THE FANTASY RANGER - historical origin and most effective weapons | FANTASY RE-ARMED

[@Licher_]

Given your definition would Witchers (More specifically those from the Wolf School) be considered in part Rangers? When you realise that most of the tasks they do is hunt and eliminate threats within the wilderness they are in a way policing and protecting forests, plains, hillsides etc even if instead of being supported by Lords & Kings directly they instead are compensated by the people as a whole through use of bounties.

[@michaelpeters6659]

If you want to make a Witcher In Dnd start with a monster hunter Ranger and then go from there, take magic initiat and V-human (because that’s exactly what they have become) splash some fighter and welcome to the world ;)

[@dylanblack8714]

Witchers are more like paid hunters than rangers, they don’t protect any land other than their own

[@StarShadowPrimal]

I had the same thought. The biggest difference in gear however might be that witchers don't carry bows as far as I recall in the books, games or show (maybe a crossbow in the games), but they make up for it with signs, so they might be better considered a spellsword who focuses on ranger/hunter jobs?

[@ShurikenSean]

tulok's witcher build actually has mostly ranger in it

[@galadballcrusher8182]

@@StarShadowPrimal A Ranger in DnD DOES have spells after a certain lvl ...cleric ones usualy related to nature sphere,and as at specific lvl tiers can add some type of enemy as a personal type that he has a beef with so he gets bonus when fighting them , so around 20 lvl he would have like 4 diferent types. So for a Witcher i would say a ranger who has probably chosen as enemies from undead, aberations, giantkind, gryphons, dragonkind or demonkind.The spells he later gets are his signs and he can be the kind that hasn't trained on missile weapons but only on mellee specificaly , swords and he could be 1 handed if he so chooses though he then loose the major bonus of ranger class for dual wielding

[@RoulicisThe]

"Vert" is a french word that means "green" When William the Conqueror said "protect the vert and venison", he refered to the trees "vert" and deer "venison", which were two very important ressources in early medieval period. The "rangers" job at the time was to prevent any unautorised woodcutting and poaching in the forests of his domain

[@josephteller9715]

And to put out forest fires... often by clearing away dried brush

[@arkenarikson2481]

You took the words from my ... ah ... fingertips? Modern French would pronounce the vowel as in English f*ai*r or w*a*res and leave the t unspoken. But I seem to remember from the great Machicolations Dissent that medieval French (particularly in the north, where William the Conqueror would have picked up his language) sounded quite different. Anyone still got the specifics of that at hand?

[@joaosturza]

the word should was spell like that so that they could rhyme with could and would seems like a similar thing, where they just made the word specifically for that to sound cool

[@quiett6191]

I thought so to, but for a different reason. When he said "vert" I thought it sounded similar to the word "verdant" which I understand is associated with the green of plants.

[@Klaaism]

Heaven forbid the peasantry tries to feed themselves.

[@destinytroll1374]

The rangers in The Lord of the rings are led by Aragorn himself, they keep the roads safe from bandits and monsters as well as protect the borders of Bree and the Shire. They are the last remnants of the north Kingdom of Arnor, the sister country to Gondor.

[@SinfulGentile]

Ithilien Rangers?

[@sambjork5878]

@@SinfulGentile no the rangers, Destiny is referring to, are the Dúnedain Rangers, or Rangers of the North. The North, referring to Arnor as Destiny mentioned. The Ithilien Rangers on the other hand, reside in Ithilien which is the easternmost region of Gondor and the closest region to Mordor.

[@RagPlaysGames]

@@SinfulGentile Ithilien is a province of Gondor that had more or less fallen under enemy control when Minas Ithil was captured by the Witch King. The rangers there acted as force recon and harassment against the forces of Mordor being drawn up from Umbar, Harad and Khand toward the Black Gate. At one point the Rangers of the North would have served a similar function, but since the destruction of Arnor and Angmar the enemy had no organized presence in the north and so the role of the Dunedain changed to one of a long watchfulness over the ruins of their fallen kingdom and what little remained of civilization in the North.

[@joelsasmad]

You know it makes sense that in any fantasy world with wild monsters regularly about, that a job like this would be needed for any relatively safe travel to occur.

[@michaelantosch9888]

As stated, the Dúnedain Rangers were the remnants of the North Kingdom of Arnor. As the heir to their line of kings, Aragorn is their leader, or chieftain (the films don't really convey, mostly for the sake of brevity). The kingdom was in a long war with enemies who were fighting under Sauron (they were led by the Witch-king of Angmar, the leader of the Ringwraiths). Long story short, the opposing sides basically destroyed each other. Since they no longer had a kingdom to rule, the Dúnedain who survived continued to protect what remained of their former territory from any other enemies who tried to invade it.

[@knightofarnor2552]

Aragorn: "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword." Shad Baggins: "But is that really the best option for bodyguard duty?"

[@goldencalf13]

Gimli: and my ax Shad: but wouldn't you prefer a weapon with more reach

[@henrypaleveda7760]

@@goldencalf13 Legolas: and my bow Shad: do you unstring it for storage; what's the poundage?

[@Yarblocosifilitico]

@@henrypaleveda7760 and please tell me you figured out to attach it to your back

[@Klaaism]

Am I really getting the best service for my gold piece? Dwarves literally work for alcohol, and elves will come along just to show they can outdo dwarves.

[@raixuh]

Ok but What about the spear, or dragon or SPEAR DRAGONS ? 🤔

[@brendangolledge8312]

I modded skyrim to make it more punishing, and I ended up with a ranger build. I role-played a deliveryboy/merchant at low levels because I couldn't kill many things, so that meant light armor for lots of traveling. Then I used a bow and a sword for fighting, and naturally relied on stealth when I could so that I could avoid combat or get pot shots. I had both a bow and a sword because I figured shooting them is preferable to getting close when I have the option, but the sword was for that case where I was attacked and didn't have the option to shoot from afar. I guess that's a ranger build, isn't it? Except I hadn't realized that was what I was doing.

[@matiasdextre9080]

Did exactly the same thing, except instead of sword i used an axe since it would be better to get wood with it (RP wise at least)

[@malakicochran3888]

I always say I'm gonna be a different build but I always do the same thing

[@Rhodair]

Weirdly enough, I don't have much interest in bows for desktop Skyrim, but it almost immediately became my favorite in VR Skyrim. It's a shame they made it a separate copy of the game - it's not only greedy, but the VR version has fallen behind in patches. The bow is quite satisfying in it, though.

[@Youtube_Is_a_Ad_wh0re]

Its a very common route most players end up taking because stealth is somewhat OP. It got memed at some point i remember, everyone turning into a stealth archer.

[@adamb8317]

It’s really too bad there aren’t Spears and polearms in Skyrim like there are in the Baldur’s gate universe. Not that a ranger would use a polearm, but definitely a spear.

[@malachilynch2979]

I love how the main takeaways from this are: 1. Drizzt Do'Urden was right, and 2. Machetes, made to cut through underbrush, are great at cutting through underbrush.

[@oduinn7948]

And fingers.

[@TonkarzOfSolSystem]

Technically Drizzt wielded scimitars not falchions. I believe they're pretty similar though.

[@RaderizDorret]

@@TonkarzOfSolSystem Scimitars are narrower in distance from spine to edge, but otherwise quite similar.

[@malbogia8003]

And this is why you don't hear of many people with the surname "underbrush"

[@TheBetterManInBlack]

Spent some time in Panama, where everybody from 10 up carried a machete. Saw some really vicious wounds inflicted by them.

[@jackbelmont4389]

Ranger: nature will provide" *checks under berry bush and pulls out grilled cheese sandwitch*

[@arcturionblade1077]

Whole roasted turkeys hidden inside trash cans. **Video game logic.**

[@Xylospring]

I'll trade you my Strawberry Shortcake I pulled from a Dead Lambs Liver.

[@zeropelli7026]

Wacky

[@LeMeowAu]

@@Xylospring that ain’t worth my canned soup I took from a rats ass

[@DH-xw6jp]

@@Xylospring ill trade that shortcake for the cinnamon ribbon candy i found in this mole hole. Deal?

[@WhatIfBrigade]

"Guy who is good at camping" is an underrated member of the party. In a real life adventure that would probably be the leader of any wilderness expedition.

[@haukionkannel]

Hungry, exhausted knights, paladins and wizards are useless when you get to the fight. After starwing a couple of weeks without food, getting lost in the way several times, getting ambushed by local minions… the croup is dead and useless without good ranger! You have to know how to hunt, how to make a shelter. How to make a campaign fire (so that nobody sees the smoke at long distance, how to find water that is good to drink, find a way Through the wildernes with the easiest route possible, knows how to cross streams and swamps… i can not see how any croup could survive without one or two of rangers!

[@AnotherDuck]

And if you didn't have that member in your party, you'd probably have a guide. Who'd be a guy who is good at camping.

[@AlexanderRM1000]

If anything it seems like a more logical party than the standard one would be: wilderness fighter, druid, wilderness rogue, and a Wizard with wilderness survival/navigation specialty. The big issue with rangers is that he's actually *so* useful that if the wilderness parts were properly simulated, you wouldn't be able to have a party without one.

[@Leubast]

My last game I ran had a druid, he was the leader for sure.

[@robertharris6092]

@@haukionkannel unless the wizard can fabricate his own food and water... magically.

[@cherrybutterflyproductions6795]

Speaking as a longtime Ranger main, the class does generally feel underpowered, but I've always considered that to be the expected cost of versatility. Need stealth? Ain't perfect, but I can do it. Need damage output? Ain't perfect, but I can do it. Need this, that, or the other? Ain't perfect, but I can do it. It's the kind of class that can solo an entire campaign with a bit of luck, some decent planning and a metric ton of caution.

[@Miller09095]

After loving playing a Gloomstalker in BG3, I made a Gloomstalker for a Tabletop Character and I am useful in almost every situation. I absolutely love it. I'm not lead, but I'm support in most encounters be it with the Rogue, the Barbarian, or healing when the Cleric goes down.

[@ZeriocTheTank]

Ranger was my first DnD character, and you described my experience perfectly. Outside of a few scenarios I was supporting other people in their specializations. If someone slipped past our barbarian & tried to attack our wizard they had to go through me first. If the rogue needed help scouting I was there to help. If the cleric needed to keep his spell slots ready for something I could heal. I could even help the wizard cc stuff if need be. I learned to tailor my playstyle thanks to other ranger mains, and their experiences. My DM even threw me a bone & added some exploration elements. It wasn't much, but I was happy when that stuff came up. Overall I feel like the ranger is their to fill in the blanks depending on the situation, and if there isn't a hole to fill no one is going to complain about the consistent dps a ranger can provide. Definitely not the best class, but it can function just fine.

