Gish Archer options.

[Tekrow]

I want to build a gish archer, so I was wondering what were the pros and cons of the different options, and if there were other good options besides the ones I know. I'm mainly looking for a character that in combat, primarily uses a bow or crossbow for damage, with the spells either being used to boost the archery or provide party buffs and out of combat utility.

The gish archers I know are EK Archer, Arcane Trickster Archer, Hexbow, and from what I have read, Bladesingers can make good archers too. Any other I'm missing?

[LudicSavant]

The gish archers I know are EK Archer, Arcane Trickster Archer, Hexbow, and from what I have read, Bladesingers can make good archers too. Any other I'm missing?

Ranger-Cleric?

[LumenPlacidum]

Swords bard. The flourishes work on ranged attacks. Grab swift quiver at level 10.

[Frogreaver]

I want to build a gish archer, so I was wondering what were the pros and cons of the different options, and if there were other good options besides the ones I know. I'm mainly looking for a character that in combat, primarily uses a bow or crossbow for damage, with the spells either being used to boost the archery or provide party buffs and out of combat utility.

The gish archers I know are EK Archer, Arcane Trickster Archer, Hexbow, and from what I have read, Bladesingers can make good archers too. Any other I'm missing?

One build I've toyed with is a Battlermaster 5-6/ Divine Soul Sorcerer 14-15.

Early game you can buff with bless. Later you can twin haste. Take the Sharpshooter and Crossbow expertise feats. Max Dex. Take precision attack manuever with the battlemaster.

It might be kind of what you are looking for.

[Tekrow]

Ranger-Cleric?

Which divine domain would work best?

[LudicSavant]

Which divine domain would work best?

Hm. Before Tasha's just handed Aura of Vitality to Life Clerics on a platter, it was vaguely interesting that Rangers had Goodberry and Healing Spirit to pair with them.

Split would probably be something like Gloom Ranger 5 / Life Cleric 15. Cleric would provide options like Bless, Spirit Shroud, or Holy Weapon to the archery experience.

Not sure if the new Tasha's Rangers have much to offer there, I haven't really messed with them much yet.


Swords bard. The flourishes work on ranged attacks. Grab swift quiver at level 10.

Aw yeah, Bard-chers! Those are definitely a thing.

[Frogreaver]

Hm. Before Tasha's just handed Aura of Vitality to Life Clerics on a platter, it was vaguely interesting that Rangers had Goodberry and Healing Spirit to pair with them.

Split would probably be something like Gloom Ranger 5 / Life Cleric 15. Cleric would provide options like Bless, Spirit Shroud, or Holy Weapon to the archery experience.

Not sure if the new Tasha's Rangers have much to offer there, I haven't really messed with them much yet.



Aw yeah, Bard-chers! Those are definitely a thing.

Spirit Shroud on an archer when it requires you hit something within 10ft of you?

[LudicSavant]

Spirit Shroud on an archer when it requires you hit something within 10ft of you?

Yes. 10characters.

[Tekrow]

Hm. Before Tasha's just handed Aura of Vitality to Life Clerics on a platter, it was vaguely interesting that Rangers had Goodberry and Healing Spirit to pair with them.

Split would probably be something like Gloom Ranger 5 / Life Cleric 15. Cleric would provide options like Bless, Spirit Shroud, or Holy Weapon to the archery experience.

Not sure if the new Tasha's Rangers have much to offer there, I haven't really messed with them much yet.



Aw yeah, Bard-chers! Those are definitely a thing.

Thinking about it Ludic, is there any archer build that uses druid levels? Or is there no synergy there?

[LudicSavant]

Thinking about it Ludic, is there any archer build that uses druid levels? Or is there no synergy there?

I guess Stars Druid is archer-like?

[bid]

The gish archers I know are EK Archer, Arcane Trickster Archer, Hexbow, and from what I have read, Bladesingers can make good archers too. Any other I'm missing?
Any warlock is an "archer" that doesn't have access to SS/XE (althought spell sniper covers part of it).

