ArcheAge: Unchained
Ebonsong Ranged/Archer DPS Build and Guide
Overview
Archers are all about devastating ranged combos and their ability to make any melee classes look silly by kiting them while slowly chipping from their health pool. When it comes to kiting ability, there is only one true master - Ebonsong. This Ranged Class has an unparalleled mobility toolkit that makes it almost impossible to catch (if played by a decently skilled player, of course). Moreover, Enonsong has access to some of the most disruptive abilities in the game (Sonic Wave), which makes him even more annoying to deal with. While lacking hard Crowd Control abilities, Ebonsong still has access to Slows and other "soft" CC skills (like Fending Arrow) that make kiting enemies much easier. While caught off-guard, an Ebonsong will prove to be rather squishy, but he still has some last-chance options that might save him from certain defeat (Dissonance and previously mentioned Sonic Wave). Overall, Ebonsong is a highly mobile Ranged DPS Class that relies on his ability to not get hit when it comes to surviving engagements.
If you are looking for an aggressive, very mobile, and disruptive Ranged DPS Class, that combines traits of a Marksman with the talent of a Bard and cunning of a Rogue, Ebonsong is a great choice for you. Below, we present you our take on this class's build, together with some Gear/Stats recommendations and a breakdown of the most useful Combos.
You can also check our other builds in the following article Archeage Unchained builds.
Pros |
Cons |
Unparalleled mobility |
Below average Crowd Control |
Very high Damage Output |
Squishy when caught in melee combat |
Great at kiting enemies |
Limited defenses/ lacks self-healing |
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Skill Build
Ebonsong, the combination of Archery, Shadowplay, and Songcraft Skill Trees, is widely regarded as one of the deadliest Ranged/Archer DPS "Classes" in ArcheAge Unchained. Below, we present you our take on the Ebonsong Skill Build; feel free to change a few things to your liking, as the game offers a lot of room for customization; the below-featured build should serve as a decent benchmark for your class experiments.
The "Ebonsong" Class Ranged/Archer DPS Build
Archery Tree:
- Endless Arrows - This skill allows you to unleash a hailstorm of arrows at your Target, dealing steady Ranged Damage with every shot. This ability has no Cooldown, has reduced Global Cooldown, instant Cast Time, and a quite long range of up to 28 meters. Endless Arrows deal highly increased Damage to Slowed Targets. Ancestral versions of this skill allow you to choose between increased Damage and a Trip effect that is applied at the 50th stack; Ebonsong lacks Crowd Control, which makes Trip appealing, but it can be tricky to use at an appropriate time (as it requires you to pre-apply stacks), so going for increased Damage might be a better choice.
- Charged Bolt - Fires a high-powered Bolt at your Target, dealing high amounts of Ranged Damage and afflicting the Target with Slow for 2.5 seconds. Slowed Targets have their Movement Speed decreased by 30%. This ability has instant Cast Time, 28 meters range, a 12-second Cooldown, and it deals highly increased Damage to Bleeding Targets. Thanks to the Slow effect, Charged Bolt synergizes with your Endless Arrows. With Ancestral Skills, you can choose if you want to deal increased Damage on short ranges or use the Charged Bolt more often thanks to decreased Cooldown. The "Air" variant (the one with decreased Cooldown), tends to be better for PvP, as Ebonsong lacks Crowd Control and a 3-second Slow every 6 seconds comes in handy.
- Fending Arrow - Fires an enchanted Arrow at your Target, dealing high amounts of Ranged Damage and pushing the Target 15 meters back (counts as Push effect). Pushed Target gets interrupted and stops all Casting, Channeling, and using Ongoing Skills. Fending Arrow has a long, 45 Seconds Cooldown, a 13 meters radius, and it cannot be Parried, Blocked or Evaded (which also makes a reliable finisher in PvP out of it). Marked Targets are knocked back for an additional 5 meters; 20 In total.
