D&D 5E Best Class For A Horse Archer?

[Seramus]

Battlesmith and Beastmaster get you nice things at Level 3. Try to get UA Class Variants Ranger if you can.

After that, Lore Bard can pick Find Steed and Conjure Barrage, Flame Arrows, or Melfs, but that happens at 6 unless you use Magic Initiate.

 

[EscherEnigma]

Centaur fighter seems pretty intuitive. Ranger would also work.

That said, Paladins in 3.X, with the feat that allowed them to smite with archery, were pretty good because it allowed them to choose appropriate material-type for their weapon based on what they were fighting. That's barely an issue in 5e, but it's still cool concept-wise.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Centaur fighter seems pretty intuitive. Ranger would also work.

Seems a bit awkward for a Centaur to ride a horse.

 

[Weiley31]

Centaur fighter seems pretty intuitive. Ranger would also work.

That said, Paladins in 3.X, with the feat that allowed them to smite with archery, were pretty good because it allowed them to choose appropriate material-type for their weapon based on what they were fighting. That's barely an issue in 5e, but it's still cool concept-wise.

Centaur Battle Master Fighter.

 

[Flamestrike]

I'd love to see a mounted archer archetype somewhere.

But of course it then runs into the Cavalier issue of layering horse based features on a class, that cant be assured of having that horse with it in most dungeons.

 

[Flamestrike]

That said, Paladins in 3.X, with the feat that allowed them to smite with archery,

Smiting with archery is do-able with Warlock. Improved pact weapon (turns your weapon into a magic Bow) plus the Eldritch smite invocation.

Sadly this also knocks your victim prone, making follow up shots harder to land.

Would look hilarious though.

 

[Weiley31]

The Warlock Patron IS the Horse.

 

[Flamestrike]

The Warlock Patron IS the Horse.

Patron Equus, Lord of the Wild Ride and Fey stallion, I must ask thee a question... why the long face?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Have you considered the Battlesmith?
Not only do you get a robo-dog (which small races can ride), you can infuse your bow (or even better crossbow), and you can even give the dog some magic items so that they can do cool tricks.

Just point out that there is no requirement that the pet be a dog - it could just as well be fluffed as a robo-shetland-pony.

A small character on a medium mount has a better chance of fitting in an average dungeon than a medium character on a large mount. Centaur is also a good choice. Horses are horribly squishy, the thing to look for are tools to help stop your mount dying in the first round of combat.

Since the battlesmith pet can also be fluffed as a humanoid, a centaur battlesmith could be ridden by their pet.

 

[EscherEnigma]

Smiting with archery is do-able with Warlock. Improved pact weapon (turns your weapon into a magic Bow) plus the Eldritch smite invocation.

Sadly this also knocks your victim prone, making follow up shots harder to land.

Would look hilarious though.

I'm gonna be honest here... if I was gonna go warlock, I'd dress 'em as a cowboy (leather armor!) and not bother with the pact weapons, and just flavor their eldritch blast as finger-guns. And still be a centaur, 'cause a cowboy centaur shooting people with their magical finger guns is pretty awesome.

But I think I've wandered from the original concept.