Analysis of the Elven Ranger

[Marshal_Lannes]

Through level 12 I can firmly say that a 6/6 monk-ranger split plays exactly like a 12 ranger when in primary Horizon Walker. It also seems that evasion works now even if you are uncentered. I was uncentered until L10 and evasion saves were triggering the whole time. Not sure if this has been changed and you can now evade while uncentered or if this is a bug. Updated feat choices were:

9 - IC Ranged
12 - Shot on the Run
12 - (monk) Toughness. There are three options here for your martial arts feat. Discipline to maximize your threat reduction from Shadowdancer, Deflect Arrows (although we get this in Vistani), and Toughness. It is likely that most will want to get the haste boost from Vistani and Deflect arrows is on the way to that, so toughness or discipline? Going toughness (and maybe epic toughness) this life and will try out discipline next time.

Now let's look at stances. Fire modifies STR so isn't much use to us. Earth gives us the all-important HPs but at - 2 cost to DEX our primary stat and slows us down by 10%. That's a high price to pay. Wind gives us the DEX boost but a -2 CON. Water is probably the most useful overall, we lose 2 STR that we don't need and gain saving throws, dodge, and +2 WIS. I don't have a lot of reaper points on this character so the saves bonus is useful. Ultimately, we are talking about fractions on the margins for all this stuff and maybe the 10% HP boost is the most noticeable effect you will get especially since you're likely already pushing dodge max from boosts in reaper and enhancement trees. As you can see from this stream of consciousness debate I'm having with myself there is no must-have stance so quality game design has left us with options. Another thought on speed - ideally you want to hang back and let other characters draw the agro. There are several reasons for this; you don't have much AOE kill capabilities and are ill-suited to be the lead zerger. Slowing down and scout snipering the most dangerous targets is what makes you such a bonus to a party and you'll still be able collect plenty of kills. I might be talking myself into Earth but then I remember it's a net 4 loss of DEX which equates to a -3 loss in damage from ability and DEX stance.

[Artos_Fabril]

Through level 12 I can firmly say that a 6/6 monk-ranger split plays exactly like a 12 ranger when in primary Horizon Walker. It also seems that evasion works now even if you are uncentered. I was uncentered until L10 and evasion saves were triggering the whole time. Not sure if this has been changed and you can now evade while uncentered or if this is a bug.

Evasion has never depended on being centered, even for monks, but especially for other classes who do not have/require "centering" Evasion is deactivated by wearing Medium or Heavy Armor or using Adamantine Body. You also get your defense bonus to AC as long as you are "defensively centered" (wearing only cloth armor or a docent with Composite Plating and no shield or Rune Arm and not encumbered) regardless of your weapon choices.

Another point in favor of Ocean Stance: It raises your dodge cap while active by 2/4/6/8.

[Marshal_Lannes]

I think maybe I recall that on the armor, but why did the old 12/6/2 splits run around in cloth armor if light armor was available? Probably was another beneficial mechanic from years ago that I can't recall.

As I progress into the mid to higher heroic levels I do notice a difference between this monk split and pure ranger - no healing. Ranger has limited healing, but at least its something. Our monk split has none. That becomes an issue when an R3 champion hits you leaving no way to heal up from 57 HPs to 500+. Ultimately, you aren't in these levels long and can always bring a hireling. Still, not self-sufficient in any realistic way healing wise.

[unbongwah]

Fire modifies STR so isn't much use to us.

Fire stance is typically used for the +1x critical multiplier bonus on 19-20 rolls from Master/Grandmaster of Fire.

I think maybe I recall that on the armor, but why did the old 12/6/2 splits run around in cloth armor if light armor was available? Probably was another beneficial mechanic from years ago that I can't recall.

Evasion requires light armor or robes; for S&B, only bucklers or light shields work with Evasion. Being centered requires robes and wielding ki weapons. You need to stay centered if you want to use monk stances or special abilities such as Ten Thousand Stars.

