Crossbow Ranger & Redundancy Thereof

[MortyTheGobbo]

So I've been thinking about maybe replaying my crossbow orlan rogue as a ranger instead, since that's what I'll run him as in Deadifre anyway. Building a crossbow ranger should be straightforward enough, but is there any way to make him not overlap with Sagani? I just feel like having two rangers in the team would be an overkill, since the class doesn't have much variety.

Edited November 16, 2017 by MortyTheGobbo

[draego]

You could make sagini a flanker dps dual or better two handed weapon build or off tank. That is the opposite of the pew pew type ranger i suppose. You then can flank enemies with sagini Itumaak, and your animal for fury goodness.

Edited November 16, 2017 by draego

[MortyTheGobbo]

I suppose making Sagani a melee ranger could indeed work.

[draego]

I suppose making Sagani a melee ranger could indeed work.

 

You could also do reach weapon if that makes you nervous so she is behind the other animals out of melee range. Never tried that, I like up close and personal. Or there is a ranger off tank. You dont have to min max to do a build similar to this either. I know i dont really do that. the dual wield or two weapon version for more dps is the type i like more. 

Edited November 16, 2017 by draego

[Blades of Vanatar]

There is no overlap. Make Sagani a rapid fire Persistence shooter while you deliver high damage blows with Arbalest/Crossbow.

[Boeroer]

The rate of fire with a crossbow (esp. Wendgär) is actually not too bad if you combine high DEX, Swift Aim, Gunner and Gauntlets of Swift Action and put Durgan Steel on Wendgär. Sure, the reload is the bottleneck, but if you reduce recovery to almost zero while having 20 DEX you end up at 88 frames per attack cycle which is only twice the time of a melee attack with a geat sword with the same talents/abilites (44 frames). The base damage of crossbows is +5 compared to two handers. So, with enough dmg bonuses and decent crit rate (crossbows don't have reduced crit damage - and the damage on crit with Merciless Hand + Durgan Steel is nice) it's not bad. Twin Sting would have 118 frames per reload cycle - but since you can fire two shots before reloading the average attack cycle is 92 frames (one reload phase removed). Also not bad - and you spare some durgan steel. Of course the raw damage and the Plage-of-Insect thing beats most other enchantments.

 

The biggest problem for crossbow users is that the uniques come so late - in my opinion.   

Edited November 17, 2017 by Boeroer

[MortyTheGobbo]

I played a rogue with a crossbow and it was fine. I don't play on higher difficulty levels. So shooting and dealing damage isn't the problem. What I'm worried about is whether it'd be redundant to keep Sagani in the party. Making her a melee ranger should work. Or just going with one fast-shooting and one slow-shooting ranger.

 

It might stay in the realm of speculation, anyway, but it doesn't hurt to plan. My other possible playthrough is a priest of Eothas... although I'd like to stay ranged, and priests of Eothas don't benefit from that. Ah well.

[Whipstitch]

Frankly, I've found that going all-in on a particular strategy is usually more likely to break the game in your favor rather than produce a party that suffers from too much redundancy. In the case of two rangers you get a healthy dose of synergy just by taking Predator's Sense with both characters and having someone in the party who is good with DoTs. Which is awful convenient because you can fulfill that last requirement just by having someone wield Tidefall, Drawn In Spring or Persistence, three weapons which are already among the finest weapons in the whole game anyway. Kana Rua's also a great enabler since he can bring tanking, buffs and dots to the party while still having an extra weapon slot leftover for a pair of guns to hot swap with.

Edited November 17, 2017 by Whipstitch

[JFutral]

Sagani is one of my favorite characters. Two bow slingers is not so bad, though. One time I had her start off with her bow (I mean, a bow with crush? Come on!) and then switch to that soul-bound/cursed two-handed sword in WM1. That was fierce. Flanking with flanking bonuses plus her fox, that's a battle to behold.

 

Normally I get Storm caller for her as quickly as I can and she is set for the long haul.

 

Joe