What bow string its the best?

Elssar

Pre-Searing Cadet

Join Date: Feb 2006

First Encounter Assault Recon

R/Me

Hello, so i want to add a bow string to my shortbow and i don't know witch one is the best (or what you guys mostly use).

romeo_longsword

romeo_longsword

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

United Kingdom - London, China - Hong Kong

R/

Short bow, if I was you, Zealot ones, or Vamp.

Sol_Vie

Sol_Vie

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Aug 2005

Boston, MA

Blood Of Orr [BoO]

Zealous bow strings are always nice. Especially if you're using Barrage or Dual Shot with a high Expertise (10-11).

Poisonous Strings are good for well, poison.

Vampiric strings are good for Barrage too.

You can use Sundering, but overall Vampiric does more damage. I just don't find Sundering useful.

Those are the top 4 strings.

Lady Lozza

Lady Lozza

Forge Runner

Join Date: Dec 2005

Oz

Angel Sharks

Me/N

LOL depends what your build is. Most rangers carry several bows around for various situations. One of the popular ones rangers were running when I had my ranger was shocking bowstring + thunderclap (elite). Sundering however is pretty popular now days, as in vampiric, but the vamp bows are more often used in PvP. Another good one is poisoner's if you are running poison arrows. IMHO zealous isn't too bad either.

Effigy

Effigy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Illinois, US

Heroes of Talia [HoT]

Mo/

Don't you run out of energy fast with Thunderclap? I wouldn't think the energy loss would be reduced by Expertise and since you only have ~30e, you'd be out after about 3 hits.

I agree with the others though. Zealous or vampiric for general use, poisonous for poisoners, or elemental for conjures. You don't need a fiery string for Conjure Flame if you use Kindle Arrow though.

Valerius

Valerius

Desert Nomad

Join Date: Apr 2005

Canada

R/

Vampiric has the most uses imo

Quote:
Don't you run out of energy fast with Thunderclap? I wouldn't think the energy loss would be reduced by Expertise and since you only have ~30e, you'd be out after about 3 hits. Thunderclap {E} was bugged... along with a few other skills... where it wouldn't end when u hit 0 energy... so as long as u kept shooting at the foe... they'd keep getting KD

romeo_longsword

romeo_longsword

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

United Kingdom - London, China - Hong Kong

R/

Hey guys, anyone married to a Zealot bow string? By that, I mean you have it on your hand ALL or MOST of the time?

SnipiousMax

SnipiousMax

Perfectly Elocuted

Join Date: Sep 2005

Vampiric strings increase your damage output alot. Personally, I find Zealous strings to be less needed with a ranger (due to expertise AND three pips of Regen) than warriors.

Sundering is worthless, it ends up adding very little damage to your attacks. +1 Marks is the same, it ends up not being worth using.

So unless you were planning on using a Conjure line...I'd use Vampiric and carry a plain bow to switch to when not attacking.

dry

Academy Page

Join Date: Oct 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by romeo_longsword
Hey guys, anyone married to a Zealot bow string? By that, I mean you have it on your hand ALL or MOST of the time? Yes, I am. Cheap and easy to get, yet rivals vampiric strings in pvp. When I spam QS for damage I cannot discard a zealous string.

koneko

Site Contributor

Join Date: Sep 2005

38??16′ N 140??52′ E

Mo/Me

Vampiric ftw XD

Try going into Tombs with a Barrage/pet group and you'll see lots of +health numbers pop up above your head. :o

flamingmarmo

Academy Page

Join Date: Dec 2005

England

fatalis combine

W/

I like carrying a vamp bow or if i've got a high energy cost build then a zealous one, and switch over to an ebon bow for taking down warriors(ebon since there is some armour agains the other elements but none for earth.

romeo_longsword

romeo_longsword

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Jan 2006

United Kingdom - London, China - Hong Kong

R/

Although I am still experimenting, but I am finding myself using the sundering bow of defence as the main, and a Vamp bow as the second.

So yes, I switch to vamp when I am spaming.

