Overview

It’s time for another deep dive! This time we’ll be covering the Archer.

Like the Wizard and Spellblade, we’ve been testing out their new kit internally, fixing issues, and getting things in a solid state before it hits Beta. But as always, expect iteration as time goes on.

With that out of the way, let’s review some of the previously mentioned characteristics and see how they've evolved:

• “Can fire at a reduced speed while moving”

This one didn’t entirely pan out with the way our combat system works, but the new Strafing Barrage line allows you to fire multiple shots while moving, and the kit continues to have a number of instant-cast options.

• “Has access to specialty arrowheads, including explosive tips, entangling nets, concealing smoke, and more (key abilities require specific arrowheads, so what you carry matters)”

• “Utilizes tinkered traps including caltrops, nets, and bombs; their tools feel crafted and mechanical, rather than foraged like a Ranger”

This generated a lot of questions. Obviously it affects the theme of abilities, such as Smoke Bomb Arrow and Immobilizing Trap, but we’ve also decided to focus this into a unique way of acquiring abilities rather than an inventory space obligation. More on this below.

• “Can fire a quick volley while repositioning”

As mentioned above, the Strafing Barrage ability fulfills this item. It’s available early on in the toolkit and has multiple upgrades as you level.

• “Can leap backward when enemies close in”

Disengagement, a pre-existing ability, remains unchanged, though we'll evaluate the threat reduction portion as the kit gets more public playtesting. There’s also some polish work to do on the movement and network side of this ability.

• “Can temporarily conceal themselves to empower their first shot upon reemerging”

Archers get a version of Hide called Sniper’s Blind After hiding for a few seconds, the flat damage portion of their Quick Shot gets a substantial increase. This feels pretty good as an opener if you have time to hide during the pull. 

Now, let’s go over the changes themselves.

Traps

Outside of Caltrops, Archer traps are now learned through Tinkering. You’ll find schematics (recipes) on your spell merchant. Once the trap has been made, you can right-click it to learn the corresponding ability. 

Trap abilities require a trap in your inventory as a reagent, but it only has a 5% chance of being consumed, so you don’t need to carry around stacks of them.

Since this is the first bit of Tinkering to make it in-game, you should probably expect these recipes to get some iteration as the tradeskill develops. The schematics are Archer-only and don’t require significant investment into Tinkering.

Caltrops

• Scatter caltrops around yourself, decreasing the Movement Speed of targets within the affected area and dealing Physical Damage to them every few seconds.

This trap continues to be learned through an ability scroll. It sees its duration increased and now deals damage over time to enemies within the area. We’ll watch for feedback on this one to see if players would rather lose the damage component to make it more group-friendly as a snare.

Oil Trap

• Place an oil trap at your feet, dealing Fire Damage to nearby targets when detonated with Flare.

This ability has changed significantly. It's no longer consumed by an enemy stepping on it, and no longer has an interaction with Illuminating Shot (which has been removed). Now you set it up and explode it with Flare, which has additional uses beyond just light.

Immobilizing Trap

• Place a trap at your feet, immobilizing the first target that triggers it.

This ability remains largely unchanged, but we've reduced its chance to be broken by damage so that it's more in line with other roots.

Alarm Trap

• Place an alarm trap at your feet, notifying you of targets that enter the affected area.

This is a new trap with a simple purpose: to notify you when something, or someone, has entered its area and triggered it. It doesn't cause damage or threat, so you might consider using this to keep track of repops, roamers, or other forms of danger.

Poison Gas Trap

• Place a poison gas trap at your feet, dealing Poison Damage every few seconds to nearby targets when triggered.

Another new trap. This one detonates when stepped on, poisoning enemies in a tight area around it.

Stances

The former stance Deadeye has been changed to a cooldown. Archers now have two combat stances in its place.

Skirmisher

• Adopt the role of a skirmisher, slightly increasing your Movement Speed, reducing the cooldown of Strafing Barrage, and reducing the cast time of all abilities.

