Guild Wars 2

Can a Melee spec’d ranger put out as much damage as a ranged spec’d ranger?

Easily. A good 1h sword build will put out more damage than a bow build while still being tanky enough to survive being melee in dungeons. However, it’s still easier to survive as ranged.

Thanks for the help Dahkeus.

I like the ranged ability of the Ranger, but also really like to melee it up with a sword to… So I guess I get the best of both worlds.

You said a 1h build? how about the great sword… is that any good?

The GS does less damage than the 1h sword (as counterintuitive as it sounds), but is a good weapon for a tanky, defensive build. I’m not sure how it compares to a bow build though since I haven’t tested the damage that much.