Creature Handler Archive
Thread: Ranger thinking about Creature Handler
tim1756 wrote:
I'm a Ranger on Starsider and I'm thinking about complimenting it with Creature Handler. I've only just browsed this board and am under the impression that much like Ranger, Creature Handler is weak and ignored. With that said I have a few questions.
1. What are the good things about being a Creature Handler? Why are you one?
2. What is bad? What makes you want to leave?
3. Have you been promised any future changes?
I want to make one thing clear. I wouldn't be taking CH because I want to be great at combat or anything. I would take it because I think it would compliment Ranger as an overall "one with nature" template. Thanks in advance.
It's good that you're not contemplating CH because you want to be good at combat, because against high end stuff and in PvP, CH sucks as a combat prof on its own, and you'll need to have some ranged or melee combat skills to go with it. I recommend the marksman pistol line because it deals mainly health bar damage, and that's where your creature pets will be hitting the most.
Against low to mid level mobs, especially in the critter hunting mode, CH is very handy to have. I'd recommend that you get at least enough CH to call a dewback for a mount, or perhaps get a large cat or one of the canines as a hunting companion.
I'm a CH because I like having the critters as companions and, frankly, as tanks for me, as much of my SP istied up with medic skills. Having creatures be my meatshieldmeans I don't have to wear armor or have elite combat skills (and their defensive benefits) to handle mid-level mobs in the game by myself. I also just get a kick out of the animations of the critters as they attack (leaping gurrecks, wrix, and sludge panthers are great fun) and the sounds associated with them.
For somone who is into the "outdoorsbeing" template, CH I think is a great complement to Ranger skills. It just seems natural to me (if you'll pardon the pun) that someone who seeks to be one with nautre would have some creature companions with them, as transportation and hunting partners.
CH is no longer the FOTM profession it was shortly after launch; we've been nerfed hard, and it shows in the game as you don't see nearly as many of us around as you did last summer and fall. This has a postive aspect; those of us who remain are here because we love the critters and enjoy being around them. They ARE cool, they're just not part of the l337 d00d template anymore, which is really a good thing. I think you'll have fun with CH.
I like my template quite alot. See my sig below.
I can heal myself and my pet with purchased stim b's (I also have a crate of pet stim c's for healing my pet). I get to use Pistoller Fan Shot which is awesome when you are hunting in order harvest resources. I get to have a very tough BE pet to tank for me. I get to tame baby creatures that I find in the wild, give them names and get very sentimental about them.
Most importantly, I can do all of that and be a Master Ranger.
If you really feel that way, I think you would probably enjoy a CH/Ranger combo. I like the way they compliment eachother.
tim1756 wrote:
I'm a Ranger on Starsider and I'm thinking about complimenting it with Creature Handler. I've only just browsed this board and am under the impression that much like Ranger, Creature Handler is weak and ignored. With that said I have a few questions.
1. What are the good things about being a Creature Handler? Why are you one?
2. What is bad? What makes you want to leave?
3. Have you been promised any future changes?
I want to make one thing clear. I wouldn't be taking CH because I want to be great at combat or anything. I would take it because I think it would compliment Ranger as an overall "one with nature" template. Thanks in advance.
I was Master Ranger/Master CH for quite a few months. I only just recently dropped the Master Ranger status. I enjoyed the ability to go hunting (non missions) for various creatures on the advanced planets. The use of traps did help with the killing of quite a few Enraged Rancors. My limited Rifle skills, combined with my Rancor and Mountain Dewback, allowed me to kill a many Rancor.
I enjoyed sitting in my camps while healing with a nice trio of creature guards to keep me company. I enjoyed the tracking abilities Ranger granted to me when searching for a particular animal. I enjoyed the prestige I felt when wearing my Master Ranger title (the day I dropped it, I had seen no less than 12 of these running around in cities).
I like the solo-ability the combo gives me against creatures. Plus the information you know about certain creatures through Ranger and experience allows you to know what you can take down with ease and what you can't take down without help.
However, Ranger and CH both are kinda worthless in PvP, and every once in awhile you find yourself in the mood for this, but just know ahead of time, you will be in the Cloner in a very short time. This is my only concern regarding this combo. I will probably go back to this combo sometime in the future, unless of course, I find Space too hard to resist 