bow building - Guild Wars Forums

rancidgoat · Apr 03, 2006, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Im working on building a new bow that i will probably sell,just wanted some feed back. what ive got now is a Zealoul shadow bow of defence 14^15 +1 energy on hit -1 regen +5 armor. what im think to change to is a Sungering shwdow bow of fort. it would be 10/10%sundering, 14^50, +30 health. what one do ya think would be worth more and what one would you consider the better bow?

Sekkira · Apr 03, 2006, 02:52 PM // 14:52

there's a price check forum for this.

boxterduke · Apr 03, 2006, 02:54 PM // 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekkira

there's a price check forum for this.

I do not think he was asking for price, he meant worth more as in is it worth it to change the mod.

To the OP here is the section about bows from the best ranger guide

You can find the link here.
http://db.gamefaqs.com/computer/dosw...s_ranger_a.txt

-----------------
- Bows (gwrg4b) -
-----------------

Bow Classes
===========
There are 5 classes of bows in Guild Wars, which I will name according to the
most "common" type:
The 5 classes of bows are:
* Flatbow - includes some Ascalon Bows, Flatbows, and the Ithas Bow
* Longbow - includes some Ascalon Bows, Longbows, and Storm Bows
* Horn Bow - includes some Ascalon Bows, Horn Bow, Ivory Bows, and Shadow Bows
* Composite Bow - includes some Ascalon Bows, Composite Bows, Dead Bows,
Recurve Bow, and Eternal Bows
* Short Bow - includes some Ascalon Bows, Half Moon Bows, and Short Bows.

In addition, each bow class differs in the following characteristics:
* Range
* Refire Rate
* Arc Size
* Appearance
* Armor Penetration (special)

Ascalon Bows
------------
Ascalon Bows given by the collectors tend to imitate one of the above bow
classes. The appearance of the bow remains as a Flatbow/Longbow, but it can be
either a Flatbow, a Long bow, a Composite Bow, or a Short bow as far as range,
arrow speed, and rate of fire. You'll have to experiment to find out which
one it is.

Damage Range
------------
Bows do various ranges of damage based on their quality. Note that a Shortbow
and a Longbow can do the exact same amount of damage. The type of bow does not
influence the damage rating of the bow. The maximum damage range that a bow
can have is 15-28. There are rumors of 16-28 bows out there, but 15-28 is the
maximum you can expect.

In order to take advantage of the damage range listed on a bow, one needs to
meet the prerequisite amount of Marksmanship required by the bow. Otherwise,
the bow will behave as a Level 5 bow of the same type, with greatly reduced
damage. The actual base damage value varies and it is hidden, but it will be
the same as if the bow was dropped by a Level 5 enemy.

Bows with lower Marksmanship requirements do NOT do more damage if you exceed
the Marksmanship requirement by a greater amount. There are no bows with a
requirement of Beast Mastery or Wilderness Survival, and the only bow with an
Expertise requirement is the Ithas Bow (which has both an Expertise and
Marksmanship requirement).

Range
-----
Most bows can be lumped into three categories of ranges:
* Short range - Just within the "Aggro circle" on the Radar. The only bow class
with this range is the Short Bow class.
* Medium range - Up to "Casting Range", which is just beyond the "Aggro circle"
on the Radar. The Horn Bow and Composite Bow classes dwell in this range, and
it is similar in range to all Wand/Staff weapons.
* Long range - Up to 1.5 times the distance of the "Aggro Circle" on the Radar.
The Longbow and Flatbow classes are in this range.

These ranges are based on flat terrain. Being on higher ground than your target
will increase the range of your bow, while being on lower ground decreases the
range of your bow.

Refire Rate
-----------
The first shot that you fire from a bow will always be 2.0 seconds in duration.
However, after that initial shot, the rate of refire differs between the bow
classes. There are 3 rates of refire:
* Fast - approximately 2.0 seconds between shots. The Short Bow and Flatbow
classes have the Fast refire rate.
* Medium - approximately 2.5 seconds between shots. The Longbow and Composite
Bow classes have the Medium refire rate.
* Slow - approximately 2.7 seconds between shots. The Horn Bow class has the
slow refire rate.

