Which uses fewer feats?

[Foxmoon]

Which uses fewer feats to be effective...

Elf Arcane Archer or Drow TWF

[Artos_Fabril]

Arcane archer never becomes effective*, so Drow TWF.



*For power gamer definition of effective. Which is to say "on-par with the top 10% of melee builds

[Visty]

the drow as if youre a ranger you get the important feats for free

though i wonder why this is posted in the multiclass section

[Foxmoon]

The class in question is Rogue12/Bard 8.

[Symar-FangofLloth]

If you don't have Ranger levels, effective archery (which is a debatable subject) requires a lot more feats than effective melee. If you had Fighter levels, you'd have some feats spare, possibly even enough, that it would be fine. Wizard levels can assist as well, if you were enough of a caster to plan on Metamagic feats.

But as it stands, it's going to be a lot easier to get to Melee with that build. Especially as Sneak Attack damage doesn't apply on ranged unless you're nearly on top of the mobs anyway.

[Artos_Fabril]

Elf Rogue/Bard AA, to make the closest possible approach to effectiveness, requires:
Bow Strength
-Weapon Focus: Ranged (pre-req)
-Point Blank Shot (pre-req)
-Power Attack (pre-req)
Manyshot
-Rapid Shot (pre-req)
-(point blank shot)
Improved Precise Shot
-Precise shot (pre-req)
-(point blank shot)

That's 8 feats, and you only get 7.

Also, you only get sneak attacks if you're within 30 feet, which is not far at all. There's a picture floating around here somewhere.

[unbongwah]

Short answer: TWF, no question.

Any TWFer should have at least five feats for max DPS: the three TWF feats, Imp Crit, and Power Attack. [A DEX-based build also has Finesse; a Warchanter TWF needs Weap Focus; while a Kensai TWF will have the Weap Focus & Spec feats.]

Ideally an AA has 8 feats: Bow STR, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, WF Ranged, Manyshot, Imp Crit Ranged, Precise Shot, and Imp PS. And if you don't take a ranger splash, you need PA for Bow STR. And if you don't go for ranger 11, you need base DEX 19 to get Imp Prec Shot.