The Kighter, an AA/Falconry/DWS Archer

[Silverhilt]

The name: The Kighter came from previously having fighter levels, however, this time I chose a more popular split, to fit in Snipershot for a better Boss Beatdown rotation! I went with Dark Hunter archetype for more sneak dice over base Ranger, eventhough I would have preferred the Ranger Favored Enemy choices - Can't have it all haha. I have kept the high burst from Slaying Arrows and it is very similar to my former iterations of the build. Still wisdom-based with CC options and Helplessness damage, just how I like it!

IMPORTANT U66 Update: SSG is changing how Hunt's End will work, and they are doing away with these huge bursts. It was a playstyle I built around, and I have refined the build for years. It seems all good things must pass, but therefore I cannot recommend this build anymore 8(
It was a playstyle that appealed very much to me and I am sad to see it go away. I will stay bow for my remaining Racial lives, but I cannot imagine bringing it to raids anymore. I will try a pure Monk Shuri-thrower for endgame, when I get there. Thanks for now!

My best hit ever! This was what I built for, but I couldn't have done it without massive debuffs 8)

Build Features:
138% Doubleshot +5% Shadow Arrows
340 Ranged Power +Boosting bow
101 Bird DC
64% Helplessness damage
27 Sneak Attack dice, 14 Bonus Imbue dice
3x12 Action Boosts (Ranged Power 30%, Ranged Power 20% & Sprint)
Trapper w/Fav. Enemy: Aberration, Human, Animal & Fey

Unbuffed stats on the ship

Stats:
08 STR
14 DEX (adjust for tomes, 19 dex by lvl15)
16 CON
12 INT
18 WIS + levels
08 CHA

Feats: (bonus)
01 Point Blank Shot, Ranger Dilletante (half elf)
03 Precision
06 PL: Rogue
09 Improved Critical : Ranged
10 Zen Archery (monk)
12 Adept of Forms
15 Improved Precise Shot
17 Improved Evasion (rogue)
18 Master of Forms
20 Opportunist (rogue)
21 Combat Archery
22 Holy Strike
24 Overwhelming Critical
25 Doubleshot
27 Imp Sneak Attack
28 Embodiment of Law
30 Watchful Eye
30 Scion of Arborea
31 Legendary Aim
Level order: Rog1 DH2-7 Rog8-9 Mnk10 Rog11-20

Enhancements:

Skills: (item/stance swap)
Balance 49
Diplomacy 70
Disable Device 55 (132)
Jump 58
Listen 69
Open Lock 71 (105)
Search 69 (143)
Spellcraft 59.5
Spot 97 (127)
Tumble 50 *1rank
UMD 57
Took way too much in Jump

Epic Destinies:

Spellpower:
Electric 617
Positive 471

DCs: (item/stance swap)
Bird 101 (111)
Paralyze 77 (87)


Reaper Trees:

Gear Set:

Weapons: Chaosbow (+3wis), Deadly Rain/Through the Mist swap
Boots: Osfield's Lightning Boots
Bracers: Leg Admiral's Wristwatch
Trinket: Leg Gem of many Facets (Vulkoors Might)
Neck: Leg Pendant of the Sea
Gloves: Leg Gloves of the Claw (Vulkoors Might)
Armor: Dread Stalker Dinosaur Bone Outfit
Helm: Dread Stalker Dinosaur Bone Helmet
Cloak: Leg Dread Stalker Cloak
Goggles: Leg Blazing Sniper's Sights (+3wis)
Belt: Lindals Mighty Belt
Ring: Leg Ring of Unnatural Accuracy(+3wis)
Ring: Dinosaur Bone Ring (Fili: +10RP +5RP +5RP)
Quiver: Epic Quiver of Alacrity

(Augment sets)
I also use Esoterica augment set when paralyzing, those I slotted into Dino bow, Onyx Ring and Attunement's Gaze
I also use Piercing Mind augment set when trapping, those I slotted into Collective Sight, Keylock Ring and Bow of the Elements(Air)

I was really torn between Dark Hunter or standard Ranger. In the end I went with the sneak atk, but if I was doing push raids Id probably prefer old Ranger for better FE options tailored to current bosses.

