Discussion:
FAQ: Update for review - Ranger
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Lief
2007-07-05 15:18:11 UTC
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I may of missed some things, or it may be too long, anyway, tear it up!

Ranger:

Primary role: Melee damage, buffing.

Secondary roles: Pulling, kiting, debuffing

Tertiary roles: Crowd control, tanking, patch healing, ranged damage.

With today's gear, a ranger can tank very well up to level 55, without AA
you will lose your tanking ability (being able to soak up damage, avoid
hits) after around tier 1 PoP (ie, Plane of Justice). After this level, a
ranger can typically tank the last expansion fairly well, if using gear from
the most recent expansion, though this is mob / group dependant of course,
they were never meant to be true tanks.

Melee dps (damage per second), is and always has been a rangers primary form
of DPS, if you ignore the blip which was PoP crafted bows.

They receive the best attack buffs in the game, the Strength of Tunare and
Strength of the Hunter lines, which most melee DPS classes will ask for,
before they recieve these group spells, they have single target attack
buffs, but at lower levels, these are generally only worth keeping up on
yourself, if at all. Guard of the Earth is an AC / DS buff, which most tank
classes will request.r

Rangers have great tools for pulling in outdoor zones, including Harmony (up
to level 40), Harmony of Nature (up to level 65), and Tranquility of the
Glade (up to level 70). They also have the best tracking in the game, with
the ability to sort mobs by level, distance, spawn order, etc. Also speed
buffs, SoW, SoE, Wolf Form. Inate and Shared Camo are probably the most
useful AA buffs the ranger gets.

They also have (along with druids), the best, longest duration snares in the
game, giving them the ability to kite any snareable mob very efficiently, in
conjunction with their high aggro, low mana cost spells (flame lick,
tangling weeds), they make great bait in kite groups. This kiting ability,
along with a variety of root spells, make them a reasonable crowd control
class.

They also receive debuffs in the form of dispell / annul spells,
unfortunatley these can remove player cast debuffs, though later on they
recieve the Natures balance line, which only removes buffs which are
beneficial to the NPC.

With the semi-recent updates to hybrid healing spells, rangers have the
ability to be average patch healers, with the correct AA, this ability is
greatly increased, allowing a ranger to occasionally save a group wipe.

Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds), Warders Wrath
(increase Melee DPS output), and Trueshot (increase ranged weapon damage).

At level 59, the ranger gets access to the fabled archery AA, which
eventually increase your ranger damage output by 100%, and allow you to use
the most damaging arrow, without cost. This is a tertiary skill, but can be
a very useful tool when AOE's are involved, or you are kiting NPC's. The
rangers AA lines focus almost entirely on melee DPS.

Rangers are the best at few things, but can achieve almost any role of a
given class, just not as efficiently.
Richard Carpenter
2007-07-05 16:59:57 UTC
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Post by Lief
I may of missed some things, or it may be too long, anyway, tear it up!
Primary role: Melee damage, buffing.
Secondary roles: Pulling, kiting, debuffing
Tertiary roles: Crowd control, tanking, patch healing, ranged damage.
IMHO, it would be more correct as follows:

Primary role: Melee damage, ranged damage, buffing

Secondary roles: Pulling, debuffing, tanking

Tertiary roles: Crowd control, patch healing, utility


They do excel at ranged damage above all other classes. Though the number
isn't great, encounters do exist where ranged DPS is desired over melee.

I've always felt that if they weren't meant to tank, they wouldn't have
been given the Taunt skill. Their being a chain class obviously relegates
that to a secondary skill, but still an emphasis.

