[Single-Class Build] "Arcana Archer" (Ranger)

Hello everyone. 

 

I've wanted to create and play with a "Arcane Archer" for a while now. So first i made a Ranger/wizard hybrid but after a while i decided i wanted to make as much use of the Frostseeker bow as i could and for this i decided to go pure ranger and use a few Arcana scrolls for the "Arcane" feeling. The bow itself gives u a very arcane feeling on its own tho. In any case, this build is very simple, it uses Frostseeker bow with Twinshot skill + driving flight and avenging storm scrolls for massive burst dmg. The more targets we hit with the frostseekers small AoE on crit the better the effect so we also use Sparkcrackers, thorny roots and pull of eora scrolls to crowd enemies together and keep them there. This is extremely effective and i have prepared a showcase video to show you.

 

All gameplay recorded was on lvls 16-18

 

Enjoy:  

 

As for Abilities its very hard to go wrong because as a singleclass ranger u dont really have much variety but here is my abilities as of lvl 18:

 

 

Class Choice: Ghostheart Ranger with Boar pet. The boar is quite good at taking hits and as a ghostheart  i never have to care if he dies.

 

Race Choice: Heart Orlan for "Minor Threat" (5% hit to crit vs whoever is targeted by an ally, this works with pet as well)

 

Important Gear:

 

The Red Hand, get it and enchant it for "Unburdened Soul" and get 20 kills with it for a +20% dmg mod wich applies to your frostseeker bow and ur scrolls as well.

 

Frostseeker Obviously, ur main weapon.

 

DoC breastplate for +2 resources.

 

Acina's Tricorn, its Acc bonus applies to everything u use at range and not only the weapon. https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Acina%27s_Tricorn 

 

Ring Of The Marksman. Mainly for the +1 Pen with ranged weapons.

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Ring_of_the_Marksman

 

Firethrower gloves for Dex and Arcana boost. 

https://pillarsofeternity.gamepedia.com/Firethrower%27s_Gloves

 

Then feel free to mix and match.

 

Attribute Priority: 

 

Mig: Medium

 

Con: Low

 

Dex: High

 

Per: High

 

Int: Medium

 

Res: Dump

 

One could argue that a ranger does not "need" high perception, but those few extra points could mean the difference between a crit and a hit, and we really want to crit to proc the AoE blast on Frostseeker as much as possible.

We deal loads of small dmg numbers instead of few big ones so might is not overly important.

 

Drug of choice: Coral Snuff for action speed.

 

Important Skills:

 

Arcana atleast on rank 13 for Avenging Storm scrolls.

 

Stealth quite high to make it easier to sneak in and use sparkcrackers and crowd the mobs.

 

Other then that feel free to mix and match however u want em.

 

This build can be played solo wich is what ive done (but i havent finished the game with it) but it suffers on fights vs the very big HP enemies such as dragons and Nemnok because while the burst dmg is very high it is not enough to take down those big boys with the limited resources we have and the dps without resources is very weak on a ranger. So party play is recomended but solo potd is possible but hard at times.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Dorftek

where do you get unlimited supply of coral snuff? which vendor sells it?

where do you get unlimited supply of coral snuff? which vendor sells it?

The Alchemy shop in Perikis sells me everything I need except the gemstones for scrolls Wich I buy in Serpent's Crown

I think it was a mistake not to multi to the Wizard, the strongest class

 

Oh wait, you cast anyway, nvm. 

 

Good job, interesting stuff, as always Dorf. 

I think it was a mistake not to multi to the Wizard, the strongest class

 

Oh wait, you cast anyway, nvm. 

 

Good job, interesting stuff, as always Dorf. 

 

Thank you =) 

Yeah the wizard multi was cool too, Combusting wounds were strong with this setup BUT i found that it was still more effective to cast "pulsing" wizard spells such as the beam spells, the ice pillar thingie and chillfog etc etc so the bow was rarely used lol. Therefor i changed to a pure ranger to get twinshot since i could still use Pull of Eora with scrolls. In a party with a wizard companion who chimes in with combusting wounds this would be pure overkill

I was trying, in PoE also, to play as caster/weapon user with the idea that fist I soften up enemies with spells and mop up  in melee, but it always turned out that either I was buffing myself, maybe some CC, and going melee or just nuking with not much to finish off in melee. 

 

Ranger eh? gj indeed

 

How often you needed your pet? IMO the pet is very strong for solo but this build maybe does not need it like other multi Rangers (Monk, Rogue .. ). 

Edited July 9, 2018 by knownastherat

I was trying, in PoE also, to play as caster/weapon user with the idea that fist I soften up enemies with spells and mop up  in melee, but it always turned out that either I was buffing myself, maybe some CC, and going melee or just nuking with not much to finish off in melee. 

 

Ranger eh? gj indeed

 

How often you needed your pet? IMO the pet is very strong for solo but this build maybe does not need it like other multi Rangers (Monk, Rogue .. ). 

 

The pet is a useful thing even tho the pets dmg is crap it serves as an extra body who can engage a target and ontop of that it also serves as a acc buff for the ranger, +10acc when u are  attacking the same target as ur pet. I would not multi this build because Twinshot is what makes Frostseeker so badass. 

Given your experience, how do you think a Ghost Heart/Cipher would fare?

 

Asking for a friend.

Edited July 9, 2018 by gkathellar

Since Combusting Wounds is fire and Frostseeker's AoE is freeze - do they cancel each other out sometimes? In theory they should...

 

But I guess not because Frostseeker's AoE is not tagged properly. It will most likely not profit from Secrets of Time as well...?

Edited July 9, 2018 by Boeroer

This is a really cool build. I am definitely going to try it out.

Given your experience, how do you think a Ghost Heart/Cipher would fare?

 

Asking for a friend.

 

They fare very well, they are actually my favourite cipher multiclass atm. Painblock turns ur pet into a real tank and driving flight is great for building focus quickly. I recommend kitchen stove's Thunderous report for one instant full focus and then switch to Scordios Trophy with modal, in case of many weaker mobs frostseeker might still be a good weapon. Painblock actually heals ur ghost pet even tho the pet "cant be healed". U could also try using the ghost boar wich is the pet with the most HP and send him in to death with painlink on him =D

Since Combusting Wounds is fire and Frostseeker's AoE is freeze - do they cancel each other out sometimes? In theory they should...

 

But I guess not because Frostseeker's AoE is not tagged properly. It will most likely not profit from Secrets of Time as well...?

 

They do not cancel eachother out =) Its actually very effective 

 

Edit: Well honestly im not sure if it cancels the Dot, but the extra dmg from the combusting wounds trigger on the blast

Edited July 9, 2018 by Dorftek

Yeah - I guess because the Frostseeker AoE is not keyworded with freeze.

 

Casting Pain Link onto a Ghost Heart's animal companion is a nice idea.