optimizing ranger damage

[myrddraal]

Other than DoTs, are DD damage spells worth casting beyond with pulls with arrow shots between? Mine is only level 30 atm, but Ive never played one to this point and I'm curious if not casting during fights is lazy or optimal lol

[Gustoo]

You should cast between attacks to optimize.

In classic live everquest you would cast between enemy attacks so that you weren't interrupted.

The DPS on your spells are pretty low but its good to have a dot on the mob I usually opened with stinging swarm or whatever. Its nice to have swarm on mob that is fleeing so it can finish the job. On live it was sometimes difficult to hit fleeing mobs.

[Gozuk]

Spam kick

[Keebz]

For grouping, I generally save my mana for snare, flamelick, harmony, dispell, root, chloro, etc. but if you're trying to burn something down quickly nuking between attacks is a good way to do it. It works pretty well with something slower like Woodsman Staff but less well with something like lupine dagger/swiftwind.

If you're soloing, leading with a dot or two can be effective and nukes can help in a pinch, but generally you're doing some combination of root/snare/shoot and face tanking depending on the level OR fear kiting animals in velious, so the situation for nukes will be few and far between.

[Toxigen]

spam backstab

[Jimjam]

Rat whip and mossy twig to maximise damage shield DPS and ensure most expediated ranger gate.

[myrddraal]

Rat whip and mossy twig to maximise damage shield DPS and ensure most expediated ranger gate.

how IS the damage on the whip? With 14 delay you have to get massive amounts of flat MH attack bonus.

[plzrelax]

I would treat flame lick like a taunt spell more than a damage spell.

But I’m no ranger

[Lartanin63]

I use my dd nukes while I'm snare/bow kiting. It works pretty well to speed up the kill. Swarm, arrow,snare,fire dot, then rotate bow and DD. Reapply dot/snare if need be. Melee them down when they get low. Its easier to get mana back then mana and health. You need to test it out depending on the mobs hps. I used it on Hill giants pre-kunark.
In group settings you can nuke if you are using a 2 hander or when you get the call of fire/ long cooldown fire nukes. Always make sure you save mana for the snare or a couple roots/heals. If you are pulling don't waste your mana on nukes unless you have clarity, it will delay the pulls.
Good luck on your ranger!

[Shourty]

:Yup. I have on sow, skin and damage shield. I start with snare, arrow, flame lick, arrow, swarm, arrow, arrow etc till dots fade then dot, arrow, dot, arrow backing up alllll the time. If I get in a place where I can't do that, I snare, arrow, dot, arrow, dot, hack and slash. If I get beat up, root, back up and heal till the root breaks and back at em.
Mmmmm, ranger are super.

[Snaggles]

Nukes certainly can improve your dps a lot. They usually aren’t sustainable though mana wise if you are keeping everyone buffed up, a tank DS’d, and pulling.

It just kind of depends. When soloing low blue con casters they are very nice. The ranger tool kit is very diverse and every nuke is a lot of snares and cheap roots so just spend wisely.

[Stonewallx39]

I’m curious how to cast with fast weapons and not miss out on swings? Or is the idea that sure you lose some swings but the spell damage more than makes up for it.

[Tethler]

I’m curious how to cast with fast weapons and not miss out on swings? Or is the idea that sure you lose some swings but the spell damage more than makes up for it.

You'll miss swings. If you have a slower 2h though you can nuke between swings.

[Snaggles]

Ideally it’s done in a way for free extra damage; between swings with a 2h or on the pull prior to meleeing. Even missing swings with DW though the higher level nukes can push up your dps substantially, if it lands reliably that is. Especially if you don’t have access to spell haste.

At 52 Firestrike can be chained for like 67dps (305/4.5). Call of Flame is 100dps (200/2) and Calefacfion is 180dps (450/2.5). It’s extremely unlikely any 52 ranger especially will do 67dps; FAR less likely a 60 ranger will do 180dps. Again though, just bumping the average. These won’t be your parse figures.

Chaining Firestrike works well for a soloing a select number of old world casters, ideally with a 2h. Or stuff you can’t bow and will have enough mana for the next spawn. The quick ones might lose a few DW swings but it’s unlikely you will do more damage in that same 2-2.5 second period of time. Plus the way swing timers work you will lose swings during the cast but the swing timer will be reset by the time the spell lands.

In most other situations the balance is saving gem slots and mana for any situation that can arise. Calefaction is very cathartic but 250 mana is a lot of utility spells or 2.5DS casts on your tank.

[Stonewallx39]

Ideally it’s done in a way for free extra damage; between swings with a 2h or on the pull prior to meleeing. Even missing swings with DW though the higher level nukes can push up your dps substantially, if it lands reliably that is. Especially if you don’t have access to spell haste.

At 52 Firestrike can be chained for like 67dps (305/4.5). Call of Flame is 100dps (200/2) and Calefacfion is 180dps (450/2.5). It’s extremely unlikely any 52 ranger especially will do 67dps; FAR less likely a 60 ranger will do 180dps. Again though, just bumping the average. These won’t be your parse figures..

Thanks that’s really helpful, my ranger is still pretty low so I’m trying to understand what that might look like later on.

[Shourty]

when you get a chance, get one of these.
https://wiki.project1999.com/Raincaller
You get to stand waay out of the casters range and poke em with arrows. Root em, poke em. If that's what you want. Whatever, you play your ranger your way. It's best that way.
Embrace the grind. Leveling is overrated.