But few invocations are usefull for that role, if you ignore the pletora of EB boosters.

[Frogreaver]

Yes. 10characters.

Just yes? No elaboration?

[quindraco]

Not sure if the new Tasha's Rangers have much to offer there, I haven't really messed with them much yet.

Fey Wanderer hasn't got any directly super useful synergy with archery I can see. Swarmkeepers can do archery for sure - they have to hit an enemy on their turn to activate their swarm, which is particularly bizarre for item 3 - I'd ask my DM if I could have a jar of bugs so I could crush one at will for the third effect - but on activation they pick from this menu:

1d6 piercing damage, can't crit, upgrades to 1d8 at L11 because +1 damage and more variance in your rolling is super fun.
Move the target 15 feet horizontally on a failed Str save -> Movement and/or prone on a failed save (amazing synergy with booming blade - a half high elf could do a lot with this)
Move the ranger 5 feet horizontally -> move and grant half cover is fairly useless at L3, but at L11 half-cover at will is fantastic - the cover rules don't care about what's attacking you (melee, ranged, spell, weapon, doesn't matter) and the ability just applies cover so there's no way to counter it, so it's just +2 to AC and Dex saves so long as you hit at least once per turn (and the +2 will stack with everything except for other cover).

But I think the tastiest thing in Tasha's is for a ranger willing to dip out early - the new Primal Companion is amazing, including the fact that you get the L7 subclass ability at L3 (which means you get nothing at all at L7), but if you take it, the L11 and L15 benefits also don't apply (although I assume most DMs will fix this), so the longer you stay in Ranger, the comparatively worse off you are.

The really big deal about the companion is that it's proficient in all saves (including death saves) and all ability checks, including initiative, of course. That means no matter the circumstance, your companion is qualified to take the Help action on any ability check you make - it knows every skill, every tool, every raw check. Most of the time, the companion will know how to do something better than you do. Its AC, saves, ability checks, melee damage, melee accuracy, and save DC (the land one can knock hit people prone on a failed str save, the water one auto-grapples hit targets and you have to beat the save DC to escape) all scale with your proficiency bonus and/or wisdom, but its hit points scale with your ranger level, so if you dip out quickly, you end up with a relatively low-HP but otherwise shockingly durable skill monkey at your disposal. Critically, unlike an actual familiar, it hasn't got its own turn, so you never have to deal with it Helping against an enemy (the flying companion has fly-by) and the Help being consumed by another ally - you can always force the issue of having it help first if you want advantage or having it help second if you want an ally to take it. The downside is you generally need a bonus action to get it to stop dodging, although you can give up an attack instead to get it to take the attack action (since it shares your turn, that's still very painless - you can always have it go exactly when you want it to).

Anyway. If you wanted, you could certainly at least do Ranger 3 for Swarmkeeper if you were trying to build a wise rogue - Hunter's Mark does 1d6 damage and so does the Swarm (if you choose that option), and gaining 2d6 damage from levels 1 to 3 is literally the same as sneak attack progression. In fact, Swarmkeepers learn Mage Hand, just like Arcane Tricksters do, but theirs is made of their swarm, not transparent.

As for OP: If you're dipping only 1 level into cleric, I'm playing an Arcane Trickster/Peace Cleric right now, and I cannot tell you how awesome it is having +2d4 to an attack roll whenever I want (Bless is +1d4 to all attacks, Peace Cleric Emboldening Bond is 1 attack per turn, and as a Rogue I only make 1 attack per turn). I am very skeptical any other domain can compare, for a single-level dip.

[Hael]

Twilight cleric and gloom stalker synergize amazingly well. Maybe some sort of Druid +kensai combo. You also have the usual hexblade warrior shenanigans.