[@adamb8317]

Rangers are definitely the most versatile class, are pretty tanky compared to rogues and mages, able to use bows and melee weapons, and have decent support or solo capabilities.

[@adamb8317]

Also I grew up camping and hunting/fishing and when playing something like paintball always use a combo of speed/stealth to stalk my opponents. So ranger is very natural to me 😂

[@Jtbrahh]

One of my favorite implementations of rangers in fantasy was the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flanagan. The rangers are a sort of secretive law enforcement / special military unit. Rangers are assigned to a fief which is theirs to protect and police with the King's authority behind them. In times of peace they track and hunt down outlaws, bandits, monsters or beasts, and can be sort of detectives when trouble stirs. And in times of war they serve as elite scouts, spies, and saboteurs. One of the main characters in the series became famous for leading a cavalry company through difficult terrain to attack an enemy army from an unprotected flank. The writer gives lots of great details about their equipment, training, and tactics which is great for any detail-loving nerd like myself. They use longbows, though young apprentice rangers use a shorter recurve bow until they develop the strength to use a longbow, and they carry a set of 2 knives (inspired by the seax), one small and one heavy, and they travel around with a special breed of small, rugged, and smart horses whose unassuming appearance can often be deceiving. Great series, one of my favorites as a kid/teen and one I plan to revisit many times as an adult.

[@Grizzguy22]

I was sad to see this amazing series was not referenced when talking about rangers

[@socc4298]

@@Grizzguy22 looking for that reference was the whole point of me clicking. No point watching the rest of the vid now.

[@brandtbollers3183]

High,Middle,Low Justice

[@axeman515]

That series was incredible at making the ranger a real job and not just "guy who lives in the woods" like so many other fictions. Such a good depiction of them. Absolute gold.

[@Matton0114]

Actively listening to it on Audible. Amazing series, Have the first 10 physically, as well as the 3 prequels, and first 2 of second series, and I think the first 5 of Brother band Chronicles. Amazing series. really wish Shad had made a reference to it.

[@joshbingham212]

According to Oxford references “Venison” applied to all royal livestock, not just deer, and “vert” was the tree and shrubbery that fed and sheltered that livestock.

[@TakesakaJinn]

So is that where the word "verdant" originated?

[@joshbingham212]

@@TakesakaJinn that would make sense. Verd is rooted in Latin for the word green, so something verdant is a healthy growing thing, because it’s green. That’s what I would guess

[@yuhan4469]

This adds another layer of lore to lil uzi vert's name

[@mindofthelion712]

So it's just Old English for "flora and fauna"

[@joshbingham212]

@@mindofthelion712 haha, yeah it would seem so

[@jamesg9840]

The fact that he calls his property the “Shadlands.” Gets a thumbs up 👍

[@erricro3198]

I really hope shad hasnt googled his own name without the "iversity".

[@ZootZootTesla]

@@erricro3198 do you mean the rapper or the hentai porn nazi lol.

[@nhaer042]

I did a little research and the Knight's yeoman from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales seems like an interesting template for a fantasy ranger. He's described as wearing a green coat and hood as well as a bracer. His weapons were a bow with peacock feathered arrows, a sword (not specified but I assume an arming sowrd), and a dagger. He also carried a buckler and a hunting horn too.

[@FlyingNova223]

That’s cool!

[@Dragonheart455]

Alright, love when I get to nerd out on Lord of the Rings. The Dunedain rangers are the remnants of the Kingdom of Arnor, those with Numenorean blood. Their role as rangers is generally peacekeepers. They help to keep the more dangerous regions safe enough for Free people to not be harassed by Evil on the roads or in their major settlements in Eriador. There is a large number of them present keeping the Shire as peaceful as it is. They are lead by the closest kin to the King of the Numenoreans, in this case Aragorn. They know how to deal with orcs, goblins and the like pretty easily. Pathfinding and swift wilderness travel is a skill that they hone too. The rangers are also knowledgeable on the more rare Evil creatures like wraiths and trolls. So they are more self nominated protectors due to their lineage. I hope the wall of text was insightful.

[@jocosesonata]

God damn, Tolkien. Such a juggernaut of world building, I'm barely a speck of dust by comparison.

[@erickpoorbaugh6728]

@@jocosesonata Worldbuilding Middle Earth was Tolkien's lifelong passion project. When someone that skilled spends that much time on something, it's going to be impressive.

[@matthewletexier]

I've always wondered why Saruman could do the scouring of the shire. Before it was protected in part by the Rangers (and ignorance of the greater world) but when they went to Mordor, Aragorn called the Rangers to him. So Saruman could enter the shire unchecked and unnoticed

[@MyMy-tv7fd]

nice one

[@DarthAxolotl]

Is it just me or is that starting to sound like a witcher

[@gordonmcneill1659]

Another historical analogue for the Ranger archetype would be the Jaegers from the late/High medieval to early modern Germanies. Hunters and gamekeepers who also had a military and law enforcement role, they often acted almost as bounty hunters and were commonly used as elite scouts by armies.

[@Gargboss]

fyi: "Jäger" is the German word for hunter and a more generic term, afaik also in historic context. Professional hunters with additional responsabilities (like the mentioned law enforcement) had specific titles, which differ depending on time and region. Btw, forest/wood and hunting management were different positions until early modern times, which can make it a pain to differentiate the historic titles now.

[@gordonmcneill1659]

@@Gargboss Thanks. Always good to get more info. My knowledge of them is more from early modern mentions, but I knew they were around before that.

[@Wintermute909]

And the Rogers Rangers formed in 1757 during the French and Indian War. They were a light infantry force, tasked with reconnaissance and special operations. Major Robert Rogers even wrote out the "28 Rules of Ranging"

[@ScoptOriginal]

THAT'S WHY HE'S CALLED EREN JAEGAR! I had no idea

[@tomc.5704]

​@@ScoptOriginal Ihr seid das Essen und wir sind die Jaeger -- roughly translates to "You are the prey and we are the hunters"

[@thorsteinnorman7133]

In Scandinavia we had a version of the ranger named "ferdamann" which means "travelling man". Ferdamenn (plural) would be people who were skilled at tracking, survival, combat, and such. They would often be hired to escort people through dangerous areas like swamps and mountains, or to track down criminals or missing people/animals. Though they worked as guards or other combat focused roles, their work would most usually be to guide people through nature.

[@littleDainolf]

As a swede I have never heard of this.

[@thorsteinnorman7133]

@@littleDainolf I'm saying Scandinavia because I'm from Norway and generalizing it. I love medieval history and such cross culture. I think it would be called something different in Sweden though, as "ferdamann" is the Norwegian term. Hyggelig å møte deg btw :)

[@Rommel12]

@@littleDainolf Can second this. Also can't remember hearing about a similar role in Swedish history. Possible that this was a Norwegian thing.

[@thorsteinnorman7133]

@@Rommel12 Possible... I just assumed it was a Scandinavian thing as all Scandinavian countries used to be pretty similar in their ways...

[@AndreasSweden]

@@thorsteinnorman7133 Ferdemann in modern Swedish would spell "Färdman" and translate the same way: "a travelling man". The problem is that this is a historical thing, and it takes a bit tradition to make that stick in language culture so that it's used in modern times. There are similar roles in Swedish history, but they are often called different things like "Jägare" or "Fjärdingsman". I think this is due to the german states influence on Swedish and Danish language, during the middle ages. And then the french and following English influence. To me it seems that Norway has retained a lot of it's old wording and expressions. For example "Innmark" and "utmark" means the same in Sweden, but we don't use it for some reason. We use "Mark" for "Innmark" and then describe "Utmark" for what it is, like the forest, the swamp, the mountains e.tc. Same type of customs and laws, but with just a slight difference in how we think about it, resulting in different wording. So when we hear "Ferdemann" it does'nt connect with anything. Even tho it might be as much a Swedish thing as a Norwegian thing. An historian would probably know, and as much as i'm interested in history, i am no historian.

[@dougmorgan8778]

Another point in favor of the dual-wielding ranger, is that this implies the ranger has a backup to his weapon, which seems like a good idea you if run the risk of damaging your primary weapon purely on terrain.

[@fakecubed]

Yeah, I had the same thought, a second falchion would be very practical if you were out in the wilderness for long periods using it as a tool for getting through brush.

[@synthwolfe8906]

Id like to mention that John Flanagan clearly defined a ranger as you did here, in his Ranger's Apprentice series. Per how you describe them, his is an excellent, nearly perfect example of your explanation.

[@longshot9757]

Aha! Another Flanagan fan! And yeah, good point!

[@epauletshark3793]

Good books. Those were some awsome characters.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Good books, unrealistic archery expectations.

[@synthwolfe8906]

@@DH-xw6jp oh, for sure. Expectations of ability in fantasy should never be taken literally. Thats why its fantasy. But as shad mentioned both game of thrones and lord of the rings, I felt it prudent to also provide another view that focuses a bit more on the rangers. After all, legolas also had an unrealistically perfect skill with his bow.

[@nathanielwilcox4947]

Such a good series, though some things seem a bit silly since I know more about swords now. I don't recall the archery being to unrealistic thought it has been a bit since I read them.

[@isaacnewton5913]

"Vert and venison" just means "plants and animals." Vert, means green, or in other words the green trees and shrubs. Venison at that time was more general than just deer, and referred to any game animal.

[@RichWoods23]

The Norman-French word 'vert' also led to the English job title of verderer, the person who manages the royal forests so that the king can freely and productively hunt there. It's about working the woodlands to ensure the land can support a good number of primary game animals (usually deer and boar) as well as protecting game from predators such as lynxes, bears and wolves (which weren't driven to extinction in Britain until, I think, the 16th century), and especially from poachers. If you want to know how dangerous it must have been to counter poachers in the frequent years when the crops failed or when livestock were struck down by contagion, go ask the people who do that job today in national parks in sub-Saharan Africa.

[@skyereave9454]

Ayyy I knew this one. Back pat.

[@warb_of_fire]

"Deer" used to be the English word for all animals. That's still the case in Dutch where the word for animals is "dieren".

[@peterbrazukas7771]

So are we saying historical rangers were an important part of V&V? I'll see myself out.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

AKA meat and veg! 👍

[@bigcat5348]

It is useful to note that the swords Aragorn used in the books would not have been a longsword, as Tolkien wasn't taking inspiration from Late medieval warfare but rather from Early medieval/Late antiquity legends. Anduril wasn't a longsword in the books, rather it was a much shorter sword (I think used in conjunction with a shield). Peter Jackson may have mistaken it for a longsword or he might have chosen a longsword as an artistic choice.

