Ranger

## In-game Description

*"They run extremely fast and can shoot their arrows with their silent bow without inflicting much noise. Rangers are perfect for exploring the map and clearing small infected groups without attracting big swarms."*

## General Information

The **Ranger** is a unit in They Are Billions. The Ranger is built in the Soldiers Center.

It is a cheap, quick unit with compound bows and arrows as a weapon. According to the in-game description this unit is best used to scout and hunt down small groups of infected since its weapon is silent and does not attract many infected.

Because of their low cost and maintenance, they can easily be built en masse. However, they shouldn't be used as a main combat unit after early game, as Soldiers and Snipers are better suited for this role. Still, rangers remain a great utility unit throughout the game.

Veteran rangers have an attack speed of 2. While they kill infected faster, they also start accumulating noise on tile they are on.

Ranger's attack speed can be dramatically increased in a pinch using animation canceling.

## Strategy

### Patrolling

Due to their high speed and attack range, rangers can be set to patrol the borders of your colony and catch walkers attracted by Noise. One ranger is usually enough to secure an area 10-20 tiles long. Assigning rangers to routes that are too long increases the chances that something will sneak past them while they are distracted elsewhere. When runner mini-waves start showing up (day 20 in survival, often earlier in campaign), the colony should be covered by walls and each segment should be covered by Great Ballistas or Wasps. After that, patrollers may start expanding elsewhere.

Overusing rangers for patrolling isn't recommended because a ballista makes less noise than several rangers trying to put down an infected that bangs into a colony wall.

### Resource ninjaing

Rangers can scout and pick up resources on the map. When doing so, they should be ordered to move away tangentially to the colony to avoid pulling too many infected too early.

### Early game expansion

Rangers can reliably clear areas near the center of the map until random runner swarms show up. At this point, they shouldn't clump up, because it will cause noise to accumulate and attract too many infected. Ideally, big areas should be cleared by a line of rangers separated by 2-5 tiles; this way they will not let anyone through and will help each other if one of them pulls too many walkers. If a pushing ranger gets overwhelmed, don't hesitate to move them back by 4-6 tiles.

### Stakes Trap kiting

Rangers can lead crowds of runners into clumps of stakes traps. This tactic is especially useful to clear the first two swarms, because stakes traps are cheaper than alternative defenses. To do so, ranger should run near the swarm, attract their attention and run into clumps of traps; while infected are on it, the ranger should run around them, making sure they don't leave.

### Ballista pulling

One ranger in combination with a Great Ballista can silently clear small areas of runners and executives.

### Giant bait

Rangers have same speed as an Infected Giant. This means they can kite giants either around other units, or into stone wall traps. However, this requires practice, because the movement speed of a ranger is only equal to a giant's.

Behemoths shouldn't be pulled this way; they are faster and will run to noise on their own.

### Cleanup crew

Big fights with swarms or behemoths can pull every runner in a 24 tile radius, but walkers may not even hear it. While it is possible to send other units to destroy the few remaining infected and claim the area, rangers will clear it faster. Be aware, however, that random groups of runners can move through the empty area. Protect tesla towers that are being constructed with walls and ideally wasps, and keep rangers in groups of 10-20 after day 20.

Don't put more than 40 rangers into the same group. The ones in back row won't be able to fire, and due to high speed they may push other units into inaccessible terrain.

### Laying off

If for some reason you don't like rangers or it is the 8th of March, you can fire the four starting rangers near Soldiers Center and reclaim half of their cost.

## Quotes

When selected:

* *"A new task?"*
* *"Aren't there other units to bother?"*
* *"Oh, here we go again."*
* *"Oh, more orders."*
* *"So tired... last night was amazing."*
* *"This better be good."*
* *"What?"*
* *"What do you want now?"*
* *"What's up? Any infected around?"*
* *"Yes, tell me. But be quick."*
* *"You again?"*
* *"You are going to pay me for this, right?"*

When moving:

* *"Are you sure?"*
* *"Gotcha."*
* *"Great."*
* *"Great idea! No, I'm just kidding."*
* *"I hope you're not wasting my time."*
* *"Okay."*
* *"Whatever you say. As long as you pay me."*
* *"Yeah."*
* *"Yes."*
* *"You call that a plan?"*
* *"You order, you pay."*

When attacking:

* *"Faster than my bow!"*
* *"Let me put an arrow in his head!"*
* *"My bow is ready!"*
* *"Right between the eyes."*
* *"Straight to the heart!"*
* *"Taste my arrows!"*

When dying:

* *"Ah!"*
* *"No!"*
* *"They got me!"*

When deserting:

* *"No money — no ranger."*
* *"Thanks for nothing."*