Ranger 25 / Cavalry 5

[Strom]

So, I like the Rivendell Lancers from LoTR and figured making a mounted guy to play in Winya would be fun.
Ranger on a horse, also made sense. I figured being able to justify my horse being more places due to high animal empathy rolls would be good. I want to try out the new animal companion, so I need 25 ranger.
History has taught us that charging at something with great speed and mass, and transferring the impact through a hardened point of metal on the end of the long pole is a really good way 'to horse'. So, I decided to go for a spear... This has been a mixed blessing. The damage is surprisingly good with the 2h bonuses and x3 crits are juicy, the AC is... Low.



Build

Race: Wood Elf
Classes: Ranger 25 / 5 Cavalry

16 STR
12 Dex
14 Con
12 Int
14 Wis
8 Cha

1) Ranger (1) Luck of Heroes
2) Ranger (2)
3) Ranger (3) Weapon Focus (Spear)
4) Ranger (4) + 1 STR
5) Ranger (5) Favoured Enemy
6) Ranger (6) Knockdown
7) Ranger (7)
8) Ranger (8) +1 STR
9) Ranger (9) Imp. Critical (Spear)
10) Ranger (10) Favoured Enemy
11) Ranger (11)
12) Cavalry (1) Blindfight, +1 STR
13) Ranger (12)
14) Ranger (13)
15) Ranger (14) Great Fortitude, Favoured Enemy
16) Ranger (15) + 1 STR
17) Ranger (16)
18) Ranger (17) Extend Spell (Added)
19) Ranger (18)
20) Ranger (19) Favoured Enemy, +1 STR
21) Ranger (20) Armour Skin, Favoured Enemy (Added FE)
22) Ranger (21)
23) Ranger (22)
24)Ranger (23) - Great STR I, BONUS: Bane of Enemies, + 1 STR
25) Ranger (24)
26) Ranger (25) - BONUS: Epic Animal Companion
27) Cavalry (2) - ESF: Listen, BONUS: Epic Weapon Focus (Spear)
28) Cavalry (3) +1 STR
29) Cavalry (4) - BONUS: Epic Prowess
30) Cavalry (5) Epic Fortitude

NOTE: May swap 25th ranger level to CL 30, and take Cav Levels 1 level earlier, in order to max listen.

Skills: Animal Empathy, Discipline, Heal, Listen, Ride

End Result

STR: 24
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 12
Wis: 14
Cha: 8

BAB: Full

Freshly Dinged ECL 30 AC: 42 (With Okay Items)
Casually Buffed AC: 44 (Bark Skin and Mage Armour.)
With Haste AC: 48

[Summary]:

Not sure it's bad, but it's probably pretty average. Likely terrible in PvP. Even with ideal gear I'm looking at 44ish AC.
I might have to build out of spear and into trident so I can get some shield AC for survivability during events which is a shame, and loose the tasty damage. With a +5 Large Shield I'd get 51 AC.

In theory movement speed bonus might be able to justify retaining the spear and lower armour class, but in practice I find the horse phenotype tends to get more easily stuck on terrain and is really clumsy in choke points. When fighting around other people these problems get compounded, so it seems easier once you get stuck into melee to just stay there; ride does not give you any benefit like tumble does for avoiding AOOs... So, you tend to eat them when you're trying to hit and run. The epic animal companion should take some of the aggro and compliment the build nicely with some extra DPS. I think playing this in an open area with room to use the horse to the fullest extent will be fun at the very least. In narrow corridors, it's going to be cumbersome. Additionally given there's no tumble class in here, being unmounted is highly unoptimal.

I'd appreciate any thoughts not played a ranger before, and I imagine adding cavalry is a bit weird.

[walnutboy]

Extend spell, the extended barkskin is a blessing and at ranger 25 will net you +5 AC and free up your amulet slot. Not to mention extend spell doubles the duration of most spells, the exception being the 4th lvl spells. It also helps spread the spells out a bit given the relatively few slots 14 Wis nets you.

Plus double duration bless helps everyone!

[Raua]

If AC is a big enough worry, you could opt for a Trident, which is essentially a 1-handed spear. Same base damage, but you'd be giving up 2 AB/Added damage from the t-hander bonuses and your Crit multiplier will drop to x2. But in exchange you'd gain the ability to use a shield, which would shore up your AC.

[The1Kobra]

Wood elf should allow you to get a higher STR score, are you sure putting 14 CON is a good idea? You can go 18 STR 12 CON instead, which will allow you to go for dev crit if you shuffle some of your feats to get it.
Also, I noticed you didn't put in your extra feat for L21, ranger 20 in epic gets you a bonus ranger feat. Would you take another favored enemy or take EWF or epic prowess?