Archer..???

gnomethingy · Post by **gnomethingy** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 7:47 am

This, as you have probably guessed is a question about the Archer kit,

Im just getting up to the hla stage although im yet to receive one (Btw I still am in soa) ive got the grand mastery fix and my archer has 5 attacks with gesen / tansheron bow....

Considering that I have imoen memorise two improved hastes and im wearing the ring of gax for another three, is there any point getting whirlind attack since, when imped I have 9 attacks anyway and it lasts alot longer,

Is the extra 1 attacks worthwhile? If not, what other Hla should I choose?

serjeLeBlade · Post by **serjeLeBlade** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 8:16 am

Originally posted by gnomethingy
Is the extra 1 attacks worthwhile? If not, what other Hla should I choose?

Of course it isn't.
I'd suggest to go for that ability that makes all your attacks critical hits for one round ... I don't remember the name and I don't have the booklet at hand, sorry!
It should match excellently with your 9 attacks... you know... all hits, all double damage. Take the best out of these improved hastes!

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 9:30 am

Since you've got someone Improve-Hasting you, don't bother with WW or GWW. Take Greater Deathblow - with it you can insta-kill:

All lower-level demons, providing you use a weapon that can hit (insta-killed Irenicus's sidekicks in Hell)
Umber Hulks
Beholders, Gauths, and Elder Orbs
Mind Flayers, Ulitharids, and Vampiric Illithids

Take one or two Hardiness to help in tough battles, and some Critical Strikes for dealing with boss monsters.

MasterDarkNinja · Post by **MasterDarkNinja** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 11:49 am

actually deathblow doesn't work on most bosses and greater whirlwind gives you 10 attacks in a round so I say yes you should go for whirlwind, it's one of the best skills in the game.

JSPCHIEF · Post by **JSPCHIEF** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 12:09 pm

Archer Ability

Deathblow only works on lvl 10 and lower
Greater Deathblow works on lvl 12 and under

Critical Stike rarely works because most bosses have immunity to critical strike, plus you have to waste ability on lousy Smite and Power Attack

Resist Magic gives 50% resistance but doesn't stack with other resistance, so depending on your gear, it may not be worth much.

Tracking is an interesting Ability...It's quite useful in dungeon crawls (do I keep going around that corner, or do I rest?).

All that being said Whirlwind is probably still the best ability, just not that great for your Char. Just remember, with whirlwind you lose 4 points on your THACO and Damage. So upgrade to Greater Whirlwind as soon as possible to Avoid the penalty

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Tue Aug 27, 2002 10:57 pm

Regardless of the boss's immunities, Critical Strike guarantees a hit - with Critical Strike and Improved Haste, your archer becomes positively deadly. (To my annoyance, even a high-level archer still misses against bosses, reducing the effectiveness of GWW.) Plus, ToB bosses tend to summon help - making both Critical Strike and Greater Deathblow very useful even in the final battle.

Originally posted by JSPCHIEF
plus you have to waste ability on lousy Smite and Power Attack

You've got it a bit out of order - only Power Attack is required for Critical Strike.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Wed Aug 28, 2002 1:04 am

i'm hurt...soj has been around long enough to have read my first posts about g deathblow exploit...

cast and fire a frag grenade, from big metal rod, or plain crossbow, or arrows of detonation at a room full of mind flayers....

they all die instantly....

mindflayers, umber hulks, and drow, are all lv 12 and below...

and if you use an area effect weapon, everyone in area of effect all receive a g deathblow strike...if you no want to cheat in frag grenade, "CLUAConsole:CreateItem("secret03")"

try with jahirea created fire seeds...smaller radius, still fun....

hey, a frag grenade and g deathblow will kill ANY drow, and even wes's improved mindflayers will all fall down, except alaroon, only 2 in game...

works on every beholder except hive mothers...

works on all trolls except the giant ones got upgraded in latest sola mod...

and power strike is ok, not great...with area effect weapon, think symbol stun, same save penalty...smite is for fun...kinda cool to blow away all enemies...

Sojourner · Post by **Sojourner** » Wed Aug 28, 2002 2:59 am

@User -

Yes, I remember your posts about Deathblow, especially The ultimate fighter high level ability!!!! OMG!!! They die like roaches!!!.

I love using Greater Deathblow against Mindflayers - it even works against Mythikal (sp?).

I also use it against Drow (only fails against Drow clerics who cast Death Ward - "The Drow rule supreme - urp!"

).

It's also a great ability to use in the Maze level of Watcher's Keep - a lot of the demons fall to Greater Deathblow.

Ode to a Grasshopper · Wed Aug 28, 2002 3:01 am

I'd say grab one or two G Whirlwinds, for quickly disposing in melee of those rare enemies who get close to you (and at some point they will).
Other than that don't bother.

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Wed Aug 28, 2002 3:23 am

thank you soj...

