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Ranger - Core Power Ranger

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Strike damage

Designed for: Open WorldOpen World General and Open World Core

Difficulty:
Easy
This build was last updated on August 24, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

A basic but effective open world ranger build that F2P players can access. The Longbow Beastmaster is surprisingly powerful for a Core class and performs very well in event farming and casual solo open world.


Template Code

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Skill Bar

Lynx
Brown Bear
Longbow
Axe/Axe
Utility

Weapon Variants

  • Greatsword - can replace longbow for less burst but better sustained damage.
  • Sword - more damage than axe but in melee range.

Skill Variants

The suggested skills aim to create windows of burst damage through Predator's Onslaught, but other skills can be considered:

Healing skill

  • Healing Spring - condition cleanse.

Utility skill

  • Sun Spirit - Might Might generation in static fights, can be considered in group play.
  • "Guard!" - extra defense.
  • Lightning Reflexes - alternative stun break and extra dodge.
  • Muddy Terrain - excellent for enabling Predator's Onslaught.
  • "Sic 'Em!" - can be used with offensive pets for single target burst.
  • Signet of Renewal - AoE condition cleanse.
  • Signet of Stone - extra toughness and a panic button.
  • Stone Spirit - Aegis Aegis and Protection Protection generation in static fights, can be considered in group play.

Elite skill

  • Entangle - AoE Immobilize Immobilize.
  • Spirit of Nature - AoE revive when playing in a group.

Pet Variants

  • The choice of pet doesn't matter much because core game pets are very weak. We suggest using a Feline since they have the highest damage, especially Lynx Lynx with its Beast skill (F2). For your other pet, you can use a tanky pet such as Brown Bear Brown Bear or a pet to inflict crowd control such as Boar Boar which has crowd control on its skills, and its Beast skill creates a bundle weapon for you to pick up and inflict more CC. If you have access to expansions, use Jacaranda Jacaranda for its high damage and surviveability. Below are some other alternatives.
High damage pets
Good mix of damage and crowd control
Good on-demand crowd control
Tanky pets
  • Drakes such as Marsh Drake Marsh Drake provide the best mix of damage and tankiness, but bears, porcinies, and devourers are also very tanky pets.


Specializations

Variants
  • Clarion Bond - works great if you swap pets often.
  • Lead the Wind - if you are going to camp longbow, but you will do less damage.
  • Primal Reflexes - when not running Frost Trap and/or more dodges are needed.
  • Strider's Strength -works great if using a sword.
  • Quick Draw can enable an alternative playstile where you run 2 longbows and use this trait to cast Barrage every weapon swap. This playstyle is very vulnerable to projectile block/reflect and lacks mobility, but can be very fun.
  • Potent Ally - if not running many Command skills.
  • Note that you will use Two-Handed Training even when not wielding a greatsword, since it provides much-needed Fury.

Equipment

Ascended gear is not required; exotic with the same stats will work fine.

Head
Berserker
Shoulders
Berserker
Chest
Berserker
Hands
Berserker
Legs
Berserker
Feet
Berserker
Backpiece
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Accessory
Berserker
Amulet
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Ring
Berserker
Longbow
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Axe
Berserker
Axe
Berserker
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
x6


Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

DPS

  • Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
  • /
  • /

Defense

Farming

  • Prioritize Steak Ascended food.
  • /
  • (and variants)


Usage

Damage

  • Thanks to Opening Strike+Alpha Focus+Predator's Onslaught you will start fights with great burst damage.
  • Aim to use your damage skills while the enemy is disabled or has its movement impaired to benefit from Predator's Onslaught.
    • Your damage skills are Rapid Fire and Barrage on longbow, and all axe skills on axe-axe. Cast Splitblade in melee range for maximum damage.
    • The following skills are great for enabling Predator's Onslaught: Barrage, Frost Trap and Muddy Terrain.
  • When possible, attack from behind or the rear to enable Hunter's Tactics.

Defense

  • Hunter's Shot can be used to disengage with stealth.
  • Against dangerous enemies, send a tanky pet in first with Attack My Target (F1) so they tank for you.
  • Remember to always dodge and sidestep attacks if possible.
  • Counterattack to block attacks if wielding a greatsword.

Crowd Control

  • Point Blank Shot
  • Path of Scars
  • Hilt Bash if wielding a greatsword
  • Counterattack Counterattack Kick if wielding a greatsword
  • Some pets also have crowd control on their Beast skill (F2)


Ratings

This build has a rating of 5 stars based on 4 votes.
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5 stars
Igornoia gave this build 5 stars • September 2023
A satisfying build to play. Super accessible and doesn't lose much to other base game berserk builds. I recommend!
4 stars
Warming Hearth gave this build 4 stars • April 2023
Super easy to play. The pet is relatively tanky and your weapons are ranged so the build is also very safe. Perhaps a little boring because of how simple it is to play. Its main downside is its low damage after the initial burst. Pets are also very dumb and do super low damage. If you have access to Path of Fire, definitely use Juvenile Jacaranda.
5 stars
Mathiasxii gave this build 5 stars • June 2021
I always thought this to be THE build to live the longbow ranger experience (more than with Soulbeast), even past the HoT/PoF expansion. All three trait lines synergise extremely well and everything is set up for you to send your pet up front in combat while you transform your enemies into porcupines for extremely far. The farther you are, the more you are rewarded boon and damage wise! Once the enemy is weak, you can then launch yourself on the enemies with you greatsword to finish them off. It takes a lot of practice to enjoy such build as you need to be cautious about field positionning, movement, and timing, but it feels great to always have a sight of the battlefield. The only downside is that it tends to perform poorly in tight spaces as you are squishy (as expected for a long range class). 4 is your best friend!
5 stars
Onlywrin gave this build 5 stars • March 2021
one of the best core builds in the game for general open world since ranger pets are so good at distracting mobs, and ranger's moderate damage means it can easily burst down threats.

Comments

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