[donblas]

Fire modifies STR so isn't much use to us. E.

Some archer builds take a monk splash of even just one level, so that they can take Master of Forms as a feat at level 12, so as to get the Sun Stance crit multiplier bonus.

Seeing how this build actually takes 14 monk levels, so gets Master of Forms for free, you might consider this.

[Artos_Fabril]

I think maybe I recall that on the armor, but why did the old 12/6/2 splits run around in cloth armor if light armor was available? Probably was another beneficial mechanic from years ago that I can't recall.

Depends on how long ago you mean. For the full Zen Archer 10K stars monks, light armor locks out your stances and you aren't "fully centered" meaning negative Ki generation. If you mean further back, before the AC revamp and introduction of PRR/MRR, robes offered instant swap, just as much defense as heavy armor (or more, stacking dex, wis, and dodge bonuses when dodge was a stacking AC bonus and not a separate avoidance defense).

Prior to the AC revamp, AC made no difference whatsoever if your AC wasn't at least as high as the mob's to-hit bonus +1, and AC more than 19 points above a mob's to-hit bonus maid you only hittable on a 20.

[Marshal_Lannes]

Since the release of the IoD I've had a chance to extensively quest with my Horizon Walker Monk/Ranger. Level cap going up to 32 and a new crafting system along with new items means it's time to revisit our gear choices. I view four pieces as core to the build; the Dread Stalker set which consists of Stalkers Outift (clothing), Stalkers Cloak and the Stalkers Skullcap along with the Admiral's Gumshoes. These four items pack a ton of utility covering both our primary stats Constitution and Dexterity +14, Deception +11, Seeker +14, Speed 30%, Insightful Deception +5, Insightful Seeker +6, Ghostly, Insightful Dexterity +6, Parrying +6, Shield Bonus +13 (can actually use this as monk) and True Seeing. Wow! That sure covers a lot, doesn't it? These four items fill our needs so well that we now have tremendous flexibility in deciding what else to use. One of those slots will be taken by our Dino artifact. Currently, I have this gear, mostly to cover slots.

Goggles - Nothing. Well, INT 10 and Spot 18. But the slot is completely open. Actually, a hard slot to fill as there isn't any one option that jumps off the page.

Necklace - Epic Golden Guile for Improved Deception. Slotting ID somewhere is our primary decision after we have the top 4 items above fitted in. There are several ID options to consider.

Trinket - Nothing. Was using the Changestone but the Admiral's Gumshoes fill all its attributes especially if I slot 14 Wisdom in the boots colorless slot.

Belt - L24 Indomitable Wrappings. A sneaky useful item for a HP challenged build giving me Insightful False Life 20, Quality False Life 10 and HAMP 45 with Vitality slotted.

Mastercraft Ring - Doubleshot 8%, False life 51, Insightful Con +5. Nice fill gap ring. The false life and Con can be augmented. Doubleshot 8% shows up on many items just a matter of narrowing it down. An item with Improved Deception and Doubleshot 8% would be ideal. This ring slot will be swapped for the Bound Elemental Ring of Acid.

Ring of Prowess - Covers Ranged Power, Deadly, and Accuracy.

Gloves - Wildwood Gauntlets. Although we no longer use the Wallwatch set, these gloves still give Lesser Displacement (good for raids if not high reaper), Dodge 13%, and Distant Diverson.

Bracers - Dumathoins. Sneaky good item now with the stat squish. Has Natural armor 13, Sheltering 33, Elemental resistance 45.

Aerania vs Dino Crafted

This is the big question facing us now. Aerania (before all buffs added on) is 96.60 base damage, 19-20 x3, has Alchemical Air for occasional burst damage, Keen (useless mostly), Ranged Alacrity 5% (well its 20 but Speed covers 15 so you're getting a net 5 from it), and Elasticity which gives a +1 Crit multiplier on rolls of 19 and 20.

