Curse

infamous16 · Apr 08, 2008, 02:57 AM // 02:57

So I got bored of my other characters and noticed i had a lvl 15 ranger in nightfall. Went on him and he had a perfect bow, max armor, and other goodies, so i decided to play him. He is still on the starter island, but i can make it to the other side easily. Now here comes some questions.

What kind of build should I go with for PvE?
Marksmanship? Pet? Both? I have no idea, havent really played a ranger before, I just need one that can open up a can of whoop-ass in PvE

What Elite should I be going for?
This elite needs to be for the build that you suggest, and VERY short from just getting off the starter island, or very very short from keineng, lions arch, or droks.

My goal for this ranger is to beat EOTN, and then all the other campaigns. I just need something that can do this pretty easily.

thanks.

Ghostcell · Apr 08, 2008, 03:14 AM // 03:14

http://www.pvxwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page

get some ideas from there and then put your own together

Vexed · Apr 08, 2008, 03:24 AM // 03:24

Pets are generally useless unless you are running a pure BM or Thumper build.

Excellent elites are Broad Head Arrow from Factions (this one is almost stapled to my bar in HM), Burning Arrow from NF (good damage skill, run it with apply poison for heavy degen+damage in one shot). Prepared Shot can be helpful if you run into energy problems, but I think that one comes later on in NF. Barrage if you're lazy and like hammering away on one key for an entire map.

Best thing about rangers is they are versatile, and can easily adapt to different areas by swapping out just one or two skills.

If I were going to run one build for most of the game, I'd probably go with:

Distracting Shot
Broad Head Arrow
Natural Stride
Rez of choice
And 4 optional skills. Volley, Sloth Hunter's Shot, Epidemic, Splinter Weapon, Screaming Shot, Read the Wind, Apply Poison, Conjure Element, Throw Dirt, are just a few that come to mind. But really, just pick what you need for the area you're in.

SnipiousMax · Apr 08, 2008, 04:34 AM // 04:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by ME!!!

I'd suggest

2 - Attack skills
1 - Perperation
1 - Interrupt (this is the reason you're a ranger)
1 - Defensive Stance + Speed boost (one skill there's three or four that work)
1 - Resurrection Signet
2 - Utility/PvE Skills

A good starting profession (although many consider it a crutch) is a /Mo. You can take Mending Touch as one of your Utility Skills. As for your other utlity skill, another good one to start with is Throw Dirt, which will protect your soft armored team mates from melee.

You're Attributes are going to center around how many points you want to put into Expertise:

8 Expertise if you have lots of 5 energy skills
9 or 12 Expertise if you have a number of 10 energy skills

10-11 expertise doesn't gain any advantage over 8 expertise, so use either 8,9 or 12. You should try and have at least 12 in Marksmanship, and that will leave you points to play with wilderness survival or in a secondary.

Anyway, that's a good base, and it's been pretty much the prototype for any number of builds.

Alternatively you can switch out one attack skill for another interrupt. Your mileage may vary.

As for an elite, your closest, best elite is most likely Broad Head Arrow. You can get that one pretty soon after leaving Shing Jea Island. Burning Arrow isn't too awfully far into Nightfall, and that is also a great choice.

Yuhe Ji · Apr 08, 2008, 05:04 AM // 05:04

DIdn't he say he was from Nightfall? Burning Arrow is very close, just a short distance from yohlon Haven.

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 07:34 AM // 07:34

Basic Guide to Playing Ranger.

Check out specimen builds, and alter them to suit your playstyle.

I would also advise either go Beast Mastery, or Marksmanship. Don't just take a pet "because he's cute", at least, while you're still learning the class.

newbie_of_doom · Apr 08, 2008, 09:21 AM // 09:21

splinterbrg>pve

1. Barrage
2. Distr shot
3. Svg shot
4. Splinter weapon
5. Lightning reflexes
6. Fomf
7&8 whatever

enjoy pwning stuff:P

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 10:11 AM // 10:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by newbie_of_doom

splinterbrg>pve

1. Barrage
2. Distr shot
3. Svg shot
4. Splinter weapon
5. Lightning reflexes
6. Fomf
7&8 whatever

enjoy pwning stuff:P

To be honest, Volley is a better compromise thanks to Eye of the North, freeing up your elite slot for something more useful.

infamous16 · Apr 08, 2008, 12:31 PM // 12:31

I think I might just go with all of them, I probably have access to almost all of them by tonight...

