The Ranger class is looking more exciting than ever with the debut of Outsiders. By now, many of us have had the chance to play a prerelease event and get our first taste of Quivers, Traps, and the grim angler himself, Riptide. For many, this may be the first time they've seriously looked at Azalea. And of course, the Lexi faithful are wondering how they stand to benefit from this influx of arrows too!
But for all the attention Ranger received in this expansion, it's unlikely a Ranger will make their way to the top of the meta anytime soon. Lexi stands the best chance of it; as a hero who's regularly skirted the fringes of major Top 8s, she's primed for the role and needs only find a few new cards that make Voltaire sing. But Azalea would need to go zero to sixty to see top tables; and there's still a lot to learn about Riptide.
Because of these factors, anyone looking to pick up Ranger with the latest release should try to find the decklist and hero that resonate with them. If you aren't playing a list to win - and really, if that's your number one priority, don't come to Rangers, not yet - it's essential that you enjoy the playstyle. Azalea, Lexi, and Riptide all approach the class from vastly different angles. Match them to your own strategic preferences, and you'll be ready to pack your quiver.
Livewire
We'll look first at the most established Ranger of the bunch, Lexi. The also-ran of the Ice heroes, Lexi nonetheless benefits from access to Frostbite and other taxation effects. Her fusion arrows offer potent disruption, though the delicate ratios required in Elemental deckbuilding can further aggravate the class' tendency toward awkward hands.
However, the most recent builds have chosen to focus on straight-up numbers, firing multiple arrows at awkward breakpoints, fueled by the combination of Voltaire, Strike Twice, Art of War, and Three of a Kind. If your goal is to fire as many arrows as you possibly can each turn, Lexi will get you there.
If you're new to the Ranger game, Lexi is a great place to start (and you can get your start with our FAB101 here). Loading your arsenal at instant speed is much more forgiving than the careful sequencing of actions required for Azalea. It's also nice to pick up a deck with a reasonable posture in the meta. Going wide with an aggressive gameplan is familiar territory for anyone migrating from Fai, Dash, or Briar; and she can make use of your cards from Oldhim and Iyslander decks. While New Horizon has held up an off-putting price, her cards are predominantly from sets already on the market, meaning you won't be rushing to locate the new hotness.
But the residents of Aria do lack a bit of that satisfying trickery that comes naturally in the Pits. Cards that enter her arsenal generally stay there; and while Azalea and Riptide boast some of the most cutting specializations in the game, Lexi's Light It Up isn't even played. Lexi is largely unable to utilize Aim counters, as she is so closely tied to her Elemental bow. And while she technically has access to the same hit effects and more, she's typically built in ways that fail to maximize them.
If you're planning to pick up Ranger as a response to Outsiders, you're probably not going to opt for Lexi, the one Ranger who isn't on the setlist. But if Lexi was already in your stable, there are a few Outsiders cards that might merit interest. Equipment-wise, Trench of Sunken Treasure may solve the issue of getting cards stuck in arsenal; and the entirely-new Quiver slot will definitely merit inclusion (Lexi may be the best suited for Quiver of Rustling Leaves, though Abyssal Depths may still take precedence).
Amplifying Arrow seems designed for Lexi, though perhaps a more Lightning-focused build than we've seen. Falcon Wing may also see play simply for being a 0-cost arrow with go again.
As strangely off-theme as it may seem, there's also potential for disease builds to develop in Lexi decks. The blight-carrying arrows only miss out on a +1 attack for lacking Aim counters, and combined with Lexi's density of attacks become quite threatening. Death Touch also feels welcome to a deck that's struggled to find synergistic 6s.
Ace In The Hole
For many, Outsiders was the long-awaited second coming for Azalea. This was going to be the set that finally realized her potential! That's my personal position, and I'm happy to say that it delivered on maintaining Azalea's unique identity - disorienting hit effects and control of the arsenal/topdeck - without invalidating the things we already liked about our decks.
One asterisk to that statement: if you weren't on the Aim counter bandwagon before, you're essentially required to adapt to them if you incorporate any significant Outsiders packages. Thankfully, we have Azalea's unique quiver, Crow's Nest, to leave us free to choose weapons other than Sandscour Greatbow while still getting in on Aim synergies. (That said, if the Greatbow interests you, I made a pitch for it during Dynasty that remains true, and now offers much greater payoff.)
