Archery deals crap damage.

[bpestilence]

:rolleyes: Yes, and in real life am axe would cut you in half and running though snow in full plate armor would be impossible.

[vertex23]

I'm an archer with no smithing and enchanting skill at all.

 

My bow does around 90 base damage (Just a +30 fire enchant on an Ebony Bow). Multiply by 3 and I pretty much 1 shot everything that isn't a boss. Those get two shotted.

 

If they do live to the point of seeing me, I just break out Fireball and finish them off.

 

Enchants do not get tripled..

 

Like others, I have smithed my Ebony Bow to the point it does like 90 damage base. Even using Iron arrows I 1 shot most everything when sneaking now. Bosses take a bit more and dragons take about 10 shots.. Ancients about 20.. *LOL*

 

You're right, forgot to mention excluding the enchant. My bad ^.^;

[mabus4444]

:rolleyes: Yes, and in real life am axe would cut you in half and running though snow in full plate armor would be impossible.

 

what's your point? :)

[firsTraveler]

Hun??? I have an archer/sneak/conjurer build. I can kill just about anything with one shot (except dragons and other bosses).

[Susurruss]

Shoot, I used a Forsworn Bow for the longest time, selling off Orcish and Elven bows because I could upgrade it to more damage. My two points in Smithing are Steel and Arcane Blacksmith. I'm a archer, not a Smith. I used leather armor until just recently, when I joined the Dark Brotherhood at level 31.Now I wear their stuff.

 

Right now, I'm using a Supple Ancient Nord Bow (the kind you find the Draugr using in tombs) with a 14pt Fire Damage enchant on it. It's upgradeable with steel ingots, which are cheap (I've long since dropped my pickaxe). I'm Level 32, Argonian, Archery 56, Sneak just hit 70, I think my One-Hand is about 45. My Block is 38 or so, just because I like to shield bash :D (You gotta make your own fun!)

 

I can kill a Cave Bear With three shots (but I use two and then pull my sword and Soul Trap spell when he's really weak). Most NPCs, one-shot, I'm running into two shot, and all bosses I can get at least half-way down before I close with them. I'm having a blast. I killed a Wisp Mother in three shots (would've been two, but I hit a Specter the second shot). They scare the bejeezus outta me. I've learned some mountain climbing techniques (so I can shoot at them from high above and far away. They will NEVER find you, even if you stay still!)

 

You don't have to be a super-smith or enchanter to have fun with a bow. I have two points in smithing, two in enchanting (both of these I put in the last two levels). I keep all the standard in-game healing, magicka etc potions, and I brew my own poisons. My main inventory drag is collectibles, because I don't have a house. I sell my ore and pelts and ingredients when I don't feel like making stuff.

 

At the start of the game, put a point each in Sneak, Archery, Light Armor, and your melee weapon of choice. Those four points buy a 20% improvement in basic survival. Eventually, put a point in restoration - your magicka pool isn't going to keep up with your health, so cutting the casting cost of the Novice Healing spell just makes life easier. A point in alchemy later on will improve your potions, and you can go up that tree if you are so inclined. (Sure, some things are immune to poison, but most things are not). If you want to be a prt-time mage, stick with one school and specialize. You will gain magic damage faster, and you can enchant your bow differently to counteract those immune to your spells.

 

Playing an archer is the most fun you will ever have in Skyrim!

[dontkeepscore]

I happened upon a falmer bow early and once i got increased aiming movement speed it was game over. Never used slow time on zoom either that seemed silly.

[aaroc]

There are several ways to improve your bow damage:

 

Invest in Augmented Flames perks in the Destruction skill tree, along with the Improved Flames Enchanting perk, and enchant your bow with a fire damage enchant.

 

Invest as many points as possible in the first perk in the archery skill tree.

 

Enchant your ring, amulat, gloves, and helmet with the Fortify Archy enchant.

 

Improve your bow with smithing.

 

Increase your Alchemy skill and use high damage poisons on your bow.

[debuskjt]

I use a Glass Bow (no heavy armor/weapons for me), but I used a +20% Enchanting Potion to enchant a ring, bracers, necklace, and armor with Fortify Smithing. My enchanting is in the 80s, so I was left with +16% gear. I then improved my Glass Bow with a +50% Blacksmithing Potion and that gear equipped with level 100 smithing, and I came out with a bow with base damage of ~110 I think. Given the base damage is 15 for a Glass Bow, it's a huge improvement. No need to abuse alchemy and totally unbalance the game. Go to the Fletcher in Solitude and start investing money in decent arrows (Daedric, Ebony, Glass, Nord Hero). I prefer using the light bows because the draw time is faster, so big damage improvements via smithing and better arrows make them very nice.

 

You can use the Arcane Blacksmith perk to enhance the Nightengale Bow similarly using the Ebony Ingot, but I think in the end my Glass Bow was better since none of the type-specific perks influence that bow.

 

Also, base armor is capped at 567 regardless of what your armor says in the menu, so you can basically improve just about any decent set to well beyond that cap. Using the above I got my Glass Armor to like 650, so there's no point at all in me wearing Dragonscale or Daedric.

 

After that point, the best thing you can do is get Enchanting to 100 and get the double enchant perk. Then enchant all the gear you can with Fortify Archery (Helm, Gloves, Amulet, Ring). Then work on Resist Magic (Amulet, Ring) /Fire (Boots)/Ice (Boots)/Shock (Boots) enchants as the double or on everything else you can. Then put whatever you like as your second for Helm/Gloves and two for Armor (Health, Armor, Magika, Stamina, Regens, Spell Costs, Sneak, etc. all good depending on how you like to play). Then double enchant your bow with whatever you prefer (I like Paralyze/Fire). Make sure you use Grand gems and a +Enchanting potion. Keep Azura's Star on you--take the Black version--and use either the Soul Trap spell or keep a Soul Trap hunting bow on you so you can always keep your bow nice and full.

 

Cue bad ass archer on Master Difficulty without totally breaking the game in the process.

Edited December 20, 2011 by debuskjt

[Bubblz]

I also have a sneak archer and had some trouble in the beginning. I'm ok with that, but maybe it doesn't suit your style.

 

Try Fortify Marksmen potions if you haven't. They make a big difference.

 

Paralyze is a good suggestion too.

 

I'm level 50 and my Nightingale bow does about 90 base damage with my gear on. One 44% potion jacks it up to about 115. I have an Ebony fire bow that does about 97 base. I can't remember if I upgraded or not. I don't actually do that much smithing.

 

I'm embarrassed to admit I had to put the diff back to Adept on the main quest because of those damn Deathlords, though. Everything else I can pretty much one shot. Well not dragons, but they don't get all up in my business like those filthly Dragr do. As long as they stay the hell away from me I'm fine with needing a few more shots to kill them.

[twiz60]

Use bound bow... nuff said.