4runner

4runner

Banned

Join Date: Oct 2005

Cali!!!

cdxx/the420th.com

Mo/N

Zealous
Vampiric

Ohtar Nimloth

Ohtar Nimloth

Ascalonian Squire

Join Date: Nov 2005

Nato Corps

R/Me

Hey guys maybe im nuts but...what about an Ebon bow string? Rangers have armor against Fire, Cold, and Lightning but no "earth armor"...Not very often do you encounter an Ele wearing Earth armor...and as far as warriors go...not any armor against earth...necros and monks...not a concern

I think that hardly noone brings defense against Earth Damage...except for the occasional Mesmer with a mantra...

anyway something to think about...

XvArchonvX

XvArchonvX

Forge Runner

Join Date: Nov 2005

R/

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohtar Nimloth
Hey guys maybe im nuts but...what about an Ebon bow string? Rangers have armor against Fire, Cold, and Lightning but no "earth armor"...Not very often do you encounter an Ele wearing Earth armor...and as far as warriors go...not any armor against earth...necros and monks...not a concern

I think that hardly noone brings defense against Earth Damage...except for the occasional Mesmer with a mantra...

anyway something to think about... Good point, I never thought about that. However many monks do have elemental dmg armor which would include earth dmg. Still, it might be worth looking into in terms of PvP if nothing else.

Bag-o-Weed

Bag-o-Weed

Academy Page

Join Date: Jan 2006

My house

Temple of Wisdom

W/Mo

5/1 vamp bow string

SirShadowrunner

Lion's Arch Merchant

Join Date: Sep 2005

at the beach

Gamerzunlimited (GU)

R/

How good of short bow is it ?? is it a gold bow with high dam. added, the reason being,
a 5/1 vamp string is not cheap, I would only install it on a decent bow, 13^ 50 and above. Then you will need another bow to switch to when not fighting to avoid the
health loss, is this for PvE mostly?? With a short-bow you are going to have to be close
to the action to get shots off.
I would also look into getting Thornbeards horned bow, I love this bow, built-in 10% AP
all the time, and 15% while enchanted, great for solo farming, since you will be
enchanted.
My favorite bow at the moment is my Zealous composite bow of fortitude(+29), forget
the dam. applier, but this bow is awesome, accurate, fast, and flat, I do not really
use my short-bows much.

hope this helps
Sirshadowrunner

Effigy

Effigy

Jungle Guide

Join Date: Aug 2005

Illinois, US

Heroes of Talia [HoT]

Mo/

Buying the mods is not that big of an issue, unless you're incredibly picky and only want to use a certain kind of bow.

I bought a Elswyth's Recurve Bow, 5/1 vampiric +15^50 +30hp, for 12k and a Graygore's Zealous Short Bow, +15^50 +30hp, for 25k, and just switch depending on the situation. Pretty affordable imo.

wiz12268

Wilds Pathfinder

Join Date: Jul 2005

California

Men In Black

Ebon is nice noone defends against it. But also no ele skills that allow you to "conjure" it though. So it doesn't get the run. If you could conjure an earth attack it would be huge.

Also depends on if you PvE or PvP.

Age

Age

Hall Hero

Join Date: Jul 2005

California Canada/BC

STG Administrator

Mo/

I use sundering but I know zealous is better I haven't found a mod yet for it.

Rilder

Rilder

Frost Gate Guardian

Join Date: Feb 2006

Mystic Shadow Soldiers (MSS)

R/

I find elemental bow strings do the most damage for meh... sure you get the occasional person with 99 def against elemental damage but thats what your other bows are for.

JR

JR

Re:tired

Join Date: Nov 2005

W/

Poisoners is nice, if you use Apply Poison or *shudder* Poison Arrow.

Other than that, Vampiric with a Zealous on switch.

Yukito Kunisaki

Yukito Kunisaki

Forge Runner

Join Date: Mar 2005

Chicago, IL

W/N

When it comes to warriors and ranger weapons...

For me, nothing short of Zealous anything of Fortitude stance dmg bonus will do...

Caged Fury

Caged Fury

Krytan Explorer

Join Date: Dec 2005

Hearts Of Fury [HoF]

For flexibility, I carry three bows with me.

1. Vampiric (Elswyth's Recurve Bow) for higher damage.
2. Sundering (Drago's Flat Bow) mainly for long distance shots rather than for the armour penetration.
3. Zealous - A gold composite with +5 Armour that I found and added a zealous string to. Needless to say for energy regain.


The vampiric bow is the one that I use most though. Because Elswyth's bow has a +30 health, I can easily switch to Drago's Flat (which also has +30 health) if I need to without losing that health bonus.