As I level an Arcane Ranger...

[mati71]

It seems the mobs are on me faster than than I can shoot. I'm starting out as a level 1, trying to use a bow, but end up using my sword more than my bow. When can I count on my bow putting out more damage than my greatersword?

Thanks.

I'm progressing towards a full 20 Elf AA Ranger.

thanks,

[Progen]

Never. Ranged stops getting significant damage boosts and melee will just keep getting better and better as you go on. Although slaying arrows at lvl 18 do help quite a bit.

[grodon9999]

When can I count on my bow putting out more damage than my greatersword?

When you get slayer arrows and ONLY during many-shot. Ranger AAs are still good TW fighters, get used to it.

[Crann]

Don't play your first toon as an Archer. Ranged combat in this game is not as powerful as melee. It can be significant with the correct build and gear, but as a starting character....melee is your best best until you learn the game mechanics.

[mati71]

Thanks for everyones input.

[brian14]

When you get slayer arrows and ONLY during many-shot. Ranger AAs are still good TW fighters, get used to it.

Except you can BUY slaying arrows at level 8. You can buy greater bane, holy, anarchic and axiomatic arrows (all +2d6 damage) at level 6. My AA 9 uses +5 Frost longbow, and between multishot, +2d6 something arrows, and casting Acid arrow as matter of course, she does more damage than TW. Although I do that a lot too, especially from behind -- both swords are Backstabbing (among other things).

[MithrilSoul]

My highest toon is a lvl 10 AA and I've had a fair amount of success. At least through the mid-levels I found him more survivable than a TWF Tempest ranger.

Bow damage is pretty low very early on. Then when you hit level 6 and get your first AA you will see it jump due to that. Also at level 6 you can go to the AH and buy a Silver Longbow (not made of silver, btw)...best bow for a lower/mid level toon by far (for reasons all over these ranger forums). Between the Silver bow and the AA tier I you will see damage jump significantly. At level 9 when you get the Imbue Acid Arrow plus can take Improved Crit: Ranged you will see another jump. Being as I am only lvl 10 right now I can't speak much beyond that.

The key as an AA is to learn how to keep yourself moving to minimize getting hit. If possible, have some item on that gives you a boost to Striding (even if it is only 5%, as will be the case at low levels). Once you hit ranger 4 and get your first set of spells, always have Longstrider buffed on yourself. Doing this, it allows you to backpedal roughly as fast as most mobs move towards you. This means you can engage a mob at a distance, and as it begins to close on you, you can keep backpedaling and firing. Doing that, you should kill most mobs before they get a chance to get a hit in on you. In large outdoor areas (or, alternatively, indoors in dungeons where you are in large square rooms) you can strafe around in a circle for the same effect.

Looking ahead, I would suggest you put all your level-up stat points into STR since that is what will increase the damage you do with your bow attacks. Between being an elf and being a ranger, you will have plenty of enhancement points into DEX to hit things just fine. What you are going to need is damage, and that comes from STR.

I found levels 1-5 much tougher than levels 6-10 (so far) as an elven AA. I hear it gets tough again at the higher levels but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

[Grecan]

Imroved Precise Shot (which rangers get for free) is also a great tool for ranged combat if used properly.

I'm not playing an AA, my main is an Elf Tempest (II atm), but i use a bow on many occasions.

Most of the times (when i'm ranging), i'm using my paralyzing bow, and have the IPS (and PA) turned on. It just feels great to have 2 or more monsters in line, paralyzed, damaging all of them with the same arrow... throw in Manyshot, and it only gets better

[JOTMON]

Never. Ranged stops getting significant damage boosts and melee will just keep getting better and better as you go on. Although slaying arrows at lvl 18 do help quite a bit.

Now now.... Arcane Archer has make things much more appealing for Ranged Rangers.

Most toons at the first few levels benefit more from a greataxe or some other beefy weapon (even Sorc's) then from favoured weapons, dual weilding( i laugh at these dual weild rapier builds at level 2 that cant hit anything and wonder why), or spells.

Archers generally get a bad rap because they have a tendancy to pull aggro from all over when the party is not ready for it. pulling in more aggro then the party can handle. Kiting mobs that the party is trying to kill.

Arcane Archers don't really start seeing a crossover benefit until they get manyshot at level 6.
So start ranged then switch when they get close or learn kiting..the backwards jumping while shooting.

Things to keep in mind....
When in a group bring the ranged mobs into the melee tank/caster control zone area.
or if things get out of control kite melee mobs away from the grp while the melee's work on casters/healers, then bring them back to finish them off. Remember the party does not want to chase the mobs chasing you down hallways while you try to kill everything off with your arrows
... Remember...Teamwork.....


Keep an eye out for situational bows...
Elemental for opposing elemental creatures.
Metalline for for various DR creatures.
Paralyzer (level 10+) should be on every archers list
Wounding of Puncturing (level 10+)
Holy/Pure good(alignment restricting)
Anarchic (if chaotic for those lawful beaties and portals)
xxx of xxx Greater Banes

Carry some melee weapons for other situations.

