The Daily part is what bites in the arse; if only this had been an Encounter power... L20, Daily - Lion of Battle. Potentially a 6[W] mega-smack, and a follow-up that can make your opponents provoke some OA's if you kill your target (likely). The follow is a weapon attack v. Will, so it won't miss often. This is actually better for you than it is for a Defender, because you don't want to get mobbed.
L11 - Lawbreaker's Doom. +Wis to damage AND slow on every hit? O.O... L11 - Immobilizing Action. Not directly damaging, but limiting mobility has its uses. L16 - Strength of Conviction. A decent THP buff for killing an enemy. Cool.
Powers
L11, Encounter - Dispensed Justice. A 2[W] attack, with an attack debuff and a chance to use it outside your turn. Solid. L12, Utility - Red Death. Multimarking and Lawbreaker's Doom as an Encounter AoE! L20, Daily - Blood Oath Fulfilled. This power is fantastic by itself, and almost unfair if you throw Red Death on top of it, because Lawbreaker's Doom adds +Wis to hit. Wow. Just... wow.
Acrobatics - Inferior to Athletics for you, but is a prerequisite for Unfettered Stride at Epic. Consider it. Athletics - A very useful skill, which (most of) you can use at full potential, since Scale has no check penalty. Highly recommended. The ratings for Acrobatics and Athletics are reversed for Archer Pit Fighters. Dungeoneering/Nature - Your bloated Wis score means that even though you're forced to take one of these, you're not complaining too much about it. Endurance/Heal - Since Scale doesn't give a check penalty, Endurance is useful, especially if you like the new Invigorating keyword. Heal is a bit less so, but it has Wisdom as its stat, which will be higher than Constitution, and by a lot. Pick one, but not both. Perception - Your Wisdom is likely sky-high, so that makes you the designated radar. This is one of the most useful skills in the game. Pick this. Period. Stealth - Great skill, but your mediocre Dex keeps it from the Sky Blue rating it deserves (except for Archer Pit Fighters).
1. Human. Since this build is rather feat-intensive, the bonus feat is nice to have, and he gets that all-important +2 to Strength. The defense bonus is nice for everyone, and the bonus at-will is nice for Beastmasters. 2. Dragonborn. The Strength bonus is more important than the Wisdom bonus, which is why I've decided the Dragonborn trumps the Elf for this build. The AoE and the enhanced healing surges are also nice, though the Charisma bonus is pretty useless. 3. Dwarf/Elf. Both of these races have a bonus to Wisdom, and for one of the stats you need for the Weapon Mastery feat. That means Dwarves should go for Axes, while Elves should go for Bastard Swords. Dwarves benefit from Plate more than Scale, since their speed is low. But they are equivalent in terms of ability to be Pit Fighters; Elves are Sky Blue for Archers, while Dwarves are probably Blue as Beastmasters and Two-Bladers.
1. Shifter, Longtooth. Simply put, the front-runner. +2 to both of the right stats, good associated skill bonuses in Athletics and Endurance, and BONUS DAMAGE AND REGEN WHILE BLOODIED. I can't overstate how good that is for almost anybody, let alone someone whose job is to deal damage. Pick this guy if you want a Pit Fighter. 2. Bugbear/Minotaur. One word: Oversized. Add +2 Str on top of that, and you have some win. Bugbear gets +2 Dex, which makes getting Scale Spec. and Heavy Blade Mastery easy. Minotaur gets +2 Con, which helps the Axe-wielding. The rest is cool, but these are the main selling points. These guys edge the Warforged out, but not by much. 3. Warforged. Narrowly beaten by the Bugbear and Minotaur, but they're real tough and durable, so you should last a while with them :D.
L1, At-Will Everybody wants Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: Archers like Nimble Strike to slide out of Melee quickly, Beastmasters like Circling Strike for the ability to set flanks up quickly and safely, while still being the ones attacking, and Two-Bladers like Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch.
L1, Encounter Archers want Two-Fanged Strike here. It's the most single-target damage amongst the L1 Encounter powers available to them, and that's what Pit Fighters do; single-target damage. Beastmasters want Synchronized Strike here, for the multiattacking potential. Two-Bladers want Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool.
L1, Daily Two-Bladers and Beastmasters get Jaws of the Wolf: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, probably enough to one-hit-KO a standard opponent if both attacks hit. Archers have Hunter's Bear Trap, which offers good damage, some ongoing damage, and slowing, which is all well and good.
L2, Utility The choice for everyone here is Yield Ground. You will get hit eventually, and this gives you a free repositioning opportunity, and a bonus to defenses to boot. If you're a Melee character, I would suggest a power-swap for Pass Forward at some point; it gives you fantastic mobility with no fear of retribution. Sons of Mercy may want Create Opening so they can have another reliable way to mark their opponents.
L3, Encounter Archers and Two-Bladers pick up Disruptive Strike. A free attack outside your turn that makes your opponent miss if it hits is too good to pass up. Beastmasters get Paired Predators here, which brings more multiattacking, but with more damage.
L5, Daily Archers get the mighty Spitting Cobra Stance here. With that Stance, you get the equivalent of Threatening Reach and Reach 5; that is nothing short of fantastic. Beastmasters and Two-Bladers pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs.
L6, Utility Archers get Weave Through the Fray for even more skittish maneuvers. Beastmasters get Defensive Posture to give his companion some love. Two-Bladers get Serpentine Dodge for repositioning shenanigans during his turn.
L7, Encounter Claws of the Griffon packs Daily-esque damage, so it's a solid choice for Two-Bladers. Beast Rush looks good for Beastmasters, though Harried Quarry is good with the proper companion. Biting Volley has improved crits, so fire away, Sir Archer.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite, for all three styles. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift.
L13, Encounter Beastmasters and Two-Bladers drop Synchronized Strike and Off-Hand Strike, respectively, in favor of Off-Hand Diversion, which is the logical upgrade in that it's an minor-action off-hand attack that carries CA with it. Archers drop Two-Fanged Strike in favor of Pinning Strike, because Immobilized is a strong condition for Ranged folks.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so Beastmasters and Two-Bladers kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye. Archers get Confounding Arrows for Hunter's Bear Trap, which is a triple-attack power with the chance to stun.
L16, Utility Evade the Blow is the power of choice for Two-Bladers. Beastmasters get Shared Healing, which is pretty solid. Archers get Wary Shooter, which makes getting Prime Shot that much safer.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for Beastmasters and Two-Bladers, who drop Beast Rush and Claws of the Griffon, respectively. Pounding Barrage is the Archer power of choice, which is worth losing Biting Volley for.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what Beastmasters and Two-Bladers want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish. Archers don't really have anything that is worth losing any of their current Dailies for.
L22, Utility You have a choice between two things here: mobility or damage. Depending on which you want, you either pick up Safe Stride or Master of the Hunt, respectively.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse replaces Disruptive Strike for Two-Bladers and Paired Predators for Beastmasters here, as it hits hard and works on a minor action, which is great for nova damage. Manticore's Volley replaces Pinning Strike for Archers, for more damage potential.
L25, Daily Archers and Two-Bladers don't really have anything to blow them away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold. Beastmasters are offered Primal Rampage here, which is solid enough to merit giving Attacks on the Run up.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way your Beastmaster or Two-Blader can pass it up. Unfortunately, Untamed Outburst is the only power you can afford to lose. Archers get Lightning Shot, which triggers outside your turn and packs more damage than the power that goes bye-bye (Disruptive Strike). However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is a very strong capstone power for a burst damage character, so kiss Attacks on the Run good-bye if you're a Two-Blader (Beastmasters should toss Primal Rampage). Archers finally get their Blade Cascade-equivalent, the awesome Five-Missile Dance, for which they sacrifice Attacks on the Run.
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Acolyte/Adept Power - A touch of power-swapping will do you some good. Adaptable Breath - Bypassing elemental resistance for the win! Armor Proficiency - Extremely important for you, since your Dexterity is not a main stat. The only question is if you want to go for Scale or Plate. Battle Awareness - An alternative version of the Fighter MC, it hands you some Defender-style free attacks. The Pit Fighter's MC feat choice. Beast Protector - Makes your Beast even more effective, because attacking it provokes an OA from you. Brutal Accuracy - Makes Elven Accuracy even better. Coordinated Opportunity - Meshes well with Beast Protector. If you don't want Beast Protector, you probably won't miss this. Dirty Fighting - If you can consistently get the drop on people, this is a huge damage bonus. Dragonborn Frenzy - More damage is never a bad thing for a Striker. Dwarven Weapon Training - Trumps Weapon Focus in Heroic Tier, as it grants a higher damage bonus. Just remember to pick up Weapon Focus at Epic tier; this damage bonus doesn't scale. Elven Beast Mastery - Gives your beast the mobility edge you have, and expands upon Elven Accuracy. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Rerolls are great. Buffing them is even better. Enlarged Dragon Breath - Close blast 5 allows for some serious minion blasting. Human Beast Mastery - +1 to all defenses from a feat is real nice, even if it's only for your companion. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so anything that betters your odds of getting rid of them all by yourself is good (and rare). Hurl Breath - Hooray for Area attacks on Martial characters! Immutability - Same argument as Human Perseverance. Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Initiative bonuses are nice, but you may not have room for it. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Nimble Blade - A bonus to hit is rare, and this allows you to get it rather easily. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me, but not at Heroic Tier. Student of the Sword - If you don't have this, you don't have a PP. Marking and buffing an attack makes this the Son of Mercy's choice. Thundertusk Companion - Gives Dwarf Boar Beastmasters a boost. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Nowff. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feat. Vengeful Beast - Makes hitting you a bad idea. Combine with Beast Protector for an eternal lose-lose situation. Warforged Tactics - Pushes for Sky Blue. Take it. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is nice to have. You're rather tied up for feats, but this is one of the must-haves. Weapon Proficiency - You need this for your weapon of choice, unless you're a Dwarf. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Admixture Breath - Mixed elemental breath weapon = full damage from the breath weapon almost every time. Armor Specialization - This is Blue for Plate users, as +1 AC for 1 feat is not earth-shaking. Scale users build shrines to this feat. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Daily's "Hit" line. Pretty sweet. Danger Sense - If you have a spare feat, this isn't bad. But IMHO Improved Initiative/Quick Draw is enough. Deadly Axe - This feat is what makes the Waraxe every bit as good as the Bastard Sword for you. Take it as soon as you can. Defensive Advantage - If you have the Wintertouched/Lasting Frost/Frost weapon combo, this is great. If not, skip it. Distracting Companion - A -2 to hit debuff for flanking with my beast? Are you serious? OK, then I'll take it. Dwarven Durability - Awesome for a Melee character. Take it if you can. Empowered Dragon Breath - d10 damage dice make Dragon Breath a minor action well spent. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Great Fortitude to reinforce your strongest defense. Heavy Blade Opportunity - You probably won't be granted many OA's, but this feat will make each of them memorable. Hunter's Advantage - Conditional and elf-only, but +2 damage is +2 damage... Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, nothing to sneeze at. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it, which is why this is not Sky Blue. Light Blade Precision - Double Sword users appreciate this feat to close the damage gap somewhat. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Prime Quarry - Makes close combat with a Archer Pit Fighter worth the risk. Protective Beast - +1 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Sturdy Beast - More HP and surges for your beast is usually worth a feat.