Arc Size
--------
Arc size determines both Arrow Speed (how fast an arrow takes to hit its
target) and accuracy (leeway of the target dodging shots):
* High arc - Flatbows have the highest arc out of all of the bow classes. Thus,
the Flatbow class is the least accurate against moving targets at range.
* Normal arc - Horn Bows, Longbows, and Short Bows all have a normal arc. Note
that because a Shortbow has such a small range, the Normal Arc doesn't really
have much of an appreciable effect on arrow speed.
* Low arc - The Composite Bow class has the lowest Arc, and thus has the
shortest time to target and fastest arrow speed, making Composite Bows the
most accurate bow class.

Called Shot, Favorable Winds, and Read the Wind will make the Arc size
approximately the same as the Low arc of a Composite Bow.

Armor Penetration
-----------------
Horn Bows, Ivory Bows, and Shadow Bows have 10% Armor Penetration, according to
a couple of sources. This compensates for their slightly slower attack speed.
With speed increases, these bows can potentially do the most damage, especially
on armored targets. For general purpose use, and for Bow skills, however, a
Short bow is probably better.

What's the "best bow"?
----------------------
There's no such thing as the "best bow". Each bow class has strengths and
weaknesses. Short bows are great for overall damage, but are lacking in Range.
Flatbows can also deal a similar amount of damage, but they are inaccurate at
long range. Longbows are slow, but have a long range and normal arc. Composite
bows are guaranteed to hit, but are merely average in other stats. Horn Bows do
the most damage per single shot, but have the slowest refire rate of all the
bows.

My advice? Use a long range bow for pulling/luring, a short range bow for close
combat, and a composite bow for interrupting.

Bow Upgrades
============
There are two kinds of upgrades that you can apply to bows: Bowstrings, and Bow
Grips. Each upgrade adds something to the name of the bow, and can be applied
to any quality of item, from mundane to magical blue to rare purple/gold. You
are more likely to find Purple and Gold items that are already upgraded with a
bowstring or bow grip. You can only use one Bowstring and one Bow Grip to
upgrade your bow. A new Bowstring or Bow Grip will overwrite the old mod, and
you will lose the old mod permanently.

Upgrades can often be salvaged from a bow using an Expert Salvage Kit. Expert
Salvage Kits have a random chance of extracting either the Bowstring or the Bow
Grip.

Bowstrings
----------
Bowstrings add "prefix" upgrades to a bow and include the following:
* Ebon - Changes the bow damage from Piercing to Earth
* Fiery - Changes the bow damage from Piercing to Fire
* Icy - Changes the bow damage from Piercing to Cold
* Poisoner's - Lengthens the duration of Poison by 33%
* Shocking - Changes the bow damage from Piercing to Lightning
* Sundering - has a random (5-10%) chance of having 10% armor penetration
* Vampiric - -1 Health Degen, Steal life on hit (1-5 points)
* Zealous - -1 Energy Regen, +1 Energy per attack

The only bowstring that doesn't see much use is the Sundering bowstring, due to
the small percent chance of actually applying the effect. The elemental
bowstrings are popular with Ranger/Elementalists who wish to take advantage of
the Conjure lines. Zealous bowstrings are popular with Barrage spammers, as
each arrow reclaims one point of energy. With a fast-firing bow and perhaps
certain attack speed stances, zealous bows provide a quick method of Energy
regeneration, especially for folks who don't use sustained enchantments.
Poisoner's bowstrings are always popular among Rangers who use Poison Arrow and
Apply Poison. The Vampiric bowstring is useful for a "bow switch", as the -1
Health degen can hurt over longterm use.

There is a rumor that the Shocking bowstring gives 25% armor penetration. This
is not true, but it is based on the fact that most Air Magic spells have 25%
armor penetration. Shocking bowstrings only change your damage to Lightning.

