War Dancer (Melee Ranger) - POTD Build Guide

★ War Dancer - Build Guide for Hearth Orlan or Wood Elf, Human.

★ Role: Off-tank, Striker

★ Class: Ranger (Stalker)

✎ Team comp: play well with anyone, the duo appreciates a Chanter support to further striking and defense capability. Build powerplay at level 5 and once they have their core equipments.

★ Showcase Video

✎ Character Creation

♦ Starting Attributes:

• 10 Might

Not much good scaling abilities in this build, while the DoT has low base number so improving Might won't make much of an impact on the Ranger damage output, focus on Dexterity instead.

• 10 Constitution

• 18 Dexterity

Melee Ranger is specialized in Damage over Time, so the faster you can deliver your strikes, the better your overall DPS in general.

• 13 Perception

As a Ranger, the character have alot of straight up Accuracy bonus from abilities and more conditional accuracy boost from fighting the same target as your animal companion or finishing off Bloodied enemies. They won't need high Perception and still reliably often score Hits/Crits on their own.

• 8 Intellect

Ranger do not rely on INT, although dumping only 2 points is good enough as the Stalker also need a decent radius for Whirling Strikes to hit as much enemies as possible.

• 19 Resolve

Ranger doesn't offer much durability so high Resolve and combine with the bonus Deflection & Armor Rating from Stalker will allow them to stand their guard in the front-line better.

Hearth Orlan and The White that Wends are used for this guide.

♦ Leveling:

• Level 1: Wounding Shot
  
• Level 2: Resilient Companion
  
• Level 3: Marked Prey & Two-Weapon Style
  
• Level 4: Vicious Companion
  
• Level 5: Marked for the Hunt & Accurate Wounding Shot
  
• Level 6: Protective Companion
  
• Level 7: Stalker's Link & Predator Sense
  
• Level 8: Defensive Bond
  
• Level 9: Tough & Uncanny Luck
  
• Level 10: Merciless Companion
  
  
• Level 11: Play Dead & Survival of the Fittest
  
• Level 12: Improved Critical
  
• Level 13: Deadly Surprise & Superior Camouflage
  
• Level 14: Evasive Roll
  
• Level 15: Bear Fortitude
  
  
• Level 16: Whirling Strikes & Vengeful Grief
  
• Level 17: Bull Will
  
• Level 18: Snake Reflexes
  
• Level 19: Stunning Shots & Prestige
  
• Level 20: Distraction Training

At early game, take Heal Companion & Hardy Companion to keep your pet safe. Once you are level 11, respec and get Play Dead & Deadly Surprise instead which cover the same aspect but better and synergizes well with Vengenful Grief.

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♦ Civil skills:

• Job: Hunter
  
• Active: Alchemy
  
• Passive: Survival

♦ Weapon Proficiency:

• Battle Axe - Spear - Sabre

✎ Equipment / Gear

✦ Gear:

• Blackened Black Helm: +1 Intellect, +1 Perception, +1 Engagement.
  
  
• Token of Favor (Neck): +2 Resolve
  
  
• Devil of Caroc Breastplate (Medium): -10% Recovery Time, +2 max Power Pool, +Resistance to Constitution affliction. Grants Self Meding which +2 Armor Rating when Bloodied.
  

  ✖ Reckless Brigandine (Heavy): +5% Action Speed in melee, increases with targets Engaged, +1 enemies Engaged. +5% Melee weapon damage, increases as wearer loses Health (Max +20% Damage), increases armor rating as wearer lose Health (Max +2 Armor Rating) (alternative armor)

  
  
• Ring of Minor Deflection: +2 Deflection
  
  
• Entonia Signet Ring: +2 All Defenses when Engaged (stacks 5 times)
  
  
• Boots of Stone: +1 Dexterity, +1 Resolve, + Resistance to Might afflictions
  
  
• Girdle of Mortal Protection (Belt): +2 Constitution, +15% incoming Crits converted to Hits.
  
  
• Boltcachters: +20% chance to proc addtional Shock damage on enemy target on melee weapon Crit.
  
  
• Cloak of Greater Deflection: +7 Deflection
  
  
• Nalvi (Dog) -% Recovery penalty for armor, varies by armor type (Party-wide)

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✦ Weapon:

• Main Weapon Set:
  
  
  • Mohorā Tanga (Spear): +5 Accuracy, 5 Raw bleed Damage per 3s on scoring Crit. Grants Mince-to, pull attack then +30% Action Speed. +1 Penetration and +5% Melee Damage (increases with Survival skill)
    
    
  • Magran's Favor (Battle Axe): +20% Crit Damage, +15% Damage as Burn, 6 Burn Damage per 1s for 4s on Critical Hits. Grants 5% Damage as Burn and 5% Action Speed on kills (Stack 4 times)

  ✖ Batlte Axe Modal: +50% Recovery with Axe weapon, +10% Damage Dealt reapply as Raw Damage per 3s on Hit.