I added "utility" to cover additional group-beneficial skills such as group
camo, tracking, snare, etc.
--
Richard Carpenter
"Write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
-- Benjamin Franklin
Lief
2007-07-05 17:49:27 UTC
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Post by Richard Carpenter
Post by Lief
I may of missed some things, or it may be too long, anyway, tear it up!
Primary role: Melee damage, buffing.
Secondary roles: Pulling, kiting, debuffing
Tertiary roles: Crowd control, tanking, patch healing, ranged damage.
Primary role: Melee damage, ranged damage, buffing
Secondary roles: Pulling, debuffing, tanking
Tertiary roles: Crowd control, patch healing, utility
They do excel at ranged damage above all other classes. Though the number
isn't great, encounters do exist where ranged DPS is desired over melee.
Over magi, wiz, necro? For rangers, its a handy tool, as stated!
Post by Richard Carpenter
I've always felt that if they weren't meant to tank, they wouldn't have
been given the Taunt skill. Their being a chain class obviously relegates
that to a secondary skill, but still an emphasis.
I added "utility" to cover additional group-beneficial skills such as group
camo, tracking, snare, etc.
Utililty I felt, was too ambigous a term, to add (see final part).
Richard Carpenter
2007-07-06 16:44:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lief
Post by Richard Carpenter
Post by Lief
I may of missed some things, or it may be too long, anyway, tear it up!
Primary role: Melee damage, buffing.
Secondary roles: Pulling, kiting, debuffing
Tertiary roles: Crowd control, tanking, patch healing, ranged damage.
Primary role: Melee damage, ranged damage, buffing
Secondary roles: Pulling, debuffing, tanking
Tertiary roles: Crowd control, patch healing, utility
They do excel at ranged damage above all other classes. Though the
number isn't great, encounters do exist where ranged DPS is desired
over melee.
Over magi, wiz, necro? For rangers, its a handy tool, as stated!
Heh, good point, though I was thinking in terms of non-casters, of course.
;)
--
Richard Carpenter
"Write something worth reading, or do something worth writing."
-- Benjamin Franklin
Lance Berg
2007-07-05 18:19:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lief
Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds),
I'd like to point out that WS means ranger are sometimes BETTER tanks
than SK or paladins, who have no way to prevent all incoming damage.
When you engage a mob that does outlandishly high damage, particularly
preslowed, having a class use some disc that gets them out of damage
entirely will give you time to position, or slow, or even to Burn It
Down (some mobs have small HP and high DPS).

As an SK, I can only look on in chagrin as Warriors, Rangers, Monks,
even Rogues tank mobs that would lay me out in seconds.

Admittedly the 20 second duration on ranger WS, coupled with their
relatively poor mitigation and AC/HP totals mean that once the duration
is over they drop like an SK successfully FDing, but that 20 seconds is
often long enough to get the job done, and its often 17 seconds longer
than I would have lasted.
the wharf rat
2007-07-05 19:00:17 UTC
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Post by Lance Berg
Admittedly the 20 second duration on ranger WS, coupled with their
relatively poor mitigation and AC/HP totals mean that once the duration
is over they drop like an SK successfully FDing
Serial rangers: just line 'em up and rez 'em all afterwards.

Rangers like to be rezzed, anyway.
Lief
2007-07-06 01:17:45 UTC
Permalink
Post by the wharf rat
Post by Lance Berg
Admittedly the 20 second duration on ranger WS, coupled with their
relatively poor mitigation and AC/HP totals mean that once the duration
is over they drop like an SK successfully FDing
Serial rangers: just line 'em up and rez 'em all afterwards.
Rangers like to be rezzed, anyway.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Lief
2007-07-06 01:20:49 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Lief
Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds),
I'd like to point out that WS means ranger are sometimes BETTER tanks
than SK or paladins, who have no way to prevent all incoming damage.
When you engage a mob that does outlandishly high damage, particularly
preslowed, having a class use some disc that gets them out of damage
entirely will give you time to position, or slow, or even to Burn It
Down (some mobs have small HP and high DPS).
As an SK, I can only look on in chagrin as Warriors, Rangers, Monks,
even Rogues tank mobs that would lay me out in seconds.
Admittedly the 20 second duration on ranger WS, coupled with their
relatively poor mitigation and AC/HP totals mean that once the duration
is over they drop like an SK successfully FDing, but that 20 seconds is
often long enough to get the job done, and its often 17 seconds longer
than I would have lasted.
Basically this tactic was used by guilds on some GoD era mobs, a ranger
would run in, WS, and build huge aggro, then a warrior would run in, taunt
the mob off, allowing the ranger to run round back and push out melee dps to
finish off the half dead mob. Can still be used today, but is rarer.
Schadenfreude
2007-07-08 13:38:20 UTC
Permalink
On Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:19:06 -0400, Lance Berg
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Lief
Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds),
I'd like to point out that WS means ranger are sometimes BETTER tanks
than SK or paladins, who have no way to prevent all incoming damage.
Paladins have DA and SKs have Harmshield. Weaponshield is frontal arc
only and has no effect on spells, AoEs etc.