Axe Mastery - Ah, sweet capstone. 10% crit chance with high crit d12's is lethal, and beautiful. Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Heavy Blade Mastery - Sweet capstone for Heavy Blade users. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Solid. Prime Hunter - +1 to hit under feasible circumstances? I'm sold. Quick Beast Command - There is NO reason you should not pick this up. It is a HUGE boost to your damage capacity and your beast's overall potential. Rending Tempest - This should be your favorite feat in Epic Tier; it adds hilarious amounts of damage to your nova turn. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet, if you can afford it. Two-Weapon Flurry - Not worth the Dex investment, as it requires a 19. Of my top races for this build, only Bugbears and Elves can reach the Dex, and that's after some extra Dex investment, which takes away from Wis. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you have something else in mind for that Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
Battlefield Archer/Sharpshooter: The Master Marksman
"Bet you can't put it through the eye." "Left or right?" - Femeref archers
So, hotshot, you think you can aim a bow? Well, we'll see about that! After I'm done with you, maggot, you'll shoot at the moon and expect to hit it. But that's a long way off, boy! You'd better pray you get through my training. Heck, you're probably gonna have to pray, boy!!! Now, repeat after me: hup-two!, hup-two!...
Pros: Excellent Ranged capacity, fairly good defense, good burst damage, Healing and Buffing options via Cleric MC (multiclass) or increased Stealth and damage via Rogue MC, high mobility, good DPR (damage per round)
Cons: Low/no Melee capacity, requires MC into Cleric or Rogue for maximum effectiveness, MAD (multiple attribute dependency), lower durability
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Archery Fighting Style. The only choice if you want to be a Battlefield Archer. 2. Beast Mastery. Sure, you give up Prime Shot and all the tasty feats to enhance it. But you get someone to hold the line for you. Not as great at close-combat archery, but less likely to be in it. And it sure makes Hunter's Quarry easier to get. IMHO this is better than Archery for Sharpshooters, especially with Beast Protector.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: A Greatbow or a Superior Crossbow is a must. Some Short Swords are nice for Melee, but hardly required. Armor:Hide is the best choice here, since you do buff Dex regularly and it provides the best AC among the the light armors. If you're completely averse to having skill check penalties, Leather is not too far behind. Companion: A Raptor makes applying Hunter's Quarry to the foe you want that much easier, and can stay out of combat while it's at it, too. If you feel you will be lacking in a proper front-line, a Lizard offers an accurate OA, and a Serpent offers an extra-damaging one.
Epic Destiny: Demigod. Beastlord could be good, Godhunter is nice, and so is Dark Wanderer, but Demigod still reigns supreme.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Dexterity. Your bread and butter. You are an archer, so you have to have good aim (I hope). If you want, you can even learn some backdoor tactics to make your life easier. 2. Wisdom. You have to be pretty good at spotting targets to shoot them. It also helps if you feel like joining the clergy after you're done here. 3. Constitution. Running from Melee attackers is something you will do, so you might as well start now! Now, after me: hup-two! hup-two!... 4. Strength. Just enough to clear the mandatory physical. 5. Intelligence. Your job is to follow the orders, not to make them up, boy! Put that book down. Unless, it's a prayer-book, in which case, read on, Brother... 6. Charisma. Shut the hells up and aim, soldier.
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 10, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8. This is the default array, and the one I personally prefer. 2. Str 11, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 8. This array hands you a bit more Wisdom for your rider effects. Favored by Battlefield Archers.
L11 - Archer's Action. Hooray for rerolls! Even if they cost AP's. L11 - Battlefield Experience. It gives a +1 bonus to attack rolls against your quarry. And if that wasn't enough, you get to quarry up to your Wisdom modifier in targets. This is awesome. L16 - Battle Surge. Sure, you're not s'posed to be deep enough in combat to benefit from this, but that doesn't take anything away from the fact that it's a MASSIVE conditional AC buff. Feels a bit... lacking compared to some of the other L16 PP features out there, though.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Combined Fire. This is about as powerful as the Ranger's Lightning Shot... with the exception that it arrives 16 levels earlier. OK, no complaints here. L12, Utility - Archer's Glory . Can you say AP's every encounter? Win. :D L20, Daily - Quarry's Bane. Some solid AoE, that can potentially whack every creature in the encounter.
L11 - Rapid-Fire Action. An extra attack on an AP? Sweet. L11 - Opportunity Fire. The meat of what this build can do, this makes you glad you took the Beast Protector feat. L16 - Seeking Arrow. Ignoring cover and concealment is not game-breaking, but it sure isn't useless.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Stab and Shoot. A decent melee attack, with some Ranged thrown in? OK! L12, Utility - Perfect Aim. An OK buff on yourself, but what makes it sweet is the fact that it's an Encounter power. L20, Daily - Escalating Barrage. Damage for everyone! Sweet.
[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"]Acrobatics[/COLOR] - A very useful skill, and gives you access to Unfettered stride at Epic. Dungeoneering/Nature - The skills are good, and so is your Wisdom. You're not crying too much about having to pick one. Heal - Your Wis is good, and this skill is useful. Not a bad investment by any stretch of the imagination. Perception - Your Wisdom is great, and this skill is too. Take it. Religion - You get this for free from Initiate of the Faith. This skill is cool, but you likely don't have the Int to use it properly. Stealth - Gives CA, has extensive out-of-combat use, and keys off your main stat. Godly. Take it. Thievery - Comes to you via Sneak of Shadows. Keys off your main stat, and has extensive out-of-combat use, as does Stealth. A great choice.
1. Elf - *insert hallelujah chorus sound here*. This race descended from the heavens to be Archers. They do everything right. 2. Eladrin - Real good, but the +2 Int is wasted, as are the skill bonuses... The teleportation is too good to ignore, though. 3. Human - This would be a rather distant third, as this build is not in need of heavy feat investment or additional at-wills, and it does need 2 attributes to be pretty high. However, the Human racial feats are the race's saving grace; since the Battlefield Archer is an AP factory, Action Recovery and Action Surge, which are are normally quite good, become almost ridiculous.
1. Githzerai/Shifter, Razorclaw - Though second fiddles to the Elf, they trump all the other races, so here they are. 2. Drow - No Wis bonus, but the flaws just about end there. Has lots of ways to get CA, and has the almighty +2 Dex. These guys prefer Crossbows over Bows. 3. Bugbear/Gnoll - With racial features better suited for Melee characters, these might sound odd, but they pack the +2 Dex, and offer some other things too.
L1, At-Will Everybody wants Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. Nimble Strike is also good here, as it allows you to safely disengage from Melee.
L1, Encounter You likely want Two-Fanged Strike here. It's the most single-target damage amongst the L1 Encounter powers available to you, and that's what Rangers are all about.
L1, Daily My choice here is Hunter's Bear Trap, which offers good damage, some ongoing damage, and slowing, which is all well and good for you; you don't want anybody getting too close.
L2, Utility The utility of choice here is Yield Ground. You will get hit eventually, and this gives you a free repositioning opportunity, and a bonus to defenses to boot.
L3, Encounter This level is a tough choice, but Disruptive Strike IMHO is too good to pass up; an immediate interrupt attack that makes the enemy miss and triggers when you or an ally is attacked is fantastic. The competition at this level is stiff, though.
L5, Daily You get the mighty Spitting Cobra Stance here. With that Stance, you get the equivalent of Threatening Reach and Reach 5; that is nothing short of fantastic, and you're keeping this bad boy for as long as you live.
L6, Utility Weave Through the Fray offers you even more skittish maneuvers. Beastmasters could pick up Defensive Posture to help their pet out.
L7, Encounter Biting Volley has improved crits, so fire away with it; this is the only taste you're getting of it.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9. However, I actually recommend you swap it for the Cleric's mighty Weapon of the Gods, which can add even more power to your attacks.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time.
L13, Encounter You drop Two-Fanged Strike in favor of Pinning Strike, because a Brute that can't reach you is a Brute that can't hit you (or the other squishy members of the party).
L15, Daily You get a very solid power here by swapping Confounding Arrows for Hunter's Bear Trap. This bad boy packs three swings, offering more damage and stunning with a succession of hits.
L16, Utility Beastmasters get Shared Healing, which is pretty solid. Archers get Wary Shooter, which makes getting Prime Shot that much safer. If you multiclassed Rogue, now's the time to pick up the godly Hide in Plain Sight power, which will turn you into a bad-a$$ sniping machine.
L17, Encounter Pounding Barrage is the Archer power of choice, which is worth losing Biting Volley for because it packs A LOT OF DAMAGE and possibly immobilizes the target, which means he can't come over and engage you in Melee.
L19, Daily Nothing here is really worth your time.
L22, Utility You have a choice between two things here: mobility or damage. Depending on which you want, you either pick up Safe Stride or Master of the Hunt, respectively.
L23, Encounter You get Manticore's Volley, which can also pack some huge damage. It's worth losing Pinning Strike for it.
L25, Daily You don't really have anything to blow you away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold.
L27, Encounter Lightning Shot triggers outside your turn, and it packs some decent damage. It's time to say goodbye to Disruptive Strike.
L29, Daily You finally get your riposte to the Melee guys' Blade Cascade, the awesome Five-Missile Dance, for which you sacrifice Attacks on the Run (or Confounding Arrows if you picked up Weapon of the Gods).
Action Surge - The reason you play a Human. Can get crazy with the Battlefield Archer's ease at obtaining AP's. Brutal Accuracy - Elves just got MEAN. Darkfire Targeting - Hooray for more damage! Drow Beast Mastery - A useful ability to have, but hardly priority 1. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - WIN. Beautiful WIN. TAKE THIS FEAT. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so any chance to get rid of them by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Speed kills... your opponents, in this case. Initiate of the Faith/Sneak of Shadows - Essential to the build IMHO, as it affords some interesting options. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me, especially with all the AP's you should have as a Battlefield Archer. Ruthless Hunter - Single-handedly makes Hand Crossbows an option. Toughness - I don't think anyone has ever complained about having too much HP. You don't get this for free, so it might be something you want to pick up. Two-Fisted Shooter - This makes Hand Crossbow criticals real nice if you dual-wield them (apart from the awesome mental picture of being a gunslinger in D&D...). Vengeful Beast - You're not supposed to get hit, but this is cool for the times that you do. Weapon Focus - Damage bonuses for the win! Weapon Proficiency - Both the Superior Crossbow and the Greatbow look tasty. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Solid feat. What pushes it into greatness is the Battlefield Archer's propensity to obtain AP's. Armor Specialization - Nice to have, especially because it gets rid of Hide's check penalty. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Dailies! Called Shot - This Prime Shot buff really makes you glad you stuck with it. Danger Sense - If you have a spare feat, this isn't bad. But IMHO Improved Initiative is enough. Darkhunter - A must-have for Drow Rangers. Defensive Advantage - Quite good, but you'll live without it. Fleet-Footed - +1 speed is very nice for you. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Lightning Reflexes to reinforce the strong defense. Hunter's Advantage - A conditional damage boost is still a damage boost. Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, it is pure GOLD for you, as it's pretty hard for you to get CA. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it. Master of Fire and Darkness - You get Cloud of Darkness AND Darkfire every encounter? Sweet. Merciless Killer - +5 to damage under feasible circumstances pushes the boundaries for broken. Take this feat. Point-Blank Shot - Since Ranged is your bread and butter, you should look to negate any tactical advantage your opponent may want to use against you, such as cover by moving behind allies. Prime Quarry - Makes close combat worth the risk. Running Shot - Makes an Elf extremely hard to catch. Secret Stride - Pretty good. Seize the Moment - Do your best Rogue impersonation. Steady Shooter - Allows the Crossbow user to post up and snipe away. Sturdy Beast - You want your Melee backup to last as long as possible, so this is a wise investment. Uncanny Dodge - More radar-y goodness. Also helps with the Elf run-and-gun shenanigans.
Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Quick Beast Command - Losing Prime Shot was probably worth it just so you could enjoy the awesomeness of this feat. Staggering Shot - It may not look like much at first glance, but this makes sure you do not get engaged by a particular enemy. Worth a look. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you want to do something else with your Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
For what are leaves but countless blades/To fight a countless foe on high. -Elvish hymn
Hey! You! Yeah, you, wild boy! You boys pay attention, I'm gonna show you how to turn that lack of attention span you seem to suffer from into your best friend. You guys don't really care who you're swingin' at, so I'll teach you to swing at everything you see. You'll also get those loony fairy buddies in your head to help you out, zapping folks with lightning and whatnot. Hey! Over here, ADD. Eyes on me. Now, as I was saying...
Pros: Highest DPR (damage per round) capacity, good burst damage, high mobility, automatic damage, damage on a miss, high Melee/Ranged capacity, easy to build
Cons: High MAD (multiple attribute dependency), middling defenses, lower durability, mediocre MC (multiclass) options, weak rider effects on powers
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Two-Blade Fighting Style. You can't take this PP without this.
Recommended Gear: Weapon:Scimitars are what offer the most DPR for you, so that's what you should be wielding. Alternatively, Bastard Swords or Triple-Headed Flails also have their perks. A Longbow for Ranged is not a bad idea; your Strength and your Dexterity should be within 2 points of each other for your entire career. Armor:Hide is the best option, packing more AC than the rest. If skill penalties don't let you sleep at night, Leather is your thing, but beware; this build is poorly defended as it is.
Epic Destiny: Deadly Trickster looks nice, as does Demigod. Don't ignore Dark Wanderer or Godhunter, either. This build has the luxury of being able to choose its Epic Destiny, rather than the other way around.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. Even though you hang out with a bunch of fairies, they need not apply for your job: you need muscle, boy! 2. Dexterity. You gotta be quick to slash at a lot of people at the same time. Try to catch one of your fairy buddies and make 'em teach you, that should be good training... 3. Wisdom. You have to try and keep some wits about you, at least the little you have left. 4. Constitution. Hacking through people can be tiring, so don't wilt, you wuss. 5. Intelligence. There's a reason you can't sit still for more than 10 seconds. Hey, come back here! 6. Charisma. Your tiny attention span means you're not the most tactful person on the planet, so leave the sweet-talk to the pixies, eh?
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. This is the default array, and the one I personally prefer. 2. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 8. Only races with bonuses in Wisdom (aka Elves and others with the same stat spread) can truly afford this array.
Level 11 - Blade Storm. Untyped automatic damage you say? Yippee!. Level 11 - Stormstep Action. Free teleport on AP spending can compensate for a large distance between you and a target, or get you where you want to be, OA-free. Level 16 - Twin-Blade Storm. MORE automatic damage? All right!
Powers:
Level 11 Encounter - Clearing the Ground. Bleh. Strictly weaker than Sweeping Whirlwind for anyone whose Wis is out of the dumpster, and 4 levels later? Yuck. Level 12 Utility - Throw Caution to the Wind. +2 attack, -2 defense is a good trade-off for a Striker. Level 20 Daily - Cold Steel Hurricane. Twin-attacking AoE that lets you shift a bit and get your second wind back. Solid enough.
Acrobatics/Athletics - Both are very useful skills. Take them both. Dungeoneering/Nature - Your Wis is OK, so this skill is not astronomical, but it's still useful. Endurance/Heal - These skills are OK, and your Wisdom and Constitution should be pretty close. Take either, but not both. Perception - Your Wisdom is not likely to be sky-high, but this is one of the most useful skills in the game. Pick this. Period. Stealth - Great skill, and off your best stat. TAKE IT.
1.Elf - I doubt many are surprised to see this race up here. +2 Dex, +2 Wis, a racial reroll, move 7 that ignores difficult terrain while shifting, +2 to Nature and Perception... this race was tailor-made for the Ranger class, and this build is no exception. 2. - Human - As usual, good at everything. The +2 can go to either Dex or Str, though Str is more useful in Heroic Tier. The bonus at-will is less wasted here, since this build is a capable Ranged force. The +1 to Fort, Ref, and Will helps a lot, and the feat can be used for a jump-started build. Overall, solid. 3. - Halfling - Though +2 Cha is utterly useless, not getting hit as often by OA's is good, since you tend to zip about the battlefield, and forcing an enemy to reroll an attack is REALLY good. He can still use Scimitars, so your DPR (Damage Per Round) won't suffer :D
1.Bugbear - 100% pure win for this build. +2 Str, +2 Dex, 1d10 scimitar, "sneak attack"... take this race, no questions asked. 2.Githzerai/Shifter, Razorclaw - with a stat spread similar to the Elf, you'd think that they would be Sky Blue. They're close, but not quite there. The Githzerai's +2 to initiative is nice, as is the Razorclaw's Shifting, but the Elf and Bugbear are just too good at this. 3.Gnoll - What?! Gnolls?! That's right, folks. +2 Dex and +2 Con is good, and the Gnoll has move 7, extra damage while bloodied, AND a nice charge bonus. The charging-in sort of style suits this path just fine, too. You're probably gonna have to re-flavor the Paragon Path to justify it RP-wise, though...
L1, At-Will You want Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: you might like Nimble Strike to slide out of Melee quickly if you do a lot of archery, and pure Melee guy prefer Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch.
L1, Encounter The power of choice is Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool, and racks up more damage when you start accumulating static bonuses to damage.
L1, Daily You pick up Jaws of the Wolf, and here's why: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, probably enough to one-hit-KO a standard opponent if both attacks hit.
L2, Utility The choice for you here is Hunter's Privilege. Your Dexterity means your initiative is really high, and getting a +3 bonus to damage for a good initiative is tasty. You might want to power-swap it for Pass Forward, though; the mobility that power brings is beautiful.
L3, Encounter Ruffling Sting is the power of choice here; your Wisdom is not high enough to make the other powers' effects worthwhile, and Ruffling Sting offers Combat Advantage.
L5, Daily You pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs here.
L6, Utility You get Weave Through the Fray for some skittish maneuvers, though it's kind of meh with your low Wisdom. If you Multiclassed Fighter, this is the time you'd want Battle Awareness to crank your initiative to the stratosphere (and assure a trigger for Hunter's Privilege).
L7, Encounter Claws of the Griffon packs Daily-esque damage, so it's a solid choice for you.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9, and it even gives you a free move action.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift.
L13, Encounter You drop Off-Hand Strike in favor of Off-Hand Diversion, which is better for you than Armor Splinter because of your low Wisdom; it packs more damage and a roughly equivalent debuff.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so go ahead and kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye.
L16, Utility Evade the Blow is the power of choice for you here; makes 'em miss, after all.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for you, since it packs an attack bonus, 2[W] per hit, and a daze if both attacks connect, so you drop Claws of the Griffon for it.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what you want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish.
L22, Utility Another level where your low Wisdom makes you suffer; fortunately, Adamant Recovery exists to provide a "save your arse" button, Wis-rider free. If you don't want that, Hunt the Herd lets you put those Close Burst attacks you got from your Paragon Path to devastating use.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse is your power of choice here, replacing Ruffling Sting.
L25, Daily Two-Bladers don't really have anything to blow them away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way you can pass it up. You can discard Untamed Outburst for this mighty power. However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is the best thing that's ever happened to you as far as novas are concerned, so Attacks on the Run has got to go.
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Brutal Accuracy - The Elves packing the oomph. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Win. Nothing else needs to be said. Halfling Agility - Makes you harder to hit. Useful. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, any chance to get rid of them by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Speed kills... your opponents, in this case. Since your Ranged is about as good as your Melee, Quick Draw looks more attractive. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Lost in the Crowd - Situational AC buff, but the conditions are easy to meet. Lucky Skirmisher - Protection while positioning! Sneak of Shadows/Student of the Sword - Nice expansion upon your abilities. I lean towards Student of the Sword, as Scimitars and Longbows are not usable for Sneak Attacks and Fighter powers are a tad more useful to you. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Nice. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feat. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is very nice to have, especially when you're swinging away as much as you are. Frankly, a must-have. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Armor Specialization - Nice to have, but not essential to life as a Stormwarden. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Dailies! Defensive Advantage - Only take it if you have Wintertouched and Lasting Frost and you wield Frost weapons. If you do take it, it can be useful. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Iron Will. Heavy Blade Opportunity - Twin Strike on OA's? I'll take it. Hunter's Advantage - A conditional damage boost is still a damage boost. Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, and that is important to you, since your to-hit is not quite as high as, say a Pit Fighter's. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Scimitar Dance - This feat is a major contributor to the fact that Stormwarden is the current King of DPR (Damage Per Round). Take it ASAP. Seize The Moment - CA is always nice, take it when it's available.
Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Epic Resurgence - As a likely candidate for non-Demigod, any power recovery ability you get is gold. Think about it, at the very least. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Solid. Prime Hunter - +1 to hit under reasonable circumstances? I'm sold. Rending Tempest - This carries the promise of some good extra damage if you blow an AP; no reason why you shouldn't have it. Heavy Blade Mastery - You very likely want this. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet, if you can afford it. Two-Weapon Flurry - You qualify for this so easily, you might as well take it. BTW, I read this + HBO as 3 attacks using Twin Strike on an OA (which is not shabby at all), which is nice if you get OA's, but useless if you don't. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you want to do something else with your Feet slot]
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
"Not even my shadow knows where I am." -Escape artist
I've heard that some of you are quite good at hiding. No, that's not a bad thing, you moron, come back here! I'm not calling you a chicken; sometimes, it's in your best interest to hide, especially if you can get a good shot in. Here, take this crossbow. Now, come with me...
