The "Cowardly Archer" Problem

[OpenPalm]

Today I respec'd my HA into... a WARRIOR ARCHER.

    Strength: 18
    Agility: 21
    Hit points: 53

    Ironflesh: 0
    Power Strike: 6
    Athletics: 4
    Power Draw: 6
    Weapon Master: 7

    One Handed: 55
    Archery: 160

With NO help from the forums, I dove into this build.  Rus bow, Italian sword, ONLY 15 BODKINS 

And it's pretty badass.  I'd run out of arrows, sure... but I'm still a very capable fighter.  It was always hilarious to see enemies charging at me, taking 1-2 bodkins, and then dying as my sword delivered the coup-de-grace, even through armor with my 6 ps. 

Archers, really, try it.  You don't get to sit in a tower pew-pewing forever, but that gets boring anyways.  If you want 2 stacks of arrows, you can go with horn bow, but I based this build on the Rus, so you can probably stick another point on Ath instead of PD.

Honestly, it's the most fun build I've done so far.  Even more fun than HA, which was hilarious, but ineffective.  With this, I was averaging about a 2-1/1.5-1 k/d ratio.  (Then I started getting cocky, but that was my fault, heh.)

After formerly playing a 15/27 archer (5 PD, 9 ath, 9 wm, standard cowardly archer build) I can say this is more fun.   By FAR.  You get to take the fight back to those damn infantry that think they can walk all ovah yah.

The only hitch is you have to know how to manual block, and you have to know how to do it WELL.  With 0 IF and light armor, you die rather quickly, but I was able to take 2-3 hits from most infantry with light armor at level 23-26, so there is some wiggle room for error.  Of course there's going to be plated infantry with mallets that will one-shot you, but what can you do, right?  (The answer is headshot them when they aren't looking  )

[Miwiw]

Good one, nice you try another build.

I'd rather go with 18/18 though. 1 less WM, 3 less Agility but 2 more ATH and 5 IF.
The 2 ATH isn't only for running as you're no kiting archer anyway with 1 stack of bodkins only but rather for nice melee fighting as movement is important there.

(click to show/hide)

Level 30 (4 420 577 xp)

    Strength: 18
    Agility: 18
    Hit points: 63

    Skills to attributes: 2

    Ironflesh: 5
    Power Strike: 6
    Shield: 0
    Athletics: 6
    Riding: 0
    Horse Archery: 0
    Power Draw: 6
    Power Throw: 0
    Weapon Master: 6

    One Handed: 82
    Two Handed: 1
    Polearm: 1
    Archery: 144
    Crossbow: 1
    Throwing: 1

That was my build during my last archer gen. pretty nice with a +3 1h.

But of course your build does a good job as well!

[OpenPalm]

I wanted to still have ~160 wpf in archery, because with less I feel like I am not accurate enough.  But 5 IF  bonus would be very nice.

[Miwiw]

True. Yours is better if you dont have a +3 bow or rather new to archery (not saying you are , it does of course depend on your personal liking). If you are used to it you probably don't need that high amount of wpf anymore and rather prefer 5 IF and 2 ATH over some wpf and 3 AGI. =)

But I'll also give your build a try soon, sounds interesting as well.

[OpenPalm]

Haha, yes I have only retired 1 time.  Every time any of my alts gets close to retiring I respec them.   

[LordBerenger]

Haha, yes I have only retired 1 time.  Every time any of my alts gets close to retiring I respec them.   

Why does that sound so familiar 

[Zerobot1]

Trying using a blunt/pierce weapon, with 6PS it'll be nothing to laugh about.

I did have a build for a while with 6PS and planned for 6IF but found it too annoying running out of arrows all the time. Plus I'm an average meleer, so paired with a non-dedicated melee build like that I can't compete. The bow and quivers is always weighing me down as well.

Getting away and shooting will always be the best way of causing damage for me. Doesn't mean you shouldn't invest 3+ points into powerstrike though, even 0 slot weapons can cause some damage if it comes down to it.

[Phazey]

I've always maxed out PS on my archer builds. So yeah, i totally agree.

Never understood why people can be content with a build that doesn't allow you to fight back when cornered or out of ammo.

[Arrowblood]

I did it some time ago and it was alot of fun, people rage because archer kills them in melee But prefer still 2 stacks and 170+ wpf.

[Adamar]

That's not a lvl 30 build is it?

[[ptx]]

It is. Sacrificing just 7 WPF for 6PS seems like a good deal. Not sure if a longbowman can afford this, though, need every point you can get

[bruce]

I saw recently on EU an archer with hornbow and 1 stack and a twohander. Win.

[Zlisch_The_Butcher]

I saw recently on EU an archer with hornbow and 1 stack and a twohander. Win.

I'm the only EU archer I know using that combo, also got a suit of nice armor instead of that gay peasant shitz.

[Turboflex]

This is what throwing is for too

Popping suckers at range then still being able to fight. Although I guess a bow is better if you like to pew pew at long range.

For thrower hybrid you only need to put in about 90-110 points to use PT 5, and medium-heavy armour. 80-100 for PT4. A weapon like heavy throwing axe also switches into a mean melee wep. Throwing lance is pretty solid melee wep too.

[Boerenlater]

This is what throwingxbow is for too

Popping suckers at range then still being able to fight. Although I guess a bow is better if you like to pew pew at long range.

For thrower hybrid you only need to put in about 90-110 points to use PT 5, and medium-heavy armour. 80-100 for PT4. A weapon like heavy throwing axe also switches into a mean melee wep. Throwing lance is pretty solid melee wep too.