Single-class ranger as off-tank?

[IanTheWizard]

I haven't started playing POE2, so I'm incline to avoid any spoiler. But through the trailer, I already knew one of the recruitable companions is a firearm-using ranger whose animal companion is a bird. That's not the type of ranger I want.

Therefore, I would like to know whether it's viable to build a hired adventurer as a single-class ranger and an off-tank. I would also like to make him an expert lock picker and trap remover. And I'll make his animal companion an antelope.

Edited August 8 by IanTheWizard

[yorname]

nope. (or depends on difficulty)

POE2 changed how armor rating works, basically getting a certain number will hugely improve your survivability, and for rangers, only stalker has a situational +1AR buff.

They also don't have self healing and any hp boost. They have access to some defensive buffs, but that's pretty much it. I'd say a stalker can survive at frontline with some help from the party, but not tanking. By endgame animal companion is also quite squishy and doesn't do any significant damage, unlike in POE.

Ranger in POE2 is mainly one of the two things: a) ranged weapon user b) high accuracy provider for multiclassing

[Boeroer]

Stalker is actually a great class to make a multiclass (off)tank and very good for certain melee builds (especially if it's about high accuracy because no other class has that many stackable accuracy vs. single targets). 

I played a solo Geomancer (Stalker/Bloodmage) and it was excellent at tanking - even without a shield setup. Of course the Wizard's self buffs helped a lot here. But I think players often just forget about the Animal Companion which can def. help a lot with offtanking. I mean you get two bodies for the price of one.

A SC Stalker is a bit more tricky because it lacks the nice synergies of some multiclass combos - but I think offtanking is no problem. Thick armor and decent RES and CON would be my preference. You cannot heal yourself until Power Level 9 with Shadowed Hunter - but what are those other party members for anyway? You can however heal the animal companion. If you pick the Bear and are a stalker the near has great armor rating which makes it a lot sturdier compared to a non-Stalker non-bear. Antelope also works because of the higher defenses - but overall I think the bear is better for offtanking. 

If you have a Chanter in the party then off-tanking with the animal companion is even better: you can revive it unlimited times per encounter - because animal companions don't get injuries. If you don't have a chanter the ranger can revive the animal companion, too - but the Bond resource is limited.