I vote shortbow to start, primarily because the Tuigan Bow (3 APR) is available at the beginning of Chapter 2. You can get Tansheron's Bow (fires +3 arrows) soon after that, and eventually the Gesen Bow. As @CaptRory mentions, that one fires +4 lightning arrows that also deal *piercing* damage, which is awesome. Firetooth is situationally better, especially once you have whirlwind attacks that negate the APR disadvantage, but by the time you're at epic levels you can have pips in both shortbows and crossbows.
Crossbow and Short Bow in the unmodded game. Firetooth is absurdly powerful and you get it extremely early. Tuigan Bow is similarly strong and even easier to get.
Both also happen to provide you with the only +4 or higher enchantment munitions later on, via Firetooth and Gesen Bow.
With the Item Revisions mod (which I can highly recommend), go for Long Bows and Short Bows. Crossbows fall out of favor due to their APR limitations (reload time), while Long Bows receive some exceptionally powerful items (Strong Arm especially). Short Bows are needed only for enemies requiring +4 to hit (Gesen Bow once again).
Both also happen to provide you with the only +4 or higher enchantment munitions later on, via Firetooth and Gesen Bow.
There's the Sling of Everard, too, and K'logarath is another +4 ranged option. There are also a few ways to get a daily supply of +4 ammunition, but who needs that hassle? I agree that especially for an Archer, Firetooth and Gesen Bow are where it's at.
Yes there's other +4 options, but since this is about Archers, I didn't go into other weapon types. You could just use a melee weapon, too, for that matter.
Yes there's other +4 options, but since this is about Archers, I didn't go into other weapon types. You could just use a melee weapon, too, for that matter.
I know in BG1 my archer mostly switches to a couple of magic weapons if we run into something that needs magic to hurt. But if I was soloing as an archer I'd definitely be spamming magic arrows, they're too squishy in hand to hand since they lack the pips to be really effective.
@CaptRory The Archer will only trail behind the other Warrior classes by 1/2 APR (except for Fighters with grandmastery of course). However, as a Ranger, he gets two free pips in dual-wielding so can easily boost his melee APR. I think that the Archer's one pip restriction to melee weapons is a bit misleading, since the Archer still gains innate Warrior progression. It's not like he's a Cleric or Thief capped at 1 APR for 40 levels.
@Philhelm Going solo I feel there's enough of a challenge without handicapping yourself by trying to do a bunch of stuff in melee. An archer is best when shooting at stuff. Backed up by a party, sure, you can save magic arrows by killing stuff with magic weapons but if you're alone it seems that you should play to your strengths.
@CaptRory I would also only fall back on melee if necessary. My point is that he isn't all that squishy in melee just because of the one pip limitation.
Beholders: Shield of Balduran or low saves + Cloak of Mirroring Umber Hulks: Aeger's Hide or Lilarcor Vampires: Mace of Disruption +2 + Shield of Harmony
Mages are more varied, obviously, but Darts of Stunning + Called Shot (-1 save vs. spell, cumulative) is often very effective. It also helps that Firetooth with normal bolts or Gesen's Bow with normal arrows will simultaneously penetrate PfMW and Stoneskin.
Sure there are counters to every creature in the game but lets take the pack of dudes in the sewers for example. There's a full party of 6 with at least one Mage and one Cleric. Theres a Fighter that takes a long time to die even with 6 people smacking him. Theres an ax thrower that continually pummels you and a thief with potions. Like how can you deal with all of that at once with an Archer? Do you try and pull one at a time? Do you just wait till you can level faceroll them? One cast from the Cleric and you dont have control of your character anymore.
A solo character will gain levels far more quickly, which will help bring some balance to encounters. I haven't done a solo run, but I'm pretty sure people have soloed with every class available. It likely requires maximization of metagaming, potions, magic items, etc.
Now that you can easily switch from a two handed weapon to dual wielding, is there a melee weapon class that would work "best" for the archer? Something to use in a pinch throughout the series, and still viable into TOB? Before I would just take quarterstaff due to availability and quick weapon speed and then forget about it.
Yeah, I often put that encounter off for a while, and pulling them one-by-one certainly helps. The disabling spells that party has are Cloak of Fear, Hold Person, Domination, Mental Domination, Power Word: Stun, and Symbol: Fear. Peridan and Shield of Harmony (or potions or whatever) can stop all but Power Word: Stun. You need to make sure you stay over 90 HP until that's been cast. I don't think there's actually a Thief, is there? But yeah, it's a tricky battle.
Now that you can easily switch from a two handed weapon to dual wielding, is there a melee weapon class that would work "best" for the archer? Something to use in a pinch throughout the series, and still viable into TOB? Before I would just take quarterstaff due to availability and quick weapon speed and then forget about it.
Well, since all of the Rangers get two pips in dual-wielding for free, you'd probably be better off going that route. Bastard swords, long swords, war hammers, maces, and flails would all be decent choices. The silver lining of being restricted to one pip for melee weapons is that you can branch out your proficiencies better.
Klorox
Member Posts: 927
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There is no argument for longbows in BG2.
I almost want to say xbow but elemental is needed more in SoA than stuns.
Both also happen to provide you with the only +4 or higher enchantment munitions later on, via Firetooth and Gesen Bow.
With the Item Revisions mod (which I can highly recommend), go for Long Bows and Short Bows. Crossbows fall out of favor due to their APR limitations (reload time), while Long Bows receive some exceptionally powerful items (Strong Arm especially). Short Bows are needed only for enemies requiring +4 to hit (Gesen Bow once again).
Beholders: Shield of Balduran or low saves + Cloak of Mirroring
Umber Hulks: Aeger's Hide or Lilarcor
Vampires: Mace of Disruption +2 + Shield of Harmony
Mages are more varied, obviously, but Darts of Stunning + Called Shot (-1 save vs. spell, cumulative) is often very effective. It also helps that Firetooth with normal bolts or Gesen's Bow with normal arrows will simultaneously penetrate PfMW and Stoneskin.