Martial Adept Archer?

[Zombulian]

Hey guys, so I've got an archer build bouncing around my head. I know what I'm doing after level 5 because it becomes a whole mess of PrC's, but the base classes keep being switched around as I try to figure out what I want to lead into those PrC's with. I have been considering shoving some Martial Adepts in there, full BAB is preferable, so I was thinking Warblade or Crusader. The build works with both Int and Cha synergy, so there isn't much of a difference there.

What I'm really asking for here is which maneuvers would be most beneficial for an Archer character?

[Vaz]

The Diamond Mind and Tiger Claw maneuvers have boosts that work well with Ranged; although likely you don't have the Initiator level for it, Raging Mongoose and Time Stands Still is well known; it works better with Eternal Blade for Island in Time; Hasted and with an additional attack from the archer feats, that's 8 Attacks per full attack, and the ability to nova for 4 Full Attacks in a turn, pretty dangerous, IIRC.

[Amphetryon]

If I recall, you can also do something with Blood in the Water and Ranged Crit-Fishing.

[Eldariel]

Instant mobility skills like Sudden Leap, Quicksilver Motion and such are gold for an archer, as is White Raven Tactics (it's ever-awesome). Stances are pretty much all good; Blood in the Water is one of the few stances that enhances ranged attacks in the book so it's a decent alternative but all the utility stances are good too. Then yeah, Dancing/Raging Mongoose and Time Stands Still are actual offensive options that work with bows.

[Zombulian]

Ooh, what do you guys think of Defensive Rebuke? Ranged AoO.

[Vaz]

One of the few ways of getting a Ranged AoO. Take it, but I'd pick it up with a Martial Study, or Crusader Dip (but Martial Study has the better mechanic for getting it and ensuring it's in use); it's not something I'd put emphasis on in the build; as not only do you have to ensure that you get the hits (harder to maximise Dex, for example), but that you get enough effect off of those hit. If you have an Elvencraft Bow, I think you might be able to get Death Devotion off it, for example.

[Darrin]

My notes for Ranged Warblades. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10296220&postcount=420)

My Crusader Archer post. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12450184&postcount=3)

I'm still fiddling with my Rainmaker build, trying to figure out how to squeeze more attacks out of it.


Race: Snow Elf/Half-Elf
1) Ranger 1. Feat: PB Shot. Bonus: Track -> Trap Expert ACF.
2) Ranger 2. Bonus: Rapid Shot.
3) Barbarian 1. Feat: Precise Shot. Rage -> Whirling Frenzy.
4) Fighter 1. Bonus: WF Longbow.
5) Warblade 1.
6) Warblade 2. Feat: Manyshot.
7) Warblade 3.
8) Warblade 4.
9) Warblade 5. Feat: Improved Rapid Shot (CWar). Bonus: Improved Initiative.
10) Warblade 6.
11) Eternal Blade 1.
12) Eternal Blade 2. Feat: Improved Precise Shot.
13) Eternal Blade 3.
14) Eternal Blade 4.
15) Eternal Blade 5. Feat: Sudden Recovery
16) Eternal Blade 6.
17) Eternal Blade 7.
18) Eternal Blade 8. Feat: Martial Stance -> Stance of Alacrity
19) Eternal Blade 9.
20) Eternal Blade 10.

Maneuvers:
WB1: Wall of Blades, Wolf Fang Strike, Sudden Leap, Bolstering Voice [Stance]
WB2: Moment of Perfect Mind
WB3: White Raven Tactics.
WB4: Pearl of Black Doubt [Stance]
WB5: Fountain of Blood
WB6: Replace Wolf Fang Strike -> Lion's Roar
EB1: Iron Heart Surge
EB3: Order Forged From Chaos
EB5: Quicksilver Motion, Giant's Stance or Hearing the Air [Stance]
EB7: Diamond Defense
EB8: Martial Stance -> Stance of Alacrity
EB9: Time Stands Still


Make It Rain

Full Attack: 6 attacks = 4 iteratives + 1 (Rapid Shot) + 1 (Whirling Frenzy)

Turn 1: 12 attacks, Time Stands Still. Swift -> White Raven Tactics.
Turn 2 (WRT): 12 attacks, Sudden Recovery -> Time Stands Still.
Turn 3 (IiT): 12 attacks, Eternal Training -> Time Stands Still.

Total: 36 attacks. 72 with Splitting.

[Piggy Knowles]

I've got a ToB archer in my Archer Compendium you can find in my sig, plus a couple of other builds that splash ToB. I'm also working on a new archer build that's very ToB heavy, but I won't have that posted until some time in January. It does something... different than the others, but I don't want to spoil it until the build is complete!

Defensive Rebuke is a lot of fun for an archer, as is Covering Strike.

[Darrin]

Defensive Rebuke is a lot of fun for an archer, as is Covering Strike.

I'm not completely sold on Covering Strike working with ranged attacks. Range is personal, and it doesn't specify a melee attack or a melee weapon, but the text does explicitly say "melee damage", which I think was an indicator of designer intent.

I take it you feel differently?

[Piggy Knowles]

Yeah, I'd agree that "melee damage" shows that designers probably intended it to work with melee attacks, but it simply says that you attack as normal and doesn't specify melee, as most maneuvers do.

I don't really think most of these maneuvers were necessarily intended to work with ranged attacks. But I do think that the idea of providing "covering fire" with something like Covering Strike or Defensive Rebuke is not only quite flavorful but also gives archers a chance to do something they ordinarily cannot do, as opposed to simply making more attacks.