Overview | Archery | Bowcraft | Stats | In the Field
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 Professions: The Archer
The Archery Forum
Archery FAQ, by Amidala
Skill Overview
Archery is influenced by:
  • Archery Skill - Adjusted skill level determines hit percentage
  • Tactics - Adjusts the damage of successful hits up to 150
  • Anatomy - Adds a bonus of up to 20% damage at 100.0
  • Dexterity - Along with bow type, determines available stamina, which in turn determines rate of fire
  • Hunger - As with many skills, hunger can cause less effective performance (full is good)
  • Bow Type/Condition - Quality, Magical Accuracy/Damage and other bow qualities factor into the hit % and/or damage potential
Archery facts:
  • All bows are two-handed weapons
  • ranged attack is limited to line-of-sight
  • You must have arrows (for bows)/bolts )for crossbow/heavy X-bow) in your pack or quiver and the appropriate bow type equipped to fire
  • Misses are probable when: Spells are cast on/by you, you start/finish applying bandages, taking melee damage, you are poisoned, you are hungry, your stats change naturally or due to magical effects wearing off.

Note: Strength no longer adds a bonus to Archery damage

Method to Gain
You will reach GM based on a few factors:
  • Shot Speed/number if hits
  • Damage
  • Health of Target
  • Toughness" (difficulty) of Target
  • Damage you receive in the process
  • Guaranteed Gain System (GGS)
A few tips for gain:
  • Use store-bought, GM, or practice bows: they are cheap, reasonably accurate, and will do reasonable damage to the target -- save the magic bows for later days
  • Combat foes in areas that give you room to move, and avenues of escape if needed
  • Raise stats first, low dex will mean longer time between shots
  • Use high hit chance percent jewelry. The more you successfully hit a target, the more chance you have to gain as gains are only calculated on successful hits.
  • Use a repeating crossbow, a bow with high swing speed increase, or both.
What, Where, & When to Gain
What to shoot for Archery Gain?

Some are faster than others, generally, the bigger the risk, the faster the rate of gain. Also, this typically means facing High AR targets with plenty of hit points to survive your endless rain of skill-gaining arrows/bolts.

A few player favorites are:

A great guide can be found in the Fame & Karma Gain section. As you ascend the scale of difficulty for fame/karma gain, you generally can expect higher archery gains as well.

Where can I GM Archery!

Here are some player favorites, for the "results-oriented" Archer.

When Should I Attempt tougher creatures to Maximize Skill gain.

As with all skill, up to 80 the gains will be consistent on anything, but a general guide is found below.
Archer Tips
  • Keep Stamina at full, by not over-weighting, and drinking Total Refresh potions
  • Keep well-fed: "You Feel Quite Full�" is where you need to be for optimal accuracy and speed
  • Keep your weapons and armor fresh, in full-repair
  • Archers make great pack hunters, although some use them to good success in single-combat PvP
  • Always hunt on Horse(or other mount)back (keep them rested and well-fed, too)
  • PvP: in groups if possible, stay together (but never block your team into a corner completely)
  • PvM: lure your targets, and always keep them at a distance
  • Measure shot time, and learn to walk/run in-between shots to maintain distance while sustaining fire
  • Bows generally last for 100-500 Shots, use Arms Lore to determine their wear & tear, and replace as necessary

For more in-depth information consult the Player Essays or UO Archer Forum