(blush...)
bows and backs away from stage....

some things to watch out for, if you have low level members in party, you can insta kill them....

so thats how those darned drow survived....

wes's new fishhead city in sola mod are lv 13 saughin....kinda makes you think...did he do this just to foil my cheese???

he claims its to foil deathspell and cloudkill cheese, but really, you only need to raise level to 6 i think to foil cloudkill....

am i paranoid or what????

even without frag grenades, g deathblow will mow them down....

those high + arrows and bolts in watchers keep are great for that....

also, gnome, have you fooled around with the shield button cheese??

click on shield button, and click on a tank, send tank out of room, and close door, once the tank engages enemy, if enemy is in range, you can fire through closed door in support of tank!!!

in the gladiator pits for mazzy subquest, gorf the squisher, and druid grove, i typically have minsc guard cernd and mazzy,,,,the opponent never knew what hit them....

gnomethingy · Post by **gnomethingy** » Wed Aug 28, 2002 6:32 am

Just to clarify, ive got the ring of gaxx equiped and that comes with three improved hastes built in

Im using the gesen bow, but im lvl 23 now and in tob, ive got 5 stars in bow and 3 in crossbow, sometimes I use firetooth but not often (Just for troll disposal, ect)

Another question is...

I used the bracers of archery, with gesen bow
Then bracers of blinding strike with tansheron (I had no ring of gax for imp haste yet, and my mage hadnt found a scroll)

Then I picked up gauntlets of weapon skill for the +2 to damage, is this wise?

Btw, when I absolutly must mellee (Most monster die faster shooting them point blank) ie, many enemies on me.. Im using impaler couse even with my mooncy 16 strength it does ok dmg (bout, 12-15 +10)... Im planning to use upgraded foebane but until then is there anything better I could be using?

Stinkin hell! I had 21 dex, yes thats right.. 19 for elf, +1 tome in bg1, +1 lums machine and I lost a point! Ill hate the world forever now, for that
Is there any way to get the point back? do I loose my +1 hit/dmg for every 3 lvls if I turn neutral evil? couse I really dont care, being nice is alright, but being nice with 20 dex is just gonna piss me off

Thanks for the help....

Btw, are there anyother real anti archer nasties I should watch out for?

Are there any bows in the game (Other than gesen) That dont suck?

UserUnfriendly · Post by **UserUnfriendly** » Wed Aug 28, 2002 11:38 am

bracers imp haste lasts longer than gax...but you need a bag of holding to recharge bracers, whereas you only need gem bag to recharge gaxx....

you can recharge once a day items by quickly sticking in a gem bag or holding bag to get all your imp hastes back....

best short bow is gesen, best crossbow is firetooth..upgrade for more fun....

best long bow is probably heart seeker..not cause of bonuses, but cause of thaco boost you can activate...once again, you can stick in bag to recharge...

i dont think the gauntlets of weapons skills adds to ranged attacks...only meelee...

not sure...check in stats...

you get dex back in hell...how did you lose anyway???

gnomethingy · Post by **gnomethingy** » Thu Aug 29, 2002 7:19 am

You dont get the dex back in hell, becouse str and wis are your primes, not dex... Couse ranger is a warrior subby

Im lvl 24 in tob now, I went back and turned evil in hell so

to the universe, and no I dont loose my called shots or +hit dmg unless my rep goes to low (Woo-hoo)

I do about 24 dmg 1-8 lighting per shot, not bad.. 9 attacks per round and with critical strike I *never* miss

Another thing would be this...

Im weighing the Gesen Vs upgraded Darkfire bow...

Darkfire bow is speed factor 2 gesen is 4...

Im getting to the point where every enemy is immune or resistant to lighting

In short.. What the heck does speed factor mean on missle weps and would it override the now reduced lighing?

monggo · Post by **monggo** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 5:07 am

i would probably stick with the gesen bow if i was you because it sounds as if you are shooting fast enough anyway

and one more thing gnomethingy did you miss getting the sekond ring of the gaxx or do you have both

gnomethingy · Post by **gnomethingy** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 6:54 am

Originally posted by monggo
i would probably stick with the gesen bow if i was you because it sounds as if you are shooting fast enough anyway

and one more thing gnomethingy did you miss getting the sekond ring of the gaxx or do you have both

I didnt pick Kangaxx before he tranformed becouse I think its cheap...

Imo, anyone who wants to do it.. fair enough, its in the game but I think one ring of gaxx is enough

Oh and btw.. THanks for the advice all, couse my Archer tore the game to shreds, im contemplating a solo archer now, might be a little hectic till I get speed boots but wth, still be fun

ARcheR_S_ · Post by **ARcheR_S_** » Thu Sep 12, 2002 12:47 pm

IMO the ARcheR rocks badly.

I myself play an ARcheR and I take most enemies out. I probably killed like 50% of all enemies (and every DRAGON)........while I have a party of 6.

My ARcheR is lvl 17 now I believe and he does 24 damage on average. I have a self-made item ( ode 2 Sojourner

)
Which has +4 and some immunities.
It makes my ARcheR a complete killing machine.......and he saves the party more then ones each fight..........together with Hear' Dhalis who dualwields CF and Kurosians katana we are devastating!

About Soloing: It is indeed very possible.......but u'll need the boots of speed asap, and that is another thing..........with the sewers and all

-ARcheR_S_