[Kane0]

Artificer with a crossbow is a great baseline
Bladelock with a bow is also a popular choice and was around before the artificer
Arcane Archer fighter is a little lacklustre but dips well
Rangers, and Bards stealing Swift Quiver, are the original options and still perfectly fine.
War cleric is less common but also still perfectly viable.
Even paladin can do archery, nothing in the chassis stops you from going Dex amd even though your class smite doesnt work with ranged weapons some of your smite spells do.

[Eldariel]

Rangers, and Bards stealing Swift Quiver, are the original options and still perfectly fine.

Generally you want Holy Weapon or Elemental Weapon, especially since you already have access to Crossbow Expert (which you probably want unless you go with racial proficiencies, since Bard includes the important Crossbows in the proficiency box by default and CBE obviously significantly increases your deadification-ability within 120' range). When you have a good number of attacks, adding onto those attacks > just getting more of them. Plus they are way more slot economical, lasting an hour each. And Elemental Weapon notably upcasts to even level 7 making for some really brutal bow strikes.

[Kane0]

Oh, a silly build that makes me smile is EK 7+ coupled with a warlock dip for EB as your cantrip and rogue to add to your bonus action bow shot damage.
You could do something very similar with the new version of the bladesinger, using extra attack to pair up a cantrip and bow shot with whatever variations you want to add to both (battlemaster or AA fighter, rogue, warlock, etc) which is more action efficient. You will want to roll some good stats though, its pretty MAD

[Tekrow]

I guess Stars Druid is archer-like?

Oh no, I didn't meant as a single class. I meant multiclassing, if any druid added something worthwhile for a Fighter/Monk/Ranger archer

[stoutstien]

Just yes? No elaboration?

No reason for the CBE gloom stalker not to drop it's alpha strike up close and personal. Spirit shroud works well with the extra movement and bonus attack and isn't limited by target type so it's a solid plan A. For example hunter's mark is one target per turn so it's only a good idea for a single hard target.

They are free to back away to a moderate distance and then the enemies have no real good options if they can't limit the hunter/cleric movement. Very few NPCs have the mobility to prevent getting pinned cushioned

[Frogreaver]

No reason for the CBE gloom stalker not to drop it's alpha strike up close and personal. Spirit shroud works well with the extra movement and bonus attack and isn't limited by target type so it's a solid plan A. For example hunter's mark is one target per turn so it's only a good idea for a single hard target.

They are free to back away to a moderate distance and then the enemies have no real good options if they can't limit the hunter/cleric movement. Very few NPCs have the mobility to prevent getting pinned cushioned

Okay, so use it to Nova strike and then you just drop concentration? Or is the plan to stay within 10ft away from enemies the rest of the encounter?

[stoutstien]

Okay, so use it to Nova strike and then you just drop concentration? Or is the plan to stay within 10ft away from enemies the rest of the encounter?

You don't have to stay within 10 ft. You only need to be able to get within 10 ft before you attack so you tend to want to be around 20-40 ft away. Since you can freely pick when you start your attack in darkness you can frequently open up with a good volley and retreat to a range they struggle to reach while you can freely swoop back in for a second salvo.
If they follow you and fail to break your concentration then they are screwed because they can't get away nor could they catch up if you move away again. They could move the opposite direction and potentially get out of SS range but that's all they will accomplish. what SS does is act as a good incentive to stay away from you but at the same time makes you a prime target. Tossing a spanner in the enemies' action plan is a good thing. It's a formation breaker that stacks with other speed reductions.

[Frogreaver]

You don't have to stay within 10 ft. You only need to be able to get within 10 ft before you attack so you tend to want to be around 20-40 ft away. Since you can freely pick when you start your attack in darkness you can frequently open up with a good volley and retreat to a range they struggle to reach while you can freely swoop back in for a second salvo.
If they follow you and fail to break your concentration then they are screwed because they can't get away nor could they catch up if you move away again. They could move the opposite direction and potentially get out of SS range but that's all they will accomplish. what SS does is act as a good incentive to stay away from you but at the same time makes you a prime target. Tossing a spanner in the enemies' action plan is a good thing. It's a formation breaker that stacks with other speed reductions.

