Ranged characters: the worst?

[fable]

My experiences are that melee characters can deliver huge damage, while both combat and nature mages can do the same. This is all without using powers; but ranged fighters only seem to produce a great deal of damage when using powers, or when getting critical hits. The latter eats into their available skill points, and (typically) slow in progression as you advance. Does anybody else thing the ranged fighters, even with magical weapons, have a somewhat raw deal of it?

[Phoenix101]

So far, I find my ranged character does as much, if not more, dammage than my melee. They are around lvl 26, and both have the highest dammage weapons I can find so far. My melee character specializes in 2-handed weapons, and I'm wondering if that was the right choice....his individual attacks do more dammage than the ranger, but they are much slower (my ranger shoots 3 times for every hit my melee gets).

I guess my point is that so far I like my ranger. Hope this helps!

[swcarter]

Here's the damage from my characters:

Dual-wielder: 510-1685
Ranger (with a crossbow): 248-646
Nature Mage (with master icebolt): 680-1133
Combat Mage (with lightning blast): 1110-1850

That looks bad, but on the plus side, the ranger seems to stay alive pretty well, and thunderous shot is my favorite power.

SWC

[fable]

Agreed about thunderous shot. It's powerful, it has some attractive side effects, and thanks to an item my ranger has, it recovers signficantly faster than other powers supposed with similar recovery times.

Well, I can always use him for mercenary, and then perhaps switch to Sartan on veteran. Assuming Sartan correctly levels when the game restarts.

So far, I find my ranged character does as much, if not more, dammage than my melee.

Phoenix101, you might want to see about buying a more powerful melee weapon with magical damage. Even my dire wolf, unaided by skill focusing or items, does regularly superior attacks to my really juiced up ranger. Still--good luck, regardless!

[Hegi]

All characters at lvl 80:

a) Combat Mage (Master Firebolt): 1410 - 1880
b) Melee (Tank): 251 - 494
c) Ranger (Crossbow): 320 - 678

So, Ranger is second firepower in my party. And pretty armored, so stays alive for long. And a range! Also, you should remem,ber about few facts:
penetrate + schokwave makes a lot of damage to a lot of enemies at once.
I have schokwave mastered (20 skill ranks) and anytime I shot from min. 7 meteres target gets 150% of damage. Additionaly, with masterd criticals (both chance and damage) I multiply half of shots damage by 3,5. So, Deru can shot somebody for more than > 1000 HP.

I was thinking about replacing her, with second mage (nature, or combat), but mortality of muy team would raise

[Mr.Waesel]

The ranger deals less damage, but can also start to fire before they reach you, which is pretty nice. Also, the damage in the inverntory doesn't factor in criticals or that skill where your arrows affect an area.

[Quillan]

I have 2 Rangers, 1 Combat Mage and 1 Nature Mage

Have completed it on Levels 1 and 2, characters are about level 60 and the sharpshooter hits for critical hits almost every shot, and will the bonuses is hitting for about 400-500 hundred.

Both my Rangers are level 30 Nature Magic (takes no time at all to do in Veteran mode) so they are always healing

Nice group, the range and power of these guys means the enemy don't get close, and when they do they are frozen and critically hit...

[Phoenix101]

[QUOTE=fable]
Phoenix101, you might want to see about buying a more powerful melee weapon with magical damage. Even my dire wolf, unaided by skill focusing or items, does regularly superior attacks to my really juiced up ranger. Still--good luck, regardless![/QUOTE]

To date, the 2H weapon I have is the best I've found by far. The ones sold at the shop do almost half the dammage, and the ones I find from loot are not as good either. I just think that the speed and range of the bow really compensates for its lower dammage in the long run (although right now my bow almost does as much dammage as my current 2H weapon). I think all 4 classes pull their weight so far, not really sure about throwing weapons yet, I haven't had much experience with them so far.

[md_agis]

just grab the Gremal Gun, and you'llchange your mind.

[Xandax]

Well - I've not gotten terrible far into the game, because I keep finding myself restarting (as I always do).

But so far - I've found rangers to be pretty nice. Sure the damage isn't terrible high, but with the resistant skill and dodge, I find they survive quite well.
And the Power (forgot the name) gotten from the Biting Arrow skillis very nice indeed.

I'm actually thinking of restarting (for the 4th time) and selecting a archer instead of a combat mage.

[darkpark]

Really? I'm having a blast with my combat mage.
The first time through, I only made it upto the anuzai ruins with my melee fighter before i decided that i wanted a different character and now that i have a combat mage i'm having even more fun.

by the way, did you specialize him/her in a particular damage type (ie: fire, lightning, etc...)?

anyway, has anyone tried a ranged character that throws instead of bow/x-box? i've been looking at some of the throwing weapons and they do significantly more damage than the bows and aren't as slow as the crossbows.
the only downside that i've seen in using throwing weapons is that they don't seem to be dropped as often as bows/x-bows.

[liumm]

Combat mage doesn't have a big advantage later in the game since most creatures have fire/lighting/death resistence. In higher difficulties these creatures become invulnerable or even can be healed by the magic. So it's a bit frustarting when you are fighting creatures like Ganth.

Later in the game I found a lot of items that give a boost to your skills, so don't spend too many points on one skill, spread it out a bit.

I haven't used rangers much, I agree that they seem to do too little damage especially in later acts.

[Chanak]

The benefit of a ranger seems to me to be primarily a tactical one. That is where the advantages of the ranged powers and skills reveal themselves. I prefer the ranger to fulfill a support role, and in my veteran party of 2 melee tanks, a nature mage, a combat mage and a ranger, it's working pretty well. I prefer bows and xbows for the ranger since one the best ranged powers, Thunderous Shot, is for these weapons. Also, skills improve the damage output and range of bows and xbows, making them my ranged weapon of choice. I keep my ranger's dexterity pumped up, his resists high, and his armor high. In a tough fight the mages will fall, but the ranger and melee tanks are still going.

Bleeding, penetration, and shockwave are three more reasons that make a good ranger an excellent part of a party. In the beginning, staying focused on one sort of ranged weapon seems to be the best choice.

[Inu]

Bleed works for bows? If so then rangers are quite powerful with penetrate and all.

[Mr.Waesel]

Bleed does not work for bows.

[FlynnT]

One of the testers LOVES rangers

To quote Jerry Prichard, a game tester wrote in the Official Strategy Guide: "I personally play a party of two or three rangers with one dabbling in Nature Magic for damage increasing buffs such as Wrath of the Bear. A group of Rangers with buffs can safely deal strong damage while rarely taking damage. The only Ranged power I use is Thunderous Shot..."

For what it's worth!