Thx for checking my build, I wish you lots of fun with it!
Link to build on old forums

 

[Pesh]

seeing your builds always makes me wish i wasnt such a slacker and would do some racials so i can get AA for free LOL

 

[Silverhilt]

Haha, yes Pesh! It is pretty great, although it isnt completely free for me yet. Maybe some time later

 

[Pesh]

I ended up taking a level of favoured soul for the battle trance to make my build work, i still use falconry for wis to damage and the blinding bird attack is great against reapers but it would be really nice to get either the AA capstone or the helpless dmg + fort reduction from falc.

 

[Silverhilt]

Yeah I really like the synergy in wisdom-based AA/Falc, I do not think I can go back to something else like a dex HW haha

 

[Silverhilt]

I also use Esoterica augment set when paralyzing, those I slotted into a spare Recruit Sigil, Onyx Ring and Attunement's Gaze

It just dawned on me, that I could switch the Recruit Sigil for a Pendant of the Sea, and keep Isle set when paralyzing. That should gain me some more DC while still keeping some damage! Will update OP when I make the switch, but currently on ransack

Edit: My plan backfired lol. Ofc Esoterica set removes the Isle set, so no DC increase there - Dont mind me... But then, I slottet Esoterica in my bow and lost wisdom +3 set (when paralyzing), but got +2 back from Profane Ability on Isle set which I get to keep. That is probably best for me atm. Lost 1 DC

 

[Ying]

316 Ranged Power +Boosting bows

Is your Ranged Power total with or without 15 stacks of Archer's Focus?
And what is "Boosting bows"?

 

[Silverhilt]

316 is Base, unbuffed in town and by Boosting I mean the Deadly Rain and Through the Mist filigree sets

 

[Rockcrusher]

Your notes up higher say: Level order: Rog1 DH2-7 Rog8-9 Mnk10 Rog11-20

Does Dark Hunter require Ranger @ level 1 or is it a choice at the time you pick the first Ranger level?

 

[Silverhilt]

Just from the time you take DH lvls. I wanted the free feats early and the Snipershot too. Its a choice yes

 

[Ying]

Paralyze 69 (83)

How effective is DC83 paralyzing arrows in Dread+ reaper content?

I also use Piercing Mind augment set when trapping, those I slotted into Collective Sight, Keylock Ring and Bow of the Elements(Air)

I'd recommend LGS T1/T2 for ease of attaining. And if you really want T3, it's still easier to obtain and provides more benefit than an aug set. No trap boxes in the game require 132 Disable, not even THTH traps.

Sigil of the Triumvirate

It's not apparent why you're using this minor artifact over a Dino one, where you'd get +1 filigree slot and +15 (rather than +14) to your primary stat. If you really want the insightful accuracy, Band of Insightful Command is an option.

Spellpower: Positive 541

Consider slotting a Good Luck augment in your gear and moving the 2 AP in Shiradi from Good Luck to Healing Spring and +1 Wild Empathy charge. Even without the recent change to Reaper self-healing, it's still useful.

Half-Elf AP

I personally am not a fan of Half-Elf just to access the AA tree, especially since you don't take any Dark Hunter enhancements. Those 14 AP could instead be spent in Elf or Wood Elf for 6% to-hit (hugely undervalued), some base dmg, with potential to grab another 6% doubleshot. The loss of FE: Construct (or FE: Outsider for reapers) and FE: Undead from Dark Hunter is a big enough deal to consider dropping DH entirely to go back to standard Ranger for them. Creature types with 100%+ fort is where you want the extra base damage rather than sneak attack dmg.

 

[Silverhilt]

How effective is DC83 paralyzing arrows in Dread+ reaper content?

Surprisingly effective. All numbers in my thread are unbuffed in town, so in reaper it is DC88, before things like Yugo pots. Now paralyze isnt my main focus, but I tried to get it as high as I could. With <90DC I cannot paralyze everything, but when running without a caster it can help in a pinch!

I'd recommend LGS T1/T2 for ease of attaining. And if you really want T3, it's still easier to obtain and provides more benefit than an aug set. No trap boxes in the game require 132 Disable, not even THTH traps.

I know it is overkill, but I do have the LGS and I even made a Trapper's Delight fili set, hence why so high.

It's not apparent why you're using this minor artifact over a Dino one, where you'd get +1 filigree slot and +15 (rather than +14) to your primary stat. If you really want the insightful accuracy, Band of Insightful Command is an option.

It is mainly for the accuracy, yes. And I also like the ins Deadly, as my Trance is only 1 rank and I am terrible at keeping it up full time That other ring suggestion could prove useful.

