Anyone familiar with Rangers know what expansion 2-handers out dps dual-wielding and what time period that is valid for?
Anyone know what expansions Ranger 2-hander are better than dual-wield? I know they bounce around from bow to dual-wield, to 2-hander to sympathetic items in hands, etc.
As I recall, for the most part, if you could tank with a 2h, then do so - you’ll do more DPS due to riposting the enemy than you will with the ripostes from a 1h. When not tanking, but instead meleeing from the side or rear, use dual wield. For shooting, do whichever gets you better stats (which might just be 1h+shield for the slot 5 starting with TBM). Of course, this assumes parity in weaponry - no fair comparing a dual wield setup to a 2h when one is raid and the other group, or from different expansions. In EoK I got my hands on the Cone+Tome and raided with those. It was not until TBL that I replaced those with a 2h for the sympathetic proc. I’ve been using 2h since then. Not saying that I’ve made the best in choices, mind you, just what Ive been doing myself.
ToV was when the raid crafted 2hp beat out DW if I recall correctly. What happened after in CoV and ToL I couldn't tell you. Fintank talks about it here and my own parses during that time bore it out. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/tov-t3-ranger-weapons.265752/
still worth having dual wield weapons (In Tol) for empowered/imbued/spire burn. Bonus if you can line up with beast dicho and bard quick time. I strongly suggest using a 2hb from COV due to the sympathetic fire proc when bowing. Usually druid debuff will be on main boss and elemental arrow will be on adds. For raiding rangers, I suggest using the congruent aug from TOL in said 2hb and putting in the COV reactive aug in anni weapon. In any given event i bandolier between three different weapon sets to try to min/max personal dps (not withstanding potential to bandolier to vamp proc weapons in event healer is dead or find yourself tanking). When sympathetic procs become available gear 2h for that, not for "best stats". (under the caveat that you cast. to uh, proc it. I suppose if you just autofire then sure best stats might work out.) TLDR: 2h becomes king with introduction of sympathetic procs for both bowing and melee outside of a short period of time from a few abilities.
