mid level weapons

[qourthon]

level 14 pre arti.

I always use my +4 flaming pg.

Just discovered the +4 on weapon is irrelevant due to summoned arrows (doh)

so, what do mid level artis use for weapons? just stick with one? or swop then around to match the enemy?

it's there any particular weapon type that's 'best in most cases'?

thanks for any input

[Soulfurnace]

Well. I'd have to argue that a lit II rcbow sounds about right, for.. killing most things.

Banishing/smiting/disruption are also good, but I'm too lazy to swap :\

[droid327]

The +4 isn't irrelevant....BE will boost it to +6, meaning your conjured bolts are irrelevant.

Ban/Smit/Disrup/Paralyz are your lootgen go-tos. Greensteel if you want to grind one out is probably ideal. Cormyrian at L16 is juicy and much easier to get....just keep rolling for a Paralyzer with a good proc effect.

I usually swap between 2, sometimes 3 xbows on any given mission. One general purpose (paralyzer), one specialized target (disrupt/smit/banishing, as needed) and if its worth the trouble, a second specialized target if the quest is that diverse.

[Livmo]

I keep all the above mentioned xbows in my bag.

Banishing is great for outsiders and stuff like Chronoscope.

Smiting is great for constructs and I use it allot in Cannith.

I love the paralyzer at all levels.

[Target-Practice100]

For me there are 2 main xbows for a mid level arti - a Min 2 green steel, and the Double Cross. The Min 2 will tear mobs apart, while the Double Cross will make you a god in Vale slayer. They will take you to level 21 and the Slavers xbow, and will still work great in epic content with Shiradi ED maxed out. The Min 2 with Shiradi does very nice damage, and is well worth the effort to make it. Another good GS xbow worth considering is a flamming burst / flaming blast / incineration, it does a lot of damage, and it procs regularly. While other xbows may be better in specific quests or areas, those 3 are very good general purpose xbows that are effective in many parts of the game, and are still my go to xbows for epic content.

[Phaeton_Seraph]

Vorpal typed weapons like Banishing, Smiting, Disruption...

They all give bane damage on top of normal damage with the vorpal on critical. I think it's 4d6 bane (it's greater than the highest bane weapon available).

Paralysers are good too. I haven't found any lower end Forcefulls yet, would like to give a go at that.

Otherwise, it's mostly about the DR breaking.

For me, the repeater is just something to fill the time between spell and rune arm charges.


Shattermantle might be god if you run a lot with Wizzies who need help with DCs.

[Todkaninchen]

Find or craft a Wounding of Puncturing* for non-red-name enemies... also known as "Virulent Constitution Poison" now and shows up on the (ML21? 22?) Slaver's Hand Crossbow... For anything susceptible to attribute damage, it can do silly damage, especially with Improved Precise Shot...

Doublecross is also awesome. Nightshade venom procs to induce sleep and the next shots are at 150% damage...

Another useful set is the greensteel Triple Positive (Holy/Good Blast/Good Burst) and the Tira's Splendor rune arm from Garamol's chest in Subterrane. Max (non-epic) good damage and Tira's adds Silver weapons to your equipped bow... Stack Insightful Damage and Deadly Weapons on it and you're looking at one of the best combos for grinding on devils.

Another bow I like--personally--is my greensteel Ooze II bow. While it doesn't stack the extra damage of a Lit II, it's cold/acid (so works on that susceptible), dumps enemy AC (stacking with sunder/improved sunder), but mainly dumps CR 12 black puddings every once and a while. They don't really do much damage (or take much damage, actually), but for red names with random aggro lists, they essentially lock the red name into place for a while and soak up hate so your party members, dog, and yourself don't have to. Mostly, for rednames you have to grind through while someone tanks, it's kind of nice. Use it with an improved deception item or two as well for maximum benefit.

