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

@Luzzifus: For the start, I usually go straight for Greater Impact and then work for defense. The early levels of the game are forgiving in the regards that a decent ranged Ranger can get by with minimal defense. After that, then you'd want to focus on defense and building a more solid foundation. I tend to mix in offense and defense together, but I do it in phases, such as getting a pocket of life, then a pocket of bow passives, then the pocket of Mana flows, then reach for the next Frenzy charge, etc. Balancing your progression is also key, and that is up individual judgment.

Lightning arrow has been made close to useless in ob, expect it to be alot less effective.

I myself am aiming for a Physical ranger with no crit and Blood Magic. This build is aimed for hardcore thus i don't focus on crit dmg since if for some reason i don't spot a physical reflect mob or i use aoe dmg that hits physical reflect mobs outside the screen i am pretty much dead on crits.

Build:
http://bit.ly/WTsQgB

First i start very defensive since i don't care much about dmg all the way to lvl 40. I rush to get Iron reflexes which is really good in the beginning. I take most of the life% passives along the way to Iron Grip. Iron grip is good for the extra physical dmg we are focusing on.

After iron grip i go for Blood Drinker and Blood Magic. Now with just 2% LL you won't be taking much hp back so you still need healing potions to help you along the way but atleast you got rid of the mana pots since ranger mana sucks pretty bad early on.

After blood magic well you can go Unwavering Stance + Berserking or focus on the right side and the damage passives. I only use one extra Frenzy stack cause i don't know how well those extra 2 stacks will be early on. My build will propably get the extra 2 frenzy stacks nearby but closely at the en of the build along with maybe Diamond skin for extra resistances.

It's not a complete build i might make minor changes along the way but the core passives will remain.

As for skills i'll focus on frenzy and split arrow or maybe rain of arrows but i never got to use it in beta. If diamond flasks remain in the OB you can use some of those with frenzy to take down bosses fast and have Increased Critical Damage gem along with frenzy.

If diamond flask gets removed well i have to live with lower dmg but atleast more survivability.

Stats:

+184 Strength
+240 Dexterity
+54 Intellect

Defence:
+142 maximum life
146% Increased Evasion rating
212% Increased maximum life
Converts all evasion to armour (Iron Reflexes)
Removes mana. Spends life instead of mana (Blood Magic)
2% Life leech (Blood Drinker)
8% Increased movement speed (Celerity)
Cannot be stunned but can't evade attacks (Unwavering Stance)

Charges:
4 maximum frenzy charges
4% increased evasion per frenzy charge

Weapon:
25% Increased attack speed
20% Increased attack speed with bows
12% Increased accuracy rating
+480 Accuracy rating
39% Increased projectile damage
94% Increased phusical damage with bows
+36,8% Increased melee physical damage but works for projectiles too (Iron Grip)
16% Increased stun duration with bows (Heavy Draw)


Get some LL on items and if you are lucky a LL gem, use grace with reduced mana since we lose health now instead of mana for using auras. That's pretty much it i think you can figure out the rest gems/items etc.

Planing on playing a Lightning arrow ranger in OB. Should i go phys or elemental?
Just hoping its not nerfed to much.

"

Anthirrr wrote:

Planing on playing a Lightning arrow ranger in OB. Should i go phys or elemental?
Just hoping its not nerfed to much.

Well so far lightning arrow has been reduced to 80% of your dmg and it doesn't add another shock chance just increases your shock chance so its quite nerfed. Atleast now it always hits 3 additional targets i think.

"

Anthirrr wrote:

Planing on playing a Lightning arrow ranger in OB. Should i go phys or elemental?
Just hoping its not nerfed to much.

Elemental, no question really. Even with LA being nerfed, I still think the build is more than viable enough to handle said nerfs.

Quick bump - with less than a day left, I'll try to update the builds as soon as possible when OB hits when the new skilltree has been replaced by the new one.

This may be hard to answer since there obviously isn't a best. But if I had to choose one of the builds in your list, which do you think would be preferred as first OB character?

which one is better:
Elemental Hit or Burning Arrow?

@Azemotay: honestly speaking, the Basic Ranger type 2 build is the build I consider to be the optimal cookie-cutter Ranger build best for an OB first build. It's relatively straightforward and makes use of all of the most powerful notables in its class tree and surrounding trees.

@gust23: hard to say. Elemental Hit was nerfed in this patch, but it may still be more powerful than Burning Arrow. However, like I mentioned in my first post, don't plan a build that relies on EH. Use a backup skill in its stead, like BA or the newly buffed Ice Shot.