Class Tier List - Advice Needed (Again)

[Aestus]

10 minutes ago, Boeroer said:

Maybe also try out Stormcaller. It's the more exciting bow, also because of its cool visual and audio effects - but Persistence does better single target damage.

 

I'll check it out. TBH, I've never used it before as a main weapon, because I've always valued Persistence and Borresaine so highly. 

[Boeroer]

It has two damage types (shock/pierce) which is pretty good. The only other bow that does this is Sagani's Massuk Hunting Bow.

Edit: btw. Heart of the Storm (+20% dmg for shock attacks) works for both the arrow damage (no matter whether pierce or shock gets used) as well as the Returning Storm proc. 

Edited Monday at 07:44 PM by Boeroer

[Chaospread]

Stormcaller is pretty fine versus Animat and other foes sensitive to shock damage.
Other great weapons for ranger are which ones that proc stun: Borresaine, One-Eyed Molina's Gold-Fingered Spike-Flinger (also very fast if patched), Rod of Pale Shades (also decrease defense), Aedrin's Wrecker; not to mention the only ranged weapon with prone effect: Puitènte med Príncipi (also tow damege types).

These makes ranger great also in CC. With blunderbusses you can proc stun realiable with Driving Flight, Twinned Arrows and Stunning Shots. Also Golden Gaze is good in that and has a nice proc.
Fast ranged weapons is also cool: The Rain of Godagh Field, Wendgär, Forgiveness, Pretty Pretty's Rib (also Rending).
Twin Sting is awesome to proc Predator's Sense and has also a great spellchance.
Marking weapons is another wonderful thing in a party: St. Garam's Spark, Pliambo per Casitàs (also disorienting!), Cgadob's Hazel.
With ranger's high accuracy also Annihilation is and awesome enchantment: Dulcanale (also Rending), Sabra Marie.

Fulvano's Blunderbuss can make you a charme spammer and Silver Flash is insane with blind effect.

Sure I'm forgetting other good synergies, but we are plenty of weapons for rangers, while Rogue has less chance to stun, prone etc. with weapons, if they take them they remove a weapon for other people (think about barbs...), they can rely on usual sabres and  Annihilation enchants and above all they must (not always, but often) go melee without a bodyguard (as AC is).
Early game rangers are also more effective with their accuracy form distance, rogue is too squishy and can't rely on many abilities, while ranger is good yet also with only autoattack.

I hope you can experiment and see

[Aestus]

@Boeroer Okay, I can see what you're saying now. The Ranger's DPS after getting Twinned Arrow is very high. Sagani is feeling like one of my strongest units, and I barely have to pay attention to her. I think Bread and Butter Tier is a good spot for the class. 

[Boeroer]

3 hours ago, Aestus said:

@Boeroer Okay, I can see what you're saying now. The Ranger's DPS after getting Twinned Arrow is very high. Sagani is feeling like one of my strongest units, and I barely have to pay attention to her. I think Bread and Butter Tier is a good spot for the class. 

Yes, the "barely have to pay attention" is what lifts the Ranger (without Animal Companion) up over the Rogue imo who usually needs constant attention to be most effective.

This maybe isn't a plus if one's considering a Ranger as the main character (I think most players even like to micromanage their MC) but as a companion or adventurer that's a good thing, especially when you have 6 party members who all might demand at least a little bit attention.

That was the only reason why a tried to turn the otherwise high-micro-mgnt Monk into a low-maintenance build:  

It's cool to have a party member you don't need to care for and who's still very good.  

Edited Wednesday at 10:17 AM by Boeroer

[limaxophobiacq]

I will say I do not feel like fighter belongs with rogue in bottom tier IMO. Knockdown with Barrage and dual-wielded high-accuracy weapons is probably the most reliable single-target CC in the game and once you get Charge it's very fast to apply to any enemy. With extra Knockdown talent it's excellent for taking any single strong enemy completely out of a fight. Even through high fortitude and +20 vs. prone you can knockdown dragons and Concelhaut without much trouble in my experience, rolling twice and adding weapon accuracy makes it very unlikely to miss especially if you use something like the deadfire-pack soulbound club in one of your hands on a high-int fighter.

Their accuracy is also obviously nice with item abilities. They don't have the solo potential of paladin of course, they are time-limited in tanking with Vigorous Defense and don't have any AoE damage, but in a party I think they belong with the other bread-and-butter classes.

Edited 14 hours ago by limaxophobiacq