Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Veep" data-source="post: 6707764" data-attributes="member: 6793297">Tactics: Code Of The HuntAfter some analysis and playtesting, I believe that the following guidelines are key to playing a successful Ranger.1. Know how you hunt the best.The first step to playing a successful Ranger is identifiying what it is the class does the best. In general, the Ranger is very good at what is termed as an alpha strike or a nova. This basically means you run in and put out a ton of damage before your opponent can react, thus ensuring you have a marked advantage going forward. This is typically accomplished by loading up on a ton of multiattacking powers, as well as powers that allow you to attack outside of your Standard Action, and unleashing them upon one foe until he dies. This should be the primary strategy of every Ranger, as removing threats before they can act is the most effective benefit a Striker can provide a party with.Next, the Ranger is also very good at sustained damage, which is what you'll be resorting to once you've expended most of your attack powers and are reduced to whittling down your foes with your At-Wills. This is a reminder that once you've gotten some nova capability, you should pay attention to what your character will be capable of in the rounds after that.2. Seek and destroy.Next, we're going to talk about the various ways to go about engaging and putting down your foes. There are two main schools of thought on this issue, corresponding to Melee and Ranged Rangers.Melee Ranger - The name of the game is simple here - find a way to get adjacent, and pump out attacks until the opponent dies. Once that's done, move on to the next target. Given that you likely won't have the benefit of reach or range, this means that investment in items or powers to aid your initial approach as well as the transition between targets will be time well spent.Ranged Ranger - This style has two main divides, and they diverge based on whether you picked a Beast Companion or not (and yes, a Melee Beastmaster is at a sufficient disadvantage as compared to a normal Melee Ranger that he will not be mentioned). If you have the Beast, you're probably going to want to hang back a bit, use the companion as a damage sponge/dedicated flanker/Quarry beacon, and let the opponents try and come to you as you pelt them with arrows. Otherwise (doubly so if you add the Prime Shot feats to the mix), you'll be looking to hover about in the "medium" range (which I define as 5-10 squares away for this purpose), with the occasional foray into close range to get your bonuses.3. Make yourself as hard to kill as possible.Though taking out your targets is your primary concern, you shouldn't neglect your defense, since your HP and surges are usually average and you will find that your high damage output brings you prime (and usually unwanted) attention from your enemies. The following two suggestions help out a lot when attempting to make yourself harder to kill, in the order they are presented:Defend yourself - They can't hurt you if they can't hit you, so high defenses go a long way in keeping you up and running without drawing time and resources away from the rest of the party. This has a caveat in that there is a limit to how much offense you should sacrifice; you are a primarily offensive character, and that is what your selections should be geared to, for the most part. After that has been taken care of, invest in your defense.Positioning is key - If an opponent can't reach or see you, he can't hit you. You are a Striker, so mobility comes more easily to you than to most creatures, ally and monster alike; use that fact to your advantage. Maneuver about the battlefield, avoiding hazards and situations where you would find it difficult to slip out without a fight, unless that fight involves taking out your chosen prey. If you do get banged up (not every plan is 100% effective, after all), at least try to situate yourself so that aiding you will not hamper the rest of the party too much.4. Be aware of your allies.You're more of an independent unit that most characters, but don't think you're a one-man show; the other people in your group have useful abilities, too. Defenders can watch your back and hit pretty hard, Leaders can heal your wounds and help you hit harder, and Controllers can keep enemy heat off you and the rest of the party. Use these abilities to the party's advantage whenever it is possible; if that means moving around (and possibly drawing an OA) so the Fighter can lock someone down or the Wizard can lay down the AoE stun law, so be it; you're all in this together, after all. Also, if you help them, they have to help you tear something apart later. <img src="http://community.wizards.com/sites/all/modules/custom/forest_site/smileys/wizards/grin.gif" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" />All this being said, don't make the mistake of believing that the rest of the party is your personal squad of minions, ready to do whatever you suggest at a whim just because you said so; such has been the downfall of many an arrogant Striker.5. Apply force judiciously.Having a good understanding of a given tactical situation can save your party more time and HP than any damage combo you (or anyone else) can cook up. Learn when to stick to your guns and fight conservative, and when to gamble more resources to end the encounter faster. You don't necessarily need ALL your Dailies to take out the BBEG, after all, but you probably will need SOME of them. By the nature of the class, you're more of a gambler, so don't be afraid to bust out a high-damage power if the fight looks like it's turning into a grind; you might just end it quickly.6. Balance specialization with versatility.A Ranger is pretty diverse class; he can go from a front-line Melee character to an Archer who avoids the very concept of close combat unless absolutely necessary, so plan your power selection according to the style of combat you will be using the most. However, beware of the dangers of over-specialization; your enemies can and will exploit any holes you have in your game.</blockquote>

Verification