Also--sounds silly, I know--I've been using a plain, un-upgraded Alchemical Great Crossbow. Not the rate of fire (unless you pop endless fusilade), but I usually get crits in the 100+ range very often with improved critical ranged. In many cases, 1 crit and a follow up takes down many non-bosses with 3 or so shots taking care of many mid-level enemies. Later on, when I get back up to epic levels, I'll be seeing what I can upgrade it into, but for now...



* - Edit: If you're mainly using spells like Phaeton, consider using a stat debuffer that affects enemy attributes for your particular pet spell DC's to try and knock down their saves...

i.e. Wounding of Puncturing (CON) or Constitution Poison, Virulent for Fortitude saves.
Maladroit of Bone Breaking (DEX) or Dexterity Poison, Virulent for Reflex saves.

(No crafted/random generally does WIS damage...)

It might help you (and your party) land your expensive spells more reliably...

[Phaeton_Seraph]

Yeah, as a mainly casting Arti I've been ridiculed for my Alchemical repeater's build. Basically it's a casting implement; it provides force and electrical enhancements (can't recall of the top of my head at the moment).

Probably, the Alchemical is usually a little higher than mid level, but maybe not as TR twink gear.

It does pitiful damage as a repeater, but so many repeaters do. However, I knock down and stun things like crazy with it. It goes pew pew on autofire while I'm cycling through enemy targets to cast against or target with my rune arm. But, hey, damage is damage, and just like "good love" all damage/love is good damage/love. Ya know?

Then if I've spammed so much power that everything is cooling down, or I'm ready for a fusillade, I swap back to the DR breaker or the one with the great crit.

Of course, I think Fusillade may be out of my reach now with the Battle Engineer and Arcanotecnician trees being what they are (well, it is at my current TRed lvl 9). But it's something to keep in mind.

Many pure casters have sceptres they do nothing with, they just use them as implements. A repeater as an implement, on autofire, is way better because it goes pew pew pew.

If you are a TR, the new Battle Engineer looks interesting with non-ranged enhancements which may make a Runic Champion more viable (if not actually viable).

Maybe roll an artie that you can delete or use as a bank just to explore the new enhancement trees.

[qourthon]

Many thanks to all who took the time to reply.

Now 20(+1) pure arti.

Never managed to get or find a good paralyze before now, got one for my pet though, and it (intermittently) rocks!

Got my MotU challenge weapon now and loving it.

Hope to pick up better ones as I go through epic levels and new content, Green-steel is out of question, because I only solo/small PuG occasionally.

Any solo-able ones to grind/aim for in particular?

[Ancient]

I like my earthgrab gs bow.

[Singular]

Many thanks to all who took the time to reply.

Now 20(+1) pure arti.

Never managed to get or find a good paralyze before now, got one for my pet though, and it (intermittently) rocks!

Got my MotU challenge weapon now and loving it.

Hope to pick up better ones as I go through epic levels and new content, Green-steel is out of question, because I only solo/small PuG occasionally.

Any solo-able ones to grind/aim for in particular?

If you avoid raids, you're not going to have the best xbows, but you can have decent ones.

- Doublecross (can be made epic)
- Silver Slinger (for undead; can be made epic)
- Slaver's Hand Crossbow (in the underdark quest chain - I got mine as an end reward)
- The House C challenge Repeating Crossbows are pretty good, too. (described here: http://ddowiki.com/page/Calomel_Weapons )
- The Evenstar Challenge Repeating Crossbows are also pretty good. (described at the bottom of here: http://ddowiki.com/page/Update_14_named_items )

If you were to Raid, these would be good weapons:

The best xbow in the game for damage output is Needle (if your ED is Fury of the Wild; it does ok in Legendary Dreadnaught, too.

After that, it would be fire-earth-fire alchemical, then any of the other alchemical ones. ice-ice-ice is situationally great, and earth-earth-earth is fantastic, too (for its CC output - triple ice is pretty good for that, too).

GS is mostly relevant from lvls 12-16 or 12-19. At 16 you can have a tier 2 alchemical. Both GS (the Lit II and +++) will outproduce Doublecross and Silver Slinger in terms of damage; alchemical xbows beat GS.

Good luck!