Ranger Essentials

The Ranger job is considered a Damage Dealer (DD). Rangers rely on bow and arrows (archery), crossbow and bolts (marksmanship), and guns and bullets (marksmanship) for their main source of damage. In addition to doing damage, a Ranger is capable of inflicting “status effects” on their enemies using a variety of ammunition. Due to the presence of a ranged attacking weapon, Rangers are often called upon to pull for their party as well. While other jobs have better tools or reasons to pull, a Ranger still is called to fill this role. If you are not comfortable with pulling (not many are at first), you will get use to it after playing Ranger for some time.

Job Abilities:

Eagle Eye Shot: Level 1. Recast time: 2 hr. Fires a highly accurate and powerful attack.

Note: This attack can miss, but it is still a rare occurrence. At higher levels, its relative power falls behind other attacks available to a Ranger.

Sharpshot: Level 1. Recast time: 5 min. Improves Ranged Accuracy for 1 minute.

Note: This ability also removes the distance factor associated with Ranged Accuracy while active.

Scavenge: Level 10. Recast time: 5 min. Searches the ground to find items.

Note: The items dug up are usually synthesis items required to make various arrows, bolts and bullets. Can sometimes find old ammunition as well.

Camouflage: Level 20. Recast time: 5 min. Makes the Ranger invisible.

Note: This ability allows a Ranger to walk past sight aggro mobs when in use. The time that camouflage lasts varies widely, so this isn’t a tool that one should solely rely on when invisibility is required.

Barrage: Level 30. Recast time: 5 min. Fires several shots in one attack.

Note: At level 30, this ability can fire up to 4 times. 5 shots can occur at level 50, and 6 shots at level 75. AF+1 hand armor will allow up to 7 shots. Once a shot misses in barrage, you do not fire the remaining shots. All shots fired will consume that number of ammunition.

Shadowbind: Level 40. Recast time: 5 min. Binds the enemy.

Note: A bound enemy will usually be released by damage (unless sufficiently higher level than the enemy). If no damage is done to the enemy, it will be stuck until the bind effect wears off.

Velocity Shot: Level 45. Recast Time: 5 min Increases speed and attack power of ranged attack.

Note: Duration is 5 Min and Recast Time is 5 Min so you are able to keep this on all of the time. This ability gives you a 15% Ranged Attack boost at the cost of a 15% attack reduction and drastically reduces the delay n your weapons.

Unlimited Shot: Level 51. Recast time: 3 min. The next shot will not consume ammo.

Note: This is useful when firing off ammo which you do not want to lose. Generally used with ammo purchased using CP points, and “Winds” used in Sky.

Rangers need to concern themselves mainly with those statistics which increase Ranged Accuracy and damage. Less important in a normal party situation is our defense, but this should not be completely overlooked. The seven base stats and descriptions are as follows. I give mainly the stat descriptions that are pertinent to Rangers. Each one also has other effects, but these are unimportant for the Ranger job.

Strength (STR): Strength affects how much damage a player does with melee attacks, ranged attacks and weapon skills.

Agility (AGI): Agility affects a player’s ranged accuracy and evasion.

Dexterity (DEX): Dexterity affects a player’s melee accuracy and critical hit rate.

Vitality (VIT): Vitality affects a player’s physical defense.

Mind (MND): Mind affects a player’s magical defense and light based damage from Holy Bolts.

Intelligence (INT): Intelligence affects added elemental damage from elemental arrows. Some have also debated its role in possibly effecting status bolt usage.

Charisma (CHR): This for the most part does very little for a Ranger. Yes, Hawker Knives do have +CHR, but notice they can be equipped by Beastmasters, for whom CHR matters.

Of the above listed stats, the ones most relevant to Ranger are STR, AGI and MND. SE has said in multiple interviews that 2 STR = 1 ATT, 2 DEX = 1 ACC, 2 VIT = 1 DEF and 2 AGI = 1 Evasion and 1 R Acc. I do not recall if they reported the STR and R Att correlation, but this has already been deduced. However, all these stats do much more, and for a full run down, I urge you to read this page. It is present in VZX’s signature, someone much more informed about damage calculations than myself.

Besides the seven base statistics, the other two relevant stats to a Ranger are Ranged Accuracy and Ranged Attack. Their names both provide ample description of what they do for a Ranger. Throughout most of a Rangers exp career of levels 1-70, a Ranger will follow the guideline of:

R ACC > R ATT > STR > AGI

Note: There are some gear exceptions to this rule, but that will be discussed in the weapons and armor section.