[@Nurk0m0rath]

All the armor and weapons in the movies were moved to late medieval era as an artistic choice, it was intended to be more dramatic. And I think the reason Anduril was turned into a longsword is because of dramatic two-handed poses.

[@RevilloPhoenix]

Well Shad, your conclusion actually exists: There is a Filipino martial art called Kombatan (which I practised for a while) which is based on dual wielding Machete (or sticks) and swinging with continues motions where you keep the momentum going to help you, and a lot of how it was developed was based the double usefulness of both being practical for combat but also to cut yourself thru the thick wilds of the Philippines. So yeah, Machete, good for that and has been developed and practised in parts of the world for the double duty of combat and travel that a ranger needs.

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

I know this is probably not why it was called that, but "Kombatan" sounds like its taken straight from a fighting game. And duel wielding Machete sounds like something you'd find there as well.

[@hazzord_4590]

How interesting! I've never heard of Kombatan before, then I researched it and found that it's practically Arnis. I remember learning Arnis in college and I can see how you can replace the arnis with machetes, although one could likely cut themselves if not careful.

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

@Joe Becker maybe. But arnis and eskirma don't sound anywhere near as cool as Kombatan.

[@AHappyCub]

Not to mention how useful a machete in general as a tool

[@matchesburn]

"on dual wielding Machete (or sticks)" Literally never heard of Kombatan, but that sounds exactly like eskrima. And looking up Kombatan, it is indeed an Eskrima/Arnis offshoot. Part of the brilliance of eskrima is that you can find a stick or some sort of blunt object almost everywhere and learning how to fight ambidextrously as a basis can allow you to then substitute with other weapons. And a knife is quite common. So aren't machetes. And, hell, I've never met someone that's gotten hit with full striking force with a decent stick and say it didn't hurt like hell. This is the reason why if you ever go to the Philippines, never, never, never ever should you ever get in a fight. With ANYONE. (I'm not saying this because I expect anyone reading this to start or pick fights for some bizarre reason. But say someone is drunk and aggressive. Whatever you do, de-escalate and get away from them.) Because, statistically speaking, you're much more likely to run into a very competent and/or dangerous fighter than just about any other place on the planet. And many, many Filipinos carry a knife just for utility purposes that can easily be utilized on you. There's a saying I saw once from an instructor that I love to emphasize this point: *_"Karate, Judo, and Taijiquan are all well and good, but I can guarantee you someone doing eskrima killed someone somewhere in Visayas today."_*

[@cloudcleaver23]

Also worth considering that Faramir and his men in Gondor were rangers, too. Tolkien used the term to describe more of a militaristic role of a wandering scout and guerrilla warrior. The rangers of the north guarded the Shire against creatures of the Shadow, while Faramir's men guarded the still-settled areas of Gondor by ambushing the forces of Mordor moving through Ithilien. And as for the machete, it would depend heavily on what kind of woods you're working with. Ithilien was implied to be more like the idyllic primeval forest, so it makes sense that Faramir's company wore green/brown/gray for camouflage due to the lack of brush for cover, and also explains their thing for longbows (Tolkien specified those were man-high, and Dunedain aren't short). Eriador where Aragorn's men patrolled was probably a lot more full of scrub brush, but they were probably too concerned with leaving trails to hack through it with machetes. Aragorn and his kin were actively hunted by the evil creatures of the world.

[@captianpip450]

Tolkien said that the rangers of Ithilien were a brother order to the knights of Minas Tirith. They were In the T.A. year 2901 after orcs and uruks raided Ithilien for about hundred years or so at this point. Few survive being rangers for a couple of years. Dunedain of the north were form after the fall of Fornost in T.A. year 1974, to protect the north from trolls, orcs, wild men of dunland, goblins, and whatever came down from Angmar. Also rangers in the use spears for melee, long bows for range. rangers of Ithilien use swords, large belt knifes, for melee and long bows for range.

[@wintersking4290]

Shad, a certain children's book series called "The Ranger's Apprentice" addresses a lot of the concerns you mention in it. Also it gives a very good view of rangers as both military and law enforcement.

[@Matt-do3cv]

Yes..... another John Flanagan fan!!!

[@JohnDavis-rj1ew]

The series covers so much about training and skills used by rangers, I actually use it for reference in developing my d&d ranger characters

[@tamarbaas]

Man, Ranger’s Apprentice was amazing. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of it :D

[@wintersking4290]

@@Matt-do3cv fan is a little strong considering his entire setting is just a carbon copy of Europe and European history with a few small fantasy additions that fade away over time, but his characters and writing style are cool. Don't get me wrong the novels are great, it's just that their setting isn't the most original thing ever. I mean some of the countries literally have the same names they do in reality.

[@theguileraven7014]

Man, I used to read that series, until I realized that a single "adult book" is like 4 times the length while 3/4ths the price.

[@jaimemontejano8201]

I'd say Faramir and the Ithilien Rangers are more accurate to what you described than Aragorn and the Dunedain. Ithilien is a wild area by the time in which the events of LOTR take place, and it's been abandoned by Gondor as a place to live in, but they still police it and patrol it to avoid the orcs overrunning it completely, and they are a separate branch of the army, appointed by Denethor to do this task in the wild

[@adamb8317]

In addition they use stealth and bows to great effect, as well as ambush and skirmish tactics, as you would expect in a traditional Ranger role. (Army Rangers are a little different, being heavy assault troops)

[@lofidrone6374]

I don’t know if it’s been addressed, but your “nail catch” is functionally identical to a cavalry carbine ring used since the advent of firearms up until horses were phased out. The main difference is that the “nail” is affixed to the harness and the weapon has a bar with a ring on it. Very secure even if running or crossing overland.

[@Davidofthelost]

Also could be used as a sight if placed right.

[@ujiltromm7358]

Hardly, IMHO. Tugging on a sight which has been precisely aligned on a firearm seems like a rather bad idea to me.

[@riograndedosulball248]

@@ujiltromm7358 I don't know if I understood what you meant to say, but if I did, said ring isn't the sight of the weapon, it's generally affixed to the side - also, as it's from the time of wheelock pistols, no sight is really needed, they would be shooting them from point blank, to have a chance at armor piercing. Sometimes with the muzzle touching the opponent

[@williamr.s.5693]

@@riograndedosulball248 he was replying to David

[@TANKTheImmortal]

I’m super exited for this one, always loved the Ranger archetype.

[@Spiceodog]

Imagine leveling up 20 levels, yours fighter friend and paladin friend have both slain dragons solo, the monk ripped the arm off of 1 giant and used it to beat 3 more to death. The Druid can control weather and the very formation of the earth, the barbarian was shot from the stratosphere by a ancient living sun elemental, and broke through the crust of the earth from the impact, then walked it off, and the cleric can literally summon gods. You can add your wisdom bonus to damage rolls against your favored enemies. You may also have a pet snake .

[@RabanoDoom]

Definitely sounds like the team Hawkeye.

[@GuitarsRockForever]

Definitely sounds like a good pick for a character 🤣🤣🤣. Yes, I can see why it is useless for D&D.

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

Class balance in a nutshell...

[@shanethompson3180]

Eh if I get a pet snake, I call that an absolute win.

[@pieshka4509]

But you can hit a target twice anywhere on the map with a longbow practically and need to roll under a 9 to miss it! Combat in 5E feels so boring as a ranger Whenever i play a ranger it tends to get used by the group is as an outdoor rogue and guide

[@irontuzi3453]

38:50 Alternatively I would suggest that the ideal duel wielding set up for the fantasy ranger would be a falchion/messer as primary and that handy belt knife as a secondary. Shad already had it tucked in a convenient spot and if he keeps his left hand on it while cutting, it's is out of the way. He can use the falchion/messer to react to a threat that jumps out at him and draw the knife as a back up.

[@timwekenborg3947]

I would also think a hand axe would also be a viable secondary weapon for the offhand. As Shad himself said an axe is better at splitting wood and felling larger trees. So taking in to consideration the the weight of carrying multiple weapons. The Falchion/Messer with a Hand axe in the offhand make a lot of sense as well.

[@CakeorDeath1989]

Yeah, I think two falchions/messers would be too unwieldy. A knife or even a dagger in the off-hand would be better, as they can be used to parry attacks, stabbing opponents if you break past their defenses (knock the opponent's blade away with your falchion and step in to deliver a stabbing blow with the dagger), as well as be a really good survival tool (used when gutting and skinning wild creatures, cooking, eating, etc etc).

[@spartin1173]

Just in general if youre expecting to rough it in the woods youre probably already carrying a knife and a beltaxe(not necessarily on your belt could be on your pack) so its probably wielding whichever you pulled with your larger blade

[@Skelath]

Don't want to be carrying too much. As a ranger, you'll be carrying a lot of food, water, hunting equipment, and tools to build shelters. More weight > more exhaustion > slower moving > vulnerable when ambushed on the move.

[@fakecubed]

@@timwekenborg3947 I'd choose a larger, thicker knife for that. You can very easily split wood and do heavy chopping with an 8-12" long knife that's a 1/4" thick at the spine. Generally you'd choose a longer one if you were going to be splitting thicker logs. Such a knife has incredible utility, and if it did have a guard you could fight with it as well. If all you have is a small blade, you can use it to cut a wedge into a small hardwood log and then use that to split other logs. I would basically never choose a hand axe over anything else.

[@jonleonard1555]

When Shad mentions how kings would enforce people to not hunt deer on their lands, anyone else think of the line from Mel Brook's Robin Hood: Men in Tights "He deered to kill a kings dare."

[@stingywingy1607]

(Sighs) Dared to kill a Kings deer

[@Undomaranel]

@@stingywingy1607 IKR? It ain't exactly the Mississippi...

[@LeMeowAu]

@@stingywingy1607 think it’s a joke

[@stingywingy1607]

@@LeMeowAu no that's the next line

[@LeMeowAu]

@@stingywingy1607 well I’m an idiot

[@danhaas9730]

It slightly post-dates the medieval period, but the "pioneer sword" was quite common for explorers and woodsmen (as well as military forces operating in less populated areas) for precisely the same reasons that you concluded here. A short, sturdy single-edged blade that was excellent for clearing brush and hunting, and also useful in combat. Falchions tended to be a bit thinner in the blade, and pioneers swords were a good compromise that added a bit more strength and durability over the combat-oriented falchion. An argument could be made that the pioneers sword is a stepping stone from the swords of the medieval period to many modern day machetes.

