D&D 5E Best archer build?

[Warmaster Horus]

I've got a Fighter 11/Assassin 7 right now that is pretty awesome. Sharpshooter, Archery Fighting Style, Action Surge, 3 shots a turn, Assassinate, 4d6 Sneak Attack and fantastic Hide capability. He's killed Fire Giants in one round.

 

[chunkosauruswrex]

I think valor bards are terrible archers. Besides hex doesn't work with their extra attack buff.

I forgot that they are both concentration. They make perfectly good archers for a full caster. You get 4 attacks and all the myriad benefits of being a Bard.

 

[FrogReaver]

I forgot that they are both concentration. They make perfectly good archers for a full caster. You get 4 attacks and all the myriad benefits of being a Bard.

Not really. To make a bard an archer by level 10 typically means sacrificing charisma. That hurts his bardness a lot. You lack archery style makes you much worse with sharpshooter. That and he can only get that buff a few times per day at that level.

 

[chunkosauruswrex]

Not really. To make a bard an archer by level 10 typically means sacrificing charisma. That hurts his bardness a lot. You lack archery style makes you much worse with sharpshooter. That and he can only get that buff a few times per day at that level.

You don't have to sacrifice Charisma if you focus dex and charisma it should be fine as long as you keep your distance to try and avoid damage. Yes you only get a few uses of swift quiver a day, but the rest of the time you are still a level ten bard with all the advantages that entails.

 

[hastur_nz]

[MENTION=6795602]FrogReaver[/MENTION] got it correct first up - the best Archer, on average, is some kind of Fighter. Everything they can do, is only limited in 'users per short rest', nothing is situational like sneak attack or the ranger stuff, or limited by uses per day. If you really want to, you can pick up something like Hex via the Arcane Initiate feat, although at once per day it's not massive. But any kind of Fighter makes a good Archer, if that's your thing - extra feats, action surge, yada yada. The only reason to be a Ranger, is for the 'wilderness stuff'.

 

[dagger]

I have a 13th level battlemaster / 3 level revised ranger I am running right now and he is a beast. Hunters mark, sharpshooter, precision attack (when needed), and the occasional bless from the cleric..its damn nice.

 

[jgsugden]

For bow archers:
Levels 1: Human variant fighters for immediate sharpshooter.
Level 2: Human Variant Rangers take center stage with Archery and Hunter's Mark.
Level 3: Ranger still with those Hunter abilities.
Level 4: Ranger.
Level 5: Ranger with multiattack.
Level 6: Ranger. UA ranger now have two favorite enemies.
Level 7: Ranger.
Level 8: Ranger.
Level 9: Vengeance Paladin for 3 attacks with haste.
Level 10: Valor Bard for 4 attacks.
Level 11: Valor Bard.
Level 12: Valor Bard.
Level 13: Valor Bard.
Level 14: Eldritch Knight with haste gets 4 attacks and stays our champ through level 20.

 

[Olive]

I have a war cleric archer (with Sharpshooter) in my game. He's pretty hard out at long range. Unfortunately the lack of multiple attacks and the range of cleric spells is going to to limit it once they get higher level.

 

[Grondsmash]

For fighter the best non-magic is Monster Hunter, the best magic is Arcane Archer, both offer the Archery fighting style for +2 attack. MH has the best things to spend Sup. Dice on, and although Arcane Archer has some cool shots but curving arrow is awesome, so a bonus action turns a miss into a hit, you can use every round if needs be (no limit)

I have found the NEW best Magic user is Warlock, pact of the blade. At 3rd you get Improved Pact and have a +1 att/dam weapon, can have it poof into your hand at any time. You can enhance the bow (and subsequently the arrows) with magic. Being able to cast seeing 120' in the dark to shoot your enemies before they see you then cast darkness which blinds them and you can still see them clearly to shoot them (and don't let the DM cheat and allow the baddies to "know" the right way to run out of your darkness when they have now idea). Life drinker for Cha dam on top of Dex damage, and a bunch of other invocations that a creative person can make a serious advantage of.
And before anyone has an aneurysm, Improved specifically states that bows can be your blades, and you can cast the normal spells on them as if they were a blade, so Booming blade and green flame blade are perfectly acceptable spells for them by RAW.

You get an extra attack if you keep going in Warlock, or lots more attacks if you keep going in Fighter, and all three Warlock, Arcane Archer & Monster Hunter all regain their abilities after a short rest.

Rogue is a great level 1 starting dip for the skills, Expertise and the situational SA bonus, but further levels are a trap, as it only scales with Rogue and getting the SA is only situational. If you feel the need at best go 3 levels and choose scout for the mobility bonus, situational SA is now 2d6.

If you are going few warlock and lots of fighter then consider Magic Initiate (Booming, Green Flame Blade & Find Familiar) as they will scale with character gaining the bonus damage later on, and a Familiar scout is always a useful thing in this game. And Sharpshooter is also a must.