As a Ranger approaches level 75, this priority order starts to change. This is mainly due to the final Accuracy Bonus, and more parties fighting T-VT (Tough to Very Tough) monsters, which translates into lower monster evasion relative to the players ranged accuracy. At level 75, I use the following rough guideline for normal shots:

R Att > R Acc > STR > AGI

For Holy Bolt usage I go by:

MND > R Acc (I swap out a lot of R Acc for MND) > R Att > STR > AGI

For Weapon Skill usage I like to go:

STR > R Att > R Acc > AGI.

The most important thing to realize is that each situation is different. Different enemies, foods and party set-ups sometimes mean I have to adjust my weapon/armor in a different manner. Honestly, I urge flexibility more than anything else. No two Rangers will use the exact same gear; as long as your set-up is done in a logical, intelligent manner, you should be fine.

What is less understood by lower level Rangers, and even some high-level Rangers, is that a food which works at level 75 may do very little at lower levels. This is because a great number of foods work by increasing your stats in percentage increments, instead of by raising a stat by a set amount. In order to determine the proper food, you need to know what your base stats are. While this may be a trivial matter for normal melee characters to know their Attack, our Ranged Attack values are not shown in the equipment screen. However, formulas for Ranged Accuracy and Ranged Attack have been determined, and the formula are as follows.

Ranged Attack = Combat skill level + Ranged Attack from gear + STR/2 +8.

Ranged Accuracy = Combat skill level + Ranged Accuracy from gear + AGI/2.*

Or past Combat skill level 200

R Acc = 200 + (Combat skill level -200)0.9 + Ranged Accuracy from gear + AGI/2.*

Using these formulas, info on food from http://ffxi.somepage.com/itemdb/food.php shows recommended food types for Ranged Attack on a level by level basis. While there may be a few foods I don’t agree with for the level range given, it should be obvious by using the above formulae what foods are good choices.

Unfortunately, what this site fails to address is what Ranged Accuracy foods are best suited for various levels. All too often I hear of Rangers using Sole/Squid Sushi in Valkurm Dunes, just because they know it to be a great Ranged Accuracy food at mid to high levels. Using the most common mistake of using Squid Sushi at early levels, let’s examine how it stacks up versus other Ranged Accuracy foods.

Squid Sushi: +15% Ranged Accuracy

Tentacle Sushi: +19% Ranged Accuracy, caps at +18 Ranged Accuracy

Flounder Meuniere: +15 Ranged Accuracy; +14% Ranged Attack, caps at +25 R Att

Red Curry: HP +25, Strength +7, Agility +1, Attack +23%, Ranged Attack +23% and the Demon Killer Effect.

Until you can achieve a total Ranged Accuracy of 100, Squid/Sole Sushi actually gives less Ranged Accuracy that Flounder, and Tentacle Sushi will still give more Ranged Accuracy up until a base of 120 Ranged Accuracy. Using the above formula and web site, you should be able to come up with a food type that will work best for your Ranger. As a parting thought, I would recommend that you always carry Ranged Attack and Ranged Accuracy food. No two situations are the same, and sometimes one food will be preferred over the other. Until you get a good idea what food you will need ahead of time, I urge Rangers to be prepared by bringing both types.

Archery: This is usually a good choice from level 1-30, 40-50 then 55/60-75. It is always recommended to carry your bow and ammo anyhow, as some parties call for archery and others for marksmanship. Just be sure to always keep it capped.

Shortbow/+1: Level 1-4. This is the only bow available. You may as well use it.

Longbow/+1: Level 5-9. This is just your typical upgrade.

Royal Archer’s Longbow: Level 10-11. Just another upgrade, nothing special here.

Hunter’s Longbow: Level 12-15 or 12-29. This is your first nice Bow. Some people prefer this over the next upgrade. It is a bit more accurate, but less damaging.

Power Bow +1: Level 16-29. These are cheaper than the NQ bow, which are used in the Mog House safe expansion quest.

Great Bow +1: Level 30-39. Time for another upgrade.

Battle Bow +1: Level 40-49. Again with an upgrade. Need to keep our weapons up to date after all.

War Bow +1: Level 50-54/59. Anyone catch on to the upgrading trend yet?

