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Archers in Dragon’s Dogma 2 deal devastating damage from afar, letting you pick off weaker foes or put pressure on large enemies. Our best archer build gives you all the weapon skills, core skills, and equipment that will make monster slaying a breeze.
Best Archer build in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Our best Archer build for beginners will let you target weak points and deal massive damage in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Since it doesn’t have a magical affinity, you can focus on damage output. You’ll be using a mix of aimed and unaimed auto shots in the game, coupled with a feeble kick that’s your last resort in a punch. Read on to learn about the best way to play this vocation.
Here’s our best Archer build in Dragon’s Dogma 2:
- Skills – Barrage Shot, Dire Arrow, Exploding Arrow, Torrent Shot
- Core skills – Swift Nock, Puncture Dart, Parting Shot, Steady Shot
- Augments – Sustainment, Subtlety, Endurance, Lethality, Exaltation, Verve
- Weapons – Veteran’s Arc (early), Dragon’s Blink (end)
- Early Armor – Sage’s Hood, Wildeagle Padded Armor, Beast-Leather Breeches
- Final Armor – Griffin-Feather Hood, Majestic Armor, Dapper Chausses
Best Archer pawn party composition in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Based on our time in the game, it’s good to pair an Archer with a Mage, Fighter, and Rogue. A Mage is great at keeping the party healed while offering bonuses like faster attacks and elemental boons. And on the frontlines, the Fighter and Rogue can deal solid damage while the former can defend you if needed. They’re also good at climbing enemies to target weak spots. Consider the Warrior vocation too as they’ve got some incredible attacks.
Best Archer weapon skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Opt for these weapon skills as an Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2:
- Exploding Shot – Shoot an explosive arrow that bursts and can knock enemies off balance.
- Torrent Shot – Fire repeatedly with an increase in firing speed but you will be stationary.
- Sweep Shot – FIre arrows in a wedge pattern to hit multiple targets.
- Barrage Shot – Concentrated attacks on a single shot.
- Dire Arrow – Can be used to knock small enemies back and target bosses.
Remember that Exploding Shot requires Explosive Arrows so be mindful of whom you use this against. Aim it at enemy weak spots like the Infected Dragon’s blisters and you’ll inflict massive damage. As for Torrent Shot, be mindful of your position. You won’t be able to move while firing off a volley so don’t stand too close to your enemies.
Tarring Arrow and Drenching Arrow can be paired with Blighting Shot, making enemies susceptible to fire and ice while poisoning them with Blight. With a Mage pawn, you can maximize the effectiveness of this move. But it’s not as lethal as the other suggestions above. Remember to upgrade these skills to their High variants whenever possible to improve them. For instance Exploding Shot can be turned to Erupting Shot and Dire Arrow goes to Deathly Arrow.
Sweep Shot is great at helping with enemy mobs but isn’t great against an individual target. On the other hand, Barrage Shot lets you fire off arrows quickly on a single target. It’s a good skill, especially against flying enemies. If you want a faster alternative, consider Torrent Shot. Just remember that it will force you to be stationary while firing. Dire Arrow is another good option if you want some knockback. My pawn was able to send enemies flying from cliffs and bridges with the help of this skill.
Best Archer core skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Here are the best core skills for an Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2:
- Swift Nock – Lets you nock arrows quickly.
- Puncture Dart – Focus on weak spots with charged attacks to inflict massive damage.
- Parting Shot – Lets you fire an arrow after a Leaping Punt or mid-air kick.
- Steady Shot – Lets you draw the bow carefully to impact arrow travel and damage.
Swift Nock is a must-have if you choose Loose or Steady Shot as your offensive core skills. This makes your shots quicker, letting you whittle down enemy health bars quickly. It’s essential to any archer build in Dragon’s Dogma 2. If you like charging your shots, Puncture Dart will let you target weak spots more effectively. While Parting Shot can knock enemies off balance as you jump away, it’s also an evasive option. Steady Shot is great while focusing on enemy weak spots like the Saurians’ tails.
How to unlock the Archer Maister skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
The Archer can gain access to Heavenly Shot, an almighty arrow that consumes all your Stamina to deal massive damage. This can be obtained from Taliesen in Sacred Arbor after finishing Glywndr’s Gift of the Bow quest. You can meet this Elf at the Smithy in Vernworth.
Best Archer augments in Dragon’s Dogma 2
As you level up other vocations, here’s what your final archer augment build should look like:
- Sustainment – Obtained from the Magick Archer vocation at Rank 2. This boosts the Defense and Magick Defense of all pawns in your party.
- Subtlety – Gained as a Thief at Rank 2. This lowers the odds of you being targeted by an enemy.
- Exaltation – Get this as a Rank 9 Mage. Boost your Stamina recovery speed.
- Verve – A Thief gets this at Rank 9. Boost your Strength with this augment.
- Endurance – Gained as an Archer at Rank 4. Gain more stamina.
- Lethality – Obtain this at Rank 8 as an Archer. Deal more damage to enemy weak points.
You can change augments at a vocation guild
Don’t worry about picking augments that aren’t the best ones as you can swap them out later.
While you may have to level up other vocations for this, you can level them up fairly quickly while tackling bosses. Once you unlock the Magick Archer, try to get Sustainment as it buffs your entire party. As for Subtlety from the Thief, it’s a good bonus to divert enemies towards your melee pawns. Getting Exaltation as a Mage and Verve as a Thief can take a while but their bonuses to Stamina recovery and Strength are essential to a powerful Archer. This is because special attacks can wear you out pretty quickly.
These last two augments are great at enhancing the Archer’s capabilities. More Stamina lets you explore the world of Dragon’s Dogma 2 quickly and use your skills more often. As for Lethality, you’ll be targeting weak spots often so this will let you be more effective at utilizing them.
