Are archers any good to play?

Cletus · May 2017

My character is only a level 9 and as an archer I am getting my butt kicked on a regular basis by either 2 mobs or a boss mob. My other character a level 11 with 2 handed can do much better than the archer.
This made me wonder is building the archer was a mistake?
These are the only characters I have attempted to make so I am not sure about certain builds.

Publius_Scipio · May 2017

I may be wrong, but ESO isn't really a game for "archers". At least not in my experience. Maybe you can main a bow if you are in a group and do ok. But in my opinion the bow in ESO is really a secondary weapon.

Cletus · May 2017

it does seem that way.

Emothic · May 2017

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

Nestor · May 2017

You can do any Delve or Normal Mode Group Dungeon in the game with a Bow. You can also use a Bow to soften up enemies from a distance before closing. And have a lot of fun doing it. You can handle any overland content except soloing world bosses and dolmens with a Bow. But you would be fine in a group. Although, I have solo'd some dolmens using a bow.

So, 80% to 90% of the content in this game can be done with a Bow on your main bar.

What you can't do is 1vX PvP with a Bow, Vet Dungeons and Trials. That requires different gear and tactics. Although, you could probably fold in some Bow work with this content.

There are even some intriguing sets for Bow users in mind.

Publius_Scipio · May 2017

As an example. In PvE I like to use dual wield as my main and two handed weapon as secondary. In PvP I main two handed weapon and use bow as secondary.

I use the bow to apply my buffs and DoTs. And for a quick snipe. Other than that I am duking it out with a greatsword.

wolfxspice · May 2017

i didn't think so until i saw this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVHJlmYC68A
that guy is a beast

MyKillv2.0 · May 2017

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

Obviously this OP has never used GF for vet dungeons before.

Cletus · May 2017

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

Leave it to me to use a weapon everyone else shuns.
I used a bow in LOTRO and thought I would pick it up here. I don't have a 2nd weapon skill yet to back me up. I wasn't planning on any PvP play.
Maybe it is just not having good enough equipment yet. I am just using what I find.

Kiralyn2000 · May 2017

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

I use a bow on my "main" (because, similar to the OP, I loved my stealth archer in Skyrim and made one when I came here. Not understanding the game mechanics), but I don't/can't do anything super-serious with that character. It's a stealth Nightblade, with 5/5 Night's Silence/Night Mother's Embrace, and also has a couple non-bow NB abilities on the bar. Like that ranged DoT/health drain.

rotaugen454 · May 2017

A lot of people backbar bow and use it in their rotation.

Rhoric · May 2017

I'm running a sorc archer as my main. Have templar archer also.

CMFan1966 · May 2017

I love using a bow and I will defend the use of a bow with my last breath. However, I don't find it great as a main weapon. It's absolutely perfect for your back bar. Especially if you come across a group that you need to defeat to get past them. A bow can do some damage to all enemies at once giving you the time to move in for the kill with a different weapon/spell. I have also soloed a couple of dolmens with a bow and I got my arse handed to me a few times before I got it done. The best way to find what works is to die a few times trying different things until you don't die anymore.

Right now I'm playing a sorc with a staff for the very first time. I'm not quite sure how I feel about either the sorc or the staff. I think I'm having DW/Bow or Two handed/Bow withdrawl.

ArchMikem · May 2017

Using a Bow is fun, especially when you get your damage up high enough as well as your Crit Chance so any trash mob takes just a couple Snipes and maybe a Poison Arrow.

Just PLEASE don't go into a Vet Dungeon with nothing but a Bow and call yourself a Damage Dealer...

KingYogi415 · May 2017

Stick with only using a bow.

Make sure to use snipe alot, as it is top DPS.

Inbetween snipes light attack as much as you can. Ignore other players who tell you otherwise.

They are just jealous of your archery skills.

Cheers!

Nestor · May 2017

One thing that I wish we had on Bows is the Damage would scale from the largest resource pool and highest damage, whether it be Spell or Weapon.

