Honour Build - Eternal Hunter (Archer)

★ Build made for any Elf, Human or Undead Human. This build is meant for 4-man party experience.

♦ My other works:
• Definitive Honour Builds: link
• Honour Walkthrough: link

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✖ Artwork by: CurohKrow

★ Showcase Video

✎ Stats Distribution

• Level 1: 13 FIN, 1 Huntsman, 1 Warfare, Glass Cannon
  
• Level 2: 15 FIN, 1 Scoundrel
  
• Level 3: 17 FIN, 2 Warfare, Executioner
  
• Level 4: 20 FIN, 1 Poly
  
• Level 5: 22 FIN, 2 Huntsman
  
• Level 6: 24 FIN, 3 Warfare
  
• Level 7: 26 FIN, 4 Warfare
  
• Level 8: 28 FIN, 5 Warfare, Elemental Ranger
  
• Level 9: 30 FIN, 6 Warfare
  
• Level 10: 32 FIN, 7 Warfare
  
• Level 11: 35 FIN, 2 Poly
  
• Level 12: 38 FIN, 3 Poly
  
• Level 13: 40 FIN, 8 Warfare, Hothead
  
• Level 14: 12 WIT, 3 Huntsman
  
• Level 15: 14 WIT, 4 Huntsman
  
• Level 16: 16 WIT, 5 Huntsman
  
• Level 17: 18 WIT, 9 Warfare
  
• Level 18: 20 WIT, 2 Ranged, All Skilled Up
  
• Level 19: 22 WIT, 10 Warfare
  
• Level 20: 24 WIT, 3 Ranged
  
• Level 21: 26 WIT, 4 Ranged

• If the requirements already met with the help of your gear, respec the attributes or combat skills and relocate them elsewhere like more Ranged and eventually maxed out both Warfare & Ranged in the end.

♦ Spider Kiss Talent:

• Dragon (+2 WIT -2 CON)

♦ Academy Lessons:

• Lesson in WIT: +5 WIT / -5 CON
  
• Lesson in FIN: +5 FIN / -5 MEM
  
• Lesson in Memory: -5 STR / +5 MEM

♦ Civil:

• Thievery 1st → Sneaking 2nd

✎ Equipment

Gears:

• Stick to any gear that have Warfare, Finesse, Scoundrel or Wits. Some belt has rare potential rolls with Ranged so keep an eye out for them. There will be alot of strong unique gears for archers in Arx.
  
  
• Second Skin is an unique found in Fort Joy is actually pretty useful since there is no gloves which has +Finesse and +Huntsman, not to mention it also has a rune slot so you can equip a +3 Finesse frame later. Meaning with Second Skin and right frame, you'll get a total +4 Finesse and +1 Huntsman out of that level 6 gloves. Since you're an archer, armour isn't the problem if you position yourself well in combat.
  
  
• Use whatever crossbows or bows that have better bonus options at the moment, prioritize Critchance, Finesse or Ranged. Preferably one with a rune slot.
  
  
• In Arx, use these uniques:
  

  Vo Charlen (Head): +5 FIN, +3 Wits, +1 Huntsman, +2 Con, +20% Water Resist, Immunity to Charmed & Terrified.
  
  Nazad Hunola (Chest): +5 FIN, +2 Scoundrel, +1 Huntsman.
  
  Last One Standing (Belt): +4 FIN, +5 Memory.
  
  Lord Ruaney Boots: +7 FIN, +10% Air Resistance, set Erratic Wisp.
  
  Lord Ruaney Britches: +3 Wits, +2 Scoundrel, +6 Initiative.

Runes:

• Amulet: Flame Rune (+4/5/6% Critchance)
  
  
• Armour: Venom or Thunder Rune (+7/9/11% magic resistance)
  
  
• Weapon: Masterwork Rune (+9/11/13/15% physical damage)

Frames:

• Amulet: Mystical Flame (+1 Pyrokinetic)
  
  
• Armour: Power Venom or Thunder (+2/3 Finesse)
  
  
• Weapon: Mystical Masterwork (+2/3 Wits)

Eternal Aeterfacts:

It can't be REMOVED once plugged and they are also LIMITED, so only use when you know for sure that piece of gear is going to be with you for a looong time.

• Helmet: +2 Finesse, +1 Huntsman
  
• Amulet: +10% Fire Resist, +2% Critchance, +5% Dodge

✎ Abilities Setups

• Ideal Party Initiative Order: pre-buff Peace of Mind to control party initiative if needed.
  

  3rd place or 4th place: executioner role, finish off weak enemies.
  1st place: strong initial striker, ideal to take out high threat enemies or set up knockdown CC arrows on them.

