Ranger

job · RNG

The Ranger kills from a distance with a bow or a gun, trading melee for steady ranged damage, big ranged weapon skills and a rapid-fire volley.

RNG · two-hour Eagle Eye Shot · 15 job abilities · 31 trait ranks · 122 spells · 49 weapon skills

What the job does:
A Ranger fights from range with an archery or marksmanship weapon in the ranged slot and ammunition in the ammo slot. You shoot, build TP with every hit, and spend it on a ranged weapon skill. Your damage comes from three things: how often you shoot (Rapid Shot, Snapshot, Velocity Shot), how hard each shot is (True Shot, Dead Aim, Barrage, Double Shot), and your weapon skills.

What it is good at:

- Sustained damage at distance. You stand away from the monster and from area attacks.
- Burst. Barrage fires several shots at once, Eagle Eye Shot hits once an hour for a huge single hit, and Overkill makes every shot a Double Shot for a minute.
- Ranged skillchains. Your weapon skills open and close chains from where the monster cannot touch you.
- Utility. Bounty Shot, Camouflage, Scavenge and Shadowbind all do things other jobs cannot.

What it is bad at: close combat, tanking, and healing. Your accuracy and damage depend on how far you stand from the target, and your ammo is a resource.

A fight from the Ranger's seat: pull or wait for the tank, find your sweet-spot distance, shoot, use Barrage when it comes back, and spend TP on the weapon skill that matches your party's skillchain.

Role in a party:
Damage dealer, usually at range, and the party's skillchain starter or finisher from a safe distance. What the party expects:

- Stay at the right distance and out of area attacks.
- Hold back on enmity until the tank has hate. Stealth Shot (level 75), Decoy Shot (level 95) and Hover Shot (level 95) all help.
- Keep ammo stocked.
- Time weapon skills to the chain.

What a Ranger brings:

- A ranged weapon skill that lands on monsters out of the tank's reach.
- Bounty Shot (level 87) for better treasure.
- Shadowbind (level 40), a bind from range for 30 seconds.
- Hunter's Roll bonus: a Corsair's Hunter's Roll gets stronger when a Ranger is in the party.

Subjobs:
Subjob levels are half your main level (49 at level 99), and all subjobs are open from the start. A weapon skill your job can use also works when the job is your subjob.

Subjob | When to use it | What it gives you |
NIN | The default for most Rangers | Utsusemi shadows to cover you while you shoot, plus Dual Wield and Subtle Blow if you also melee. |
SAM | Weapon skill play | Store TP (10, II at 30, III at 50) works on ranged hits too, plus Third Eye (15) and Meditate (30). |
WAR | Simple damage | Double Attack (25, II at 50), Berserk, Warcry, Aggressor, Provoke. |
THF | Treasure and hate control | Treasure Hunter (15, II at 45), Sneak Attack, Trick Attack, Flee, Mug. Pairs with Bounty Shot. |
DNC | Support-minded Rangers | Haste Samba (45), Curing Waltz, Healing Waltz, Skillchain Bonus (45). |
WHM | Duos and trust parties | Cure, Haste (40), Regen, Erase, Auto Regen. |
COR | Early levelling | Quick Draw (40) and Phantom Roll. Rolls are scaled down when your Corsair level is below the target's, so at half level they are weak. |

Start with /NIN for the shadows, and switch to /SAM when your weapon skills are the main event.

How the abilities work together:
Ranged distance. Every ranged weapon has a sweet spot, a range of distance from the monster where you shoot at full strength:

Weapon | Sweet spot (yalms from a monster of normal size) |
Gun | 3.0 to 4.3 |
Short bow | 4.0 to 6.4 |
Crossbow | 5.0 to 8.4 |
Long bow | 6.0 to 9.5 |
Yoichinoyumi | 5.5 to 9.5 |

Bigger monsters, and bigger characters, push the range out a little. Standing closer than the sweet spot costs you ranged attack. Standing farther costs you attack and accuracy, and the loss grows all the way out to the 25 yalm maximum. True Shot (the trait at levels 78, 88, 98) adds damage only when you are inside the sweet spot, so distance is not just about safety.

The core loop.

- Sharpshot (60 seconds, +40 ranged accuracy) before a hard fight or when you keep missing.
- Velocity Shot (level 45, 2 hours, 60 second recast) raises ranged attack by 15% and speeds your shots, while lowering melee attack and speed by 15%. Turn it on for ranged play and do not melee under it.
- Double Shot (level 79, 90 seconds): 40% of your shots use two rounds and hit twice, and each Job Point rank adds 1%.
- Barrage (level 30, one volley, recast 5 minutes) fires extra shots in one go: 4 shots at 30, 5 at 50, 6 at 75, 7 at 90 and 8 once you take the 550 Job Point gift. A miss ends the volley, so use Sharpshot first.
- Overkill (level 96, 60 seconds): pushes the Double Shot chance to 100%, so have Double Shot up first.
- Unlimited Shot (level 51): your next shot costs no ammo.