I really miss using my Bow on my Casters, but going all in on magic just nerfs the DPS from a Bow.

liliub17_ESO · May 2017

My main character is a Stormcaller ranger. She uses both bow skills and lightening (storm calling) quite successfully. If I want to change up, I pick up a staff, but it's pretty rare that I put the bow away with her.

Cletus · May 2017

MyKillv2.0 wrote: »

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

Obviously this OP has never used GF for vet dungeons before.

Seeing that I have only played for a week now No I haven't

Cletus · May 2017

KingYogi415 wrote: »

Stick with only using a bow.

Make sure to use snipe alot, as it is top DPS.

Inbetween snipes light attack as much as you can. Ignore other players who tell you otherwise.

They are just jealous of your archery skills.

Cheers!

Sounds like a plan. the learning curve for the g ame is different than what I was use to and that could be the main problem.

Nestor · May 2017

Combat in this game comes down to Skill Rotations, with Light or Heavy Attacks interspersed. So, it's more like 1,2,3,4,1,2,3 dead. Pick your skill rotations so that one skill will set up or buff another skill. For example, use a skill that Snares, then a skill that gives Damage over Time to an area so the snared mobs spend longer in pain, then use a spam damage skill. This is just one example. You have two skills in the Bow line that are awesome for this. Arrow Barrage and Arrow Spray and Trash Mob groups are a non issue as an example.

Once you learn a good rotation, then you can weave in light or heavy attacks between the skills to extend the resource pool you play from. So it's more like 1, LMB, 2, LMB,3, LMB, 4, LMB, 1 Dead. Then once you learn how to weave attacks, then you can start animation canceling to up your DPS.

So, attacks are not just a spam of the Left Mouse Button, but an application of your skills and weapon attacks.

You add in Blocking (reduce damage), Bashing (interrupting a caster or heavy attack wind up), Dodge Rolling (double click on a WASD key to avoid damage and get out of red quickly). Throw in some terrain advantage, and your basically a Mobile, Agile and Hostile wrecking machine.

See this to plan out your skill rotations

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Bow+Skills

Cletus · May 2017

Kiralyn2000 wrote: »

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

I use a bow on my "main" (because, similar to the OP, I loved my stealth archer in Skyrim and made one when I came here. Not understanding the game mechanics), but I don't/can't do anything super-serious with that character. It's a stealth Nightblade, with 5/5 Night's Silence/Night Mother's Embrace, and also has a couple non-bow NB abilities on the bar. Like that ranged DoT/health drain.

I think getting use to a new set of game mechanics is a problem for me. Until I read this forum I didn't know anything about a back bar. something new to work on.

Cletus · May 2017

Nestor wrote: »

Combat in this game comes down to Skill Rotations, with Light or Heavy Attacks interspersed. So, it's more like 1,2,3,4,1,2,3 dead. Pick your skill rotations so that one skill will set up or buff another skill. For example, use a skill that Snares, then a skill that gives Damage over Time to an area so the snared mobs spend longer in pain, then use a spam damage skill. This is just one example. You have two skills in the Bow line that are awesome for this. Arrow Barrage and Arrow Spray and Trash Mob groups are a non issue as an example.

Once you learn a good rotation, then you can weave in light or heavy attacks between the skills to extend the resource pool you play from. So it's more like 1, LMB, 2, LMB,3, LMB, 4, LMB, 1 Dead. Then once you learn how to weave attacks, then you can start animation canceling to up your DPS.

So, attacks are not just a spam of the Left Mouse Button, but an application of your skills and weapon attacks.

You add in Blocking (reduce damage), Bashing (interrupting a caster or heavy attack wind up), Dodge Rolling (double click on a WASD key to avoid damage and get out of red quickly). Throw in some terrain advantage, and your basically a Mobile, Agile and Hostile wrecking machine.

See this to plan out your skill rotations

http://elderscrollsonline.wiki.fextralife.com/Bow+Skills

Great thanks!

xeNNNNN · May 2017

Emothic wrote: »

Do players even use Bows anymore? I just notice that I haven't seen really any archer/bow users in both PvP and PvE. I think that weapon class died out.

Plenty use bows in PvP and PvE.

Pve usually for AoE/Dots, Poison inject, volley etc.

