Ranger Archive
Thread: Looking for someone who has played both MRifle/MRanger and MRanger/MBH
In principal, ranger and rifleman are the perfect blend, and before the combat revamp (this player doesn't regard it as an upgrade) they were. At the current time, the stealth capabilities of rifleman are, flakey at best.
Before the combat revamp, rifleman had the highest diversity of damage types (energy rifles, stun rifles, acid rifles, heat rifles, cold rifles, etc), and amour piercing types (all the way from AP0 to AP3). With the creature knowledge we had, it was possible to study a creature from a distance and choose the most effective weapon in your arsenal. However, all that has gone in the combat revamp, and the examine ability is also completely bugged at the current time.
As for rifleman stealth, the cover-up ability, which in principal at least is an improvement of what it was pre combat revamp, is also very bugged. It is inordinately difficult to achieve, and only concealshot and improvedconcealshot actually work with it, when actually snipershot should work with it aswell. Neither give you enough stealth to actually make a kill. With improvedconcealshot you consistently get three shots, then your cover is broken, and only one shot for snipershot (same for the improved and advanced versions of this special). The only hope you've got of keeping a mob away from you is to use improved knee shot, and run for your life! Then hopefully the snare effect will give enough of a speed difference for you to keep at a safe distance (and if that fails take advantage of your innate terrain negotiation), although ironically this is hardly what a long distance rifleman should have to do to stay safe, but there we are, welcome to the world of the combat revamp, it's a strange place where many things don't make sense! 
With the current state of everything, I'd suggest you stick with MBH because of the diverity of specials, but use a rifle, like an advanced laser rifle, then you can take advantage of the long range. Alternatively, might I suggest master pistolieer, but again, weilding a (non-skill certed) rifle. MBH does have a good variety of specials, but in terms of keeping a mob away from you, the best you've got is improved underhand shot which *might* score you a knock down, but you can't rely on it 100% of the time. Whereas MP gives you advanced stopping shot (which actually roots), and you've got intimitate shot too, unarming shot is good also for disabling ranged attacks. Also, improved body shot is fairly good for dealing out damage (in fact I think it's slightly better than advanced critical shot from MBH).
I suggest you keep an eye on the rifleman forum, then you'll know when their specials are fixed.
I concur ..conceal shot and sniper shot massively unreliable and buggy
However the "trap that shall not be named for fear of bad juju" works great in conjunction with kneecap, I have been soloing level 82 all week. It definitely is not easy, and you must really pay attention to whats going on but Ive been loving Rifleman/Ranger.
I hope that they fix the conceal and sniper shot and I will definitely hang with this combo....
definitely check the Rifleman forums for more detailed anaylisis
2cents
vessp
BH suffers from some of its specials not being carried out from prone, so you take a fair old beating if the critters got a ranged attack.
I'm using master rifles and bh 0044 as this gives me, in addition to the rifleman specials, a kd/dizzy and a bleed shot. Unfortunately I had to drop much of Ranger to get these extra attacks (and def/off mods).
If you are rock steady set on keeping Master Ranger you should bear in mind htat, in exchange for that increase in harvest yield, your increasing your CL but not recieving any combat related benefits.
At the end of the day tho, only you can make the choices that you feel most comfortable with.
Clicky
nfettinger wrote: I am using an advanced laser rifle, a combat/auto repair droid, and the bad mojo not to be named darts. I am doing fairly well at not being hit too much and staying alive. I start out by using the underhand shot and then 2 advanced critical shots while the mob runs in on me. I usually start out 60-63 meters from target. As he nears me and I get my second ACA shot off I throw the un-named trap at him and move back about 20 meters and shoot for the kill. It has worked well for me but then again I haven't tried top solo anything that has more then 8-10k in health yet. Was thinking that rifleman would be a nice addition to ranger but I love the underhand shot and if rifleman is as buggy as people say, not sure if I want to go there just yet. Has anyone heard of pub 17 is going to have any fixes for the rifleman skill?
Message Edited by BioEngine on 05-22-2005 01:09 AM
Message Edited by GraySeven on 05-22-2005 10:58 AM
DaveG wrote:
In principal, ranger and rifleman are the perfect blend, and before the combat revamp (this player doesn't regard it as an upgrade) they were. At the current time, the stealth capabilities of rifleman are, flakey at best.
Before the combat revamp, rifleman had the highest diversity of damage types (energy rifles, stun rifles, acid rifles, heat rifles, cold rifles, etc), and amour piercing types (all the way from AP0 to AP3). With the creature knowledge we had, it was possible to study a creature from a distance and choose the most effective weapon in your arsenal. However, all that has gone in the combat revamp, and the examine ability is also completely bugged at the current time.
As for rifleman stealth, the cover-up ability, which in principal at least is an improvement of what it was pre combat revamp, is also very bugged. It is inordinately difficult to achieve, and only concealshot and improvedconcealshot actually work with it, when actually snipershot should work with it aswell. Neither give you enough stealth to actually make a kill. With improvedconcealshot you consistently get three shots, then your cover is broken, and only one shot for snipershot (same for the improved and advanced versions of this special). The only hope you've got of keeping a mob away from you is to use improved knee shot, and run for your life! Then hopefully the snare effect will give enough of a speed difference for you to keep at a safe distance (and if that fails take advantage of your innate terrain negotiation), although ironically this is hardly what a long distance rifleman should have to do to stay safe, but there we are, welcome to the world of the combat revamp, it's a strange place where many things don't make sense!
With the current state of everything, I'd suggest you stick with MBH because of the diverity of specials, but use a rifle, like an advanced laser rifle, then you can take advantage of the long range. Alternatively, might I suggest master pistolieer, but again, weilding a (non-skill certed) rifle. MBH does have a good variety of specials, but in terms of keeping a mob away from you, the best you've got is improved underhand shot which *might* score you a knock down, but you can't rely on it 100% of the time. Whereas MP gives you advanced stopping shot (which actually roots), and you've got intimitate shot too, unarming shot is good also for disabling ranged attacks. Also, improved body shot is fairly good for dealing out damage (in fact I think it's slightly better than advanced critical shot from MBH).
I suggest you keep an eye on the rifleman forum, then you'll know when their specials are fixed.
Every time i see this special mentioned I go looking for it but i dont have it. there are quite a few ladies i would like to use intimate shot on i can tell you!