Ranger

Profession Mechanics

Arguably the most complex profession mechanic, this is Pet 101. (P/C term Animal Companion Guidance Seminar)

Getting a Pet

Scattered throughout the world are Juvenile (Pet Species). You kidnap them and get them forever.

Select a Pet

You can select any pets you have and allocate them to 1 of 2 slots for land and underwater modes outside of combat. Some pets are amphibious but just because you have 4 amphibious pets selected doesn’t mean you have access to all of them on land or sea. Two for land…two for water.

Know a Pet

Pets have 4 skills. 3 of them are native to their relevant species. A polar bear will have 3 bear skills. Their 4th skill is their species’ skill, their signature move if you will. If your pet’s life runs out you can swap him/her out (just like Pokemon) with the other. If you don’t he/she will slowly limp back to your side and simply not contribute to the battle until he/she is “revived.” If you do swap a defeated pet out, the recharge for swapping it back in will be much longer BUT when you do swap it back in, it’ll be at full heath (Tyria’s health care is so far beyond Unova’s).
You can also name your pets if you’re into that sort of thing.

Control a Pet

F1 – Command your pet to attack the target. “Get him Cinnamon!”

It will use it’s own AI to attack with its 3 family skills.
F2 – Command your pet to use it’s species skill. “Use Icy Roar!”

F3 – Change your pets behavior from Passive to Active and vice versa. Passive means it doesn’t attack while active tells it to attack whatever the ranger is attacking.
F4 – Swap your pet for the alternate. “Cinnamon return. Go Demonspine!”

Weapons

Rangers have access to non magical weaponry both on land and in the water. Some weapon skills also gives boons to your pets such as bleeds and double damage.

Longbow: Ye old sniper rifle. Distance is its friend and its skills either use it/gain it or keep it.

Shortbow: This is your super mobile, condition dealing, medium range weapon of choice.

Greatsword: Enemies get too close? Hit them in the face with a giant sword. Somewhat defensive, somewhat damaging and somewhat mobile. Jack of all trades.

Sword (main hand): 3 skills that all involve moving forward, backwards/forwards again and around, the swordsman ranger is a bit of speed freak.

Axe (main hand): Medium range throwing weapon that focuses on conditions and multiple targets.
Axe (off hand): Throws an axe to and fro as well as a defensive skill that doubles as a close range AoE.

Dagger (off hand): 2 skills that use conditions. One’s a throw and one’s a stab. That should be a sitcom!

Torch (off hand): It lights things on fire. Things like the ground. Things like enemies.

Warhorn (off hand): Friendly boons (fury/might/swiftness) {again!}. Might also summon hawks. They might like the taste of face.

Healing

You start with:
Heal as One (20 second cooldown): Heals you and your pet. Cause you’re like one! In a non creepy way.

Troll Unguent (40 second cooldown, 1 skill point): Causes you to regenerate health. It is not the boon Regeneration. It’s probably a lot faster. Maybe smellier.

Healing Spring (30 second cooldown, 4 skill points): Creates a combo field that heals you and allies and removes conditions.

Utility Skills

Most ranger skills come in groups of…4, like their 4 signets! Except for “Search and Rescue” which tells your pet to find a nearby downed ally and revive them. Ranger signets all directly affect the pet as well.

Traps are well…they’re traps. You put them on the ground and people walk into them and suffer horrible conditions as a result. Some traits help out by making them ground targetted/larger and more deadly.

Spirits are another companion for the ranger. Once summoned they provide passive bonuses to nearly allies. Let’s see there’s a sun spirit, a storm spirit, a frost spirit and…a stone spirit. Seems strangely familiar. You can reactivate their skill for these spirits to go on the offensive with various attacks.

A downed ranger can remotely revive their pet and order it to revive them. Combined with Bandage, an unattended downed ranger can right themselves very quickly.

Elite Skills

Rampage as One (120 second cooldown, 15 skill points): 20 seconds of Fury, Might and Swiftness to both the ranger and the pet. Rampaging as one in a non weird way.

Entangle (150 second cooldown, 20 skill points): Creates vines that wrap your opponent and prevent movement until the vines are destroyed by the victim or his allies.

Spirit of Nature (180 second cooldown, 25 skill points): Summons a giant spirit that heals nearby allies. Use again and it will revive them and remove conditions.

Traits

Rangers also have traits to augment families of pets if they so desire. Because of this their traitlines tend to be very diverse and hard to pin down.

Marksmanship: increases power + condition duration: Some longbow traits
Wilderness Survival: increases toughness + condition damage: Some defensive traits
Nature Magic: increases vitality + boon duration: Health related traits
Skirmishing: increases precision + critical damage: Trap and speed related traits
Beast Mastery: increases healing + pet attributes: Pet related traits

Conclusion

The ranger is a dangerous opponent and an incredible ally. With a mastery over all ranges, a literal army at his/her disposal, walking boons that can be commanded to attack and hidden traps, it is nigh impossible to prepare to fight a ranger, unless of course, you are one as well.

“GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL!” – Unknown, circa 1996. 

^{Graphic Author: Bobsob
Guide: Beliasta}