[@brolohalflemming7042]

Agreed. It's a matter of form over function. Fantasy rangers tend to be glamorous, so long swords and longbows. But reality would be like the Willam the Conqueror version. Vert & Venison, so 'vert' being the greenery. Which is really the role, ie a forester/game keeper. Combat would likely be secondary and dealing with the occasional poacher. Primary role would be keeping trails clear, and probably culling. On the practicalities, it's also looking at healthy, managed woodland vs unmanaged. If Shad had more game on his land, they'd help clear it by eating low branches and undergrowth. It's one of those modern issues as well where some people have a perception that 'wilding' is natural. But that also means woodlands get choked by brush, which then increases the fire risk. Which is a problem the US has been experiencing as it doesn't really have foresters any more.

[@user-yr5nv2gv7m]

u got it totally backward just look ww1 austrian pioneer swords thick straight paralel edged blade with symmetric point no vines in the alps just pines and these clearly werent for chopping them, but impressing wildlife with thick hide and vivid fighting spirit (that would snap a thin shrub blade struck into their body in half) bursting out from among them... unless its angry squirrels snarling from the branches above, in that case chopping down the whole damn pine is completely justified ofc...

[@danhaas9730]

@@user-yr5nv2gv7m If you were addressing my comment, I was more speaking to the pioneer swords used here in the US, where underbrush is quite common, and if you'll notice I did specifically mention hunting as one of their primary purposes as well.

[@user-yr5nv2gv7m]

@@danhaas9730 ah cool then i cant find any image of one on google so i cant argue

[@Delgen1951]

@@brolohalflemming7042 Well out in the western state, most forest in the eastern half use managed burns to control undergrown and clear dead wood, also most managed forests are really just tree farms for paper mills, and wild life habitat.

[@MrHangman37]

Just speculating, but id assume vert (from the vert and venison phrase) would be referencing plant life, probably trees in particular. Vert is french for green, which is often a descriptor for plants (ie greenery). My guess is this would be preventing unauthorized logging in the king/noble's forest.

[@80krauser]

Big timber was a strategic resource back in the day. Took 50 years or more for a log big enough for a ship’s keel or a main beam of a building.

[@BonnieDragonKat]

Vert also means a green forest.

[@animeyhem9780]

Fairly well put; according to Oxford Vert refers to trees and shrubs, anything green which provides food and/or shelter for livestock and Venison applies to ALL livestock/food animals, not just deer.

[@TheAsvarduilProject]

Vert is literally the word for 'green' in modern French. So, when they say 'Vert and venison', they're just poetically saying 'Plants and animals'. Given the historical context of this coming after 1066 (William the Conquerer's...conquest...), this could also count as an early example of English beginning to "become French" (as much as 'French' as a concept existed at that time.)

[@Dirtbag-Hyena]

@@SimuLord My son was a vert skater. Good one, my friend. 😄👏🏼

[@justacatwithasadface2692]

Currently studying Japanese history from way back into the Warring States Era, and I was actually surprised to learn that they also had ranger roles within their government. To my memory, they sit below the daimyo/landlords of the time, and were given the task of guarding the security of the lands without dispatching the actual military force (they also patrol forests). It is genuinely fascinating how similar societal functions echo even in very different cultures. I guess it kinda shows no matter where you come from, you have similar needs and priorities.

[@fakecubed]

Every culture needs people to patrol in rough country and forests. Because if you don't patrol those lands, inevitably somebody or something will set up shop in those lands and become a problem. Could be bandits or hostile tribes, could be dangerous animals, could just be poachers depleting that land of valuable resources needed for the survival and economy of the nearby settlements. Nowadays there's so many humans around, we've pretty much eliminated most of the frontiers, the larger more dangerous animals have been reduced, and it's not particularly practical for criminal elements to hide within the few more wild places that exist (although there are the various squatters, and illicit plants being grown). Now instead we just have search and rescue people in case recreational hikers get lost or hurt.

[@adamxei9073]

One aspect of the ranger that I like is the manhunter aspect. Which comes through with their favored enemy trait. And it doesn't completely fall out of the realm of "one of the King's Men" that foresters are in. I think it is completely reasonable for a lord of the land to hire basically a hunter of men when criminals are on the loose.

[@mitchmcginn4250]

Sounds like someone needs the services of a bounty hunter. *Boba Fett steps through dimensional portal*

[@nathanbeverley247]

Actually the funny thing is, one of the ancient weapons of the Mandalorians is the beskad, which is basically a machete.

[@willek1335]

Hunters have for a very long time used traps catch large game. One of these is a fall grave. Just a hole where the geography forces travellers to take one narrow path. ^^ It's a really ancient method.

[@jackdaone6469]

There’s one thing your Ranger ensemble is missing, Shad: A long, forest-green leather duster. Ranger had always been my favorite fantasy class specifically because of how awesome Aragorn was and how badass he looked in that green duster of his.

[@charles2703]

It’s also missing a broad brimmed hat. And maybe a silver star on the lapel.

[@aedenwright1994]

Nah he needs a green and grey spotted cloak (Ranger's Apprentice all the way)

[@charles2703]

@@aedenwright1994 Ewgh, UPC coloring

[@broputer]

@@aedenwright1994 Hell yes, fantastic series.

[@jackdaone6469]

@Dreymon Green I like to picture the Ranger's coat as something like their utility belt, with lots of internal storage pockets and lining.

[@henrychurch6062]

When Shad comes to the conclusion that Drizzt dual weilding curved swords is actually optimal and it blows my mind.

[@quelquundautre3292]

The fact that he barely considers the buckler astonishes me

[@captainmaim]

Drizzt did WAY too much weapon-blocking. Only magical blades would survive that kind of abuse.

[@shinon748]

@@captainmaim yup which he has now. He originally had Drow metal blades which are infused with tiny bits of magical energy.

[@The_Foxymew]

I feel the part of them possibly using a composite bow over a longbow would be a neat feature, really. It could be one of those "Hey, you see his bow? That guy's a ranger" kind of things. An exclusive 'ranger' looking thing about them. A badge that instantly shows that this person is a ranger in your world.

[@rannenw6207]

So in the book series Ranges apprentice. While fully trained Rangers use Longbows the apprentice's use recurve. Their other weapons are a throwing knife, and Seax Knife.

[@slayer0235]

I love the idea of examining classic character classes, looking at their historical inspirations and how they can be incorporated realistically in fiction and what to equip them with. Hope to see more of these.

[@okitomikira5531]

Same. Shad PLEASE. Something even that needs to be talked about is how all of the classes are actually supposed to be warfighters/adventurers, and how aesthetically and strategically wizards in particular are thought of very wrong. In truth they would function like officers/com units and would and should dress not in robes and crazy stuff but more like RECCE units. Light and mobile, with webgear to hold spell components and such. Holsters for wands and a haversack buttpack. Having flowy nonsense and top hats would be completely antithetical to what they are actually doing and functionally, they would dress similar to rogues if there is such a thing. We like that black leather look that would keep you agile. That would be what a proper wizard would also dress like in an adventuring team.

[@Delgen1951]

@@okitomikira5531 So the robes would be "dress" uniform, not fatigues, yeah makes scents as you want to impress the Boss when you try to get funding for project X, don't you?

[@ViolosD2I]

Considering that I'd actually expect the dual wielding to be a machete and some other tool-weapon like an axe in the off-hand, mainly for blocking. Because why carry two of the same item?

[@spencerfoster9192]

Watching someone skilled with a machete is something to behold. I’ve seen Belizean field hands cut through 5” diameter tress like they’re cutting pool noodles.

[@GunRunner106]

according to oxford: "In a forest, vert referred to the trees and shrubs which bore green leaves and thus provided food and shelter for livestock; venison referred originally to all livestock, not just deer."

[@adlockhungry304]

I was one of those rare kids that always wanted to be the ranger. I was obsessed with the outdoors, and the idea of being self sufficient in the wild, especially in an age when it seemed those skills had all but disappeared from humanity, was really appealing to me. I don't think I ever played another character class in any medieval fantasy setting.

[@MGADTH]

same here!

[@jameshoepfner3555]

As an adult, Ranger first. Druid second. Sometimes, considered multi classing 🌿🌲🌳

[@ShieldWife]

Vert means “green” in French. It probably means protecting plant life, like keeping people from cutting down too many trees. Also, a number of historical hunting swords were falchions, presumably used to deliver a coup de grace to an animal already injured by an arrow, bolt, spear, or bullet.

[@grbdevnull5611]

I was coming to post this as well. Vert is also used in heraldry, so it would probably have been understood in period.

[@dicorockhimself]

Good to know

[@blitsriderfield4099]

Especially considering William the conqueror's heritage

[@CoiledDracca]

@@grbdevnull5611 I was also coming to say this too! :D The "flora and fauna" is the same idea.

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

Always a worthy goal...

[@Jasonwolf1495]

Speaking as a ranger(parks and d&d) I feel you left out the one other specialty that we come with. Knowledge. Rangers spend time studying their foes in the wilderness and learn how to specifically take them down. In this case Witchers are the perfect example with their large collected knowledge of how to hunt monsters by using resources gathered in nature.

[@colinrobertson7580]

I'm a target archer and a bow hunter, I would 100% opt for a smaller bow. I would mention however that composite bows are much more expensive to produce. For game and unarmored humans you don't need a war bow a 60lb shortbow would be sufficient for most things.

[@joeleek9976]

Considering the noise involved, an 80lbs composite short bow would like be too noisy to hunt deer with. I have no practical experience, but have read that the optimum kill range for a traditional bow against a deer is within 25 yards and that a bow that makes noise can spook the deer into crouching or even bolting before thw arrow reaches them.

[@lucas6620]

A recurve bow could work too, its energy transfer is efficient, it's quite compact and easy to draw. However, some power would be sacrificed due to not being able to pull the string as far back as other bows, which might be an advantage when hunting smaller game as too powerful a shot would knock the target to gosh knows where.

[@okierebel3278]

@@lucas6620 I hunt deer with a 50lb recurve. Always take at least one every year

[@gallendugall8913]

Would a 60lb shortbow make an owlbear give a hoot?

[@Grypht-vn2mz]

As a hard suit fighter in the sca I can tell you that 50 lbs pull arrows can literally be punched out of the air... Not sure how much of a difference 60 lbs would make but I know I don't want to even try against 80+ lbs

[@hardcase-69]

I've always been really impressed with the Rangers Apprentice book series. It's an absolute live action gold mine waiting to be exploited. That series is the sole reason I got into traditional archery. But it flushes out a lot of details really well, down to the rangers having to snare rabbits for food while on extended missions. They use a heavy long knife, like a giant bowie knife but based off the viking seax knife as their melee weapon and use it with great utility.