Hit-hold-fade abilities.

- Flashy Shot (75): the next shot is more accurate, hits harder against higher level monsters, and creates more enmity.
- Stealth Shot (75): the next shot creates less enmity.
- Decoy Shot (95, 3 minutes): fire from behind a tank and your enmity passes to that party member. Decoy Shot and Hover Shot replace each other.
- Hover Shot (95, 1 hour): while you are main RNG, every shot fired from at least a yalm away from where you last shot the same monster adds a stack, up to 25. Each stack adds 4% damage, 4 ranged accuracy and 4 magic accuracy and takes 2 enmity off. A shot from the same spot resets the stacks. Move a step between shots.
- Eagle Eye Shot (once an hour, range 20): one huge shot that ignores Utsusemi and Blink. It is a job ability, so it does not start a skillchain.
- Bounty Shot (87): raises the monster's Treasure Hunter level to at least 2 and uses one round.
- Scavenge (10): gets back some of the ammo you fired.
- Camouflage (20): invisibility for 30 to 30 [cut off]

Working with other jobs:
With a Corsair. Hunter's Roll adds accuracy and ranged accuracy to the whole party, and it is stronger when a Ranger is present. Courser's Roll improves your Snapshot. Chaos Roll adds attack. A Corsair's Triple Shot and your Double Shot work the same way, and Allies' Roll boosts the skillchain damage you and your friends do.

With a Bard. Hunter's Prelude and Archer's Prelude add ranged accuracy and attack, and Madrigals add accuracy. Marches haste melee only, so they matter to your melee friends, not to your shooting.

With a Geomancer. Indi-Precision and Geo-Precision raise accuracy, Indi-Fury and Geo-Fury raise attack, Indi-Haste and Geo-Haste help the melee in the party. Ask for Precision first if you keep missing.

With a tank. Hold the first hit until the tank has hate, or use Decoy Shot from behind them. If your Flashy Shot or Barrage pulls hate, use Stealth Shot, wait, and let the tank retake.

Skillchains. Your weapon skills and their attributes:

Weapon skill | Skill needed | Attributes |
Flaming Arrow, Hot Shot | skill 5 | Liquefaction, Transfixion |
Piercing Arrow, Split Shot | skill 40 | Reverberation, Transfixion |
Dulling Arrow, Sniper Shot | skill 80 | Liquefaction, Transfixion |
Sidewinder, Slug Shot | skill 175 | Reverberation, Transfixion, Detonation |
Blast Arrow, Blast Shot | skill 200 | Induration, Transfixion |
Arching Arrow, Heavy Shot | skill 225 | Fusion |
Empyreal Arrow, Detonator | skill 250 | Fusion, Transfixion |
Refulgent Arrow | skill 290 | Reverberation, Transfixion |
Numbing Shot | skill 290 | Induration, Detonation, Impaction |
Apex Arrow | skill 357 | Fragmentation, Transfixion |
Last Stand | skill 357 | Fusion, Reverberation |
Jishnu's Radiance (Gandiva) | | Light, Fusion |
Namas Arrow (Yoichinoyumi) | | Light, Distortion |
Trueflight (Gastraphetes) | | Fragmentation, Scission |
Coronach (Annihilator) | | Darkness, Fragmentation |
Wildfire (Armageddon) | | Darkness, Gravitation |

Empyreal Arrow comes from "From Saplings Grow" (Windurst), Detonator from "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later" (Bastok), and Trueflight from "Unlocking a Myth". Wait 3 seconds after the opener and finish inside 10.

Examples that follow the Skillchains page:

- Detonator (Fusion, Transfixion), then Trueflight (Fragmentation, Scission): Light.
- Empyreal Arrow, then Apex Arrow: Light. With Fail-Not's Aeonic Aftermath up, Apex Arrow also counts as Light, so it can close a Light chain as a level 4 Light and, with enough weapon skills in the ch [cut off]

Levelling it:
- 1-29: Sharpshot (1), Scavenge (10), Camouflage (20). Rapid Shot (15), Recycle (20). Use a bow or a gun, call trusts to tank, and shoot from the sweet spot.
- 30-49: Barrage (30), Damage Limit+ (30), Accuracy Bonus II (30), Recycle II (35), Shadowbind (40), Velocity Shot (45). Piercing Arrow and Split Shot need skill 40.
- 50-74: Unlimited Shot (51), Dead Aim (50), Recycle III (50), Accuracy Bonus III (50), Dead Aim II (60), Damage Limit+ II (60), Accuracy Bonus IV (70).
- 75-99: Snapshot (75), Flashy Shot and Stealth Shot (75), Rapid Shot II (76), True Shot (78), Double Shot (79), Conserve TP (80), Bounty Shot (87), Decoy Shot and Hover Shot (95), Overkill (96), Dead Aim VI (99).