Consider slotting a Good Luck augment in your gear and moving the 2 AP in Shiradi from Good Luck to Healing Spring and +1 Wild Empathy charge. Even without the recent change to Reaper self-healing, it's still useful.

Good idea, with DH I only have the Curative Admixture so could probably benefit from this suggestion. I just dislike Vigor...

I personally am not a fan of Half-Elf just to access the AA tree, especially since you don't take any Dark Hunter enhancements. Those 14 AP could instead be spent in Elf or Wood Elf for 6% to-hit (hugely undervalued), some base dmg, with potential to grab another 6% doubleshot. The loss of FE: Construct (or FE: Outsider for reapers) and FE: Undead from Dark Hunter is a big enough deal to consider dropping DH entirely to go back to standard Ranger for them. Creature types with 100%+ fort is where you want the extra base damage rather than sneak attack dmg.

In the past, I chose Helf for the only source of RP boost (that was w/o DWS). This time I tried with 2 RP boosts for a theoretical really long, drawnout bossfight or just questing along. I kinda like Helf, but you are right, there are also advantages to elf and Welf, but then I would want more AP than the 91 I currently have.

I was really torn between Dark Hunter or standard Ranger. In the end I went with the sneak atk, but if I was doing push raids Id probably prefer old Ranger for better FE options tailored to current bosses.

Thank you for your comments!

 

[Ying]

I would want more AP than the 91 I currently have.

There's your motivation.

I was really torn between Dark Hunter or standard Ranger. In the end I went with the sneak atk, but if I was doing push raids Id probably prefer old Ranger for better FE options tailored to current bosses.

I struggled with Standard vs Dark Hunter as well. I ultimately chose DH for the sneak attack only because I picked up FE: Undead from Vistani Knife Fighting (relevant for Skeletons in the Closet) and FE: Outsider from Horizon Walker. I don't particularly care about FE: Construct right now, as LOB/MA are just farm raids I run for double threads.

 

[Morodell]

I use dws as well, maybe check this out:
change Stealthy to Improved Empathy (loosing 1 SA dice to wild empathy charges), and get healing spring from Shiradi, with 500+ pos sp it can be useful, 10 charges per rest is ok, and there is no heal pen in reaper when your party is out of combat...

 

[Silverhilt]

Thanks Morodell, I will look into it! I am doing some Dark Hunter lives atm, but will return to the build soon again

 

[Scrag]

On a low-count past life build with a +8 sup tome (stuck as pdk human), 80 enh points, how would you work this? Would +20 heart it.

Looking at what you have, going straight ranger gets me all the access to arcane archer without the spend in helf. PDK human gets me 1 extra feat (yay), gets me all the points in falconry/dws/aa, and 3 points to spend in human (action boost +1 stat boost?).

Would this work, and would I be able to support sufficient DCs to support the aa cc attacks?

Thank you!

 

[Silverhilt]

Hey Scrag, if you do my lvl split without Elven AA then you would not get the capstone for 20% Dblshot. I think that is fairly huge, but ofc you could do without it and still have 100+ You would get the Slaying Arrow and Sniper Shot for the good rotation cycle, at least. Or are you talking about a pure Ranger? If pure ranger then my AP setup would work without the racial AA, yes

The CC attacks are the Falconry Bird, and if you do wisdom based like me they will work pretty good!

 

[Scrag]

Hey Scrag, if you do my lvl split without Elven AA then you would not get the capstone for 20% Dblshot. I think that is fairly huge, but ofc you could do without it and still have 100+ You would get the Slaying Arrow and Sniper Shot for the good rotation cycle, at least. Or are you talking about a pure Ranger? If pure ranger then my AP setup would work without the racial AA, yes

The CC attacks are the Falconry Bird, and if you do wisdom based like me they will work pretty good!

I had not thought about the AA capstone and limited access to AA core.

It looks like this would only work as a pure ranger, which is disappointing because I love trapping. I was hoping for cake!

Thank you for your response!

 

[Marshal_Lannes]

How are you self-healing?

 

[Silverhilt]

How are you self-healing?

I play in parties, limited selfhealing. Althought I do have cure light admixture, scrolls and SF pots
Basically, I gave up on it since they "removed" cocoon. But as another poster pointed out, Healing Spring is now okay, so will try that