Ranger Archive

I read a lot of you Rangers are also Rifleman, so I thought I would bring this question here...

I plan on being a Ranger/Rifleman soon. (I just need Trapping III/IV, Survival IV, and Hunting IV until Master scout, and I need about 10,000xp until Novice Rifleman.) I'm having some trouble migrating my stats. I'm just not sure whats best to concentrate on. I read scouts need a lot of health and action, but if I'm a rifleman I'll also need mind for the more powerful mind damaging shots. Should I bother putting points into the regenerating stats, or just camp and let it come back slowly?

If any veteran ranger/rifleman can help me out on this, I'd be much obliged. I've been switching my stats back and forth, so I want to hurry up and get them right before they are set in stone for good.

I'll answer this one.

If you plan to master both Rifleman and Ranger then you have very very few points leftover for other weapons - my character build has me ONLY using rifles. Also I don't wear armor. That being said, if I get hit, I am probably incapped.

I am human.

My health is at 700Action 700 Mind 1100 (max)

Strength is min (400?)Quickmin(400?)Focus 600 (max)

Con is halfway (475?)Stam Halfway(475?)Willpower 600 (max)

I primarily hunt solo, and find that using mindshots, headshots, and concealed shots, my bluebar willstill be the most taxxed despite max mental attributes. As rangers we have several ways to get chargingcreatures away from us - and don't discountwarningshots, probots, pets, whatever. So whatever it is we can do not to have a creature on us, we have to do. Ranger and Rifleman mix gives up prettygood defensive bonuses, so you might get aparticularly nasty creature to missus while we jockey for a better position. By the time you arehalfway up the Rifleman branch the other critters that give us worthwhile experience can splatteryou all over the ground in 2 hits anyway. 100 or 200 more health is not going to help you for the few times you are forced to tank and may become incapped. But having the extra mind and quick regeneration of mind will ENORMOUSLY decrease your downtime when you're in the groove.

In a group, you will beprobably only beusing mindshots and you will rarelytank - so the health and action are again insignificant.

As a side benefit, until your skillpoints are stretched to the core, you can pick up some medic skills - I suggest going up the first aid branch for an increase in healing efficacy. You got plenty of blue, use it, it makes friends.

This is a quick and dirty - youcan /tell or /mail Galad on Kauri for more.

Ok that was hideous I should have previewed.

H 700 S 400 C 475

A 700 Q 400 S 475

M 1100 W 600 F 600

Sorry about that last one - The advice still stands though

Thanks a lot for that. The 700 health kind of makes me nervous, but I guess as a scout/ranger I'm not supposed to be up close and personal with them while I'm fighting. Even less so with a rifle.

I really like the idea of being a Ranger, despite the problems the profession seems to have. But I plan on going all the way nonetheless. I've still got much to learn about the whole thing though.

I do plan on mastering Ranger and Rifleman, but currently I have expert pistol. Just in case things get bad. I'll probably drop it as I get more proficient with the rifle.

Yeah I agree with having pistol for now.

As you progress you'll notice that if things are in a position to melee with you, its unlikely that any amount of pistol skill is going to be enough to bring them down anyway (You'll be attacking different pools). But its ok for the occasional warningshot or whathaveyou.

I probably should have mentioned this before... I am a Zabrak. Is that going to change anything, since you are human? For instance, I can't raise my mind above 1000, my Willpower won't go below 700, things like that.

Willpower is the most important - you're in a good position.

Human rifleman:

H850 S 450 C 500
A850 Q500 S 500
M800 W450 F 500

That way in case I get in trouble I can live a while longer to get away. I don't need the mind as much sense I can make my own powerups that do rather well. Also: shop around for powerups to help with mind. Couplers are great for this, as typical ones can boost power. They are easy to make(cheap) and artisans can churn out buckets of these. The stats I started with would not regen me in Health as fast as I neededand it was a sore point when I got surprised. So I boosted these (especially Const.) buy taking 50 of each H and A and giving to S and C. Overall it should allow most armours and be well rounded.

One I forgot to mention regarding your blue stats - All stats really.

The stat that effects HAM costs are less important (IMHO) than the stat that governs regeneration.

Like I said I am a human, and using buffs and foods and whatever I'd have my focus up to around 800 or 900 pretty easily. I use a laser rifle, on average mindshot1 costs about 100 and mindshot 2 costs 86 (approx for both)

With Focus juiced all the way up to 900+ I noticed that mindshot1 was costing 80s and 2 was mid 70s. Helpful but not as helpful as one would hope for. It seems that an increase in focus applies a percentile decrease in special move costs, hence the larger decrease for mindshot1 which cost more to begin with. (You realized this, I'm sorry)

Anyway take it all with a grain of salt, its my opinion.