Archer Builds/Skills lacking?

[Vess]

Hi All,

Loving the game but feeling like Archer is lacking compared to what Melee or Magic has. One skill area that also has some melee abilities. Basically three skills that an archer can use. Can't infuse your bow or arrows with elements like Melee or Magic can. Would be perfect if the Infuses worked for Bows, even at a reduced damage since you're ranged.

Anyways seeing what others are doing and if I just haven't played enough.

Thanks,

[Lapinoire]

Bow wasn't meant for straight killing. Use a Horror Bow, which inflicts Extreme Poison and engage with sniper shot, and then Piercing Shot, which inflicts Extreme bleeding. After that, either kite the enemy until it dies, or switch to a more offensive build.

Typically your hotbar if you want to play ranged-only would consist of Horror Bow, Sniper Shot, Piercing Shot, Evasion Shot, Obsidian Pistol, (2nd Pistol of Choice), Shard Bullet, and Fire/Reload.

Once you pop your archer skills, switch to Obsidian Pistol, fire a shard bullet or a regular bullet, then switch to your 2nd gun of choice, and fire the shot as well. Most enemies will not survive, with the exception of specific bosses and rare enemies, such as the Frost Wendigo in Face of the Ancients, Manticores, etc.

Just don't forget to manually reload your guns in between fights, or you'll be vulnerable.

[Abels_Way]

play my archer as a trapper using tripwires and pressure plates. I set my traps up before every conflict and kite my enemies around to them. I also use a two handed axe and the warrior monk skills to melee my opponents are my intial bow skills.

[Vess]

Yea I do need to look more into traps to augment. Guess its more I feel like there is only really one option for breakthrough skills, the others dont seem to be inclined for bows. Would be cool of the pistol class also worked for all ranged.

[Barara]

maybe because archery in Outward is for secondary weapon for beginning and running enemies or co-op, if solo the enemies will come at you for close combat. Even Bandit archer will change the weapon when to close.
Edit : Or for luring enemies to the trap.

[Big Boinka]

You get to do so from a safe distance, melee does not. Bow also gets extreme bleed every 30s that can pierce, on top of bows with other special properties and having access to cripple through Evasion Shot. Bow is fine.

If you want to boost bow base damage, wear gear with +physical damage bonus.

[Abels_Way]

Originally posted by Vess:

Yea I do need to look more into traps to augment. Guess its more I feel like there is only really one option for breakthrough skills, the others dont seem to be inclined for bows. Would be cool of the pistol class also worked for all ranged.

The warrior monk trainer skills are pretty awesome for close combat or groups especially when you get jumped also comes with and extra 40 stamina and the mercenairy traainer has a passive break through that gives you a permenant 10% movement speed increase and another one that reduces the stamina cost of sprinting by 40% with the right gear you can get sprinting to cost only 1/10 of the stamina and will be able to regen it faster than you can spend it. The assassin trainer has a roll unimepded by backpacket and cuts the cost b 50% with the right gear takes the cost completely away so free rolling. Also reusing pressure plates passive skill.

[Aieonae]

I am taking archer approach was more a kiting agent for the moment, all I do to kill was just "arrange death" if I am in the open.

As for closer combat, obsidian pistol are an effective burner, even without much skill.

Which, by then would be either close enough for close combat finisher.

[Vess]

Thanks for all the replies, guess I just meant for active things to do. Seems magic has a lot and melee has quite a few skills to make combat more engaging. Guess the three archer abilities are decent, was just hoping to do an arcane archer style, infuse my shots with the various elements or even be able to poison them like melee can.

Are there any buff spells that would be good for archer, haven't looked at rune magic yet.

[Kai]

Get the mod that enables more breakthru points and you won't have to worry about builds. Just get all of them.