E6 Archery based Ranger/Ardent

[McPoyo]

So, I'm bringing in a new character to an existing E6 game today using partial bab/save stacking, as my front-line character died to bad dice luck last session. I'm coming in at level 4, and was going to look something like this:

Human Ranger 2/Ardent 2 [Air and Freedom dominant mantles, with Time at Ardent 2, and Tap Mantle for Destruction for Dissolving Weapon]
Str 14
Dex 10
Con 16
Int 10
Wis 16
Cha 10
Feats: Point Blank Shot (1st), Track (Ranger 1), Zen Archery (Human Bonus), Practiced Manifester (Flaw at 1st),  Whatever Feat (2nd Flaw at 1st), Rapid Shot (Ranger 2), Tap Mantle: Destruction (3rd).
Powers known: Dimension Hop (1), Deflection Field (1), Dissolving Weapon (2). ML 4, 12 pp/day.

Current Party distribution is:
-Gnome Bard 2/Crusader 2 (Song of the White Raven and Dragonfire Inspiration. Not a bad melee combat character, but he started out as straight bard before I suggestion tossing in ToB. He functions as our "healer" most of the time using Martial Spirit and the Crusader Strike line)
-Human Barbarian 4 (She has cleave and power attack. She's fairly new to DnD in terms of mechanical ability, and doesn't really have the best of tactical grasp. She's our resident BSF now that my Incarnate is dead.)
-Duskling Totemist (Our resident ranged fighter, using Manticore Belt to sweep guys away. Unfortunately, he tends to roll abysmally low most of the time, and his combat effectiveness is strongly tempered because of that. Would be the single strongest character in the game, otherwise.)
-Human Swordsage 4 (Assistive melee. He tends to hang back from the front lines until later in the initiative order the first round of combat, then plugs the hole in our defensive line when he gets the chance. Pretty versatile, but built more akin to a middling to low Tier 4 in terms of power and ability.)
-Halfling Rogue 4 (This character joined the party last session. He's decent at what he does, but not a real powerhouse in-combat.)

So as you can see, we're kind of oddly distributed. I also know the Totemist player wants to swap to something melee-oriented for his next character, which may be after we finish the current quest. As such, I'm trying to keep it below the upper tier-4 level. I don't like Deflection Field for a power selection, but don't really see anything that would be worth it otherwise, even if I moved around the primary mantles. Time is in there purely for the mantle power. I went with Tap Mantle instead of EK for Dissolving Weapon purely because it opens up the ability for me to take Dispel next level if it turns out the party needs it. We don't have any "arcane" or "divine" presence in the common sense to make up for that, and with transparency in effect, I can see us possibly needing the ability to shut down some magic, depending on how the DM goes with the campaign. I intend to use a Deep Crystal Mighty Composite Longbow (I'd grab a bow of the wintermoon if I could, alas...) for those rare times I need some extra power, and get it enchanted later on. I'm still up in the air with what to use the other potential flaw to get. Using Zen Archery allows me to reduce MAD some, since all the ardent abilities (extra pp/day, saves, manifesting, etc) are driven by it, and the Con is rather important on this one with HP, so I'm not sure the 1 hp/level loss is worth the extra 1 damage/attack. Especially as I'll never have the BAB to get an iterative (+5 at 6th). I was asked to keep it "kinda sane and uncomplicated", by the DM, since he knows I can destroy his campaign if I wanted (and we're good friends, I have no inclination to do that to him), so I don't want to pull any psicrystal share pain/vigor loops. Intentions are to pick up Psionic and Greater Psionic Shot, and maybe EK: Minor Creation to make poison (depending on how the campaign aims). Any suggestions? Glaring errors? Horrifying weaknesses I've somehow missed? Are there any metapsionic feats worth taking that would help with any of the powers on those mantles that I've forgotten about? Maybe something else useful of that's a neat trick using level 2 or lower powers I could EK? Psionic Meditation worth it in this limited case scenario? I'm open to tips or tricks, it's been a while since I've gotten to play with psionics in the lower levels.

[Phaenix]

I think the E6 Psionics trick is to take Psionic Body, then take Psionic Talent a few times. Psionic Body gives you 2 HP for every [Psionic] feat you have, so Psionic Shot and the greater version provide additional benefit.

Ranger doesn't benefit you all that much in the long run of an E6 game, as it really only provides a couple of feats, which you ought to have in spades. Maybe consider another full BAB class with better class features? Not that I have any suggestion in that direction...

[McPoyo]

Need an easy way to get survival then, since cross-classing it the whole way isn't going to work too well. We've got a lot of wilderness involvement, and no one else has any access to the skill. DMGII's apprenticeships aren't offered in this campaign, either, so unless I want to burn a level for sorcerer to grab Draconic Heritage for a dragon type with Survival, I don't know of any other ways to get ahold of it. Psionic Body is definitely in the works, now, as is Psionic Talent several times on the higher end. Ranger helps reduce the MAD a little, since I can get rapid shot for free (bypassing the Dex 13 requirement). I thought about doing ToB instead of ranger, but the maneuvers that low don't benefit me a whole lot that cheap magic items like chronocharms and dimension hop don't already do for me. Any better suggestions? Preferably something with Wis synergy, though it doesn't have to be.

[awaken DM golem]

Mind's Eye has the Substitute Powers update for the Ardent. Use it. It helps.

Carnivore did a few side by side reviews of Psions vs. Ardent vs. whatever etc.
I think the real advantage of an Ardent is to be able to have 2 3rd level powers from 2 different disciplines.
Psion 4 vs. Ardent 4
The Psion has a feat and 5 1s , 4 2s
The Ardent has 3 mantle powers and 2 1s and 3 more powers of 1s 2s and 3s, but max 2 3s , with Practiced Manifester feat.
The Erudite has a feat and a Psicrystal and 4+Int 1s , 4 2s , and a way to get more powers learned.
ML of 6 lets Overchannel get you 7 pps blown each time. This taps into the pp pool rather quickly no matter what.
Slayer PrC is a bad idea, I shouldn't have suggested it, to then immediately not suggest it.
Only real way to jack up the MLs for the Ardent is to get Cleric or Arcane casting, and take a Psiotheurgist feat (or two) from Dragon #349.
If you don't have access, don't bother; this is getting into higher Tier material; as would be a pp recharge set-up.

Obviously getting the feats early, turns into a lesser advantage later when the E6 feat thingy rolls in.

If you don't mind going Ardent 3 / Erudite 1 you'd get the ability to learn powers and a larger list of Powerstone uses.
But how available are learn-able powers ??
I don't know so ... pick 'em.

**

If your DM would let you crank out some higher powered weirdness,
Cleric 1 with a Heighten early entry set-up / Ardent 2 with Prac Mani early, and Psiotheurigst feat later / Psychic Theurge 3
should get a 6th level power going, opening up 5th level powers to Expanded Knowledge.
You'd be a 1 shot only wonder, for every combat. Recharge and other tricks could happen later.