Which equipment to prefer?

[Softwarer]

Glad to see you, friends.

I'm playing classic Angband a some time, but rarely. Now I'd wish an advice of more experienced players. My current character is lvl36 ranger, and I'm going to walk at 40+ levels. Full character dump is listed below; I'd be grateful for some common tips for me and especially for comments about choicing among:

1) Bronse DSM (resistance to confusion)
2) Dwarven SM (strength, constitution +2)
3) Hard Leather Cup of Thranduil (telepathy)
4) Iron Crown of Serenity (resistance to fear, confusion and sound)
5) Ring of Intelligence (+3)
6) Ring of Damage (+10)

Generally, I'd prefer to Dwarven SM due to it's bonuses (which means more melee and more HP), but it's much uncomfortable to walk without confusion resistance, so I'm forced to eigther use BrDSM or take off telepathy.

----- My character's dump -----

[Angband 3.0.6 Character Dump]

Name Malkhorn Self RB CB EB Best
Sex Male Age 68 STR: 18/95 +1 +2 +2 18/145
Race Dunadan Height 76 INT! 18/100 +2 +2 +2 18/160
Class Ranger Weight 181 WIS: 18/97 +2 +0 +2 18/137
Title Pathfinder Status 59 DEX: 18/91 +2 +1 +6 18/181
HP 488/488 Maximize Y CON: 18/99 +3 +1 +0 18/139
SP 185/234 Preserve Y CHR: 18/99 +2 +1 +0 18/129

Level 36 Armor [46,+84] Saving Throw Superb
Cur Exp 1074837 Fight (+20,+20) Stealth Excellent
Max Exp 1074837 Melee (+36,+38) Fighting Legendary
Adv Exp 1155000 Shoot (+32,+13) Shooting Legendary
MaxDepth Lev 38 Blows 5/turn Disarming Superb
Gold 744099 Shots 2/turn Magic Device Heroic
Burden 147.9 lbs Perception Fair
Speed Normal Infra 0 ft Searching Fair

You are one of several children of a Guildsman. You are a credit to
the family. You have hazel eyes, straight black hair, and a dark
complexion.

abcdefghijkl@ abcdefghijkl@
Acid:.......++.... Blind:.........+...
Elec:.......++.... Confu:......+......
Fire:.......++.... Sound:.............
Cold:.......++.... Shard:.............
Pois:.......+..... Nexus:.............
Fear:............. Nethr:.............
Lite:+............ Chaos:.............
Dark:+.......+.... Disen:.............

abcdefghijkl@ abcdefghijkl@
S.Dig:............. Stea.:........+....
Feath:............. Sear.:.............
PLite:............. Infra:.............
Regen:....+........ Tunn.:.............
Telep:.........+... Speed:.............
Invis:+............ Blows:.............
FrAct:..........++. Shots:.............
HLife:............. Might:.+...........

[Character Equipment]

a) The Trident of Wrath (3d8) (+16,+18) (+2)
It increases your strength and dexterity by 2. It slays all evil
creatures, and is especially deadly against undead. It is branded with
poison. It provides resistance to light and dark. It is blessed by
the gods. It grants you the ability to see invisible things. It
cannot be harmed by the elements.
b) a Short Bow of Extra Might (x2) (+12,+13) (+1)
It increases your shooting power by 1.
c) an Aquamarine Ring of Damage (+10)
d) a Bloodstone Ring of Dexterity (+4)
It increases your dexterity by 4. It sustains your dexterity.
e) an Agate Amulet of Regeneration
It speeds your regeneration.
f) The Phial of Galadriel
It lights the dungeon around you. It activates for illumination every
10+d10 turns. It cannot be harmed by the elements.
g) Bronze Dragon Scale Mail (-2) [30,+13]
It provides resistance to confusion. It activates for breathe
confusion (120) every 450+d450 turns. It cannot be harmed by the
elements.
h) The Cloak 'Colluin' [1,+15]
It provides resistance to acid, lightning, fire, cold, and poison. It
activates for resistance (20+d20 turns) every 111 turns. It cannot be
harmed by the elements.
i) a Large Metal Shield of Elvenkind [5,+15] (+2 to stealth)
It increases your stealth by 2. It provides resistance to acid,
lightning, fire, cold, and dark. It cannot be harmed by the elements.
j) The Hard Leather Cap of Thranduil [2,+9] (+2) {>10'000}
It increases your intelligence and wisdom by 2. It provides resistance
to blindness. It grants you the power of telepathy. It cannot be
harmed by the elements.
k) a Set of Gauntlets of Free Action [2,+9]
It grants you immunity to paralysis.
l) a Pair of Metal Shod Boots of Free Action [6,+10]
It grants you immunity to paralysis.

