Dark and Darker Ranger Guide
Dark and Darker shows us how fun and exciting a game like Tarkov will be in a medieval setting. Even though it hasn’t been fully released yet, the game’s demo version has garnered over 100,000 players, showing how popular it is. Dark and Darker gives gamers the RPG feels due to being able to select their class from multiple options, and one of the most popular choices is the Ranger. While you may be squishy, these long-ranged fighters can deal significant damage from afar. This guide will help players develop their skills and understanding of this class.
Table of Contents
Ranger Overview
This long-ranged class has one of the most thrilling and entertaining gameplays in the upcoming fantasy RPG. Players need to learn and train the game’s mechanics to become better at playing this job. While you are incredibly vulnerable at close-range, you are very lethal from afar if you land your shots. However, gamers can still choose to use a limited number of melee weapons if the need arises.
There are tons of things to remember when playing as Ranger. These include in-game physics, arrow drops, and damage penalties. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of this ranged class:
Pros
- High ranged damage
- Can Use Traps
- Quick Campfire Installation
- Faster Interaction Speed
- Has Player Tracking Skills
- Fast Attacks Using Bow
Cons
- It has very few melee options
- Squishy than most classes
- Has melee damage penalty
- Suffers from arrow drop
- Very poor in close and tight spaces
- No movement increase abilities
Currently, the Ranger is usually listed as an A-tier class due to how difficult it is to play. Other ranged characters, such as Wizards, are much easier to use and benefit from a wider hitbox. However, this lower rating does not reflect how powerful the class is because a skilled Ranger will outperform a Spellcaster at any time.
The best perk of playing a Ranger is that you are incredibly self-sufficient and can quickly grind through solo gameplay. Quick installation of campfires means you can easily recuperate after harsh battles. Your ability to use traps is beneficial in ambushing enemies and in preventing people and other mobs from catching you off guard.
Ranger Character Stats
As a ranged character, you have a relatively low HP bar, which you compensate for with other stats. Your primary stats help you in many ways, such as increased movement speed and item installation. Here are the base attributes of this class:
- Strength – 10
- Agility – 20
- Will – 10
- Knowledge – 10
- Resourcefulness -25
- Health – 90
The Ranger’s highest stats are Agility and Resourcefulness. These attributes provide a unique type of gameplay that only Rangers would appreciate. Agility gives you increased movement speed and a boost on anything speed-related. Resourcefulness allows you to interact with in-game items much faster, which include traps, portals, chests, and corpses.
When you level up, the best attribute you should invest in is still Resourcefulness, followed by Agility. Investing in item interaction allows you to set up traps much faster, which means you can quickly lay down tons of them. These devices can deal significant damage to your enemies or, at the very least, impede their movement.
You would need a decent number of points on Agility solely for the movement speed increase. You should be able to take down opponents before they get dangerously close to you. If a target is very near, then having that extra MS will help you escape and create some distance from the aggressor. Strength will be your third priority if you want to invest your points in other fields.
Best Perks and Skills to Take
There are several abilities that Rangers can take. However, some of these moves are more useful than others in general. Here are the best bonuses and skills to take:
Perks
- Nimble Hands – Shooting animation is 15% faster when using a bow. Investing in this perk allows you to shoot arrows more quickly, which is quite helpful when trying to mow down several enemies.
- Ranged Weapons Expert – Physical attack power of ranged weapons increases by 5%. Since you mainly use bows and crossbows for most fights, this increased damage output for long-ranged weapons will benefit your class greatly.
- Spear Proficiency – Allows you to equip a spear and increase your physical strength by 10 when using one. There will be instances wherein you will be forced to engage in melee battles. The spear is the best item to compensate for your lack of close-range capabilities, but you should avoid engaging in melee as much as possible.
Skills
- Quickfire – Action speed is increased by 50% for five seconds when attacking with a bow-type weapon. Rangers should ideally take their opponents quickly by aiming for headshots, but there are times when this is not possible. Having Quickfire will allow you to take down enemies quickly before they get close to you.
- Quick Shot – Gain a single action that can quickly fire three arrows. Quick Shot is an excellent ability to deal burst damage. If you can land all three shots on the head, your encounters will end much faster.
Other Perks and Skills
If you want to be creative and try some off-meta builds, there are other skills that you can try experimenting on. These bonuses may be better in slots, but they are still helpful in their own right. Here are the alternate options you can choose for your Ranger.”
