How are rangers in this game?

[_Vyser_]

For starters, thank you everyone for being very helpful with the questions I've had :D Now to the topic. I've been using the guns I find on my HUcast to try out something new every once in awhile, but they don't seem to be very good. I like to try all the classes in these games, so I'm thinking about making a ranger-type. Am I missing some point to rangers this time around? If you do recommend one, which race/gender would you suggest? Thanks again.

[Amherst_Wind]

RAmarls ftw!

Ok maybe its personal opinion but they're just awesome. You get Techs and a pretty decent Mind stat to use them, Resta being the biggest help but the debuffs are a godsend in boss fights and large enemy fights. Handguns are a great weapon, especially if you get one with Combat Thriller PA, the one where you juggle a grenade then explode it, every enemy in the vicinity usually gets stunned, very effective. Rifles are alright but I must admit I dont like any of the PAs. Gunblades are a good alternative to a normal saber as you get ranged combat aswell, and some of them (like Kai's Axiom line) are great as they boost Mind by 50, team that up with a RAmarls Resta and it gets even better! Cannons and Bazookas I dont use much to be honest, the Bazooka I so wish had splash damage but it doesnt... the Cannon seems useful but a little situational, getting all the enemies in a line doesnt happen often enough. Mechguns are good to use and the PAs are... well they're flashy but they do decent enough damage, the mechguns that have high Attack are definately something to try and find.

[_Vyser_]

Sweet, thanks for the input!

[Akaimizu]

Yeah, some of the gun specials are pretty keen. Better than anything I've seen in Phantasy Star, so far. They actually made some of the gun PAs as flashy as any melee one. With acrobatics, and crazy flair.

[yellow5]

RAmars are rather weak. Even with a 100 Pow Mag and 80 Power materials consumed, a FOmar twenty levels lower will probably do more overall damage, even on certain bosses. Or maybe (male) Forces are just overpowered.

If I never found this H10 rare handgun with the fire-breathing PA (which hits multiple enemies multiple times in a wide area and causes burn), I would seriously question a RAmars viability in SH mode. I've been using this gun since level 40+ and I have yet to find a weapon that will do comparable damage.

[xSHiNOx]

male forces have this 1.3 or was it 1.5 attack boost for offensive spells. female forces just have a boost in resta/anti and larger radius when casting for groups

[Mike]

If I never found this H10 rare handgun
That would be the H10 Missouri. Did you get it in hard mode?

Anyways, cast/caseals seem to get the short end of the rifle. Sure, fire traps and light traps in the right place and time can recreate the "Rappy Fight Club," but in SH, it feels like heal traps have lost a bit of potency. Wait, forget what I said. There never was a Rappy Fight Club, never will be. Never. Never.

[BioWarrior]

That would be the H10 Missouri. Did you get it in hard mode?

Anyways, cast/caseals seem to get the short end of the rifle. Sure, fire traps and light traps in the right place and time can recreate the "Rappy Fight Club," but in SH, it feels like heal traps have lost a bit of potency. Wait, forget what I said. There never was a Rappy Fight Club, never will be. Never. Never.

I've found 2. One in hard mode and one in vhard tower

[Callous]

The main point of the ranger, like in any other PS game, is that you can keep a somewhat safe distance. I have a level 77 RAmar and he does ok - mainly by spamming mechguns and pulling out a rifle on certain bosses. So far it seems like there's a lot more damage potential in hunters and forces. I have one of each of those, too.

[Amherst_Wind]

In Phantasy Star, Rangers have never been about doing high damage.
Hunters are about doing high damage and also getting a beating themselves, Forces are about doing high damage but having to try to do it without getting the same beating a Hunter would as a Force couldnt survive it.
Rangers exchange doing high damage for the fact that they will receive said beating much less often, its ranged combat.
Sure it might take you several shots of a gun compared to a Hunter taking an enemy out with two swings of a sword but the Hunter will be taking damage while you're at a safe distance, HP intact!

[Azure_wave]

I'm not too keen on the rangers in PSZ as I was with PSO. However, if you were to choose among them, I'd probably go along with RAmarls as well. The extra accuracy doesn't really seem worth it with the casts and the techs available to the mar/marls are pretty good this time around.