Nighthawk Archer Build ideas

kragar00 · August 2012

Does anyone have any good help on a Archer/Nighthawk build?

simpus1983 · September 2012

This is my build, minus advantages. May be a good starting point for you.

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Ego (Primary)
Level 10: Dexterity (Secondary)
Level 15: Endurance (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Squall
Level 6: Daredevil
Level 9: Shooter
Level 12: Impresario
Level 15: Wordly
Level 18: Tireless
Level 21: Amazing Stamina

Powers:
Level 1: Strafe
Level 1: Straight Shot
Level 6: Concentration
Level 8: Snap Shot
Level 11: Torrent of Arrows
Level 14: Focused Shot
Level 17: Lock N Load
Level 20: Evasive Maneuvers
Level 23: Hunter's Instinct
Level 26: Sneak
Level 29: Entangling Mesh
Level 32: Bionic Shielding
Level 35: Masterful Dodge
Level 38: Energy Shield

Travel Powers:
Level 6:
Level 35:

Specializations:
Ego: Insight (3/3)
Ego: Aggression (2/2)
Ego: Follow Through (3/3)
Ego: Exploit Opening (2/2)
Guardian: Make It Count (3/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: Find the Mark (2/3)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Modified Gear (2/2)
Mastery: Guardian Mastery (1/1)

m34nb34r2 · September 2012

It's not pure archery, but you might as well use Ricochet throw, as it is very, very nice to use while stealthed. You target the weaker mob, as it splits in two after the first bounce and will do more damage on secondary targets (which is why I don't take the advantage; I'd rather have the straight damage boost so it's not weak to single targets).

Smoke grenade with adv. lets you pause combat and wait until you restealth, if you get all the mobs in the radius. I don't like the advantaged evasive maneuvers because it often puts you out of combat and resets the health bars of mobs. Smoke bomb for one more restealth.

Against a relatively tough group, you might open up with ricochet shot, use storm of arrows, smoke grenade, wait to restealth, fire one more ricochet shot, storm of arrows again.

Conviction is there so you can always start up MSA when you want it. It's not bad healing either, especially on top of BCR.

I still use shadow strike even though I'm ranged--it just does so much damage on single targets, especially when using smoke bomb. It may be a bug--it does double damage while in the smoke bomb stealth (I see numbers like 28,000 points of damage on a shadowstrike from smoke bomb stealth). Even if this gets fixed, it will still be a 14,000 pt. alpha strike.

Focused shot is there as another option to hit a single target from stealth. Against a really tough single mob, I might use focused shot while in stealth, smoke grenade, wait to stealth again, focused shot again, smoke bomb, shadow strike, kite with ricochet until the smoke grenade can work again on the mob and repeat. I soloed normal rhinoplasty this way (with quite a bit more kiting because of the stupid spawning adds on the Rhino).

Normally, I like locus, but I never get it to 30 on this build.

Possible inefficient powers that can be swapped out:
1) focused shot--maybe swap it for a maintain single target
2) storm of arrows--maybe swap it out for a pbaoe like hurricane
3) If you don't like smoke bomb, you could replace it with sigils of the primal storm--summoning them doesn't seem to destealth.
4) I like ebon void because it's a block that heals and damages. It's not uber or anything, but it's a tiny bit more that helps. If you don't like it as it's out of theme or something, perhaps use force shield with force sheathe, or if you really *must* have another stealth, evasive maneuvers with the advantage.

-> Obviously, this is a pve build. I don't pvp as there's just no way to balance pvp in a customizable power game. Still, if you must... You'd obviously want to stick in a power with crippling challenge and nailed to the ground... You can't count on shadowstrike as its range is so short--if you stealth, the guy can just run around; you'll never get off that move (possibly, you might be able to lunge, stun, smoke bomb, shadowstrike, but I doubt it). Also, if you're facing someone with perception gear, you're sunk with night warrior.

-> The average DPS over time of this build is decent, but not great. Compared to my modifications of Pulsewave's Gyrojet build, its sustained dps over a long fight is really kinda small compared to a power armor build that can sustain 2 powers all the time and 3 powers some of the time. It's less than a good infernal build too. It's basically for fun; lets you feel like an assassin instead of artillery.

PowerHouse (Link to this build)

Name: Wicked Shadow

Archetype: Freeform

Super Stats:
Level 6: Dexterity (Primary)
Level 10: Intelligence (Secondary)
Level 15: Ego (Secondary)

Talents:
Level 1: The Soldier
Level 6: Academics
Level 9: Coordinated
Level 12: Shooter
Level 15: Negotiator
Level 18: Impresario
Level 21: Wordly

Powers:
Level 1: Boomerang Toss
Level 1: Ricochet Throw (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 6: Night Warrior (Rank 2, Rank 3, Silent Running)
Level 8: Concentration
Level 11: Molecular Self-Assembly
Level 14: Smoke Grenade (Rank 2, Escape Artist)
Level 17: Conviction (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 20: Storm of Arrows (Rank 2, Achilles' Heel)
Level 23: Smoke Bomb
Level 26: Bountiful Chi Resurgence (Rank 2, Resurgent Reiki)
Level 29: Masterful Dodge
Level 32: Lock N Load
Level 35: Focused Shot (Rank 2, Rank 3)
Level 38: Ebon Void (Rank 2, Voracious Darkness)

Travel Powers:
Level 6: Acrobatics (Rank 2, Rank 3, Versatility)
Level 35: Jet Boots

Specializations:
Dexterity: Combat Training (3/3)
Dexterity: Gear Utilization (2/3)
Dexterity: Evasion (2/2)
Dexterity: Deadly Aim (3/3)
Vindicator: Aggressive Stance (2/2)
Vindicator: Merciless (3/3)
Vindicator: Focused Strikes (3/3)
Vindicator: Modified Gear (2/2)
Guardian: Fortified Gear (3/3)
Guardian: Make It Count (2/3)
Guardian: Ruthless (2/2)
Guardian: The Best Defense (3/3)
Mastery: Dexterity Mastery (1/1)

Nighthawk Archer Build ideas

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