Cortrillion
First Post
I was looking at the melee ranger, and that looks like the worst class in the game when it comes to combat.
Lets look at some scores, level 19 char's with none magic gear and with a maximum in the damage giving stat. Fighting a test dummy for 5 rounds of combat, 0 misses and 0 crits.
Fighter, Battlemaster, using longsword n'board, Dueling style.
No tricks = 230 damage
Maximum tricks (action surge 2x and all superiority dice) = 367 damage
Fighter, Battlemaster,Using great weapon mastery, polearm mastery and a polearm.
No tricks = 404damage
Full tricks(action surgex2 +all superiority dice) = 655damage
Paladin sword n'board, ect
143hp +100hp heal all
No tricks = 160 damage
Full smite = 344,5 damage
Using polearm and fests
No tricks = 375 damage
Full smite = 620 damage
Now the paladin and the fighter are about the same, the paladin has more options out of combat, as well as higher saves, with + charisma bonus to saves. As the paladin picks when to smite after attack roll and the battle master picking when to use superiority dice they stay about equal although the paladin may have an additional +5 to hit for one min. from class feat.
Now lets look at the ranger, hunter.
Using colossus slayer.
Dualwield with all feats and fighting style (this would put him at 19 ac, one point behind the paladin and the fighter when they use twohanders)
No tricks = 155 damage
With all tricks (hunters mark) = 202,5 damage
Using onehander, dueling and a shield, now he has the same AC that a twohanded using fighter but still 2 points behind a sword and shield using fighter)
No tricks = 137,5 damage
Full tricks (hunters mark) = 175 damage
Lets for fun look at a rogue
Dualwielding short swords
No tricks/sneak atk = 85 damage
Sneak atk = 260 damage
The ranger is behind, by about 210% when looking at a fighter or a paladin, the closest two classes. And even a rogue is ahead in melee by about 30%. The rogue has a big problem when it comes to damage in melee, but they do have other options -They are highly mobile and can use the Assassin subclass level 3 feat to devastating effect.
As I see it, Rangers are way behind, I will even go so far as to call them a broken class when it comes to melee. Some may say, "but thy can also use Crossbow with feat and sharpshooter and swift quiver" yes they can, and they will do 520 average damage in 5 rounds vs this dummy, and they have no reason to EVER pick up a melee weapon as it will gimp them when it comes to damage, so why even have melee styles and class feats?. After all, as we all know Drizzt Do'Urden and Aragorn never use melee weapons...
Lets look at some scores, level 19 char's with none magic gear and with a maximum in the damage giving stat. Fighting a test dummy for 5 rounds of combat, 0 misses and 0 crits.
Fighter, Battlemaster, using longsword n'board, Dueling style.
No tricks = 230 damage
Maximum tricks (action surge 2x and all superiority dice) = 367 damage
Fighter, Battlemaster,Using great weapon mastery, polearm mastery and a polearm.
No tricks = 404damage
Full tricks(action surgex2 +all superiority dice) = 655damage
Paladin sword n'board, ect
143hp +100hp heal all
No tricks = 160 damage
Full smite = 344,5 damage
Using polearm and fests
No tricks = 375 damage
Full smite = 620 damage
Now the paladin and the fighter are about the same, the paladin has more options out of combat, as well as higher saves, with + charisma bonus to saves. As the paladin picks when to smite after attack roll and the battle master picking when to use superiority dice they stay about equal although the paladin may have an additional +5 to hit for one min. from class feat.
Now lets look at the ranger, hunter.
Using colossus slayer.
Dualwield with all feats and fighting style (this would put him at 19 ac, one point behind the paladin and the fighter when they use twohanders)
No tricks = 155 damage
With all tricks (hunters mark) = 202,5 damage
Using onehander, dueling and a shield, now he has the same AC that a twohanded using fighter but still 2 points behind a sword and shield using fighter)
No tricks = 137,5 damage
Full tricks (hunters mark) = 175 damage
Lets for fun look at a rogue
Dualwielding short swords
No tricks/sneak atk = 85 damage
Sneak atk = 260 damage
The ranger is behind, by about 210% when looking at a fighter or a paladin, the closest two classes. And even a rogue is ahead in melee by about 30%. The rogue has a big problem when it comes to damage in melee, but they do have other options -They are highly mobile and can use the Assassin subclass level 3 feat to devastating effect.
As I see it, Rangers are way behind, I will even go so far as to call them a broken class when it comes to melee. Some may say, "but thy can also use Crossbow with feat and sharpshooter and swift quiver" yes they can, and they will do 520 average damage in 5 rounds vs this dummy, and they have no reason to EVER pick up a melee weapon as it will gimp them when it comes to damage, so why even have melee styles and class feats?. After all, as we all know Drizzt Do'Urden and Aragorn never use melee weapons...
. But i think the ranger has the lowest melee damage in the game for a none full caster. But you are right to have fun you dont need damage 
