Guides/Starting out
Ranger: the class that always has a partner
The pet as the class mechanic, four animal slots and swapping mid-fight. Why a ranger is the easiest class to play alone, and what Druid, Soulbeast, Untamed and Galeshot add.
On this page
The ranger pairs medium armour with a permanent companion. The pet here is not cosmetic and not a 30-second summon; it is the class mechanic, with you from your first minute in the game onward.
For anyone playing alone, this is the most comfortable class in the game. There is always somebody else taking hits.
How pets work
You have four slots: two for land, two for water. One fights at a time, and you can swap in the middle of combat.
The swap is a tactic rather than a spare tyre. Each pet carries a useful ability, so switching acts as a fifth button in your kit.
A pet has four skills: three shared across its animal family and one unique to the species. Bears resemble each other, and each bear still does one thing of its own.
Hunting rare pets is a layer of the game by itself. Plenty of players comb the corners of maps purely for that.
Skill types
Command issues pet orders and shares boons through it. Signet gives a passive until pressed. Survival keeps you alive. Spirit summons allies that stand and strengthen the group. Trap places ground triggers.
Weapons
Two-handed: greatsword, longbow, short bow, staff, hammer, spear. Main-hand: axe, dagger, mace, sword. Off-hand: axe, dagger, mace, torch, warhorn.
The classic newcomer setup is longbow plus something for melee: shoot at range while the pet holds the target, then swap when something reaches you.
What it brings to a group
Through Druid the ranger spent years as the game’s main healer. The balance has shifted since, and the ranger is still one of the few classes that offers a group real healing rather than only boons.
In the open world and the story it is convenient in a flat, practical way: fewer deaths, less running back from a waypoint.
The elite specialisations
Druid (Heart of Thorns) adds Celestial Avatar, a form with its own set of healing skills. Classic support.
Soulbeast (Path of Fire) adds Beastmode: you merge with the pet and take its abilities for yourself. The pet leaves the field and you grow stronger. The simplest option for solo play.
Untamed (End of Dragons) runs on Unleash, alternating the buff between yourself and the pet. The most hands-on pet control of the four.
Galeshot (Visions of Eternity) brings the Cyclone Bow and an archery focus.
Advice for a newcomer
Take a longbow, take whatever pet you find first, and go play. The class asks for no preparation and no research.
After 80, look at Soulbeast if you play solo and Druid if groups appeal to you.
The comparison against the other eight sits in the overview.