Among the Outsiders suite of arrows, Aim counters frequently amount to +1 damage- making the Crow's Nest exchange of 1 resource for +1 damage strictly on-rate. But as you begin to incorporate cards like Dead Eye and Melting Point along with Aim-locked arrows like Drill Shot and Barbed Undertow, the synergies and benefits make the effort of Aiming much more worthwhile.
LSS has used Aim counters as a way to increase the power of Rangers without invalidating the cards that came before - and to improve Azalea without equally improving Lexi. But Azalea's strength isn't tied to this mechanic; it remains in her ability to find the perfect hit effect, and then ensure it hits. No other hero rivals her ability to seek out an attack and maneuver it into play the very same turn. Codex of Frailty is the latest way to get more mileage out of her signature Red in the Ledger.
Even if you have significant Azalea experience, the Outsiders version of her deck is going to ask new things of you. Azalea used to be quite comfortable red lining her pitch curve; but if you're trying to use Crow's Nest and Aim counters, you may spend up to 3 resources on a single shot. For this reason, Death Dealer may be more essential than ever, as you can replace your pitch card with a fresh draw. And with Riptide out there, we may finally have a good reason to add Dreadbore to the inventory.
In contrast with Lexi's frenetic pace, Azalea would prefer to make her shots count, and utilizes buffs in tandem with dominate to ensure she deals damage and scores on-hit effects. If you're keen on proactive disruption and forcing your opponent into lose/lose blocking situations, Azalea is the hero for you. But Azalea is also the most fickle of the Rangers, requiring careful sequencing of actions to line up her kill shots. In a Classic Constructed build, sideboarding becomes incredibly important, which requires thorough understanding of which arrows disrupt which opponents.
Lurker of the Deep
Of course, who can resist the new guy? Even if he looks like something the shark dragged in. Riptide attempts to legitimize the meme of Trap Ranger, while simultaneously offering an inherent way to load your arsenal- one entirely free of your bow.
Outsiders dedicated significant space to traps, bringing the card count from 3 to 12; but that shouldn't be seen as encouragement to run the full 30 copies that you could force into CC. Instead, use that diversity to catch your opponent off guard and to sideboard in meaningful ways.
While any Ranger can make use of the new traps, defense reactions for 3 aren't particularly compelling to either Lexi or Azalea, whose decks are already struggling with ratios. And Riptide's specializations are incredibly potent, each serving as key turns and pivot points when they're triggered.
But defense reactions can't win a game; and with a weapon that requires cards to deal damage, fatigue is a longshot win condition. Like all Rangers, Riptide must rely on a delicately balanced ratio of cards to reach his full potential.
The toxins aren't a bad place to start if you're looking primarily at the Outsiders card pool. While many cards must be played from arsenal, Riptide has the ability to get them there with relative ease. He also gives new life to cards with bonuses when played from arsenal, such as Promise of Plenty and Plunder Run (in Blitz). A major part of Riptide's appeal is his newness; embrace the experimentation and catch your opponent off guard!
It feels cliché to plant Riptide between Lexi's wide strategy and Azalea's tall one, but it's probably more accurate to say he can do a little of each. A buff card from hand leads to a card in arsenal; so does an attack with go again. And if you have to open with an arrow, you can fall back on your bow to load it - whether that's Barbed Castaway, Death Dealer, or even Dreadbore. Riptide is much less reliant on the ability of his bow, even considering it a reserve option if you prefer.
It feels weird to say it, but in a lot of ways, Riptide's gameplay feels like honest Flesh and Blood. He attacks and defends in equal portion, making modest plays and looking to gain incremental advantage in both positions. Sure, he's doing exceptional things at all times - putting cards in arsenal mid-turn, dealing damage on the defensive, and the like - but as far as play patterns go he's participating in every aspect of the game. I expect to see Riptide gain a unique following outside the usual Ranger types as players who can't stomach the arrow inefficiencies learn to love the grim angler.
The Open Range
One of the best parts of Flesh and Blood is how heroes traffic within class parameters in unique ways. While the original premise of the Ranger - a hero whose attacks had to be played from arsenal - felt pretty narrowly defined, LSS has found many ways to iterate on that concept, and giving each hero unique identities within that. Don't be discouraged if you start with Riptide and find he isn't for you; a pivot to Azalea, or even Lexi, is fairly easy, and the lessons learned from playing one can easily transfer to another.
