test content
Logo
What is the Arc Client?
Install Arc
Is trying to play a ranged Archer completely pointless ?
mechjockey
Member Posts: 265 Arc User
in The Wilds
Hello my name is Mechjockey and I am a rangeahollic. I love to play ranged characters especially ranged DPS. Archers have been my favorite since City of Heroes. Is there hope for me here, or I have I fallen into an attractive nuisance set by sadistic game developers ?
Here's the spec or my character companion alive but no bondings fired
15,584 IL
Power 38,000
Damage Dealt +141%
Crit Chance 72% (with bonding 90%+)
Defenses Ignored 94.7
Deflection Chance 55.6%
Life Steal Chance 16%
Life Steal Severity 111%
Stormwarden/Archery
My rotation is put up split the sky over a target then Commanding shot -> longstriders shot -> (aimed shot)^(until commanding shot is back up
Any help cheerfully welcomed.
Here's the spec or my character companion alive but no bondings fired
15,584 IL
Power 38,000
Damage Dealt +141%
Crit Chance 72% (with bonding 90%+)
Defenses Ignored 94.7
Deflection Chance 55.6%
Life Steal Chance 16%
Life Steal Severity 111%
Stormwarden/Archery
My rotation is put up split the sky over a target then Commanding shot -> longstriders shot -> (aimed shot)^(until commanding shot is back up
Any help cheerfully welcomed.
0
Comments
Bottom line is, if you're looking to compete at endgame, I wouldn't recommend a full Archer spec. That being said, this is a hybrid build which utilizes two trees (Archer and Combat) and offers something which might work for you.
https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/1241067/solving-the-archery-dilemma-pve-close-range-archery-combat-hybrid-build/p1
Full disclaimer, that build does not revolve around you staying at ranged and missing the buffs, so if playing from full range AND doing competitive DPS is your goal, this game sadly won't meet your need.
P.S - Your specs look fine. Don't forget to invest in hitpoints either.
(Honorable mention - Archer works pretty decently in PvP. Check out Jon Koca's post if that's your thing. Just remember the golden rule : PvP does not exist :P )
It's playable when you solo, when you're in party.... I may ask what's the point
2) The point is it is fun. Which is the primary purpose of playing a game.
Saying an Archer has no business doing melee ignores the very obvious fact that they can and, like with Combat, there are some advantages to using both stances. My Hybrid Archery build, which Meer cites in his comment above, recommends this approach and I have a GREAT DEAL OF FUN playing it. Maybe not everyone likes melee, but some do.
If you consider Hawk Shot (a classic archery power), the melee flip side of that is Hawkeye, which is a very nice buff (and will be great in Mod 15 with the Primal Instincts passive). It would be kind of silly to pass up on that buff just because it is a melee power. For the same reason, this is why Combat HRs use LSS. It is too good to pass up.
If someone really wants to be ranged only, then they have that choice. But for those who like to mix it up, there is nothing wrong with that. And it can actually make a big difference in performance.
(That said, I do understand there are some diehard range-only fans and so my build does include some rotations for that. I don't think they are as good as the dual stance rotations though.)
I want to say that I am not a big group guy. I am working on a character and that may change for them, but I am also looking at making yet another Ranger as a secondary, and experience playing my Rangers and then anecdotal evidence posted here tells me that the archer is lacking.
So yes. Absolutely, positively, if you want to focus on archery then you have no business being in melee.
But if buffs are being shared up close and you are not getting them, then doesn't this mean that you are now working at a disadvantage relative to the rest of the group?
No, it's not a competition, but if you are supposed to be DPS and are offering less DPS than a Rogue or GWF then why should a party pick you to come along?
And that gets to the second point.
While it's entirely possible to play as a solo player through a great deal of content and have fun doing it, if you want to run endgame dungeons but can not find many groups that will take you, then that negatively impacts the whole "fun" thing.
So if parties are looking for melee toons because of the buff situation then point 1 can be read as "An Archer has no business in a party", and that is not fun if parties are what you want.