Best Early Game Archer Build in Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon’s Dogma 2 introduces a whole new world of combat with the addition of new Vocations, such as the Archer. Split off from the Strider, a fan-favorite Vocation in the first game known for its mix of melee and ranged attacks, the Archer specializes in delivering purely ranged assaults. This makes it an excellent choice for those who prefer low-risk combat.

The Archer Vocation is perfect for beginners since it focuses on dealing high physical damage from afar and targeting enemy weak points with precise shots, making it valuable for taking down tougher foes quickly. This guide covers the best early-game build for the Archer to help players maximize damage output.

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How To Play The Archer

The Archer is your basic bow-and-arrow character that can effectively target flying enemies on high ledges that melee fighters can't reach. Their main strength lies in their ability to keep a safe distance while still being able to deal incredible damage. As long as you have a good aim, the Archer is all you need to survive.

Interestingly, Archers can equip skills that allow them to fire multiple arrows simultaneously and use different types of arrows, like exploding ones to disengage enemies. This makes them quite useful, as they can support other members of the party by controlling mobs of enemies on the battlefield.

Best Weapon Skills For The Archer

The Archer has a great variety of skills, from simple arrow barrages to explosive set-ups, offering versatility across various scenarios. Here are some of the best weapon skills you can equip to boost The Archer’s capabilities.

Name	Unlocked At	Description
Barrage Shot	Rank 1	Fires arrows rapidly in succession, enabling focused assaults on a single target. Can be upgraded to Manifold Shot that fires more arrows.
Dire Arrow	Rank 1	Fires a lethal shot that knocks down smaller targets. Can be upgraded to Deathly Arrow to deal more damage.
Sweep Shot	Rank 1	Fires arrows in a wedge pattern, allowing you to target multiple enemies simultaneously. Can be upgraded to Cascade Shot to fire even more arrows.
Exploding Shot	Rank 2	Fire off an explosive arrow that bursts after a set duration or when attacked, damaging enemies in the process. Can be upgraded to Erupting Shot and employed when climbing.
Tarring Shot	Rank 3	Fires an arrow loaded with tar that explodes after a set duration or when attacked, dousing the enemy and those around it in tar. Can be upgraded to Incendiary Shot which increases arrow speed.
Torrent Shot	Rank 4	Fires multiple arrows rapidly in succession, with the rate of fire increasing with consecutive shots. Can be upgraded to Tempest Shot which fires even more arrows.

Many of the Archer’s skills require charging or to be briefly locked in a particular position. As such, you should consider the surrounding enemies before committing to a certain skill.

Best Core Skills For The Archer

Most of the Archer's core skills focus on damage-dealing, while a few of them reflect its ability to swiftly evade incoming attacks. The table below lists the must-have core skills for an early-game Archer build.

Name	Unlocked At	Description
Steady Shot	Rank 1	Allows you to aim for a precise shot manually. The distance of the arrow and the damage inflicted is influenced by the length of the draw
Leaping Punt	Rank 1	Allows you to deliver a mighty kick that can knock enemies off balance.
Parting Shot	Rank 2	Allows you to fire an arrow while jumping back after landing a Leaping Punt, or mid-air Front Kick.
Swift Nock	Rank 3	Allows you to nock arrows more quickly when using Loose or Steady Shot aims.
Puncture Dart	Rank 4	Allows you to draw the bowstring back even further, making your arrows deal much more damage.

Steady Shot is one of the first core skills the Archer can equip, and is perfect for early-game stages as it can help you manually aim for a precise shot. However, if you’re short on Discipline, you should save up to unlock the Leaping Punt and Parting Shot first, since these skills are the best options defense-wise, as they can help you quickly escape from close-range encounters.

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Moreover, the Swift Nock can help you “reload arrows” faster, while the Puncture Dart lets them inflict more damage, making it a powerful skill for the Archers early on.

Best Augments For The Archer

Augments for the Archer mostly provide offensive buffs to their capabilities, enhancing their attack power. Since you can equip eight Augments at a time, it is recommended to look into Augments of other vocations, like Verve from the Thief Vocation, which increases your Strength.

The best early-game Augments for the Archer are listed in the table below.

Name	Unlocked At	Description
Ambuscade	Rank 2	Increases damage dealt to enemies who are not in battle stance yet.
Endurance	Rank 4	Increases maximum Stamina.
Lethality	Rank 8	Increases the damage dealt when targeting an enemy's vitals.

Recommended Gear For Archer

Archer from Dragon's Dogma 2 readying bow

While the best equipment will always be whatever has the highest stats, it’s not feasible to purchase such costly gear in the early stages of the game. Here are some recommended items that are perfect for the Archer when you’re just starting out.

Item	Name	Cost (Gold)	Source
Bow	Hunter's Bow	4,240	Roderick’s Smithy in Vernworth
Head Armor	Hard-Leather Helm	1,890	Bjorn’s Armory in Vernworth
Body Armor	Chain Mail	2,250	Borderwatch Outpost or Runne’s Apothecary
Leg Armor	Patroller Knee Guards	4,210	Bjorn’s Armory in Vernworth
Rings	Ring of Exultation	1,000	Bjorn’s Armory in Vernworth
Rings	Ring of Aggression	5,000	Sold by Dudly in Melve