Quote Originally Posted by Eldariel View Post
On level 10, when Magical Secrets comes into play, Bard can have 2 hours of +2 / +2+2d4 with Elemental Weapon per day (and then +1 / +1+1d4 the rest of the time). So compared to Fighter, the Bard might actually be coming out ahead.
Again, lets make this concrete. Assuming both bard and fighter taking a feat-race and investing in SS / CBE, and point buy, the fighter would look at level 10 (which is a pretty bad level for a fair comparison, as you know without a doubt - this level the bard gets its damage boost with magical secret while the fighter needs to wait 1 more level for extra attack):
- CBE (lvl 0), SS (lvl 4), +2 dex (6), +2 dex (8)
- fighting style (+2 to hit)

The bard would look:
- CBE (lvl 0), SS (lvl 4), +2 cha (lvl 8)
- elemental weapon as buff (+2 to hit, 2d4 damage)

I'm assuming what you've said earlier, that you don't (have to) invest in dex cause by lvl 11, you'll get magic jar.

So, assuming no magic weapons:
Fighter to hit: 4 (proficiency) + 5 (dex) + 2 (fighting style) = +11 (+6 with SS)
Fighter damage: 1d6 + 5 / 1d6 + 15 (8.5 / 18.5)
Bard: 4 + 3 + 2 (elemental weapon) = +9 (+4 with SS)
Bard damage: 1d6 + 2d4 + 3 / 1d6 + 2d4 + 13 (11.5 / 21.5)

So are these which is better? Does the +2 to hit the fighter has on the bard compensate for the 3 fewer damage? Yes, it does. The bard might be coming ahead, but chances are pretty slim. Even in this pretty ideal setup for the bard, to gain maximum damage you will want to use SS as much as possible. And the Bard has nothing in its (sub)class that can help cranking up the pretty bad +4 to hit it has, while a Battlemaster can add up to 15 times/day (assuming 2 short rests) a 1d10 to his +6 to hit. Barring unusual circumstances, the fighter will win the DPR race here, no sweat. Which is of course as it should be, cause the bard has skills and spells to be good at lots of other stuff in which the fighter is worse - but that doesn't make it 'the best archer', by a long shot (terrible pun intended).

And this is disregarding the Fighter's better initiative, the fact that concentration spells can be disrupted, that not all encounters need to fall into the 2 hour timeframe the bard can be buffed with its most optimal spell (haste and improved invisibility are nice as well though), that if magical weapons are available this is of higher worth to the fighter, and that 1 level later, even if high dex bodies are available, the fighter gets another attack and will have a massive damage advantage again.