Arent they nerfing splinter or barrage sometime soon?

So what about burning arrow, poinson arrow, and epidemic? Or would that not work?

and why would it matter if i picked a pet for looks? As long as i have a bm build, and all pets do the same amount of dmg, dont they?

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 01:00 PM // 13:00

Pets deal more damage as you increase Beast Mastery, which is why it's seldom useful to just take a pet for the sake of taking a pet. If you have almost no points in Beast Mastery your pet is just...a diversion. When you go Beast Mastery, you should be maxing out BM, as your pet is your weapon. Though I do like to use a bow, because I can use Distracting Shot (which is far superior to Distracting Lunge in my opinion), I tend to use one with as lower requirement as I can get (Req 8 or 9), so that I can properly pump up Beast Mastery and Expertise. That being said, some may argue that it's not even worth meeting the requirement of your weapon... D-Shot does, after all, provide an unconditional skill recharge effect, and that's all it's used for. The damage from it is "meh" anyway.

I'm Rambling.

As for Epidemic. It's good on Rangers. Broad Head Arrow + Epidemic + Volley can be used to interrupt multiple foes, assuming they're balled up nicely. Poison Arrow seems a waste of an elite, when Poison Tip Signet or Apply Poison spread that condition, and are non-elite. Burning Arrow is a strong elite, high damage, and when combined with Apply Poison can be used to inflict some nasty degen too.

Vexed · Apr 08, 2008, 01:49 PM // 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by infamous16

So what about burning arrow, poinson arrow, and epidemic? Or would that not work?

Epidemic is wasted with either of those skills in my opinion, as poison arrow/apply poison can easily be spread around to multiple enemies with each shot. The duration on burning does not last long enough to warrant spreading to one or two foes (which is all you usually hit with epidemic). Epidemic on a ranger is best used to spread one of those conditions that cannot be applied quite so readily. Most use it to spread daze. I've used it to spread cripple and blind as well.

Quote:

and why would it matter if i picked a pet for looks? As long as i have a bm build, and all pets do the same amount of dmg, dont they?

Yes, all pets do equal damage, the skin is purely cosmetic. The point to remember is that unless you invest heavily in Beast mastery, your skill slots are better used on something else.

Pyro maniac · Apr 08, 2008, 02:01 PM // 14:01

easily available elites:

Prepared Shot, just outside of eye of the north (time needed: 30 minutes from kamadan)
Burning Arrow, just outside of Yohlon haven (10 minutes after completing consolate)
Barrage, in a quest (1 hour after completing consulate)
Rampage as One, Jahai Bluffs (30 minutes after completing Consulate)
Broadhead Arrow, Vizunah Sqaure/Dragons Throat (1-1,5 hour after completing 'time is nigh')
Enraged Lunge (pretty meh), Nahpui Quarter (1,5-2 hour after completing Vizunah Square)

Pretty much all the elites you'll need.

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 02:21 PM // 14:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro maniac

Enraged Lunge (pretty meh), Nahpui Quarter (1,5-2 hour after completing Vizunah Square)

When used with skills with long recharges, such as Call of Haste, Call of Protection etc.. it's a very decent skill as far as Beast Master damage is concerned.

Pyro maniac · Apr 08, 2008, 02:24 PM // 14:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver

When used with skills with long recharges, such as Call of Haste, Call of Protection etc.. it's a very decent skill as far as Beast Master damage is concerned.

It's better with [skill]Tiger's Fury[/skill] (disables Charm & Comfort)
CoH/CoP are pretty useless
Prefer HaO on a beast bar tho.

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 02:37 PM // 14:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro maniac

It's better with [skill]Tiger's Fury[/skill] (disables Charm & Comfort)
CoH/CoP are pretty useless
Prefer HaO on a beast bar tho.

That post confuses me.

1. How does Enraged Lunge work better with Tiger's Fury? Tiger's Fury makes you attack faster, when playing as a full BM, your Pet should be the primary damage dealer...shouldn't it? A skillslot would be far better off being used for a skill to buff your pet, rather than you.

