Viable Bow Builds other than Stamblade?

EthicX

Hi there -

I’ve always favored ranged dps in the mmos I have played. I have been enjoying magsorc but I’m curious if there are any other viable ranged specs that would use a bow as their primary damage dealing weapon, aside from Stamblade? I realize that it likely wouldn’t fit the meta, but that’s fine. I am hoping there might be something out there as a necro who mains a bow or perhaps a warden?

DevilDawg

EthicX wrote: »

Hi there -

I’ve always favored ranged dps in the mmos I have played. I have been enjoying magsorc but I’m curious if there are any other viable ranged specs that would use a bow as their primary damage dealing weapon, aside from Stamblade? I realize that it likely wouldn’t fit the meta, but that’s fine. I am hoping there might be something out there as a necro who mains a bow or perhaps a warden?

Honestly, any class can do a decent bow build but i'd put Warden and/or necro at the top after nightblade, then DK Sorc Temp come after. All the classes have pros and cons though like Sorc still has streak and hurricane and DK can be beastly too with a poison build, Templar has Javelin. It's just how you build it really.

Hope that helped in any way.

EthicX

That does help - mainly because I’ve been contemplating the idea of a stamina necromancer using a bow as a main. I like the idea of blastbones chasing down a target from range as well. Plus their defensive toolkit seems quite nicely.

My intent wouldn’t be to run solo cyrodiil but definitely to run in group, small or large.

Provin915

As devildawg explained both Warden and Necromancer are great choices. I've been running NB bow/bow since I started playing and it's fun to play this style. Nevertheless, stamcro bow/bow is strong too!

VirtualElizabeth

I have been resisting being a serious Stam player because...I like ranged. You are making me thing now about either going warden or necro. What about Stam Sorc bow? Stupid idea? Lol

EthicX

VirtualElizabeth wrote: »

I have been resisting being a serious Stam player because...I like ranged. You are making me thing now about either going warden or necro. What about Stam Sorc bow? Stupid idea? Lol

I’d think you could probably muster something up with it? I’m sure someone would chime and shoot me down...but (I know nothing of stam sorc) looking at the toolkit I’d think you could take advantage of the movement abilities as well as snare abilities? Then a back bar could be defensive and escape?

L_Nici

You can play Stamsorc with bow for easy access to major expedition, maybe with Masters Bow and then Poison Inject, switch to 2h and burst the enemy. Or with another Bow and Magnum Shot as easy knockback, that would provide you even more kite options. You can control entire enemy groups like that. Nothing can catch you if you don't want to get catched. Also Magnum Shot would enable you to use Ball of Lightning instead of streak for Projectile protection and Snare immunity.

CP5

I want to throw my hat in for stam sorc since that's been my main since day 1. You have probably the strongest ulti in the storm atronach, surge that gives you the flexibility to position away from the group without lacking heals, dark deal for sustain and heals as needed helping you again be more independent, and bound armor proc from range mirroring the nb spectral bow. A real solid dual bow choice honestly, though my dual bow warden's front bar can be literally the entire animal tree so there's that.

EthicX

CP5 wrote: »

I want to throw my hat in for stam sorc since that's been my main since day 1. You have probably the strongest ulti in the storm atronach, surge that gives you the flexibility to position away from the group without lacking heals, dark deal for sustain and heals as needed helping you again be more independent, and bound armor proc from range mirroring the nb spectral bow. A real solid dual bow choice honestly, though my dual bow warden's front bar can be literally the entire animal tree so there's that.

Would you be willing to share with me your dual bow warden build? I’d be interested in seeing how you’ve configured it - as well as how it does?

CP5

I do tend to put most of my time on my sorc, with a warden nb and necro on occasional standby.

From my time with my warden a few things about the class do stand out nicely. The bird is an interesting alternative to snipe, trading the 25% hawkeye bonus for the bleed you can build on targets where you get in a rotation then just spam birds. Not sure how mathematically it comes out for dps, but it is fun.

The shalks are just as good on an archer as a melee dps, maybe better since you have more of a chance to aim it and hit additional targets, and the 20m range lets you cast it comfortably from most combat distances. That and growing swarm are the big things that I tend to utilize on the build.

As for specifics I keep the bird spammable since I snipe on all the other archers, even my sorc since crystal weapon and crushing weapon are underwhelming to me and they both function pretty much the same. Shalks is every 3rd cast if you can help it given its insane damage and being an aoe. I double bar bird of prey which also unshackles you from the group though non-wardens can flank for expert hunter procing, and I use the netch on the front bar for sustain and the bonus weapon damage. Back bar has poison injection and volley, a flex spot then bird of prey and some flex spots I haven't honestly decided though they would likely change depending on the fight. I use the bear since I don't mind it and still have war machine on them from when that had a set duration to try to help other group dps.

The one set I swear by on all my dual bow dps is Tzogvin's though. I ran channeled acceleration for a while and even tried lightweight trap. The first is ok, fits well with the sorc's surge duration though a channeled buff is painful to use in some fights, and lightweight trap just feels like crap and uses a ton of stamina for very little payoff. With next patch buffing the crit it provides it will prove even more valuable especially since bow provides more crit and will likely see a lot more crit-based builds around it.

Overall they run well with a decent amount of survivability to let them get away with not being tethered to the group though surge is my crutch and my sorc is able to outlive most situations better, but with the setup I use to debuff enemies and buff allies it at least is able to make up for some of my own lacking dps by raising the damage the rest of the group does.

Again they aren't the most outstanding dps and if a more consistent dps were to work with the idea they would come up with something better, but combining the choices you get in the animal tree with the wardens decent ulti gen makes for an archer that does play a lot different from the other classes. And if all else fails you can cheese shimmering shield in some fights to laugh off the damage even when your group thinks you're as good as dead.

EthicX

This is fantastic! Thank you for sharing this. I’m going to see what I can work up with a bow build given some of what you’ve provided as well as some tests of my own.

VirtualElizabeth

Yay Stam Sorc might work then. Thanks all!