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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RLBURNSIDE" data-source="post: 5572756" data-attributes="member: 94650">Doing this type of build is really not that hard and you already have some good ideas. I've thought about it quite a bit myself. One thing to remember : You can refluff anything you want. Want to imagine that double-sword is a wierd longsword? Go ahead. Want to imagine that double-ax is just a normal battle axe that you can twin strike with? Go ahead. Statistically it's the same thing, and makes no real difference either in cost or game mechanics. If you really want that d10 +3 bastard sword, then yeah, a paired weapon is the way to go. Stick an 18 post-racials in your dex, 16 in str (unless you are a half orc, in which case go balanced). Pick up bastard sword prof and select twf style with a paired weapon, as you say, and just "pretend" like it's always in un-paired mode. With Master of Arms for swapping around with your bow it's functionally identical. For your hide armor, maybe even take battle harness if you run out of actions and don't want to take quick draw.Or you can do the double weapon thing, which ironically works way better in pathfinder as there is no proficiency bonus and the main thing distinguishing a double sword and an orc double ax is the crit rate. For myself, to be the ultimate switch hitter ranger archetype with a bastard sword and a bow, go with tons of non-standard and out of turn attacks so you can maximize your use of Twin Strike : half-elf, dilletante twin strike, versatile mastery (has this been nerfed recently? I read a rumour...), 20 cha at level 1, combat virtuoso so can you use cha for both melee AND ranged twin strike. Although your damage will go down from a pure ranger, the party DPR will go way up (more so than the loss of your own DPR, probably), you can still swap for a few of the key ranger powers. If you don't like half-elf visually, pretend you are 9/10ths human and a distant ancestor was an elf. Nothing says you HAVE to have pointy ears.The main class for this build is hybrid bard + warlord, of course. Take disciple of the divine wrath and Favored Soul PP and you are a flying + dicing machine that the party will love you for. Hitting twice per round is really where it's at. Add on some debuffs to your twin strike with stuff like psychic lock and a mindiron bow, defending dabbler, and impending doom style to give up to a -6 at-will debuff on an enemy's attacks (usually -4). The other good thing you can do with this type of character is wield a harmony blade longsword or a rhythm blade rapier in your main hand and twin strike with the light fighting shield in your offhand. It's d8, d8, but saves you a feat on double sword and gives better AC (the rapier version). I like both, personally. With Master of Arms, it's good to carry a few different types of weapons depending on the situation. You can pop your shield into some gloves of storing when out of melee range and want to use your bow. Good thing about flying around is that you have better tactical options to pick when to engage in melee or lower your defenses a tiny bit to shower some pain from above. Or take War Chanter which is awesome too. (in which case I'd go heavy armor since you'd start out with chain prof anyway)I really like the 2handed ranger archetype as well, but the trick in 4e, if you want a pure ranger, is to put an 18 in whichever you like most, and a 16 in the other. It's only a +1 difference, although the dex version has better AC and reflex, while the str version does more damage in melee, no question.  With divine wrath you will more than make up for having a 16 starting str. I would go wih half-orc but I hate that race with a passion, except in Pathfinder as a precursor to a dragon disciple (similar to a dragonborn visually in a lot of ways)</blockquote>

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