The level cap starts at 70. The only limit break is Shattering Stars (talk to Maat in Ru'Lude Gardens at level 66+), which opens 99.

A Ranger levels well with trusts because trusts hold hate while you shoot. Let your tank trust stand in front and use Decoy Shot from level 95. Fields of Valor tabs pay at 20x. In Classic mode your level is held at 75 until you finish the Classic lists, so your toolkit there tops out at Flashy Shot, Stealth Shot and Snapshot.

At 99 and endgame:
Merits. The Ranger's merits are the recast of Sharpshot, Camouflage and Unlimited Shot, Rapid Shot Rate, Scavenge Effect, and the upper merits Stealth Shot, Flashy Shot, Snapshot and Recycle, plus Archery and Marksmanship skill. Put points in Snapshot and Recycle first.

Job Points. Per rank:

- Eagle Eye Shot Effect: +3% weapon skill damage on Eagle Eye Shot.
- Barrage Effect: +3 ranged attack.
- Velocity Shot Effect: +2 ranged attack.
- Double Shot Effect: +1% to the Double Shot chance.
- Overkill Effect: 1 less enmity.
- Shadowbind Duration: +1 second.
- Also Sharpshot, Camouflage, Decoy Shot and Unlimited Shot effects.

Gifts. Ranged Attack and Accuracy (+10 at 10 and 30 JP, up to +25 at 1,360 and 1,530), Conserve TP Effect at 80, 405, 980 and 1,805 JP, Velocity Shot Effect at 100 and 1,200 JP, True Shot Effect at 125, 450, 1,050 and 1,900 JP, Dead Aim Effect at 150, 500, 1,125 and 2,000 JP, and the eighth Barrage shot at 550 JP. At 2,100 JP the job is mastered, the one-hour abilities (Eagle Eye Shot and Overkill) recharge 15 minutes sooner, and Master Levels open.

Where it shines. Anywhere the monster has a big melee area attack or a lot of HP: Omen, Ambuscade, Odyssey, Dynamis, Limbus, Voidwatch and Walk of Echoes all allow trusts, so a Ranger plus trusts works. Sortie, Einherjar and Nyzul Isle do not allow trusts.

Gear to aim for:
Weapons. Bows: Fail-Not (Apex Arrow, Aeonic), Gandiva (Jishnu's Radiance), Yoichinoyumi (Namas Arrow), Ullr, Kaja Bow, Eminent Bow. Guns and crossbows: Fomalhaut (Last Stand, Aeonic), Armageddon (Wildfire), Gastraphetes (Trueflight), Annihilator (Coronach), Exeter, Molybdosis, Eminent Gun.

Ammunition. Chrono Arrow and Chrono Bullet, Hauksbok Arrow (weapon skill damage +20%) and Hauksbok Bullet, Devastating Bullet, Beryllium Arrow, Eminent Arrow and Eminent Bullet. Chrono Quiver and Eminent Quiver carry them.

Level 99 sets. The Amini pieces are the damage set: Amini Gapette +3 (Double Shot, Snapshot), Amini Caban +3 (Velocity Shot, damage limit), Amini Glove. +3 (Bounty Shot, Store TP), Amini Bragues +3 (True Shot, Store TP), Amini Bottillons +3 (Unlimited Shot, weapon skill damage). Orion pieces are for utility: Orion Beret +3 (Rapid Shot, weapon skill damage), Orion Bracers +3 (Barrage), Orion Braccae +3 (Snapshot, Sharpshot), Orion Socks +3 (Scavenge, movement). Arcadian Beret +3 (Recycle +38) and Arcadian Socks +3 save ammo.

Accessories. Iskur Gorget for ranged damage, Scout's Gorget +2 for Snapshot, Fotia Gorget and Fotia Belt for weapon skills, Yemaya Belt and Kwahu Kachina Belt for ranged attack, Dingir Ring and Cacoethic Ring +1, Telos Earring, Enervating Earring, Neritic Earring and Amini Earring +2.

Vanagear will swap shooting, weapon skill and idle sets for you.