[@Cyberwar101]

The later books went downhill pretty roughly though

[@mondomendez5165]

Flanagan said for a Rangers Apprentice Q&A that The small Seax/throwing knife has an 7in-8in blade used mainly as a utility knife and the larger heavy Seax is described as having a blade a little under 20in with a small cross-guard for protection (like many machetes). Both having extremely practical real world size, profiles and applications.

[@ThousandC1ouds]

If you like Rangers then this is a great series for you, Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. I never cared much for rangers until I read this series, now I love them.

[@semipork]

I've been trying to remember the name of that series, really loved it. Thank you!

[@lukesheridan4623]

hell yes, one of the best series I read as a child

[@cheshire4856]

"Don't worry Horace, people see what they expect to see, and nobody expects to see a pair of legs laying in the middle of the forest with not ba]ody attached." Ranger's Apprentice out of context.

[@shrubb7925]

@@cheshire4856 “Oh it’s a case of they think that I’ll think that they’ll do A, so they’ll do B because I wouldn’t think they’d think of that but then because I might think I know what they’re thinking they’ll do A after all because I wouldn’t think they’d think that way”

[@danieljackson561]

I was about to say this. Ya I'm on the last book on the royal ranger. Whenever I think of rangers I think of these badass MOFOs

[@asc3nded397]

If you haven’t already I would highly recommend The Rangers Apprentice books series. It’s really amazing and as the title implies, it focuses on Rangers and their role in the kingdom of Araluen. After reading the books through a couple times now I automatically think of the Rangers from the series when the term is brought up. I only wish it the dnd Rangers were a bit more developed and less weak in 5e so I could play them more without falling behind the rest of the party.

[@pascalstrijker3985]

Thats a great book series I love them and I wonder if Shad could meet the writer for the fact John Flanagan is also Australian and a archer.

[@littlekong7685]

They are a bit more developed in Pathfinder RPG (3.5+), with skills, abilities, and bonus feats to compliment their chosen fighting style. Plus so many archetypes to even more focus their skills.

[@themastermason1]

It's a good series. I just fell away from it because the world felt too much like our Earth but with serial-numbers filed off. Basically not enough fantastical elements like the Kalkara for me.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

It is a series not at all low-priced. Not even for the kindle edition. It is oddly cheaper to buy it new in paperback, and still not all that low of a price. I hope it is something I can find in a library?

[@paultiki9968]

Loved the rangers apprentice books

[@ostrowulf]

I spent a long time going "he is going to say falchion." Then you went machette, and I was staring going "but a falchion does that." Then you came to that point too, and the big grin happened. So, coming from a temperate rain forrest in BC, Canada, I keep staring at that bow thinking about how much it would get stuck on crap in the woods. Good in the praries where I live now, or North into the tundra etc, but man, every lower branch, every narrower part of a trail (or lack of trail). As for your conclussion of dual weilding, I agree mostly with that statement, double falchion I disagree with, as just more crap to get stuck. Buckler I like, as it can be attatched to the sword hilt and be out of the way. The other option you missed was the knife you had on your belt. Just pull out a seax, and now you have two weapons without adding any encumberance (if you are ranging through the woods without a knife, you are wrong).

[@J.sh_CDN]

Canadian hunters are pretty much a modern ranger... Long gun on a sling, probably hitting some branches and such. Good sturdy hunting blade at your waist. Not all the way through the video, but seeing how machete, billhook, falchion is mentioned, id also throw in the idea of a tomahawk, hatchet or axe of sorts. Dual purpose as most folks with say an axe and knife combo is much better than a machete and knife for survival, though maybe not for combat, im not sure. Another idea perhaps is 1 or a few shortspear in a simple quiver on the back (or with a sling depending on length) a decent length weapon, probably easier to stab than swing in thick brush, possible throwing, light, walking stick usage, hunting tool etc Makes me think of Wheel of time and the redheaded tribe that dont use swords, as swords are only used for killing, where as a spear can help cook food, an axe can cut wood, a bow can hunt animals, a knife can cut material

[@michaelpettersson4919]

I imagine a bow that can be dissembled, two halves going into a midpart making up the handle. Sure you need to reassemble and restring the bow before use but a sling can do well in a pinch.

[@J.sh_CDN]

@@michaelpettersson4919 take down bows are pretty cool, id love to see some fantasy style or medieval technology takedown bows.

[@LuxFerre4242]

I'm thinking that the offhand weapon would be a big knife rather than a second falcion, a Bowie maybe. Something to fill other roles like bushcraft. A second falcion would be exclusively for combat so is an inefficient use of valuable weight carrying capacity.

[@spartin1173]

Yah youre probably going with a big knife or maybe a beltaxe if its not your primary weapon it should serve multiple purposes

[@anon2427]

Maybe even an eating knife or balls knife

[@fakecubed]

8-12" blade, 1/4" at the spine, if it's made of decent enough steel and that's all you have in the woods, you can live a very happy and healthy life for a long time out there. You could fight with it too, although you'd probably want to use it to make a pointed stick if you knew a battle was coming your way.

[@shashankdevineni6969]

I would suggest a kukri. An axe dagger. It is more effective than a machette to chop hard and large wood. Which are mandatory for overnight camp fire.

[@LuxFerre4242]

@shashankdevineni6969 Kukri might be better for heavy chopping but not overly so and it is worse for smaller, more delicate bushcrafting. I think that trade-off, for a multifunctional tool, puts a more standard knife shape ahead. The belly of the kukri isn't very conducive to that kind of work and the blade notch is rather detrimental. Being able to choke up on the handle and use the very bottom of the edge is very useful for whittling tasks.

[@alexm-e4910]

You didn’t mention the most literal sense of the fantasy ranger: The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan “The royal archers practice until they can hit the target. The King’s Rangers practice until they never miss.”

[@johndoeanon445]

I loved those books as a kid.

[@jkf9765]

That description reminds me of descriptions I’ve heard of Jack Hays training the Texas Rangers to regularly strike a head sized target from horseback with a revolver… not an easy task in the 1840s.

[@lauraconnolly1184]

OMG!! I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO READ THESE BOOKS! 😍🤩😍🤩

[@monkeyboy1026]

@@johndoeanon445 I would've thought that he'd mention it cuz he is also Australian.

[@Klaaism]

Was a time when by royal decree in England, every village had archery ranges and it was mandatory to train when feasible.

[@kristhebrownie]

As someone who loves to play rangers in dnd, this was very interesting to watch. Never thought I'd hear you talk good about dual wielding either.

[@MrGrimsmith]

Just a thought on your loadout Shad - rather than a warbow, a recurve or carriage bow might be more appropriate. Other than that I would have thought that a hatchet would be a required part of their kit and so would tend to favour that as an offhand weapon, if only for the hooking possibilities it provides.

[@ungainlytitan1460]

Also a cloak. it is obvious that Shad is an Aussie, As an Irishman, I think overland travel, must bring rain gear.

[@dd11111]

And hey, at least the hatchet gives you something to parry with.

[@vincentkeith5259]

From a bushcraft perspective (building temporary shelter in the wild) you could probably design a camp knife (thicker spine designed to be battoned though wood for splitting etc. it would also be good at notching, and butchering and as a secondary weapon - Falchon and dagger basically. You'd want a third knife - smallish for the other tasks - skinning , cooking, etc.

[@coldwarrior78]

Hatchet not a great weapon, balanced for cutting non-moving trees. Tomahawk, on the other hand gives you both wood cutting and weapon. It's a good idea, though.

[@GonzoTehGreat]

@@coldwarrior78 Actually a hatchet makes more sense BECAUSE it's a tool which can also be used a weapon. Rangers are first and foremost wilderness survival experts and warriors, second. A Fighter would carry a battle axe, but a Ranger is more likely to carry a utility axe which can also be used as a backup weapon.

[@aetriandimitri190]

For the longest time I've had my stories ranger use a Longbow and Machete and was worried that there were better options, this really eases my stress over it

[@danreyn]

I like how he made such a fuss over why you'd definitely want a longbow and then the rest of the video was proof that you wouldn't want a longbow. They are terrible for rangers. The arrows are huge and weighty; you can only carry a few. They get in the way all the time (as he constantly showed us). They take far too much energy to fire and you have to be standing in the exact right pose. Honestly, in the wilderness, it isn't likely that you'll need that much power. You're effectively a scout. You need long-distance gear and minimal power. Animals go down easily with a short bow and those can be fired from more hidden positions. Just like with the machete, you have to look at what will get the job done well with the least amount of weight and size. The longbow clearly fails at this. A rudimentary hunting bow is likely the only thing you need.

[@danielmejorado6098]

I was thinking very much along these lines. A blend between the loadout of the North American indigenous tribes and a Highlander.

[@tarille1043]

A longbow is very much not an ideal Ranger weapon. However, I'd suggest they'd prefer something like a composite bow to get a higher poundage since a fantasy setting suggests having a bow that is useful against more than just game for survival to be highly beneficial for a Ranger (For example, if there are monsters in the setting and/or bandits) A compound bow would be ideal, if the technology makes sense in the setting. As it would make the bow easier to use and more practical for hunting.

[@RaccKing21]

That's what I was thinking. Machete combined with some composite bow, maybe even a horse bow. The ranger will likely be skilled in horse riding, who's to say he won't try shooting off of his horse? The bow was already made to be short, so it fit's perfectly for skulking through bushes and forests. He'd also likely be a hunter, and skilled in dressing and skinning animals, so stuff like tendons, horn and bone won't be a problem to acquire to make the bow.

[@DerSchlechteChirurg]

No better way to show that hare or whatever who's boss than that 180 pound warbow :D

[@mindstalk]

Fantasy ranger isn't just worried about animals or unarmed humans, though. Armored orcs, trolls, Nazgul on flying beasts...

[@bujtorm]

A recurve bow (Hun, Mongol or Hungarian) would indeed work better during travel and in the wilderness. It would also show that it's the ranger's most important tool, hence they took the time to make a composite recurve.

[@Delgen1951]

unless you are Elven or half Elven then you will want a true Elven bow to show that the others are underpowered toys in comparison to it.

[@caseydubois3645]

Speaking of Rangers, you really should do a review of Ranger's Apprentice when you have time.

[@norsehick4564]

Great books

[@caseydubois3645]

@@norsehick4564 Name checks out

[@MrJameson900]

I was scrolling down to look for this answer! I'm sure Halt and Will would have some things to say about this.

