Help with an ECL 8 Scout

[Thiel]

I'm in need of help in making an ECL 8 scout for a PbP set in a low-magic setting.
CC rules below.

Books: All core, Complete arcane, Complete warrior, Complete adventurer.
Expanded psionic.
Players: 4 - 6
ECL: 8
Races/Classes: Any
Stat rolling: 4D6 lose the lowest
Items: basic adventuring gear that you believe you would have obtained by 8th level. Upto 3 magic items with a total value of 23,000gp
Hitpoints: max at level 1, add average at each other level.

[Bears With Lasers]

Human Scout
1: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
3: Rapid Shot
4: Track (scout bonus)
6: Improved Initiative

Your next level should be a Fighter level. Take Manyshot and Greater manyshot.

Edit: for items--Gloves of Dexterity +2: 4,000 gp
+1 Shocking composite shortbow (+STR = whatever your strength bonus is): 8,300+composite bow cost
Cloak of Resistance +3: 9,000 gp

[Thiel]

Forgot to mention this, but I was thinking of going melee with a longspear.

[Fizban]

Bad idea, the only way you're gonna make that skirmish damage count is with multiple attacks, and that means either dervish or greater manyshot.

[oriong]

If you go the melee route you might want to do a one level dip in barbarian (if human) and grab power attack.

With a longspear while raging this translates to about a +7 damage bonus, the equivalent of 2 dice of skirmish damage (the amount you'd gain from getting greater manyshot next level).

In the long run this is probably still suboptimal (and unless you've got good ability scores you may end up with some MAD, especially since you can't finesse a longspear) but it'll let you do a good job as a melee skirmisher right now.

[Blinkbear]

Maybe you could post your stats, that might help. :)

[Thiel]

Stats are here
I haven't assigned them yet.

Edit: No one or two level dips. It's a personal rule of mine

[Matthew]

Is this for the Player Characters to face or is it a Player Character?