Ranger Longbow

[Amidamarujhqz]

I'm playing an arcane archer for the very first time.
Currently I'm using the Silver Longbow with my Lv 9 ranger...
I'd like some recommendations about which longbow to use in each of the lv ranges:
Lv 10 through 20.
Lv 20 through 30.

[Fedora1]

I'm playing an arcane archer for the very first time.
Currently I'm using the Silver Longbow with my Lv 9 ranger...
I'd like some recommendations about which longbow to use in each of the lv ranges:
Lv 10 through 20.
Lv 20 through 30.

The silver longbow is actually going to be great through L20. The only other possibility (but hard to get) that you could switch to at L14 is the Unwavering Ardency. Then probably at L23 use Pinion.

As an arcane archer just be sure to keep your spell power up for whatever elemental arrow you use.

[Lonnbeimnech]

http://m.ddowiki.com/images/thumb/Sapphire_Sting.png/420px-Sapphire_Sting.png

pretty good too.

[Loromir]

I'm playing an arcane archer for the very first time.
Currently I'm using the Silver Longbow with my Lv 9 ranger...
I'd like some recommendations about which longbow to use in each of the lv ranges:
Lv 10 through 20.
Lv 20 through 30.

The Silver Longbow is you best option all the way to 20...and even beyond. No other bow matches the silver longbow crit profile in heroics, except "Unwavering Adrency" (Which come from a raid). I Greensteel Lit2 is a good second choice in heroics as well as the "Bow of Sinew" which comes from the Harbinger of Madness Chain.

After Level 20...you probably should stick with the Silver Longbow until lvl 23 when you can start using Pinion (Comes from Caught in the Web). There are also the Cormyrian Bows that you can get from the Eveningstar Challenges...but they still are worse than the Silver Longbow. At Level 22 you can make a Thunderforged Longbow and start upgrading it...those can be decent. At level 26, you can get "Epic Sapphire Sting" which is the best bow in the game.

[nomaddog]

I'm playing an arcane archer for the very first time.
Currently I'm using the Silver Longbow with my Lv 9 ranger...
I'd like some recommendations about which longbow to use in each of the lv ranges:
Lv 10 through 20.
Lv 20 through 30.

I personally like Bow of Sinew, which you can get as a chain end reward for the Harbinger of Madness quests. It's lvl 14 and works out quite well. I used that up until 23 and then used Pinion.

[unbongwah]

http://ddowiki.com/page/Category:Long_Bows

Anything with higher-than-average base damage and/or crit bonuses is desirable.

At low levels (>=4): Greatbow of the Scrag for 2[1d8] base damage.
Lvls 7/8 thru 14: Silver Longbow, Sapphire Sting, Shatterbow for constructs / golems in VON 4 etc.
Lvls 14+: Bow of Sinew, Unwavering Ardency
Epics: Pinion, eSapphire Sting

[Melkazar]

I am a bow addict.

The Silver Longbow will serve you long and well. I have an Unwavering Ardency for icy things, an Element of Earth for doubling up on acid damage (I usually imbue acid) and a greensteel for when you need to do good and evil damage. I also picked up a loot bow with holy and draining on it which is great against evil. In short, just about any bow will do you proud.

Oops, forgot epic levels. Pinion, an unfinished Thunderholm and an unfinished legendary greenstill (which even without any other shards on it does devastating damage.)

[barecm]

Silver longbow is good, especially the lvl 6 one if you have an old one. Then lvl 8 newer one. Then you will move into the harder to acquire ones. Level 12 Greensteel is a good option. Level 14 is Unwavering Ardency or Bow of Sinew (easier to get) which will take you to lvl 20. Then swap out to Alchemical at lvl 20 to lvl 23. Then Pinon at lvl 23 to lvl 26. At level 26 you can get endgame bow (for now) in Epic Greensteel. Easier to get options for lvl 24-30 is thunder-forged. Pretty easy to buy the mats for the bow up to level 26. Lvl 28 is bound to account, so you will have to find groups for the raid and grind it. Same for Epic greensteel only less common ingredients for earlier tiers.