PvP its snipe spam, poison inject, hell even magnum shot sometimes.

kargen27 · May 2017

If you are going to use bow put a lot of points into stamina. When you get to level 15 you will have two bars. Put duel wield on the other bar. If you want you can just put skills you want to level on your back bar and when you turn in quests or right before a boss goes down switch to the back bar so it gets the points. You should be able to level bow and duel wield quick as you just play the game. After duel wield is leveled you might then level up two hand or sword and shield. That way when you are ready for end game and your final build you have lots of choices.

If you are not eating food and using potions you need to start. That will help keep you alive in the early going. Nothing wrong with using dropped armor I leveled a couple of my characters with drops only. That said getting someone to craft you a set can really make things easier.

While you are leveling try to keep skills that need leveled on your bar as much as you can. I like to keep one skill from each of the three race lines and a weapon skill on my bar early so they all level as I level.

Enemy-of-Coldharbour · May 2017

People say archers suck, but my stamblade proves otherwise.

scorpiodog · May 2017

Cletus wrote: »

My character is only a level 9 and as an archer I am getting my butt kicked on a regular basis by either 2 mobs or a boss mob. My other character a level 11 with 2 handed can do much better than the archer.
This made me wonder is building the archer was a mistake?
These are the only characters I have attempted to make so I am not sure about certain builds.

Bow is a good support weapon. It really softens up a target before you move in. I've also used bows to keep a distance from really hard-hitting bosses. But that was before level scaling, when I was doing content well above my current level.

But as a primary weapon bows are usually not as good as 2H or DW. In Dungeons people will get mad at you. A few people above are just messing with you.

In PvP Bows again are a good way to soften up a target, or to snipe someone who is already engaged with someone else, but the only person I've seen who kicked but with a bow as a primary weapon in PvP is Pease. King Richard makes effective use of a bow to blow people off of bridges and towers and stuff, but I don't consider that to be his primary weapon really.

Father_X_Zombie · May 2017

If your just running around light attacking everything then yea, its pretty damn useless. If your sniping people from stealth then its pretty damn good

Tandor · May 2017

I think it depends on what you want to do. If you're thinking of group content, trials, or serious PvP then the evidence would seem to suggest that a bow main weapon isn't up to standard, and the chances are groups will kick you anyway. On the other hand, if you're just looking to adventure mainly alone or cooperatively then an archer can be great fun, and perfectly doable with any class. I have various archers across all the classes and varying between low levels and 39. You can always use say dual wield as a weapon swap for melee, or kite the tougher mobs. Every class has skills that mix well with a bow.

I'd recommend in any event keeping your gear up. Crafting is an excellent way of doing so, I aim every even level to renew most of my gear whether through crafting, quest rewards, or laundered loot. Check your rating on the character screen, top right corner. You want to have three stars filled to be competitive for your level, four is obviously better but not strictly necessary in my experience especially at lower levels.

Kiralyn2000 · May 2017

Cletus wrote: »

I think getting use to a new set of game mechanics is a problem for me. Until I read this forum I didn't know anything about a back bar. something new to work on.

"back bar" - at level 15, you gain the ability to 'weapon swap'. So you have two equipped weapons, each with their own action bar of abilities. Many players have a primary weapon/bar which is the abilities they use the most, and then the 'back bar' with a different set of abilities (either situational ones, or long-duration skills they can toss into their front bar skill rotation.)

Other options are to have one bar for AoE/crowd fighting, and one for single-target tough enemies. Or a one bar for combat, and the other with some healing/recovery skills.

disclaimer - I'm not a pro. This ^ could be flawed info.

DanaDark · May 2017

My wood elf nightblade and argonian templar use a bow. The NB full time, the Templar when soloing.

Its fun, does nice damage. Does get a little dicey when in a small cabin with a named mob... but whatever.

Lavennin · May 2017

Leveling with a bow works fine. It's easier to sneak attack with a bow, and the damage is pretty good.
Then just use a combination of class skills and secondary weapon skills. Or just class skills + bow AOE and dot. Honestly secondary weapon being melee isn't really needed.