Ranger feels like it is extremely outdated due to lack of defensive options

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Spacecom#5362 wrote:

I am trying to compare things, so we can conclude that classes and builds are made for different things. It is hard (depending on budget and available items) to layer many defences on a ranger than , let's say, a juggernaut.
It is like comparing a delve build to a map farm build and cry that it doesnt have speed. And visa versa comparing a ranger build ment for farming gold fast to a delve build or a max block build and cry that it lacks defences.

I think that I have played decent amount of builds before POE was even on Steam and it was only available on this website to download all the way to now and I can say that many classes have been updated to deal with the power creep like the introduction of Uber version of bosses meanwhile Ranger just seems like it is stuck in the past. Right now I can go into the game and choose to lean more towards DPS or defense with any other class and depite how much I lean towards DPS with ANY other class it feels like I have more survivability than Ranger but with Ranger even If I lean as much as I can towards defense I will just sacrifice so much DPS for still being the squishy Ranger. Also there is no reason for Ranger to exist in the current POE when you can drop the same amount of currency on any kinds of stacker build and it will outperform DPS and defense of Ranger.

if I was you, I would take, for start, a step back and compare my ranger build to other ranger builds that utilizes similar skills and gems and see if indeed lacks defences or dps and try to analyze what is happening to the performace difference. Then I would expand the comparison to other classes that still have similar orientation as my ranger build and see which is more suitable to my taste.
If the "flexibility" and "stretches" of your ranger build doesnt meet the tolerance you found and enjoyed on other classes, then maybe ranger isnt suitbale for your playstyle.
Now if we are just doing some academic discussion about if ranger feels/is left behind, the previous posts suffice.

Bow builds kind of got a lot weaker when they mostly removed magicfind from the game on items. Other build no longer had to worry about stacking quantity and rarity and bow build now had to compete with op defensive items like aegis and other recovery block shields because people started to stack defenses instead of rarity. Imo as long as quant is out of the game bow builds are going to feel worse it's just kind of what they do best rn.

For high dps evasion characters, generally Wind Dancer and spell suppression are enough. If you survive one shots, you should be able to heal fully before being hit again. Usually I skip defenses with rangers, until level 96-97 - I swap some passives to more life when I want to level up and that's pretty much all.

As ranger you have access to Warden's "Oath of Winter" (via Forbidden Flesh/Flame jewels), which is pretty good until you have enough dps to one shot most stuff in maps.

Best defense is to be careful which map mods you're running and which altars you're clicking.