Pros: SAD (single attribute dependency), great Ranged capacity, good DPR (damage per round), doesn't get hit often
Cons: Requires Rogue MC exclusively, low Melee capacity, is party-dependent (aka needs people to distract/engage opponents), tricky to build
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Archery Fighting Style. With Prime Shot getting all the buffs it has, all you have to do is ask your allies to leave you a clear shot. 2. Beast Mastery. Behold, you have someone to hold the line for you! 3. Two-Blade Fighting Style. More HP and bigger Melee weapons are OK, but hardly necessary.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: A Superior Crossbow is the best choice for most. Drow might want Hand Crossbows. Short Swords for Melee can't hurt. Armor:Hide is the best choice; you should have the Constitution to take Hide Specialization and eliminate the check penalty. Companion: A Raptor to Quarry the foe you want is the best choice here, IMHO.
Epic Destiny: You have quite a few choices here: Dark Wanderer, Deadly Trickster, Demigod, and Godhunter all look good. So far as fluff is concerned, Godhunter looks downright tasty.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Dexterity. Some coordination helps you get hidden and stay there, as well as your shooting. So stop whining about all the gymnastics training and shooting practice, you wimp! 2. Wisdom. You need good eyesight to be a sniper, which is what you are. 3. Constitution. Some steady aim will get you far. So more cardio for you!!! 4. Strength. Just because you can shoot doesn't mean you're skipping the mandatory physical, you maggot! 5. Intelligence. You see it, you take aim, you shoot it. Not too much of a complicated thought process involved there. 6. Charisma. *flinch* No wonder you're always hiding...
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: Str 10, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 10, Wis 13, Cha 8.
L11 - Infiltrator's Action. An extra move action on an AP almost turns the AP into another turn for you. L11 - Skilled Infiltrator. You get... skill bonuses. Nice, but hardly life-changing. L16 - Invisible Infiltrator. You should call this "CA-on-a-stick". Extraordinarily useful, especially for Ranged folks like you.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Distracting Wound. OK damage, and grants CA to all your allies, which can be even better than just a +2 to hit. L12, Utility - Impossible to Catch. Encounter Invis power at L12?!?! Sure, I'll take it. L20, Daily - Painful Puncture. Eh. It's not bad, but not that good.
Acrobatics - Extremely useful, and gives you Unfettered Stride at Epic. Dungeoneering/Nature - The skills are good, and so is your Wisdom. You're not crying too much about having to pick one. Heal - Your Wis is good, and this skill is useful. Not a bad investment by any stretch of the imagination. Perception - Your Wisdom is great, and this skill is too. Take it. Stealth - The skill that drives your build forward. In other words, essential. Thievery - Your freebie from Sneak of Shadows, and boy, is it ever useful.
1.Elf - If it's Ranged, Elves will likely be good at it. 2.Eladrin - Real good, but the +2 Int is wasted, as are the skill bonuses... The teleportation is too good to ignore, though. 3.Human - This is not that distant a third choice, as the build isn't feat-intensive, but it is SAD. The Human racial feats are top-notch, though.
1. Drow - +2 Dex is great, and this guy has every CA-granting trick in the book. And the racial feats are just icing on the cake. 2. Githzerai/Shifter, Razorclaw - Though second fiddles to the Elf, they trump most other races, so here they are. 3. Bugbear/Gnoll - These guys were made with Melee in mind, but they do well here.
L1, At-Will Everybody wants Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. Nimble Strike is also good here, as it allows you to safely disengage from Melee.
L1, Encounter You likely want Two-Fanged Strike here. It's the most single-target damage amongst the L1 Encounter powers available to you, and that's what Rangers are all about.
L1, Daily My choice here is Hunter's Bear Trap, which offers good damage, some ongoing damage, and slowing, which is all well and good for you; you don't want anybody getting too close.
L2, Utility The utility of choice here is Yield Ground. You will get hit eventually, and this gives you a free repositioning opportunity, and a bonus to defenses to boot.
L3, Encounter This level is a tough choice, but Disruptive Strike IMHO is too good to pass up; an immediate interrupt attack that makes the enemy miss and triggers when you or an ally is attacked is fantastic. The competition at this level is stiff, though.
L5, Daily You get the mighty Spitting Cobra Stance here. With that Stance, you get the equivalent of Threatening Reach and Reach 5; that is nothing short of fantastic, and you're keeping this bad boy for as long as you live.
L6, Utility Weave Through the Fray offers you even more skittish maneuvers. Beastmasters could pick up Defensive Posture to help their pet out.
L7, Encounter Biting Volley has improved crits, so fire away with it; this is the only taste you're getting of it.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time.
L13, Encounter You drop Two-Fanged Strike in favor of Pinning Strike, because a Brute that can't reach you is a Brute that can't hit you (or the other squishy members of the party).
L15, Daily You get a very solid power here by swapping Confounding Arrows for Hunter's Bear Trap. This bad boy packs three swings, offering more damage and stunning with a succession of hits.
L16, Utility All the Ranger powers here are irrelevant; Now's the time to pick up the godly Hide in Plain Sight power, which will turn you into a bad-a$$ sniping machine.
L17, Encounter Pounding Barrage is the Archer power of choice, which is worth losing Biting Volley for because it packs A LOT OF DAMAGE and possibly immobilizes the target, which means he can't come over and engage you in Melee.
L19, Daily Nothing here is really worth your time.
L22, Utility You have a choice between two things here: mobility or damage. Depending on which you want, you either pick up Safe Stride or Master of the Hunt, respectively.
L23, Encounter You get Manticore's Volley, which can also pack some huge damage. It's worth losing Pinning Strike for it.
L25, Daily You don't really have anything to blow you away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold.
L27, Encounter Lightning Shot triggers outside your turn, and it packs some decent damage. It's time to say goodbye to Disruptive Strike.
L29, Daily You finally get your riposte to the Melee guys' Blade Cascade, the awesome Five-Missile Dance, for which you sacrifice Attacks on the Run.
Action Surge - The reason you play a Human. Acolyte Power - What makes the build tick. Brutal Accuracy - Elves just got MEAN. Darkfire Targeting - Hooray for more damage! Drow Beast Mastery - A useful ability to have, but hardly priority 1. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - WIN. Beautiful WIN. TAKE THIS FEAT. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so any chance to get rid of them by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Speed kills... your opponents, in this case. I lean heavily towards Improved Initiative here. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me later on, but not right now. Ruthless Hunter - Beautiful. Just... beautiful. Sneak of Shadows - Essential to the build IMHO, as it lets you have some invisbility madness, as well as powers that take advantage of that CA, not to mention the Paragon Path requirement. Skill Focus - Yep. You might actually need this. Stealth is the front-runner for this feat. Two-Fisted Shooter - This makes Hand Crossbow criticals real nice if you dual-wield them (apart from the awesome mental picture of being a gunslinger in D&D...). Vengeful Beast - You're not supposed to get hit, but this is cool for the times that you do. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is nice to have, especially because you sacrificed 1d10 for 1d8... Weapon Proficiency - ...unless you picked the Superior Crossbow up, which you have no reason not to (does not apply to Drow). Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time, made even worse by the fact that at Paragon, you should be invisible most of the time.
Action Recovery - Solid feat. More reasons to play Human. Armor Specialization - Nice to have, especially because it gets rid of Hide's check penalty. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Dailies! Called Shot - This Prime Shot buff really makes you glad you stuck with it. Darkhunter - A must-have for Drow Rangers. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Lightning Reflexes. Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, it's OK for you, as it's pretty easy for you to get CA. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it. Master of Fire and Darkness - You get Cloud of Darkness AND Darkfire every encounter? Sweet. Merciless Killer - +5 to damage under feasible circumstances pushes the boundaries for broken. Take this feat. Point-Blank Shot - Since Ranged is your bread and butter, you should look to negate any tactical advantage your opponent may want to use against you, such as cover by moving behind allies. Prime Quarry - Makes close combat worth the risk. Running Shot - Makes an Elf extremely hard to catch. Secret Stride - Pretty good. Seize the Moment - Do your best Rogue impersonation. Steady Shooter - +3 damage for abusing Hide in Plain Sight and staying in one spot? OK! Uncanny Dodge - More radar-y goodness. Also helps with the Elf run-and-gun shenanigans.
Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Epic Resurgence - As a likely candidate for non-Demigod, any power recovery ability you get is gold. Think about it, at the very least. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Quick Beast Command - Losing Prime Shot was probably worth it just so you could enjoy the awesomeness of this feat. Staggering Shot - It may not look like much at first glance, but this makes sure you do not get engaged by a particular enemy. Worth a look. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you want to do something else with your Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
We have been patient. We have planned our attack. We are ready . . . now. -Eladamri, Lord of Leaves
I've heard that some of you boys have been bossing your fellow students around! What am I gonna do with you... I have an idea, I'll have you go to the Warlord school's exchange program. At least your orders will actually be useful once you're done there. Now, pack your bags, you're going off to Bossy School!
Pros: Well-rounded options, wide variety of weapon choices, does not overlap with other Strikers.
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Beast Mastery. More people to boss around! 2. Two-Blade Fighting Style. A solid choice overall, especially if you don't want to give up too much damage.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: You have some major leeway on your weapon choice; Bastard Swords, Scimitars, Waraxes, Craghammers, or Triple-headed Flails all work here, as can Double Swords, Scourges or Katars if you're not a Two-Blader. A Handaxe, Javelin, or Throwing Hammer can be useful for Ranged combat. If your Dexterity is high enough, a Longbow also looks good. Armor: Depending on much you value Dexterity, you could find yourself in Hide, Scale or Plate armor. Companion: As usual, a Wolf is solid, especially if your Wisdom isn't too hot. A Cat also offers good speed and damage.
Epic Destiny: Demigod, though you should consider Dark Wanderer or Godhunter.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. You could use the strength training, if you want to be a warrior, that is. 2. Dexterity. Quickness will help if you're not planning on weighing yourself down with heavy armor, and it's also nice if you use a sword or a flail. 3. Constitution. You'd better be tough if you wanna stick around. Also helps if you plan on wearing heavy armor and lugging axes or hammers around. 4. Wisdom. Your wits are also something you should keep sharp, since your skills depend on them. 5. Intelligence. You don't have to be a genius to point out which guy needs to get stabbed, especially if you gathered some intel on them first. 6. Charisma. It's a good thing you know what you're talking about; no one would listen to you otherwise.
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. Scale Armor wearers favor this array; it works for Axes, Heavy Blades, or Flails. 2. Str 16, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Plate Armor wearers favor this array; it's basically Axes or Hammers only here. 3. Str 16, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Hide Armor wearers favor this array; Flail and Heavy Blade wielders have almost exclusive preference here.
L11 - Reinforcing Action. +4 to the weakest defense? A touch underwhelming... L11 - Grim Satisfaction. +1 to hit for the rest of the party? Sweet. L16 - Open Quarry. More like "open season". Will make other Rangers in the party love you long time.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Tag Quarry. A solid power that allows you to bypass the one-quarry limit, and it can be used at range without being a Dexterity-based attack. Nice. L12, Utility - Pack Hunter Stance. Look at me! I have Wolf Pack Tactics! L20, Daily - New Victim. Beautiful. A 3[W] free action cruncher that also bypasses the one-quarry limit, and can also be used at range without Dexterity. Where do I sign up?
