What build should I start out with?

[Chalupa]

I've read the "guide", but it's lacking in the build department. I just started a Ranger in Night Fall and plan on going for Survivor. However, I just want to get to Eotn asap to work on my Survivor title.

My question is what's a solid build to start out with?

[Marty Silverblade]

The guide has an NF starter build.

[Chalupa]

The guide has an NF starter build.

I'm not concerned with early leveling builds that they suggest. I can use tomes to get the skills, I need. I'm currently running a BHA/Empathy build, but it struggles right now. I'm assuming it's going to be fine when I reach more high-end areas like EOTN.

[gremlin]

The build isn't so important at the start firstly because you don't have many skills to play with and the last thing you should do is spend lots of cash buying skills.

Secondly many builds will require skills from much later in the game and even from other games in the series.

I will probably get yelled at for my build ideas but here goes

I always grab a pet indeed I make all my heroes */ranger and give them pets just to give me an edge early in the game later I almost always give up animal companions.

Since I start the game with low energy and low requirement bows I tend to base my build around the wilderness survival skills.
So I take apply poison kindle arrows storm chaser and troll ungent.
As I get points to spare for marksmanship I go for power shot and pin down.

I am now doing fairly decent damage can poison and cripple enemies, run away when needed and have a backup pet.

Later of course the animal companion gets used less and less and my build revolves around Marksmanship and Expertise.
By the time you get there you will know for yourself what skills you need.

By all means take a look at the guildwiki builds to see what you can do later on but don't rush find out what works for you.
The second link has all the builds while the first has all the information on GW you could ever need.

http://guildwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

http://www.pvxwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page

[Balky]

I always found traps handy as well, barbed or dust for those mobs who want to run up to you. Like Gremlin i rarely if ever use my pet now, they do come in handy at start though as stated to draw aggro and do a bit of extra damage.

Make sure you get the Sunspear skills, [Never Rampage Alone] is handy though energy expensive but does give you and pet regen and attack speed boost

[Age]

It is ok to use a pet below lvl 16 above that it best to stop using them start learning how to interrupt foes.