At first glance, Archer might seem like one of the lamest Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2. When other classes get big swords and flash spells, a simple bow doesn’t look all that powerful.
As PC Invasion’s resident Archer main in Dragon’s Dogma 2, however, I’m here to tell you that all the naysayers are wrong. Archer is hands down one of the strongest Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2 because of its versatility, damage output, and ability to synergize well with any Pawn party composition.
Best Archer Weapon Skills and Core Skills in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Since Archer is one of the starting Vocations in Dragon’s Dogma 2, it starts out as a relatively tame class with straightforward abilities. Once you level it up and unlock new abilities at a Vocation Guild, however, it becomes an incredibly strong class that is capable of handling any situation.
Best Archer Weapon Skills
You can unlock every Weapon Skill with enough Discipline in Dragon’s Dogma 2, but if you’re just starting out and haven’t done any farming or questing yet, the first few abilities you unlock are very important. The best starting Weapon Skills for Archer are Barrage Shot and Dire Arrow, which give you great short-range and long-range abilities respectively.
Later on, you can replace Barrage Shot with Torrent Shot, a more powerful ability that has mostly the same effect and lets you deal more damage from afar while your Pawns take the brunt of the damage. If you want to double down on close-range archery, however, then Sweep Shot is for you.
Archer’s ace in the hole is the ability to use elemental arrows. These require dedicated skills to use and you’ll have to buy or craft them yourself, but gold stops being a problem later in the game and you can swap them out if you want to prepare for a difficult fight with specific weaknesses. Exploding Shot and Tarring Shot are the best overall special arrows, but Blighting Shot is a powerful alternative as well.
Best Archer Core Skills
Archer has four Core Skills in total and you can use all of them at once since they’re passive abilities. If you’re short on Discipline, however, then you should prioritize unlocking Leaping Punt and Parting Shot first since these are some of the only Archer abilities that let you escape from close-range encounters.
Swift Nock is a priority as well once you’ve reached a high enough level to unlock it since it raises your overall fire rate, thereby increasing your damage output. Puncture Dart is the last of Archer’s Core Skills, but it’s the least useful of the bunch since you’re going to be spending most of your time using Weapon Skills and the effects don’t apply to those.
Best Archer Augments in Dragon’s Dogma 2
Augments are where you can really hone your build in Dragon’s Dogma 2 since you can carry them over from different Vocations. Archer unlocks quite a few useful Arguments as you level it up, but the best Archer build requires you to dip your toes into other Vocations as well.
| Augment | Vocation | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Vitality | Warrior | Increases your maximum Health. |
| Endurance | Archer | Increases your maximum Stamina. |
| Thew | Fighter | Enables you to carry additional weight. |
| Radiance | Archer | Causes your lantern to consume less oil and illuminate a wider area. |
| Mettle | Fighter | Augments your physical Defense. |
| Diligence | Fighter | Hastens recovery when downed or crawling. |
Best Archer Bows and Armor in Dragon’s Dogma 2
While you can find weapons and armor throughout the world in Dragon’s Dogma 2, you’re better off just buying your gear from shops whenever you reach a new town. As long as you’re doing quests and exploring off the beaten path during your travels, you’ll have more than enough gold to gear yourself up along with your Main Pawn. These are the best gear sets for Archer at various stages of the game:
Best Early Game Archer Gear
- Hunter’s Bow (Vernworth)
- Felt Cap (Vernworth)
- Chain Mail (Vernworth)
- Ranger’s Tights (Vernworth)
Best Mid Game Archer Gear
- Dinistrydd (Sacred Arbor)
- Battahli Turban (Bakbattahl)
- Majestic Armor (Bakbattahl)
- Mercenary Hosen (Bakbattahl)
Best Endgame Archer Gear
- Dragon’s Rancor (Bay Wayside Shrine)
- Confidant’s Hood (Bay Wayside Shrine)
- Heroic Coat (Bay Wayside Shrine)
- Eagle-Eye Cuisses (Bay Wayside Shrine)
Since Archers are all about fashion, don’t forget to equip your favorite Cloak since those don’t really have much of an effect on your stats or resistances. If you prefer the look of another Vocation, you can create incredibly strong Fighter builds or Mage builds in Dragon’s Dogma 2 as well.
