What the best Ranger feat setup after next update?

[goldgolem]

Anyone have nay input for what the best progression is for pure archers? I was going to take healing amp and quicken but now it looks like I might take some of the ranged power feats instead. May have to swap in Shot on the run




NEW: Various weapon feats have been improved to grant Melee and/or Ranged Power:

Weapon Focus now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power (depending on the weapon equipped.)
Greater Weapon Focus now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power.
Superior Weapon Focus now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power.
Weapon Specialization now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power.
Greater Weapon Specialization now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power.
Shot on the Run now grants 3 Ranged Power.

Edit: how do you get weapon specialisation?

[Grailhawk]

Edit: how do you get weapon specialisation?

4 levels of fighter.

[CThruTheEgo]

Weapon specialization, greater weapon focus, greater weapon specialization, and superior weapon focus require 4, 8, 12, and 16 levels of fighter, respectively. So says the wiki.

So this is really a boost to fighter based archers.

[AylinIsAwesome]

Well, Fighters will be happy.

Shot on the Run wouldn't be a bad choice, if you're already taking the pre-reqs. I don't think the weapon focus/specialization line will be worth it to non-Fighters though.

Dodge, Mobility, Shot on the Run, Point Blank Shot, Zen Archery, Precision, Improved Critical, Overwhelming Critical, 10K stars, Combat Archery, Blinding Speed is 11 feats, and with 7 heroic + 3 monk + 3 epic you have 2 left over (3 if you're human). Iirc the typical ranged Ranger build is 6 Monk/11 Ranger/3 ??? so you wouldn't be able to take Weapon Specialization anyway. Though, if you did 6 Monk/10 Ranger/4 Fighter or 7 Monk/9 Ranger/4 Fighter you could pick up Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Quicken, and Empower Heal (though with only CLW it won't be much benefit).

[goldgolem]

I will go pure elf ranger, so ftr and monk are out. At some point they are gonna make pure rangers the best rangers, right? lol

OK so its all really just buffs to fighters?

All rangers get from that long list is:
Weapon Focus now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power (depending on the weapon equipped.) - Prerequisite: Base attack bonus of +1 or higher
Shot on the Run now grants 3 Ranged Power.

Was this the great ranged power update?

[AylinIsAwesome]

Was this the great ranged power update?

It was probably a much needed buff to fighters.

[Alfhild]

Although this would be a monkcher build with ranger levels, you could hypothetically go Human/PDK 6 Ranger/6 Monk/8 Fighter
3 Monk Feats: Zen Archery, Precision, 10K Stars
L1 Human Bonus: Point Blank Shot
7 Heroic Feats: IPS, Master of Forms, Dodge, Mobility, Quicken (for fast Cocoons), IC:Ranged, Shot on the Run
5 Fighter Feats: WFoc:Ranged, WFoc:Thrown, WSpec: Ranged, WSpec:Thrown, GWFoc:Ranged

so +13 Ranged power without including ED cores

I might try this out since I still need a Fighter and PDK PL

[goldgolem]

Ok, back OT: for pure ranged rangers

I have

weapon focus ranged
improved crit ranged
dodge
mobility
shot on the run
precision

Is there anything better? Taking into account weapon focus and shot on the run (needs dodge +mobility) are the things that add ranged power next update

I am currently using AA enhancements but could take DS and maybe pull in power attack feat? (does that stack with heavy draw?)

[Alfhild]

If dodge and/or mobility are getting you extra dodge, then take them.

If you are at your dodge cap without them, then you are wasting 2 feat slots to get +3 RP from SotR.

Instead of:
weapon focus ranged
improved crit ranged
dodge
mobility
shot on the run
precision

you could have:
WF: Ranged
WF: Thrown
IC: Ranged
Precision
Quicken
Emp Healing

You would lose 1 RP (which is really negligible), and gain a heck more survivability due to empowered/quickened CSWs and Cocoons.

Power Attack does not work with ranged/thrown.

[goldgolem]

Thanks for the reply!

