Just switched to Archer. I plan on Sniping and I tried to follow a guide, but I am MTP starved keeping up with my Spells and what I also need to hunt. Perception/Ambush which do I need to aim and hit my target? I have only hunted once since I switched over from TWC to this and I do not seem to be hitting the EYE as much as I used to with my blades. I have 305 AS with my present longbow and store bought arrows and when my weeds and sounds take down the Defenders/Workers I never miss, but I do not seem to be hitting often nor killing them when I do hit them in the eyes.
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 120 30
Combat Maneuvers...................| 147 47
Ranged Weapons.....................| 198 98
Ambush.............................| 185 85
Multi Opponent Combat..............| 20 4
Physical Fitness...................| 147 47
Dodging............................| 147 47
Arcane Symbols.....................| 25 5
Harness Power......................| 147 47
Spiritual Lore - Blessings.........| 5 1
Spiritual Lore - Summoning.........| 5 1
Survival...........................| 140 40
Stalking and Hiding................| 150 50
Perception.........................| 196 96
Climbing...........................| 120 30
Swimming...........................| 120 30
First Aid..........................| 90 20
Trading............................| 15 3

Spell Lists
Ranger.............................| 47
Training Points: 44 Phy 0 Mnt (306 Phy converted to Mnt)

Perception and Ambush both help directly with Ranged AS, even if you're in the open. Keeping them 2x on open archers is still important. It doesn't help with your Aim, but helps with hitting.

https://gswiki.play.net/Ranged_Weapons


However, open archers don't need CMANs

Radeek was an open archer almost from day one (he didn't become a sniper until well past cap). Pure open archer...no lores, no Stalk and hide, no MIU or Arcane Symbols. He loaded up on EVERYTHING archery related. He stayed in FGB until around level 70. He had enough CMAN's to sweep in the bowels and that's it. He was always a fantastic skinner so I did train as much as possible on FA and survival.

You can do quite well as an open archer, I know I did. I saved my sniping for my rogue. Yes, I know some of the ranger spells are geared towards sniping and it feels like a loss of TP's to have to train in those spells and not be able to make use of them, but my goal was to make Radeek as survivable as possible, and as strong as possible, both offensively and defensively. Anyone that has ever hunted with him knows he's pretty damn good with his longbow and it has always been the odd crit that kills him. I never missed sniping and I am actually considering fixskilling it into oblivion once again. It was handy against the knights and mages during the Talador war but I find I rarely use it anymore.

General Radeek Andoran
Drakes Vanguard
Defender of Wehnimer's Landing
Black Raider of the Mir'Sheq

Only the dead have seen the end of war - Plato

http://radeekandoran.blogspot.ca/

http://thetehirchronicles.blogspot.ca/

>>2x ambush is too expensive for a sniper before cap. Drop to 1x ambush and you'll be fine.

I think I fell into the same trap. Part of this is because I like both styles but at different times. When I hunt alone I almost exclusively snipe, but when I am out in a group or hunting with Elysia (bard) I tend to fire from the open in order to save her from getting targeted excessively (I also have a lot more DS than her, thanks to some great gear).

Is there a downside at all to 1x Ambush in a scenario where it's about 50/50 Sniping vs. open? My recollection on the combat calculations is that I would just lose some AS when hidden (but of course gaining 30 if Camo is up). Are there other downsides? This at level 61, so current ranks are somewhere around 124, where instead they will be 62.

I am still 2x Stalk/Hide + 2x Perception, but would drop to 1x Ambush.

I could sure use the points, because I am like 400 MTP converted to PTP at this point and am lacking things like MIU and I have LOTS of toys I could be using from the old days that no longer work due to MIU changes.

Sounds like if you drop 30 ranks (to only 90-ish ranks/1.5x), you free up a fair slew of points with relatively minor impact...
...and since those are doubled ranks, you get back the higher costs.

180p/180m probably goes a long way towards rounding out other skills. :)

>Is there a downside at all to 1x Ambush in a scenario where it's about 50/50 Sniping vs. open [at level 61]?

You'll lose 15 flat AS, as well as some slight aiming bonuses when hidden. In return, you'll free up 372/372 TPs. Use pure potions or such and you won't even notice the AS drop.

>So a level 40 archer switching from 2 to 1 loses 10 AS. Level 80 from 2 to 1 loses 20 AS.

Fixed.

>Cman smastery could help offset the lack of 2x plus the additional benefits that cman gives

Shadow mastery has no impact on AS or aiming, just your hiding bonus and your RT for hiding and sneaking.


~ Nuadjha, the Briar Fox

You inhale deeply upon your pipe, puckering your lips as you send out three rings of smoke before you, then puff out a small vine of smoke that darts right through all three which causes them to disperse in a hazy shroud!

I know I'm late on this.... but a few things that I noticed (my ranger was a sniper until fixskilling into OHE a few months ago):

-if TPs are tight, you can do without MOC. Four ranks aren't really doing much to help you anyway since you snipe when hunting solo and when hunting with a friend or group there shouldn't be a problem keeping all but the biggest swarms occupied. Even as a OHE user my ranger doesn't have any MOC at level 50ish and she doesn't miss it at all.

-I'd strongly recommend bumping S&H to 2x, you're already at a disadvantage when sniping cause rangers don't have access to CMAN VANISH. You don't want to fail to slip into the shadows when you NEED to be there and even with your spells you aren't going to be hiding as well as someone with 2x will without the spells.

-Where are you hunting that you need 30 ranks in swimming and climbing? I can see some areas where that much climbing would be beneficial so early, but you shouldn't need more then 15 swimming until your 70's.

-If your arrows aren't crit killing when you're hitting the eyes, your endroll isn't high enough to guarantee a crit kill from a puncture wound (sadly, there will always be the occasional slash crit that doesn't kill). You'll either need to use your spells to reduce your prey's DS or find a way to increase your AS. Remember that the enchant of your bow and the arrow you're using stacks up to 10x, so if your bow is below 7x you're missing out if the store bought arrows you're using are below 4x. If you don't want to take up fletching, plenty of playershops sell 4x arrows and most merchant events have a shop with 4x arrows you can stock up on (if your bow is 5x or below, I'd recommend making or buying master fletched faewood arrows since those are 5x)

Starchitin

A severed gnomish hand crawls in on its fingertips and makes a rude gesture before quickly decaying and rotting into dust. A gust of wind quickly scatters the dust.

>> 5 is "hit two in melee (and now UAC)", and 10 is "reduce one FvF." Those are good breakpoints. 4 is nothing.

For accuracy, 4 gives you 40% of "reduce one FvF" which is something. Every rank contributes towards Force on Force fractionally.

-- Robert

You gesture at a colossal glaes-covered meteor.
The scream of tortured metal echoes around you as the lightning bolt strikes a colossal glaes-covered meteor.