Ranged weapon of choice for a Vanilla Fighter

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ajwz

"Dart" physically made me chuckle as an option.




poor dart

Dee

I voted for crossbow on a whim; I like the aesthetic of it.

I don't think there's any reason to pick up Shortbow unless you're planning on having a low Strength.

hummer010

Longbow or Crossbow for the same reason as Aosaw.

I keep meaning to go with a crossbow at some point just to use the one you can get from Aldeth's brother in BG.

Felspawn

Crossbow because everyone and their mom uses a short/longbow

Gallowglass

The game contains 2 good longbows, 2 good crossbows, 1 good shortbow, and various useful darts. What your Charname Fighter ought to choose really depends on which NPCs you're planning to take along, since they usually come with their ranged weapon already chosen, so you'll want your Charname to use something which your other guys don't need.

I usually find darts in rather short supply, so I don't want more than one dart-user (or none), and that's likely to be one of the non-warriors because several classes (Mage, Thief, Monk, Druid) can use darts.

The good shortbow is often the best ranged option open to a Thief or Thief/Mage, so again it tends to go to a non-warrior.

Thus for a warrior Charname, it's usually going to be the case that either Longbow or Crossbow is the logical choice. More often Longbow makes the most sense, since there's a better range of arrows than of bolts. However, if you're taking a couple of other arrow-users but have no-one else firing bolts, then let them use the arrows and go with Crossbow for yourself.

AHF

I am doing a run through right now with a F/T who is focused on daggers. Thrown daggers are very effective with the stat bonuses. Getting High Mastery only makes that more so.

By 7th level you will have 3 attacks per round and do 1d4 + 2 gauntlets + 7 for STR + 4 for HM. That is 42-51 ranged damage per round. You can then melee with the Dagger of Venom and an offhand weapon.

All that said, I would go with Longbow purely for the dispelling and exploding arrows but you can do that effectively without spending any proficiency points if you want.

Gallowglass

hummer010 said:

I keep meaning to go with a crossbow at some point just to use the one you can get from Aldeth's brother in BG.

It's not always as useful as it looks. The Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy +5 is mainly beneficial to crossbow-users who don't have a very good THAC0, because its enormous +5 to THAC0 will regularly turn a miss into a hit. For warrior classes, who should quickly gain a good enough THAC0 to be able to score a hit without so much help, the Light Crossbow of Speed +1 is more advantageous because its extra attack per round will regularly be an extra hit.

Goddard

You missed throwing daggers and axes.

Awong124

A case could be made for darts, since I think it allows you to equip a shield. Same with slings I think.

the_spyder

This is kind of a race specific question. Well, for me it is.

For me, dwarves and gnomes use crossbows, Elves and humans use longbow, Halflings use sling and half orcs use throwing axes. Oh, and wizards use darts or slings but the thread is about fighters.

AHF

Awong124 said:

A case could be made for darts, since I think it allows you to equip a shield. Same with slings I think.

The shield is also usable with daggers (and I think with axes). The advantage with daggers over axes and slings is APR. Slings, axes and daggers all get the strength bonus, which is significant for ranged weapons.

Kamigoroshi

Throwing axes. But when in doubt, throw the halfling. Or throw the halfling who throws throwing axes while himself being thrown at the same time.

deltago

Throwing Axes is my real vote IF you are tanking with a high STR.

This allows you save pips and choose your fighting style of choice early instead wasting them on a range weapon you may hardly use. There is also a throwing axe +2 that returns to the user in the game somewhere so you won't have to lug a bunch of them around.

If it is only out of the choices you provided, Composite Longbow is the way to go with vanilla fighter for DPS

Wowo

Dagger. 1d4 base +2 specialisation +strength thrown twice/round makes for the most damaging non-magical ranged weapon available and a solid melee option as well.

Wanderon

A few things I would consider before making that decision might be:

What melee weapons will he use - S&S makes switching to a two handed ranged weapon more difficult while two handed melee fits well with them.

How much am I going to use ranged weapons vs melee - if a lot then going for the best makes sense (longbow=best overall IMO for BG1) if only in certain situations then it makes less difference so a S&S warrior might consider darts (or sling) becuase it's easy to switch.

