Hunter Ranger Guide

engleberthumper · March 2014

Hi, thx been copying ur guide and another for my first char, does anyone know if sharandar Boon "Illusion Shimmer" is still broken or otherwise rubbish? I have to choose between it and 250 AP for pure archer but I already have 2400AP with blue/T1 gear and green companions and artifact and Ive been trying to avoid stacking it

I am 1/3 through Sharandar and Dread Ring, (no Gauntlgrym and hardly any PVP yet) and have 12100 GS and stats roughly as follows (think its campfire too):

Power 3700
AP 2350
Crit 2050

Defence 1400
Deflect 1150

Regen 320
Life Steal 500
Recovery 420

I have the two Pegasus Rings for 478 Crit each but can swap for 407 Regen from same Pegasus vendor

A bit more lifesteal and regen would be useful, Im unsure what recovery does really and should I have more deflect and power?

I like to stay far away and split shot/rain arrows/aimed shot and dps and shift when mobbed and start over. Usual stuff for average player I guess

I will start trying more Feats out as per OP, I have 20 unused points.

kosrov · April 2014

thanks a lot for this guide. i was also looking at kassenpoints guide. both helped a lot.

but i have a Problem (and wasnt really sure where to post my question). my Play style is pve (only) archery short to medium range.

i was in mc and up to end Boss i was first on dps Chart with 10.5 mil dps (others: 10 mil, 9.5 mil, 9.5mil dps). i was using about what kassenpoint suggests in his guide: split shot / electric shot --- split the sky / thorn ward / rain of arrows --- twin blade storm / aspect of the pack --- seismic shot. so far so good.

now mc end Boss. we had 3 wipes, 4 attempt succeded. dps Chart 1st place 16 mil, 2nd/3rd (not sure exactly about 12 - 13 mil), me as 4th 11.5 mil. as im not really sure how to fight single Targets like fulminorax, and how to apply burst damage agains valindra when she comes down. because i dont see high damage daily powers like icy knife, i sometimes didnt use 2 of my enounters to make sure they are not on cooldown when valindra comes down. i used rapid shot / Fox cunning Encounter always against fulminorax. when valindra Comes down i used aimed shot at-will/ commanding shot Encounter / rain of arrows Encounter against valindra. im not sure about daily, i dont see anything that helps here.

can you please give me advice for end Boss fight in MC or VT? thanks for your effort.

asmodeus451 · April 2014

for Single Target DPS, Aimed Shot beats out everything else, timing it in between Val's auto-hits is key.

encounter wise, i use Commanding Shot for the Debuff in both fights, RoA to drop on Val in dragon fight and on Hands in Val fight.

3rd encounter is usually Fox's in dragon, for the auto dodge (some of his Reds are huge) and Marauder's in VT. Maraudeer's Rush is great for grabbing caskets in VT as you can cross half the arena in one button press

the only Daily I use is FG, and only as an Aggro shed

voltomey · May 2014

This guide needs major updateing so in the next few weeks ill get to it but other then that guess whose back

lirithiel · May 2014

Welcome back Big V. Yes the guides do need some serious love now get to it

Thanks for all your work so far btw.

voltomey · May 2014

is it me or who else hates the new paragon path besides the new Daily Lol maybe i should try it out more but other then that i can't stand it. Let me re say for combat ranger and Nature ranger this paragon path is decent but if your a archer just stick to stormwarden

voltomey · May 2014

Ok i am gonna put my input on the new paragon paths as the first section Of this guide revamp

gabrieldourden · May 2014

voltomey wrote: »

is it me or who else hates the new paragon path besides the new Daily Lol maybe i should try it out more but other then that i can't stand it. Let me re say for combat ranger and Nature ranger this paragon path is decent but if your a archer just stick to stormwarden

I pretty much like the new path as an archer. It lets you manage aggro much more easily in PvE. I lost the DPS coming from Split the Sky but found out that the fact that I need to run far less lets me deal more damage overall. I get many more free Aimed Strikes in particular. And Cruel Recover is amazing with my crit rate which is close to 50%.
The new daily is icing on the cake against bosses. And I like the Trap too in PvE as it works against a large variety of creatures (Maws in Spellplague are a good example).

silence1x · May 2014

Welcome back voltomey! I agree - i stuck with Archery (I do use Fox's though). While the bear trap does have its uses, I find the path overall less than useful in most cases. My playing style is this - I'm the guy in the back shooting StS, RoA, crit a few times, shift to melee. ME/Fox to the target, hit a few times, then ME back out. Rinse and repeat. I picked the HR because I like the strategies. I don't have to be the Paingiver. I just wanna play.

innerworld · June 2014

great guide, everything makes sense, i started this game about 2 days ago and have been using this guide for my HR, thanks lots (also i don't know if this is considered a necro or not)

fyrhawker · June 2014

Moved post

cosmin05 · July 2014

Is HR a solid choice for PvE Content or not after the mod 3 he has been nerfed like hell. Other than that there is not a paragon path that is solid for Archer. I hate using melee as a HR but it seems that CW and GWF rules the server so what can we do about this? I don't want to start a class that is ****ty so i really need your opinion on this one.

gman118 · July 2014

HR is stilll a great class,nerfed to hell is more like the GF's and TR's.HR's(archer tree) will become Dps kings(2nd or top) so just wait till mod 4 to become an archer,im sure Voltomey will make a new build for mod 4.Diffrence between paths is just pathfinder is just more tactical and has a few little perks,as a archer I stayed with stormwarden.

captainfarstar · July 2014

cosmin05 wrote: »

Is HR a solid choice for PvE Content or not after the mod 3 he has been nerfed like hell. Other than that there is not a paragon path that is solid for Archer. I hate using melee as a HR but it seems that CW and GWF rules the server so what can we do about this? I don't want to start a class that is ****ty so i really need your opinion on this one.