Acrobatics - Weaker than Athletics, but it gives you Unfettered Stride at Epic. Not a bad pick, but not the best, unless you're a dedicated Dex character, in which case consider it Blue. Athletics - Nice skill for you. Pick it. Dungeoneering/Nature - Pretty good skills, but your usually middling Wisdom makes you just OK at them. Endurance/Heal - OK skills, and your stat for them will be OK. Pick one, but not both. Perception - Even though your Wisdom isn't great, this skill is. Take it. Stealth - Gives CA, has extensive out-of-combat use, but it keys off Dexterity, making it good, rather than great. If you are a dedicated Dex character, however, this is Sky Blue goodness.
1. Human - That +2 is for Strength. Though the at-will is largely useless, everything else about the race helps you out a lot. The prime pick for this build. 2. Elf - *gasp* Human is better than Elf in a ranger build?! Heresy!!! Elf is still good though, gets +2 Dex and +2 Wis, which helps a Flail or Heavy Blade wielder, and the reroll and move 7 make a strong case. 3. Dwarf - Same argument as the Elf, with different points. +2 Con favors heavy armor and Axes/Hammers, and the toughness it brings is certainly appreciated.
1. Bugbear - +2 Strength is the main selling point. Oversized, +2 Dex, and the encounter power are just gravy. 2. Minotaur - +2 Strength and Oversized place it on the same footing as a Bugbear. +2 Con makes you a giant mountain of plated fury. Not as good as Bugbears IMHO, but very, very close. 3. Shifter, Longtooth - +2 Strength, like the other two, but +2 Wisdom is likely not as essential as Dexterity or Constitution, as it doesn't help toward any weapon feats, even though it affects many Ranger powers.
L1, At-Will You want Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: you might like Nimble Strike to slide out of Melee quickly if you do a lot of archery, and pure Melee guy prefer Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch. Beastmasters like Circling Strike because it makes flanking easier.
L1, Encounter The power of choice is Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool, and racks up more damage when you start accumulating static bonuses to damage.
L1, Daily You pick up Jaws of the Wolf, and here's why: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, probably enough to one-hit-KO a standard opponent if both attacks hit.
L2, Utility The choice for you here is Yield Ground for repositioning and defense outside your turn, or Hunter's Privilege, if your Dexterity is high and your Wisdom is low. A +3 bonus to damage for a good initiative is tasty.
L3, Encounter If you have the Wisdom for it, Disruptive Strike is amazing for you. if not, Ruffling Sting is the power of choice here. Beastmasters prefer Paired Predators here.
L5, Daily You pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs here.
L6, Utility You get Weave Through the Fray for some skittish maneuvers. If you Multiclassed Fighter and your Wisdom is low, this is the time you'd want Battle Awareness to crank your initiative to the stratosphere (and assure a trigger for Hunter's Privilege).
L7, Encounter Claws of the Griffon packs Daily-esque damage, so it's a solid choice for you. If you're a Flail wielder, however, you can pick up Rain of Blows instead, which hands you four (yep, four) attacks in one standard action.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9, and it even gives you a free move action.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift. This is also a good level for some power-swapping; Strider Stance looks very solid.
L13, Encounter You drop Off-Hand Strike in favor of Off-Hand Diversion or Armor Splinter, depending on how much investment you have in Wisdom.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so go ahead and kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye.
L16, Utility Evade the Blow is the power of choice for you here; makes 'em miss, after all. However, this is prime-time for a power-swap; Warlord's Banner is a mighty power.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for you, since it packs an attack bonus, 2[W] per hit, and a daze if both attacks connect, so you drop Claws of the Griffon for it. If you're a Flail wielder, you should replace Disruptive Strike instead.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what you want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish.
L22, Utility Another levels where your low Wisdom makes you suffer; fortunately, Adamant Recovery exists to provide a "save your arse" button, Wis-rider free. If your Wisdom isn't that low, Master of the Hunt and Safe Stride are also options.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse is your power of choice here, replacing Ruffling Sting. If you wield Flails, Off-Hand Diversion has got to go.
L25, Daily There's nothing to really blow you away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold. Primal Rampage has a whip-thin advantage over Attacks on the Run for Beastmasters.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way you can pass it up. You can discard Untamed Outburst for this mighty power. However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is pretty cool, but Warlord Multiclass offers you the awesome Defy Death, which gives your allies some love AND comes with a tasty 7[W] surprise. A toss-up, if you ask me.
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Acolyte/Adept Power - A touch of power-swapping will do you some good. Armor Proficiency - Extremely important for you, since your Dexterity is not a main stat. The only question is if you want to go for Scale or Plate. Beast Protector - Makes your Beast even more effective, because attacking it provokes an OA from you. Brutal Accuracy - Makes Elven Accuracy even better. Coordinated Opportunity - Meshes well with Beast Protector. If you don't want Beast Protector, you probably won't miss this. Dirty Fighting - If you can consistently get the drop on people, this is a huge damage bonus. Dwarven Weapon Training - Trumps Weapon Focus in Heroic Tier, as it grants a higher damage bonus. Just remember to pick up Weapon Focus at Epic tier; this damage bonus doesn't scale. Elven Beast Mastery - Gives your beast the mobility edge you have, and expands upon Elven Accuracy. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Rerolls are great. Buffing them is even better. Human Beast Mastery - +1 to all defenses from a feat is real nice, even if it's only for your companion. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so anything that betters your odds of getting rid of them all by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Initiative bonuses are nice, but you may not have room for it. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Nimble Blade - A bonus to hit is rare, and this allows you to get it rather easily. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me, but not at Heroic Tier. Student of Battle - If you don't have this, you don't have a PP. Thundertusk Companion - Gives Dwarf Boar Beastmasters a boost. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Nice. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feat. Vengeful Beast - Makes hitting you a bad idea. Combine with Beast Protector for an eternal lose-lose situation. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is nice to have. You're rather tied up for feats, but this is one of the must-haves. Weapon Proficiency - You need this for your weapon of choice, unless you wield Scimitars or are a Dwarf. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Armor Specialization - This is Blue for Hide and Plate users, as +1 AC for 1 feat is not earth-shaking. Scale users build shrines to this feat. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Daily's "Hit" line. Pretty sweet. Called Shot - More damage for the Prime Punisher users. Danger Sense - If you have a spare feat, this isn't bad. But IMHO Improved Initiative/Quick Draw is enough. Deadly Axe - This feat is what makes the Waraxe every bit as good as the Bastard Sword for you. Take it as soon as you can. Defensive Advantage - If you have the Wintertouched/Lasting Frost/Frost weapon combo, this is great. If not, skip it. Distracting Companion - A -2 to hit debuff for flanking with my beast? Are you serious? OK, then I'll take it. Dwarven Durability - Awesome for a Melee character. Take it if you can. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Great Fortitude to reinforce your strongest defense. Hammer Rhythm - Miss damage on Hammers is sweet. Heavy Blade Opportunity - You probably won't be granted many OA's, but this feat will make each of them memorable. Hunter's Advantage - Conditional and elf-only, but +2 damage is +2 damage... Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, nothing to sneeze at. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it, which is why this is not Sky Blue. Light Blade Precision - Double Sword users appreciate this feat to close the damage gap somewhat. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Prime Quarry - If you took Prime Punisher, this is a free +1 to hit. Protective Beast - +1 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Scimitar Dance - Makes Scimitars an option single-handedly. Sturdy Beast - More HP and surges for your beast is usually worth a feat.
Axe/Bludgeon/Flail/Heavy Blade Mastery - Ah, sweet capstone. 10% crit chance is lethal, and beautiful. Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Deal. Quick Beast Command - There is NO reason you should not pick this up. It is a HUGE boost to your damage capacity and your beast's overall potential. Rending Tempest - This should be your favorite feat in Epic Tier; it adds hilarious amounts of damage to your nova turn. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet, if you can afford it. Two-Weapon Flurry - If you can take it, it's a good OA buff. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you have something else in mind for that Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
"Together to victory, brothers!" -Space Marine Sergeant
Some of you lads aren't as selfish as the rest of this lot: you actually care about the people you hang out with. But you also like shredding your opponents. Hmmm... that's a tough one... I got it! Here, read this prayer-book. This should tell you a couple of things about helping people out. Hm? What do you mean you don't know what "indoctrination" means?!?! Gods...
Pros: Good Melee capacity, great burst damage, durable, full Defender capacity (eventually...), Area attack and Healing options via Cleric MC (multiclass), good defense.
Cons: Requires Cleric MC exclusively, feat-intensive, mediocre Ranged capacity, takes a while to reach full capacity, tricky to build, MAD (multiple attribute dependency), requires an Implement (Holy Symbol)
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Two-Blade Fighting Style. You're gonna be knee-deep in combat, so you likely need Melee training. 2. Beast Mastery. Gives you more options on how to keep your friends from getting hurt.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: Heavy Blades are about as sticky as it gets, so a pair of Bastard Swords are ideal. Beastmasters should consider the Double Sword as an alternative. Armor: Heavy armor is a must; the only question is if it will be Scale or Plate. Companion: The Bear and the Boar are tank-a-licious, and that's what you're going for. Alternatively, the Wolf offers strong flank damage.
Epic Destiny: Demigod is about the only choice; you don't gain access to the real Defender-y ED's.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. You wanna be a WARpriest, don't ya? 2. Wisdom. You wanna be a warPRIEST, don't ya? 3. Dexterity. You need to at least be able to stand in front of people without tripping up on your own two feet. This is important if you want to learn how to use a sword with any kind of skill. 4. Constitution. You like looking out for your buddies. That means you have to take the pain for them. So you'd better be tough, boy! 5. Charisma. If you're gonna lead, people should at least be able to tolerate looking at you. 6. Intelligence. You get hit on the head for a living. If you wanna be smart, hang out with the Battlefield Archer clerics and learn to shoot.
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10. 2. Str 16, Con 14, Dex 13, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10. If your race has a Dexterity bonus, you can take this array instead.
L11 - Extra Damage Action. Are you serious? 1/2 Level to EVERY STANDARD ACTION ATTACK IN THE ROUND YOU BURN AN AP?!?! O.O... this pushes some Ranger powers to somewhere between Mars and Jupiter. L11 - Warpriest's Strategy. Rerolling a 1 once per encounter can be great, though it is conditional. L11 - Warpriest's Training. +1 untyped bonus to AC is NICE. L16 - Warpriest's Challenge. What you came here for. Marking turns you into a nigh-Defender.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Battle Cry. Damage and surges are a match made in heaven. L12, Utility - Battle Favor. A great ability on a crit... on the class with the most attack rolls in the game. Yeah... dangerous. L20, Daily - Battle Pyres. Big AoE for lots of damage, and can go on for a while. Tasty.
