Path of Exile 2: Ranger Guide

Path of Exile 2 is set to breathe new life into the beloved Ranger class, one of the original six from Path of Exile 1. While retaining familiar mechanics, the Ranger will feature new enhancements that promise to redefine the gameplay experience. In this guide, we'll explore the Ranger's gameplay mechanics, skills, and potential build strategies.

Gameplay Overview

Class Basics

The Ranger class in PoE 2 is a Dexterity-based character that starts on the lower right side of the passive skill tree. This area includes nodes that enhance:

Evasion: Increases your chances to dodge incoming attacks.

Spell Suppression: Reduces damage taken from spells.

Cold Damage: Boosts the effectiveness of cold damage skills.

Critical Strike Chance: Increases the likelihood of landing critical hits.

Bow Damage: Enhances damage dealt by bow attacks.

Flask Effect: Improves the effectiveness of flasks used during combat.

Attack Speed: Increases how quickly attacks can be executed.

The Ranger excels in ranged combat, specializing in bow skills, allowing players to engage enemies from a safe distance while dealing significant damage. The introduction of a quiver as an offhand item provides extra stats, enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities.

Mounts

A new gameplay feature is the introduction of mounts, notably the Rhoa. This mount enables the Ranger to attack while mounted without incurring a movement speed penalty. Key mount mechanics include:

Escape Shot: A unique interaction allowing the Ranger to shoot while leaping off the mount to safety.

Rhoa Attacks: The Rhoa will attack enemies while the Ranger is mounted, providing additional damage.

Dismounting: Taking a significant hit will knock the Ranger off the mount, resulting in a brief recovery period. This mechanic encourages strategic positioning and movement in combat.

Ranger Skills

A variety of skill gems tailored for the Ranger have been introduced. Here's a glimpse of some notable skills:

Lightning Arrow: A returning fan favorite that deals lightning damage, with a chance to shock enemies.

Escape Shot: A unique skill allowing quick repositioning, ideal for evading danger.

Poisonburst Arrow: A skill focused on poison damage, perfect for applying debuffs over time.

Lightning Rod: Creates an area that channels lightning damage, dealing continuous damage to enemies within its radius.

Stormcaller Arrow: A new addition designed for lightning-themed builds, unleashing devastating attacks.

Barrage: Enhances single-target damage with a cooldown, allowing for powerful focused attacks.

Snipe: A charge-up skill that guarantees critical hits, making it perfect for high-damage shots.

Other notable skills include:

Vine Arrow: Similar to Toxic Rain, this skill slows and poisons enemies, providing crowd control.

Electrocuting Arrow: Deals electrical damage with a chance to chain to nearby targets.

Detonating Arrow: Causes explosive area damage upon impact, ideal for clearing groups of enemies.

Gas Arrow: Creates a toxic cloud that affects enemies, dealing damage over time.

Support Gems

To enhance skill effectiveness, various support gems can be combined with active skills:

Multiple Projectiles: Increases the number of projectiles fired, enhancing overall damage output.

Faster Projectiles: Enhances projectile speed, allowing for quicker hits.

Chain: Allows projectiles to bounce to additional targets, increasing area damage.

Shock Proliferation: Grants a chance to shock nearby enemies on hit, adding crowd control.

Less Duration: Reduces the duration of skills with lasting effects, optimizing quick engagements.

Build Synergy

The synergy between active and support skills opens up various build possibilities. For example:

Lightning Rod + Multiple Projectiles + Chain: Quickly creates multiple lightning channels that bounce damage to nearby foes, ideal for large groups.

Snipe + Sniper's Mark: Generate Frenzy Charges while guaranteeing critical hits, boosting damage and attack speed.

Ascendancy Classes

While details on the Ranger's Ascendancy classes in PoE 2 are yet to be revealed, players can anticipate three classes that will likely focus on the Dexterity attribute. The Ascendancies in PoE 1 included:

Deadeye: Emphasizing projectile skills and enhancing bow attacks.

Warden: Focusing on elemental damage and status effects.

Pathfinder: Specializing in flasks and chaos damage.

These could either return with updated mechanics or new Ascendancies could be introduced, further expanding build diversity.

Conclusion

The Ranger class in Path of Exile 2 is shaping up to be a formidable choice for players who enjoy ranged combat. With new mechanics, skills, and potential for build crafting, the Ranger promises an exciting gameplay experience. The addition of mounts and a revamped skill system emphasizes movement and strategy, altering the dynamics seen in PoE 1.

As more information becomes available, players can expect to refine their strategies and explore the vast possibilities offered by the Ranger class. Whether you're a returning player or new to the series, the Ranger is poised to deliver fast-paced, exhilarating gameplay in the world of Path of Exile 2.

Final Thoughts

The Ranger in Path of Exile 2 is a fast and deadly class with multiple viable builds. Whether you choose to focus on physical, elemental, or poison-based attacks, effective POE currency management will ensure smooth progression through the game. Save high-value currencies for essential upgrades, trade wisely with other players, and make the most of endgame mechanics to build a powerful character.