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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 5121903" data-attributes="member: 32164">I wouldn't say the new styles are confused. Rather, they're a vast improvement in options. IMO, the Archer style is now the weakest of all the Ranger options, even for dedicated archers. That isn't to say that archer rangers are weak; far from it. It's just that the Hunter Fighting Style is, strictly speaking, simply a better choice for archers. Except for losing out on a couple paragon paths, it costs the character nothing, and provides both extra benefits & additional options for the character.Let's review, shall we? A Ranger with the Hunter Fighting Style has all the benefits of Quick Draw and, in addition, can sheathe weapons as a free action and gets a +4 to AC against any OAs he provokes by making ranged attacks. The ranger who takes the Archer Fighting Style has defensive mobility as a bonus feat. That's it.That makes the archer style pretty weak in comparison. All the other options provide some added benefit you can't get from a feat. Beast Mastery rangers get a pet, Marauders get a bonus to speed, and the Two Weapon guys get the ability to use one-handed weapons in their off-hand. I already went over the Hunter above. The Archer gets...Defensive Mobility: a feat any other ranger can take (although as I said above, the Hunter already gets the most important benefit that feat provides an archer, but with a better bonus). I suppose there are also a couple archer-style specific paragon paths, but there are plenty of other good ones. And, of course, the Hunter who opts to take Defensive Mobility would find its AC bonus stacks with the one from his Fighting Style.I think people fail to notice how versatile the Ranger actually is. Many of the powers, even in the PHB, go both ways. Any race that provides bonuses to two of strength, dexterity, and wisdom can diversify their powers and do just fine. Bear in mind that a ranger needs a dex of 14 in order equal the AC of chain, so the average dex ranger just isn't going to happen. The average strength ranger is a possibility, but until the release of MP2, such a character was confined to ranged combat.Up until now, versatility seems to have been a very-underrated class attribute in 4e. But recall that in previous editions, flexibility seemed to determine class power. There was even a point (Red Box) where the fighter was considered the strongest low-level class, although the magic-user clearly took over at high levels. And why did that happen? It can largely be summed up in a single word: versatility.And that seems to be what MP2 is all about - for all the classes. The rogue and warlord now have archer options, whereas the ranger has some new weapon tricks for non-archers. And while the brawler fighter is back, it unfortunately doesn't look like the archer fighter is going to make a comeback. Throw in the Weapon Style feats, and this truly looks like the "versatilty book" for the martial classes.My two cents.</blockquote>

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