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✦ Alchemy:

• Taru Turu Chew: +3 Constitution, +3 Dexterity, +3 Might
  
• Potion of Perfect Aim: +25% Grazes to Misses / to Hits / to Crits (crafting). Useful against the big bad encounters.
  
• Potion of Spirit Shield: +3 Armor Rating
  
• Potion of Moderate Healing: Restore Great amount of Health.

✎ Abilities Preview

♦ Stalker subclass:

• Bonus: +5 Deflection and +1 Armor Rating to both the Ranger and their pet when fighting next to each other within 4m range.
  
  
• Penalty: Both the character and animal companion will suffer Bonded Grief when they are more than 7m from each other.

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✦ Abilities:

• Hearth Orlan: +10% Hits to Crits conversion when fighting the same enemy as your allies.
  
  
• Mark of the Hunt: +10 Accuracy to target for both the Stalker and animal companion. When upgraded, the mark will transfer between enemies on kill.
  
  
• Accurate Wounding Shot: do Full Attack on your target, 20% Weapon Damage Dealt as Raw Damage per 3s, on upgraded version it has +20 accuracy bonus.
  
  
• Whirling Strikes: spin around, doing Full Attack on nearby enemies and apply Raw Damage per 1s for a duration.
  
  
• Stunning Shot: the Stalker attacks interrupt enemies on Critical Hits with weapons.
  
  
• Survival of the Fittest: +10 Accuracy to targets lower than 50% HP.
  
  
• Stalker's Link: +10 Accuracy to both character and animal when attacking a same target.
  
  
• Evasive Roll: your mobility skill to gap close enemies, also apply Quick inspiration for a short time on cast.
  
  
• Superior Camouflage: +8 Deflection against ranged attacks.
  
  
• Resilient Companion: +1 Armor Rating for pet.
  
  
• Predator Sense: +50% damage for pet on enemy target who is suffering Damage over Time.
  
  
• Vicious Companion: +15% Damage, +2 Penetration for pet.
  
  
• Merciless Companion: +30% damage to target with Afflictions for pet.
  
  
• Strengthened Bond: +15 Defense against all AoE attacks.
  
  
• Deadly Surprise: animal companion play dead, healing a great amount of health before with their master. When upgraded, they will do +100% bonus damage on their next attack. Before you get access to Play Dead, take "Heal/Hardy Companion" in early levels to keep your pet safe.
  
  
• Vengeful Grief: when animal companion knocked out or fake death with play dead, the Stalker will get Nimble (+5 Dex, +100% Stride) and Tenacious (+5 Mig, +2 Pen) inspirations for a duration.
  
  
• Distracting Training: when an enemy missed their melee attacks on your animal companion, they receive a penalty to Deflection (-10) for a short time.

✦ AI Behavior Script:

• Link

[willakadirk1]

i followed your attribute numbers but lacked 4 in resolve so im a little squishy i guess...when you showed your guide you had 19 in resolve i didnt have enough to do that

[willakadirk1]

hey i was curious is there any time to use a bow for this build? like early game pop shot then switch? im curious as how early game plays? until i get some items im sitting at 15 resolve, so early on its not wise to go toe to toe with enemies right as damage is bad...what is my role early on?

[Orr]

Not sure if your still keeping tabs on this. I was wondering if this build can be combined with the Shifter build instead of the rogue multiclass. I think a interesting Beastmaster shifter with a pet would be interesting, but not sure if they be to talent starved to get the same results you've managed with both those builds. Alas like not a lot of blood dmg and powerful put or strong wildshape shift.

[Izuveal the God]

Well, ty for advice, will be testing Lion or Wolf.

[Izuveal the God]

I doubt about that, coz in POE1 Sagani's Itumak very often deal damage near 70-90 in one shot, with his atackspeed. And its make me mad, coz he had so low STR ...

[Lost Sinner]

• You can pick any pets you want but Bear or Boar are the ideal ones because of their durability, Bear has more Armor Rating bonus and Boar has regeneration. both are also more beefy than others with more HP.
• Companion pets are not designed to be damaging, in the end they are just there to add some additional attacks and manpower. Damage difference are not stand out, while their durability does, Bear or Boar can take more beatings, more notable than others could.

[Izuveal the God]

Hello. Can u please explain the choice of ranger's pet: bear. Why him? Which pet is better for dps/overall usability? Wolf, lion?

[Lost Sinner]

I'm not planning to cover them, Konstanten could use the single-Barbarian i made recently without the sub-class. As for Fassina, i'm not interested in her class options.

[JoPra.FR]

Great build as usual ! Thanks a lot :)
Quick question tho : are you planning on posting build for others sidekicks in the future ? I'm thinking about Fassina and Konstanten !
Thank you again !