[Marshal_Lannes]

One I haven't heard mentioned here that is quite good and can take you well into epics is the Elemental Longbow of Earth from the Cannith Challenges. You can get this in a couple hours of questing and it has quite the array of effects. It can easily turn to stone a room while on manyshot.

[Wh070aa]

Get Bow Sinew from the Madness chain, if you can. It's a good option, especially in party, if you don't want to draw the agro off the melee too much.

[Captain_Wizbang]

The Silver Longbow....."Unwavering Adrency" Greensteel Lit2 "Bow of Sinew"

After Level 20...you probably should stick with the Silver Longbow until lvl 23 when you can start using Pinion (Comes from Caught in the Web). There are also the Cormyrian Bows that you can get from the Eveningstar Challenges...but they still are worse than the Silver Longbow. At Level 22 you can make a Thunderforged Longbow and start upgrading it...those can be decent. At level 26, you can get "Epic Sapphire Sting" which is the best bow in the game.


EXACTLY +1 :cool:

[blerkington]

The Epic Thornlord is really nice from 20-22 (or even higher if you don't have Pinion), but getting the shard and seal for it requires a lot of effort or some very good luck.

The base item can be found on the AH or ASAH or farmed in certain explorer area chests, but it's not as good as the other choices mentioned in this thread for the low to mid heroic levels. The scroll can be obtained by trading in three other Sands scrolls. You will need to run an epic quest/raid in the desert to get the seal and shard.

I'm only mentioning it for the sake of completeness, rather than recommending you farm for it. When my main was a ranger and I was collecting bows, this item was by far the hardest one to get. It took years before I had all the pieces, but eventually getting it felt like a nice achievement even though there were much better bows for capped characters by the time I got mine.

Thanks.

[Saekee]

One I haven't heard mentioned here that is quite good and can take you well into epics is the Elemental Longbow of Earth from the Cannith Challenges. You can get this in a couple hours of questing and it has quite the array of effects. It can easily turn to stone a room while on manyshot.
actually was mentioned here:

I am a bow addict.

The Silver Longbow will serve you long and well. I have an Unwavering Ardency for icy things, an Element of Earth for doubling up on acid damage (I usually imbue acid) and a greensteel for when you need to do good and evil damage. I also picked up a loot bow with holy and draining on it which is great against evil. In short, just about any bow will do you proud.

Oops, forgot epic levels. Pinion, an unfinished Thunderholm and an unfinished legendary greenstill (which even without any other shards on it does devastating damage.)

[Spadedragon]

The Tortured Livewood bow is a nice epic choice for extra acid damage and the two slots.

[barecm]

The Epic Thornlord is really nice from 20-22 (or even higher if you don't have Pinion), but getting the shard and seal for it requires a lot of effort or some very good luck.

The base item can be found on the AH or ASAH or farmed in certain explorer area chests, but it's not as good as the other choices mentioned in this thread for the low to mid heroic levels. The scroll can be obtained by trading in three other Sands scrolls. You will need to run an epic quest/raid in the desert to get the seal and shard.

I'm only mentioning it for the sake of completeness, rather than recommending you farm for it. When my main was a ranger and I was collecting bows, this item was by far the hardest one to get. It took years before I had all the pieces, but eventually getting it felt like a nice achievement even though there were much better bows for capped characters by the time I got mine.

Thanks.

Epic Thornlord was THE bow for a hot minute. Heck, the base version is pretty nice at level as well. However, for 20-22, Alchemical is superior and a lot easier to get. The shard requires a ton of luck since that shard only drops in ATDQ or the raid and is part of a huge loot table of shards.

[barecm]

One I haven't heard mentioned here that is quite good and can take you well into epics is the Elemental Longbow of Earth from the Cannith Challenges. You can get this in a couple hours of questing and it has quite the array of effects. It can easily turn to stone a room while on manyshot.

Great alternative to an acid Alchemical. Has very similar stats.

[blerkington]

Epic Thornlord was THE bow for a hot minute. Heck, the base version is pretty nice at level as well. However, for 20-22, Alchemical is superior and a lot easier to get. The shard requires a ton of luck since that shard only drops in ATDQ or the raid and is part of a huge loot table of shards.

Yes, unless you're very lucky, you're probably looking at ton of runs to get the pieces for the epic item. But the 18-20/x3 crit profile and higher base damage are hard to beat for the low epic level range.

