Introduction

Hello, my name is Faddler and I have been a silent part of the ArcheAge community since launch. I began playing archer classes since the beginning and I thought that I would share my personal build. These tips and tricks were self-taught over the long hours I have spent on this game. Literally countless. I have experience ranging from pirating, 1v1 arenas, Halcy wars, Hasla, castle sieges and just general open world PvP.

I will try to be as informative as possible and would love critiques in the comments.

Core Abilities + Passives

Archers are very simple classes that are very easy to begin playing but also allow you to grow in skill level. Their core abilities reflect this. I will explain the use of each ability and then I will talk about the passives.

ARCHERY:

- Charged bolt offers high damage while applying a slow. This ability is generally used for its damage and its slow in combination with , however it can be extremely effective in niche situations. When used against an already slowed target, charged bolt applies a stun. This means if you were to be with another archer, you could coordinate double charged bolts on primary targets to stun them. The other thing to note with charged bolt is the effectiveness bonus on already stunned targets. If you see someone stunned or you know it is coming up, try to use it to gain that extra 20% edge.

- Piercing shot offers a little less burst damage when compared to , but provides a bleed which makes up for this burst loss. When used on slowed targets, such as right after a charged bolt, they become slowed for double the original duration. The base value on the extended slow is 4 seconds. The ability is also extremely potent because of its combo with bloodthirst. When used with one or more stacks of bloodthirst on you, you dismount the target from anything as well as silence them for 0.5 seconds. This silence is effective for stopping a mage's cast or a healer from getting an antithesis off. The dismount is very effective at the sea when boarding a boat or when someone is mounted up to run away. Knocking them off of their positions is very useful. The other combos, poison and bleed severity are extremely small. The poison once only applies to damage over time and the damage over time of this ability does not tick very quickly. You can attempt to use them, but I find them marginal at best.

- Endless arrows is the filler ability used when your main damaging abilities are on cooldown. It generates a small amount of bloodthirst and deals a decent amount of damage, even more on slowed targets. This is useful for when everything is on cooldown and damage is still needed. One of the best things about archers in this game is the constant damage they can output, which this ability provides.

- A simple self-buff. Keep this up at all times.

- A ranged shackle that simply cannot miss. This ability is very strong as an opener out of your stealth because of the AoE shackle it provides. Nailing a fishing crew on a boat with this will render them physically useless for 3 seconds which provides ample opportunity to unleash hell. A very hard hitting ability too, however mana intensive. Use this as an opener into a group or to deal damage when a cast-time is safe.

- Another self-buff, this one is a bit less constant. Should be used whenever you're using anything other than endless arrows. It offers a huge amount of crit rate that ramps up over time. Another important thing about this ability is the fact that it grants immunity to fear. If a witchcraft user to edging towards you to get a shadowstep > banshee's wail, feel free to use this to keep that from happening.

+ - These two abilities should only be used together. When a proper set-up is used, a buffed snipe will deal an absolutely stupid amount of damage, which then can be followed up by other abilities like charged bolt and piercing shot. I'll talk more about this in combos.

SHADOWPLAY:

- Mobility that can be used as a gap-closer or a retreat. This ability allows for self-peel and is a trademark to most archer classes. Use this to catch up or jump to safety.

- A damaging ability, but should mostly be used to keep people from stealthing forever and increasing damage done to them while decreasing healing done to them. Has a very long range so it can be used long before your main damaging abilities.

- A damaging ability, just to be used for it's damage over time. Poison combos with a few other things but its damage is pretty pitiful. Useful to have, but should just be used like any other cooldown but with a lower priority.

- A crowd control that is extremely useful to use when put into the situation in melee range. If used on a marked target, you trip them which is mostly uncounterable. After using this ability, you should use drop back or something else to get right out of there. Mostly what it looks like, a stun or trip depending on the situation.

- Cloaks your presence and allows for you to surprise potential targets. Useful for dropping targeting such as if a mage is casting on you. Mostly just used to surprise or get away, it is also a simple ability.

- Used to reduce people in close range's ability to kill you. Should be used to peel for yourself.

- A simple self buff that adds agility which is damage, crit and evasion and also adds movement speed. Very useful for kiting melees or outrunning other archers.


AURAMANCY:

- Inflicts Shaken to nearby enemies and also grants a stack of Inspire. Inspire is the only part of this ability that matters at all. Paired with , you can stack up to three Inspire stacks which grant 8% attack speed each. Think of this as a builder for a buff, an attack speed buff.

- Used as a blink, similar to drop back but just goes the opposite way.

- A self-buff, more than a 10% HP bonus. Keep this up whenever possible.

- A random left or right teleport that should be used really to only escape. The unreliability of this teleport is not good for gap closing.

- This is a very long sleep that can be used to turn 2v1s into 1v1s or to set-up for + . That is the main use of this ability, to set up for snipe + deadeye's. This is a very strong combo and can absolutely destroy anyone, especially mages.

PASSIVES:

- Increased movespeed, important to kiting melees and outrunning archers/mages.

- Increases survivability by allowing the chance for you to dodge attacks. This could mean dodging a precision strike from a darkrunner, things that hit for more than half of usual archers' health.

- An extra range boost to give you a barrier from melees and so you outrange mages' cast range.

- Crit rate and crit damage, perfect for adding to archer burst, a part where they lack.

- A must have. 15% more damage is very strong and losing out on this would be foolish.

- If a melee is on you and you dodge one ability with , procing this allows you to dodge even more and most likely survive.

- More crit rate after critting. Damage is always good.

- Used to stack more than one Inspire with

Weapons, Lunagems, Lunastones

Will continue

Armor, Lunagems, Lunastones

Will continue

Difficulty

PvP Information, Matchups and Role

Will continue

Conclusion

Will continue