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<blockquote data-quote="Cadfan" data-source="post: 4929052" data-attributes="member: 40961">I've got a group at level 14.&nbsp; The campaign is combat heavy and hands out experience as per guidelines, meaning about 10 encounters per level.&nbsp;1. The degree to which a character in the back lines is still contributing his healing surges depends heavily on the party.&nbsp; In my party, we have three characters who fight on the front lines.&nbsp; The two who do not regularly end the day with the vast majority of their healing surges intact.&nbsp;2. I stand by my belief that the best way for a highly mobile ranged striker to deal significant amounts of damage is to close into point blank range, gain combat advantage from flanking, gain prime shot, and provoke OAs from marked enemies.&nbsp;3. This is especially true of the archer after level 11, when prime shot can be boosted to a +2 attack bonus, and you can get called shot, which grants +5 damage per hit when you have prime shot.&nbsp; This turns twin strike into an absolute engine of destruction.&nbsp; With combat advantage, that's +4 to hit, +5 damage, per attack.&nbsp; Its almost foolish not to use this.&nbsp; Few boosts to damage in the entire game come remotely close to this.&nbsp;4. An archer ranger with an 18 starting dexterity and hide armor has the AC of a fighter in scale.&nbsp; With defensive mobility, the ac versus OAs is that of a fighter in scale with a shield.&nbsp; If the target is marked, the AC is close to that of a paladin in plate with a shield.&nbsp; I think that warlocks, artful dodger rogues, and archer rangers tend to be overly concerned with avoiding OAs.&nbsp; Its better to make them work for you.&nbsp; And if things get too heavy, these are the classes most equipped to retreat to safety.&nbsp;5. I do not believe that the ranger builds and the paragon path qualifications represent a danger to new players.&nbsp; New players don't engage in double think that leads them to take two weapon fighting builds in order to play an archer.&nbsp; If they want an archer, they play an archer build, and everything they need is laid out for them.&nbsp; As for the advanced players, if you're advanced enough to think this through this well, you're advanced enough to reach your own conclusions.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Cadfan, post: 4929052, member: 40961"] I've got a group at level 14. The campaign is combat heavy and hands out experience as per guidelines, meaning about 10 encounters per level. 1. The degree to which a character in the back lines is still contributing his healing surges depends heavily on the party. In my party, we have three characters who fight on the front lines. The two who do not regularly end the day with the vast majority of their healing surges intact. 2. I stand by my belief that the best way for a highly mobile ranged striker to deal significant amounts of damage is to close into point blank range, gain combat advantage from flanking, gain prime shot, and provoke OAs from marked enemies. 3. This is especially true of the archer after level 11, when prime shot can be boosted to a +2 attack bonus, and you can get called shot, which grants +5 damage per hit when you have prime shot. This turns twin strike into an absolute engine of destruction. With combat advantage, that's +4 to hit, +5 damage, per attack. Its almost foolish not to use this. Few boosts to damage in the entire game come remotely close to this. 4. An archer ranger with an 18 starting dexterity and hide armor has the AC of a fighter in scale. With defensive mobility, the ac versus OAs is that of a fighter in scale with a shield. If the target is marked, the AC is close to that of a paladin in plate with a shield. I think that warlocks, artful dodger rogues, and archer rangers tend to be overly concerned with avoiding OAs. Its better to make them work for you. And if things get too heavy, these are the classes most equipped to retreat to safety. 5. I do not believe that the ranger builds and the paragon path qualifications represent a danger to new players. New players don't engage in double think that leads them to take two weapon fighting builds in order to play an archer. If they want an archer, they play an archer build, and everything they need is laid out for them. As for the advanced players, if you're advanced enough to think this through this well, you're advanced enough to reach your own conclusions. [/QUOTE]

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