So I’m trying to recreate this.

I’m a gloomstalker. I start 30ft from the enemy. I spend 20ft of movement - move up and cast spirit shroud and shoot. I then back away 20ft. (Gloomstalker gives 40 movement total.)

If I start between 10 and 30 for away I can move back far enough on turn 1 - provided I go before the enemy - to prevent them from moving to me and attacking on that turn. But on the subsequent turn I can’t replicate this effect.

So at least there’s a bit of value to the using it and kiting back strategy. Still not a huge fan but I can at least see it.

[Waazraath]

Artificer with a crossbow is a great baseline


+1. Battlesmith only needs int for attack/damage and spells, plenty of room for 2 feats, infusion for a magic crossbow that doesn't need loading (and allows use of a shield), lots of spells for utility (and some self buff in haste, shield and absorb elements), a (very strong) pet, and 3 attacks for 1d6 + 16; works like a charm.

[stoutstien]

So I’m trying to recreate this.

I’m a gloomstalker. I start 30ft from the enemy. I spend 20ft of movement - move up and cast spirit shroud and shoot. I then back away 20ft. (Gloomstalker gives 40 movement total.)

If I start between 10 and 30 for away I can move back far enough on turn 1 - provided I go before the enemy - to prevent them from moving to me and attacking on that turn. But on the subsequent turn I can’t replicate this effect.

So at least there’s a bit of value to the using it and kiting back strategy. Still not a huge fan but I can at least see it.

With Wis mod to initiative you have a solid chance to go before anyone on the other team which is a big boon for any gish who is going to modify their tactics to fit the challenge.

The point is by the time turn two comes around you've left them with no good options to deal with you as you move around and just plink away. I'd mix goblin in here as well to just be a total pain. SS adds a one more tool onto a very solid build. Originally it was life domain so let's keep it. You are rocking good AC, heals, and dealing solid at-will damage with multiple ways to spike it all whole being pretty soft on ASI/feat requirements.

You are also close enough to fulfill the gish role as well which is a downfall of max distance archers. Playing in the midfield allows you to freely reach most allies and enemies.

[Rashagar]

I guess Stars Druid is archer-like?

This is actually something I was considering for myself before. The divine archer trope has always been one that I enjoy.

[Man_Over_Game]

Rangers do actually mix really well with Land Druids.

Rangers have spell slots they can spend as attack riders, very similarly to Paladins, except with ranged attacks.

Land Druids have a few things going for them that work well with Rangers:
Extra Cantrips
More spell slots (through their Arcane Recovery-like feature. This doesn't seem like a big deal, until you realize you can burn all of your spell slots on Hail of Thorns or Entangling Strike.)
Extra spells

On that last bullet, you can get a lot of mileage out of the Coast option, as you get things like:
Misty Step
Mirror Image
Water Breathing

Not to mention that Druids have some of the best Concentration spells, which aren't likely to be lost on a ranged archer with decent AC.

To be honest, I'm surprised Ranger/Druid doesn't come up more often. Seems like it has all the hallmarks of a Paladin/Sorcerer with less combat focus but more synergy with skills and more spell slots. Instead of sending in your best spellcaster as a squirrel scout, it's now your best Scout turning into a squirrel.

[Thunderous Mojo]

Swords bard. The flourishes work on ranged attacks. Grab swift quiver at level 10.

That is clever! One would need to work with their DM, though to iron out the details. Mobile Flourish, in particular, seems written with a close target in mind, and not a long range bow shot.


+1. Battlesmith only needs int for attack/damage and spells, .....(SNIP)

I agree Battlesmith is a very good option for a magical archer.
A Battlesmith Archer could also take a dip into an Arcane Archer..🙀..
............the Arcane Shot DC is based off the Intelligence ability score.

