ANOTHER Archer Kensii. But slightly differenty take

[WolfSpirit]

First off. I know Ranged Combat is borked. I know it better than most. So PLEASE don't come in and post that nonsense. Cause I already know already!
This was an idea I wanted to look at far outside the box. I'm SURE for elven AA the Bard works best. But I wonder...
AA Kensi vs Ranger AA.
Who has the better dps?
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Though no big heals or raises, The FvS approach does offer much self sufficency.
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Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
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Elven Arcane Archer
Level 20 Lawful Good Elf Male
(18 Fighter \ 2 Favored Soul) 
Hit Points: 318
Spell Points: 385 
BAB: 19\19\24\29\29
Fortitude: 16
Reflex: 14
Will: 8
                Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             15                    23
Dexterity            18                    20
Constitution         14                    14
Intelligence         10                    10
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma             10                    11
                Starting          Feat/Enhancement
               Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance               6                    16
Bluff                 0                     3
Concentration         2                     5
Diplomacy             0                     3
Disable Device        n/a                   n/a
Haggle                0                     0
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                  4                     5
Intimidate            0                     3
Jump                  4                    28
Listen               -1                     1
Move Silently         4                     5
Open Lock             n/a                   n/a
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                0                     0
Search                0                     2
Spot                 -1                     1
Swim                  2                     6
Tumble                5                     6
Use Magic Device      n/a                   n/a
 
Level 1 (Favored Soul)
Feat: (Diety) Favored by the Silver Flame
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
 
Level 2 (Favored Soul)
 
Level 3 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Point Blank Shot
Feat: (Selected) Rapid Shot
 
Level 4 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons
 
Level 5 (Fighter)
 
Level 6 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Precise Shot
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Specialization: Ranged Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost I
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost II
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Attack I
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy II
Enhancement: Favored Soul Life Magic I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Energy of the Scion I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Charisma I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I
Enhancement: Favored Soul Wand and Scroll Mastery I
 
Level 7 (Fighter)
 
Level 8 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Bow Strength
 
Level 9 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Arrows
Enhancement: Kensei Longbow Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei I
Enhancement: Fighter Item Defense I
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength II
 
Level 10 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Manyshot
 
Level 11 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Elven Ranged Damage II
 
Level 12 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Dodge
Feat: (Selected) Mobility
 
Level 13 (Fighter)
 
Level 14 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shot on the Run
 
Level 15 (Fighter)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
 
Level 16 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Specialization: Ranged Weapons
 
Level 17 (Fighter)
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Acid Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Explosive Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Force Burst Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Terror Arrows
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei II
Enhancement: Fighter Longbow Specialization I
Enhancement: Fighter Shortbow Specialization I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +2 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +3 Arrows
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +4 Arrows
Enhancement: Fighter Strength III
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness II
 
Level 18 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Greater Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons
Feat: (Selected) Superior Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons
 
Level 19 (Fighter)
 
Level 20 (Fighter)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons
Enhancement: Fighter Attack Boost III
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Imbue Slaying Arrows
Enhancement: Kensei Longbow Mastery II
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy III
Enhancement: Fighter Kensei III
Enhancement: Fighter Longbow Specialization II
Enhancement: Elven Arcane Archer: Conjure +5 Arrows

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Does anyone have THE best dps available via Archers plotted out? I couldn't find a really doable one.
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Another Odd Idea: Pure Elven Favored Soul Arcane Archer. But thats alot of needed Feats to be effective, would that totally Bork the healing aspect or would it be sufficent...
Thoughts to think about.

[daniel7]

I have some thoughts about AA fvs. An elven AA fvs would be awesome for solo or certain party configurations. Kiting mobs through BB would be very effective when soloing or playing with other kiters but would highly annoy most parties.
Several months ago (before fvs and AA were developed) I created a thread about two man parties. I think an AA fvs would pair well in many duo situations...AA FVS paired with a caster or another archer was my immediate thought.

[Angelus_dead]

This was an idea I wanted to look at far outside the box. I'm SURE for elven AA the Bard works best. But I wonder...
AA Kensi vs Ranger AA.
Who has the better dps?
-
Though no big heals or raises, The FvS approach does offer much self sufficency.

Bard is a far better splash (to qualify for AA) than a few FVS levels:
1. The Bard can qualify with mana enhancements instead of MT feat.
2. The Bard gives you UMD skillpoints so you can have Heal scrolls.
3. Two levels of FVS casting give you around nothing.
4. Low-level bardsong can be helpful in those times you have no bard.

[Therigar]

An elf kensai (longbow) fighter arcane archer with full range of elf longbow enhancements if built around STR and not around DEX that also takes the full TWF feat line for melee situations offers the most potential damage against non-favored enemies when compared to an elf arcane archer ranger.

When looking at the ranger's favored enemies it becomes a question of whether damage from STR, kensai weapon and various weapon specialization enhancements overcomes damage from favored enemy status. Just a quick look indicates that this is in fact possible as a ranger will gain +4 against specific opponents while the fighter can gain +5 against all opponents and can also pick up +3 STR for another +1 or +2 points of damage.

Where this breaks down is when you are forced into melee. Without the kensai weapon bonuses it becomes more difficult to stay on par against a ranger's favored enemy. At best you can gain +3 from enhancements. But, because of the STR difference the kensai fighter arcane archer ought to be able to hold even or move slightly ahead.

So, now it all comes down to tempest on the ranger's side. In melee the tempest ranger is going to come out ahead. However, the arcane archer ranger doesn't have the tempest line to help out. What they do have is ranged alacrity for a faster shooting rate at L20.

