Are Archery Valor Bards any Good?

[Waazraath]

Magic Jar negates the need for Dex. Simulacrum obviously just turbocharges anything in Tier 3. In Tier 2, it doesn't have the damage output of a Fighter Archer but it isn't that far behind (the difference is style and subclass abilities + actiom surge 1/SR) and it does throw some really powerful effects into the mix (hypnotic pattern, sleep, etc. are generally easily worth not dealing damage for a round).

Note, the suggested build gets Cha to hit and damage as well, which of course solves the Dex issue. Overall, spells are still great and getting full spells and support on a slightly weaker combat chassis is generally better than just slightly stronger combat chassis but no spells. If you have any characters not using their Concentration in the party, the party is probably suboptimal. Similarly, any party that has any characters not casting 9th level spells is generally suboptimal. To this end, Valor Bard is one of the better ways to get a ranged damage dealer without compromising overall party power level.

Also, 16 casting stat isn't actually all that big of a problem even in Tier 4 (not that this particular build would have the issue). You generally begin to tend away from save-or-X effects anyways once LR becomes prolific.

Ok, lets make this concrete.
- Magic Jar is a 6th level spell, so at earliest available at level 11;
- Magic Jar requirers an expensive component, and the DM conveniently providing you with a humanoid host that has both high dex and plenty of HP, to be any use in combat and allows you to use bows;
- Even if this is succesful, the only thing you managed to do being equal to what the fighter has been doing for a few levels, that is, having a max dex in combination with SS/CBE;
- At level 11, the fighter got a third attack, with +2 to hit from fighting style. Nova for 7 attacks and 5 d10's to spend on maneuvers.
- Simulacrum willl be available at earliest at level 14. Again, expensive material component, long casting time, etc.

Again, at what point will a bard outperform the fighter archer exactly? At 14, with simulacrum shenenigans, if the DM is kind enough to provide the components, and time between adventures, and bodies for magic jar? Maybe it's just me, but that seems pretty darn far from a statement like "Bard is probably the strongest archer class available considering the whole 1-20. "

As for the tedious remarks about 'any party with a character not using concentration being suboptimal' and 'any character not casting level 9 spells being suboptimal'; yeah... in this magical fairy land where all spells do much more than what is in the book and are interpreted in the most generous ways, I'm sure they do.