One would then pickup the Prestidigitation Cantrip, (if one doesn't have it). Adding Enfeebling Arrow, (and one other Arcane Shot), to one's arsenal twice per Short Rest is enticing, especially given you can pick up the Archery Fighting style, and Action Surge.

The Beguiling Arrow Arcane Shot in combination with a Fey Wanderer Ranger is novel. You actually want the Arcane Shot DC to be low, so you can trigger the Beguiling Twist ability to asses the Charmed or Frightened conditions on another opponent.

Arcane Archer/Fey Wanderer also allows you to take Druidic Warrior as your Fighting Style and select Create Bonfire as a Cantrip choice, and still have the Archery Fighting Style.

A Mark of Shadow, Gloomstalker Ranger/ Twilight Cleric....just the name alone slays CR 0 creatures.🃏

[Waazraath]

I agree Battlesmith is a very good option for a magical archer.
A Battlesmith Archer could also take a dip into an Arcane Archer..🙀..
............the Arcane Shot DC is based off the Intelligence ability score.

One would then pickup the Prestidigitation Cantrip, (if one doesn't have it). Adding Enfeebling Arrow, (and one other Arcane Shot), to one's arsenal twice per Short Rest is enticing, especially given you can pick up the Archery Fighting style, and Action Surge.


Arcane archer works only with bow, not crossbow; you can do that, but it would be a little bit different build, with 2 bow attacks and a bonus action for an attack with the steel defender. That's why I was personally thinking more along the lines of the Battle Master. For a more worked out thought, see: https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?609367-The-artificer-a-build-and-the-wonderful-balance-of-5e

[Tekrow]

I like the Artificer option, and I have been wanting to play one for a while now. The problem is, I have never played one or seen anyone play one haha. Any suggestions on builds and how to play them?

[Waazraath]

I like the Artificer option, and I have been wanting to play one for a while now. The problem is, I have never played one or seen anyone play one haha. Any suggestions on builds and how to play them?

see the link in the post above #28 ; I'm playing it now, single class artificer 10, works great in combat, offers lots of utility, and through infusions / spells you can pick several utility options that complement the rest of the party.

[Man_Over_Game]

I like the Artificer option, and I have been wanting to play one for a while now. The problem is, I have never played one or seen anyone play one haha. Any suggestions on builds and how to play them?

It depends heavily on how you want to play one.

Alchemist is a support that creates potions who's effects are known but randomized each day and hands them out to allies to use in combat, and is also an acid/poison damage-dealer.

Artillerist is a ranged damage specialist. It shoots good booms.

Battlesmith is basically a zoning tank with a tanking pet.

Armorer is a blend of Artillerist and Battlesmith, swapping between Barbarian and Rogue based on the day.

Artificers, in general, function as a versatile party support, creating items that either are catered to the party's needs (give the Barbarian a repelling shield, give the Rogue a magical crossbow), or catering to the adventure at hand ("We're expecting a lot of water elementals, so I made a bunch of Dust of Dryness to destroy them!").

[Tekrow]

It depends heavily on how you want to play one.

Alchemist is a support that creates potions who's effects are known but randomized each day and hands them out to allies to use in combat, and is also an acid/poison damage-dealer.

Artillerist is a ranged damage specialist. It shoots good booms.

Battlesmith is basically a zoning tank with a tanking pet.

Armorer is a blend of Artillerist and Battlesmith, swapping between Barbarian and Rogue based on the day.

Artificers, in general, function as a versatile party support, creating items that either are catered to the party's needs (give the Barbarian a repelling shield, give the Rogue a magical crossbow), or catering to the adventure at hand ("We're expecting a lot of water elementals, so I made a bunch of Dust of Dryness to destroy them!").

Well, from what I read from others here, I was thinking a ranged Battlesmith.