Acrobatics - Inferior to Athletics for you, but is a prerequisite for Unfettered Stride at Epic. Consider it. Athletics - A useful skill, which (some of) you can use at full potential, since Scale has no check penalty. Recommended. Dungeoneering/Nature - Your bloated Wis score makes the only forced choice in your skill list very worth taking. Endurance/Heal - A toss-up. Your Con is likely to be good, as is your Wis, and the skills are about equal. Take only 1, though. Perception - Your Wisdom is likely sky-high, so that makes you the designated radar. This is one of the most useful skills in the game. Pick this. Period. Stealth - Great skill, but your (usually) mediocre Dex keeps it from the Sky Blue rating it deserves.
1.Elf - What? No +2 Str? No problem, he gets bonuses to the Dex and Wis (which let him passively qualify for Heavy Blade Mastery and therefore go Str/Wis all the way down), AND a reroll ability. Nature and Perception bonuses are awesome, so this is the prime pick. 2.Dwarf - IMHO, this is a great "tanker" Warpriest build. Good Con, second wind as a minor, and less push/pull/slide means you're good at holding the line, and +2 Wis means your Cleric attacks will be up to par with your Ranger ones. Not the most offensively oriented Warpriest build, but far and away the most durable, and that does count for a lot. 3.Dragonborn/Human - A bit below Dwarf and Elf, Dragonborn and Human are about equal, with Dragonborn having a slight edge, as an above-average Charisma actually helps a little here, but not enough to rival Dwarves or Elves. The build is a bit feat-starved, going all the way up to Plate, so Human helps there too.
1.Shifter, Longtooth - If anybody out there is as good as the Elf at this, this would be it, but from a different perspective: this guy likes hacking people to pieces, so it's just as good, just more aggressively oriented. 2.Githzerai/Shifter, Razorclaw - Like Elf, they have a nice (not mind-blowing, but nice) stat spread, but they're a little under Elves, since their abilities are not up to snuff. A case can be made for the Githzerai's Iron Mind, though. 3.Orc/Warforged - Another pair of very durable races, these guys allow you to buff Wis without losing your Melee edge. Warforged's ability starts out better, but the Orc's has an attack attached, and scales better. Either choice is solid.
L1, At-Will Everybody wants Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: Beastmasters like Circling Strike for the ability to set flanks up quickly and safely, while still being the ones attacking, and Two-Bladers like Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch.
L1, Encounter Beastmasters want Synchronized Strike here, for the multiattacking potential. Two-Bladers want Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool.
L1, Daily Two-Bladers and Beastmasters get Jaws of the Wolf: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, probably enough to one-hit-KO a standard opponent if both attacks hit.
L2, Utility The choice for everyone here is Yield Ground. You will get hit eventually, and this gives you a free repositioning opportunity, and a bonus to defenses to boot.
L3, Encounter Two-Bladers pick up Disruptive Strike. A free attack outside your turn that makes your opponent miss if it hits is too good to pass up. Beastmasters get Paired Predators here, which brings more multiattacking, but with more damage.
L5, Daily Beastmasters and Two-Bladers pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs.
L6, Utility Beastmasters get Defensive Posture to give his companion some love. Two-Bladers get Serpentine Dodge for repositioning shenanigans during his turn.
L7, Encounter Claws of the Griffon packs Daily-esque damage, so it's a solid choice for Two-Bladers. Beast Rush looks good for Beastmasters, though Harried Quarry is good with the proper companion.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite, for both styles. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9. However, this is power-swap time for you; the mighty Divine Power beckons...
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift. This is also a good level for some power-swapping; Cure Serious Wounds keeps you going for a while longer.
L13, Encounter Beastmasters and Two-Bladers drop Synchronized Strike and Off-Hand Strike, respectively, in favor of Off-Hand Diversion, which is the logical upgrade in that it's an minor-action off-hand attack that carries CA with it.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so Beastmasters and Two-Bladers kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye.
L16, Utility Evade the Blow is the power of choice for Two-Bladers. Beastmasters get Shared Healing, which is pretty solid.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for Beastmasters and Two-Bladers, who drop Beast Rush and Claws of the Griffon, respectively.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what Beastmasters and Two-Bladers want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish.
L22, Utility You have a choice between two things here: mobility or damage. Depending on which you want, you either pick up Safe Stride or Master of the Hunt, respectively.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse helps you rack up the damage well, so Disruptive Strike or Paired Predators has to go.
L25, Daily Beastmasters and Two-Bladers don't really have anything to blow them away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way your Beastmaster or Two-Blader can pass it up. That means that Untamed Outburst must leave. However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is at its strongest with a burst damage character (which you are), so say good-bye to Attacks on the Run and hello to your capstone power.
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Acolyte/Adept Power - A touch of power-swapping will do you some good. Adaptable Breath - Bypassing elemental resistance for the win! Armor Proficiency - Extremely important for you, since your Dexterity is not a main stat. The only question is if you want to go for Scale or Plate. Beast Protector - Makes your Beast even more effective, because attacking it provokes an OA from you. Brutal Accuracy - Makes Elven Accuracy even better. Coordinated Opportunity - Meshes well with Beast Protector. If you don't want Beast Protector, you probably won't miss this. Dragonborn Frenzy - More damage is never a bad thing for a Striker. Dwarven Weapon Training - Trumps Weapon Focus in Heroic Tier, as it grants a higher damage bonus. Just remember to pick up Weapon Focus at Epic tier; this damage bonus doesn't scale. Elven Beast Mastery - Gives your beast the mobility edge you have, and expands upon Elven Accuracy. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Rerolls are great. Buffing them is even better. Enlarged Dragon Breath - Close blast 5 allows for some serious minion blasting. Human Beast Mastery - +1 to all defenses from a feat is real nice, even if it's only for your companion. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so anything that betters your odds of getting rid of them all by yourself is good (and rare). Hurl Breath - Hooray for Area attacks on Martial characters! Immutability - Same argument as Human Perseverance. Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Initiative bonuses are nice, but you may not have room for it. Initiate of the Faith - Required for the PP. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Nimble Blade - A bonus to hit is rare, and this allows you to get it rather easily. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me, but not at Heroic Tier. Thundertusk Companion - Gives Dwarf Boar Beastmasters a boost. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Just... WOW. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feat. Vengeful Beast - Makes hitting you a bad idea. Combine with Beast Protector for an eternal lose-lose situation. Warforged Tactics - Pushes for Sky Blue. Take it. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is nice to have. You're rather tied up for feats, but this is one of the must-haves. Weapon Proficiency - You need this for your weapon of choice, unless you're a Dwarf. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Admixture Breath - Mixed elemental breath weapon = full damage from the breath weapon almost every time. Armor Specialization - This is Blue for Plate users, as +1 AC for 1 feat is not earth-shaking. Scale users build shrines to this feat. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Daily's "Hit" line. Pretty sweet. Danger Sense - If you have a spare feat, this isn't bad. But IMHO Improved Initiative/Quick Draw is enough. Defensive Advantage - If you have the Wintertouched/Lasting Frost/Frost weapon combo, this is great. If not, skip it. Distracting Companion - A -2 to hit debuff for flanking with my beast? Are you serious? OK, then I'll take it. Dwarven Durability - Awesome for a Melee character. Take it if you can. Empowered Dragon Breath - d10 damage dice make Dragon Breath a minor action well spent. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Great Fortitude to reinforce your strongest defense. Heavy Blade Opportunity - You probably won't be granted many OA's, but this feat will make each of them memorable. Hunter's Advantage - Conditional and elf-only, but +2 damage is +2 damage... Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, nothing to sneeze at. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it. Light Blade Precision - Double Sword users appreciate this feat to close the damage gap somewhat. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Prime Quarry - Makes close combat with a Archer Pit Fighter worth the risk. Protective Beast - +1 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Sturdy Beast - More HP and surges for your beast is usually worth a feat.
Axe Mastery - Ah, sweet capstone. 10% crit chance with high crit d12's is lethal, and beautiful. Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Hawkeye Warrior - +1 to hit after using Elven Accuracy for the rest of the encounter? IMHO too good to pass up. Heavy Blade Mastery - Sweet capstone for Heavy Blade users. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Solid. Prime Hunter - +1 to hit under reasonable circumstances? I'm sold. Quick Beast Command - There is NO reason you should not pick this up. It is a HUGE boost to your damage capacity and your beast's overall potential. Rending Tempest - This should be your favorite feat in Epic Tier; it adds hilarious amounts of damage to your nova turn. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet, if you can afford it. Two-Weapon Flurry - Not worth the Dex investment, as it requires a 19. Of my top races for this build, only Bugbears and Elves can reach the Dex, and that's after some extra Dex investment, which takes away from Wis. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you have something else in mind for that Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
A skilled ranger can glance at the mud on your boots and tell where you last camped. -Firebrand Ranger
So, I've heard some of you are still undecided! All right, I'll tell you what: since you couldn't pick one, you're gonna train with all of 'em, boy! That's right, you're gonna train in the pit, the forest, the battlefield, you name it! I'm gonna make something useful out of you even if it's the last thing I do! Now, get over here! You have a long week ahead of you, boy...
Pros: Well-rounded options, wide variety of weapon choices, durable (Pathfinder only), can have good hybrid capacity.
Styles, in order of energy: 1. Two-Blade Fighting Style. Your only choice for a Pathfinder, and a solid one for Kensei. 2. Beast Mastery. You could use this PP if you plan on using smaller (aka off-hand) weapons; the extra damage tacked on by Kensei is really nice for them.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: You have some major leeway on your weapon choice; Bastard Swords, Scimitars, Waraxes, Craghammers, or Triple-headed Flails all work here, as can Double Swords, Scourges or Katars if you're not a Two-Blader. A Handaxe, Javelin, or Throwing Hammer can be useful for Ranged combat. If your Dexterity is high enough, a Longbow also looks good. Armor: Depending on much you value Dexterity, you could find yourself in Hide, Scale or Plate armor. Companion: As usual, a Wolf is solid, especially if your Wisdom isn't too hot. A Cat also offers good speed and damage.
Epic Destiny: Demigod is the front-runner, though you should consider Dark Wanderer or Godhunter as alternatives.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. The only thing you really need is some muscles to swing your weapons around, so drop down and gimme 40! 2. Dexterity. Quickness will help if you're not planning on weighing yourself down with heavy armor, and it's also nice if you use a sword or a flail. 3. Constitution. You'd better be tough if you wanna stick around. Also helps if you plan on wearing heavy armor and lugging axes or hammers around. 4. Wisdom. Your wits are also something you should keep sharp, since your skills depend on them. 5. Intelligence. An Archmage you ain't, my friend. Stick to your thing (or things, as appropriate). 6. Charisma. You're not the most sociable guy on the planet, but who cares if you don't talk? You get the job done.
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. Scale Armor wearers favor this array; it works for Axes, Heavy Blades, or Flails. 2. Str 16, Con 16, Dex 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Plate Armor wearers favor this array; it's basically Axes or Hammers only here. 3. Str 16, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Hide Armor wearers favor this array; Flail and Heavy Blade wielders have almost exclusive preference here.