Bow Grips
---------
Bow Grips add "suffix" upgrades to a bow, and include the following:
* Of Defense - adds Armor +4-5
* Of Shelter - adds Armor +4-7 (vs. physical attacks)
* Of Warding - adds Armor +4-7 (vs. elemental attacks)
* Of Charrslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Charr)
* Of Deathbane - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Undead)
* Of Dwarfslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Dwarves)
* Of Giantslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Giants)
* Of Pruning - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Plants)
* Of Skeletonslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Skeletons)
* Of Tenguslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Tengu)
* Of Trollslaying - adds Damage +10-20% (vs. Troll)
* Of Enchanting - Enchantments last 10-20% longer
* Of Fortitude - adds Health +20-30
* Of Marksmanship - adds +1 Marksmanship (10-20% chance while using skills)

Fortitude and Defense/Shelter seem to be the most popular Bow Grips. Some
Rangers who are also secondary spellcasters tend to prefer the Bow Grip of
Enchanting.

Which is the better bowgrip, "Of Defense" or "Of Fortitude"?
------------------------------------------------------------
There's an ongoing debate on which bowgrip is better for a Ranger in the long
run. The bowgrip of popular choice seems to be a Bowgrip of Fortitude, as seen
by the enormously inflated prices for a perfect Health +30 version. However, if
you look at the numbers, Bowgrip of Defense with an Armor +5 reduces incoming
damage to 91.7% of normal, which means about a 9% benefit. Even if the Fortitude
grip is perfect at +30 HP, the benefit from the Fortitude grip amounts to about
5% to 7%, meaning that based on Armor Level alone, the Bowgrip of Defense looks
like a better choice.

However, there are several situations in which a Bowgrip of Defense does not
give any benefit. For example, Conditions and Hexes that apply Health
Degeneration ignore armor, as do most Necromancer and Mesmer damaging spells.
Also, Death Penalty applies to your base Health and Energy, while bonuses to
Health and Energy remain the same. Thus, while the Bowgrip of Defense Armor
bonus remains static, the utility of the Bowgrip of Fortitude actually increases
as your Death Penalty goes up, by virtue of the fact that it is not reduced by
Death Penalty, giving you a higher overall Health.

Still, it is FAR easier to find a cheap Armor +5 Bowgrip of Defense than it is
to find a high level or perfect Bowgrip of Fortitude. Mostly, it boils down to
personal preference. The Fortitude bonus always applies, regardless of the kind
of damage that you take, but the Defense bonus provides a better long-term
benefit.

There are also bowgrips of Shelter and Warding. Having any bowgrip is better
than having no bowgrip, but these only protect against physical damage and
elemental damage respectively. Neither protect against non-elemental damage
like Light, Chaos, or Dark damage from wands and staves (the Bowgrip of Defense
does protect against these types), and have the same caveats as stated for the
Bowgrip of Defense above.

Inherent Magical Bonuses
========================
Certain bonuses cannot be gained from a Bow Upgrade. Instead, they are
inherently part of a magical bow (typically Purple or Gold, although occasional
blue bows do have these bonuses). The bonuses stack on top of the bonuses from
upgrades. An ideal bow will have three bonuses total: a Bowstring prefix bonus,
a Bow Grip suffix bonus, and an inherent bonus.

Inherent bonuses include:
* Damage +10-15% Armor -10 (while attacking)
* Damage +10-15% Energy -5
* Damage +10-15% (while enchanted)
* Damage +10-15% (while health is above 50%)
* Damage +10-20% (while health is below 50%)
* Damage +10-20% (while hexed)
* Damage +10-15% (while in a stance)
* Damage +10-15% (vs. hexed foes)

While the ranges seem rather wide, I've never seen a bonus below 10% or above
20%, other than some of the damage ranges seen on some of the special
Collectors Bows. The +20% damage bows are extremely rare... expect to get +15%
damage at the most (from a collector's bow), unless you get a lucky drop from a
level 28 enemy. Note that bonuses of +15% or higher are far more common on
bows that give a damage bonus with a penalty, like -5 Energy or while Hexed.

Alternate Bows
==============
While the best option is to get the most damaging bow with the modifier of
choice (usually a +15% Damage mod of some kind), there are several other unique
options for those looking for variety or a niche.

There used to be bows that offered bonus 10 Armor at the Henge of Denravi or
+5 Energy among the Old Ascalon collectors, but these bonuses were taken out
in the 9/7/05 update.