Finally what are my party members using - may as well plan to make use of as many of the good ranged weapons as possible so if I have a thief who is likely to be using short bow and there's only one exceptional one in the game another choice would be more suitable and so on...

In other words nothing difficult is ever easy... ;-)

Frosty

Don't underestmate darts, there amqazingly fast you will start with 7/2 attacks and becomes 4 attacks veray qickly.

atcDave

Frosty said:

Don't underestmate darts, there amqazingly fast you will start with 7/2 attacks and becomes 4 attacks veray qickly.

The main reason I never do darts is just inventory management is such a pain!

OzzyBotkins

A Human Female Fighter named Angela Thann use to play Darts with her BFF (Bhaal Friend Forever)
Imoen at Winthorp's Inn all the time

Severon

ajwz said:

"Dart" physically made me chuckle as an option.
poor dart

Zal, the fastest dart thrower would like a word with you.

[Deleted User]

I like crossbow, because the excellent ranged-attacking NPCs already use bows, and hardly any of them have crossbow (with the ones who pick it up automatically at higher levels being melee-focused). Light Crossbow of Speed is only slightly worse damage-wise than the Composite Bow +1, and bolts of lightning do amazing damage and can be bought in bulk from a couple of stores.

Delvarian

Kaigen said:

I like crossbow, because the excellent ranged-attacking NPCs already use bows, and hardly any of them have crossbow (with the ones who pick it up automatically at higher levels being melee-focused). Light Crossbow of Speed is only slightly worse damage-wise than the Composite Bow +1, and bolts of lightning do amazing damage and can be bought in bulk from a couple of stores.

Garrik uses a crossbow...nuff said

[Deleted User]

Delvarian said:

Kaigen said:

I like crossbow, because the excellent ranged-attacking NPCs already use bows, and hardly any of them have crossbow (with the ones who pick it up automatically at higher levels being melee-focused). Light Crossbow of Speed is only slightly worse damage-wise than the Composite Bow +1, and bolts of lightning do amazing damage and can be bought in bulk from a couple of stores.

Garrik uses a crossbow...nuff said

So like I was saying, no competition for the Light Crossbow of Speed from your party.

Djimmy

Longbow or Darts. Should I say it again? Darts of stunning.

Eudaemonium

I like the aesthetics of the crossbow. I'm running a Lawful Evil Fighter/Assassin Dual (edited of course) who uses Quarterstaffs, Crossbows and Longswords, and I love her style. She's probably my favourite PC so far. Though I am very fond of my NE Skald (Shortbows), and I have a CE Thief/Cleric of Talos Multi (Lightning!) in the just-out-of-Candlekeep stages.

I just think crossbows are awesome. I don't really have a sophisticated argument.

Nifft

Djimmy said:

Longbow or Darts. Should I say it again? Darts of stunning.

Stunning and Wounding are both fantastic darts.

Wounding is like poison, but more effective.

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Archaos

I know that Longbow is the best option but I think that a Crossbow fits a Fighter much more. I prefer Longbows on Rangers. So it's more of a thematic preference than anything else.

Realistically speaking, one shouldn't be able to handle and fully draw a Longbow in Plate. While someone in leathers or medium armor is better at it.
Also historic guards or knights or whatever (can't remember exactly) were using a Crossbow for it's ease of use.

Again, this is just thematic-wise. I just think that plate armor and crossbows fit better.

toanwrath

Unless you want to compete for the title of fastest dart thrower in the west, I say Longbow. If low Strength, short bow. If ridiculously high strength and planning on being part cleric or Druid, sling. Crossbows and I don't go well together, but I understand that some people really like them.

Moomintroll

How will you choose? If it was me I'd be juggling between an industrious dwarf with a lust for finely tooled crossbows, a pesky dwarf with a short bow, or a mighty dwarf straining the sinews of a great longbow. All have their attractions.

Dart=toothpick

PawnSlayer

Depends if you're playing through to TOB or not. If you are, then you're SOL when it comes to taking on enemies with a Longbow due to the shortage of arrows that can hit at +3 and absence of anything above that. That leaves three options - Tansheron's Shortbow, Shortbow of Gesen, or Firetooth Crossbow. The latter is the only one that can be upgraded to +5 and hits hardest of the three, so it's what I recommend.

If this is only a BG1 playthrough, then Longbow.