Is there still room for Rangers?

[Nostra]

With all the new shiny things in Wotc, I'm finding it hard to pick a ranger in my teams...
For scouting I take a Reaper, for melee a Templar... both much better at it than the ranger imo. The only time I take a ranger is when the rest is wounded or tired...

[Harmania]

Shotguns are nice.

[Zumbi Filosófico]

Originally posted by Laughing Mary:

Shotguns are nice.

That's basically it

[XeidiDent]

I never go to a mission without a Ranger.

[SenMithrarin85]

Originally posted by Lifegiver:

Originally posted by Laughing Mary:

Shotguns are nice.

That's basically it

Those coffins the chosen use have a crap-ton of hp. Close ranged rapid fire from a ranger will seriously dent it.

[Traim]

Again: once you play on a higher difficulty your templar can not compete to the possible damage-output of a ranger. With the freeaction you get from bonds you can deal more than 60 damage with a ranger in one turn. To kill Gatekeepers, Sectopods, Rulers, Chosen this is much more valuable than the templars parry-ability. And the Templars Damageoutput falls flat at midgame on Legendary, as enemies start to have way too much armor for the Templar to be effective.
So yeah, on the lower difficulties, your templar might seem to be OP and slaughter everything. But not anymore on Legendary.

[Ellie]

They're still the most OP units in the game imo, except maybe Psi Ops.

[theworld]

Originally posted by Traim:

And the Templars Damageoutput falls flat at midgame on Legendary, as enemies start to have way too much armor for the Templar to be effective.
So yeah, on the lower difficulties, your templar might seem to be OP and slaughter everything. But not anymore on Legendary.

There's this little thing called Ionic Storm, which does 12-18 damage and ignores armor, restoring focus on kills and generating PSI loot.

[Včelí medvídek]

Originally posted by Traim:

Again: once you play on a higher difficulty your templar can not compete to the possible damage-output of a ranger. With the freeaction you get from bonds you can deal more than 60 damage with a ranger in one turn. To kill Gatekeepers, Sectopods, Rulers, Chosen this is much more valuable than the templars parry-ability. And the Templars Damageoutput falls flat at midgame on Legendary, as enemies start to have way too much armor for the Templar to be effective.
So yeah, on the lower difficulties, your templar might seem to be OP and slaughter everything. But not anymore on Legendary.

Would maybe add tot his that melee is too risky (unwanted pod activations..) on particularly ironman runs anyway (not talking about poor dmg).

[Wintermute]

Originally posted by Miss Ellie:

They're still the most OP units in the game imo, except maybe Psi Ops.

This. Between melee breakthroughs, Reaper taking their scouting role, and Katana, they outclass Templars by a mile.

[Goro san]

Templars are useles agains mob of mutons/berserkers.
Rangers are not.

[Traim]

Originally posted by KaneBlackHand:

Originally posted by Traim:

And the Templars Damageoutput falls flat at midgame on Legendary, as enemies start to have way too much armor for the Templar to be effective.
So yeah, on the lower difficulties, your templar might seem to be OP and slaughter everything. But not anymore on Legendary.

There's this little thing called Ionic Storm, which does 12-18 damage and ignores armor, restoring focus on kills and generating PSI loot.

Yeah, and how long does it take to get a Colonel on Legendary? You will have Plasmaweapons till then. Agreed, 18 dmg is still good, but dragging your Templar along for 25-35 Missions, while he is pretty much more of a hindrance than a help on most of these, to get him to fire this one ability, is actually a tough choice to make, in my humble opinion....

I would rather train rangers on these 25-35 missions, give them bonds, and deal up to 60 damage with crits from plasmashotguns with rapidfire + extraattack from the bond in one turn.

[theworld]

Originally posted by Traim:

Yeah, and how long does it take to get a Colonel on Legendary?

2 Covert Ops in a row with promotion as a reward starting at Captain is all it takes.

[Traim]

Originally posted by KaneBlackHand:

Originally posted by Traim:

Yeah, and how long does it take to get a Colonel on Legendary?

2 Covert Ops in a row with promotion as a reward starting at Captain is all it takes.

True, actually the fastest way to get colonels on Legendary...

[Freelancer]

5 Rangers and a Reaper (especially with the Banish ability) is my prefered line-up throughout the whole game..

The Templar & Skirmisher just doesnt cut it for me so I tend to spend all my ability points on the Reaper and Rangers, leaving the other classes alone. In fact thanks to the Reaper I dont need a Sharpshooter (until) I am able to equip them with the Chosen sniper rifle which is pretty useful when running and fighting and my squad doesnt have a Reaper with them.

This strategy means I dont waste ability points and supplies upgrading Grenadier's cannons, Sharpshooter sniper rifles & pistols and Specialist Mag & Plasma Rifles etc, I only upgrade Ranger Weapons & Swords.

Two of the three defeted Chosen weapons are used by Rangers, the other by a Sharpshooter making my squad highly mobile and hard hitting.

[Sovereigndrake]

Take your ranger with a bonded squadmate, a skirmisher, and a Psi and get ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ amounts of extra attacks, (also hair trigger) And, if you're lucky, having chain shot as a bonus XCOM ability... well you will down anything in a turn regardless of its armour or defense.
And heaven forbid something survives, bladestorm will proc before they get a chance to act.

Also they can wear icarus/spider/wraith/serpent armours.

Templars just can't keep up even if you give them bonus moves. Ionic storm wont even take down a trooper late game, let alone real enemies.