Eurytos’ Bow (E-Bow): Level 55-75. Here it is the ultimate Ranger Archery option. This bow hits hard and fast. If you can afford one, by all means grab it. If not don’t fret, another option is just around the bend.

Selene’s Bow (S-Bow): Level 60-75. Referred to by some as the “poor mans E-Bow”, this weapon is anything but poor. It puts out comparable damage to the E-Bow, although it will lose out in total Damage over Time (DoT) due to the E-Bows faster rate of firing. It is an acceptable archery option if E-Bow is beyond your pocketbook.

Yoichinoyumi (Fully upgraded relic bow): Level 75. If you have this bow, chances are you need to get a tan. Go outside. :p (I’m jealous)

Loxley Bow: This deserves honorable mention as the fastest bow in the game. Not very strong, but it does make a fun farming toy.

There are other bows 70+, but since the introduction of the S-Bow, these other bows have lost their usefulness. Also note almost all bows I listed are the +1 version. Unlike melee weapons, Ranged weapons get a HUGE boost on the HQ models. Take the time to get the HQ versions, or stop playing Ranger. They are seriously that big of a deal.

Arrows: The progression of arrows is fairly straight forward. Use the most recent arrows available, with few exceptions. Almost all arrows can be quivered by trading a full stack of arrows and a Carnation per stack to the Mithra who travels with the Circus that resides in the town possessing first place in Conquest. No quivering is done when a tie for first place occurs.

Wooden/Stone Arrows: Level 1-6. These are all you can use. NPCs sell them dirt cheap.

Bone Arrows: Level 7-14: Another ammunition upgrade, these are also sold by NPCs.

Fang Arrows: Level 15-23/28. These are stronger than the Level 17 Beetle Arrows, but are unquiverable. Upgrade level depends on preference.

Silver Arrows: Level 24-28. These are stronger than Fang Arrows, but don’t give the bonus to Ranged Accuracy that Fang Arrows give. This comes down to preference.

Horn Arrows: Level 29-39. Just another ammo upgrade.

Scorpion Arrows: Level 40-???. Another ammo upgrade, but with a twist. These can be upgraded at level 45 with elemental arrows which contain no Ranged Accuracy bonus, level 50 by Bodkin Arrows which rarely appear on the AH, or by level 60 with Demon Arrows.

Elemental Arrows: Level 45-49/59. Fire, Lightning and Ice arrows. Depending upon your preference, you may go for these over Scorpion Arrows. These provide more damage per shot, but don’t have the Ranged Accuracy Bonus.

Bodkin Arrows: Level 50-59. These do slightly less damage than elemental arrows, but have the same Ranged Accuracy bonus as Scorpion Arrows. Upgrade to these if your server AH has them available.

Elemental Arrows, Part II: Level 55-75. Wind, Water and Earth arrows. These arrows are rarely found on the AH, due to the difficulty in obtaining some of the ingredients. However, if you can find them on your servers AH, they have been reported as useful. The damage has been said to rival that from Holy Bolts, using Intelligence to help either lower resists or increase damage.

Demon Arrows: Level 60-75. These are excellent arrows, and depending upon price these can be your main arrows for TP gain up to end-game. They also have a nice Attack Down effect that lands quite often in exp.

Marid Arrows: Level 65. Two more base damage over Demon Arrows, with no added effect and no Ranged Accuracy bonus. I’m not a fan of these, but hey, someone keeps buying them on my server.

Kabura Arrows: Level 70-75. These are great arrows. Outside of Conquest Point (CP) ammunition, these have the best damage rating, with a decent Ranged Accuracy bonus. The silence effect doesn’t land often, but that is of little concern.

Patriarch Protector’s Arrow (PPA) and Grand Knight’s Arrow (GKA): Both of these arrows are purchased using CP, and are only to be used with Unlimited Shot so they aren’t lost. The PPA is the most accurate and damaging arrow in this game. The GKA is not worth spending CP on.

Because of the PPAs high Ranged Accuracy, this is the perfect arrow for which to use a full Ranged Attack/Strength set-up. It is only slightly stronger than a Kabura Arrow, but +40 Ranged Accuracy on an ammo piece allows for much of the normal Ranged Accuracy armor to be swapped out.

Note: There are some status effect arrows. Poison (19) Sleep (35) and Paralysis (70). These are rarely used, and are not relied upon for their effects in exp.