The extra Weapon focus enhancement is an interesting idea. Do we know they stack? Then ideally I should take 4 of them and get +8...

weapon focus
weapon focus
weapon focus
weapon focus
improved crit ranged
precision

[Alfhild]

Thanks for the reply!

The extra Weapon focus enhancement is an interesting idea. Do we know they stack? Then ideally I should take 4 of them and get +8...

weapon focus
weapon focus
weapon focus
weapon focus
improved crit ranged
precision

WF: Ranged and WF: Thrown give Ranged Power and stack (as of last word from Devs.)
The other Focus feats stack but give Melee Power however.

[blerkington]

Hi,

I think spending all of those feats on tiny ranged power increases is a really bad idea.

You might think about adding some metamagic feats to make your self healing useful, and maybe also spend a feat or two so you can melee when that is the better option.

You're missing Point Blank Shot too. It's a prerequisite for Combat Archery, so probably worth taking.

Thanks.

[adrian69]

Weapon specialization, greater weapon focus, greater weapon specialization, and superior weapon focus require 4, 8, 12, and 16 levels of fighter, respectively. So says the wiki.

So this is really a boost to fighter based archers.

I was in this MP forum the other day and they clarified that you'll only get the MP off one feat line, whichever is higher, and do not stack. So if you're getting 1/1/2 from TWF and 2 from a focus, it seems a little worthless to take a feat for the MP.

[goldgolem]

WF: Ranged and WF: Thrown give Ranged Power and stack (as of last word from Devs.)
The other Focus feats stack but give Melee Power however.

Weapon Focus now grants 2 Melee or Ranged Power (depending on the weapon equipped.)

So that would make this incorrect or not properly explained?

[goldgolem]

Hi,

You're missing Point Blank Shot too. It's a prerequisite for Combat Archery, so probably worth taking.

Thanks.

I think I miscounted my feats - should be 7 feats in total for heroic levels. I think I do actually have PBS (just cant log into check atm)

weapon focus ranged
improved crit ranged
dodge
mobility
shot on the run
precision
PBS


At epic I have taken Combat archery (so i must have PBS). I am planning to take overhelming critical and then have 1 free which is earmarked for either epic reflexes or blinding speed

[blerkington]

I think I miscounted my feats - should be 7 feats in total for heroic levels. I think I do actually have PBS (just cant log into check atm)

weapon focus ranged
improved crit ranged
dodge
mobility
shot on the run
precision
PBS


At epic I have taken Combat archery (so i must have PBS). I am planning to take overhelming critical and then have 1 free which is earmarked for either epic reflexes or blinding speed

Hi,

I don't think you are making any serious mistakes with your feat choices, but I do think you could get more out of them than you currently are.

Four feats in your list are devoted towards small increases in ranged power, chance to hit, and defensive bonuses which aren't nearly as valuable to an archer as a melee. Keeping back from your enemies is your best way not to be hit, so I think improving dodge at such a high cost isn't a great choice.

Particularly at heroic levels, your damage output isn't going to be great outside manyshot. Even as a somewhat suboptimal melee, with a couple of feats like power attack and improved critical, you will be a lot more effective some of the time in melee than at range.

I also think it's a lost opportunity to neglect your self healing. Ranger cure spells are pretty miserable without metamagics, healing amplification and spellpower. With all three of those things they can become pretty good, letting you use one of your twists for something else when you get to epic levels.

Of course, you should make your character the way you want it to be. My point here is just that your build seems excessively specialised for little overall gain, when strengthening some other areas would add a lot more versatility overall, and in my experience, make the class more effective and fun to play.

Lastly, although some consider blinding speed a waste of a slot for an archer, it does seem to provide a higher alacrity bonus than the spell does. I think for that reason, and its overall utility, it can be a good choice.

Good luck with it.

[goldgolem]

After getting to 25 on epic, I did use my heart to rebuild to the healing spec. There was no point being a glass cannon and doing so little damage as well. At least now I can stay alive and do little damage. Will cap and park to the proper ranger update

Also built a tier 1 TF and its worse than my lvl 14 bow