Suboptimal optimization: Str, Con and Int based ranger

[Lvl 2 Expert]

The best experiments are usually thought experiments. This is a thought experiment around a character lightly inspired by myself. I'm a labrat (biochemistry) and outdoorsman. There are multiple ways to build that combo, like a wizard with the outlander background and the right spell selection, but I've always liked the idea of the ranger, and let's go with the revised ranger at that (unless there is a reason phb is specifically better). My good stats are Str, Int and Con, while Dex and Cha were clearly dumped. This is a problem not just because usually a ranger build is dex based with a good dash of wisdom, but also because those two stats are the ones you need to have a 13 in to multiclass out of ranger. But I figured using the feat rules including going variant human to get one right away something could probably be made of it. So this seemed like a fun optimization challenge: how to get to as playable a character as possible given a first level in ranger and say the following stats (point buy + 2 bumps for variant human):
Str 16 = +3
Dex 8 = -1
Con 14 = +2
Int 15 = +2
Wis 12 = +1
Cha 8 = -1
(I'm not saying these are my stats, I'm probably a much more average person than that, but the build is going to be suboptimal enough without willingly taking a stats penalty.)

Core content is mildly preferred, homebrew (including other people's homebrew) is preferably kept to a reasonable minimum. Unearthed Arcana (UA) content is welcome, maybe a tiny bit less so if it's a particularly infamous piece of UA.

So I'm thinking the heavily armored feat is a must. Starting equipment for a ranger however includes either light or medium armor, and I figure the realistic time for a character to be able to afford new heavy armor is at best somewhere between level 4 and 8, this means heavily armored can be the level 4 feat. (If the character makes it that far with a -1 dex penalty to AC). So that leaves the level 0 feat open. I'm kind of guessing dual wielder would be good for that, since it gives +1 to AC while dual wielding melee weapons and a low dex character should be going melee anyway? And level 8 and after? Heavy armor master looks pretty good, is there a point in doing that or going charger or even dungeon delver or such? (Defensive duelist has a 13 dex prerequisite.) Or is it better to just start raising stats? If I've already taken feats at level 4 and 8, is it still worth thinking about raising Con with so many levels worth of hitpoints already locked in? (EDIT: Con boosts apply to hitpoints retroactively, my mistake) Or is the optimal play to to straight to 20 Str and start on Wis if and when that's done?

Fighting style at that point seems to be a choice between two weapon fighting, which would nicely complement the dual wielder feat, if that is indeed the play, or defensive for a much needed +1 to AC. If you're going to be in melee, get AC. How realistic is it to expect to get past the early levels as a melee character if not taking defensive fighting style in medium armor with a dex penalty? Using scale mail and dual wielder the AC would be 14, with defensive fighting style at least it becomes 15, which is not great but substantially better.

EDIT: No need to bump a no reply thread, so editing it. The feat Polearm Master combined with the defensive fighting style seems slightly preferable over two weapon fighting and dual wielder. The new combination gives:
= The same +1 AC
- On average one less damage when doing both attacks, but that goes back to the same damage when the character gets an extra attack at level 5.
+ On average one more damage when using the bonus action for something else, two more after level 5.
- Less attacks of opportunity from creatures moving away
+ He gets to fight one row to the rear, sort of a semi-ranged option, and gets an attack of opportunity when enemies approach him.
+ He needs one less magic weapon to apply the bonus to all of his attacks.
I'm happy with that solution. His AC is still too low until he gets heavy armor, but this gives him a relatively defensive option without hindering him in the long run.

Spells wise I'm thinking the play would be to go for spells that rely on no stat at all, like goodberry (heals a total of 10HP, while not as applicable in combat as Cure Wounds it is strictly stronger than a level 1 Cure Wounds with +1 Wis) or on concentration, like Hunter's Mark, Fog Cloud and Spike Growth. Concentration is tricky when casting from melee, because it can break every time you get hit (hello low AC!), but it might still be better or at least more thematically appropriate than trying to make a +1 wisdom work. Although what difference does +1 or +2 right?

EDIT: Resilient seems like a decent feat choice, giving proficiency with con saves. That could make the con route a valid option. The 1 point bump to con that goes along with it is probably not as useful. The tough feat get me much more extra hit points than investing in both resilient and half of a stat improvement. (EDIT more: although I thought con boosts didn't apply to hp retroactively, and they do, that makes it slightly better to the point where an extra 1 con may be worth picking up.)

And then there's skills. This is where the Int has to pay off, because otherwise it's a wasted stat. Nature and Investigation are shoe ins because they're the int skills on the ranger skill list. The Sage background might work for giving History and Arcana? A bit atypical for a ranger, but not too out of place for the concept. I generally prefer at least one tool proficiency over two languages, but it's sort of within the rules kinda to swap those out... That would leave a whole bunch of options for the last of the three skills the ranger class gives: Athletics, Survival, Perception, Insight... Taking a background that leans less into the Int skills is definitely worth considering if I want the highest amount of total usefulness.

Then there's archetype. Beastmaster doesn't synergize very well, because an optimal beast is usually mostly a strength build as well, right? Deep Stalker/Gloom Stalker is great in general, but perhaps not the greatest combination with a Str based melee ranger. So that would leave Hunter. Something like Collossus Slayer, Multiattack Defense or Escape the Horde and Whirlwind Attack. Seems reasonable for the build.

Starting equipment would then be scale mail, the dungeoneer's pack, the free longbow because there's no RAW way of switching that out and I'm thinking a spear and a javelin as the two simple weapons. Both d6, the highest available damage die, both thrown as a backup ranged option and the javelin gets some extra range while the spear is versatile to compensate for having thrown the javelin. Switch up to maybe two battleaxes (more damage, more spells available as ranged options) or a battleaxe and a javelin in the long run, depending on what kind of magical weapons materialize as quest rewards.



Am I missing something really good here? Anyone have experience with Str rangers, or another aspect of the build? Thanks in advance!