usefulness of bow skill

[Acidreflux]

Rangers have a hard enough time hitting, but i was wondering if against easy prey, solo basically, a bow would be the best melee damage we've got. I think I know all the factors. My real question I guess is how much does the skillcap difference matter? Does it about even out to where a sword, etc does similiar damage? now here's a happyface::spin: and then a sleeping happyface and this one's nervous:sweat:

[Hopkins]

Not sure why a RDM would want to use a bow, the bows that RDM can use are dramtically low powered compared to a RNG. Unless your commited to levelling it to cap would it not better to just cast?

Though if your just healing/enfeebling then it would be pretty cool to fire some arrows off rather than meleeing where you could get smashed to bits.

Interesting. Do the En- spells affect bows?

[Acidreflux]

I know the bows are underpowered and the skill is D, but altogether it's still the highest dmg number a rdm can equip, and I'm wondering if that matters more than anything. I'm pretty sure En doesnt effect arrows, but i dont think ive ever tested that somehow. oO

[Acidreflux]

Also, I wouldnt use it as an alternative to casting, or even an alternative to my sword. I would do the 3. The damage wont compare to an aero3, whatever, but neither will the mp cost. Im not really commited to the idea. Im really asking these questions. Nothing rhetorical like when some winner says "how will mnk/blm work?"

[Jei]

bow skill is.... useless hehe ..

But I LIKE it a lot just for coolness and fun if you solo enemies much lower than you, you can pull out 1000+ damage sometimes which is really cool.

But if you solo something that still give exp, or almost give exp over all I think soloing Rdm/war Rdm/Drk using vorpal is more powerful. Because sidewinder will miss so much. too much that i even think fast blade is better hehe

The thing is, if you want your sidewinder to hit you might have to equipt some plus range acc, minus melee acc rings. Which of course the draw back is that you only use your bow for sidewinder. for normal swing wasting arrows isn't a good idea.

[Acidreflux]

So D = useless basically? Well even with their A, Rangers need all that equipment and still miss a lot. Ok this was just a bad idea of mine.

[BitHead0023]

Bows aren't 'quite' useless for RDM, but close. Silence + Dia (not sure how much it helps) + Bow works nicely on worms once you get your skill up there a bit... very little mana spent per worm so the downtime is negligable.

[MidnightMystict]

I think the only time when a bow comes useful for an rdm is when your solo/farming for gil. Like in Beaudeax, competition is started up there now for old quadavs, so bows are pretty handy, saving you some mana aswell. But in other words, I don't expect rdm's to do any decent dmg from using a bow. Sure, I guess we could pull in PT's but usually at lvl 41+ your to busy casting refresh, haste, dispel, and enfleebing, plus some backup healing.
BUT, if you really want to, try it out, hit the mob with a few shots before it reaches the camp, I haven't maxed out my bow, aiming to max it out, just for fun.

[wizzy]

From what I gathered. a sword is great for early level's.. but at later level's you rely on your magic alot more.