[Ystradmynach]

I'm starting to use my bow more often than melee as an elf AA, and I'm at 12th level. By 11 or 12th level, you should have most of the pieces to make a good arcane archer. That means having all the ranged fighting feats, including improved criticals and all the ranged enhancements from your race and AA. That means having a silver bow, and a couple of other good bows for when it is appropriate. It means having fearsome armor, especially when soloing so you can kill things as they run away from you. It also means maxing both strength and dexterity, since you need to both hit and do damage.

And it also means having good melee weapons, because even with all that, sometimes you still need to pull out two swords. But most of time I am ranging and doing fairly well against my opponents. Yes, I do less damage when I am not in manyshot mode than in melee, but I make up for it by not having to run after mobs. This is particularly evident in wide open areas like a lot of wilderness areas, where you can often kill things before they reach you.

Now from here on though, I expect ranged combat to get less effective for a few levels, until I get slayer arrows from AA, in which case ranged combat should become more effective again.

[Progen]

Now now.... Arcane Archer has make things much more appealing for Ranged Rangers.

What? I never said arcane archer was bad? In fact I said it had one of the best dps tools for an archer. However the question he asked was if it would ever do more damage than melee. The answer to that is no, whatever the build. Other's have given him some of ranged advantages (kiting) but it is a cold hard fact that it simply doesn't have the same dps as melee.

[Grecan]

<snip> both swords are Backstabbing (among other things).

I think i've read here in the forums that when dual wielding, and one of the weapons is backstabbing, the other one becomes equally backstabbing, as well. Other weapon properties work like this, too, like seeker. I'll link the thread/post if i find it.

The key as an AA is to learn how to keep yourself moving to minimize getting hit. If possible, have some item on that gives you a boost to Striding (even if it is only 5%, as will be the case at low levels). Once you hit ranger 4 and get your first set of spells, always have Longstrider buffed on yourself.

Note that Striding and Longstrider do not stack with each other http://ddowiki.com/page/Run_speed

[Ganak]

Don't play your first toon as an Archer. Ranged combat in this game is not as powerful as melee. It can be significant with the correct build and gear, but as a starting character....melee is your best best until you learn the game mechanics.

This sums it up very well.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

When you get Manyshot @ lvl 6, you will do more damage during manyshot than you will with melee.

If you can get the named "Silver Long Bow" and then at lvl 9 take Improved Crit Ranged feat, you will see a lot of damage from your bow. But melee will still be a faster rate of attack.

If you can find a min lvl 10 Paralyser (or any paralyser), you will not care how much damage your bow does.....you'll still have fun shooting things with it. Disrupting bows are also fun.

Eventually you will get the "Slayer Arrow" enhancement from your AA line. Then you will do more damage than you will in melee.....but man that's a long time to wait.

But if you accept the slow rate of fire limitation of ranged combat in this game.....and learn when it is best to use it.....you can stil use it effectiveley and have fun with it.

Your bow is only one tool in your arsenal, learn to use all the tools you have to their greatest effect.

[brian14]

I think i've read here in the forums that when dual wielding, and one of the weapons is backstabbing, the other one becomes equally backstabbing, as well. Other weapon properties work like this, too, like seeker. I'll link the thread/post if i find it.

Interesting. Does anyone else know anything about it?

I had used TWF enough to know for sure that flaming, frost and axiomatic properties do not double like that, but for sneak attack bonus (which is what backstabbing weapon does) it is difficult to tell.

[Epic_Peasant]

As the question didnt specifiy the type of dps (single target, multitarget?), one could say, without manyshot running, once you hit lvl 11 you outdamage any melees, as long as you make sure you always have at least 3 mobs lined up (ddo's Ai is not very sophisticated...).

To make sure mobs STAY on your "hurt line", use a paralizing bow (and a greater cursespewing one...). Done right, clerics will wonder what they are needed for.

This tactic will be less efficient once mobs saves get too high to reliably paralize.

[Gnorbert]

As the question didnt specifiy the type of dps (single target, multitarget?), one could say, without manyshot running, once you hit lvl 11 you outdamage any melees, as long as you make sure you always have at least 3 mobs lined up (ddo's Ai is not very sophisticated...).

To make sure mobs STAY on your "hurt line", use a paralizing bow (and a greater cursespewing one...). Done right, clerics will wonder what they are needed for.

This tactic will be less efficient once mobs saves get too high to reliably paralize.

Yeah, gianthold is insanely fun for my level 12 AA with his paralyzing bow. A lot of those quests have narrow hallways and caves where I can lock down entire groups of monsters while the melee run around and get them one at a time. Have had some really annoyed clerics who wanted to be heal bots but had nothing to heal. (Another good reason to not build your characters with one singular focus)

[kurand]

When you get slayer arrows and ONLY during many-shot. Ranger AAs are still good TW fighters, get used to it.

18 AA and I use melee more often than I use bows.

One aspect of being AA tho is that I was able to solo the vale rares and whatnot at level 14.max spot and paralyzing bow worked really well in there.