[@myrealusername2193]

@@MrJameson900 yeah it’s a pretty good series plus it’s the kind of thing he reviews! It’s got an Australian author, it’s set in medieval times, so it’s perfect lol. It’d also be pretty interesting because he’s writing (or has written, not sure if he’s done with those) some books and he could maybe compare the two or something.

[@shrubb7925]

I’ve been waiting for the review ever since I found this channel lol

[@jayphillips4399]

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the depth of thought, detail, and passion you put into this, sir.

[@mandragoradravgis]

Dual wielding machetes... that takes me back. I was a groundskeeper at college. One of my jobs was cutting down invasive bamboo patches that grew on the hills, cluttering up the roads and blocking scarce natural light. Of course, it was a chance to draw blades and have some fun, so I went out with two machetes instead of one (used to tell the quartermaster it was so I wouldn't need to come back halfway through the day because the machete got dull) and dual-wielded may way through acres of bamboo at a time. Took me an hour or two to do what the other workers managed in a day's work lol, left arm, right arm, slash slash, chop chop lol.

[@lukediehl1210]

I used to do the same, but I took a mattock with me too. Bamboo propagates underground. If you want it gone, you have to dig those roots out.

[@johns9478]

Really excellent points here, but I have a hard time imagining a ranger dual weilding two falchions in a more realistic scenario. I mean, when I go out into the woods, I don't bring two machetes, but I bring a machete, a hatchet, a field knife, etc. Different tools for different jobs and all that. It may just be my own personal bias, but if the goal here is to have a loadout primarily geared towards traveling and wilderness survival that could also be used in a fight should the need arise, it seems more likely that there would be a falchion in one hand and an axe or a large knife in the other. Of course, this is assuming that the situation necessitates melee combat. As you very correctly pointed out, the bow is king in this scenario.

[@eldrevo]

Makes sense! Not sure about an axe offhand (I believe there was a video on that somewhere...) but a knife or a dagger? Damn sure!

[@michaelpeters6659]

I think looking into our own history could point us in the right direction, the pioneers heading west in NA as well as step peoples in the Eurasian wilds have almost always used job specific tools, ranged weapons being their primary offensive weapons and food gathering tools (bows and firearms) then all of the above mentioned tools are extremely useful and then they would normally have a dedicated short range weapon. Tomahawks, large knives, swords and spears/beonette on the end of a rifle. I think the single most important resource for these peoples were the animals that they had in their possession because having to carry all of your vital equipment on your own back severely limits your capabilities, horses and more often then not even wagon trains are the name of the game in the wild. For instance imagine the rangers in a mission to ride the wild of goblins they set off from Rivendale and head Northwest they are all on horseback and would more than likely bring a wagon with food, weapons medical supplies and other mission essential gear. Once they have gotten into range of their mission stash the cart head in on foot for a few days rid the wilds of dangers, they can now return to their wagon and head back home and this gives them the capability to transport and wounded party members as well as anything of value they find on the mission and if necessary they can all cut bait and jump on their horses and head off at speed if their are zero wounded or items that need to be transported. In short (I’m sorry this went so long) limiting even fantasy characters to what they can carry on their own back is foolish, take at minimum your horse and more importantly take a team to support each other to see the job gets done ✌🏼

[@JugglingAddict]

Crossbow would also be a perfectly viable alternative.

[@captainmaim]

@@neoaliphant Pack goats are delicious when they no longer have rations to carry... They graze anywhere, give milk, and their bleating would likely alert fewer enemies than the vocalizations of horses or oxen.

[@Omniroc]

I was thinking the same thing. Why carry extra machetes when an ax and machete would do. Makes sense.

[@Nova-jw6ju]

I know this is all focused on forest rangers and stuff because of historical accuracy, but in D&D (5e at least) Rangers can choose from a variety of “favored terrains,” such as forests, tundras, and even deserts. I would imagine your loadout is going to change drastically for each of those locales. Or maybe not.

[@CosmicG777]

I'd imagine that in non forest areas, Rangers would use either a large sword or spear for their melee wapon.

[@ramiel7666]

I imagine a machete would see much less use in deserts, and somewhat less in tundra's....

[@shrubb7925]

Yep, Shad talked about the bow being an encumbrance in a forest, I agree. But in the desert or tundra, you would have no such problems

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

Not necessarily. In open fields like deserts or tundra, a bow is ideal. Nothing stopping you. But, if you are a ranger, you'll likely be able to traverse the terrain a lot quicker than those your tracking. And Esspecially in a desert, setting up an ambush where you essentially bury yourself under the easily diggable snow or sand, only to emerge when the group passes over you and quickly cut them down. Alternatively, wait until they settle down for the night, and then attack them, as the chill of desert and tundra night's makes rousing yourselves to defend particularly difficult. In mountainous terrain a spear would work pretty well, as manoeuvring past the spear is difficult, but the good ald "lets drop a big rock on them" is obviously pretty damn effective.

[@quelquundautre3292]

I think pole arms in general would be a great pick since they can be used as walking sticks and have a great 1 v more matchup which is extremely important for law enforcement

[@milesofdeus1]

Agree with everything in the video, and also had a thought of my own that I was surprised to not see mentioned: What about a short spear, along the lines of a boar spear? Certainly isn't useful for cutting scrub, but when hiking it could double as a walking stick. I think the additional reach and stopping power of a spear could be very useful when fighting larger monsters.

[@wolf1066]

And for killing boar if need be. I fully agree with having a spear. It's light enough that you could hold it in your off hand whilst hacking your way through underbrush with your falchion.

[@ebonslayer3321]

A weapon Shad covered some time ago, the Goedendag, would be a good option too. It's basically a staff-spear hybrid.

[@mage3690]

Even a full-length spear would be appropriate, given that you don't have to put it on your back. Trying to sneak around with a full-length spear while trying to use a longbow might be a pain, but many rangers and mountain men had buried caches of food and weaponry exactly for this purpose. Or you could just put another nail-catch on the spear, and swap it out for the bow when the need arises. Now, those iconic spatial storages would be _ideal_ for a spear.

[@adlockhungry304]

Woah! I had a similar notion for a ranger character that's been evolving in my head for years. I had in mind a preference for short shafted pole arms, in particular the partisan. Great minds think alike!

[@shashankdevineni6969]

It is actually a good idea but I feel it would be an inconvenience since the Ranger already has a long piece of wood. Especially if he uses long bow. So carrying both of them at the same time would be inconvenient and hanging one of them on the back would cause problems as shad showed while walking through the bushes .

[@trogdor8764]

I feel like the concept of a ranger is also firmly tied to the idea of acting as a guide or explorer. If your job is just to wander around killing things, then you're just a monster hunter/witcher/murder hobo.

[@Ashtor1337]

Yeah a ranger.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

With TV Tropes "Van Helsing hate crime" troupe you can have it all...

[@fellsbane1126]

I’d have to disagree, given that Lord of The Rings is generally considered one if not the standard for fantasy archetypes and the Dunedain Rangers are specifically described as “ hunters - but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy, for they are found in many places, not in Mordor only.” So if anything, the concept of monster hunter/ Witcher/ murder hobo was taken from the original fantasy concept of the ranger.

[@Tennouseijin]

I suppose it comes down to things the ranger would do most of the time, vs things he'd occasionally do, because he's the local expert in the wilderness, geography, survival etc. i.e. the best person for the job. I would expect the primary job of rangers to be something like patrolling the wilderness, making sure there are no new threats, poachers, bandit hideouts, monsters, or whatever. Because that's something that should be done regularly, to be proactive rather than wait to be surprised by a threat. However, when someone needs a guide, they'd seek the local ranger. When you need explorers for an expedition into the unknown, you'd also recruit experienced rangers for the job. However, that's not something that happens all the time, so for the ranger it would be a one-off job, not his primary task. One possible scenario would be where the ranger finds a bandit hideout, reports to a local lord, then guides the army to the hideout. So, he ends up temporarily being a guide for the army.

[@Zetact_]

I'd disagree. I think that the ranger should be linked with the type of mythological characters who you could describe as a "Ranger." Heracles is the most obvious. Yes, he could arguably fit as a Barbarian or a Paladin but his massive focus on exploration and one of his primary weapons being a bow makes him seem more ranger-y. There also are other mythological figures who would make sense as Rangers like Rama, Odysseus, Conall Cernach, Rostam, Robin Hood, etc. They all would make more sense as Rangers or at least multiclassed into Ranger. And all of them are the type who do "wander around killing things." The issue with the Ranger in a game like D&D is that the Ranger is a jack-of-all-trades which tends to not be a strong character in a team based game and moreso someone who even in stories runs solo (since their concept is built around versatility, they make really good character types for solo games where you don't need to worry about other players). Note how basically every example I gave is someone who either is the main character of their myth or is a side character who gets upgraded to main character at some point. The Ranger is simply so versatile in the skillset that they only really work as a central protagonist. Especially if you go by D&D where they need to have a specific enemy and terrain common enough in the adventure for them or they lose effectiveness.

[@explosavemaster7524]

I am a massive fan of the rangers apprentice book series they fit in almost identically to what the role of a ranger that Shad mentioned the weapons they use- long bow, seax knife, throwing knife role they play- peace keepers, law enforcement expert shots with a bow, expert trackers often on a horse so in my opinion they are exactly what shad described what a ranger does with a few extra things like, gods at camouflage almost never missing anything when they shoot or throw, expert riders.

[@J.sh_CDN]

I watch DutchBushcraftKnives often and to see different old bushcraft knife designs is rather cool, as a lot of the older designs look like great fantasy ranger knives. Between the machetes, axes and long knives, they look like great ranger equipment . Im sure a fantasy ranger would have a longer heavy blade as well as a smaller delicate work knife

[@stravickovmahn9505]

Rangers generally take a lot of ques from Scouts. Can travel through the wild, can track, and be stealthy when required, and can fight at range or fight quickly on close quarters. They're kind of a jack of all trades in the party. Not overwhelming strength or speed, usually a leader and has many practical skills. Has good equipment, but not so expensive as full armor. The ranger is truely a keystone of strength between the extremes on a normal team.

[@lordm0918]

I really thought you meant the Boy Scouts for a bit lol. Made sense for the first bit. “Stealthy when necessary” had me pausing to think, and “can fight close or at range” is when I was like “something ain’t right here”

[@stravickovmahn9505]

@@lordm0918 Maybe. Or maybe there is a secret military core of boy scouts.

