v1.62

What's New:

• The site was FUBAR in Netscape, so I changed the layout to be compatible. You will need IE 5+ or Netscape 7+ to view the site.
• Changed Descriptions on this page, they had not changed much since Whyrl wrote them and too much has changed to leave them. Also added templates to the descriptions.
• Removed the Templates and Variants sections, they were not needed.
• Split the character creation section off into it's own from the "Basics" section.
• Updated the Celtic Dual formula.
• Added Penetrating Arrow and Rapid Fire to the bow section.
• Updated the Realm Abilities section to reflect the changes to Volley and Longshot.
• Pathfinding section has been drastically changed to reflect the massive influx of buff-bots and how it affects the way we spec.
• Removed the Commands section, Mythic now has a listing on the Herald so mine is not needed.
• Removed the Solo hunting section, there are many threads about it on Critshot and VN, trying to keep them updated here is not worth the trouble.
• Removed the Grouping Tactics section, since it really did not have much to do with Rangers in the first place.
• Updated the stealth section to reflect the See Hidden changes.
• Updated the Cheatsheet.

Preface

The information presented in this guide is intended to help people gain knowledge that will help them make decisions on their path to becoming a Ranger in the MMORPG, Dark Age of Camelot. The advice given is geared towards the level 50 end-game and Realm vs Realm combat. I know, and understand, that many people who play this game will never make it that far whether by choice or not. These people can still gain knowledge here and I have sections on gaining experience and items, but I do not make many recommendations for lower levels. Most of the information is based on what is statistically best on paper. As we all know, what looks good on paper is not always how things work in practice; however, much of this has been tested in game by various people and generally seems to hold true. If you have any questions or feel you need to discuss anything in this guide, please visit the Critshot.com forums. Those forums are the best place to gain a better understanding of Rangers, and this game in general, you can reach me there if needed.

Rangers in Dark Age of Camelot

There are 3 schools of thought when it comes to rangers: the Sniper, Ginsu, and Battle Ranger. What I call "Standard Templates" are simply examples to help give you a better idea of how people generally spec, there are many possible variations on each template.

Sniper
Was once a solo artist capable of sneaking within bow range of multiple opponents, firing off a few shots and then disappearing in the landscape. Their victim had usually fallen dead with their companions scrambling around in multiple directions. This is still an incredible template at lower levels in the Battle Grounds, but "See Hidden" (a Realm Ability given to assassins) has made this somewhat difficult in normal Realm vs. Realm combat. The main weakness of this template is it's lack of melee, which Rangers find themselves in frequently against assassins now. Generally, Snipers need to have their weapon skills at least 1/2 of their level, allowing them to deal out decent damage to opponents when bow turns out not to be an option for both XPing and RvR. This build is still possible at level 50 with with some recent changes to our bow and stealth skills, and is great at keep seiges; but I do not recommend this for most rangers since it relies too heavily on our bow.

Standard Sniper Template:
-50 Recurve Bow
-34 Stealth
-34 Weapon
-29 Pathfinding
-14 Celtic Dual

Ginsu
This is a ranger designed for grouping. The bow skill of this ranger is always at 25% of their level (from autotraining), unless in the late 40's they decide to add in a little bow. This provides the ranger the ability to do some ranged damage, which is great for pulling without drawing aggro, as well as interrupting casters and archers in RvR. The melee skill of this ranger is always as high as possible. Most often this ranger circles around his casters and healers stealthily in a battle trying to draw attacks from enemy assassins, sneak up on enemy snipers or surprise attack any opponent deemed to close. This template may also ignore stealth a bit to increase further it's melee abilities. In the solo arena Ginsu rangers have close to the same, if not higher, damage output as a Blademaster because of the Ranger's self-buffs. But when both are equally buffed the ranger falls behind, plus he cannot absorb as much damage as a Blademaster, who has higher Hits, and the Parry ability (the difference really starts to show at levels 40+ when the Blademaster begins to mature into a real damage dealer). This variant has some versatility with the bow and stealth spec, but like the Sniper, this is more of a low-level build (in the Battle Grounds this can actually beat many classes that they would not dream of touching at level 50). This is probably the best starting ranger spec for a brand-new player who cannot afford good arrows yet. If you really want a tank I believe you should roll a Blademaster, and if you really want to melee people from stealth, an assassin might be a better choice for you; but this build is very versatile, and at high Realm Ranks with RA's such as Ignore Pain, Avoid Pain, Purge, and True Sight, this Ranger can be a nasty opponent.

Standard Ginsu Template:
-44 Weapon
-39 Celtic Dual
-36 Pathfinding
-32 Stealth
-1 Recurve Bow (or swap with stealth)

Battle Ranger
This build is the most versatile. Battle Ranger's are capable of doing many things, and doing them all well. This build is currently the "standard" among most rangers since it allows for a more balanced style of play, having both good melee and bow skills. Basically with this build, you can have your cake and eat it too... the bow and stealth skills are almost as good as a sniper, and the melee skill is almost as good as a Ginsu. At lower levels this build usually tends to lack in many areas, and the others can easily beat it out since it relies on the extra spec points from "half-levels" you gain above level 40 (in other words, until 40+ you will find yourself spread very thin). However, once he reaches those high levels, he is rewarded in his ability to be nearly as effective with his bow as a sniper is, as well as being very good at close combat.

Standard Battle Template:
-40 Bow
-39 Weapon
-34 Stealth
-36 Pathfinding
-15 Celtic Dual

Acknowledgements

Many thanks go to the testing community at Critshot.com and Pendragon, the Team Leads, and many other people who have contributed time and testing which much of this guide is based on. A special thanks to Whyrl Wynd for starting this guide and passing it on to me when his time came to move on. And a big thanks to Kayless for making that great title bar for me.