However, there is a new bow in the 9/7/05 update that can be crafted for 100
Wood Planks, 50 Feathers, and 5 Plat at Sarad, the weapon master at Droknar's
Forge. This is a Longbow with Damage +15% (while in a stance), max damage.

If you preordered your game from Electronics Boutique, then you have access to
a unique bow called the Ithas Bow. It does 13-25 damage and adds armor (much
like the Henge of Denravi bow), but has two prerequisites of Marksmanship and
Expertise of 10 each. Ouch. It has the range of a longbow with a faster fire
rate, similar to the Flatbow.

There are several bows that only drop in the Temple of the Ages dungeons. These
are the Shadow Bow, Eternal Bow, and Storm Bow. They have very neat-looking
effects, cosmetically. The Storm Bow in particular sizzles with lightning.
Each of these bows have their own stats. It is confirmed that the Storm Bow
acts as a Long Bow, the Shadow Bow acts as a Horn Bow, and the Eternal Bow acts
as a Composite/Recurve Bow.

Finally there are several unique bows with Green text that drop at Grenth's
Footprint and Sorrow's Furnace, that have good (but not overpowering) stats,
like Thornbeard's Horned Bow. These bows automatically have a perfect prefix,
suffix, and inherent mod on them.

If you are a Korean Player taking advantage of the Coke-play deal, you may have
in your possession a Scorpion Bow, a bow that's only available to Korea.

Using Multiple Bows
===================
The game provides up to 4 weapon sets that can be switched during combat at any
time. Because of this, it is fairly trivial to have multiple bows for various
tactical situations. For example, I use a Flatbow in F1 and a Half-Moon in F3.
The Flatbow allows me to pull targets at a much longer range, while I use the
increased fire rate and arrow speed of the Half-Moon bow at close range.

Another trick to use with multiple bows is to assign each bow a different
elemental bowstring. Thus, if a creature is resistant to the element of the
current bow, you can switch to a more appropriate element.

Another useful trick is having a Vampiric bow on the switch. When you need
life, you can swap to the Vampiric bow, and when you don't need life, you won't
suffer from the Health degen if you switch out.

Note: When you switch bows, your bow doesn't swap immediately. It takes the
place of the next "queued" action, which means if you are in the middle of a
bow attack or skill casting, you won't switch your bow until after the current
action. If you "buffer" a skill during the current action, the bow switch will
be cancelled!

Finding a good bow
==================
Generally, max damage bows drop when you start killing level 18 or higher
enemies. Lightning Drakes at the Gates of Kryta or Sanctum Cay, for example,
can drop Max Damage bows on occasion. However, your best bet for finding a bow
is to kill high level enemies with a Ranger class. Dune Burrowers and Enchanted
Bows in the Crystal Desert are a couple of good examples.

Also, several types of unique bows drop in the Temple of the Ages dungeons,
typically with maximum damage. Shadow Bows, Storm Bows, and Eternal Bows can be
found there.

You can also buy a good bow from people selling at Lion's Arch and Ascalon City
usually in District 1. Caveat Emptor. One person's "Godly" bow is the next
person's "junk". I wouldn't spend more than 5,000 gold acquiring a max damage
bow, as you can always add bow parts to improve an existing bow. Beware of
scams to sell Customized weapons to you, as they cannot be used by anyone but
the original user. If it says +20% Damage (Customized for "Seller's Name"),
stay away from it.

There are many collectors that offer Max Damage Ascalon bows in the Crystal
Desert and the Southern Shiverpeaks. A full list can be found in the Appendix
of collectors [gwrg9c] at the end of this Ranger Guide. Here are the items that
they collect:

