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The Ranger is Dark And Darker's main long-range damage dealer. Capable of wielding a Bow, a Crossbow, or a Spear, this deadly class is right at the top of the tier list in terms of power. Headshots do ridiculous damage, and the stealthy trap-based gameplay make it a potent solo or group class.
This guide covers some perk and ability builds for the Ranger, some gameplay tips, as well as the best gear you should be looking out for on your runs.
We updated this article in February 2023, for the new playtest of the game. This update focuses on the new solo mode and how the Ranger fits into the new meta.
Ranger Class Overview
The Ranger is a very powerful class in Dark And Darker that specializes in ranged gameplay, but there are some things to remember about the class.
There is quite a lot of arrow drop when you use a Bow, a Crossbow is very slow but extremely powerful, and the Spear seems to negate quite a few of the benefits of playing as a ranged character. However, the Spear is still very viable as a weapon. Here's a look at the class perks and abilities.
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Pros
- Ranged damage and headshots are extremely effective
- Decent movement speed and set of active abilities/passives
- Traps disable an enemy player for ages which means you can get easy kills on them
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Cons
- Squishier than other classes
- Can feel slow to get started until you've unlocked more perks
- The Bow is difficult to master, as the arrow drop is pretty significant
In Dark And Darker, you are able to take one perk at level 0 and up to four perks at max level, with perks unlocking at level 0, level 5, level 10, and level 15. You are able to take two abilities at any time.
Starter Rangers Perks And Abilities
We recommend that you take the Nimble Hands perk as your first perk, as this will increase how quickly you are able to fire another arrow.
In terms of abilities for a low level Ranger, we recommend the Field Ration ability for extra health regen and the Quickshot ability as the rapid three-arrow shot is deadly.
Is The Ranger A Viable Solo Class?
The Ranger is an excellent solo class, if you play to your advantages. At the beginning, you'll probably find killing Goblins in the Goblin Cave mode a bit tricky as they will eat multiple arrows. However, with a few bits of gear, and importantly, a Spear, you'll make short work of these while taking very little damage.
You'll also find PvP a blast with the Ranger, especially when you're only going against one other player. Hit your headshots and players HP will disappear. The only other class in the game that can catch up to you is a Rogue, or a Wizard with Haste, a Fighter with Sprint, or a Berserker.
Max Level Ranger Build
Here's a look at what a max level Ranger build might look like. This build is specifically built around the bow, but there are other variations for the Crossbow and the Spear, which is one of the best melee weapons in the game.
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Perks |
Abilities |
|---|---|
|
Nimble Hands |
Field Ration |
|
Sharpshooter |
Quick Shot |
|
Kinesthesia |
|
|
Enhanced Hearing |
We've opted to keep Field Ration around as our top ability pick as that health regen can be really powerful - however, if you are running in a group with a Cleric you might want to change this out for one of the other abilities, like Multishot. We've also kept Quick Shot because it's honestly just broken.
In terms of perks, we've gone for Nimble Hands, Sharpshooter, Kinesthesia, and Enhanced Hearing. Here's our reasoning for picking each of these perks.
- Nimble Hands - Faster reload animation, essentially. Great for getting a lot of damage out of your bow quickly and useful in both PvE and PvP.
- Sharpshooter - Extra headshot damage shouldn't be sniffed at - it's one of the deadliest things in the game, as long as you hit your shots.
- Kinesthesia - Like Nimble Hands, having extra movement when your bow is drawn is great for PvP and PvE alike.
- Enhanced Hearing - Footsteps are really loud in Dark And Darker, but you know what's even better? When they're even louder. Players like to be very sneaky in the game, so if have the drop on them by hearing a scuffle in the shadows, you're at an advantage.
Best Ranger Gear To Look Out For
Here's a look at some of the best gear pieces and weapons you should be looking out for while playing as the Ranger.
- The best gear you can get in Dark And Darker for the Ranger, is, funnily enough, the Ranger Set. You can get a Ranger Hood and a Ranger chestpiece that boost attributes like movement speed and damage. Typically, just pick up the best stated gear you can find.
- In terms of weapons, the Longbow is fantastic. It deals a load of damage from pretty much any range. You can also experiment with the Recurve bow, although you will need a much rarer (orange spec) bow to deal as much damage as a Longbow.
- You should experiment with the melee Spear build as it is viable and quite fun.
Ranger Gameplay Tips
Here are a few tips to improve your Ranger gameplay.
- Movement speed is a great stat to focus on, both for PvE and PvP. You should always be trying to disengage with an enemy, reposition, take a shot, take cover, etc.
- Ranger is actually a really decent solo class for Dark And Darker because you can kill enemies from afar and lay traps everywhere to catch enemy players out.
- Be careful with your bow. Team damage is deadly in this game. One shot in the back of the head, and you're done for.
- As a solo, play in the shadows, remove torches, try and get sneak headshots on enemies.