How do you utilize bow in your builds?

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I just want the community's input of how the bow is utilized in builds.

I personally love archery in any fantasy game so naturally I wanted an archery build that focused on bow as a primary weapon and melee for support ( kind like the breton archer hero) but unfortunally in this ES game it just sucks due to the way it was designed (bad sustain dmg but excellent burst from stealth)

I know other people that use bow in their builds but its for support/utility like for volley with maelstrom bow or poision injection.

Egonieser

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

Good for openers from stealth and when enemy is at range, and the ranged interrupt morph on Poison Arrow helps immensely. Obviously roll dodge speed boost helps in many nasty situations, but....
In a head to head combat it's practically useless, attack weaving is extremely difficult compared to staff and damage is to be desired for. When I weave with bow the attacks seem to "stick" for the lack of a better term, it's quite off-putting, couple that with PvP lag and it makes me want to bash my keyboard in sometimes. It just doesn't flow as well, making animation cancelling and DPS rotation mess up almost every time.

I have only met a handful of skilled archers in PvP, most others don't pose much threat after their initial stealth opening.

strikeback1247

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

Scorched earth and poison inject are such great dots that I can't miss them in PvE. For main damage it kinda sucks though.

phaneub17_ESO

I play a double Bow Sorc. Main bar has Focused Aim, Critical Surge (Brutality), and Venom Arrow (I do find the interrupt useful) with my AOE bar using Scorched Earth, Thundering Presence, and Acid Spray. When solo I use Clannfear for tanking and Twilight Matriarch for healing.

While in group dungeons I replace the Clannfear with Bound Armaments for both bars then use either Evil Hunter or Degeneration for the main bar, depending on the mobs in the dungeon, and Restraining Prison for the AOE bar so I can root mobs while blasting away.

Ultimates are Storm Atronach for single target or Absorption Field for large groups which stuns and silences everything inside of it allowing AOE to smack them around without them fighting back and major recovery buffs.

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phaneub17_ESO wrote: »

I play a double Bow Sorc. Main bar has Focused Aim, Critical Surge (Brutality), and Venom Arrow (I do find the interrupt useful) with my AOE bar using Scorched Earth, Thundering Presence, and Acid Spray. When solo I use Clannfear for tanking and Twilight Matriarch for healing.

While in group dungeons I replace the Clannfear with Bound Armaments for both bars then use either Evil Hunter or Degeneration for the main bar, depending on the mobs in the dungeon, and Restraining Prison for the AOE bar so I can root mobs while blasting away.

Ultimates are Storm Atronach for single target or Absorption Field for large groups which stuns and silences everything inside of it allowing AOE to smack them around without them fighting back and major recovery buffs.

Whoa that's awesome, im going to reroll a Stam sorc archer now. Too bad NBs don't synergize as well as a sorc with bow seems almost all NB skills are melee based.

Nestor

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

A Bow is how my Stamblade does Ranged Attacks. If it was a MagBlade, then it would be a destro staff.

I ran pledges last night and tried to use the Bow exclusively. It worked out well, even though the DPS is not as high as the Daggers, I can manage resources better using the bow in protracted Boss Fights.

Anyway, I go into Sneak, Mark Target, Snipe, then Volley, then Arrow Spray, then either Magnum Shot or more Arrow Spray when facing trash mobs, otherwise it is Heavy Attack weaving with Snipe on Bosses.

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Nestor wrote: »

A Bow is how my Stamblade does Ranged Attacks. If it was a MagBlade, then it would be a destro staff.

I ran pledges last night and tried to use the Bow exclusively. It worked out well, even though the DPS is not as high as the Daggers, I can manage resources better using the bow in protracted Boss Fights.

Anyway, I go into Sneak, Mark Target, Snipe, then Volley, then Arrow Spray, then either Magnum Shot or more Arrow Spray when facing trash mobs, otherwise it is Heavy Attack weaving with Snipe on Bosses.

Same except I use poison injection instead of bombard since the tank can station mobs in volleys AOE dmg.

Asmael

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

Poison Injection / Arrow rain for PvE DPS.
Snipe for the occasional "ranged only" fights.
Bombard / Poison Injection / Magnum shot for PvP.
Just having it slotted for the major expedition on dodge roll.

clayandaudrey_ESO

I don't use the weapon but I bow a lot.

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clayandaudrey_ESO wrote: »

I don't use the weapon but I bow a lot.

What?

clayandaudrey_ESO

ShadowStarKing wrote: »

clayandaudrey_ESO wrote: »

I don't use the weapon but I bow a lot.

What?

bow
[bou]
verb (used without object)
1.
to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.

Lenikus

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

ganker buildz ;3

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clayandaudrey_ESO wrote: »

ShadowStarKing wrote: »

clayandaudrey_ESO wrote: »

I don't use the weapon but I bow a lot.

What?

bow
[bou]
verb (used without object)
1.
to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.

>__> well you got me there....