This is your go-to stance when soloing, and it's the first you’ll get while leveling.

Marksman

• Adopt the role of a marksman, increasing the damage of your Piercing Shot and Splintering Shot, and granting your ranged attacks and abilities a chance to land Critical Hits.

You’ll get this one a bit later and find it works better when stationary.

Stealth and Mobility

This is one of the big focuses around the Archer update. You won’t get Rogue-level stealth, but instead a bit of utility to reinforce the theme of a repositioning “sniper." Disengagement remains a useful mobility and threat reduction option.

Sniper's Blind

• Conceal your position, rendering you virtually undetectable.

• Additionally, your Quick Shot deals increased damage while concealed by Sniper's Blind.

Relocate

• Retreat into the shadows and relocate to a more advantageous position, increasing your Movement Speed and briefly rendering you virtually undetectable.

A short combination of Sprint and Stealth that allows you to bypass an enemy pack or two, or perhaps set up a surprise attack in PVP.

Strafing Barrage

• Barrage your target with arrows, dealing Weapon Ratio Damage four times.

• This ability can be used while moving.

Channel multiple shots while on the move. You still have to face your target, but you can use this while moving backwards or, as the name implies, strafing to stay aimed at the target.

High Ground

• Your damage dealt with a bow is increased when above your target.

This isn't actually an ability, but a trait instead. It gives you a small advantage when you can find a perch to shoot from. Currently you start with it, but that may change in a future revision to our Traits system. 

Damage and Debuffs

The core abilities are staying, though some have been renamed. Aimed Shot is now Piercing Shot, and Multishot is now Splintering Shot (and has had its damage improved).  Quick Shot remains a core damage dealer, but can now be used in conjunction with Sniper's Blind. Pinning Shot is now Net Shot, has no minimum range, and the temporarily disabled condition that required the target to hit a wall is gone for good.

Smoke Bomb Arrow, Flare, and Net Shot now require specialty arrows. These are crafted with Fletching, can be placed in your quiver, and can be used without equipping them in your ammo slot. They aren’t overly punishing to create, but do require a little preparation.

Point Blank

• Fire a point-blank shot at your target, dealing Weapon Ratio Damage plus Physical Damage.

New archers start with this now and pick up Quick Shot shortly into their progression. This is a lower damage, instant cast shot with no minimum range.

Barbed Arrow

• Fire a barbed arrow at your target, dealing Weapon Ratio Damage plus Bleed Damage every few seconds.

Another instant shot that shares a cooldown with Quick Shot and Point Blank. Though it deals less damage up front, it causes your target to bleed, which is stackable up to 3 times. With good timing, you can weave this in between Quick Shots (or more easily, Point Blank) to keep the bleed stacks up. Bleeds will have some inter-class mechanics in later updates.

Smoke Bomb Arrow

• Fire a smoke bomb at your target, blinding them and nearby targets.

• This ability requires a bow and Smoke Bomb Arrow.

This is a crafted arrowhead that blinds enemies near your target.

Cooldowns

Flurry of Arrows

• Prepare yourself to unleash a flurry of arrows, instantly resetting the cooldown of your Barbed Arrow, Point Blank, and Quick Shot abilities, and increasing your Ranged Attack Speed.

• This ability is considered a tertiary haste.

• This ability resets the cooldown of Barbed Arrow, Point Blank, and Quick Shot a second time when it ends.

This is now received a bit later on, but better matches its name by working as a tertiary haste. It also resets the other new shots in the trio.

Anticipate

• Anticipate enemy aggression, granting you a 100% chance to dodge incoming melee attacks.

This is now received later in your progression, and is dodge-based instead of parry.

Deadeye

• Lock onto targets with deadly precision, temporarily increasing all Ranged Damage dealt.

This is now a late-game cooldown.

Removed Abilities

Distracting Shot, Purging Arrow, Scatter Shot, and Illuminating Shot have been removed due to being off-theme or not complementing the new kit.