Common mistakes:
- Standing at the wrong distance. A gun at 8 yalms or a long bow at 3 yalms loses attack, and True Shot only applies in the sweet spot.
- Pulling hate. Flashy Shot and Barrage make a lot of enmity. Let the tank get ahead, use Stealth Shot, or fire from behind a party member with Decoy Shot.
- Meleeing under Velocity Shot. It lowers melee attack and speed by 15%.
- Using Barrage without Sharpshot. A single miss ends the volley.
- Forgetting Hover Shot only works while main RNG and needs you to step between shots; it resets if you stay still.
- Running out of ammo. Bring a full quiver, use Unlimited Shot on the shots that matter, and keep Scavenge for the end of the fight.
- Keeping Eagle Eye Shot for nothing. It comes once an hour; use it on the monster that deserves it.
- Wasting TP. Wait for the skillchain partner and hit inside the 10 second window instead of firing a weapon skill the moment you reach 1,000 TP.

Job abilities: Eagle Eye Shot (SP, recast 1h): Delivers an accurate and powerful ranged attack. | Sharpshot (Lv 1, recast 5 min): Enhances accuracy of ranged attacks. | Scavenge (Lv 10, recast 3 min): Searches the local area for items of interest. | Camouflage (Lv 20, recast 5 min): Makes you harder to detect. | Barrage (Lv 30, recast 5 min): Allows you to fire multiple projectiles. | Shadowbind (Lv 40, recast 5 min): Binds target. | Velocity Shot (Lv 45, recast 1 min): Increases attack power and speed of ranged attacks, while reducing attack power and speed of melee attacks. | Unlimited Shot (Lv 51, recast 3 min): Allows you to perform your next ranged attack without using ammunition. | Flashy Shot (Lv 75, recast 10 min): Your next ranged attack will generate more enmity and both have increased accuracy and deal incresed damage based on the level difference between you and the target. | Stealth Shot (Lv 75, recast 5 min): Your next ranged attack will generate less enmity. | Double Shot (Lv 79, recast 3 min): Occasionally uses two units of ammunition to deal extra damage. | Bounty Shot (Lv 87, recast 1 min): Increases the rate at which the target yields treasure. | Decoy Shot (Lv 95, recast 5 min): Diverts enmity when launching a ranged attack from behind a party member. | Hover Shot (Lv 95, recast 3 min): Incr. Rng. Atk. Dmg., Rng. Acc., and Mag. Acc.. Dec. Enm. Activates when attacking an enemy at range from a location at least one yalm away from where you last attacked it at range. | Overkill (Lv 96, recast 1h): Increases ranged attack speed and the chance of activating Double/Triple Shot.

Traits: Alertness (Lv 5), Accuracy Bonus (Lv 10), Rapid Shot (Lv 15), Recycle (Lv 20), Resist Poison (Lv 20), Accuracy Bonus II (Lv 30), Damage Limit+ (Lv 30), Recycle II (Lv 35), Resist Poison II (Lv 40), Accuracy Bonus III (Lv 50), Dead Aim (Lv 50), Recycle III (Lv 50), Damage Limit+ II (Lv 60), Dead Aim II (Lv 60), Resist Poison III (Lv 60), Accuracy Bonus IV (Lv 70), Dead Aim III (Lv 70), Snapshot (Lv 75), Rapid Shot II (Lv 76), True Shot (Lv 78), Conserve TP (Lv 80), Dead Aim IV (Lv 80), Resist Poison IV (Lv 81), Accuracy Bonus V (Lv 86), True Shot II (Lv 88), Damage Limit+ III (Lv 90), Dead Aim V (Lv 90), Conserve TP II (Lv 91), Accuracy Bonus VI (Lv 96), True Shot III (Lv 98), Dead Aim VI (Lv 99)