[Character Inventory]

a) 2 Books of Magic Spells [Magic for Beginners]
b) 2 Books of Magic Spells [Conjurings and Tricks]
c) a Book of Magic Spells [Incantations and Illusions]
d) a Book of Magic Spells [Sorcery and Evocations]
e) a Book of Magic Spells [Raal's Tome of Destruction]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
f) a Book of Magic Spells [Tenser's Transformations]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
g) 4 Green Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
h) 2 Rusty Rods of Recall
It cannot be harmed by electricity.
i) a Zinc Rod of Speed
It cannot be harmed by electricity.
j) 11 Gold Rods of Fire Bolts
k) an Ivory Rod of Acid Balls
l) a Molybdenum Rod of Cold Balls
m) a Birch Staff of Teleportation (6 charges)
n) 68 Arrows of Venom (1d4) (+9,+9)
It is branded with poison.

[Home Inventory]

a) 2 Books of Magic Spells [Resistances of Scarabtarices]
It cannot be harmed by the elements.
b) 12 Orange Speckled Potions of Speed
c) 7 Green Potions of Cure Critical Wounds
d) 5 Misty Potions of Restore Life Levels
e) a Scroll titled "ornip ashorn" of *Identify*
f) a Steel Rod of Acid Bolts
g) 11 Titanium Rods of Lightning Bolts
h) 11 Gold-Plated Rods of Frost Bolts
i) a Zinc-Plated Rod of Lightning Balls
j) a Malachite Ring of Intelligence (+3)
It increases your intelligence by 3. It sustains your intelligence.
k) a Coral Amulet of Searching (+6)
It increases your searching by 6.
l) Black Dragon Scale Mail (-2) [30,+13]
It provides resistance to acid. It activates for breathe acid (130)
every 450+d450 turns. It cannot be harmed by the elements.
m) Metal Scale Mail (Dwarven) (-2) [13,+21] (+2)
It increases your strength and constitution by 2. It increases your
infravision by 2. It grants you immunity to paralysis. It cannot be
harmed by acid or fire.
n) an Iron Crown of Serenity [0,+8] {4717}
It provides resistance to fear, confusion, and sound.
o) The Dagger 'Narthanc' (2d4) (+5,+9)
It is branded with fire. It provides resistance to fire. It activates
for fire bolt (9d8) every 8+d8 turns. It cannot be harmed by the
elements.
p) a Cutlass of Westernesse (1d7) (+4,+9) (+2)
It increases your strength, dexterity, and constitution by 2. It slays
orcs, trolls, and giants. It grants you immunity to paralysis and the
ability to see invisible things.
q) a Cutlass of Extra Attacks (1d7) (+10,+4) (+2)
It increases your attack speed by 2.
r) The Long Sword 'Elvagil' (2d5) (+2,+7) (+2)
It increases your dexterity and charisma by 2. It increases your
stealth by 2. It slays orcs and trolls. It makes you fall like a
feather. It grants you the ability to see invisible things. It cannot
be harmed by the elements.
s) a Scimitar of Westernesse (2d5) (+11,+9) (+1)
It increases your strength, dexterity, and constitution by 1. It slays
orcs, trolls, and giants. It grants you immunity to paralysis and the
ability to see invisible things.
t) a Short Bow of Extra Might (x2) (+11,+14) (+1)
It increases your shooting power by 1.
u) a Heavy Crossbow of Extra Might (x4) (+10,+9) (+1)
It increases your shooting power by 1.
v) 26 Arrows of Frost (1d4) (+10,+8)
It is branded with frost. It cannot be harmed by cold.