Other feats to look at are Elven Accuracy or war caster. if you go war caster and don't find a familiar interesting, then take eldritch blast (the blade spells are in both wizard and Warlock). By RAW it will mean your eldritch blast will scale by character not class, so you can multiple eldritch blast on AoO and not waste arrows/spells/Superiority Die/Arcane shots, but still hurt the bastard!

So before you reach 10th level you can shoot up to 2 +1 (or +2) magical arrows, with extra bonuses (or bonus Sup. die) to hit, Hex on the target for extra damage and disadvantage to one save and possible extra Cha damage to target and others I choose within 5' of it) spells on them for either cool effects (Arcane Shots or weapon enhancement spells) and/or lots more dice for damage (up to 2 Sup. dice), double ability damage (Dex & Cha), if you get the right situation +1d6 SA damage, and take the -5 att +10 damage, because if you roll REALLY crappy and miss, you can just curve it into the bad guy beside the one you were aiming at and odds are you roll better and hit and deliver all this cool damage.

 

[CTurbo]

For fighter the best non-magic is Monster Hunter, the best magic is Arcane Archer, both offer the Archery fighting style for +2 attack. MH has the best things to spend Sup. Dice on, and although Arcane Archer has some cool shots but curving arrow is awesome, so a bonus action turns a miss into a hit, you can use every round if needs be (no limit)

I have found the NEW best Magic user is Warlock, pact of the blade. At 3rd you get Improved Pact and have a +1 att/dam weapon, can have it poof into your hand at any time. You can enhance the bow (and subsequently the arrows) with magic. Being able to cast seeing 120' in the dark to shoot your enemies before they see you then cast darkness which blinds them and you can still see them clearly to shoot them (and don't let the DM cheat and allow the baddies to "know" the right way to run out of your darkness when they have now idea). Life drinker for Cha dam on top of Dex damage, and a bunch of other invocations that a creative person can make a serious advantage of.
And before anyone has an aneurysm, Improved specifically states that bows can be your blades, and you can cast the normal spells on them as if they were a blade, so Booming blade and green flame blade are perfectly acceptable spells for them by RAW.

You get an extra attack if you keep going in Warlock, or lots more attacks if you keep going in Fighter, and all three Warlock, Arcane Archer & Monster Hunter all regain their abilities after a short rest.

Rogue is a great level 1 starting dip for the skills, Expertise and the situational SA bonus, but further levels are a trap, as it only scales with Rogue and getting the SA is only situational. If you feel the need at best go 3 levels and choose scout for the mobility bonus, situational SA is now 2d6.

If you are going few warlock and lots of fighter then consider Magic Initiate (Booming, Green Flame Blade & Find Familiar) as they will scale with character gaining the bonus damage later on, and a Familiar scout is always a useful thing in this game. And Sharpshooter is also a must.

Other feats to look at are Elven Accuracy or war caster. if you go war caster and don't find a familiar interesting, then take eldritch blast (the blade spells are in both wizard and Warlock). By RAW it will mean your eldritch blast will scale by character not class, so you can multiple eldritch blast on AoO and not waste arrows/spells/Superiority Die/Arcane shots, but still hurt the bastard!

So before you reach 10th level you can shoot up to 2 +1 (or +2) magical arrows, with extra bonuses (or bonus Sup. die) to hit, Hex on the target for extra damage and disadvantage to one save and possible extra Cha damage to target and others I choose within 5' of it) spells on them for either cool effects (Arcane Shots or weapon enhancement spells) and/or lots more dice for damage (up to 2 Sup. dice), double ability damage (Dex & Cha), if you get the right situation +1d6 SA damage, and take the -5 att +10 damage, because if you roll REALLY crappy and miss, you can just curve it into the bad guy beside the one you were aiming at and odds are you roll better and hit and deliver all this cool damage.

lol a little late to the party huh?


I ended up being a Wood Elf(Far Traveler) with some really good rolled stats allowing me to start with 20 Dex from level 1.

Started Fighter 5. Archery Fighting Style, Champion, and Sharpshooter at 4
Then Ranger(US revised) 3. Defense Fighting Style, Hunter, Horde Breaker, only spell ever used was Hunter's Mark. Humanoid Favored Enemy
Then Rogue 5. Assassin, Stealth and Perception expertise, and Mobile at 4

+2 Longbow
Bracers of Archery
Boots of Elvenkind

+14 to attack and 1d8+9 damage or +9 to attack and 1d8+19 on a hit + 3d6 sneak damage +1d6 for Hunter's mark +2 more if humanoid

First rounds were usually pretty devastating being able to pull off 4d8+42+10d6 to one enemy with relative ease.



Pretty safe to say this guy was a great archer especially with the magic items.

I was getting bored with him though as I usually prefer to be in the thick of things. Sometimes I would put the bow away after the first turn and head down into melee just because.