* Dune Burrower Jaws - Dune Burrowers. Two good places: The beginning of Elona
Reach mission, and the Scar, just outside of the Thirsty River exit. You can
actually outrange the first couple of Dune Burrowers with a Longbow, thus
giving you a "free" kill pretty easily.
* Minotaur Horns - Minotaurs. The beginning of the Elona Reach mission is full
of Minotaurs. Use Spike Mines and defensive skills to kill them quickly.
* Topaz Crests - Sand Drakes. Diviner's Ascent, just out of Elona Reach, you
can beat up Sand Drakes. Fairly easy to solo.
* Dessicated Hydra Claws - Hydras. Go to Skyward Reach...too many Hydras there.
* Massive Jawbones - Sand Giants. I usually run around in the Southern part of
the Arid Sea. Also, the entrance to Vulture Drifts from the Arid Sea has a
huge group of them. Also, there are Giants in the beginning of Thirsty River,
but those don't generally drop Jawbones often.
* Frozen Shells - Frost Wurms. Yeah. Good luck... Find them in Lornar's Pass.
* Mountain Troll Tusks - West of Droknar's Forge in Talus Chute, there's a cave
FULL of Trolls.
* Alpine Seeds - Both level 13 Juniper Barks and level 24 Pinesouls give Alpine
Seeds. Go into Lornar's Pass from Beacon's Perch and kill the Ice Imps and
Pinesouls there, or run around the Northern Shiverpeaks for Juniper Barks.
* Azure Remains - There are many Azure Shadows in Snake Dance and Witman's Folly
* Intricate Grawl Necklaces - There are hordes of Grawl in Witman's Folly, so
you should easily get these in one or two passes, even with a full party.

Hate · Apr 03, 2006, 02:56 PM // 14:56

Personally I would keep the Armor+5, I remember someone doing the math and it turns out that its actually better than 30 health. Don't quote me though because I don't remember who did it.

Sekkira · Apr 03, 2006, 03:11 PM // 15:11

He was specifically asking what would make it worth more. That entire article you copy pasta'd is useless for this. The price check forum is where you ask these questions.

Str0b0 · Apr 03, 2006, 03:54 PM // 15:54

Sundering is a pointless mod. Keep it zealous if it is a perfect zealous if not make it a perfect zealous.

rancidgoat · Apr 03, 2006, 03:57 PM // 15:57

I just realized that i customized this bow so i will be keeping it, so what im looking for is what is going to be a better bow for me. i love the Zealous mod that + barrage in Tombs is a great combo but the sundering at10/10 has its advantages also.

Sekkira · Apr 03, 2006, 04:05 PM // 16:05

Stick with Zealous or go Vampiric for barrage. Sundering is useless, it shouldn't even be considered.

And Str0b0, what the hell? Perfect Zealous? It's always 1:1...

Str0b0 · Apr 03, 2006, 04:07 PM // 16:07

I never use zealous mods so how should I know? Gimme a break it's still early and I have had no coffee.

EDIT: But now I know better. Thank you for the heads up.

Phaern Majes · Apr 03, 2006, 04:42 PM // 16:42

I've found sundering isn't so bad in pvp. Sometimes its that little extra kick that finishes off a monk before he can save himself. Granted 10% chance isn't great and using anything lower is completely useless. But thats just my opinion, I always carry a second bow to switch to if my sundering seems to be sucking too much :P

Sekkira · Apr 03, 2006, 04:44 PM // 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phaern Majes

I've found sundering isn't so bad in pvp. Sometimes its that little extra kick that finishes off a monk before he can save himself. Granted 10% chance isn't great and using anything lower is completely useless. But thats just my opinion, I always carry a second bow to switch to if my sundering seems to be sucking too much :P

As opposed to vampiric which gives you that little extra kick per hit.

Str0b0 · Apr 03, 2006, 04:59 PM // 16:59

10% armor penetration on 1 out of 10 shots isn't really that great. 10% armor penetration is pretty pathetic considering there are skills available that will give you up to twice that every hit if you really want to have that armor penetration. Vampiric is a much better way to go for damage alone.

Kidney Licker · Apr 04, 2006, 12:11 AM // 00:11

tbh seeing as how it's 14^50 and you just want to resell it I think you will find it hard to sell at the price you want, you won't get full value. (But that's just my opinion)

Try and lay your hands on a 15^50, lowish req and then mod with a 10/10 and +30hp.

Price Check Forum would be better for your query though.

Sereng Amaranth · Apr 04, 2006, 02:31 AM // 02:31

Sundering is the best if you want to sell it. For some reason people still think it is the best mod. I would put it on the bow that I switch to from my vamp string.