L11 - Kensei Control Action. Hooray for rerolls! Even if they cost AP's... L11 - Kensei Focus. Attack bonuses are hard to come by, and this Paragon Path gives you one... for free! L16 - Kensei Mastery. It lays on some restrictions for Kensei Focus, but it tacks on +4 damage.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Masterstroke. A vanilla power. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to exalt either. L12, Utility - Ultimate Parry. Reduces major damage once per day. If you were a Defender, you would probably appreciate it more. L20, Daily - Weaponsoul Dance. Again, more suited to a Defender, but not bad at all.
L11 - Battlehoned. More healing surges? That's it? At least it stacks with Durable... L11 - Pathfinder's Action. An extra move action on an AP almost turns the AP into another turn for you. L16 - Cruel Recovery. WIN. Glorious WIN. You'll be benefiting from this almost all the time, and it greatly buffs your survivability by adding a big temporary HP buffer whenever you need it.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Wrong Step. Immobilize as an immediate reaction can sure ruin someone's turn. And not even shifting will save you from this power. L12, Utility - Act Together. A dumbed-down version of Archer's Glory, but it'll do. L20, Daily - Slasher's Mark. Who says Strikers can't defend? This is a great "sticky" power and a couple of hard swings, all in one standard action.
Acrobatics - Weaker than Athletics, but it gives you Unfettered Stride at Epic. Not a bad pick, but not the best, unless you're a dedicated Dex character, in which case consider it Blue. Athletics - Nice skill for you. Pick it. Dungeoneering/Nature - Pretty good skills, but your usually middling Wisdom makes you just OK at them. Endurance/Heal - OK skills, and your stat for them will be OK. Pick one, but not both. Perception - Even though your Wisdom isn't great, this skill is. Take it. Stealth - Gives CA, has extensive out-of-combat use, but it keys off Dexterity, making it good, rather than great. If you are a dedicated Dex character, however, this is Sky Blue goodness.
1. Human - That +2 is for Strength. Though the at-will is largely useless, everything else about the race helps you out a lot. The prime pick for this build. 2. Elf - *gasp* Human is better than Elf in a ranger build?! Heresy!!! Elf is still good though, gets +2 Dex and +2 Wis, which helps a Flail or Heavy Blade wielder, and the reroll and move 7 make a strong case. 3. Dwarf - Same argument as the Elf, with different points. +2 Con favors heavy armor and Axes/Hammers, and the toughness it brings is certainly appreciated.
1. Bugbear - +2 Strength is the main selling point. Oversized, +2 Dex, and the encounter power are just gravy. 2. Minotaur - +2 Strength and Oversized place it on the same footing as a Bugbear. +2 Con makes you a giant mountain of plated fury. Not as good as Bugbears IMHO, but very, very close. 3. Shifter, Longtooth - +2 Strength, like the other two, but +2 Wisdom is likely not as essential as Dexterity or Constitution, as it doesn't help toward any weapon feats, even though it affects many Ranger powers.
L1, At-Will You want Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: you might like Nimble Strike to slide out of Melee quickly if you do a lot of archery, and pure Melee guy prefer Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch. Beastmasters like Circling Strike because it makes flanking easier.
L1, Encounter The power of choice is Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool, and racks up more damage when you start accumulating static bonuses to damage.
L1, Daily You pick up Jaws of the Wolf, and here's why: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, probably enough to one-hit-KO a standard opponent if both attacks hit.
L2, Utility The choice for you here is Yield Ground for repositioning and defense outside your turn, or Hunter's Privilege, if your Dexterity is high and your Wisdom is low. A +3 bonus to damage for a good initiative is tasty.
L3, Encounter If you have the Wisdom for it, Disruptive Strike is amazing for you. if not, Ruffling Sting is the power of choice here. Beastmasters prefer Paired Predators here.
L5, Daily You pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs here.
L6, Utility You get Weave Through the Fray for some skittish maneuvers. If you Multiclassed Fighter and your Wisdom is low, this is the time you'd want Battle Awareness to crank your initiative to the stratosphere (and assure a trigger for Hunter's Privilege).
L7, Encounter Claws of the Griffon packs Daily-esque damage, so it's a solid choice for you. If you're a Flail wielder, however, you can pick up Rain of Blows instead, which hands you four (yep, four) attacks in one standard action.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9, and it even gives you a free move action.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift. This is also a good level for some power-swapping; Pass Forward allows you to move as much as you need to flank an enemy without fear of retribution. Strength from Pain can also be good.
L13, Encounter Beastmasters and Two-Bladers drop Off-Hand Strike in favor of Off-Hand Diversion, which is the logical upgrade in that it's an minor-action off-hand attack that carries CA with it.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so go ahead and kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye.
L16, Utility Evade the Blow is the power of choice for you here; makes 'em miss, after all.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for you, since it packs an attack bonus, 2[W] per hit, and a daze if both attacks connect, so you drop Claws of the Griffon for it. If you're a Flail wielder, you should replace Disruptive Strike instead.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what you want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish.
L22, Utility Another levels where your low Wisdom makes you suffer; fortunately, Adamant Recovery exists to provide a "save your arse" button, Wis-rider free. If your Wisdom isn't that low, Master of the Hunt and Safe Stride are also options.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse is your power of choice here, replacing Ruffling Sting. If you wield Flails, Off-Hand Diversion is the likely victim.
L25, Daily Two-Bladers don't really have anything to blow them away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold. Beastmasters are offered Primal Rampage here, which is solid enough to merit giving Attacks on the Run up.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way you can pass it up. You can discard Untamed Outburst for this mighty power. However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is a strong capstone for a burst damage guy, which is what you're there for; say good-bye to Attacks on the Run or Primal Rampage, as appropriate.
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Acolyte/Adept Power - A touch of power-swapping will do you some good. Armor Proficiency - Extremely important for you, since your Dexterity is not a main stat. The only question is if you want to go for Scale or Plate. Battle Awareness - An alternative Fighter MC feat, it gives you more Defender power. Beast Protector - Makes your Beast even more effective, because attacking it provokes an OA from you. Brutal Accuracy - Makes Elven Accuracy even better. Coordinated Opportunity - Meshes well with Beast Protector. If you don't want Beast Protector, you probably won't miss this. Dirty Fighting - If you can consistently get the drop on people, this is a huge damage bonus. Dwarven Weapon Training - Trumps Weapon Focus in Heroic Tier, as it grants a higher damage bonus. Just remember to pick up Weapon Focus at Epic tier; this damage bonus doesn't scale. Elven Beast Mastery - Gives your beast the mobility edge you have, and expands upon Elven Accuracy. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Rerolls are great. Buffing them is even better. Human Beast Mastery - +1 to all defenses from a feat is real nice, even if it's only for your companion. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, so anything that betters your odds of getting rid of them all by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Initiative bonuses are nice, but you may not have room for it. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Nimble Blade - A bonus to hit is rare, and this allows you to get it rather easily. Predatory Action - More damage from your AP. Looks good to me, but not at Heroic Tier. Student of the Sword - If you don't have this, you don't have a PP. Thundertusk Companion - Gives Dwarf Boar Beastmasters a boost. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Nice. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feat. Vengeful Beast - Makes hitting you a bad idea. Combine with Beast Protector for an eternal lose-lose situation. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is nice to have. You're rather tied up for feats, but this is one of the must-haves. Weapon Proficiency - You need this for your weapon of choice, unless you wield Scimitars or are a Dwarf. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Armor Specialization - This is Blue for Hide and Plate users, as +1 AC for 1 feat is not earth-shaking. Scale users build shrines to this feat. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Daily's "Hit" line. Pretty sweet. Danger Sense - If you have a spare feat, this isn't bad. But IMHO Improved Initiative/Quick Draw is enough. Deadly Axe - This feat is what makes the Waraxe every bit as good as the Bastard Sword for you. Take it as soon as you can. Defensive Advantage - If you have the Wintertouched/Lasting Frost/Frost weapon combo, this is great. If not, skip it. Distracting Companion - A -2 to hit debuff for flanking with my beast? Are you serious? OK, then I'll take it. Dwarven Durability - Awesome for a Melee character. Take it if you can. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Great Fortitude to reinforce your strongest defense. Hammer Rhythm - Miss damage on Hammers is sweet. Heavy Blade Opportunity - You probably won't be granted many OA's, but this feat will make each of them memorable. Hunter's Advantage - Conditional and elf-only, but +2 damage is +2 damage... Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, therefore, nothing to sneeze at. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it, which is why this is not Sky Blue. Light Blade Precision - Double Sword users appreciate this feat to close the damage gap somewhat. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Protective Beast - +1 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Scimitar Dance - Makes Scimitars an option single-handedly. Sturdy Beast - More HP and surges for your beast is usually worth a feat.
Axe/Bludgeon/Flail/Heavy Blade Mastery - Ah, sweet capstone. 10% crit chance is lethal, and beautiful. Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Solid. Prime Hunter - +1 to hit under reasonable circumstances? I'm sold. Quick Beast Command - There is NO reason you should not pick this up. It is a HUGE boost to your damage capacity and your beast's overall potential. Rending Tempest - This carries the promise of some good extra damage if you blow an AP; getting to Dex 17 is a steep path for Axe and Hammer wielders, though. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet. Two-Weapon Flurry - If you can take it, it's a good OA buff. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you have something else in mind for that Feet slot.
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
War is a conflict that determines not who is right - but who is left. -Shock Troops
So! I hear some of you boys are interested in moving fast and hitting hard! Well, have I got a surprise for you! We've got a style that's made just for you. Now, let go of that big sword; you won't need it for what we're gonna do. Now, pay attention, I'm only gonna do this once...
Pros: High DPR (damage per round) capacity, good burst damage, high mobility, high Melee/Ranged capacity, allows for unorthodox weapons
Cons: High MAD (multiple attribute dependency), lower durability, requires Fighter MC (multiclass) exclusively, weak rider effects on powers
Styles, in order of synergy: 1. Beast Mastery. Since you don't get large off-hand weapons, this is very useful to you.
Recommended Gear: Weapon: A Double Sword, two Scourges, or two Katars offer the best results. A Longbow is a good option for ranged combat. Armor:Hide is the best option, packing more AC than the rest of the light armor gang. If you refuse to sell your soul to Dexterity, Scale is an option. Companion:Wolf offers a good mix of CA damage and mobility. If not, a Cat also packs the mobility.
Epic Destiny: Deadly Trickster looks nice, as does Demigod. Don't ignore Dark Wanderer or Godhunter, either. This build is another that has the luxury of being able to choose its Epic Destiny, rather than the other way around.
Stat Array, in order of importance: 1. Strength. If you want to hit them hard, you gotta be strong, no? 2. Dexterity. Getting in and getting out is what you do, so polish those evasion skills. 3. Wisdom. Helps to be able to spot your target before they can spot you, doesn't it? 4. Constitution. You will be hit back eventually, so get ready for it. 5. Intelligence. Let the generals pick the targets, OK? 6. Charisma. You're not the nicest guy around, but that's hardly a disadvantage; in your line of work, hesitation is death.