[@AnotherDuck]

@@lordm0918 Boy Scouts pretty much come from the same idea as military Rangers. Less combat-oriented and more about travelling and survival, for the purpose of scouting. It was sort of pre-military or para-military in nature.

[@rallen7660]

@@lordm0918 That depends. Were girl scouts and/or their fathers involved?

[@rallen7660]

@@stravickovmahn9505 The Boy Scouts were formed to help train boys necessary military skills for the Army scouts. Andyouaren'tsupposedtotalkaboutit!

[@JunkyKreeg]

I know I'm a bit late on this but anyway. First of all, absolutely great vid, love the deep dive into an all around classic rpg class. Couple of things I'd like to add on the weaponry though, firstly I completely agree on the machete but would properly go with a cutlass as the historical equivalent. Secondly dismissing the axe for bushwhacking is fine, but I would still consider a hatchet essential for a ranger, not only for gathering wood to set up camp, but also as a hammering tool and a throwing weapon in situation where a bow is not feasible. Otherwise love the loadout you are rocking in the vid and wanted to thank you for inspiring me to pick up archery with a classic longbow as well as signing up for my first class in medievil sword fighting. Keep up the good work.

[@UncleMikeDrop]

I would argue that traveling is the best part. Exploring the world and meeting new people are at least as important as holding one's own in a fight. One might even find unlikely allies for those fights that would otherwise spell doom for the overeager combatant.

[@joelsasmad]

True but you can explore the world and meet new people as any class and a bard would certainly be better at getting them to fight for you.

[@calebnorstrom6143]

@@joelsasmad Pathfinding Is something well overlooked. The LOTR is a prefect example Show casing that Pathfinding is a Rangers greatest strength. As in LOTR they cut through vast amounts of wild lands pretty much leaving the roads completely. Sure you could travel from place to place via road but, in many fantasy settings the world is in some sort of turmoil making roads unsafe and while traveling through the wilds poses new risks A ambush on the road is a guarantee. In the books they have several parts of them still getting ambushed pretty much every time they set foot on the main road. Rangers are also or at least in most cases the most perceptive class ( magical traps and such things probably not going to out class a wizard but, defiantly better than most). They will be the first ones to know of a imminent ambush and a extra turn to get ready is far better than a arrow flying strait for you face. That's right there is no combat music just the sound of whistling arrows flying at you. So hope you brought that +5 armor cause your gonna need it without a ranger.

[@simoncss1]

I guessed right. Before Shad revealed his answer, I also reckoned that the machete would be the most practicable weapon for any1 out in the thick wild. Not the most stylish, but h#ll of a bush-hacker + could definitely cut down an opponent when necessary.

[@DH-xw6jp]

Same, i was thinking "hatchet or short single edged sword" Dual purpose of bushcraft and warcraft

[@ianhelyar6383]

Just a point about super thin blades. Their edge distorts big time when cutting wood. Bamboo wrecks them. I'd back a wakizashi over a thin machete. And yes, I have used them...a lot

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

@@SimuLord medieval messer were machetes basically lol

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

@Igor Hartmann yes

[@Alex_Fahey]

@Igor Hartmann Depends what time period, Germany, for example, used to be a hellish wall of wood across the area and a swampy mess in the east before the medieval warm period and ostsiedlung (roughly 1100 to 1300). This situation lead to a massive increase in population and land control. To the point where arable land increased multiple times over. To further that example, the relative backwater territory of Brandenburg (the territory Berlin resides in) became massively valuable due to waterworks being constructed under the guide of benelux immigrants all across the area east of the Elbe river.

[@dr.bright1050]

I am always reminded of when the word ranger comes up of my favorite book series called "The Ranger's Apprentice".

[@foxx_kit]

I love those books. They’re very well written. Can’t wait for the new one this November :)

[@keiraraven7877]

Rangers apprentice is also my favorite book series!

[@bricktop9486]

I am reading the first book right now because of this comment 😂😂, its looking good so far.

[@dr.bright1050]

@@bricktop9486 I am always willing to find those who find halt and Will's adventures entertaining.

[@bricktop9486]

@@dr.bright1050 I've finished the series, its been emotional.

[@williamcayer7371]

I'd like to point out that in the LOTR movies, the fact Aragon was the ones that gave the hobbits some of his short swords, and one of them happened to be enchanted to actually hurt a Nazgul. This actually kind of makes sense as the Rangers would have weapons like these as in lore the frequently got in fights with Nazgul. Also him having several backup weapons makes sense too, especially when they operate far from settlements for long periods of time.

[@PippetWhippet]

And in the books we indeed do learn that the swords carried by the rangers are indeed “enchanted” in the way things are in Tolkien’s world, and absolutely were specifically made to hurt the Nazgûl… they might have found them in corrupted barrows instead, but the lineage of the weapons are exactly the same.

[@DarkSoulSama]

"I bet this machete can cut brush easier than a katana." After establishing contact with Japan, Portugal began using the term "katana"(catana) as an umbrella term for more "choppy" swords, and as late as about 20 years ago, machetes were still commonly refered to as "catanas". I think exposure to the Internet and japanese media made it so more people make the distinction now-a-days.

[@thejackal5099]

"The katana, typically acquired through trade, was used by the Ainu people in a machete-like fashion rather than a weapon as it was originally intended to be." - Wikipedia, albeit accompanied with [citation needed]

[@TheKinslayer777]

I feel like it would also be common for a ranger to carry a sling for taking small game without risking arrow breakage or overpenetration. The cord for the sling could be used for a snare in a pinch as well.

[@krispalermo8133]

Slings can be quick made just by pulling up grass/ weed roots and making a twist rope to sling launch clumps of dirt. Bags of lose sand/ dirt makes nice stun projectiles to knock the wind out of game, or just for pissing off your siblings/ cousins. Before Play Station it is what my grand dad taught us children to play with. Just country boys having fun. As for duo wielding, practice comes from clearing under brush with two machete, or using a hand axe as a hook for cut & pull. German style saber are nice under brush clearers also.

[@harperthegoblin]

Slings convenient as frick. Very light, and you can just pick up ammo off the ground.

[@xxxxSylphxxxx]

@randomrpg do you have anything specific supporting the notion of people using slings as snares? From my understanding of both it seems a dubious choice, but I'm super-interested in learning how wrong I am!

[@whistlingbadger]

Or just keep a few blunt-headed arrows in your quiver. I dye my blunts a different color to avoid unfortunate mistakes. :)

[@hic_tus]

i think they used blunt arrows for small game. but slings have been around forever, it makes sense too

[@zeropelli7026]

Would recommend ranger's apprentice very realistic medieval setting, great characters 10/10 love the series

[@shypapadragon4938]

I was literally thinking about that. when he started talking about the kings having rangers all i could think of was halt's shenanigans.

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

Man I read all those books in junior high

[@ricardodemarco3486]

Some of the bow stuff is not so realistic, but it is realistic enough to appreciate the story.

[@ricardodemarco3486]

@@neoaliphant better kilometers and meters than miles and yards.

[@Likexner]

I liked them well enough when i was little but now that im older i actually realize they were not as awesome as i thought. The world is basically just a weird version of the real one. Countries are just renamed a bit but you can clearly tell what is England, Scotland, France, Scandinavia, etc. Horace is a bit of a Mary Sue. The first book was very fantasy-y in terms of having monsters and magic, the second one less so and the ones after that just kinda dropped that entirely, if i remember correctly. Theyre not _bad_ books, just not as good as i remembered.

[@hadeshades2365]

17:13 have an Irish horse bow. Used to shoot carbon arrows with aluminium tips. When I shoot at the indoor range and miss the target sometimes the arrows get stuck in the concrete behind. You couldn’t achieve a similar thing with wooden arrows but the force that goes into that target is massive. Greetings Kendoka2

[@hydraa1545]

I want to see shad try to use that loadout, in a made up quest, that his friends design. This would really show if his loadout is actually effective for an adventure. Also it would probably be hilarious.

[@Agent_Chieftain]

Hey Shad, I really miss your fantasy castle reviews. Hope you'll bring the series back again some day. I'd love to see you review Lothric Castle in Dark Souls 3.

[@vinnieandhispizza6299]

Yes! I miss it too.

[@BigBoss-sm9xj]

Would love that!

[@chakatBombshell]

My favorite D&D class has always been ranger, you're basically the special forces member of the team, an all rounder capable of fulfilling any physical role and awareness related task. You are the one who kills small patrols via traps and ambushes then flee leading the surviving enemies right into a monster lair meanwhile you have erased your tracks as you have long left the monster lair behind.

[@MrGrimsmith]

This is the aspect that many folks miss - Rangers fight smarter, not harder. Traps allow you to control the battlefield more easily, stealth allows you to pick when and where, tracking allows you to have a good idea what and how many you're facing before the fight starts. It's not my favourite class but it's in the top three for the sheer utitlity.

[@chakatBombshell]

@@MrGrimsmith Honestly surprised at how a lot of parties in D&D who have the info on their enemy and know how to do trapping and know where horrible monster lairs are still choose too attack a problem head on anyway. Why fight when you can just easily murder. The ranger should be the class that as a player you ask who looks like the most important badguy in a group and alongside the rouge works quickly too assainate the guy then get out leading any brave underlings into a waiting wizards fireball enchanted trap and a fighter ready to join the ranger in a firing squad ambush.

[@llewtree3013]

The ranger like Aragorn isn’t the best at any one thing, but they’re good at everything, they’re practically a support class and Everyman for an adventuring group and they work really well like you’ve both said

[@bigroxxor420]

Ranger-Rogue-Assassin(prestige class) is the win build.

[@MrGrimsmith]

@@bigroxxor420 Arcane Archer from the old AD & D rules would be my preference. Empowered arrows, mmm toasty! Current D & D? Probably Rogue for trap abilities or Scout just to maximise the archery potential. Or Sorceror/Rogue levels for potentially DM breaking shenanigans, cantrips are burtally OP with a little imagination :D

[@bobbob-qy3fw]

U MAKE LEARNING SO FFFUUUUN!!! For the life of me for v never been able to listen to a history lesson Now sure we're talking about the topic of fantasy adventure, I'm more interested But UR JUST SO ENGAGING!! ur interested in wat ur talking about No fake interest it's all authentic I guide us with logic to really sound conclusions These r SO good to watch I'm never even put off by the vid lengths

[@Voicelet]

Recurved bow like Mongolian's would be a more efficient, versatile, and less cumbersome option. As for the melee weapon I agree that a broad, single-edged sword is ideal for moving through forest. However you can also carry two different blades, one for fighting, one for utility. And don't forget a knife for prepping foods.

