Initial Ranger reactions to 11.2

[shoju]

Well, I tried to start a conversation in the Ranger Forum, but alas, I didn't get anyone to start talking. So I figure I will see if I can get some conversation going here.

10 Things I've learned about the Ranger Since the Life Change, and Tree Overhaul.

I've taken the time in Anarchy to play around with the Ranger, a class I'd not really played in depth prior to the release of Anarchy. I haven't really collected my thoughts, but I figure I will drop my observations here.

I started out as an Evasion Ranger, Hit Cruel, Hated it, went armor. After the Evasion Changes, and the free Respec, I've gone back to Evasion, I'm into Merciless, and things are going pretty well.

Some things I've learned along the way:

• When Playing with Mana instead of Blood Magic, The Thicket Bow is just not the bow to use for this build. I use both Life Leech, and Mana Leech linked to Frenzy, and the Thicket was leaving me OOM. When I switched over to a slower bow, of similar DPS, I found that I'm ready to ditch a Mana Flask, because I don't need as many anymore.
  
  The mechanics behind the reasoning are simple. Fast Bow = More Casts per second to achieve the DPS = More Mana Cost on an already high cost skill. Slower Bow, with comparable DPS = Less Casts per second = Less Mana spent = Higher damage per hit = More Mana Leeched per cast.
  

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• This is personal preference I'm sure, but Rain of Arrows w/ 7 Frenzy Charges is the Best AoE Bow DPS for me.
  Rain of Arrows is just a fun skill IMO. I played a Hunter in WoW as an alt, and It reminds me a lot of Volley. coupled with Mana & Life Leech, rounding up a good group of mobs is also a great way to get topped back off, and fill up the flasks.
  

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• Blind is a much better support gem than I ever gave it credit for when looking at it.
  I was struggling pre-ranger changes with groups of mobs. My Evasion was low, and I was folding quickly. Then I picked up a blind support, and tossed it on RoA to see if there was a noticable difference on damage intake.
  
  Turns out? There is. I love it.
  

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• Lightning Arrow, while not supported by my build, is a great totem to get enemies to peel off of you. I recently encountered the Molten Giant in Crematorium + an Exile (the ice shot? ranger). LA Totem was able to keep Hateheat (is that his name?) at bay while I dropped the Exile. I'd recast it around the room to keep him chasing. By the time I was done with the Exile, He was around 40% health. I was REALLY surprised by the damage efficiency. After that, i'm pretty sold on using it as a ranged distraction. I've thought about linking a Blind Gem to it as well to improve it's survivabilty.
  

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• Ondar's Guile is a must. after the Respec, I forgot to grab this skill. I don't know why, I'll blame it on my age. My old addled mind just forgot. The difference with, and without it, is night and day.
  

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• The Armor / ES reduction on Acrobatics doesn't make me anymore inclined to use non EVA gear. I still have the chest I was wearing Pre-Ranger changes (when I was still going Armor). I love the chest, but I'm actively pursuing something better. The 50% penalty means I'm just looking at it, and not happy with it, as opposed to not putting it on.
  

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• I wish that there would have been some resistances added in the Ranger area during the changes. Here I am, mid 60's (I know, not impressive), and my resistances are still lagging behind. Part of that, is because I apparently have angered GGG, and cannot roll good upgrades. The other part of that, is that I might be expecting a lot after playing Templar's and Witches, and being pleased with the Ele Resists that they are able to pick up along the way in their passive tree.
  
  It would have been nice to have something comparable in the Ranger Area. I think even the Marauder Passives have been resists than Rangers, and there's are lagging behind the Witches and Templars.
  
  In actuality, it's probably because, previously, I would have just strapped on a pair of Prismatic Rings, and been close enough to Resist cap that I wouldn't feel this "weird" about my resists.
  

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• I still feel like there is an overemphasis on life nodes. It might be my unfamiliarity with ARPG's (this is my first), but I still feel like I am going to end up finishing off the Acrobatics area, and going to get more life nodes instead of investing in more DPS (which is what I feel I "need") the changes to the Ranger Tree helped, but I'm still staring at 7 Life Nodes that I'll probably end up picking up, because I need more health.
  

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• I wish that the game had a better way to tell me what monsters are shooting projectiles, and what monsters are casting spells, so that I know when I can stand my ground, and let my (capped) Ondar's Guile evasion help me, and when I need to run for the hills because ZOMGTHEREAREALOTOFSPELLSCOMINGATME. Case in point: The adds on the Vaal Oversoul fight. I was convinced that Ondar's Guile wasn't working. Come to find out, those are spells being cast, not projectiles being spit at me.
  

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• I wish that Quiver types "meant more". As it is currently, I keep quivers, and ID / Roll them based on Ilvl, not because the static mod means anything to me. I value Light Quivers more, because the Dex is added Evasion, and Added Accuracy, but past that, I don't care much. Belt types are more interesting than Quiver types at this point. (At least to me)
  

So, with the 10 things I've Learned, I'll leave you with 2 things, that you can mock and ridicule me about in true 'interwebz' fashion.

1.) My Build. It's really a "homemade" type thing. If other people are running something close to this, it's purely by accident that I'm close to them.

This is where I will be when I get to Piety

This is where I plan to be after killing Piety, in the early 80's

2.) My Gear
It's "ok"

I'm still weighing cutting a Mana Flask. I will probably give it a shot when I get to the docks, and mess with some other flasks that I have stored up. I have a pretty sweet Movement Speed Flask, I'll probably try first.