However you can attack and cast while using WS which is a solid
benefit.
--
Schadenfreude of Bristlebane
***@hotmail.com
Lance Berg
2007-07-08 19:32:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Schadenfreude
On Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:19:06 -0400, Lance Berg
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Lief
Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds),
I'd like to point out that WS means ranger are sometimes BETTER tanks
than SK or paladins, who have no way to prevent all incoming damage.
Paladins have DA and SKs have Harmshield. Weaponshield is frontal arc
only and has no effect on spells, AoEs etc.
Harmshield and DA both drop you to the bottom of the hate list. While
it might be possible in certain circumstances to use it to position a
mob, its not possible to tank a mob, or offtank a mob, with it unless
the mob has absolutely nobody else on its hate list.

As for the frontal arc restriction, if you're tanking a mob and you
can't keep it in your front arc... well I can't think what you're trying
to accomplish.
Post by Schadenfreude
However you can attack and cast while using WS which is a solid
benefit.
You can, in short, tank, in WS. Not for log admittedly.

Berg
Lief
2007-07-09 08:11:54 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Schadenfreude
On Thu, 05 Jul 2007 14:19:06 -0400, Lance Berg
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Lief
Rangers, at later levels, also recieve some decent disciplines, the best of
which are Weapon shield (parry all hits for 20seconds),
I'd like to point out that WS means ranger are sometimes BETTER tanks
than SK or paladins, who have no way to prevent all incoming damage.
Paladins have DA and SKs have Harmshield. Weaponshield is frontal arc
only and has no effect on spells, AoEs etc.
Harmshield and DA both drop you to the bottom of the hate list. While
it might be possible in certain circumstances to use it to position a
mob, its not possible to tank a mob, or offtank a mob, with it unless
the mob has absolutely nobody else on its hate list.
DA hammer is good for ramp tanking.

Dunno if sk's get similar.
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Schadenfreude
Post by Lance Berg
However you can attack and cast while using WS which is a solid
benefit.
You can, in short, tank, in WS. Not for log admittedly.
WS is ~30seconds with SCR3.
Schadenfreude
2007-07-10 00:08:42 UTC
Permalink
On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:32:08 -0400, Lance Berg
Post by Lance Berg
Harmshield and DA both drop you to the bottom of the hate list. While
it might be possible in certain circumstances to use it to position a
mob, its not possible to tank a mob, or offtank a mob, with it unless
the mob has absolutely nobody else on its hate list.
WS is good for two things. Add in bestow DA and it's almost useful.

1. Moving a mob.
2. Filling in for a short time until a real tank comes along.
Post by Lance Berg
As for the frontal arc restriction, if you're tanking a mob and you
can't keep it in your front arc... well I can't think what you're trying
to accomplish.
<sigh>

Many things can get you pulled out of the frontal arc not least the
mob summoning you out of it. As you get to higher level raiding mobs
will quite happily kill you with WS up.
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Schadenfreude
However you can attack and cast while using WS which is a solid
benefit.
You can, in short, tank, in WS. Not for log admittedly.
For a short space of time once an hour. A Paladin can rampage tank
the entire Jelvan event with WoT and half a dozen self heals.
--
Schadenfreude of Bristlebane
***@hotmail.com
Lief
2007-07-11 02:31:08 UTC
Permalink
Post by Schadenfreude
On Sun, 08 Jul 2007 15:32:08 -0400, Lance Berg
Post by Lance Berg
Harmshield and DA both drop you to the bottom of the hate list. While
it might be possible in certain circumstances to use it to position a
mob, its not possible to tank a mob, or offtank a mob, with it unless
the mob has absolutely nobody else on its hate list.
WS is good for two things. Add in bestow DA and it's almost useful.
1. Moving a mob.
2. Filling in for a short time until a real tank comes along.
Post by Lance Berg
As for the frontal arc restriction, if you're tanking a mob and you
can't keep it in your front arc... well I can't think what you're trying
to accomplish.
<sigh>
Many things can get you pulled out of the frontal arc not least the
mob summoning you out of it. As you get to higher level raiding mobs
will quite happily kill you with WS up.
Post by Lance Berg
Post by Schadenfreude
However you can attack and cast while using WS which is a solid
benefit.
You can, in short, tank, in WS. Not for log admittedly.
For a short space of time once an hour. A Paladin can rampage tank
the entire Jelvan event with WoT and half a dozen self heals.
Of course...every person who plays EQ only raids ^_^

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