Final Build Eval F2P Ranger

[SoulSeer]

My 30 day grace period is almost up. Wondering if there are any thoughts before it expires. Sword and board ambusher, stats have been set to maximize at 50.

Name: Destil Race: Elf Profession: Ranger (not shown)
Gender: Male Age: 0 Expr: 277332 Level: 15
Normal (Bonus) ... Enhanced (Bonus)
Strength (STR): 81 (15) ... 81 (15)
Constitution (CON): 72 (11) ... 72 (11)
Dexterity (DEX): 72 (16) ... 72 (16)
Agility (AGI): 84 (32) ... 84 (32)
Discipline (DIS): 82 (1) ... 82 (1)
Aura (AUR): 74 (17) ... 74 (17)
Logic (LOG): 82 (16) ... 82 (16)
Intuition (INT): 67 (8) ... 67 (8)
Wisdom (WIS): 76 (13) ... 76 (13)
Influence (INF): 30 (0) ... 30 (0)
Mana: 49 Silver: 0

Destil (at level 15), your current skill bonuses and ranks (including all modifiers) are:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 70 15
Shield Use.........................| 70 15
Combat Maneuvers...................| 70 15
Edged Weapons......................| 128 34
Ambush.............................| 96 22
Physical Fitness...................| 74 16
Dodging............................| 74 16
Harness Power......................| 70 15
Survival...........................| 74 16
Stalking and Hiding................| 74 16
Perception.........................| 74 16
Climbing...........................| 35 7
First Aid..........................| 74 16

Spell Lists
Minor Spiritual....................| 3

Spell Lists
Ranger.............................| 14

My big question is should I go 1.5x in ambush and only 1x in hiding? Points are tight but I can keep most at my strat as is stands, it just takes me until the end of each level to have them all set. Honestly I'm fine swinging in the open as I'm getting regular buffs from my wizard, but know that as I go into my mid-20's I'll start utilizing my ambushing.

[Astray]

If you dropped sword and board for archery, you'd have at least a few more points to put elsewhere. If you plan to Ambush, you want to go 2x in hiding at the very least, otherwise you're gonna be getting spotted every other time, especially against the undead.

[Cereal Killer]

I think the build is fine. My archer snipes using camouflage as 1x hiding with ranger spells up from everything except the most perceptive enemies (animals, undead), but you're not going to get much success hiding from them anyways. As long as you're selective about what you hunt (and not a volner) you'll be fine with 1x hiding as an Elf.

[Whirlin]

I still think that shield use for rangers is bad

[Peppwyn]

I would agree with Whirlin. Rangers and archery = peanut butter and jelly.

[Thondalar]

I would agree with Whirlin. Rangers and archery = peanut butter and jelly.

I would take this a few steps further. I get that not everyone wants to be a cookie-cutter ranged ranger, but other options would still be mechanically superior imo...if nothing else, use blunts with a board instead of edged. I've been preaching this for years, but everyone still goes edged.

If the decision is strictly RP-based, all bets are off.

[Whirlin]

I would take this a few steps further. I get that not everyone wants to be a cookie-cutter ranged ranger, but other options would still be mechanically superior imo...if nothing else, use blunts with a board instead of edged. I've been preaching this for years, but everyone still goes edged.

If the decision is strictly RP-based, all bets are off.
I agree. I'd also like to mention that TWC or THW are both seemingly viable for rangers.

[Thondalar]

I agree. I'd also like to mention that TWC or THW are both seemingly viable for rangers.

I'm a little iffy on the THW route, simply because I assume a melee ranger will be ambushing...although I suppose you could also be something like a weedmage build and just use the THW in the open against disabled opponents, which would probably be pretty strong at later levels, although I'm not sure about the post-cap efficacy of that build considering your disables would be severely reduced against 110's...

Regardless, there are innumerable options. One thing I've always liked about GS's combat system.

[Cereal Killer]

There's an actual mechanically significant reason to go with edged over blunts for rangers that other classes don't have: it's 1 ptp less! Rangers are one of the classes that are hurting for TPs early on, so this isn't something to sneeze at. Of course, if you're going with a TP economical route, it's important to mention that ranged costs the same as edged weapons to train in for a ranger, and doesn't need to train in both shield or combat maneuvers.

Still, the game is easy enough that you don't need to go with the hyper efficient training path to thrive. I've met a lot of people who don't want to deal with ammo issues, and I don't hold it against them. If the guy wants to swing a sword like Aragorn, I say go with it. And if I were going to swing a sword, I would go sword/board because he's ambushing from hiding. He'll be oneshotting things without the need for a big, slower blade or a second strike.

[Thondalar]

There's an actual mechanically significant reason to go with edged over blunts for rangers that other classes don't have: it's 1 ptp less! Rangers are one of the classes that are hurting for TPs early on, so this isn't something to sneeze at. Of course, if you're going with a TP economical route, it's important to mention that ranged costs the same as edged weapons to train in for a ranger, and doesn't need to train in both shield or combat maneuvers.