Ok, at L20 the ranger build wins out -- maybe -- because of more shooting. But until then the kensai fighter arcane archer should be superior.

Favored soul? Cute, and for some self healing maybe. Personally, I'd mix FvS with wizard in order to pick up short term shield, Merfolk's and jump spells. Nightshield and protection from evil come from FvS. Most important is opening the full range of wand use with the same mana pool.

Edit:

The problem is fitting in all the feats you need. How do you fit in all the archer feats and also all the TWF feats? How do you balance the need for various weapon specialization and weapon focus feats with the need to cover 2 different weapons.

That is where the problem lies. Taken by themselves it is easy to argue that the kensai fighter arcane archer will be superior. But, given that you inevitably have to fall back on melee at some point it becomes non-trivial trying to figure out how to fit in all the feats you need.

[Skyrender]

This guy uses a 32-point Half-Elf as the base. It's hardly optimized (just a rough draft, really), but you get the idea.

STR 34 (+12): 16 Base + 2 Tome + 6 Item + 3 Exceptional + 3 Enhancement + 4 Levels
DEX 30 (+10): 16 Base + 2 Tome + 6 Item + 3 Exceptional + 2 Enhancement + 1 Level
CON 22 (+6): 14 Base + 2 Tome + 6 Item
INT 10 (+0): 8 Base + 2 Tome
WIS 22 (+6): 14 Base + 2 Tome + 6 Item
CHA 10 (+0): 8 Base + 2 Tome

+2 Tomes used at level 7

Ranger 1: Bow Strength, XWP (Khopesh), Favored Enemy (Undead) (switch to Evil Outsiders around L10), Dilettante (Rogue)
Fighter 1: Weapon Focus (Ranged)
Ranger 2: 2WF, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot
Ranger 3: Diehard
Ranger 4:
Ranger 5: Favored Enemy (Giants), Mental Toughness
Ranger 6: I2WF, Manyshot
Monk 1: +1 STR, Toughness
Fighter 2: Improved Critical (Ranged), Improved Critical (Slashing)
Monk 2: Power Attack, EVASION!!!
Fighter 3
Fighter 4: +1 STR, G2WF, Weapon Focus (Slashing)
Fighter 5
Fighter 6: Weapon Specialization (Slashing)
Fighter 7: Precise Shot
Fighter 8: +1 DEX, Improved Precise Shot
Fighter 9
Fighter 10: Greater Weapon Focus (Slashing), Weapon Specialization (Ranged)
Fighter 11
Fighter 12: +1 STR, Greater Weapon Specialization (Slashing)

Elven Arcane Archer
Elven Arcane Archer - Conjure +2 Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Conjure +3 Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Conjure +4 Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Conjure +5 Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Acid Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Explosive Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Force Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Force Burst Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Terror Arrows
Elven Arcane Archer - Imbue Slaying Arrows
Fighter Attack Boost II
Fighter Haste Boost IV
Fighter Extra Action Boost I
Fighter Critical Confirmation II
Fighter Item Defense I
Fighter Kensei II
Fighter Khopesh Specialization I
Fighter Kensei: Khopesh Mastery II
Fighter Toughness II
Half-Elf Improved Dilettante (Rogue) II
Human Adaptability (Strength)
Racial Toughness II
Ranger Favored Attack I
Ranger Favored Damage II
Fighter Strength II
Ranger Dexterity II
Way of the Clever Monkey I



Main Hand: Mineral II Khopesh (Acidic, Good Burst, Good Blast)
Off-Hand: Mineral II Khopesh (Acidic, Good Burst, Heightened Awareness IV)
Ranged: Lightning II Longbow (Shocking, Good Burst, Shocking Blast)


Dragontouched Robe: +5 Resistance/+20% Healing/+3 Dodge
Arcane Archer set (IP: +2 DEX)
Frenzied Berserker Set (IP: +2 STR)
Tharne's Goggles
Tharne's Bracers
GS Gloves: Con Op (MDP/MON/MOP)
GS Helm: Mineral II (MEP/MEE/MEE)
GS Cloak: Lightning II (EEP/EEA/EEA)

Trinkets are open for choice, since there's no Green Steel Ioun Stone, lol. Good options include the Dusk Heart and Bloodstone (including the Epic variants of either one).

Boots are left unassigned intentionally, because you'll need to swap them out when going into the Tower of Despair, so you can't really put anything critical to the build there. Good options include 30% Striders, the Firestorm Greaves, the Golden Greaves, and the Kundarak Delving Boots (if you can get them).

[ArdanosMerrow]

To OP: you have 3 wasted feats, dodge, mobility and shot on the run are worthless here. Also debateable if improved crit: pierce is useful, since you can just use Min2 for your melee weapons.

Look for a max 19 Dex with +2 tome, if you want to take improved precise shot which allows multiple target shooting. Also, you should ignore caster stats and put the remaining points to str.

You have 2 options for kensei, either 12 ftr or 18 ftr. It depends on what you want to focus on, and how much you want to build around melee or ranged. A more balanced approach may be as the previous poster suggested, to focus kensei on melee while taking AA enhancements. This gives you decent melee capability while still giving access to the slaying arrows. However, you'll probably find yourself meleeing 80% of the time anyway, or using range all the time and being less effective than you could be. If you know that you want to be using ranged 95% of the time, no matter what, then you might as well focus kensei on ranged to be as effective as possible.

Whatever you do, just do the community of ddo a favor and if you get the boss's aggro don't kite it around for an hour and make the rest of the group swing at air. Take a hit or 2 while melee enclose him, then move out of his range