Recommended Ability Scores, before racial adjustments: 1. Str 16, Con 12, Dex 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. This is the default array, and the one I personally prefer. 2. Str 16, Con 13, Dex 14, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8. This array strikes a nice balance between Dexterity and Wisdom. You might want Scale armor if you use it, though...
L11 - Footwork Action. Defense on an AP? It ain't bad (it does allow you to shift when you are missed, a la Goblin Tactics), but it's not really what you're here to do... L11 - Deadly Soldier. More bang for your [W]. Sweet. L16 - Quicker Death. Milk that CA for what it's worth.
Powers:
L11, Encounter - Shocking Twister. This is opening the proverbial can of whup-a$$. Fantastic, especially for its rather low level. L12, Utility - Assault Footwork. More defense... hey, wait, this one gives out free movement under quite feasible circumstances! Nice. L20, Daily - Shocking Skewer. The mental picture is made of win, and the power's effect is pretty strong. Unfortunately, it makes you drop a weapon to use it, and it's pretty useless for Double Sword wielders.
Acrobatics/Athletics - Both are very useful skills. Take them both. Dungeoneering/Nature - Your Wis is OK, so this skill is not astronomical, but it's still useful. Endurance/Heal - These skills are OK, and your Wisdom and Constitution should be pretty close. Take either, but not both. Perception - Your Wisdom is not likely to be sky-high, but this is one of the most useful skills in the game. Pick this. Period. Stealth - Great skill, and off your best stat. TAKE IT.
1. - Human - The build is feat-intensive, usually is a Beastmaster (and they appreciate the extra at-will), and is less Dex-dependent than the Stormwarden. Human wins. 2.Elf - This build benefits more from Strength than from Dexterity, but the Elf is still good for this build. Lots of movement, rerolls, and a bonus to the 2 stat is nothing to sneeze at. 3. - Halfling - Though +2 Cha is utterly useless, not getting hit as often by OA's is good, since you tend to zip about the battlefield, and forcing an enemy to reroll an attack is REALLY good. Your short stature is irrelevant here; this is an off-hand weapon specialist, after all. :D
1.Bugbear - 100% pure win for this build. +2 Str, +2 Dex, bigger off-hand weapons, and a "sneak attack" racial... Glorious. 2.Githzerai/Shifter, Razorclaw - with a stat spread similar to the Elf, you'd think that they would be about as good. They're close, but not quite there. The Githzerai's +2 to initiative is nice, as is the Razorclaw's Shifting, but the Elf still trumps them. 3.Gnoll - +2 Dex and +2 Con is good, and the Gnoll has move 7, extra damage while bloodied, AND a nice charge bonus or when you mob your opponent. The charging-in sort of style suits this path just fine, too. And unlike the Stormwarden, the flavor suits our bestial demonspawn friends well.
L1, At-Will You want Twin Strike here. Multiple attacks are what the Ranger does. The second At-Will varies according to your fighting style: you might like Circling Strike to set your beast up for a flank, or Hit and Run for some mobility in a pinch.
L1, Encounter The power of choice is Off-Hand Strike; the melee basic as a minor action is cool, and racks up more damage when you start accumulating static bonuses to damage. A case can be made for Synchronized Strike, however.
L1, Daily You pick up Jaws of the Wolf, and here's why: it's pretty vicious damage at Level 1, and though your smaller [W] will likely make you fall short of the one-hit-kill mark, it isn't bad at all.
L2, Utility The choice for you here is Hunter's Privilege. Your Dexterity means your initiative is really high, and getting a +3 bonus to damage for a good initiative is tasty. I would actually power-swap here at some point, though; Pass Forward is a keeper.
L3, Encounter Ruffling Sting or Paired Predators are the powers of choice here; your Wisdom is likely not high enough to make the other powers' effects worthwhile.
L5, Daily You pick up Frenzied Skirmish for some increased mobility and debuffs here.
L6, Utility You get a power that gives your pet some love at this level in Defensive Posture.
L7, Encounter Beast Rush has good damage and a solid effect; consider it, or take Claws of the Griffon if you just want damage.
L9, Daily Attacks on the Run is the hands-down favorite. The damage it carries is unmatched for the Dailies at Level 9, and it even gives you a free move action.
L10, Utility Hunting Party is the favorite here; it takes the sting off the misses, and it gives your allies some star time. If you don't want this, Shed the Mark provides some respite from a rather common front-line condition, while still allowing you to shift.
L13, Encounter You drop Off-Hand Strike or Synchronized Strike in favor of Off-Hand Diversion, which is better for you than Armor Splinter because of your low Wisdom; it packs more damage and a roughly equivalent debuff.
L15, Daily The one, the only, the mighty Blade Cascade is available here, so go ahead and kiss Jaws of the Wolf goodbye.
L16, Utility You should take Shared Healing here; you've gotta keep your raid partner in shape.
L17, Encounter Untamed Outburst is the power of choice here for you, since it packs an attack bonus, 2[W] per hit, and a daze if both attacks connect, so you drop Claws of the Griffon or Beast Rush for it.
L19, Daily Cruel Cage of Steel is what you want here, letting go of Frenzied Skirmish.
L22, Utility Another levels where your low Wisdom makes you suffer; fortunately, Adamant Recovery exists to provide a "save your arse" button, Wis-rider free.
L23, Encounter Nonchalant Collapse is your power of choice here, which means that Paired Predators or Ruffling Sting has to go.
L25, Daily You don't really have anything to blow them away here: Ranger's Resurgence comes close, but I'm not sold, though you are offered Primal Rampage here, which is solid enough to merit giving Attacks on the Run up.
L27, Encounter Death Rend is about as strong as some other classes' dailies; no way you can pass it up. You can discard Untamed Outburst for this mighty power. However, look to power-swap once you hit L29; the Fighter's Trip Up power makes your damage output quite ridiculous on nova turn.
L29, Daily Follow-Up Blow is a strong capstone power for you; time to say good-bye to Primal Rampage (you didn't get to spend much time together, but it was fun).
Action Surge - The reason why you're playing a Human, apart from the bonus feat. Acolyte/Adept Power - Power-swaps are worth looking at. Armor Proficiency - Actually worth a look, because you might not max Dexterity all the way. Battle Awareness - An alternative Fighter MC, it offers some Defender capacity. Some builds can't afford it, though. Beast Protector - Makes your Beast even more effective, because attacking it provokes an OA from you. Brutal Accuracy - The Elves packing the oomph. Coordinated Opportunity - Meshes well with Beast Protector. If you don't want Beast Protector, you probably won't miss this. Dirty Fighting - If you can consistently get the drop on people, this is a huge damage bonus. Elven Precision/Wild Elf Luck - Win. Nothing else needs to be said. Elven Beast Mastery - Gives your beast the mobility edge you have, and expands upon Elven Accuracy. Halfling Agility - Makes you harder to hit. Useful. Human Beast Mastery - +1 to all defenses from a feat is real nice, even if it's only for your companion. Human Perseverance - Save ends effects are annoying, any chance to get rid of them by yourself is good (and rare). Improved Initiative/Quick Draw - Speed kills... your opponents, in this case. Since your Ranged is about as good as your Melee, Quick Draw looks more attractive. Lethal Hunter - Meh right now, wait until Paragon at least; there, it shines. Lost in the Crowd - Situational AC buff, but the conditions are easy to meet. Lucky Skirmisher - Protection while positioning! Student of the Sword - Essential to the build, since the Paragon Path IS for Fighters... Nimble Blade - A bonus to hit is rare, and this allows you to get it rather easily. Swift Blade Style - This Arena fighting feat enhances your capabilities even further. Two-Weapon Defense - +1 AC, +1 Reflex, 1 feat. Nice. Two-Weapon Fighting - +1 damage with main-hand is nice, but what makes it cool is that it opens up the above feats. Vengeful Beast - Makes hitting you a bad idea. Combine with Beast Protector for an eternal lose-lose situation. Weapon Focus - Damage bonus, which is very nice to have, especially when you're swinging away as much as you are. Frankly, a must-have. Wintertouched - Only Black, you say? Bear in mind that it is utterly worthless without Lasting Frost (only 4 creatures in the whole MM have cold vulnerability), so it's an iffy choice at best at this time.
Action Recovery - Pretty darn good. Armor Specialization - Nice to have, but not essential unless you wear heavy armor. Bleeding Precision - Add "ongoing 5 damage (save ends)" to your Dailies! Called Shot - A +5 damage bonus if you took Prime Punisher. Sweet. Defensive Advantage - Only take it if you have Wintertouched and Lasting Frost and you wield Frost weapons. If you do take it, it can be very useful. Distracting Companion - A -2 to hit debuff for flanking with my beast? Are you serious? OK, then I'll take it. Great Fortitude/Iron Will/Lightning Reflexes - Not priority 1, but take all of them if you can, starting with Iron Will. Hunter's Advantage - A conditional damage boost is still a damage boost. Lasting Frost - Constant CA with Wintertouched and a Frost weapon, and that is important to you, since your to-hit is not quite as high as, say a Pit Fighter's. Beware the cold resist, you have no answer for it. Light Blade Precision - At this point, everyone and their mom is Large or larger. Prime Punisher - Now Melee Rangers have Prime Shot, too! Prime Quarry - If you took Prime Punisher, this is a free +1 to hit. Protective Beast - +1 AC is nothing to sneeze at. Seize The Moment - CA is always nice, take it when it's available. Sturdy Beast - More HP and surges for your beast is usually worth a feat.
Flail/Light Blade Mastery - Ah, sweet capstone. 10% crit chance is lethal, and beautiful. Blind-Fight - Fighting invisible enemies sucks. Take this if you think so too. Correcting Aim - +2 to hit after missing your Quarry is very solid. Epic Resurgence - As a likely candidate for non-Demigod, any power recovery ability you get is gold. Think about it, at the very least. Improved Prime Shot - Even more accuracy at point-blank range. Light Blade Mastery - You very likely want this. Martial Mastery - More power recovery is never bad. Peerless Hunter - 2 quarries, 1 minor action. Solid. Prime Hunter - +1 to hit under reasonable circumstances? I'm sold. Quick Beast Command - There is NO reason you should not pick this up. It is a HUGE boost to your damage capacity and your beast's overall potential. Rending Tempest - This carries the promise of some good extra damage if you blow an AP; no reason why you shouldn't have it. Triumphant Attack - A tasty debuff on crits. Sweet. Two-Weapon Flurry - You qualify for this so easily, you might as well take it. BTW, I read this + HBO as 3 attacks using Twin Strike on an OA (which is not shabby at all), but it's still worth it for this build, as it doesn't cost you much. Unfettered Stride - This feat got thrown for a loop when the Boots of Teleportation showed up, therefore, it is no longer a priority, unless you want to do something else with your Feet slot]
Here are some Level 1 Characters with the above suggestions in mind:
