100% Archer / Hunter Build rather than nightblade?

Danielleke-

Hey Guys!

As I am planning to make a 100% Archer char, I was wondering what would be the best build / class (as race I'm already decided for a Bosmer). In my first Attempt I made a DK archer but due to some wrong skills I have selected, he is not that good, so I decided to build a new one (using the old char more for crafting with some fighting skills).
I would like to skip the stealth part of an Archer even knowing that usually nightblade is the build to go.
What else I could pick to make a very strong Archer PvE with eventual PvP?
I don't want to use stealth so I was thinking about a Templar (to have some survivability out there using heal skills).
With that in mind what do you guys suggest? is there any very good combination / build I should pick to build my 100% archer skipping the nightblade one?

Many thanks in advance guys! appreciate it!

GrumpyDuckling

Maybe consider Sorcerer. The skill Crit Surge pairs beautifully with the bow skills (which have some damage over time power). The dots keep ticking and Crit Surge helps keep you alive because critical hits heal you.

For end game, you can run a high crit build with a set like Briarheart - which gives you more heals and more crits.

You also have the added fun of using the summoned pets while leveling up to take some aggro off of you while you snipe away with your bow.

soll

if you want to make pve archer... trust me, you don't.

bow lacks of dps pretty hard. sure, you still can do questing and derping around tamriel, but be prepared to get kicked from majority of vet dungeons and etc.

Danielleke-

GrumpyDuckling wrote: »

Maybe consider Sorcerer. The skill Crit Surge pairs beautifully with the bow skills (which have some damage over time power). The dots keep ticking and Crit Surge helps keep you alive because critical hits heal you.

For end game, you can run a high crit build with a set like Briarheart - which gives you more heals and more crits.

You also have the added fun of using the summoned pets while leveling up to take some aggro off of you while you snipe away with your bow.

Thanks Man! I'll consider it for sure!

Danielleke-

soll wrote: »

if you want to make pve archer... trust me, you don't.

bow lacks of dps pretty hard. sure, you still can do questing and derping around tamriel, but be prepared to get kicked from majority of vet dungeons and etc.

Thanks for the input man! What would you suggest for an Archer than?

Kutsuu

It's possible to do good end game DPS with a bow/bow build on a Nightblade, but you have to work for the gear. See this thread: http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/noss-bo-bo-stamblade-pve-guide/

Danielleke-

Kutsuu wrote: »

It's possible to do good end game DPS with a bow/bow build on a Nightblade, but you have to work for the gear. See this thread: http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/noss-bo-bo-stamblade-pve-guide/

Thanks Man! But wanted to avoid Nightblade as I'm not an stealth fan.

Kutsuu

Danielleke- wrote: »

Kutsuu wrote: »

It's possible to do good end game DPS with a bow/bow build on a Nightblade, but you have to work for the gear. See this thread: http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/noss-bo-bo-stamblade-pve-guide/

Thanks Man! But wanted to avoid Nightblade as I'm not an stealth fan.

Cloak is just a single ability that is not used at all in PVE except in rare cases where you are soloing and want to skip mobs. There's no stealthy gameplay at all in the build I linked you. Even in PVP many players do not use cloak because it has so many issues right now. Nightblade just has a strong toolset to go with archery because of their high mobility and slippery nature. DK is more of a stand your ground class, as is templar. Your choices really come down to nightblade or sorcerer to be as efficient as possible. You definitely have some misconception in thinking that nightblades have to use cloak or stealth.

exeeter702

Danielleke- wrote: »

Kutsuu wrote: »

It's possible to do good end game DPS with a bow/bow build on a Nightblade, but you have to work for the gear. See this thread: http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/noss-bo-bo-stamblade-pve-guide/

Thanks Man! But wanted to avoid Nightblade as I'm not an stealth fan.

Dont be confused. Nightblade does not = stealth. It is an option for particular builds, nothing more.

A night blade is just as much a life stealing dark magic control mage. A life stealing self sustaining tank. A high evasion melee damage dealer that plays toe to toe. And of course a backstabbing assasin that relies on stealth and sublety.

Honeslty, if you are absolutely dead set on not using a NB, sorc and dk are not bad. Bound armaments gives 5 percent max stam plus 11 percent to fully charged heavy attacks. You get decent mobility thanks to bow passive major expedition + hurricane minor expedition. And an inherent major brutality from crit surge. Dragon knight gives you molten armaments for a 40 percent heavy attack damage modifier wich is great, and you will be slightly more durable thanks to a few mitigation passives and battle roar, but your not nearly as mobile and taking molten armaments means you will need to source major brut elsewhere ie. from pots 2h rally or dw hidden blade.

Sigh... Zos really needs to implement some kind of in game tutorial or guide to help educate new players so they dont make reductive decisions based on generic mmo class stereotypes.

Kholty22

Don't do it. Don't do it. Just my opinion. If you decide to at least work on another weapon to level it in case it doesn't work out. Like DW. Especially if you go with a sorc.

exeeter702

As others may have said, under most cases you should not focus primarily on bow as a source of damage if you intend to do any type of group dungeons. Most groups will kick you as you will most likely be dead weight.

The numbers have been crunched however, and it has been determined that bow dps can actually acheive respectable and conpetetive damage in a trial environment. That however requires precise group wide buffs, very specific, and not entriely easy to obtain, gear, max cp amongst other things that are generally out of reach for brand new players.

Playing an "archer" is fine and all in solo pve questing amd whatnot. But to really pull your weight in a group you need to have access to a lot of variables in end game. Playing pure bow dps generally makes you the first eligible in a group for a swift vote kick.

Danielleke-

@Kholty22 , @exeeter702 , @Kutsuu

Many thanks for the tips!
I'll do what most say and not make a 100% archer. Very sad for me that archers are not good in this game.
What do you guys say of a DPS DK with 2 hand + bow as secondary? Would ik work?

Thanks!

Kutsuu

Danielleke- wrote: »

@Kholty22 , @exeeter702 , @Kutsuu

Many thanks for the tips!
I'll do what most say and not make a 100% archer. Very sad for me that archers are not good in this game.
What do you guys say of a DPS DK with 2 hand + bow as secondary? Would ik work?

Thanks!

DK with 2h/bow will be very very good in pvp. You'll want DW/bow in PVE at endgame to be most effective.

bigted209

Bows are mainly used on the back bar for buffs(shuffle, vigor, resistance buffs) and for poison injection and arrow volley. Snipe is a hard hitter in pvp but the channel time severely reduces your damage output over time in pvp dungeons.

As has been stated, long term, bows don't put out the damage numbers for end game content. They are used as secondary/buff weapons.

At the end of the day though, you can play as you see fit. There is a lot you can do with a bow build. The archers mind set from dragon star arena would appeal to you, paired with either night mothers gaze or hundigs rage would perform well. Red mountain would also be a good choice as it procs off weapon skills.

I'd say give it a run. Worst case scenario, you change your path down the road. Not the end of the world after all

pattyLtd

If you want to make a bow/bow character you should do so IMO

I'm not sure what level you are but if low by the time you hit end game you got so many options and it's really easy to change to a different weapon on one hand just make sure you level dw and 2H also then you got all the options to change in case you feel bow/bow just doesn't cut it in end-game.

thedude33

I still haven't figured out how NBs are mobile and DKs aren't.

Netherscorn

Your understanding of the game mechanics and differences/abilities of each class seem really over-generalized. As people have said: saying "I dont want NB because it's only a stealth class", or DK is this, templar is that...etc etc. That's not a thing. Your effectiveness in ANY class depends on A LOT more than just class. Also, you're limiting yourself SEVERELY by wanting to use bows exclusively. It really just doesn't make sense unless you're RP'ing (in which case you do whatever you want regardless of whether or not the setup sucks). So yea, no...just no.

Here's some actual advice though now that my rant is over...

Go full stamina (only option if you want effective bow abilities. Beyond that, use a combination of Hunding's and Marksman, for instance (both cheap and/or craft-able). Any other stamina/melee weapon will go with bow (axe, sword, dual wield, greatsword).

Stannum

1st If you want effective bow PvE class, you'll need NB as it's the only class with usefull ranged stamina skill (relentless focus) that can add to your DPS. Another poins is that you can focus on weapon dmg ignoring regens (as you'll have siphoning attacks to regain resources).
2nd You can go Bosmer, but I recommend to go Khajiit to focus on crit.

Ig. My pure bow PvE dps build.
NB Khajiit, full med divines, 5 briarheart + 5 NMG + 1 velidreth, enchants - stamina on armour, weapon dmg on weapon and jewellery. Mundus - shadow. CP - mighty/ taumaturg (until 0.3 bonus)/else to crit dmg buff.

Main bar (bow) PI-hunter-voley-spray-rel focus -- turret
Buff bar (2H) razor cultrops - light trap - siphoning attacks- mark - forward momentum -- FDB

boss figths mark - FM - razor cultrops - trap - SA - switch - focus - PI - voley - keep dots up while light spamming (it's important as it boosts you weapon dmg and charging assasin's will) use assasin's will on charge and recast focus, use ulti on charge. That gives you good DPS at bow range allowing you to keep DPSing while melee DPS are running to avoid red circles.

You can also avoid using 2H on buff bar and go bow/bow but you'll need to use pots for major brutality buff and will loose HoT from momentum