Archer Build in Avowed – Features, Equipment, Best Skills!

In Avowed, the stealthy archer style is one of the best ways to progress through the game. Although the stealth mechanics here are different from Skyrim or Fallout, this build is still in demand. A good equip will allow your character to deal massive damage from afar while remaining undetected. So let’s find out how to create the perfect stealth archer, what skills, weapons and equipment to use, as well as how to properly interact with companions to remain invisible and destroy enemies from a safe distance.

Basic principles of playing as a stealthy archer

In Avowed, stealth shooting doesn’t work quite like in other RPGs. Here, you can’t kill an enemy without giving him a chance to spot you. But with the right skill distribution and companions, you can create a situation where enemies never attack you directly.

Key principles of the stealthy archer:

• Distance – the further away you are from the enemy, the less chance they have of spotting you.
• Time dilation – this allows you to aim more accurately and strike at enemies’ weak points.
• Distraction with companions – companions will tank damage while you take lethal shots.
• Developed critical damage skill – stealth attacks should be as powerful as possible, so that the enemy dies in a few hits.

Now let’s break down the best weapons, skills, and gear to create this build.

Best weapons for stealthy archer

Bows are the main weapon of the stealthy sniper. The best bows and crossbows in Avowed are described below. You can familiarize yourself with their characteristics and find out where to look for this or that item.

1. Long Touch is the first perfect bow

It can be obtained early in the game. This bow can be used until the very end of the game – it has impressive characteristics and shoots accurately.

Features:

• +10% critical chance for power attacks when aiming.
• +5% damage to enemies with full health.

Located in the Militia Headquarters in the Northern Paradise region and can be purchased from a merchant.

2. Arcus – the first unique crossbow

Crossbows in Avowed are highly accurate and piercing, so they can be used as an alternative to the bow. They can shoot much farther and do even more damage.

To get your first unique arcus, head to the Ranger Headquarters in the second region of the game. Make sure to take your time, as there is a long quest waiting for you to get the crossbow.

3. Ismal Meteoric Arcus – the best crossbow for the late game

This crossbow deals fire damage to enemies near the target. In fights where there are large clusters of enemies, it will work best – the fire will spread to all enemies, dealing damage to them.

Features:

• When killing an enemy, deals fire damage to nearby enemies.
• Short range power attacks cause a strong knockback effect.

Where to find:

Sold in the city of Thorn during the third stage of the game. However, upgrading it will require finding meteorites, which are scattered throughout the map.

Best Skills for Stealthy Archer

This build focuses on stealth, critical damage, and the ability to disappear from the sight of enemies. The following skills and masteries are selected with this in mind.

1. Marksmanship – increased damage

This skill increases damage from bows and crossbows by 50%. Every self-respecting archer should pump this skill.

2. Steady Aim – time slowdown

Allows you to slow down time by 75% during a force attack from a bow or crossbow. Allows you to accurately aim and hit the weak points of enemies.

3. Shadowing Beyond – Invisibility during combat

This skill makes your character invisible to enemies and removes aggro. This allows you to:

• Avoid being chased by enemies.
• Apply a stealth attack.
• Move to a convenient place for a new attack.

4. Sniper – bonus damage to enemies who can’t see you

Increases damage to enemies who are unaware of your presence. When combined with Shadowing Beyond, it will almost always be active.

5. Critical Strike – More Critical Strikes

Increases the chance of a critical strike by 20%.

Companions for the stealthy archer

Since in Avowed enemies will react to the player’s presence anyway, you can use companions as a distraction – especially since they can also deal damage to enemies. For an archer, this distraction is especially useful, as there is no need to constantly move around and dodge attacks – your allies will take care of all the attacks.

1. Kai is the perfect tank

• All of his skills should be focused on increasing his defense and ability to hold aggro.
• Unbending Defense – increases health and reduces damage by 25%.
• Fire and Iron – stuns enemies and draws their attention.
• Iron Will – reduces damage by 50%.
• Indomitable Spirit – speeds up health regeneration.
• Kai will be at the epicenter of the battle while you shoot from afar.

2. Giat – support and healing

The second role of the companions is to support and heal Kai to keep him alive as long as possible.

• Barrier and Greater Barrier – create a temporary shield that absorbs damage.
• Critical Restore – provides emergency treatment if Kai is badly injured.
• Reconstruction – restores Kai’s health.
• Essence of Shielding – reduces damage by 20%.

This combination makes Kai almost immortal, allowing you to attack from afar without fear of being detected.

The best equipment for a stealthy archer

To maximize the damage and effectiveness of stealth attacks, learn how to pick the right gear. Below you can see some useful information on what armor you should prefer.

Gloves

Black Wing Gloves – Increase critical damage by 10%.

Armor

Light armor with bonuses to Dexterity and Perception (increases damage from ranged weapons).

Additional Attributes

• Perception – Increases the chance of a critical hit.
• Strength (Might) – Increases total damage.
• Dexterity (Dexterity) – reduces stamina consumption.

There are also many other cool builds in the game. We’ll cover them in other guides, but for now, see you soon. You can also check out a great video below that also goes into detail about the archer in Avowed.