Question on class effectiveness (not build advice)

[Nerdynick]

So a thought occurred to me: Tome of Battle was the "fix" for martial classes, but it doesn't have anything to offer for archers from what I've seen (I haven't sat down and *really* examined the book yet). I know that martial classes were considered pretty bad, but does that mean that Archers suck too? (since they didn't get a "fix" in ToB)

You'll also have to excuse me for being unfamiliar with the Tier system, I only know what I've picked up from context clues.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Archery is a tough combat style to make work, yes. There's a few homebrewed Tome of Battle disciplines that focus on archery, but that's about it, really.

[excruciarch]

They made a good prc for archers actually. Order of the Bow initiate (CW).

[Urpriest]

They made a good prc for archers actually. Order of the Bow initiate (CW).

...y'know, it's very hard to detect sarcasm on the internet.

[Lord Ruby34]

Well archers did get one feat to make them feasible(ish). It's called Swift Hunter.

[excruciarch]

...y'know, it's very hard to detect sarcasm on the internet.
It's not my fault that they consider bows auxiliary weapons. %)

[gorfnab]

Well there is this nice Archery Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=642.0) that shows a few ways to make archers effective.



You'll also have to excuse me for being unfamiliar with the Tier system, I only know what I've picked up from context clues.
Tier System For Classes (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5293.0)

[Draz74]

Yeah, there are a few optimization tricks that can make archery quite viable, but they're certainly more complicated than the out-of-the-box optimization that Tome of Battle provides for melee.


Factotum with Knowledge Devotion and Manyshot
ClericZilla with Zen Archer
Any full caster that can achieve Polymorph (Arrow Demon) shenanigans
Bard with Dragonfire Inspiration
Swift Hunter with either Greater Manyshot or a Cleric dip for Travel Devotion
Re-fluffed magical ranged attacker (e.g. Warlock, Warmage, or Totemist with the Manticore soulmeld)
Possibly just a straightforward Psychic Warrior with the right magic items
Re-fluffed thrown-weapons build with some combination of Bloodstorm Blade, Master Thrower, and/or Boomerang Daze
(high levels only) a Warblade/Eternal Blade who just focuses on the small number of maneuvers that work with ranged attacks (defensive counters, Dancing/Raging Mongoose, Time Stands Still)