What do you put on your alchemical bows? I ran those raids a fair bit and experimented with alchemical weapons, but always found them a bit underwhelming. Some of the cc effects looked decent but in practice they never seemed to go off enough.

Thanks.

[barecm]

Yes, unless you're very lucky, you're probably looking at ton of runs to get the pieces for the epic item. But the 18-20/x3 crit profile and higher base damage are hard to beat for the low epic level range.

What do you put on your alchemical bows? I ran those raids a fair bit and experimented with alchemical weapons, but always found them a bit underwhelming. Some of the cc effects looked decent but in practice they never seemed to go off enough.

Thanks.

Acid, Acid, Acid. Does very well with the cc and disintegrate proc. I also have a fire one for anything immune to acid. Really, they are just a bridge to Pinion. At level 26 and beyond it is Legendary Greensteel (salt to slow everything), Thunder Forged is situational with a ton of options to craft, and Epic Sapphire sting is best if you want the crit range. For me, I play mostly LE content so cc is my main focus with damage being second. If I can paralyze, fear, and slow everything, then my damage is not as critical. Don't get me wrong, I still hit hard, but the crit range is not there on the crafted bows. 18-20 vs 16-20 on E-Sapphire Sting. Plus, the added damage effects on some of the crafted bows does make up for the -2 crit range in a lot of cases. I do use all three types in various situations, but mainly it is LGS salt with e-sapphire sting 2nd and TF last... just because mortal fear does not work in legendary content.

[blerkington]

Acid, Acid, Acid. Does very well with the cc and disintegrate proc. I also have a fire one for anything immune to acid. Really, they are just a bridge to Pinion. At level 26 and beyond it is Legendary Greensteel (salt to slow everything), Thunder Forged is situational with a ton of options to craft, and Epic Sapphire sting is best if you want the crit range. For me, I play mostly LE content so cc is my main focus with damage being second. If I can paralyze, fear, and slow everything, then my damage is not as critical. Don't get me wrong, I still hit hard, but the crit range is not there on the crafted bows. 18-20 vs 16-20 on E-Sapphire Sting. Plus, the added damage effects on some of the crafted bows does make up for the -2 crit range in a lot of cases. I do use all three types in various situations, but mainly it is LGS salt with e-sapphire sting 2nd and TF last... just because mortal fear does not work in legendary content.

Thanks for that. I did try alchemical earth and water but none of those cc procs seemed all that good, especially in harder content. I guess they were better back in the day, in upper level heroic content. It might not be reasonable to expect them to work well in low level EE/reaper quests where saves are higher.

I've heard conflicting reports about whether or not salt works with IPS, so didn't make a salt bow before I reincarnated my main into an assassin. It seemed like quite a promising weapon for an archer, but more than one person has told me the slow effect will only proc on one enemy with missile weapons, even if you're hitting multiples. I hear it works very well on melee weapons with cleaves though.

Thanks.

[barecm]

Thanks for that. I did try alchemical earth and water but none of those cc procs seemed all that good, especially in harder content. I guess they were better back in the day, in upper level heroic content. It might not be reasonable to expect them to work well in low level EE/reaper quests where saves are higher.

I've heard conflicting reports about whether or not salt works with IPS, so didn't make a salt bow before I reincarnated my main into an assassin. It seemed like quite a promising weapon for an archer, but more than one person has told me the slow effect will only proc on one enemy with missile weapons, even if you're hitting multiples. I hear it works very well on melee weapons with cleaves though.

Thanks.

Like I mentioned, Alchemical is bridge. It is better than lower level bows but pales when compared to Pinion. You only really are using it for 3 levels so....

I have the salt bow. it does not work with IPS. That being said is it still awesome. I can say it stacks with leg shot for super slow mo action. It is worth having is cc is your goal (which my ranger is built for).

[Rednorva]

Does no one use crafted longbows?

[Fedora1]

Does no one use crafted longbows?

Prior to L7-8 only - and it's almost not worth it for how short a time it will be in use. I think I did a ML4 "+2 2d6 light of 2d6 piercing" on a longbow with a red augment.

Past that and you can't really craft anything better than the bows mentioned in this thread.