Could someone please help with my bow rotation on my NB?

Tessie

I'm leveling solo PvE on an Orc NB using a bow. This is my first character to use a bow and the only one I've had difficulty finding a good rotation. I really want to continue to focus primarily on bow just for the ranged fighting and overall stealthy feel of it. I prefer to stay out of melee range.

My normal rotation

• Open with a heavy attack from stealth
• Poison Injection (I reapply the DoT on longer fights)
• Spam Siphon (with animation canceling)

Should I be trying to work in any of the following, and if so where:

• Scatter Shot
• Scorched Earth
• Arrow Spray

I don't have access to Snipe yet.

Thanks in advance for your help!

GreenSoup2HoT

Personally, i just use my bow to open with a heavy attack and use poison injection just like you.

Then i switch to my other bar, ambush etc. For PvE scatter shot is nice to kite stuff to keep your distance, i'd recommend that if you don't want to be in melee range.

Your class will soon specializes in melee damage (there are getting 4% or so extra melee damage i think ), so i would try to get into it. Ambush/Surprise Attack should be on one of your bar's.

If you want to get into Pvp you will need a Melee weapon. If your strictly a PvE player, a bow is just fine, be sure to slot scatter shot and some slow's and kite your enemy.

Pvp:

Actually all three option's for the bow are more for PvE. Not really practical to use in pvp. I've tried and i don't get really good result's.

-Arrow spray, not really any opportunities to use it on multiple player's without risking your own life. (Say against a Zerg running though a door, or people on a resource.)

-Scorched Earch, great for a Resource Flag but people know not to stand in the area.

- Scattershot is situational if you want to try to disengage. Doesn't really fit for me.

Farorin

I am curious as to what others will offer for advice, but I myself am a stam NB, this is what I normally do on my bar for PVP (almost exactly the same for PVE, but I change ideas and tactics a lot depending on circumstance).

I use Venom Arrow, merciless resolve, Camo hunter, one of the snipe morphs, and either caltrops, or a defensive ability such as Elude/Blur or a self heal such as vigor. this is my single target bow bar which I use when I feel like it.

As far as rotation is concerned, I just kinda do what I feel is necessary when it is necessary and it always seems to work pretty well for me.

I also change my bar up a lot too, and often times have a bow bar dedicated to AOE or some other purpose the only constant on my bow bar seems to be venom arrow, I love that move and I don't think it has ever really left my bar.

So just experiment a bunch and you will find things that suite your style.

GreenSoup2HoT

@Tessie Your using it right.

If your first engaging. Heavy att and Poison injection your enemy then put it in front of you. Once they reach you, push them back so they walk through it again.

In dungeon's if your in a group, you will just keep it on top of your tank.

Personally this is where you would want Caltrop's. It has a slow for up to 6 people and does Damage over time with a huge radius. Make's it much easier to kite enemy's. It's a level 6 assault skill though, so you might have to pvp a bit.

Reeko

I actually just helped a friend of mine setup a dps bow bar as his main ability bar. This is what i told him for both pve, pvp, and aoe fights.

PvE single target dps(boss fights): Lethal Arrow, Poison Injection, Piercing Mark, Relentless Focus, Evil Hunter, Flawless Dawnbreaker.
If you have a Tank that can keep up Pierce Armor you can replace Piercing Mark with Crippling Grasp for more maneuverability or Swallow Soul if you don't have much faith in your healer lol.
Rotation: Mark target, Relentless, Hunter, Poison Injection, weave light attacks with Lethal Arrow until Spectral Bow procs, use Spectral Bow, Rinse and repeat. Use Panacae of Weapon power for Major Brutality and Crit.

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PvP: Piercing Mark, Crippling Grasp, Camo Hunter, Lethal Arrow, Magnum Shot, Soul Tether.
Rotation: Simple enough. Camo, Mark target, spam Lethal Arrow until dead. Use Magnum and Crippling to help open distance and kite. Alternatively you can use Focus Aim instead of Lethal Arrow then replace Piercing Mark with Venom Arrow for more utility but you lose the heal from Mark that can help keep your HP up in 1vx fights.

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AoE questing/grinding/dungeon trash pulls: Reaper's Mark, Evil Hunter, Relentless Focus, Arrow Barrage, Bombard, Flawless Dawnbreaker.
Rotation: Mark weakest target, Relentless, Hunter, Barrage then use positioning with Bombard to keep them in the Barrage. Light attack weave Bombard. Use Spectral Bow when it procs. Rinse and repeat till dead.

I personally use Piercing Mark and Camo Hunter morphs but i listed the morphs best used for each situation.

Tessie

@GreenSoup2HoT Thanks for the quick response.

Yes, strictly for PvE. I do wander into PvP to gather a few skyshards, but no intentional fighting up there.

With scorched earth, I've found that the only way to be effective is to shoot it right in front of me, because most PvE mobs run up to me. Is that the typical usage? Or should I be knocking them back first, and then using it?

Tessie

@GreenSoup2HoT Thanks again.
@Farorin thanks.

I already have a Khajit DW NB as well as a Breton Destruction NB. I'm really trying hard to play this one different which is why I'm going with the bow to avoid any melee.

I'm one of "those" people who irrationally dislike PvP. So, I'll probably just keep to PvE. Because its solo PvE and not dungeons, I think I should be okay sticking with the bow, even when they close in on me. I just felt that I was doing scorched earth wrong (basically shooting arrows at my feet), but hey it works. And per @GreenSoup2HoT advice I'll knock them back so they get hit by it twice.

GreenSoup2HoT

@tessie To add, if you see any caster's put scorched earth under them. They wont move much and you can block what they send at you while you push away any melee charging you.

Farorin

Tessie wrote: »

@GreenSoup2HoT Thanks again.
@Farorin thanks.

I already have a Khajit DW NB as well as a Breton Destruction NB. I'm really trying hard to play this one different which is why I'm going with the bow to avoid any melee.

I'm one of "those" people who irrationally dislike PvP. So, I'll probably just keep to PvE. Because its solo PvE and not dungeons, I think I should be okay sticking with the bow, even when they close in on me. I just felt that I was doing scorched earth wrong (basically shooting arrows at my feet), but hey it works. And per @GreenSoup2HoT advice I'll knock them back so they get hit by it twice.

Thats alright, I used to run an all bow build.

It worked okay for PVE and PVP, one thing that you can try out is to remember that some melee combinations like concealed weapon/surprise attack after a shadow cloak are good, even if you are using range, cloak is also good to pop after you roll dodge out of an AOE, or after you roll dodge a boss' attack, it gives you some time to gain more distance.

Good luck finding a build that you enjoy ^_^