Archer gear

[coolpenguin410]

I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of some good, end-game archer gear. Preferably, non-epic stuff. Epic quests just aren't my cup of tea. I don't mind acquiring epic level gear via challenges or the cove, I just don't like playing epic quests.

My ranger is a Halfling Deepwood Sniper. His current "ranged gear" consists of the Bow of Sinew, the Quivering Quiver and the Howling Bracers. I'm aware that the leather version of the Black Dragon armor and the Quiver of Alacrity have a bonus to ranged attack speed. Is there anything else I should be striving for?

Disclaimer: I am well aware of the gulf of DPS between ranged and melee. My character is additionally built and geared for melee. This is purely for fun.

Thanks for any help.

[unbongwah]

Why DWS? AA beats it by a wide enough margin to be worth the extra feat cost.

[Grifarr]

Both times I have TRed my AA I have been very happy to get back to level 11 so I can equip my Bramble-Casters from Zawabi's Revenge.

http://ddowiki.com/page/Bramble-Casters

10DR against arrows and spears is very handy when exchanging ranged fire with enemies.

[Cyiwin]

Weapons Shipment has the mysterious bauble and the shimmering arrowhead. Both would be decent for a non epic ranger and the quest is ranged and solo friendly.

[coolpenguin410]

Why DWS? AA beats it by a wide enough margin to be worth the extra feat cost.

I prefer DWS over AA thematically.

Both times I have TRed my AA I have been very happy to get back to level 11 so I can equip my Bramble-Casters from Zawabi's Revenge.

http://ddowiki.com/page/Bramble-Casters

10DR against arrows and spears is very handy when exchanging ranged fire with enemies.

I can definitely see the benefits. I think I still prefer the extra damage from the Wind Howler bracers, though. Thanks.

Weapons Shipment has the mysterious bauble and the shimmering arrowhead. Both would be decent for a non epic ranger and the quest is ranged and solo friendly.

I forgot about the Arrowhead. I'll work towards that one next. Thanks.

[Autolycus]

I can definitely see the benefits. I think I still prefer the extra damage from the Wind Howler bracers, though.

Why not both? If I'm not mistaken, the Bramble Casters equip to the hand slot and the Wind Howler bracers to the wrist slot.

[Grifarr]

Why not both? If I'm not mistaken, the Bramble Casters equip to the hand slot and the Wind Howler bracers to the wrist slot.

They do.

[coolpenguin410]

Why not both? If I'm not mistaken, the Bramble Casters equip to the hand slot and the Wind Howler bracers to the wrist slot.

Because I was thinking they were both bracers.

[shadowspeaker]

I have been looking for ways to improve my Mechanic's Pew pew here are some tricks/tips I have found:

You migt also look at the bows from the Cannith Bow of the earth could have some uses (+5 Enhancement Bonus, Acid Burst, Greater Acid Arrow, Greater Stone Prison, Improved Destruction, Disintegration, Greater Acid Resistance )-8 AC -8 fort can be stacked up very quickly with a multi shot.Effect: Enemies struck by this weapon find it difficult to dodge blows. Destruction reduces Armor Class by -2 and Fortification by 2% every time this effect hits an enemy, up to a maximum of -8 Armor Class and -8% Fortification. These effects now have a duration of 20 seconds each. No saving throw

Frozen Tunic- (Freezing Ice) works with ranged attacks
This Weapon stores the pitiless immovable powerof the ice deep within. When this weapon is used, this power occasionally comes to the surface, attempting to freeze an enemy solid and encase them in ice.
◦ 5% chance of Freezing Ice encasement
◦ Fortitude save DC of 35, Freedom of movement blocks it
◦ Has a duration of 9 seconds, no recurring saves
◦Target is immobilized, and helpless (monsters take +50% damage from all sources.)

Ring Of the Stalker (man slayer)- works with ranged attacks
* Vorpal effect
Ring of Lies - (deception) works with ranged attacks
* This weapon is hard to focus upon and thus provides a +3 enhancement bonus to Bluff checks. In addition, Deception weapons have a chance to envelop the target in darkness, making them vulnerable to sneak attacks for a short time.

[Brennie]

Important items to my AA-

• Minos Legens - Standard stuff, gets you your fort and some HPs to boot (HPs ALWAYS handy on a Ranger)

• Tharnes Goggles - Sneak attack works on ranged (within a certain distance... which DWS extends i believe? Synergy!)! Plus true seeing. These are the best freaking things right here...

