I am having a hard time deciding which of these classes to make so I'd like you folks to help me out. State some advantages and disadvantages to both and shed some light on how each of these classes will perform when the new RA system is implemented. Thanks in advance !

Ranger: sucks at low RR but get decent at higher RR with IP, PD and Purge. If you have all timer based RAs up, you will wtfpwn everything in stealth war. If your timer as down ... you are screwed against assassins with equal RR/equipment.

Nightshade: Assassins are overpowered at Uthgard since no one is fully buffed at 2800 HP as live, but still Viper 3 exists wich does 120 dmg all 4 secs. In addition, PA damage is bugged: my RR4 unbuffed Infi does as much damage with PA as my Nightshade RR8 fully buffed did on live. Nightshades perform much better against non-stealthers due poisons. I saw a RR4 nightshade killing a RR6 armsmen. This would be never ever able with a ranger at the same RR.

Whether you play a nightshade or a ranger, you need at least 3 buff potions and 1 charge to be able to solo.

Like said, Ranger is difficult at lower RR, because active RA's are normally what makes the difference in the fight. While an assassin is more about passive RA's. But in the OF RA system, there will be more active RA use for the NS. But the OF RA system is worse for the archer, since the older stealth system is not very nice to them. If camo is down, you will need to hide or never stop moving and never move straight for too long, to avoid the coming PA from assassins, who will see you from far away, while the archer will have no stealth vision past like 125 units. OF Ras also will make stealth movement slower for archers, so kiting could be very difficult, so full bow spec will be unlikely to work out.

Only make a ranger if you want to feel like a archer, and spec hybrid. Otherwise expect a real challenging time when OF ras come. I play a ranger, but only because i like the utility of being an archer, i would never go full melee spec. If i didnt care about using a bow, i would prob go with an assassin, as i have played one long ago, but liked the idea of being an archer. Challenging times ahead, but ill manage.

Think I'm gonna go with the NS.. Any spec suggestions?
PS: thanks for your replies !

Dont fool urself, do a ranger. They are much better than NS atm, sure during the beginning u ll suffer a bit, but just invite some others and get ur RR. Old RA will not come in near future, dont plan with it if u create a char right now.
And u ll fight almost only other stealther, there are just a very limited number of players with none stealther classes try to run solo.

pweet wrote:Dont fool urself, do a ranger. They are much better than NS atm, sure during the beginning u ll suffer a bit, but just invite some others and get ur RR. Old RA will not come in near future, dont plan with it if u create a char right now.
And u ll fight almost only other stealther, there are just a very limited number of players with none stealther classes try to run solo.

Or he can just try to solo 100% of time

pweet wrote:Dont fool urself, do a ranger. They are much better than NS atm, sure during the beginning u ll suffer a bit, but just invite some others and get ur RR. Old RA will not come in near future, dont plan with it if u create a char right now.
And u ll fight almost only other stealther, there are just a very limited number of players with none stealther classes try to run solo.

I do 3x the kills with my Inf as with my ranger.

morbidus wrote:Think I'm gonna go with the NS.. Any spec suggestions?
PS: thanks for your replies !

With RR4:
36 Stealth
36 Thrust
36 Envenom
44 Crit strikes
25 CD

Roll a Shar blades Ranger.

Practice the side-stun until you're good at it (this isn't hard).

At RR4, take MoS 2 (enough to avoid PA), PD 3, IP 2. Strafe-stun and then spam the same styles every combat. Some times you'll win, some times you'll lose, but you'll make RPs and gain RR.

The more RRs you get, the more melee RAs you take. Load up on Aug Str, MoP, Purge 1. Make sure to always have a str/con pot or charge going. Haste is good too.

Kill all stealthers. Compliment yourself for what a pro player you are because you use the exact same "strategy" (side-chain -> stick, any-timer) every fight and win.

Just for interest, but do you see more as a Ranger with Mos4 compared to a NS with Mos4?
Like Ranger vs NS with old RA and See Hidden (Ranger can't see anything while NS see you from far away), or is it better and NS see almost the same as Rangers (SB's and Infis / Minstrel)?

Anything higher than MoS2 is worthless on a NS. Most people get 2 just for the slight increase in stealthed movement speed and since it doesn't help you see other assassins anyways, not worth going higher than that. Ranger can see everything assuming the enemy's Camouflage is down.

Ah ok thx that helps =)
And how is the movement speed compared to normal walking and sprinting?
I never know how fast this infis are while beeing stealthed =)

Even with MoS2 you're still pretty slow compared to regular walking but the little bit of extra movement speed while stealth helps.

Seyha wrote:Roll a Shar blades Ranger.

Practice the side-stun until you're good at it (this isn't hard).

At RR4, take MoS 2 (enough to avoid PA), PD 3, IP 2. Strafe-stun and then spam the same styles every combat. Some times you'll win, some times you'll lose, but you'll make RPs and gain RR.

The more RRs you get, the more melee RAs you take. Load up on Aug Str, MoP, Purge 1. Make sure to always have a str/con pot or charge going. Haste is good too.

Kill all stealthers. Compliment yourself for what a pro player you are because you use the exact same "strategy" (side-chain -> stick, any-timer) every fight and win.

Roll a luri nightshade.

Practice the side-stun ... oh, one moment, you don't need to since with evade 7 and 300 dex you can simply use the after evade stun. So simply face opponents instead of stick, because this helps avoid beeing strafed.

AT RR4, take Viper 3 and organizes your self 5-10 additional mainhand weapons. You will loose some fights (particular against assassins above RR5 with remdy) and win some fights (particular against all other classes).

The more RPs you get, the more spec in melee-RAs like purge, vanish, MoCrit, etc.

Kill all stealther and in addition all visible solo player. AT rr8 make a video showing you pwning everything by doing 500 damage and more with crit-strikes or by perma-evade in combat spamming the crit-strike after evade combo and switching viper 3 weapons.

Viper 3 isn't much help against assassins with Remedy, archers that can Crit you out of stealth with bow, and minstrels that can kite you down. The evade stun is nice, but it is a reactive style so its use is limited. Your ranged options are limited and you have no way to catch a fleeing opponent. You can't detect other assassins. You don't have camouflage.

Not sure how any of that makes you better at killing stealthers (which will be 90% of your opponents) than a Ranger.

PA and CD and the fight is over vs most of the opponents. 90% of the Assassins have purge3 so the slam or instant stun wont save you. Especially Assassins are the better match up vs minstrels because of their better dps (higher gr and poisons vs some more buffs...). So I cant agree with you Seyha.