Ranger Newbie Guide

[Critic]

mastered legsweep follows overhead in 1/4-1/3 cases (as i noticed)

[Sir Solan]

Someone pick sword spec with your high-dex character - you'll be surprised

Psst, ppst! I did, several times!  And yes, it was surprising in a good way, really powerful sometimes, I never regretted picking it.

I'd name it as a very viable spec option for rangers of all kinds, in different ways (mino vs elf, etc).  Whip/flail spec may offer lash and similar moves, but that doesn't mean by any measurement it's the only real spec to take.  Just think about how you want to play your character.

Addition:

Could anyone explain to me, what is so exciting about necrophysiology? Why so many people have it? To rank better? SOunds like attribute of trash-chars for me. Why to spend the whole feat to it?

There was a log a while back from a kender beast assassin who soloed the Edge, largely thanks to necrophysiology.  So it has its uses, even other than trashchars.
Anyone have that log, by the way? Was pretty entertaining to read.

[Raider]

flail/whip spec > sword spec.

lash is the best lagging skill.
eyejab and strip = overpower. Rangers dont have disarm(well ambush disarm doesnt count)
choke is almost useless in pk. WAY TOO LOW chance. Pull is also way too low chance considering how easily it can be avoided(flee)

and sword gives nothing to ranger that he does not have innate.
stand off is better than flourentine.
overhead is better than cross slice
riposte is nice but isnt worth losing flail spec.
flurry is hard to compare to overhead, but those are even i believe.

no flourentine in offence :/ though this doesnt hurt rangers so bad. This really hurts fighters.

[omledufromage]

I think you are forgetting something. With sword specialization, you can dual wield, and with staffs, a ranger has less attacks. So, with sword spec, you have a good number of attacks, and the skills that he has innate, all together. That is not possible with flail spec.
Besides... lash is not the best lagging skill... I dueled Mnru some times, and one of them he kept lashing me only to find out it did no good to him.

Besides, if flail spec and staffs are so much better then sword spec for rangers, then for fighters also, hmm? So all fighters should never take swords and get only staff and flail spec. But you see lots of them with sword spec.
Don't thing it is so simple to say one is better then another... depends alot on the preferences of each person.

[K0nunG]

... depends alot on the preferences of each person.

Not on preferences, mostly depends on race. Its not very wise to take sword specialization for elves - many nice swords have considerable weight (acid singer for example) - you could not use it due to low strength. And nice dexterity means, that most of the attacks will be dodged not parried - poor riposte and flourentine as a result. And do not forget that skills of sword spec depends on stance - its not very good - no direct damage in defencive stance just lunge or crush(bash)...

[dedraelos]

Also need to take into account strength of race for parrying. Dex rangers with flails is nice because of the dodge, but strength rangers might find the extra defense from parry + swords nice also. High strength races with swords = more parry = more riposte. Also minotaur with overhead + mount is very nice damage. Oh, and imho 2nd feat forester is really close to a must, camoflouge companions is very nice.

[kottenbacak]

Forester is nice but think again.Ranger usually has area-caster foes (necros,invokers,outcasts...)So camouflaged companions does not so useful as they seems actually.Snare is nice but if you will make an ambush after snare even using fade enemy could cast an area spell and plans will change.Choke is not a bad skill at all.Many friends must remember Rakkase's chokes also Manita's.Choke may be your best  friend  while reraiding or stopping an enemy healer,area-caster,damage dealer,holder,thrower etc..To use choke effectively you must have a durable character (great dodger or high resisted,protected one) so you can use your initiative to choke someone who annoying you worstly(i mean numberous foes of course)For Solamnic rangers summoner foes are worst while defending clan your animal companions may be totally useless cause of summons so do not trust your lions so much.i  wrote balance as a first feat cause of assassins,crushers etc,,You dont have a skill like recovery and balance will be your best friend against em.Except of minotaurs overhead is not so great damage dealer  trust me,cause of collecting protections against magic(especially against holocausts and scourges) wont be able hitting well (trust me again)These are some truths about rangers.There is no solid rules about create an effective ranger as you see ,you can create a fantastic one more than one way.I just want to share my experiences to you.

[Raider]

Don't thing it is so simple to say one is better then another... depends alot on the preferences of each person.

And i think its very simple.

What will you do when you meet a person with protective shield and fly? cross slice him till you die?
And that's only thing you can do.

With whips you can steal his weapon, lash to prevent nasty spells, lash in hope he wont flee too soon.
Eyejab to lower his defenses. Try to pull him from crossroads to forest room and hope he doesnt notice you fight better in forests.

Yes swords are dual wieleded, but if in offensive stance with swords there is no flourentine, in defensive stance there are much less attacks and you cant cross slice or flurry. So what the point of this dual wielding? Rangers dont even have lunge to use from defence or while mounted.

Any experienced player will say that sword spec is much worse than flail spec for rangers.
The only reason i see for sword spec is heretic and flurry with huge damrolls in hope for instakill with 1 flurry. Yet this one will suffer much from invokers, since he cant delay their spells at all.
And will be frowned upon by a lagging teammate, since two laggers=very low chance to flee.

Fighters can wield swords and crush, while ripostes do the job, and while they are hasted(adrenaline) they have bonus to almost all skills, and that helps alot.
Yet for any fighter i'd choose flail spec. I'd say its really required nowdays. And it is the best spec.

Of course this is wrong when one option is better than other, those should be equal.
Well imms dont care much they're too busy

[omledufromage]

with forester, can you camoflage while mounted???

[dedraelos]

No

[dedraelos]

What does this mean?

Your affinity to the bison makes you resistant to stunning.

Does it have to do with stuns like drumming maces and meteor swarm?

[Raider]

As far as i know it just lowers chances to be bashed.

[xafelar]

help 337
Rangers may choose 1 specialization out of sword or flail (please note that
   this is just flail, rangers can not train skill in whips).


forest blending        100% awareness              100% axe                      1%
dagger                   1% flail                   66% spear                    1%
sword                   60% whip                     1% staff                    1%
recall                 100%
You have 4 practice sessions left.

comments?

p.s. do rangers need bash if they have lash? if so, what for?

[xafelar]

it is a newbie guide ezus. I've never played ranger and as I get it lash is same as bash but ignoring ps and ros. I understand such questions are very funny for you, but still... what is a difference between those skills? (I had an idea that lashing cant dismount opponent, and bash can. Still never excess to ask)

[deda]

bash and lash are not the same... lash ONLY lags an opponent, while bash lags, throws him/her on the ground, prevents spell casting (rarely). Lash ignores ps, but since it only lags and does nothing else the benefit equals zero. Still, there are a few upsides of specializing in flail and it's up to you to discover them...

[omledufromage]

Seems things have changed a little... What about now? Two out of four: Flails, swords, staff and ranged.
I feel I would miss flail specialization a lot... but I am a little more inclined towards staff, I think, and I am really curious about ranged specialization. What do you guys feel?

[deda]

ranger sucks unless you're a mino or human...

[omledufromage]

Yep... ok then...
Considering I'm a sucker and that I like rangers no matter the race, what would you suggest for a Dex oriented ranger?

[deda]

a kender! I meant to say ranged sucks unless human or mino. it was a typo.

[omledufromage]

So basically, you're saying "take staff and flails"?