  
  
• Elemental Ranger: apply extra Physical Damage for regular attacks when hitting targets that are currently standing on blood surfaces.
  

  You can either use Marksman Fang to generate blood surfaces on enemies targets or have a Necromancer casting Blood Rain on them.

Early Game (1~8)

• Elemental Arrowheads: Use on blood pool to get bloody arrows which increase your physical damage output on weapon attacks.
  
  
• Ricochet: Multi-targets attack, can hit up to 3 targets.
  
  
• Adrenaline: Gain 2 AP for this turn but lose 2 AP on the next turn (a tradeoff), use it when you need to confirm a kill to trigger Executioner talent or just simply want to finish off some high threat targets.
  
  
• Enrage: Boost 100% critchance, but apply Muted status.
  
  
• Cloak: hide and protect the character from enemies.
  
  
• Tactical Retreat: jumping ability, also apply Hasted status on use.

Mid Game (9~15)

• Ballistic Shot: damage increases based on distance between the Archer and the target. Stand on high ground to utilizes the range, can deal very high damage and able to one shot enemy from a far distance.
  
  
• Marksman Fang: a multi target attacks, dealing Pierce damage to targets in a line. Combo into Skin Graft for a double Marksman Fang you can 2 shot enemies without touching their armors.
  
  
• Skin Graft: Reset all cooldowns.
  
  
• Thick of the Fight (optional): boost 10% damage per nearby characters, you can prep the buff before battle with your party nearby to get some quick damage advantage from the start.

Late Game (16+)

• Peace of Mind: small Damage and decent Critchance boost. (replaces Enrage)
  
  
• Glitter Dust (optional): a debuff of -100% dodge reduction on selected enemy target, can shut down evasive enemy. Also prevent target from going Invisible.
  
  
• Challenge: Mark an enemy, if the target dies within 2 turns then your character will receive bonus Armors and +20% Damage boost for a turn.
  
  
• Arrow Storm: strong big AoE attack, can deal full damage to big targets with fat hitbox.
  
  
• Cloak & Dagger: a jumping ability, does not break Invisiblity on use.
  
  
• Assassinate: deals strong damage when used out of Stealth, when the Archer used Cloak to keep them safe, in the next round Assassinate can be used to break Invisiblity and deals good spike damage.

[Stargazer]

Could this build benefit from some Geomancy?

[Pigeon]

Set Erratic Wisp on the boots is more of a downside than a perk feels like

[Evoked]

What's the playstyle difference between this and the elemental archer build?
Which would you say is more fun?

[Lost Sinner]

Having another party member hitting the Ranger should spill blood on their spot, before starting the battle. Or if you have a necromancer in the party, let them pre-cast Blood Rain on Ranger position before initating the battle.

[Rex]

I started as a human so I don't have the elf ability, is there any other way to get blood under my being human?

[Lost Sinner]

Vowkeeper is a Divine item(Gold color), they are RNG items from loot drops or merchant wares, there isn't a guarantee way to obtain them and it's the same for pretty much most other rairty items. Unique gear are dark yellow-ish, they are hand-crafted by devs and have fixed locations in the game, so they are the only items you could obtain for sure.

[karbak]

I apologize, in the attached video I saw that tips how to weapon the vowkeeper crossbow, I can not find information on where this crossbow can be found, could you help me? Thank you

[Lost Sinner]

@Mr. Blonde: Characters gain an additional Memory slot every 2 levels so you'll eventually have more slots for them as you progresses, the abilities order are meant to showcase which one you should priotize getting at that specific level range.

Unless specified, most of the recommended skills are useful throughout the game. E.g:
• The optional spells are mostly situational that should be switch in/out when the needs arise, otherwise they can be skipped.
• Peace of Mind replaces Enrage later on, usually around 16+ as mentioned, or if your character manage to get good crit/wit gear, then it can be done sooner.

[Mr. Blonde]

For the memorized skills, are you only keeping the skills based on the Early/Mid/Late game section? ex: for Mid Game skills, you would remove the Early Game skills.

Without dedicating points to Memory not sure how you would have enough space to use them

[SirUlrichVL]

Following on from my last comment, the Corbyn Day level boost makes 'Amulet of the Deep' a good amulet for a Ranger throughout the game with its +3 Finesse, 15% Fire Resistance, +1 Ranged and a rune slot that you can get from the Void Salamanders in Act 1 as when upgraded to level 18 that has 175 Magic Armor.

Forgot to mention not just weapons and armor he upgrades but amulets and rings too.