It is more for rogues as well, actually I think most classes except warrior...though I haven't really checked. The trade off is it is a mechanically superior weapon. 1 point per level can build to a rather significant amount the closer you get to cap, but if you plan per-level it isn't so bad.


Still, the game is easy enough that you don't need to go with the hyper efficient training path to thrive. I've met a lot of people who don't want to deal with ammo issues, and I don't hold it against them. If the guy wants to swing a sword like Aragorn, I say go with it. And if I were going to swing a sword, I would go sword/board because he's ambushing from hiding. He'll be oneshotting things without the need for a big, slower blade or a second strike.

Yeah, if it is RP-based, do what feels right. All paths are viable, just some are harder to pull off than others.

[Cereal Killer]

I just checked. The only (swinging) classes that don't have a ptp penalty for going for blunts over edged are warriors and paladins. Also, if he's 2xing it's more like 3 ptps per level.

[Thondalar]

I just checked. The only (swinging) classes that don't have a ptp penalty for going for blunts over edged are warriors and paladins. Also, if he's 2xing it's more like 3 ptps per level.

Ah, right, I wasn't thinking about the fact you train your weapon skill more than 1x. I can see that adding up.

[SoulSeer]

Yeah, that 1 point was really the biggest factor in going with edged. I also had some 5x flaring edged weapons in a locker which made it the easier choice.

My first character to cap was a ranger, just sold him off this summer. I went the archer route in the later levels and loved it. My biggest concern would be the difficulty aiming and the fact that F2P accounts can't fletch, although my wizard is a master so I guess that shouldn't be a reason. If I went sniping archer, should I 2x in hiding then?

How does the 5x limit for weapons affect ranged? Do the arrows count against that or would it work the same way as normal accounts?

[SoulSeer]

Looking at archer:

2x perception
2x stalking & hiding
1x ambushing
1x armor
1x PF
2x ranged
1x spells
1x dodging
?x CM
1x harness power

Advice?

I guess I could cut out first aid and survival all together. F2P get penalties on foraging to start with and I don't need the money from skinning....

[Back]

I've actually been playing around with a giant THW ranger. Started him off as sword/board. My view was to have him use a runestaff, but they suck as melee weapons, so now it is to have him swing a big gnarly maul or battle axe.

Anyway, at 18 after using the annual fixskills it became quite apparent to me that rangers are meant to use ranged. This may sound like a no-brainer to veteran rangers but it is new to me never having played a ranger for any good amount of time.

He is so low level this path has not been an issue. A bit fun to knock things out with one or two hits. Defense from spells is good. The spell list also has some good disablers that I don't really use at this point but could see using for higher levels. My thought process was that it saved PTPs at the cost of a few MTPs instead of going edged/shield, and having access to decent armor. Currently using damaged padded brig.

I like what others have said though... GS isn't that hard. My personal enjoyment is building the character. Do what you envision. Don't get caught up in the min/max. Have fun with it.

[Thondalar]

My personal enjoyment is building the character. Do what you envision. Don't get caught up in the min/max. Have fun with it.

Exactly this.

I have a few generic "cookie-cutter" characters, aka 2-hander warrior, runestaff wizard, polearm bard...the 2-hand warrior, I'll be perfectly honest, has basically no RP value for me, and I only went with easy leveling because he's my forging alt and I want him to get to 55 quickly and easily to be able to use all of his enhancives. I built just enough of a history and story behind him to hold up on the rare occasion he gets noticed in public. The wizard and bard have their own RP in and of itself, weapon style is an afterthought since I don't actually hunt with them much...though in this case more so the bard, I just went with the most OP for an elven melee bard (lance). The wizard I kinda designed as being a (wizard) pure's pure, so runestaff and bolting was the only way.

My other characters are a bit more eclectic. twc halfling warrior, brawling DE rogue (although that has apparently come in to favor now...it was avant garde when I first fixskilled him), 2-hander giantman wizard (again...more popular than it used to be), etc etc...

I think it is easier for those of us who have played a long time and already min/maxed just about every prof...it's like "ok, done that...hmmm...this sounds cool" and you run with it.

If we are to maintain this game for another 20+ years, I firmly believe in "character first, mechanics second".

[Androidpk]

Heh, my very first character ever was a giantman ranger. I was level 7 when I found out I could learn spells.

/random

[SoulSeer]

Made the move to ranged since I did enjoy it in my later levels (wasn't implemented during my lower levels of my old main)

My 30 days is up at some point today so I reassigned as follows:

1x armor
2x ranged
1x ambush
1x spells
1x hp
1x pf
2x perception
2x stalking and hiding
1x dodge

I've removed cm, survival, and first aid completely for now in case my 30 days expire early today so I have some tp's to assign. 174 physical, 15 mental to be exact.

My main question is CM's and the value they would add to my build. Also still looking to know whether or not the extra bonus from arrows for ranged will still stack onto the bow's bonus with a F2P account which would mean I am technically over a 5x bonus.

Thanks everyone.