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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ashkelon" data-source="post: 7161090" data-attributes="member: 6774887">I noticed a few things about your analysis that seem off. For one, you should use a range of ACs, not simply a flat 16 AC. Another thing worth adding in is magic weapons. Also, the calculations should be done at a range of levels, especially since many games don't ever make it past level 10.If you use your rough calculations at level 8 with a +1 weapon vs a 17 AC you get the following outcome.Polearm has 2 attacks at 6.3+5+10+1 for 22.3 * 2 = 44.6 and a bonus action attack at 19 for total DPR of 63.6With 40% accuracy, you get 25.44 DPR.The archer has 3 attacks at 3.5+5+10+1 for 19.5 * 3 = 58.5With accuracy, you get 29.25 DPR.The archer deals about 15% more damage than the polearm fighter (and about 25% more than the great sword fighter).The archer could be an eldritch knight and have mage armor to have the exact same AC as the polearm fighter as well. So in actuality, the archer doesn't even need to trade their higher DPR for 1 AC. Not to mention that being at range naturally makes you targeted by enemies less often, so the archer will have the option of taking less damage than the melee fighter in any given situation.Because the archer has +5 Dex and no disadvantage, this means that he will get a surprise round significantly more often than the polearm fighter.Because the archer has range, he has full DPR capability while the polearm fighter is hindered. For example flying enemies means the fighter will have to resort to javelin use, cutting his DPR by 70%. Or if an enemy starts combat over 30 feet away, the polearm fighter will either have to dash up to engage, and thus have zero DPR for the turn, or move up and throw a javelin and hope that the enemy does not fall back and used their own ranged attacks. Also, the polearm fighter can be hindered by cover while the crossbow archer cannot.So the difference between their two capabilities comes out to significantly more than slightly better damage for slightly worse AC.</blockquote>

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