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Baldur's Gate 3: Arcane Archer Build Guide - Maximizing Hidden Potential
This video explains how to maximize the potential of an underrated Arcane Archer build in Baldur's Gate 3. It guides you on how to make the Arcane Archer a crowd control expert through leveling strategies, key abilities, and optimal equipment selection.
1. 🏹 Arcane Archer Introduction: An Underrated Crowd Control Master
- ✅ Arcane Archers unleash powerful crowd control abilities from level 3.
- ✅ You can control more enemies as you level up.
- ✅ Skipping enemy turns is crucial on Honor difficulty.
- ✅ Utilize various Arcane Arrows (Seeking Arrow, Piercing Arrow, Shadow Arrow).
00:00 - 00:47
1. 🏹 Arcane Archer Introduction: An Underrated Crowd Control Master
- ✅ Arcane Archers unleash powerful crowd control abilities from level 3.
- ✅ You can control more enemies as you level up.
- ✅ Skipping enemy turns is crucial on Honor difficulty.
- ✅ Utilize various Arcane Arrows (Seeking Arrow, Piercing Arrow, Shadow Arrow).
00:48 - 01:55
2. Levels 1-2: Starting as a Fighter and Utilizing Action Surge
- ✅ Level 1: Choose Fighter to gain Second Wind and a fighting style.
- ✅ Second Wind recovers 1d10 + Fighter level as a bonus action.
- ✅ Use it on the first turn of combat to activate Broodmother's Revenge.
- ✅ Choose Archery as your fighting style to gain a +2 bonus to ranged attack rolls.
- ✅ Level 2: Gain an additional action through Action Surge, which recharges on a short rest.
01:56 - 02:52
3. Level 3: Arcane Archer Subclass and Key Arcane Shot Selection
- ✅ Level 3: Choose the Arcane Archer subclass and gain 3 Arcane Shots.
- ✅ Banishing Arrow: A primary crowd control tool that banishes enemies for 2 turns.
- ✅ Shadow Arrow: Blinds enemies, granting advantage on attack rolls and disadvantage on enemy attack rolls.
- ✅ Piercing Arrow: Deals guaranteed damage to threatening enemies.
02:53 - 03:58
4. Levels 4-5: Sharpshooter Feat and Additional Attack to Enhance Crowd Control
- ✅ Level 4: Choose the Sharpshooter feat to not receive disadvantage when attacking enemies at high ground.
- ✅ Always keep the toggleable ability that gives -5 to attack rolls and +10 to damage turned on (unless your hit chance drops below 70%).
- ✅ Seeking Arrow and Piercing Arrow always hit, so Sharpshooter bonus damage is not added.
- ✅ Level 5: You can attack twice per action with Extra Attack.
- ✅ Using Action Surge allows you to fire 4 arrows in one turn, banishing up to 4 enemies.
03:59 - 04:24
5. Level 6: Ability Improvement and Dexterity Maximization
- ✅ Level 6: Choose the Ability Improvement feat and invest 2 points in Dexterity to make it 18.
- ✅ Dexterity affects Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth skills, ranged/finesse weapon attack rolls, initiative, and armor class.
- ✅ Dexterity is very important as Arcane Archers primarily use ranged attacks.
- ✅ It is important to attack before the enemy as you perform a crowd control role.
04:25 - 05:55
6. Level 7: Acquiring Curving Shot and Magic Arrow
- ✅ Level 7: Curving Shot allows you to attack the nearest enemy using a bonus action if a magical ranged attack misses.
- ✅ Curving Shot interacts with Soul Branding to deal additional fire damage.
- ✅ Magic Arrow makes all ranged attacks magical, overcoming resistances.
- ✅ Gain 3 additional Arcane Arrows, totaling 7.
- ✅ Choose Seeking Arrow to гарантированно kill low-health enemies, attack enemies out of sight, or eliminate enemies making melee attacks.
05:56 - 06:35
7. Levels 8-9: Reaching Dexterity 20 and Acquiring Indomitable
- ✅ Level 8: Choose the Ability Improvement feat to make Dexterity 20.
- ✅ High Dexterity provides a high armor class when wearing Armor of Agility.
- ✅ Level 9: Indomitable allows you to reroll failed saving throws.
06:36 - 07:21
8. Levels 10-11: 10 Arcane Arrows and Improved Extra Attack Acquired
- ✅ Level 10: Gain 3 additional Arcane Arrows, totaling 10, all of which recharge on a short rest.
- ✅ You can choose Grasping Arrow, but it may be less useful compared to other options.
- ✅ Level 11: You can attack 3 times per action with Improved Extra Attack.
- ✅ Using Action Surge allows you to banish up to 6 enemies in one turn, or up to 9 with Haste.
- ✅ In addition to Banishing Arrow, it is also good to use Shadow Arrow to blind enemies.
07:22 - 07:40
9. Level 12: Intelligence Improvement and Increased Spell Save DC
- ✅ Level 12: Choose the Ability Improvement feat and improve Intelligence.
- ✅ Intelligence affects the spell save DC of Arcane Shots, so the higher the better.
- ✅ Increasing Intelligence increases the chance of successfully banishing and blinding enemies.
07:41 - 13:55
10. Optimal Equipment Selection: Maximizing Crowd Control Abilities
- ✅ The key to equipment selection is to maximize crowd control abilities.
- ✅ Apply Reverberation, Prone, and Frightened conditions, and gain Arcane Acuity to increase the success rate of Arcane Arrows.
| Equipment | Effect | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet of Arcane Acuity | Gain Arcane Acuity whenever you deal damage with a weapon attack. | Act 2, Mason's Guild Basement |
| Thunderskin Cloak | If the attacker is Reverberating, they become Dazed. | Moonrise Towers, Purchase from Araja Bloodra |
| Yuan-Ti Scale Mail / Armor of Agility | Adds Dexterity modifier to armor class and provides a +1 bonus to initiative rolls. | Yuan-Ti: Last Light Inn, Tally / Agility: Act 3, Damon |
| Gloves of Belligerent Skies | Grants Reverberation when dealing thunder, lightning, or radiant damage. | Crush's Yell, Inquisitor's Chamber |
| Boots of Stormy Clamour | Grants Reverberation when inflicting a status effect on an enemy. | Omelum |
| Broodmother's Revenge | Grants additional poison damage to weapons each time you are healed. | Corga |
| Ring of Spiteful Thunder | Dazes enemies when dealing thunder damage to Reverberating enemies. | Moonrise Towers, Purchase from Moononglow |
| Ring of Absolute Force | Grants additional thunder damage when dealing thunder damage. | - |
| Club of Hill Giant Strength | Sets Strength to 19. | Top of Arcane Tower |
| Drakethroat Glaive | Grants thunder damage to the bow using the Draconic Elemental Weapon spell. | Moonrise Towers, Purchase from merchant |
| Ketheric's Shield | Armor Class +2, Spell Save DC +1 | - |
| Bow of the Banshee | Can make enemies Frightened. | - |
- ✅ Choose Bow of the Banshee instead of Titan String Bow to secure additional crowd control abilities.
- ✅ Enemies that are Prone due to Reverberation can skip their turn along with the Frightened condition.
- ✅ The key to the Arcane Archer build is to disable enemies through crowd control and help other party members deal damage.
13:56 - 14:15
11. Finishing
- ✅ This build allows the Arcane Archer to become a powerful class specializing in crowd control.