Dino Longbow is 90.60 base damage, 19-20 x3 and then can have four effects. Effect 1 will give one DR breaker plus 15d6 elemental damage. This will push its base damage past Aerania. The next effect in some way replicates the Alchemical Air proc or replaces with a potentially more powerful stacking dot in either Shadowfang or Meltfang. Curious if either of those will stack with the Bound Elemental Ring of Acid. Third effect is +149 spellpower, likely Positive or +2 exception to Dex or Con. Finally, we get a LGS type of ability like Legendary Affirmation, a freeze ability or a debuff to opponents PRR or MRR.

Just by looking at it without running numbers, Aerania will produce bigger crits and shoot a bit faster but the Dino Longbow will have the LGS ability allowing you to build for defense (Legendary Affirmation), CC (freezing) or Raiding (Boss debuffing).

I'm curious what you think about potential Dino Longbow combinations.

[Marshal_Lannes]

A gaming session of doing the Saltmarsh Saga on R8 led to two items fitting rather well into our gear set. I've slotted the Amethyst Loupe in the goggles slot giving us Improved Deception, blindness immunity, Seach & Spot 20 and +11 reflex save. I slot a +11 wisdom augment in the Gumshoe boots replacing the wisdom from previous goggles. You might have a +12 or even one of the new +14 augments. No reason not to put in the 14 since the Gumshoes are level 31 and once you hit 32 you're not going to have to repeat 30-32 on an epic TR. I realized one stat I was missing was Quality Dexterity +3 and that is a potential reason to still craft a slavers item. I did put in the Legendary Bottle of Smoke which has redundant attributes except for the Quality Dex. However, pulling the Legendary Crocodile Tooth I sacrificed the Dexterity for +3 Quality Consitution, Crippling, Armor Piercing 21, and +10 insightful accuracy. That's four new attributes added to our gear layout at the cost of 3 Dexterity. A fine exchange if you ask me!

With Improved Deception on our goggles, we now have an open slot at necklace. This is where we can put our Dinosaur artifact. Or we can use a Dinosaur ring and put a Slaver's necklace there. Right now, the Ring of Prowess can be augmented in our build with deadly and ranged power (the wonderful Crocodile Tooth also has 20 accuracy). So, to recap, our named items:

Goggles - Amethyst Loupe
Trinket - Crocodile Tooth
Belt - Indomitable Wrappings
Armor/Cloak/Helmet - IoD Stalkers
Gloves - Wildwood
Bracers - Dumothoins
Boots - Admiral's Gumshoes

This leaves two rings and a necklace with some flexibility. Best of all for those of you looking for a gear set, none of this is raid gear except for the bracers and it's debatable whether they ultimately stay in the build although I do like them. Having 100+ reflex saves, improved evasion, and 45 elemental resists makes you fairly resistant to enemy evocation spells. Our Horizon Walker elf is both effectively geared and rather easy to outfit. Very beginner friendly.

[Marshal_Lannes]

Running an alternate version of the monk/ranger and I've found that a 12 Monk/6 Ranger/2 Rogue split is far superior to the 14 Monk/6 Ranger. The two rogue gives you trapping but also extra imbues which, with the new imbue system, makes for a far friendly early leveling process. I went:

1 - Rogue
2-7 - Ranger
8 - Rogue
Rest monk.

At level 9 I had 6 imbue dice that were adding significant DPS through the arcane archer toggle. 4 came from AA and 2 came from Assassin. Primary tree continues to be Horizon Walker. This multiclass option also opens up more sneak attack dice.

If you are looking to optimize stacking up archer past lives I'd suggest going in this pattern (heroic/epic):

Ranger/Doubleshot x3 (+6 dmg, +9% doubleshot)
Monk/Enchant weapon x3 (+3 hit, +6 dmg)

This relatively minor TR investment significantly adds to your character's DPS.
Rogue/Ancient