Edziu

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

on pve it is my main aoe weapon, bombard and arrow barrage and caltrops on 2h to buffs :P
and on pve sometimes amin weapon for ranged fights when cant go close into melee range to boss but also can be use on all bosses if you want go only with bow (snipe and poison inject ofc for main dps skills )
(or sometimes also just dots and utility when wileding dual with bow, not dual and 2h :P)

and on pvp its some main weapon to damage with poison inject and snipe/silver shards + some utility skills like cloak, double take etc to be able on 2nd weapon (2h with buffs) to melee fight against for example reflect spam dk

Tryxus

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

On my StamBlade (NightBow ) it's my main weapon. Using Marksman, Agility and Leki, I can pull off some decent things with it both from stealth (Focused Aim) as in open world (Venom Arrow, Magnum Shot and Bombard)

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Edziu wrote: »

on pve it is my main aoe weapon, bombard and arrow barrage and caltrops on 2h to buffs :P
and on pve sometimes amin weapon for ranged fights when cant go close into melee range to boss but also can be use on all bosses if you want go only with bow (snipe and poison inject ofc for main dps skills )
(or sometimes also just dots and utility when wileding dual with bow, not dual and 2h :P)

and on pvp its some main weapon to damage with poison inject and snipe/silver shards + some utility skills like cloak, double take etc to be able on 2nd weapon (2h with buffs) to melee fight against for example reflect spam dk

Yeah for pvp when I try to main hand a bow I just suffer against melee builds. And In pve my dual wield just does y dmg in the fraction of the time it takes for snipe weaving, but I still love to use now as a main hand though.

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Tryxus wrote: »

On my StamBlade (NightBow ) it's my main weapon. Using Marksman, Agility and Leki, I can pull off some decent things with it both from stealth (Focused Aim) as in open world (Venom Arrow, Magnum Shot and Bombard)

Nice, I need to get that marksmen set soon, I hear it's good, too bad it's just for pvp.

lonewolf26

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

For most PvE primary DPS is dual wield with utility, poison injection and scorched earth on the bow bar.
For vet maelstrom I swap bow out for 2h for most arenas as I only need range in one of them. The 2h is my utility bar.
For PvP 2h primary single target, bow for area cc (bombard) and snipe. I spread utilities across both bars.

leepalmer95

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

Should add another option

'Your a snipe baddie, who sits 50m away spamming a single skill'

But in all honesty on some characters i only use it for the movement buff, other i throw poison injection on.

Tryxus

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

ShadowStarKing wrote: »

Tryxus wrote: »

On my StamBlade (NightBow ) it's my main weapon. Using Marksman, Agility and Leki, I can pull off some decent things with it both from stealth (Focused Aim) as in open world (Venom Arrow, Magnum Shot and Bombard)

Nice, I need to get that marksmen set soon, I hear it's good, too bad it's just for pvp.

Well I used it in PvE too to get the Group Dungeon Skill points and Undaunted 9 from pledges since I'm a cheap scrub xD

Anyways, my setup right now is 5 Marksman, 3 Agility, 2 Leki and 1 Kena, all Divines. I prob should replace it all with Impenetrable, but it does make me worry a bit about ganking possibilities. On Focused Aim I can pull off 16-17k on the tooltip with all Divines, fully buffed and with food (dunno if the 8% from Marksman is factored in it, prob not).

I also have Disguise (100% Crit chance) and RML (Empower) on my Bow bar too for both situations: Disguise for the gank, RML in open world

lolo_01b16_ESO

I don't use a bow in my builds (explain)

I used a bow when I was new to the game. Then I realized that a restro staff would be better for a healer.

dem0n1k

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

On my stamina builds I use bow as the secondary weapon that is only used to initiate combat from range or to take out the tower mage guards at resources. The only bow ability I use is Focused Aim. The last bow passive for increased speed after a dodge roll is also very handy.

Mojmir

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

as an opener or fights like engine guardian.

dodgehopper_ESO

I use a bow for ranged attacks when melee isn't feasible. That wasn't an option you listed. When I use bow though, that's why I do it. Bow is great for firing from keeps, or up to keeps, or before two ball-groups slam into each other.

phaneub17_ESO

I just realized I should probably using Aggressive Horn Ultimate with Bow Sorc, my crit is 70% without Evil Hunter, and 80% with it. Not every tank I have been with runs with Aggressive Horn, this may up my damage a considerable amount.

Burning_Talons

I don't use a bow in my builds (explain)

Im a Magknight

cyclonus11

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

It is my primary (really, only) weapon.

Solariken

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

Poison Injection and a need for speed - that's about it for me.

Bombard and Lethal Arrow are useful in theory, but oh-so-cheesy.

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leepalmer95 wrote: »

Should add another option

'Your a snipe baddie, who sits 50m away spamming a single skill'

But in all honesty on some characters i only use it for the movement buff, other i throw poison injection on.

Lol well snipe is the ONLY ranged dps option stam builds have atm and quite frankly it sucks.

Most ppl use impen and radian magelight and hardy passives from cp tree making stealth snipe tickle sometimes . The highest my snipe has crit for from stealth was 8K against most pvp players(against shielded player is was about 7.2K).

Necrelios

I main hand a bow in my build (explain)

Sometimes bow is an excellent choice for counter-ganking around keeps and resources. I usually run Radiant Magelight on the same bar and it's like a fun little mini game sometimes. I'll run DW on the other bar, so Snipe, Snipe, Poison Arrow, Dragon Leap, Steel Tornado for execute works pretty well against single targets usually but you have to be fast and determined.

ColoursYouHave

I use bow for dots/utility (explain)

When I use a bow on one of my builds, it is always my secondary bar. Poison Arrow is a nice skill to use to open a fight and get a DOT ticking before I come into melee range, Bombard is a very good AOE immobilize, and the Hasty Retreat passive is great for classes like DK and Templar who have no good movement speed buff.