I agree on this. Dark ranger sounds like another bow wielding hunter.
I would rather if they fleshed out Survival hunter into a new class, adding a tank spec which would make it a first mail tanking class. Call it whatever.
And for regular hunter add a 3rd ranged spec, which would be more magic damage focused spec, maybe also like a middle ground between BM and MM in terms of pet usage (which would allow for complete removal of the pet for MM).
I had the same though of DK’s paladins and warriors when writing my post, but I still don’t really see how a Dark ranger could have 3 specs that are different in a meaningful way. Well, let’s consider what roles those specs would fill, they would be DPS (healer or tank makes no sense considering the class fantasy here). This alone makes it extremely similar to the hunter, more so than the other examples which can fill multiple roles.
Next, I can imagine exactly 1 dark ranger spec, and that’s a hunter that uses dark magic to empower their arrows/abilities. And to be honest, we haven’t seen anything other than that from them in the role. To make it work you would have to wildly expand the lore of the Dark Rangers to show what is everything they could really do. Though thinking more about this, I did figure there could be a hunterish dps spec and a rogueish melee dps spec, which would give us 2 specs, though even then I just don’t think the pieces fit. Dark Ranger as a class just reminds me of the highly amateurish fan-made classes that some wow private servers have created.
And as a final example, I’ll provide you with another popular class idea that could actually work: The Tinkerer. It’s not hard to imagine how this class could get 3 specs with different roles, mainly a tank, melee dps and a ranged dps. Possibly throw in some minion turret action as well for some of the specs. I only see some minor problems with this class idea, mainly with the relation it would have with the engineering profession.
We have 3 plate classes using 2h weapons. 3 Leather ones using Dual Weald. I don’t see the reason why we can’t get another one with bow.
In my opinion there are a few ways to fix the lack of ranged specs.
If we take the idea of a new class, then there are some classes still missing which are “unique” and another option is to do something similar with how Demon Hunters were added, by taking parts of the Demonology spec.
Original ideas for classes are obviously:
The tinker can definitely be a ranged spec given it could use guns or turrets.
The Bard is more awkward, but given music goes over a distance, there is logic there.
Other classes that could be added and fit into the lore somewhat are:
As you can see, these have the issue of overlapping far more with current classes, which then leads to:
New specs
Every class (besides druids) could get a 4th specialization. And demon hunters a third.
Ranged Spec options could be:
Holy DPS Priest (preferably aoe based)
Shockadin Paladin
True Necromancer DK using Int and casting ranged spells
Dark Ranger 4th spec for Hunter
Ranged Rogue Spec
Glaive/Thrown Weapon based DH
Etc.
Lastly Specializations could be reworked,
One of the Rogue specs could become ranged, perhaps Outlaw? Though Outlaw is a fun spec and would be sad to be gone
Unholy DK, fully make it ranged?
Revert Survivals melee shift, but kinda would be pointless as hunters can choose what spec to play for what environment.
Now with regards to only solving the lack of hunter weapon users,
The only solutions seem to be a 3rd DH spec with crossbows similar to Diablo 3.
A gun/bow using Rogue
A dark ranger class/spec
A tinker with guns.
Now if I was Blizzard i would definitely add in the Tinker.
But I do think there is a need for the Dark Ranger in WOW.
Sadly Hunters don’t fit this theme even though they use bows.
If we split up each class in what type of Damage and Magic they use, we get this roughly.
Warriors: Physical and Moral (shouting and things)
Paladin: Holy and Physical
Rogue: Poison and Physical
Monk: Physical and Spiritual
Priest: spiritual, holy and shadow
Warlock: Fel and Fire
Demon Hunter: Fel and Physical
Mage: Arcane, Fire, Frost
Shaman: Elemental
DK: Death and Physical
Druid: Nature, Spritual and Moon(arcane?)
Hunters: Nature and Physical
So it would feel a bit weird seeing hunters who are in tune with nature, who have pet companions, suddenly turn evil and use shadow magic.
Thus if we perhaps split Hunters into two classes it could work?
Hunters would keep their current identity of nature and pets with lots of traps and survival, while a new class could be made from elements of Marksmanship, Rogue/Assassin elements and Dark Rangers.
Obviously Marksmanship would have to be reworked or replaced by something else, I for one would love a Tanking Hunter Spec like Rexxar.
And the new Ranger class could have an updated marksmen spec with a second shadow spec.
That 2008 April’s fool joke still haunts me…
But you are right
On the other hand, the Maldraxxi assault gave a quest with an optional “champion”, who is a Bard… 
So not all hope is lost
Fair enough.
Can’t say I’m personally hoping for it though. It just doesn’t feel like ‘warcraft’ to me.
Well HS have the Boisterous Bard card
And there was a Hired Bard in the rouge order hall 
Grenja in the Goldtusk Inn was a drummer
But these are anomalies not the norm
Like ducks, WoW have a surprising lack of Bards and musicians…
…wich I always found strange
Music and bards are the backbone of most of the RPGs
Strange WoW never really had it
Well, considering that WoW’s roots lie within the RTS genre, maybe not so strange.
Basically all the classes we have now are based on RTS units/heroes (monk is the one exception I believe - although brewmaster was of course a unit).
I seriously can’t imagine how bards would work in this world… necromancers or witch doctors would make more sense as both can be related to at least one race if not more also they appeared in the storyline many times
Dark Ranger should be a hunter skin. Need Tinker, Spellbreaker and Bard.
Just an opinion but I wouldn’t say Dark rangers are a specific class. More so an elite fighting force mainly made up of hunters and rogues and are mainly undead elves and forsaken. Im not really sure we need another class that has such restrictions on races and to be honest Im not a fan of adding more classes as blizzard cant even balance and look after the current crop of classes and specs properly.
Id much prefer that the option to have red eyes and some of the skin features added to bloodelves and that would be enough. Kinda like how they introduced the black eyes for night elves with the night warrior.
Would kind of be fitting Slyvanas gets her soul returned and loses her cool red eyes and the players inherit them 
True. Frost mage is unironically more similar to a feral druid than it is to an arcane mage. They may not be ranged both but they’re both very similarly streamlined in the way the rotation flows.
This. And the mog sets from Nighthold.
I beg to differ, instead of Arcane Shot Dark Rangers will have Dark Shot, It will do exactly the same thing as Arcane Shot but it will be dark purple. Edumacate yourself.
They made a huge mistake making demon hunters wear leather. They should have been mail wearers imo
No thanks, stop adding classes and actually balance the ones in the game instead.
Tinker as new rangerd, not dark rangers.
Dark rangers:
Tinkers however:
Like people have mentioned a healing dark ranger. How? How exactly does the dark ranger heal people? And how exactly is that thematically distinct of the dark ranger? If we’re talking about stuff like throwing healing salves or kits, that’s something a lot of classes could do, and is hardly “one must be a dark ranger to unlock this power” if that makes sense?
I’d rather they add Dark Ranger as an unlockable customization option for hunters, and not just skin, abilities too, after a quest chain explaining the lore, preferably.
I’d like to see more class themed customizations, would expand on different fantasies without the trouble of creating a new classes every time.
btw the warcraft 3 heroes paladin and priestess of the moon had
devotion aura and trueshot aura as permanent glowy buffs
id like that for our retail paladins and hunters
and devotion aura to be a small armor buff like in bc?
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