[1.xx] Islidox's Build tips/critique section for Rangers

Hi Islidox,

Thank you for your response. I'd welcome any reason to not delete my Ranger, but I don't know if it can be saved. The emphasis on evasion, energy shield and mana, without specializing in any of the above really makes this an awful build to play. I journaled my issues in a bit more detail in this thread. I'd post my gear in full but it probably wouldn't make any difference; I've switched it out before and will most definitely have to again if I'm going to make it work.

Unless I can conclusively overcome the issues with eva/es/mana/low hp, I can't see this build being viable for me, and I still don't think it qualifies as a starter build of any sort.

This is awesome work!

I just started playing for a week, tried a few built from the forum, and found many are very gear depended, not a very wise choice for a starter char. I was going to ask people for the guidance for a starter char built and found this!

In your opinion, out of all the built you listed, which built you think is best for a starter char?

Thanks a lot for all the tips!

Thanks for the guide. Sorry if its been asked already, but can someone explain what Acrobatics does? Is this REALLY trading all armor and shield for a 1 in 5 chance to dodge all damage? What happens 4 out of 5 times? You die? I am sure its staring me right in the face, but it looks like a steep trade off, so I am guessing I am completely clueless on its actual effect.

I donr know if it has been asked,but without using BM, how can you fulfill basic mana needs, trying to spend in it as little as possible?
I planned on only getting mana flows and anything i could get from gear but i dont know if its enough

"

gonzaw wrote:

I donr know if it has been asked,but without using BM, how can you fulfill basic mana needs, trying to spend in it as little as possible?
I planned on only getting mana flows and anything i could get from gear but i dont know if its enough

I decided not to use BM so I'm also trying to handle mana needs. I use mana leech gems on both my attacks, and I'm trying to support at least 2 auras.

@w1nger1: I would have the say the Elemental Ranger is the most solid build, with high DPS and survivability.

@wc5b: Acrobatics deals with everything BUT spells, which means melee attacks and projectiles like arrows. Phase Acrobatics deals with spells. The thing with Acrobatics is that the only armor worth using is pure Evasion armor (all dex). Evasion is the one thing that Acrobatics does not affect and works in tandem with the Acrobatics keystone.

@gonzaw: for Rangers that don't go BM, you need the entire Mana Flows pocket as as any addtional Int from passives like Savant or gear to help bolster your mana. Also looking for +mana and %manaleech on gear is worth getting too as long as you meet your survivability needs. (life/resists) Frenzy is the one attack that requires a Mana Leech support due to its high mana cost and attack speed. I currently have my Frenzy socketed with Faster Projectiles (may switch with Faster Attacks), Added Fire Damage, and a 11% quality Mana Leech. I use 3 auras (Grace, Hatred, or Haste) and can support up to 2 auras at once, switching them at anytime depending on the situation.

OK, a couple other questions. Am I to assume that if I go for a Physical Crit build like you posted prior, that I should be utilizing physical based attacks as my core? I.E. Frenzy or Puncture or Poison Single Target and Split or Rain for AOE grinding? I only ask this because it seems from the forums a lot of crit builds are still using lightning as a primary skill. Should I be?

2nd, I see a lot of people swearing by split but I tend to be enjoying Rain better. Is thier a reason other then player feel that I should be using one over the other? Is their a mechanic that will make me hit a brick wall with one or the other? Same goes for the more single target skill. Should I be using Puncture or Poison? Or is it better using an elemental like lighting even though its a crit physical build.

3rd, since it seems your saying attack speed is a primary stat, am I to read into that short bow is the way to go? Or is long bow also good? When would I pick one over the other if the don't matter?

"

wc5b wrote:

OK, a couple other questions. Am I to assume that if I go for a Physical Crit build like you posted prior, that I should be utilizing physical based attacks as my core? I.E. Frenzy or Puncture or Poison Single Target and Split or Rain for AOE grinding? I only ask this because it seems from the forums a lot of crit builds are still using lightning as a primary skill. Should I be?

2nd, I see a lot of people swearing by split but I tend to be enjoying Rain better. Is thier a reason other then player feel that I should be using one over the other? Is their a mechanic that will make me hit a brick wall with one or the other? Same goes for the more single target skill. Should I be using Puncture or Poison? Or is it better using an elemental like lighting even though its a crit physical build.

3rd, since it seems your saying attack speed is a primary stat, am I to read into that short bow is the way to go? Or is long bow also good? When would I pick one over the other if the don't matter?

That's more than a couple of questions. :P

Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you, I was busy with other IRL matters.

1. LA is useful in the sense that it has a built in AoE function, but so does Split Arrow and Rain of Arrows. If you're going physical, I suggest sticking with the latter 2 as you don't benefit much from the elemental damage from LA. Use Frenzy for Single-target, and either Poison Arrow or Puncture as your boss-nuker (for those that have annoyingly high ES).

2. Rain of Arrows is interesting in that it needs Faster Projectiles AND Faster Attacks to make it shine whereas Split Arrow only really needs Faster Attacks. SA is different in the sense it can hit 5 targets at once without you really aiming whereas RoA needs a little judgment to hit the target due to delay. I like to use SA for long-range targets, soften them up a bit, before using RoA when they get in front of me. This practice will also get me ready for using the Point Blank keystone on my Physical Ranger. As for Puncture and Poison Arrow, I personally like Poison Arrow because you deal lots of damage with the inital projectile and you get chaos AoE damage. I'm not sure how good puncture performs in the endgame, but if you're the type to gun n run, Puncture may be a better option as enemies who chase you will take extra damage. Up to preference.

3. I personally don't think it matters, but I try to get bows that have an attack speed of at least 1.3 APS. Obvious bow like Thicket bows with 1.55 APS will give you better DPS but at a cost of lower DPH. I think for crit builds, you want a mixture of high-physical damage bows yet a decent AS to get more crits.

Hi! I'm sorry if this turns out to be offtopic, but could you look at my build and tell me what's right and what's wrong for me to understand things better?
http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgIAAdEFhAguEC0UdRXwGY4Z_hsBJT8s6TKUSn1W-megbmlvPXRBd9d_Aod2kAqQvpUFm42hpKJApuCn1KvSr-uw0rQawdjEosS40anTftX42cbcFd0N4dviy-cK7YPvevT4_MX-yA==

Nice Guide:D