Factions Bow Skills

All,

I just landed in Cantha, ran to the skill trainer, and got really excited to use all the skills I couldn't ever learn before.

Until...I started looking at them.

Marauder's Shot - Looks just like power shot except it also disables my other skills

Focused Shot - Same except it disables my bow skills

Needling Shot - Instomatic recharge, but there is an activation time?

I thought about it for a bit, and I get Marauder's. With high skill level it does more straight up bonus damage than any other non elite bow skill. Use it after your preps, and who cares about disabling once you are set for shooting.

I kind of get Focused. Quick recharge time and low cost means spam a lot. But, using that pretty much negates use of other bow skills, because it disables them.

Needling I like. I enjoy. I can't click the little button fast enough as soon as some poor mobs health drops below 50%. My little ranger goes into spastic arrow barrage. But, does it actually do more damage than just using other skills?

Right now I am using Penetrating, Dual and Called, along with Apply Poison and a couple stances. Nothing fancy, just a poison spreading build.

Can someone wise in the ways let me know how useful (really) the Faction skills are? Or a quick sample build using any of these skills? They just seem ... unnecessary.

Needling shot isn't terrible, you can get some respectable armour-ignoring dps with it. BHA is the only one I ever use. And sundering once or twice, that's more of a guilty secret.

Needling Shot + Glass Arrows/Broadhead Arrow. Major damage or major interrupting.

Marauders is far superior for damage if you don't use it at a stupid time (like when you need to recast preps and/or are under attack and need to use a stance).

Focused is very bad, deactivating your interrupts for mediocre damage really isn't helpful.

Later on you'll find Splinter Shot... ignore it, its possibly the worst attack skill in the game.

Quote:

The Kournan Bowman rarely even stand near anyone... except on missions like Venta Cemetary.

hmmmm... I find that they do, I just dig seeing the big damage to the others around them... Also good on Consulate Docks mission, when they all activate WD and still take damage from splinter... hahahaha

I'd still rather have my Warrior Wild Blow them, and hit them with something less unwieldy.