Build:R/N Touch Ranger

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This build has been archived as of 02:58, 30 October 2007 (CET), for the following reason: Widespread popularity created common knowledge of its overly-simple counters. This build had been designed for the following use: PvP RA PvP AB PvP CM PvE hero PvE general PvE farming This build was in the category Good before being archived.

A Touch Ranger makes use of a ranger's durability in getting close to his opponents and "touch" skills from the necromancer's arsenal to steal his opponents' health. This build uses a high rank in Expertise to reduce the energy cost of the key skills Vampiric Bite and Vampiric Touch.

[edit] Attributes and Skills

Ranger / Necromancer 12 + 1 + 3 Expertise 12 Blood Magic Vampiric Bite Factions Necromancer. Blood Magic 12 Vampiric Bite Skill Touch target foe to steal up to 65 Health. 2 ¾ 5 Vampiric Touch Prophecies Necromancer. Blood Magic 12 Vampiric Touch Skill Touch target foe to steal up to 65 Health. 2 ¾ 5 Offering of Blood Prophecies Necromancer. Blood Magic 12 Offering of Blood Elite Spell You gain 18 Energy. 15 ¼ 1 Throw Dirt Core Ranger. Expertise 16 Throw Dirt Skill Target touched foe and foes adjacent to your target become Blinded for 16 seconds. 30 1 2 Whirling Defense Core Ranger. Expertise 16 Whirling Defense Stance For 21 seconds, you have 75% chance to block attacks. Whenever you block a projectile in this way, adjacent foes take 11 damage. 60 4 Dodge Prophecies Ranger. Expertise 16 Dodge Stance For 11 seconds, you move 33% faster and have a 78% chance to block incoming projectiles. Dodge ends if you attack. 30 2 Plague Touch Core Necromancer. Curses Plague Touch Skill Transfer 1..3..3 negative Conditions and their remaining durations from yourself to target touched foe. ¾ 2 Resurrection Signet Core No Profession. Unlinked Resurrection Signet Signet Resurrect target party member. That party member is returned to life with 100% Health and 25% Energy. This Signet only recharges when you gain a morale boost. 3 Template code

[edit] Equipment

• A set of armor with Radiant Insignias, a Rune of Superior Vigor and a Rune of Superior Expertise.
• Weapons (one of the following)
  • A +5 energy axe/sword of shelter/defense/fortitude and a Blood Knife from Attendant Nashu or Jahn Pitz.
  • A Blood Magic wand such as the one available from Karl Jakobs and Blood Magic focus such as the one available from Volsung Stoneketil.
  • A Blood Magic staff such as the one available from John Verado, with an Insightful head and a wrapping of Fortitude or of Mastery.
  • A +energy weapon set with otherwise same stats as the above.
  • Milthuran's Staff for more energy

[edit] Usage

• Get close to your target and spam Vampiric Bite and Vampiric Touch.
• Use Dodge to chase down kiting targets and avoid attacks that can be harmful to the build (such as crippling attacks).
• Use Whirling Defense or Throw Dirt when targeted by warriors, rangers, dervishes, or assassins. This is not only important for avoiding the damage, but also the harmful conditions like crippling and Deep Wound.
• Use Offering of Blood when you can get the full benefit of the energy gain and you are not taking too much damage. Use it as often as it recharges if you can.

[edit] Counters

• Use anti- spammer strategies, such as Diversion or Distracting Shot.
• As the ranger needs to get within touch range, just stay away from them. Use any combination of snares, kiting and knockdowns to achieve this.
• The life stolen per second is not enough to overcome focused damage and health degeneration. Condition based degeneration won't work unless combined with a snare, as they just use Plague Touch to pass it on.
• Blackout.
• "Can't Touch This!".
• Atrophy. can be used to reduce the toucher energy very quickly

[edit] Variants

• Verata's Aura can take control of all minions around for a medium-short amount of time. Highly useful for AB.
• Barbed Signet can replace Resurrection Signet in AB, giving the Touch Ranger a secondary distance attack to compliment Vampiric Gaze.
• Zojun's Haste, paired with Dodge, gives an almost nonstop speed boost and protection against rangers. This is a good replacement for Resurrection Signet in AB.
• Blood Renewal makes a good self heal if used properly.
• Strip Enchantment in place of Resurrection Signet for Alliance Battles or Competitive Missions.
• Consider bringing Awaken the Blood to increase the amount of life steal and energy gain from Offering of Blood. The extra life sacrifice is offset by the extra amount of life gained from Vamparic Touch/Bite.

[edit] Farming

- Bosses -

• Chkkr Thousand Tail Chkkr's Flatbow - Just aggro one group, and go regenerate in the little empty area, then go up, and kill him.
• Jacqui The Reaver Jacqui's Aegis - I normally hit Reefclaw before I hit him, but I've always waited till he's hit a big group, so my Whirling does a lot of damage to him.
• Reefclaw Ragebound Reefclaw's Refuge - Take him away from his group, and kill him. You will generally finish him about the time the outcasts show up at him.
• Cultist Rajazan Rajazan's Fervor - Add Zojun's Haste. Long run, ensure you lure Rajazan away from his mob.

- Farming -

• Elementals - Sardelac Sanitarium - HM > Just aggro 2/3 at a time, anymore, and you risk energy problems.
• Mantid - Shing Jea Monastery - HM > Kill the mantids outside Shing Jea in hard mode, drops lots of golds. Also kill the kappa, they're easy too.