[stoutstien]

Well, from what I read from others here, I was thinking a ranged Battlesmith.
It's a strong kit it's only weakness is lack of burst damage.

[Corran]

With Wis mod to initiative you have a solid chance to go before anyone on the other team which is a big boon for any gish who is going to modify their tactics to fit the challenge.

The point is by the time turn two comes around you've left them with no good options to deal with you as you move around and just plink away. I'd mix goblin in here as well to just be a total pain. SS adds a one more tool onto a very solid build. Originally it was life domain so let's keep it. You are rocking good AC, heals, and dealing solid at-will damage with multiple ways to spike it all whole being pretty soft on ASI/feat requirements.
Easier to pull off for gloom stalkers, rogues and those who wouldn't mind terribly spending a few extra slots per day for misty step. Which is not a small amount of options really. The downside is that you might want to start combat at a closer range than you would ideally have to. Which makes it (ie spirit shroud) somewhat situational for archers for that reason alone. Another thing to consider is how it will interact with sharpshooter. Though this varies from build to build (for example, certain EA builds will not mind as much as other SS builds that have more difficulty getting advantage in the first place) so it's better to examine on a case by case basis.



You are also close enough to fulfill the gish role as well which is a downfall of max distance archers. Playing in the midfield allows you to freely reach most allies and enemies.
The reverse is also true, meaning that (when playing the midfield as you say) it also makes it easier to be reached by allies when you are in trouble. Yes, you are also risking being reached by enemies more, but at the very least you dont need to be too worried about being attacked from the rear (since you allies will be closer). Which makes a difference when building the character. Max distance archers are more likely to want to invest in something like the observant feat (on top of things that can make it easier to reposition or to hide, which most archers will want anyway), cause they ought to be more worried about being ambushed while shooting from a distant position they thought to be safe.

[stoutstien]

Easier to pull off for gloom stalkers, rogues and those who wouldn't mind terribly spending a few extra slots per day for misty step. Which is not a small amount of options really. The downside is that you might want to start combat at a closer range than you would ideally have to. Which makes it (ie spirit shroud) somewhat situational for archers for that reason alone. Another thing to consider is how it will interact with sharpshooter. Though this varies from build to build (for example, certain EA builds will not mind as much as other SS builds that have more difficulty getting advantage in the first place) so it's better to examine on a case by case basis.



The reverse is also true, meaning that (when playing the midfield as you say) it also makes it easier to be reached by allies when you are in trouble. Yes, you are also risking being reached by enemies more, but at the very least you dont need to be too worried about being attacked from the rear (since you allies will be closer). Which makes a difference when building the character. Max distance archers are more likely to want to invest in something like the observant feat (on top of things that can make it easier to reposition or to hide, which most archers will want anyway), cause they ought to be more worried about being ambushed while shooting from a distant position they thought to be safe.

In my mind the ranger/cleric probably wouldn't use SS or at least the -/+ portion. Not saying it's a bad investment but they will probably be casting as often as they are making attacks so the overall return would be lower. I personally wouldn't even focus on ranged or melee exclusively but we are talking about gish archers. I'm a fan of knowledge/GS for a real solid scout archer that focuses on information gathering and utility while bringing the normal ranger damage to the table. With the new tasha alt rules this has gotten a lot better. I should redux it.

[Corran]

In my mind the ranger/cleric probably wouldn't use SS or at least the -/+ portion. Not saying it's a bad investment but they will probably be casting as often as they are making attacks so the overall return would be lower. I personally wouldn't even focus on ranged or melee exclusively but we are talking about gish archers. I'm a fan of knowledge/GS for a real solid scout archer that focuses on information gathering and utility while bringing the normal ranger damage to the table. With the new tasha alt rules this has gotten a lot better. I should redux it.
Ah, I see. What I had in mind was a ranged dpr build with spells occasinaly covering for other things (AoE, healing, etc), aside for buffing and utility of course (both of which wont hurt your ranged dpr role anyway). Now I understand that you are going for a very all around build that can dubble as ranged dpr too. I have to say, the idea of knowledge/GS sounds interesting. Not sure myself how well the mechanics would line up strictly for combat, but if you end up writing anything about it, I would for sure give it a read (mostly interested in spell selections and the reasoning behind it myself).

