Is it just me, Or did they skimp on long bows a bit in this game? Archers use long bows as primary weapons. To make an archer worthwhile in this game requires you use a short bow. Maybe I'm too picky, but I find this a bit out of character.

<font color="gold">I think the game has enough longbows. There are many very good longbows out there that I can name on litle time.
IMO, it is enough of every type of weapon in the game. If you look at other RPGs, there are much fewer good weapons. ;) </font>

I would never trade my Longbow for a Shortbow save certain situations. The most damaging bow in the game( including ToB) is a Longbow type weapon. The only time I use Shortbows are when I need +3/+4 enchanted arrows.

Soloing an Archer now, Strongarm is my main weapon. Grandmastered in Longbows and Shortbows already.

hehe, yes. if u get GM in both Long and short ur problem is solved, but when damage counts a Long bow is best. But Sling of Seeking is not bad either, with the str bonus

Imho crossbow is even better with a very good archer, esp with whirlwinds. crossbows already are very slow so improved haste probably won't improve their attack very much but whirling wind you get what 10 attack for a round, and consdering the damage a powerful crossbow like firetooth can deal out in a short peroid of time....

HA! Longbows are piles of dog**** in this game. I'm not kidding. Tuigan Bow is better than any long bow (Strong arm? GIVE ME A FRICKEN BREAK! 1 less attack while getting only 2 more damage per hit? Not enough to make me switch), and, Oh, LETS NOT FORGET THE GESEN BOW?! Thats the most evil ranged weapon in the game. Seriously. 1d8 electric +2 or so piercing, But, OH WAIT! I can still USE NORMAL ARROWS WITH THAT 1d8! OH MY!

And you say longbows are worth the trouble? LOL!

Even though the Gesen Bow, Firetooth crossbow and Sling of Everaad(sp?) all create their own ammunition when they're used, you can still use ammunition that you buy/find in all of them, and they still add their magic ammunition damage to the damage from the ammunition you're firing from them. As long as the target doesn't have high magic resistance, you hit them once and they take damage twice. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Try this combo: Upgraded Firetooth + bolts of biting + GWW. As long as the target doesn't have good magic resistance, those bolts of biting will do extra poison damage, on top of the impact damage they do, and the extra damage from Firetooth itself.

Hehe, I use bolts of electricty and various underdark type superbolts (koatoa bolts, paralatic bolts...). They do much damage. ;) Imagine though, 1d8+fire, +4d4 electric. ;) Oh, wait, +5 for the crossbow itself and +3 for profs. hehe

As far as I'm concerned, you don't pick an archer's bow by looking at how powerful it is. Instead, you think of what missile weapon would fit your individual character best.
When you play an archer, you can afford doing so, simply because they are good with any missile weapon (bows and crossbows more than slings though).
I've always played my archer as someone with a (composite )longbow, simply because in my mind any decent archer has to have one of those. But with all the bows I've used, I found that neither Heartseeker nor the Elven Court bow nor strongarm, but your regular unenchanted composite longbow is the most fun to play. And playing an archer, that +x THACO- and +y damagebonus really does not matter all that much, so again, you can afford it.
Archers are simply too good [img]smile.gif[/img]

That's what I mean. The Tuigan and Gesen bows are the two best in the game as far as archery power is concerned. The good long bows don't mean much at this point in the game because +3 weapons are everywhere. Oh well!