Ranged weapon for a thief?

SleeperAgent · Post by **SleeperAgent** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:26 am

After installing a custom kit called sharpshooter (Songs and silence kit mod) I am gonna start a character (Got bored with a goody chorister).

Trouble is, I have problem deciding whether to take 3 prof points into Xbow or short bow. If Firetooth is a heavy XBow I'll take short bow...but otherwise, I just don't know!

What d'ya guys think?

GNGSpam · Post by **GNGSpam** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:31 am

Short Bow, there are just a ton of quality Short Bows. You get one that has 3 shots a round pretty early on, the Tugian Bow from the Beastmaster. For a thief who can't specialize and therefore has a low attacks per round this is pretty huge. Combine with THACO enhancers like the Bracers of Archery and quality Arrows and you can make him a pretty solid contributer in combat.

If I were you, i'd put 1 profeciency in Short Bow, 1 in Short Sword, and 1 in Single Weapon Style. Then aim for (initially) Tugian Bow and Arabanes Sword. Backstab combined with Draw Upon Holy Might and then pull back and use the Tugian Bow, your thief will be pretty damn powerful early on.

SleeperAgent · Post by **SleeperAgent** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:52 am

[QUOTE=GNGSpam]Short Bow, there are just a ton of quality Short Bows. You get one that has 3 shots a round pretty early on, the Tugian Bow from the Beastmaster. For a thief who can't specialize and therefore has a low attacks per round this is pretty huge. Combine with THACO enhancers like the Bracers of Archery and quality Arrows and you can make him a pretty solid contributer in combat.

If I were you, i'd put 1 profeciency in Short Bow, 1 in Short Sword, and 1 in Single Weapon Style. Then aim for (initially) Tugian Bow and Arabanes Sword. Backstab combined with Draw Upon Holy Might and then pull back and use the Tugian Bow, your thief will be pretty damn powerful early on.[/QUOTE]

Thanks...except for my custom kit for thief can put 3 prof points into Short Bows/XBows and has poison weapon ability while having no backstab multiplier...

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 7:07 am

Still go short bow, tuigan bow at first, maybe tasherons bow that shoots phantom arrows, then finally gesen bow lightning arrows. Rarely need any ammo only early on

You could go crossbows later on after you max short bow because firetooth is a gem (i know jan sure likes it

). So, stick to short bows first then maybe firetooth later on. For your melee, id personally go longswords because blackrazor later on (if you take that route), and there are great beginning short swords. If you are in a party and someone else is using long swords, go short swords because the short sword of backstabbing +3 is pretty nice although it has no other abilities.

Deadalready · Post by **Deadalready** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 10:12 am

What I think you should do is go with the short bow route since they rock the pants, mostly because the tunigan bow is simply one of the best if not the best ranged weapon for the thief in SOA. The only problem is using a bow goes through a huge amount of ammunition, especially if your character is stupid enough to keep missing or hitting an immune creature, I always upgrade to the Tanshiron for convienience and the Lighting bow later on.

I think you should go with a staff and a bow, opting for a point into 2 handed weapon skill. If you go with a staff and a bow you can save a weapon mastery point and in the case of other thieves you could backstab, additionally you would reduce the attack speed of your character's attacks as well.

keaper · Post by **keaper** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:07 am

short bow

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 12:07 pm

Definitely short bow!

The Tuigan bow others have mentioned is great. It is one of the few early items I still have in my inventory by the time the end of the game rolls around.
Match it with various kinds of magical arrows and you're deadly!

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 1:53 pm

If youve got ToB, go to wk soon and get the quiver of arrows +1. Combine that with the 3 attacks per round of tuigan and you will be deadly.

SleeperAgent · Post by **SleeperAgent** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 5:15 pm

Hey, thanks.

I may go for short bows first then Xbows later.

SoA seems to have some truly beautiful Short bows so use Tuigan/Tansheron/Gesen depending on opponent (Immy can use throwing daggers and Vicky can use slings...hehehe)

FireLighter · Post by **FireLighter** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 8:41 pm

Heres a tip, tasherons phantom arrows can hit adamantine golems

Ive used that more than once on those fat door blockers.

TonyMontana1638 · Post by **TonyMontana1638** » Sat Oct 29, 2005 11:22 pm

Hate to sound repetitive but I would choose Short bow over any other ranged weapon. The Tuigan Bow you get early in the game remains very useful for a long time and there are just, overall, more good short bows.

SleeperAgent · Post by **SleeperAgent** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 2:52 pm

[QUOTE=FireLighter]Heres a tip, tasherons phantom arrows can hit adamantine golems

Ive used that more than once on those fat door blockers.

[/QUOTE]
Ya I know

they are useful throughout SoA... and Gesen can hit Demi-Lich, Demogorgon and ToB final boss...so going for Short Bows definitely.