Never liked cleric archers all that much (at least from the little I've read here and there), but there's a lot of new content I am not catched up with yet. In theory it might be interesting to see if there's a way to boost at will ranged damage enough to sometimes force the dilemma ''do you want me to kill you from range or do you want to come close and taste spirit guardians?''. But that could be just one approach of many.

[stoutstien]

Ah, I see. What I had in mind was a ranged dpr build with spells occasinaly covering for other things (AoE, healing, etc), aside for buffing and utility of course (both of which wont hurt your ranged dpr role anyway). Now I understand that you are going for a very all around build that can dubble as ranged dpr too. I have to say, the idea of knowledge/GS sounds interesting. Not sure myself how well the mechanics would line up strictly for combat, but if you end up writing anything about it, I would for sure give it a read (mostly interested in spell selections and the reasoning behind it myself).

Never liked cleric archers all that much (at least from the little I've read here and there), but there's a lot of new content I am not catched up with yet. In theory it might be interesting to see if there's a way to boost at will ranged damage enough to sometimes force the dilemma ''do you want me to kill you from range or do you want to come close and taste spirit guardians?''. But that could be just one approach of many.

The cleric/ranger lost a bit of ground with just how easy Cha focused concepts are but they do quite well without relying on set up which is something I think is underrated. Even the simple ranger + spiritual weapon + fog cloud+ blind fighting combo is a simple no nonsense way to form a dead zone to hangout in.

The build that adore is actually a mark of sentinel Knowledge cleric/swarm keeper. A fat mead making man of God that will push and pull you around they battlefield with his bees. Can clutch tank and has anti caster tools on top of rogue level skills and scouting and mental reconnaissance.

[. Shadowblade .]

what about using Ranger/Hunter 11 as base class for MC ( Volley + Horde Breaker + Crossbow Expert + Sharpshooter) with Hand Crossbow ?

[5eNeedsDarksun]

Oh, a silly build that makes me smile is EK 7+ coupled with a warlock dip for EB as your cantrip and rogue to add to your bonus action bow shot damage.
You could do something very similar with the new version of the bladesinger, using extra attack to pair up a cantrip and bow shot with whatever variations you want to add to both (battlemaster or AA fighter, rogue, warlock, etc) which is more action efficient. You will want to roll some good stats though, its pretty MAD

I'm surprised the Bladesinger didn't get more love in this thread. It seems pretty optimal to me as a gish. With crossbow expert you get 3 attacks per round by level 6 and one of them is a cantrip. And that's on top of being a full caster. As you say you can chuck fighter or rogue levels in as well; Arcane Trickster isn't a bad add-on either.

[Garfunion]

I’ve been tinkering with an archer Barbarian, while some of the base class features do not work well with ranged attack. Many of the archetype features do.
I would multiclass as a Ranger/Barbarian.

If your DM is generous you can ask to give up the Barbarian’s reckless attack feature for

Brutal Bow (or composite bow)
•you may use your strength modifier for the attack and damage rolls of your shortbow.
•while raging, you may apply your rage damage bonus to your shortbow damage rolls.

[Vogie]

My favorite would be the Curse Archer - Arcane Archer X / Warlock 3. 2 spell slots, 2 arcane shots, everything refreshes on short rest, access to At-will spell invocations, Hex, and a +1 bow (as you'll need improved pact weapon to allow the weapon to be a bow).

If you increase the warlock to 5, you'll be able to single-target smite, in addition to the normal force explosions, that can knock dragons out of the sky.