• Wind Howlers/Tharnes Bracers/Bracers of the Glacier - Now, I'm a bit of a lewtHoarder, but lemme explain... Wind Howlers for everyday use, pretty obviously, Tharnes i use for incorporeals (Beats switching to a low DPS bow or having to swap to force imbue and back to slayer arrows), and Bracers of the Glacier work as both my Spellpoint item (Which i swap off after buffing) AND as a semi-decent melee bracer (For Harry fights, for example, Windhowelrs until manyshot wears off, swap to these badboys while meleeing and have almost guarenteed fireshield (cold)

• Bloodstone/Nimble Trinket/Stalwart Tinket (?) - Note the lack of Shimmering Arrowhead. yes, i have one, but no i don't use it. The attack boost doesn't seem to stack with out lovely Gilvenors, and possibly not WindHowlers, and crippling is... well... dumb. But i like bigger crits, extra hitpoints, perma blur and earthen guard and all that stuff, as appropriate.

• Gilvaenor's Necklace/Lorriks Necklace - Lorriks is just a SP/Wis6 placeholder that no one else wanted so i yoinked at the end of a Hound. My position on wisdom items on rangers is that once you've buffed you can pretty much remove em, just like spellpoint items. Unless you are geared to blue-bar heal midcombat, which i find makes little to no difference on MY ranger, but your mileage may vary. And GIls... well, that set is just beautiful, what with the STACKING attack speed increase and all

• Gilvaenor's Ring/Epic Ring of the Buccaneer/Utility rings - Gils ring, obviously awesome. I slotted +2 strength on mine (woo). Ring of the bucanneer is essentially JUST for the +7 dex, though its otehr benefits aren't shabby. And utility rings include Seal of Earth, neutralize poison clickies, etc etc, so on and so forth.

• Striding Boots/Madstone Boots - I don't recommend madstone as "always on" wear for the out-and-about modern Ranger. Proccing at inconvenient times tends to mean its difficult to use clickies, refresh buffs, or heal between fights. I do use it as part of my "Big bad boss" gearswap, along with the Glacier bracers. Swap, swap, click, swap, click click, ITS GOTIME!

Gloves have been hit or miss for me. Right now, Epic Brawling gloves for +7 strength, but i feel that is kinda wasteful. Tinkers gloves for seeker +2 might happen, if i get a belt/ring ToD set running that covers my strength needs. Only the future can tell!

Note that this is NOT an optimal set up, just my set up. And now onto bows and bow flavors! My favorite!

• LitII - You know it, you love it, you put force ritual on it. Ironically, although i love this bow, it feels like a lot of its "oomph" comes from lit strike, whichI only ever care abotu on bosses. So boss beater? Absolutely! Trash mobs... usually i have something else in mind.

• +1 Paralyzing of Pure Good (Icybursted) - Incredibly useful while leveling, not as much at endgame (Though some enemies have notoriously low will saves *coughGnollscough*)

• +1 Holy of Disruption (Icybursted) - Will upgrade to Triple Pos once i get back into Shroud range

• +1 Metalline of Smiting (NOT icybursted) - Could potentially have a better prefix, but i find it useful. Laxk of Icyburst just for Von5 (Also cause low level ice damage doesn't work on a lot of Constructs anyway... though there are those swamrs of warforge in the Cannith places... hrmmm)

• +1 Banishing of Pure Good (Icybursted) - I use this more than LitII, i think. There are SO VERY MANY outsiders, especially in endgame content. Pewpew!

• +1 Holy of Improved Destruction - Was primarily for epic Malicia, but with new changes might see more generalized use. +1 Improved Shattermantle of Improved Destruction, or Improved Cursespewing... whatever, Utility bows, woo!

• +1 Metalline of Pure Good - General purpose DR breaker, when i don't feel like messing with special arrows.

I know i have more. I'm blanking on them. Also: Why +1s? Cause +5 AA arrows are awesome, and it lowers minlevels for TRing, makes repairs cheaper, and allows for better prefix/suffixs \o/

While I DO have Bow of Sinew, i don't... particularly... use it. I have trouble finding situations where it would work better than other bows i have.

Also note - i do not have black dragonscale or quiver of alacrity. According to extensive testing I have seen previously on teh forums, ranger capstone DOES stack with everything else, Gilvaenor's DOES stack with everything else, but the quiver/dragonscale does NOT stack with each other or with Haste. As such, Black Dragonscale feels like a waste fo a slot, and the quiver... well its still just hard to get. Harder, now that its universally useful to everyone via its upgrade.

Hope any of that helps!

[coolpenguin410]

Lot of good information there Brennie and shadowspeaker. Thank you.