Its widely agreed that mooks makes the best rangers, however after some analysis I consider the hobbit makes an equally good if not better rangers than mooks.

Starting attributes:

Mook: str- 50, Int-50, Pi-25, Vit- 50, dex - 55, spd- 35, senses 55

Hobbit:str-50, int-50, Pi-30, vit-50, dex -55, spd -50, senses 55

As you cans see, everything is the same except the hobbit has a 15pt advantage on spd...and also a 5 pt advantage on Piety (spell casting).

The mook gets 40 spare points, the hobbit gets 30. hence I consider hobbits have better starting stats than mooks, I consider the 15pt advantage in spd supieror to the 10 extra spare pts (not to mention the hobbit advantage in peity).

Intangibles:

1)Hobbits rangers build up skills a little bit faster...the extra spd allows the ranger to shoot sooner and more often...

2)Rangers need an extended range melee weapon, and the mook has a great one:

Giant's sword- 9-33dmg, +2Hit, -2Initiative, 30%KO, +5 str

The hobbit however should train polearms instead and can compete by using weapons such as :

Dread Spear- 11-23dmg, +2hit, +2 Initiative, Hex 50%, polearm +20
Stun rod - 9-23 dmg, -6 init, Paralyse 20%, polearm +10

This post is getting a little long so i'll stop here. Comments and replies are welcomed.

As for me, I like the hobbit ranger more, the mook is too slow...and I give the hobbit ranger the edge for its ability to train skills faster.

Hobbits are great at about any class really. A couple of Mook points though. They can max out their prime stats faster than a hobbit can because they have more spare points and will be allowed to spend more per attribute when you make them. So I would probably go Str/Dex or Dex/Sen, but either way the Mook will max those stats out a little sooner and open up the personal skills faster. Also to me Speed is pretty much a waste of a stat after you get the haste spell, I only build it in the character I am going to use to cast that spell at the start of every fight, which won't be the ranger. I say this because if you look at your characters stats during a fight where a level 7 haste is up, it pumps their speed by I think 70-75 points, so everyone will have a speed of 100+ with that spell on. Take the extra 10 points the Mook gets, add 5 to speed, 5 to piety, and you have a character who's 10 points lower in a (to me anyway) worthless stat, speed, and who will max out his prime stats faster; also who will get a better melee weapon in the GS. But you can't go wrong either way. The last party I ran I decided on a Mook over a Hobbit for a character who went from Ninja to Ranger, really for the GS, before he got that he used the No Dachi as a Ninja and was alot of fun.

you forgot one thing, mook will make you waste 8 hours of game time. if you are gunning for record speed of completing games, mook is not for you.

To me that's really not even a consideration, it takes about 30 seconds of real time to rest and have your Mook come back to your party.

I've used Hobbit and Mook rangers both and don't find a lot to choose between them. I enjoy being able to use the Giant's Sword though. :D It rocks!

I don't mind the minor melodrama with the Mook, because it sort of adds to the RPGing of the game and takes a whole whopping 30 sec. of game time to rest and get your Mook back.

One moment of resting is enough. One second in real time, maybe 2 minutes in game time - thats all.

hmm...maybe I'm the only one who want to finish games in a record time. ;)