Ranged bow build help

[Soultaker13]

I'm very new to DnD and I have been in a few sessions but had to stop due to my work schedule. I got to make a few characters but i never got to use a ranger. So i'm going to be getting into another group that works around my schedule and i decided to make a ranger this go around and was wanting to see if the community could help me on this build i'v been toying around with.

So here is what i have so far and i hope you don't mind i used the wizards character builder

Lucan, level 1
Elf, Ranger
Fighting Style: Archer Fighting Style
Background: Geography - Forest (+2 to Perception)

FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 12, Dex 19, Int 10, Wis 16, Cha 10.

STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 11, Con 12, Dex 17, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10.


AC: 16 Fort: 13 Reflex: 16 Will: 14
HP: 24 Surges: 7 Surge Value: 6

TRAINED SKILLS
Nature +10, Stealth +9, Dungeoneering +8, Perception +12, Acrobatics +9

UNTRAINED SKILLS
Arcana, Bluff, Diplomacy, Endurance +1, Heal +3, History, Insight +3, Intimidate, Religion, Streetwise, Thievery +4, Athletics

FEATS
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency (Greatbow)

POWERS
Ranger at-will 1: Twin Strike
Ranger at-will 1: Hunter's Teamwork
Ranger encounter 1: Evasive Strike
Ranger daily 1: Split the Tree

ITEMS
Leather Armor, Short sword (2), Amulet of Protection +1, Arrows (300), Distance Greatbow +1

if you have any suggestions of what i should do in later levels please tell me im up for anything . Also the way direction of what i'm trying to do is to shift/move before or after i attack or if an enemy attacks me i get out of the way before they can attack me.


Thanks again and I hope i'm welcome

 

[Stalker0]

Welcome to the boards.

The build looks solid to me, the only thing I might change is lowering the strength to 10 and raising the con to 13. Another hitpoint...and since your a bow guy you really don't need that strength. Heck you might be able to get away with making it an 8.

Most 4e characters start with an 8 in one stat, and unless you have a flavor reason to raise it, generally that dump stat doesn't hurt you too much, and gives you more points for other things.

 

[CovertOps]

I'd swap Hunter's Teamwork for the one that allows you to shift before or after your attack, but I can't recall the name of it since that is what you said you want to be able to do.

For a level 2 Utility power there is one that allows you to shift (WIS mod squares?) as a reaction to being attacked or something similar so if your DM tries to surround you, you can use this after the first attack and negate the others.

 

[Soultaker13]

I'd swap Hunter's Teamwork for the one that allows you to shift before or after your attack, but I can't recall the name of it since that is what you said you want to be able to do.

For a level 2 Utility power there is one that allows you to shift (WIS mod squares?) as a reaction to being attacked or something similar so if your DM tries to surround you, you can use this after the first attack and negate the others.

Evasive strike is the one that lets me shift and im going to try hunters teamwork first and if i dont like it ill retrain it at level 2

Welcome to the boards.

The build looks solid to me, the only thing I might change is lowering the strength to 10 and raising the con to 13. Another hitpoint...and since your a bow guy you really don't need that strength. Heck you might be able to get away with making it an 8.

Most 4e characters start with an 8 in one stat, and unless you have a flavor reason to raise it, generally that dump stat doesn't hurt you too much, and gives you more points for other things.

The DM is wanting us to use arrays and I made my strength 11 just incase I EVER needed to melee and I need just one +1 mod or I just want to switch it up to do alittle melee so I dont get bored of doing nothing but range. Also the array that I used was 17 14 12 11 10 10 and the reason I chose that one was because I didnt want any negatives in my skill checks which is why I chose leather over hide.

 

[Turtlejay]

Having an 8 Str can hurt if you are ever called on to do Athletics checks. More likely, an 8 Int would be best. Nobody looks to the Ranger for ideas. Just stabbing and hitting.

The metagamey minmaxer in me cringes at your choice of the Archer class ability, it is the weakest one by far. If you go Two Weapon Fighting, you get an ability you might not ever use, and a free feat that gives you +5 HP's per tier. This is at the loss of +2 to AC on OA's, which is. . .okay.

Alternatively, you could take beastmaster. You lose out on Prime Shot (which can hurt, but probably won't) and get an animal companion. Use it as a blocker to keep enemies away, use it to help your allies flank, to explore, to roleplay, etc.

Jay

 

[Mad Hamish]

1 big advantage of going for the Archer build is it is needed to to go the Battlefield Archer paragon path which is (I think) still the best paragon path for an archer ranger.
A lot of how useful defensive mobility is compared to toughness comes down to how aggressive you are in positioning yourself.
I'll commonly be moving into positions to get prime shot and moving in to flank with the fighter so it's a definate plus for me and can save you more than toughness does.
The beast may be a huge plus because it can be used for quarrying creatures that aren't closest to you (especially if you get the hawk)

 

[Danceofmasks]

Having seen an epic level ranger/archer at work, I only have one thing to say:
Immediate actions are a win.

See, you could use an encounter attack power as a standard action on your turn, but you're a ranger.
You already have twin strike, which is arguably still the best at-will in the game.

So twin strike on your turn, and play your red cards out-of-turn as immediate actions.

Disruptive strike (PH, Ranger 3) is one of the most awesome powers ever ... it'll often negate a hit due to the huge penalties it imposes, as well as being an extra attack - moar damage = striker win.

In the same vein, I like Fox's Cunning (PH, Ranger 1) ... though it doesn't negate an attack (being a reaction rather than an interrupt), it's still dishing out bonus pain.

 

[DracoSuave]

Hunter's Teamwork is absolutely terrible.

Compare to the errata'd Careful Attack:

Dexterity + 2 to AC, 1[W] + Dex damage.

So... same damage, but the +2 to hit is always there.

Oh, and it also stacks with Combat Advantage which you get from the feat Distant Advantage.

I like Hunt's End with your Greatbow. 3d12 damage is not a bad way to make a bloodied boss monster go down faster.

 

[Turtlejay]

I actually think Sharpshooter is the best Archer Ranger PP out there, and it does not require you to choose that build at character creation. So you have an option, at least.

Jay

 

[Herschel]

The metagamey minmaxer in me cringes at your choice of the Archer class ability, it is the weakest one by far. If you go Two Weapon Fighting, you get an ability you might not ever use, and a free feat that gives you +5 HP's per tier. This is at the loss of +2 to AC on OA's, which is. . .okay.

Jay

This is simply wrong if you play a Archer Ranger in the best way as a member of the party. Sure, if you're a mamby-pamby wuss ranger who thinks the other chharacters should just block for him and take all the damage and, as mentioned, want to miss out on the best paragon path for the build then go for it. But if you want to stick your nose in it, tempt baddies to defy the defenders' marks, prime shot the elites and set up flanks to better utilize the party resources, the archer mobility boost is really good.