Unless of course you have a Tiger's Fury or Frenzy build. Then use Zealous if you are running out of energy.

Apr 03, 2006, 02:42 PM // 14:42	#1
rancidgoat Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jan 2006 Guild: [XoO] [AX] Profession: N/Me	bow building Im working on building a new bow that i will probably sell,just wanted some feed back. what ive got now is a Zealoul shadow bow of defence 14^15 +1 energy on hit -1 regen +5 armor. what im think to change to is a Sungering shwdow bow of fort. it would be 10/10%sundering, 14^50, +30 health. what one do ya think would be worth more and what one would you consider the better bow?

Apr 03, 2006, 04:07 PM // 16:07	#9
Str0b0 Desert Nomad Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Carolina Profession: N/Me	I never use zealous mods so how should I know? Gimme a break it's still early and I have had no coffee. EDIT: But now I know better. Thank you for the heads up. Last edited by Str0b0; Apr 03, 2006 at 04:14 PM // 16:14..

Apr 03, 2006, 02:52 PM // 14:52	#2
Sekkira Forge Runner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Canberra, AU	there's a price check forum for this.

Apr 03, 2006, 02:56 PM // 14:56	#4
Hate Academy Page Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Lions Arch	Personally I would keep the Armor+5, I remember someone doing the math and it turns out that its actually better than 30 health. Don't quote me though because I don't remember who did it.

Apr 03, 2006, 03:11 PM // 15:11	#5
Sekkira Forge Runner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Canberra, AU	He was specifically asking what would make it worth more. That entire article you copy pasta'd is useless for this. The price check forum is where you ask these questions.

Apr 03, 2006, 03:54 PM // 15:54	#6
Str0b0 Desert Nomad Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Carolina Profession: N/Me	Sundering is a pointless mod. Keep it zealous if it is a perfect zealous if not make it a perfect zealous.

Apr 03, 2006, 03:57 PM // 15:57	#7
rancidgoat Frost Gate Guardian Join Date: Jan 2006 Guild: [XoO] [AX] Profession: N/Me	I just realized that i customized this bow so i will be keeping it, so what im looking for is what is going to be a better bow for me. i love the Zealous mod that + barrage in Tombs is a great combo but the sundering at10/10 has its advantages also.

Apr 03, 2006, 04:05 PM // 16:05	#8
Sekkira Forge Runner Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Canberra, AU	Stick with Zealous or go Vampiric for barrage. Sundering is useless, it shouldn't even be considered. And Str0b0, what the hell? Perfect Zealous? It's always 1:1...

Apr 03, 2006, 04:42 PM // 16:42	#10
Phaern Majes Desert Nomad Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Anywhere but up Guild: The Panserbjorne [ROAR] Profession: R/Mo	I've found sundering isn't so bad in pvp. Sometimes its that little extra kick that finishes off a monk before he can save himself. Granted 10% chance isn't great and using anything lower is completely useless. But thats just my opinion, I always carry a second bow to switch to if my sundering seems to be sucking too much :P

Apr 03, 2006, 04:59 PM // 16:59	#12
Str0b0 Desert Nomad Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Carolina Profession: N/Me	10% armor penetration on 1 out of 10 shots isn't really that great. 10% armor penetration is pretty pathetic considering there are skills available that will give you up to twice that every hit if you really want to have that armor penetration. Vampiric is a much better way to go for damage alone.

Apr 04, 2006, 12:11 AM // 00:11	#13
Kidney Licker Wilds Pathfinder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Europe Server	tbh seeing as how it's 14^50 and you just want to resell it I think you will find it hard to sell at the price you want, you won't get full value. (But that's just my opinion) Try and lay your hands on a 15^50, lowish req and then mod with a 10/10 and +30hp. Price Check Forum would be better for your query though.

Apr 04, 2006, 02:31 AM // 02:31	#14
Sereng Amaranth Desert Nomad Join Date: Jun 2005 Guild: The Amazon Basin [AB]	Sundering is the best if you want to sell it. For some reason people still think it is the best mod. I would put it on the bow that I switch to from my vamp string. Unless of course you have a Tiger's Fury or Frenzy build. Then use Zealous if you are running out of energy.