Archive:R/N Touch Ranger

A Touch Ranger makes use of a ranger's durability in getting close to his opponents and "touch" skills from the necromancer's arsenal to steal his opponents'  health. This build uses a high rank in Expertise to reduce the  energy cost of the key skills  Vampiric Bite and  Vampiric Touch.

Attributes and Skills
[build prof=range/necro expert=12+1+3 bloodm=12][vampiric bite][vampiric touch][offering of blood][throw dirt][whirling defense][dodge][plague touch][resurrection signet][/build]

Equipment

 * A set of armor with Radiant Insignias, a Rune of Superior Vigor and a Rune of Superior Expertise.
 * Weapons (one of the following)
 * A +5 energy axe/sword of shelter/defense/fortitude and a Blood Knife from  Attendant Nashu or  Jahn Pitz.
 * A Blood Magic wand such as the one available from Karl Jakobs and Blood Magic focus such as the one available from  Volsung Stoneketil.
 * A Blood Magic staff such as the one available from John Verado, with an Insightful head and a wrapping of Fortitude or of Mastery.
 * A +energy weapon set with otherwise same stats as the above.
 * Milthuran's Staff for more energy

Usage

 * Get close to your target and spam  Vampiric Bite and  Vampiric Touch.
 * Use Dodge to chase down kiting targets and avoid attacks that can be harmful to the build (such as crippling attacks).
 * Use Whirling Defense or  Throw Dirt when targeted by  warriors,  rangers, dervishes,  or  assassins. This is not only important for avoiding the damage, but also the harmful conditions like crippling and  Deep Wound.
 * Use Offering of Blood when you can get the full benefit of the energy gain and you are not taking too much damage. Use it as often as it recharges if you can.

Counters

 * Use anti- spammer strategies, such as Diversion or Distracting Shot.
 * As the ranger needs to get within touch range, just stay away from them. Use any combination of snares, kiting and knockdowns to achieve this.
 * The life stolen per second is not enough to overcome focused damage and health degeneration. Condition based degeneration won't work unless combined with a snare, as they just use Plague Touch to pass it on.
 * Blackout.
 * "Can't Touch This!".
 * Atrophy. can be used to reduce the toucher energy very quickly

Variants

 * Verata's Aura can take control of all minions around for a medium-short amount of time. Highly useful for AB.
 * Barbed Signet can replace Resurrection Signet in  AB, giving the Touch Ranger a secondary distance attack to compliment  Vampiric Gaze.
 * Zojun's Haste, paired with Dodge, gives an almost nonstop speed boost and protection against rangers. This is a good replacement for Resurrection Signet in AB.
 * Blood Renewal makes a good self heal if used properly.
 * Strip Enchantment in place of Resurrection Signet for Alliance Battles or Competitive Missions.
 * Consider bringing Awaken the Blood to increase the amount of life steal and energy gain from Offering of Blood. The extra life sacrifice is offset by the extra amount of life gained from Vamparic Touch/Bite.

Farming

 * - Bosses -


 * Chkkr Thousand Tail Chkkr's Flatbow - Just aggro one group, and go regenerate in the little empty area, then go up, and kill him.
 * Jacqui The Reaver Jacqui's Aegis - I normally hit Reefclaw before I hit him, but I've always waited till he's hit a big group, so my Whirling does a lot of damage to him.
 * Reefclaw Ragebound Reefclaw's Refuge - Take him away from his group, and kill him. You will generally finish him about the time the outcasts show up at him.
 * Cultist Rajazan Rajazan's Fervor - Add Zojun's Haste. Long run, ensure you lure Rajazan away from his mob.


 * - Farming -


 * Elementals - Sardelac Sanitarium - HM > Just aggro 2/3 at a time, anymore, and you risk energy problems.
 * Mantid - Shing Jea Monastery - HM > Kill the mantids outside Shing Jea in hard mode, drops lots of golds. Also kill the kappa, they're easy too.