The Ranger is not a ranged character in Crowfall, but she’s also not a melee character. She’s a hybrid between the two playstyles, able to swap between fighting with daggers or with a bow based on circumstances. As the newest article on the Ranger explains, this came about almost entirely because one of the possible circumstances for the Ranger was “I have no more arrows.” The developers wanted ranged attacks to use arrows as a resource, and the ability to swap between melee and ranged attacks became a natural option.
This early peek at Ranger abilities highlights the idea that arrows are your primary resource in ranged combat, with a heavy emphasis on precision aiming to land attacks. In melee combat, Rangers make use of energy as a resource and have a variety of options for dealing with foes, defeating them, and moving in and out of range depending on safety. Combined with the ability to conceal herself when not moving, attacking, or being attacked, the Ranger has plenty of options to wait and line up just the right shot, then carve up targets with melee strikes if she so desires. Or if she’s just plain out of arrows.