2. I disagree. CoH is an IAS for your pet, as well as a speed increase. It is important that your pet moves faster so that it keeps up with what it's attacking, and moves around the battlefield faster. CoP gives base damage reduction, which becomes more useful as your pet becomes more Dire, to be fair, but even on a Hearty pet it's not a *bad* skill. It can negate up to ~21 damage, which is enough to neutralise most normal attacks against your pet, as well as the bulk of any AoE damage it takes.

3. Heal as One is a good skill. Yes. But I think it excels more on bars like R/P Packhunters and the like where they need more skillbar compression. For a Rangers who are devoted to using Pets as their primary weapon, they should have buffs and defensive shouts for their pets on their bar, making Hao less useful.

Pyro maniac · Apr 08, 2008, 02:53 PM // 14:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver

1.2.3.

Shouldn't every beastmaster use both weapons? The pet and you? (where a spear or hammer is the most optimal)
I never liked the pure beastmaster builds, just because you are doing nothing. Pick up a spear plus maybe some adrenaline spear attacks and you deal extra damage for free. Tiger's Fury helps with that, also it disables the two useless skills Comfort and Charm (useless: you'll never use them) and it that way with just 4 skills you'll get the full bonus.
[skill]Enraged Lunge[/skill][skill]Tiger's Fury[/skill][skill]Comfort Animal[/skill][skill]Charm Animal[/skill]
CoP + CoH requires 1 additional slot while it (imo) gives less benefit. The poor damage reduction isn't worth it since it can be replaced by an occasional WoH.
The attack (+movement) speed boost is nice, however any attack skill does more damage.

[skill]Wild Throw[/skill][skill]Mighty Throw[/skill][skill]Disrupting Throw[/skill][skill]Disrupting Throw[/skill][skill]Vicious Attack[/skill][skill]Spear of Lightning[/skill][skill]Barbed Spear[/skill][skill]Blazing Spear[/skill]
are skills that could fit in the other 3s slots.

Although I maybe have to revise my opinion: Enraged Lunge is fine for the damage, I just prefer an other elite. +80 damage every 5 seconds is actually pretty hot.

Cebe · Apr 08, 2008, 02:56 PM // 14:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pyro maniac

I never liked the pure beastmaster builds, just because you are doing nothing. Pick up a spear plus maybe some adrenaline spear attacks and you deal extra damage for free.

Ok, fair enough, I just didn't realise that was what you were trying to say.

I should add a build like that to the Stickied Guide I think...

Pyro maniac · Apr 08, 2008, 02:58 PM // 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celestial Beaver

Ok, fair enough, I just didn't realise that was what you were trying to say.

you're right, just realized it >.<

SnipiousMax · Apr 08, 2008, 04:13 PM // 16:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vexed

Yes, all pets do equal damage, the skin is purely cosmetic. The point to remember is that unless you invest heavily in Beast mastery, your skill slots are better used on something else.

Unless they've fixed it, the Tyrian bear actually does less damage because of an innate 'pet skill' that does no extra damage but has a casting time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CB

How does Enraged Lunge work better with Tiger's Fury? Tiger's Fury makes you attack faster, when playing as a full BM, your Pet should be the primary damage dealer...shouldn't it? A skillslot would be far better off being used for a skill to buff your pet, rather than you.

Tiger's Fury disables all non-attack skills and add's fuel to Enraged Lunge...

From Wiki:

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiki

Skills that disable non-attack skills upon use (like Tiger's Fury) will then allow Enraged Lunge to include the damage bonus from other Beast Mastery skills not commonly 'recharging' due to fast or no recharge times for those skills (like Charm Animal and Comfort Animal for example).

Back in the Day, you could set your stats just so, that while your pet was the main damage dealer, your secondary source of damage (autoattacking with the bow) was like a constant conjure phantasm. It's been awhile since I've even used a pet for something other than thumper, so I'm not sure how well it still works, but that was the idea.

Orange Milk · Apr 08, 2008, 07:48 PM // 19:48

Though Tigers has a 10 sec recharge to Enraged 5 sec, and the disable is only 5 sec so your then looking at being able to use enraged at full bonus 1 time ever 10 secs, with CoH and CoP you can pop off a full bonus attack on the recharge of Enraged.

But atleast it makes use of Comfort and Charm.

Add barbed Spear and Posion bite in there and a Rez and a self heal and your all set I guess