[@matthewlofton8465]

You almost have to carry two blades, but one could argue that if you're expecting a fight already you probably aren't likely to be cutting your way through thick bush to get to that fight unless you absolutely had no other recourse.

[@voidphilosopher42]

So 3 blades then? An iron one, a silver one and a machete?

[@killerkraut9179]

The Mongalian bow is after my knowledge less Rain ressistant

[@backonlazer791]

@@killerkraut9179 you can probably fit one under a cloak if it rains.

[@haukionkannel]

True. I was also thinking Mongolian bow when thinking suitable weapon for a ranger. Shorter than long bow, but still very powerfull!

[@MariusThePaladin]

It suddenly make sense to me now as to why in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, messer and fachions are categorized under the term "hunting swords".

[@EHeathRobinson]

I just want to say that Shad has become one of my favorite KZbinrs. That is because he is so positive. I am much more about creating the things that I want to exist rather than constantly criticizing and being negative about things. Shad has just the right amount of commentary/criticism of some movies and shows in popular culture that have gone wayward (and we can all enjoy a little bit of that together), but then he gets right back to moving forward to the task of creating the things he wants to exist. I really appreciate that and enjoy it.

[@josiahrosell]

That conclusion on dual-wielding falchions/messers was amazing. Probably because of DnD, I was having the ranger I'm presently writing dual-wield anelaces (thinking knives might be more manageable than swords for adventuring). But now, I'm thinking I'll tweak that!

[@sephirian688]

The Ranger’s Apprentice series does a somewhat 1:1 job of describing what the rangers are in a similar way to yours. There’s a certain air of “it’s a fantasy series” to it but a lot of the actual combat is as down to earth as one could possibly expect.

[@dragonsamurai559]

Except as far as I've heard they don't use swords of any kind. At most they use daggers (with one exception and the Ranger's never trained him to use it)

[@ebonslayer3321]

@@dragonsamurai559 They are trained to use their daggers. Specifically they have two of them, a small one that can do knife things but is specialized as a throwing weapon, and their massive "sea axe" knife which has a lot of cutting power equivalent to a single-bladed sword, but is much more compact.

[@dragonsamurai559]

@@ebonslayer3321 I wasn't aware. My family loves the books so they talk about it all the time.

[@hazeltree7738]

@@ebonslayer3321 A _knife_ ... Called the sea _axe_ ... That functions as a _sword_ Got it

[@WoodsRunner]

Well that’s because I think they’re actually called Seax knives, which from Viking cultures is a big knife, or even small sword. And considering that one of the other primary cultures in the story is the Viking inspired Skandians that makes sense.

[@shadfacts6465]

Shad Fact: Science attempted to extract antibodies from Shad's blood, but no needle could pierce his skin.

[@zeropelli7026]

Wacky

[@texasbeast239]

Shad goes to the clinic and the nurses have to put bandaids on their equipment when he heads home.

[@Vasrevenge]

A little tidbit of fun information : The Falchion is an anglicization of the French term Fauchon, which in turn derives from the Latin word Falx which, translated directly into English means: Sickle So I don't know if there's an actual correlation between the two things, but it still is a neat coincidence

[@Leelee-Brown]

Yoo that's so cool! My longest-run character (in Pathfinder) was a non-magical Ranger who literally used a Falchion and bow as his main weapons, it's a really cool image, so thanks for validating my character!

[@rodrigorivero1939]

Superb exploration of this Ranger class is “Ranger’s Apprentice” by John Flanagan. Made me fall in love with the class. And everything you described here Shad is reflected perfectly in the books

[@psinjo]

besides the fact that, as i understand, the ranger's 'sea axe' > saxe knife is a bit heftier / chunkier than a machete, but it's made of 'higher quality steel' that is very resistant to chipping, so it still works pretty well. and it does fit into the shorter sword category

[@WoodsRunner]

@@psinjo honestly I think their saxes are kind of comparable to a Seaxe knife, but also a machete

[@IvanBarsch]

The Saxe in RA is literally just that world version of the Long Seax, so yeah.

[@noctusfury6918]

I'm happy that someone mentioned this! One can never forget this series when it comes to rangers. It made me love the ranger role as well. In fact, I think there was a Ranger that used a crossbow rather than a longbow. Seax knives were a great choice! They were used as law enforcement, snipers, scouts, spies, military advisors, diplomatic representatives, etc. They were the King's representatives as well, and carried a certain weight and honor in their titles and roles. Every lord had one Ranger assigned to their fief.

[@samaradragonhart5719]

I love that series and was thinking about it the whole video!

[@xani666]

Dual wielding Falchon ranger with favoured enemy: plants "We didn't hire you to kill anything, we hired you to clearcut the path"

[@tedarcher9120]

Lol! That is funnier because machete in many south-american countries is a direct descendant of italian and spanish falchions

[@matthiuskoenig3378]

The issue with composite bows is they suck in wet weather, which is why they never got popular in central and western europe and one of the reasons why crossbows were so popular even amongst elite troops in Europe. (because it was easier to keep dry as you could cover the thing in linen) and ofcaurse they later became steel limber...

[@ultrapaladin]

That can be fixed in-universe with water resistant adhesives from a fantasy source if you want it more prominent on your fantasy universe. Like minotaur hoof glue or something.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Another reason to take another look at the sling! You can keep it dry in an oiled pouch. And ammo is constantly being made in streams and rivers.

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@tun0fun I am a viewer of Joerg Sprave, and I've see what a lead shot from a sling will do to a simulated head. Yikes... Not quite the same penetration from an arrow off of a long bow, but all of the energy goes into the target because of the shape of the bullet/stone. I agree that it would be the wrong weapon for deer or boar, but a long sapling and some fire hardening of the sharpened end and you've made a spear for the boar at least.

[@J.sh_CDN]

@@tun0fun thought multiple times about a fellow who would be a ranger, and would carry "knives" that could be easily attached to a staff. Billhook for one, giving a nice machete. Glaive like for a cutting blade as well, spear like for a dagger. In a slightly different way, an axe head can be stuck on any length of pole, especially a tomahawk style. Plenty of survival guys just bring a tomahawk head with em, and carve a handle as long as they need when they get out in the bush

[@MonkeyJedi99]

@@tun0fun Good point. (PUN!)

[@garbuz3324]

Legends speak of a ranger who walked so far and wide, he eventually learned how to roundhouse-kick his way through tangled woodland, no tools required

[@trogdor8764]

The Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion has Legion Rangers that are basically just what you describe, soldiers that wander around the wilderness alone fighting monsters.

[@obi-wankenobi592]

That was what my first Skyrim character was themed after! I made a Imperial ranger, who joined the stormcloaks because the Empire tried to kill him. Stealth, archery, one handed. Great fun! 🤓

[@Kishqui]

My first thought when you mentioned melee was a single handled Messer. That being said, I think a brush hook (also known as a bill hook) would be another great melee weapon choice. Since they were used for woods management historically, They also fit very well for most fantasy settings.

[@pjopitz]

Slings may also be an ideal weapon for rangers, good range, low carrying burden, plentiful amunition.

[@Flamingbannas]

An incredibly underappreciated weapon of history. Now I doubt it can outrange a long bow, but I do know that it certainly outranged Persian compound bows back in the day.

[@pjopitz]

@@Flamingbannas The range probably wouldn't matter as much in a woodland environment where fighting would probably be short range, and ease of deployment and access would be at a premium, much like how in modern times a shotgun would be better than a rifle for short range fights.

[@robertharris6092]

True. The usual issue with slings is the skill requirement but a ranger should be highly skilled to begin with.

[@Muljinn]

Slings can be lacking in stopping power as well in comparison to a bow.

[@frungggg]

there have been bodies found of soldiers being decapitated by slings around greece.

[@aurinsaint9058]

I always loved being a ranger. Though mine used a crossbow and carried a woodaxe. For primarily the reasons you mentioned Shad.

[@paytonfolkner3899]

This video has validated my entire (fantasy) existence!!! Duel wielding Ranger is my favorite setups!

[@brandonhughes179]

Shad, I'd love to get your take on the "Rangers Apprentice" series of books by your fellow Aussie John Flanagan. Based on what you say here, he nails it

[@tamarbaas]

I haven’t watched the video, but saw the title and came here just to scroll through the comments and see if anyone would even consider Ranger’s Apprentice. :)

[@malikdespanie4344]

Another audiobook for me to listen to.

[@spencergalland5754]

LOVE the series, tho the swap from low fantasy to realistic fantasy is alwasy fun.

[@GenerationShift92]

When you said Falchion Shad, I literally cheered as that was exactly my thought/ prediction at the start. I love the lore behind Aragorn and the Dunadain Rangers/ grey company. They were set as guardians of middle earth and to watch over places like the shire :) Superb video as always Shad. Keep up the great work. And just cause I haven’t heard it for a little while.... ... MACHICOLATIONSSSSS!!!!!

[@Anime300]

These are always so amazing. Thank you very much for putting in all of this effort, I'm always jealous of your opportunity (in a good way) and very grateful to witness it.

[@disguisedcentennial835]

Shad I _highly_ recommend the series _Ranger’s Apprentice._ 10/10 It’s my favorite fantasy series that isn’t Tolkien! A lot of your talking about Rangers matches up with the Rangers in that series. They main bows, and have 2 daggers (specifically because 1 dagger would shatter from a sword blow without the reinforcement of the second dagger). The books are about 250 pages long apiece. Really amazing world and characters with crazy good development.

[@JenniferAutumn]

Shad's gear is so functional. Makes me almost want to allow some players to carry everything on their sheet....

[@deanholderde5959]

Shad: “I have a custom made scabbard and a nail pin I can use to attach my strung bow to my scabbard, I also have a hip quiver, a belt of pouch’s, and a bandolier of pouch’s

[@kappadarwin9476]

It is but I feel the bow should be smaller. imagine walking into a tavern and getting your bow struck in the door frame.

[@gearandalthefirst7027]

The dual-wielding makes even more sense because your weapons are also your tools. If you somehow damage the blade of one sword when you're 3/4 of the way to your destination, you can just switch to the other one instead of having to go find wherever the hell a blacksmith is in your area.

[@andreadebiasio3888]

I live in Europe (Italy) but I'm not an expert in historical weapons at all (I'm just an enthusiast). I followed you, Skallagrim and other youtubers for many years and I learned a lot about those. The fact that I jumped on your same conclusions, even before the video started, means that you're really good at teaching people about history and historical weapons, even in a fantasy setting. Chapeau, mate. Or should I say "bravo"?