Wait for mod 4. It will be a game changer for HR's.

voltomey · July 2014

I am doing so much atm on the preview shard guys so much do do and the warlock class to test out so. More content comming soon with updates

jonkoca · July 2014

Why bother..? Whatever you build will be cried about and then nerfed. Sorry, but all the *****y whiners are getting me down. Hope your preview testing comes up with either something to tank with or something to kill with, because I'm tired of the whiner/dev complex breaking my toys. Aspect of the lone wolf gone now too. Back to glass cannons again. Jesus.

voltomey · July 2014

Mod 4 gave us some nice goodies But combat rangers also lost 10% Flat crit chance for melee attacks 10% Run speed and 5% Deflection and some mitigation on lone wolf now a good chunk of this Guide must now be reworked. Atm i am like but also not liking the new direction of Combat HR but atm its all up in the air and will need more testing but i believe we lost a good chunk of tankyness.

whoamireally · July 2014

Great guide. I had been referencing some of this in regards to the ability explanations and what not. However, the companion active bonus section is outdated. The con artist gives a flat crit chance increase on the live server afaik.

jasonite2014 · July 2014

I'm just starting out, I played a TR for about 10-11 levels and got a bit bored so I changed to HR. I went with the suggestions in the guide and made a Wood Elf with the "hard DPS" stats and am just at level 5 right now, doing the basic quests. I'm interested in making a hybrid HR, I like the idea of range and then changing to slice and dice when they get close up. Is there anything other than the basic quests I should be doing between now and lvl 10 or 20?

I've taken a look at recommended feats for hybrids such as Bloodthirsty, Agile Hunter, Warden's Caution. Are there any other recommended ones, for RH or just plain heroic?

I also have some questions about professions. I've heard Weaponsmithing and Leadership advised, why those two and not Leatherworking? Is leatherworking not worth it? I'm know I'm a ways away from it, but which Paragon Path is recommended for a hybrid RH like me?

The only other thing I'd like to discuss is companions. I'd imagine the best ones are the ones you pay for but I'm not sure I'm willing to shell out cash just yet. Any recommendations for a good free companion, and/or a good paid one if I later decide to go that route? As a hybrid striker, I'm thinking a defender type would be good, and am only vaguely familiar with augments. If I understand the system right only certain companions can be upgraded to lvl 30, so I'd certainly like to get one of those eventually.

Thanks for answering

voltomey · July 2014

I am about to update this guide starting today

jasonite2014 · July 2014

Great, thanks a million! The stat rolls alone are a lil confusing, there's what you recommend on your guide but obsidian gave a different recommendation on p. 27.

J

voltomey · July 2014

the stats rolls are my personal opinion but roll any you think are good for what you want to build any way i updated the first section and its almost done. i had to scrap some stuff and add some stuff

jasonite2014 · July 2014

voltomey wrote: »

the stats rolls are my personal opinion but roll any you think are good for what you want to build any way i updated the first section and its almost done. i had to scrap some stuff and add some stuff

Thanks for starting to update the guide to mod 4! I guess I'm confused a bit about what to roll for what. There seem to be four different types of ranger builds: archer, melee, nature, and hybrid. That might be a way to categorize stat allocation? For example I'm trying to build a hybrid wood elf. My Con right now is at 8. The only rules I see are for Con scores over 10, nothing for those under 10. So I could assume that a Con of 8 gives me the same HP as a Con of 10, and it's only after going over 10 that I get a bonus.

<edit> But I went on the preview server and saw that it did make a difference, lol.

J

voltomey · July 2014

jasonite2014 wrote: »

Thanks for starting to update the guide to mod 4! I guess I'm confused a bit about what to roll for what. There seem to be four different types of ranger builds: archer, melee, nature, and hybrid. That might be a way to categorize stat allocation? For example I'm trying to build a hybrid wood elf. My Con right now is at 8. The only rules I see are for Con scores over 10, nothing for those under 10. So I could assume that a Con of 8 gives me the same HP as a Con of 10, and it's only after going over 10 that I get a bonus.

Lucky for you i am going to do in depth about each individual build

lirithiel · July 2014

voltomey wrote: »

Electric Shot/Clear The Ground currently is still in the void of uselessness just like CsH Dont Bother with it.

I disagree that Clear the Ground is useless. It was buffed in Mod 3 and is the best AoE ability melee has. With the Royal Guard set and Stormstep Action feature I recycle through my encounters pretty quickly. Its not high numbers by any means but sheer numbers which makes it handy against multiple mobs. I don't use the following set-up myself but I heard that using the features Blade Storm and Twin-Blade Storm combined with CtG that numbers are quite impressive.

lirithiel · July 2014

Also Stormstep Action now reduces the CD by only 2 seconds at 3/3 - was nerfed in Mod 3. Rank 1 gives 1 sec while ranks 2 and 3 only provide 0.5 sec reduction.

sexwax45 · July 2014

lirithiel wrote: »

Also Stormstep Action now reduces the CD by only 2 seconds at 3/3 - was nerfed in Mod 3. Rank 1 gives 1 sec while ranks 2 and 3 only provide 0.5 sec reduction.

Not to mention if its used twice within 10 secs its cut in half to only 1 sec.

kgl7 · July 2014

Has it become viable to be melee only HR yet? Without any need of hybrid mechanics.

obsidiancran3 · July 2014

Glad you are updating voltomey!

I'm slowly getting back into the groove of the game after a 6 month break, so I have nothing to offer, but lots to learn again!

voltomey · July 2014

after the next preview patch drops i will be updateing the rest of the guide there a incoming nerf to wild medicine and i want to see if any thing going to drastically change before i write a large section on it.

Hunter Ranger Guide

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