Ranger Secondary Profession/Bows?

Okay so I'm finally going to make a ranger and I haven't really decided on a second profession. Anyone had good results with a certain profession? If so just like tell me why or something.

Secondly for a bow I was debating on if I should use a poisoners bow or a vampiric bow and then I realized, hey why not both.

So for the vampiric bow I'll get a short range fast bow of fortitude.

Then was thinking a longer range slower one for the poisoners, but then I realized I actually need to shoot fast with it so I can get em all poisoned.

I'm assuming the lengthened poison will stay as long as I hit with that bow and I don't have to stay on it.

Any thoughts? The second bow is mainly just something to switch to incase I for some reason have my life so low that I can't take the degen so it might as well have a second purpose of making the poison longer.

Zealous bows are nice, also. Especially if you've got Tiger's Fury running, then your energy regain rate is amazing.

Anyway, here's the skinny on the two secondaries I've played Rangers with.

Elementalist: This was all the rage, because of Conjures, but I really don't like it (and its also my secondary, heh, and people wonder why I use only pure Ranger skills). The skill synergy is bad, as most Ele stuff simply costs too much Energy for you to use effectively. And the Conjures (except for Conjure Flame), while nice with Tiger's Fury, do not stack with Kindle Arrows, which makes me personally very sad. I suppose you could take Water Magic and add a few snares, but again, Energy cost. Earth might be worth it for the ward spells. Air is not too great as your single target damage will probably come from a bow, and DO NOT USE GALE. Exhaustion is crippling for a Ranger.

Warrior: Ranger/Warrior is best a melee build, very much offense focused, although you have several neat defensive tricks available (Throw Dirt, Whirling Defense etc.). Apply Poison is great for melee and stacks nicely with Sever to give someone max degen in a hurry, and Tiger's Fury is even better than Frenzy (If you're a truly sick person, you could run them back to back). This build might almost be worth running a pet with, too, if pets didn't take up way too many skillslots with abilities that just duplicate stuff you can do with other skillsets. Of course, this is most likely more effective in PvE. Ok, definitely PvE, heh. It is fun to watch a Ranger run to melee and commence to murderin', however.

Anyway, the two most commonly chosen secondaries for Rangers are Mesmer and Monk. Mesmer gives you even more disruption and anti caster stuff, as well as some energy drain if you want to go that route instead, and Monk lets you setup the whole Judge's Insight Barragebot deal. (There are some decent sample builds floating around)

Also, you can always run off pure Ranger skills. It works out better than you think, as you can accomplish Ranger as Disrupter and Ranger as Burst Damage (Though not Air Ele spike levels) with stuff like Distracting (Which is the single best Ranger skill) and Debilitating Shot for the first (And Poison Arrow, don't forget that), and Kindle Arrows and Tiger's Fury for the second.

Well, that was a long ramble. Hope it was helpful.

-Eirion

actually, i run an Ranger/ele myslef. have had both lighintg and fire specs in temrs of elemnatilsit damge - havent used conjours at all, although id like to.

the real trick is to learn how to manage your energy... with Expertise and Lesser Glyph of Energy, its quite easy - i have used meteor storm to huge succes.. same with Chain lighting (both which cause Exhaustion). Currently i use a mix of lightning, Exp as my mains, and marks and Wilderness survial as my secondary stats - its nice and powerful.

it comes to your playing style... if you like a char who can nuke and matain energy quite well, with good armour and damge out put.. id say R/E.

but that been said - i have no other experiances with ranger combos... so get other peoples advice by far.. not my two weeks of experiance (1 and bit if im honest =P)

Ranger mesmer can tank like a god. Greater Conflagration/Mantra of Flame with the drakescale armour results in a hilarious intake of 0 damage from anything that aint elemental. Since rangers armour is keyed to warding off elemental, then your still taking single digit from most nukes. I was in the arena yesterday and some guy meteor showered me... twice.... for a grand total of 25 damage -,- Also with storm chaser you can interrupt pretty decently as well.

I don't know about your second class but IMO vampiric bow sucks. You loose hit points like some level 1 necro has drain on you. The drain is -1 and not -1 hit point a second. When you hit you don't regen fast enough to compensate especially in the higher levels where 5 hit pionts is rather mudane to getting swatted by 30+ losses. I sold that POS bow to a merchant after it killed me when I went afk for 10 min to run a errand.

A buddy of mine up here at college uses a ranger monk, primarily for pvm, but he wants a 4 or 5 steal vamp bow to switch to for barrage. If you're hitting 3-5 targets at 5 health a piece with a short bow or half moon, you can get good hp back. But for pvp, I dont think you'll be able to hit enough targets to warrent the hp loss of a vampiric bow. Zealous bows are better in pvp IMO.

Expertise {P}: 13 (9+3)
Marksmenship: 13 (9+3)
Wildnerness Survival: 3
Illusion Magic: 12
Points Spent: 199
Points Unspent : 1







Skills

Conjure Phantasm (Illusion Magic)
Hunter's Shot (Marksmenship)
Troll Unguent (Wilderness Survival)
Read The Wind (Marksmenship)
Ethereal Burden (Illusion)
Throw Dirt {E} (Expertise)
Epidemic (Unlinked)
Lighting Reflexes (Expertise)

Ressurection Signet to replace Ethereal Burden or Lightning Reflexes (Unlinked)



Gear


Head Armour: Level 20 Hunter's Mask (70AL +1 Marksmenship)
Torso Armour: Level 20 Drakescale Vest (70AL +30 All Elem, +15 Fire)
Arm Armour: Level 20 Hunter's Gloves (70AL +30 All Elem, +15 Piercing)
Foot Armour: Level 20 Hunter's Boots (70AL +30 All Elem, +15 Piercing)
Leg Armour: Level 20 Leather Leggings (80AL +20 All Elem)
Weapon: Your Choice of Bow

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hehe, i fully realsie that - im still toying around wiht my build, and have thrown Wildnerss into it, which adds a nice damge boost. ive dropped lesser Glyph in favour of Marksman wager, and with traps and thigns.. im still expertimeintng, but im sure there will be build i can make work.. *evil*