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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Joshua Randall" data-source="post: 7541347" data-attributes="member: 7737">Some random reports from the field.I played a human hybrid Seeker | Ranger up through level 8 in a mostly normal 4e game, with two wrinkles that might have made a difference: larger than normal party size (6-7 PCs on most nights), and extremely stingy magic items (but my character actually had +2 weapons, so at least her attack bonuses were more or less right).For stubbornness reasons I chose Throw and Stab on the Ranger half, instead of the obvious choice of Twin Strike. (Because when you're already choosing to be part Seeker, you may as well gimp yourself even more -- for the extra challenge.) This meant that my character played as a weird ranged / melee hybrid (heh) using handaxes, which I know is not generally recommended -- but again, extra challenge.-----At-Will 1 - Biting Swarm: This is a solid debuff at any level, and the fact that it's effectively a friendly area burst 1 makes it great when you catch enemies bunched up. It was also a lot of fun to RBA with Biting Swarm off missed attacks.Encounter 1: never had one due to taking E1 on the Ranger half.Daily 1 - Swarming Bats: The difficult terrain is pretty pointless, but a fairly large zone of friendly CA is another strong (de)buff. I like my Daily powers to make a big difference in a combat, rather than just be a damage delivery mechanism, and Swarming Bats delivers. Utility 2 - Hunter's Instinct: It turned out that crit-fishing in a stingy magic item game wasn't all that effective. Plus the range limitation (2 squares) was just too tight.Encounter 3 - Into the Black Bog: This ended up being really fun for breaking grabs (our DM rules that teleport breaks a grab, even if the monster would still have reach) and generally for bunching up monsters for a subsequent burst, or getting them to an appropriate spot. The damage debuff was surprisingly effective at low levels, as well: -3 damage (Wis 16) is 1/4 to 1/2 a surge for some PCs!Daily 5 - Call of the Ghost Wolf: The one time I used this power it was spectacularly effective due to our two Defenders' abilities to prone and lock the target enemy into position next to the Ghost Wolf... so the enemy got clobbered for +2d6 damage for 3 rounds in a row. However, you can't expect that to happen regularly, and when it doesn't, the Ghost Wolf is totally pointless.Daily 5 - Ensnaring Shot: Restrained and Immobilized are pretty strong control, but the fact that you need to make an attack roll to impose the latter is kind of lame. (A real Controller like a Wizard or Invoker would probably get the Immobilize for free on the Sustain.)Utility 6 - Blurring Stride: Strong defensive ability, but the Sustain Minor got to be problematic. (Mostly due the Ranger half wanting to Quarry things, so maybe not as problematic on a straight Seeker.) Also I just can't seem to bring myself to maintain Daily Utility powers unless they're really, really good.Utility 6 - Eagle's Aim: This solved the problem of the stupidly short handaxe ranges, but then I realized that I wasn't missing all that often anyway, and when I did miss I could Inevitable Shot anyway.Encounter 7 - Feyjump Shot: I know the handbook author loves this power, and it is pretty sweet when it works. But needing to hit both targets is annoying. The single target hits are definitely "feels bad man" for an E7, as you end up just doing at-will damage with a (likely) pointless teleport rider.That said, Feyjump Shot when you hit both targets and you then you teleport an annoying enemy Artillery from far away into your party's front line and oh yeah it's Dazed -- is *spectacular*. Of course the "far away" part is less likely with a thrown weapon like my dumb handaxes, so maybe use a bow like a normal Seeker.-----Hope this is entertaining. I know I'm always curious about how powers actually play, rather than just read.</blockquote>

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