The ranger is a versatile barracks unit in Stronghold 3 and Stronghold Crusader 2.
Description[]
The ranger is a skilled longbowman, who bears lots of similarities with the archer. He fires normal arrows from high range and wears no armor, however he has a little more health and superior close combat capabilities. He can withstand a little more shots from ranged units, as well as sustain more damage in close combat. He is cheap to recruit, just like the archer: however, he requires an additional sword from the armoury.
Usage[]
The ranger is a hybrid between a Man-at-Arms and an Archer - it's quite effective at a long-range combat, while still being able to hold his own in melee range. Unfortunately, those abilities come with a relatively high recruitment price - to make a single Ranger, you will need both a Bow and a Sword, which makes this unit quite unprofitable, especially in 'late' game, when the battlefield is flooded with armored targets.
Additionally, Rangers (like Arabian Archers and Archers) have a special ability called Volley. It allows them to fire upon a specified area until the order is canceled. What is important about that ability, is the fact that they are able to shoot at places normally beyond their reach, like behind walls - in normal scenario their arrows would just hit the wall. It's not the most accurate and dangerous attack in the game, but it certainly may come in handy.
Rangers have basically the same utility as archers: providing long range support for friendly close-combat units. In numbers, a team of rangers can decimate ranks of unarmored units with ease: they are ideal at defending early-game rushes and slave driver attacks. They are also partially effective in killing enemy workers and even destroying buildings. For sieges they are rather uneffective: as they are prone to miss their attacks against elevated targets and they have relatively little health, they would not hold out for long in a prolonged fight, most notably against crossbowmen. The same cannot be said against melee units: the ranger can effectively duel macemen and swordsmen.
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| Stronghold Crusader 2 Units | |
|---|---|
| Barracks | Conscript • Man-at-arms • Archer • Ranger • Crossbowman • Maceman • Pikeman • Swordsman • Templar knight • Sergeant-at-arms |
| Mercenary Post | Slave • Arabian bowman • Horse archer • Oil pot thrower • Arabian swordsman • Assassin • Slave driver • Healer • Whirling Dervish • Sassanid knight |
| Siege Camp | War wolf • Mantlet • Catapult • Trebuchet • Burning cart • Fire ballista • Battering ram • War wagon Mangonel • Ballista • Haybale launcher |