[Dragonboneman]

I think wearing Bronze DSM + Thranduil is best for now. You could switch the damage ring for the +3 INT though. Rangers should concentrate on killing things with archery and damage rings only affect melee. Similarly, you don't need those rods of bolts - use your bow instead.
I'd ditch the crossbow of Extra Might as well - Rangers only get extra shots with bows, not crossbows.

[Softwarer]

Thanks for your answer.

You could switch the damage ring for the +3 INT though.

I did it. It was just an attempt to support melee might after wearing DSM & losing strength bonus, but it flats out.

Similarly, you don't need those rods of bolts - use your bow instead.

Hmm... I'm using it for saving of arrows. Arrows tends to disappear, so without rods I'll need to brand, enchant and transport hundreds of arrows, isn't it?

I'd ditch the crossbow of Extra Might as well

I never going to use it - it just waits for more generous shop owner together with some other weapon too.

In general, maybe you'll comment my fight tactic? I usually use:

melee - for fastest shredding
arrows - for strongest monsters, disenchanters etc
balls - for weak groups, single monsters (say, vortexes) or above-the-head shooting (say, targeting summoners)
bolts - for shooting weaker monsters, say, water hounds; for shooting almost dead flees also
ice storm spell - as strong and dazing ball

[zaimoni]

Similarly, you don't need those rods of bolts - use your bow instead.

Hmm... I'm using it for saving of arrows. Arrows tends to disappear, so without rods I'll need to brand, enchant and transport hundreds of arrows, isn't it?

I think two stacks of 99 arrows, with another stack or two in the Home, would be ideal. As I like to enchant arrows/bolts myself, I'd be sure to keep a healthy reserve of ?Enchant To-Hit/To-Dam in the home so that I could conveniently enchant up batches of 20 arrows as useful.

This doesn't get you out of using the stacks of Rods. I'd be carrying two stacks of Rods: Fire and Frost. Almost everything that resists both Fire and Frost also resists Lightning, so you should see very little use of the Lightning Rod stack. (Acid Bolts would be a more useful third stack, when it comes online.)

Also note that you get two arrows fired for every use of a rod, currently. An Extra Shots short/long bow will add one to this; CL40 will also add one.

In general, maybe you'll comment my fight tactic? I usually use:

melee - for fastest shredding
arrows - for strongest monsters, disenchanters etc
balls - for weak groups, single monsters (say, vortexes) or above-the-head shooting (say, targeting summoners)
bolts - for shooting weaker monsters, say, water hounds; for shooting almost dead flees also
ice storm spell - as strong and dazing ball

I'd use balls for trick shots (check that no useful items are in the area). Melee should not be fastest shredding, for a Ranger. Be sure to replace that bow with an Extra Shots bow when you have the chance. [crossbow loses because of class extra shots.]

Also make sure you understand the positional targeting system and its quirks for all of ball spells, bolt spells, and arrows.

[Dragonboneman]

When I play Rangers I don't feel the need for ball shots round corners, in fact I almost never cast offensive spells. I just shoot everything, using Phase Door to maintain range.
Melee is only used against hounds or in other situations where archery would expose me to multiple ranged attacks, against a few weaker uniques who summon like crazy (the Ant Queen etc) or when the enemy simply isn't worth the arrows.
Winning with rangers more or less boils down to finding Tenser's and Bard then slaughtering everything with branded Seeker Arrows.
And if you're lucky enough to find a stack of Holy Might ammo, save it for Morgoth - it is very rare.