Argent Protector or Herbalists Spade for ranger 2h
 

Title basically says it. For my 53 ranger, deciding between an Argent Protector (https://wiki.project1999.com/Argent_Protector) and Herbalist's Spade (https://wiki.project1999.com/Herbalist%27s_Spade).

Pros to the AP: higher delay which is good for extra bow damage, cheaper. Pros to spade: better ratio, shovel, free root (which could be bad when soloing and the mob would otherwise flee). Help me decide tree bros.

Yes I know epics should be what I'm using. But I am a filthy casual.

Get a https://wiki.project1999.com/Woodsman%27s_Staff. Cheaper than Herbalist spade, but higher ratio than the Argent Protector. Also looks unique/cool, at least I think it's cool. I like to role play that my Ranger is a raving lunatic running around hitting people with a large stick, but I'm weird like that.

For bow dmg though I just use a https://wiki.project1999.com/Rusty_Halberd. Switch it out when I want to hit harder with my bow.

AP only gives up a nice long duration root and about 5% ratio for a fraction of the cost. It also has stats.

Bow fighting you have a better damage damage and better jousts on root breaks.

Meleeing it’s the same skill as the swarmcaller so no need to train both skills.

Low health snared stuff often still flees which will save hundreds of hps than if rooted. For select mobs fear kiting remains an option.

Fighting casters DS’s add up. The AP will cost you less hps due to less swings. Also you tend to burn down npc’s like Dyrna with casts of Firestrike. The spell alone is 65dps and some high delay melee hits synergize well. Only with spell haste and low delay weapons these nukes lose their steam. Or when you run out of mana. 6 mins of meddling will get you this back before the respawn.

Am using AP on my Ranger (now 40) and loving it.

-Woodsman staff is slightly better ratio and melee dmg bonus per unit time factoring in delays but more expensive, no stats, and worse for bow.
-Herbalist spade is great but pricey, no stats … and it’s a shovel.

So yeah AP is better with bow, has stats, and costs 1/4th to 1/6th the other two.

The blunts will do marginally more melee dps.

get herb spade. PE is better than any root you get by far. And you’ll need it to proc and heal yourself during combat since rangers can’t tank for shit. Anybody who says anything different hasn’t been playing a Ranger at high levels. Obviously if your only goal is to fear kite then don’t get it but otherwise do get it.

I'm going to have to disagree with you on that. Ranger heals suck. Its more efficient to fear kite or Root Rot with the Bow than to trying to rely on healing in between each root. Paralyzing earth is potentially longer lasting, but procs suck on this server. It's not unusual to go a full minute or longer without a proc, especially when soloing without dex buffs from a shaman. Paralyzing Earth can also break early, despite it's potential increased max duration. If your going heal in between dpsing it might be more reliable to ensnare the target, Run away with sow/wolf form, heal until the NPC gets close, and the run some distance again, before doing some more healing. Ensnaring roots doesn't last as long as Paralyzing, but a spell is still more reliable then a proc.

Grasping is quick and cheap; ensnaring for parking.

Anything a ranger fights should be snared and rooted as-needed. PE is really nice but you have options on your spell bar. Where a root weapon forces your hand in a lot of situations where a snared and fleeing mob would be better.

I really dislike the AP but mainly because people compare it to the Reaver. It’s a solid ranger pick. You would be just fine with an Herbalist too, most the time.

Toss this up in a “YMMV” category.

All this sounds like lvl 30ish ranger shit. Not the high level stuff. Bow dps also blows. More efficient to just grab a POTG, heal in between/during fights, especially 50+. You won't be fear kiting 50+ unless you're going to WW. Having PE from the spade doesn't mean you can't use your own root if needed, but it's really nice when it procs, it saves mana(which rangers always struggle with) and helps out with combat heals.

You only need a Woodsmans Staff and a Swarmcaller til Epic(s).