The Ranger… when most folks think of Rangers, they think of hardy woodland
warriors and hunters, a breed of men and women who brave the wilderness to test
their skills and instincts in the shadow of Mother Nature. Guild Wars Rangers
certainly fit this stereotype (and dispense with the “dual-wielding” scimitar
dancers found in certain Pen-and-Paper roleplaying games).  Rangers are
survivalists, skilled archers, tamers of animals, and nimble folk who are just
as likely to dodge attacks as they are to weather a firestorm.

Rangers in the game of Guild Wars are jacks-of-all-trades, masters of few. They
are the second-best in nearly every combat category imaginable.  They have the
second best energy regeneration, second best armor, and they possess a wide
skill selection that can easily fill any role in both Player vs. Player (PvP)
and Player vs. Environment (PvE).  They also are the archers in this game,
being the only class that is skilled in the use of a bow.

I’m writing this guide because of a general lack of good Ranger guides out
there (and believe me, I’ve been searching), and because it helps me out with
my own Ranger experience.  I hope you can gain as much benefit from this guide
as I have from writing it.  By no means is this guide the final word on playing
a Ranger, so feel free to challenge and critique this document with an open
mind.  I will always strive to keep this guide up-to-date and accurate, but
everyone makes mistakes and hears misinformation.  This guide may also change
as my understanding of Rangers changes.

Why Should I Play a Ranger?
===========================
* Rangers are versatile, being able to run disruption, healing, pure damage,
  defense, speed, and pretty much any single role you can think of.  A ranger
  can find a niche in just about any party.
* Rangers are masters at ranged attacks. With their plethora of bow skills and
  high-damage bows, Rangers can deal death at a distance and are the most
  effective at “luring” enemies.
* Rangers who focus on Beast Mastery get animal companions, which are a welcome
  addition to many parties.
* Rangers are energy-efficient. With many low energy-skills and the Expertise
  attribute, you will rarely run into energy problems using Ranger skills.
* Rangers are the only class with access to both Traps and Nature Rituals.
* Rangers have strong armor.  Almost as strong as a warrior, and stronger than
  a warrior against Elemental Attacks, Rangers have excellent armor coverage.
* Rangers mesh well with other classes.  All class combinations of a Ranger can
  uniquely complement the Ranger’s primary abilities.
* Rangers have an excellent /dance emote for both genders. *grin*

Why Shouldn’t I Play a Ranger?
==============================
* Rangers lack effective Energy management. While Expertise lowers costs for
  Ranger skills, it doesn’t help for the Energy costs of spells.  With lower
  Energy Regen than primary casters, Rangers have problems when their Energy
  reserves bottom out.  There are few skills that allow them to reclaim Energy.
* Rangers are ONLY masters of the bow.  They are second-best in any other role,
  and thus are not as effective at taking punishment, healing others, etc. If
  you want to be the BEST Tank or Healer or Spellcaster, this is the wrong
  class.
* Rangers deal less damage than Warriors on average. If you want to max out
  your combat damage, then play a Warrior.  Rangers often require unique combos
  of skills to be effective damage dealers.  The slow rate of fire on Bows also
  compounds this problem, as well as the ineffectiveness on moving targets.
* In the grand scheme of Guild Wars, Rangers are often ignored.  Most groups
  require a Tank (Warrior), a Healer (Monk), and a Spellcaster (Elementalist).
  Beyond these three roles, the other roles (Disruptor, Trapper, etc.) are
  often ignored, and thus the Ranger (along with the Mesmer and Necromancer)
  are also ignored when forming Pick-up groups.