Spells by level: Shantotto 1, Naji 1, Kupipi 1, Excenmille 1, Ayame 1, Nanaa Mihgo 1, Curilla 1, Volker 1, Ajido-Marujido 1, Trion 1, Zeid 1, Lion 1, Tenzen 1, Mihli Aliapoh 1, Valaineral 1, Joachim 1, Naja Salaheem 1, Prishe 1, Ulmia 1, Shikaree Z 1, Cherukiki 1, Iron Eater 1, Gessho 1, Gadalar 1, Rainemard 1, Ingrid 1, Lehko Habhoka 1, Nashmeira 1, Zazarg 1, Ovjang 1, Mnejing 1, Sakura 1, Luzaf 1, Najelith 1, Aldo 1, Moogle 1, Fablinix 1, Maat 1, D. Shantotto 1, Star Sibyl 1, Karaha-Baruha 1, Cid 1, Gilgamesh 1, Areuhat 1, Semih Lafihna 1, Elivira 1, Noillurie 1, Lhu Mhakaracca 1, Ferreous Coffin 1, Lilisette 1, Mumor 1, Uka Totlihn 1, Klara 1, Romaa Mihgo 1, Kuyin Hathdenna 1, Rahal 1, Koru-Moru 1, Pieuje (UC) 1, I. Shield (UC) 1, Apururu (UC) 1, Jakoh (UC) 1, Flaviria (UC) 1, Babban 1, Abenzio 1, Rughadjeen 1, Kukki-Chebukki 1, Margret 1, Chacharoon 1, Lhe Lhangavo 1, Arciela 1, Mayakov 1, Qultada 1, Adelheid 1, Amchuchu 1, Brygid 1, Mildaurion 1, Halver 1, Rongelouts 1, Leonoyne 1, Maximilian 1, Kayeel-Payeel 1, Robel-Akbel 1, Kupofried 1, Selh'teus 1, Yoran-Oran (UC) 1, Sylvie (UC) 1, Abquhbah 1, Balamor 1, August 1, Rosulatia 1, Teodor 1, Ullegore 1, Makki-Chebukki 1, King of Hearts 1, Morimar 1, Darrcuiln 1, AAHM 1, AAEV 1, AAMR 1, AATT 1, AAGK 1, Iroha 1, Ygnas 1, Monberaux 1, Cornelia 1, Matsui-P 1, Excenmille [S] 1, Ayame (UC) 1, Maat (UC) 1, Aldo (UC) 1, Naja (UC) 1, Lion II 1, Zeid II 1, Prishe II 1, Nashmeira II 1, Lilisette II 1, Tenzen II 1, Mumor II 1, Ingrid II 1, Arciela II 1, Iroha II 1, Shantotto II 1

Weapon skills: Wasp Sting (Dagger 5; Scission), Viper Bite (Dagger 100; Scission), Shadowstitch (Dagger 70; Reverberation), Gust Slash (Dagger 40; Detonation), Cyclone (Dagger 125; Detonation/Impaction), Energy Steal (Dagger 150; ), Energy Drain (Dagger 175; ), Evisceration (Dagger 230; Gravitation/Transfixion), Aeolian Edge (Dagger 290; Scission/Detonation/Impaction), Fast Blade (Sword 5; Scission), Burning Blade (Sword 30; Liquefaction), Flat Blade (Sword 75; Impaction), Shining Blade (Sword 100; Scission), Circle Blade (Sword 150; Reverberation/Impaction), Spirits Within (Sword 175; ), Raging Axe (Axe 5; Detonation/Impaction), Smash Axe (Axe 40; Induration/Reverberation), Gale Axe (Axe 70; Detonation), Avalanche Axe (Axe 100; Scission/Impaction), Rampage (Axe 175; Scission), Decimation (Axe 240; Fusion/Reverberation), Ruinator (Axe 357; Distortion/Detonation), Shining Strike (Club 5; Impaction), Brainshaker (Club 70; Reverberation), Starlight (Club 100; ), Skullbreaker (Club 150; Induration/Reverberation), True Strike (Club 175; Impaction/Detonation), Flaming Arrow (Archery 5; Liquefaction/Transfixion), Piercing Arrow (Archery 40; Reverberation/Transfixion), Dulling Arrow (Archery 80; Liquefaction/Transfixion), Sidewinder (Archery 175; Reverberation/Transfixion/Detonation), Blast Arrow (Archery 200; Induration/Transfixion), Arching Arrow (Archery 225; Fusion), Empyreal Arrow (Archery 250; Fusion/Transfixion), Refulgent Arrow (Archery 290; Reverberation/Transfixion), Jishnu's Radiance (Archery; Light/Fusion), Apex Arrow (Archery 357; Fragmentation/Transfixion), Hot Shot (Marksmanship 5; Liquefaction/Transfixion), Split Shot (Marksmanship 40; Reverberation/Transfixion), Sniper Shot (Marksmanship 80; Liquefaction/Transfixion), Slug Shot (Marksmanship 175; Reverberation/Transfixion/Detonation), Blast Shot (Marksmanship 200; Induration/Transfixion), Heavy Shot (Marksmanship 225; Fusion), Detonator (Marksmanship 250; Fusion/Transfixion), Trueflight (Marksmanship; Fragmentation/Scission), Numbing Shot (Marksmanship 290; Induration/Detonation/Impaction), Wildfire (Marksmanship; Darkness/Gravitation), Last Stand (Marksmanship 357; Fusion/Reverberation), Exenterator (Dagger 357; Fragmentation/Scission)