“ | In those days no other Men had settled dwellings so far west, or within a hundred leagues of the Shire. But in the wild lands beyond Bree there were mysterious wanderers. The Bree-folk called them Rangers, and knew nothing of their origin. They were taller and darker than the Men of Bree and were believed to have strange powers of sight and hearing, and to understand the languages of beasts and birds. They roamed at will southwards, and eastwards even as far as the Misty Mountains; but they were now few and rarely seen. When they appeared they brought news from afar, and told strange forgotten tales which were eagerly listened to; but the Bree-folk did not make friends of them. | ” |
–At the Sign of the Prancing Pony, The Fellowship of the Ring |
“ | A little apart the Rangers sat, silent, in an ordered company, armed with spear and bow and sword. They were clad in cloaks of dark grey, and their hoods were cast now over helm and head. Their horses were strong and of proud bearing, but rough-haired... There was no gleam of stone or gold, nor any fair thing in all their gear and harness: nor did their riders bear any badge or token, save only that each cloak was pinned upon the left shoulder by a brooch of silver shaped like a rayed star. | ” |
–The Grey Company in The Return of The King, The Passing of the Grey Company |
Rangers of the North are the military forces of the Dúnedain. They spawn in Eriador and its surroundings, including the Lone-lands, Trollshaws, Minhiriath, and most commonly, the Angle.
Note that Rangers of the North look very similar to, but are different from, the Rangers of Ithilien.
Spawning[]
Rangers can spawn at any time of the day. In order for a Ranger of the North to spawn, the block directly under it must be a grass block. This restriction prevents the NPC from spawning underground. They can spawn in many of the biomes of North-western Middle-earth:
Eriador (including Minhiriath and Swanfleet), the Lone-lands (including the Angle commonly) and the Tower Hills fairly commonly. They also spawn in Midgewater, the Northlands and the Trollshaws more rarely.
There is a roughly 1 in 20 chance that a Ranger will be a Ranger Outrider.
Behaviour[]
Rangers will attack any NPC or creature aligned with an evil faction on sight. Because they generally inhabit Eriador, these enemies often consist of Gundabad Orcs and Wargs. Rangers deal more damage than usual when fighting large enemies, such as trolls.
Rangers of the North fight with a Ranger bow or vanilla bow at long range and use an iron, or bronze dagger or a barrow blade when they close in for the kill. They wear Ranger armour which, while not very protective, is beneficial for camouflage and speed.
When using ranged attacks, Rangers will assume a ghost-like form. In this form, enemy NPCs cannot see them even as they are being shot at. Rangers become visible again as soon as they draw their dagger for close combat.
Ranger Outriders[]
Mounted Rangers, called "outriders" are similar to their unmounted counterparts, preferring to use bows from a range and daggers at close quarters. However, these Rangers will not turn invisible like other Ranger variants. The mounted variant was added in Public Beta 30 and have a roughly 1 in 20 chance of spawning.
Invasions[]
Rangers of the North are capable of invading Angmar, the Coldfells, Eriador, Eregion, Ettenmoors, Midgewater, Trollshaws, and Enedwaith; as a result, they will be one of the most common enemies of players allied with Angmar or Gundabad. When they invade, they will send mostly regular Rangers, along with some banner-bearers.
Drops[]
Ranger will drop 0-2 arrows and sometimes a bone upon death. On rare occasions, they will drop a piece of their armour or equipped weapon.
Drop | Rarity | Quantity | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Arrow | Uncommon | 2 | |
Ranger Bow | Rare | 1 | |
Ranger helmet | Rare | 1 | |
Ranger chestplate | Rare | 1 | |
Ranger leggings | Rare | 1 | |
Ranger boots | Rare | 1 |
Hiring[]
Hiring Rangers of the North requires a relatively high alignment (+300) and a decent amount of money (100 silver coins). Their mounted counterparts require +400 alignment and cost 140 coins. This cost can be lowered by gaining alignment with the rangers and halved by pledging to them. However, the Ranger of the North are the only good-aligned unit that are hireable in the wilds of Eriador and its surroundings, so it is best to invest in their services when traversing across Middle-earth.