Best Archer equipment in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Get these equipment options sorted for your Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2:
- Griffin-Feather Hood – 60 Defense and 30 Magick Defense for 23800 Gold at Bodas’ Armory in Bakbattahl.
- Majestic Armor – With 133 Defense and 86 Magick Defense, this one’s great at a steep 35000 Gold from Bodas’ Armory.
- Dapper Chausses – 83 Defense and 55 Magick Defense for 28000 Gold. Can be bought at Bodas’ Armory.
- Dragon’s Blink – 256 Strength and 190 Knockdown for 48500 Gold at Awaran’s Arms in Bakbattahl.
The best bows in Dragon’s Dogma 2 will let you handle endgame bosses and mobs easily. The Medusan Spellbow from Medusa is another solid option. Opt for rings and cloaks that will enhance your Archer’s Stamina as well. While cloaks don’t always offer good bonuses, the right rings can make a big difference in combat. You might want to consider the Ring of Accrual that increases your carrying capacity, making you less prone to being encumbered. The Ring of Aggression further builds your Strength.
All Archer weapon skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
| Archer Weapon Skill | Description | Rank | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrage Shot | Fire arrows at a target quickly while moving. | 1 | None |
| Manifold Shot | Enhanced version of Barrage Shot that adds more strikes to the barrage. | 4 | 1000 DCP |
| Sweep Shot | Fire arrows in a wedge pattern to strike multiple foes. | 2 | 200 DCP |
| Dire Arrow | Fires a lethal shot that can knock down smaller enemies. | 1 | 200 DCP |
| Deathly Arrow | An upgraded variant of Dire Arrow that can pin small targets to walls. | 5 | 1300 DCP |
| Keen Sight | Lets you fire at distant targets. | 2 | 300 DCP |
| Exploding Shot | This arrow bursts when attacks or after a time, letting you knock enemies off balance. | 2 | 300 DCP |
| Erupting Shot | An enhanced version of Exploding Shot with greater arrow speed. | 5 | 1300 DCP |
| Tarring Shot | Tars an enemy and those who go near it. Needs a special arrow. | 3 | 450 DCP |
| Cascade Shot | Fire more arrows compared to Sweep Shot. | 4 | 1000 DCP |
| Torrent Shot | Fire many arrows quickly but you cannot move. | 4 | 700 DCP |
| Tempest Shot | Fire even more arrows than the Torrent Shot with this upgrade. | 7 | 2000 DCP |
| Drenching Shot | Drenches the target and those who draw near. Needs a special arrow. | 5 | 1100 DCP |
| Deluging Shot | An advanced form of Drenching Shot with greater speed. | 7 | 2000 DCP |
| Incendiary Shot | An advanced form of Tarring Shot that pierces the enemy. | 6 | 1600 DCP |
| Blighting Shot | Apply Blight with the right arrow. | 7 | 2500 DCP |
| Nocuous Shot | Grants more arrow speed to the Blighting Shot | 9 | 3000 DCP |
| Whirling Arrow | A spinning arrow that delivers multiple hits. | 5 | 1100 DCP |
| Spiral Arrow | Adds even more strikes to the Whirling Arrow. | 8 | 2500 DCP |
| Lyncean Sight | Lets you see even farther to target enemies and consumes less Stamina. | 6 | 1600 DCP |
| Heavenly Shot | Fires an almighty arrow at the cost of the user’s Stamina pool. | NA | Maister |
All Archer core skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
| Archer Core Skill | Description | Rank | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaping Punt | A weighty kick that launches you backwards and can knock enemies off balance. | 1 | 150 DCP |
| Parting Shot | Fire an arrow while jumping back from a mid-air Front Kick or Leaping Punt. | 2 | 250 DCP |
| Swift Nock | Nock arrows quickly with Loose or Steady Shot. | 3 | 400 DCP |
| Puncture Dart | Makes it harder to aim but you deal more damage and your arrows pierce targets better. | 4 | 600 DCP |
| Loose | Aims and fires an arrow at the nearest enemy automatically. | 1 | 0 DCP |
| Front Kick | A quick kick that causes the enemy to flinch. | 1 | 0 DCP |
| Steady Shot | Draw the bow carefully to aim and fire while moving. | 1 | 0 DCP |
All Archer augments in Dragon’s Dogma 2
| Archer Augment | Description | Rank | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ambuscade | Deal more damage to enemies who aren’t in combat. | 2 | 300 DCP |
| Endurance | Gain more stamina in combat. | 4 | 900 DCP |
| Radiance | Your lantern lights up a bigger area and consumes less fuel. | 6 | 1800 DCP |
| Lethality | Deal more damage when hitting enemy weak points. | 8 | 3000 DCP |
| Avidity | Scale cliffs and enemies more quickly. | 9 | 5000 DCP |
That covers the best Archer build in Dragon’s Dogma 2. Remember to keep your distance from enemies as you pepper them with special arrows. Focus on weak spots as your pawns cover you to eliminate threats quickly. Just stay out of melee range from enemy combatants. And if enemies spring a surprise, it’s okay to use a tactical retreat before letting some arrows fly. For more on the game’s features, read up on how to unlock all vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 and if DD2 has cheats. We’ve also got guides for the best Mage build in Dragon’s Dogma 2 and best Fighter build in Dragon’s Dogma 2.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 best Archer build FAQs
What is the role of an Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
Archers focus on damage output to thin enemy lines and target weak spots.
Can a pawn be a good Archer in Dragon’s Dogma 2?
Yes, a pawn can target weak spots and fire explosive arrows without harming you.