Perks
- Crossbow Mastery – Using a crossbow increases your physical damage bonus by 5%, reload speed by 50%, and movement speed while reloading by 50%. Most players prefer bows over the crossbow because of the slow reload animation, even with the perks. However, it does significantly more damage, so a well-placed shot to the head with this weapon can put your enemies down.
- Enhanced Hearing – You can hear further hostile footsteps. This perk is handy but lacks in-game combat applications, so many prefer to replace this with another bonus. However, if you are looking to ambush people or lay traps, having this perk is something you might consider.
- Kinesthesia – You gain movement speed increase by 10% when you move with the bowstring drawn. This perk increases kiting capabilities, but some bonuses would benefit you more, especially if you time your shots well.
- Sharpshooter – Increase headshot damage by 15% while using ranged weapons. This perk provides Rangers with the most damage, but the condition that attacks should be headshots is the deal breaker for most players. It is hard to land one-taps when your enemies are moving and mobile. However, this bonus will benefit you more than some BiS perks if you are skilled enough.
- Tracking – Enables detection of enemy footsteps. This perk is a good way of hunting down foes or monitoring activity around you. If you are looking to ambush other players, then this bonus is something you can consider.
- Trap Expert – Greatly decreases the installation time of trap items. As a Ranger, your usage of traps is already better than most classes. With this perk, you increase your interaction time even faster, which allows you to plant more of them to catch other players.
Skills
- Field Ration – Increase recovery from forage food by 25 HP. Field Ration is one of the most underrated but valuable skills in a Ranger’s arsenal. It significantly boosts your recovery, which is a huge thing since you will most likely get damaged by multiple sources. Maintaining your HP helps you stay in your top form before a fight.
- Multishot – Enables you to fire five arrows at the same time. Multishot isn’t an outstanding ability when you are too far from your enemy, but if you are dangerously close, this skill will deal massive damage if all five projectiles hit the same target.
- True Shot – Increase your attack power by 5% while increasing your projectile flight speed. True Shot is an excellent skill if you are learning the ropes. The extra flight speed means you need less compensation for the drop.
Good Combinations for Solo Play
Perks
- Enhanced Hearing
- Trap Expert
- Tracking
- Kinesthesia or Spear Proficiency
Skills
- Quickshot
- Field Ration
Good Combinations for Team Play
Perks
- Enhanced Hearing
- Nimble Hands
- Tracking
- Sharpshooter
Skills
- Quickshot
- Quickfire
Best Gear
In terms of weapons and armor, the Ranger has minimal choices. You only have a handful of armaments and cannot use heavy metal plates. Here are the weapons that you can use for this class:
Melee
- Rapier
- Spear
Ranged
- Crossbow
- Longbow
- Recurve Bow
- Survival Bow
The ideal weapons for this class are the Longbow and the Spear. The former is the best bow you can use for optimal damage and reload speed. The latter is an excellent secondary to have when you are forced to battle in melee fights. These two weapons complement well with the BiS skills and perks.
Alternatively, the crossbow is a decent optional secondary. Its burst damage allows you to take down an opponent when they get too close to you. Unfortunately, you lose your melee protection without the spear, so it is game over when someone gets near enough.
In terms of gear, the best ones to always go for are the pieces that provide the least movement penalty. As a ranged class, you should focus on maintaining the distance between you and the enemy so that you can safely DPS. While you lose some protection because of this, the additional mobility minimizes the chances of getting into dangerous close-quarters situations.
Tips for Playing Ranger
- Stealth is Your Friend – Unlike some classes that benefit from charging head-on, the Ranger should take advantage of their surroundings and time their attacks. Look for angles wherein you can take your shots unseen before engaging the enemy. Attacking the enemy when they are unprepared is the best moment for you to strike.
- Be Creative with Your Traps – Traps are handy for impeding your enemies or ambushing them. You can make these installations more effective if you use them in a way that would surprise even the most cautious dungeon raiders. A ridiculous thing you can do is plant two traps in a row, which will infuriate anyone chasing you.
- Consider Playing Near the Zone – The best place where you can fire unpunished enemies is near the zone’s border. While enemies are too busy fleeing to the safe areas, you can fire shots at them from afar, and they will be too preoccupied to react to your attacks.
- Focus on Kiting and Repositioning – To get better as a Ranger, you need to learn when to move and where to go. Mindlessly kiting your enemies might lead you into unexpected dangers, such as naturally spawning traps and hostile NPCs. Understanding the terrain and the best angles will help you efficiently dodge your opponents while keeping yourself safe.