Advantages | Disadvantages |
---|---|
Features both a ranged and melee attack | Below iron tier armour |
Can be hired in many areas of Middle-earth; as a result, they are easily replaceable | Relatively weak default melee attack (this can be solved by giving them a better weapon) |
Can only be seen by an enemy NPC once they engage in melee combat | Bows used by Rangers (Vanilla bows or Ranger bows) are both the weakest tier in the game |
High accuracy and long sight range | Mounted Rangers (Ranger Outriders) lack the invisible ranged attack ability |
Extremely effective against all evil units, especially larger ones like trolls | Somewhat expensive |
Can spawn and be hired mounted |
Speechbank[]
Friendly
- Long have we guarded these lands, Person.
- We Rangers have watched over these lands for generations lost to memory.
- What brings you to this wilderness, Person?
- May your journey be swift and your cloak warm, Person.
- By nightfall this land will be crawling with Orcs.
- Be on your guard, Person. There are many enemies in these parts.
- Good day, Person. From which land do you hail?
- Keep a safe camp at night, and stay out of the shadows.
- It is not for nothing that we watch these lands, Person. Many foul beasts nest here.
- We Rangers remember the ancient lore of the West. We have ways to walk unseen.
- These lands are my domain, Person, and I do all in my power to safeguard them.
- Beware the wretched Morgul-scum that crawls out at night, Person.
- The wolf that one hears is worse than the Orc that one fears.
- Were it not for us, these lands would have fallen to the darkness long ago.
- Many of the folk that dwell here consider us bandits and outcasts. They do not know our true duties.
- My kin has long guarded these lands from the dangers that lie to the North.
- Be wary, Person. Many new dangers have arisen in these dark days.
- As long as we watch over these lands, travellers such as you will be able to travel in peace, Person.
- Lonely folk are we, Rangers of the wild, hunters - but hunters ever of the servants of the Enemy.
- The servants of the Enemy are found in many places, not in Mordor only.
- Beware of the ancient wights and shades that roam this land, Person. It is said they can take over your body.
- In time of need, we will ride to the aid of Isildur's heir.
- Our homes, such as we have, are here in the North.
Hostile
- Your death shall come swift as the arrow that pierces flesh, Person!
- I shall make an end of you!
- You are not welcome in these lands, Person!
- Flee our lands, you wretched ally of the Morgul-filth!
- You are an enemy of the race of Men, Person!
- What madness led you here?
- Crawl back into the night, Person!
- You thought you could match our skill? You are sorely mistaken!
- When did Person forsake reason for madness?
- Your doom approaches, Person!
- Do not underestimate the Rangers of the North.
- Go back to the darkness whence you came!
- What devilry of the Dark Lord do you bring here?
- Begone from these lands!
- You shall meet your doom swiftly, scum of Mordor!
- I will not allow you to harm the free folk of these lands!
Hired
- My duty is to my captain Person and the lands over which I stand guard.
- The Morgul-filth of the night shall perish before us!
- I have sworn to defend the lands of the free peoples, and defend them I shall!
- May your journey be swift and your cloak warm, captain Person.
- By nightfall this land will be crawling with Orcs.
- Be on your guard, captain Person. There are many enemies in these parts.
- Long have we guarded these lands, captain Person.
- We Rangers have watched over these lands for generations lost to memory.
- We Rangers remember the ancient lore of the West. We have ways to walk unseen.
- The wolf that one hears is worse than the Orc that one fears.
- My kin have long guarded these lands.
- We Rangers have ways to move unseen and unheard.
- I will follow you wherever you go!
- I have ways to move unseen in the shadows.
- Let's hunt some Orc!
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Rangers of the North used to cost 30 silver coins prior to Public Beta 25.
- Rangers of Ithilien can be distinguished from Rangers of the North by the white tree depicted on their tunics and capes.
- Before Public Beta 30, all Rangers had to walk.
The One Wiki to Rule Them All has an article on:
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The Tolkien Gateway has an article on:
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The Dúnedain of the North |
Dúnedain •
Ranger (Banner Bearer, Outrider)
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