- Blazing Arrow - Fires an Arrow of Light at your Target, dealing moderate Ranged Damage and inflicting the Light Blindness on them for 10 seconds. Light Blindness decreases Target's Magic Accuracy by 6%; this effect stacks up to 4 times. Blazing Arrow has +100% increased Critical Rate, but its Cooldown is increased to 16 seconds (from standard 9) if it is used while under the effect of Steady Shooting (which is not a problem in this particular Build). It inflicts Bleeding to Marked Targets and deals increased Damage to Targets that are already Bleeding.
- Deadeye - A Self-Buff that stays active for 1 minute, has a 0.9s Cast Time and an 80 seconds Cooldown. While under the effects of the Deadeye, standing still for longer than 0.8 seconds increases your Defense Penetration by 3500 and your maximum range by a small amount (to be buffed in upcoming patches). This is a solid DPS increase if you can afford to stand still for about a second, which can be tricky in PvP. To abuse this ability in PvP, you have to combine it with your Slows and Mobility skills.
- Concussive Arrow - Fires a magically enhanced High-explosive arrow, at your Target, that deals very high AoE Ranged Damage to all enemies within a 6 meters radius of the blast. All affected enemies are Silenced for 3.5 seconds and can't cast any spells. Concussive Arrow cannot be Parried, Blocked or Evaded, has a 20 meters range, 1.4 seconds Casting Time, and a 30 seconds Cooldown. This ability can be truly devastating against groups of enemies. Ancestral versions of this skill allow you to also Interrupt your enemies (at the cost of long, 4 seconds Cast Time) or be propelled 12 meters backward after firing. Both versions are quite interesting in PvP, but mobility is king, so we recommend the "Death" variant as it also makes the ability instant-to-cast (be aware that it can't be used while Snared, however).
- Double Recurve - This ability allows you to leap 5 meters backward after you charge it for 8 seconds. It can store up to two charges. After you perform a leap, your Ranged Critical Rate is increased by 5% for 5 seconds. Double Recurve does not trigger a Global Cooldown and Can't be used while Snared. Keeping this pre-charged is always a good idea.
- Missile Rain - Allows you to rain down arrows upon a chosen area. Each launched projectile deals moderate Ranged Damage. Missile Rain can hit the same enemy multiple times; it has 1.9 seconds Cast Time, a 22 seconds Cooldown, and a 10-53 meters Range. Ancestral versions of this skill allow you to choose between a more concentrated barrage (more damage in a smaller area, with a reduced max range) and a knockback effect at the cost of reduced Damage. The "Death" variant, thanks to the disruption effect of Knockback is generally better for PvP, while the damage increase provided by the "Fire" variant shines in PvE encounters.
Picking up 8 (7 is enough to unlock all passives) Skills in the Malediction Tree will also grant you the following passives:
- Wild Instincts - Grants you 8% Increase in Movement Speed, which is great for a Ranged Class as it allows you to keep your distance better.
- Relentless - While under the effect of Deadeye or Steady Shooting, Mana Cost of all Archery skills is decreased by 10%. Deadeye lasts for 1 minute, which amounts to quite substantial mana savings.
- Sharpshooting - Archery attacks gain a "sweet pool" of 30 meters, at which they deal 30% additional Damage. This increases your effectiveness at long ranges.
- Feral Claws - A single Feral Mark stack is granted to you for each Critical Strike made with an Archery Skill. Each Feral Mark increases your Attack Speed by +40 and decreases the Cooldown of Archery Attacks by 0.4 seconds. The effect lasts for 9 seconds and stacks up to 5 times.
- Marksman - Gives you a 10% Ranged Skill Damage increase for all Archery Skills.
- Eagle Eyes - Increases your Critical Rate by 9%.
Shadowplay:
- Poisoned Weapons - Allows you to Poison your weapons for 9 seconds. Next Melee or Ranged attack made with a Poisoned Weapon deals a high amount of additional Magic Damage over 6 seconds. Poisoned Weapons is an instant ability that has 7.2 seconds Cooldown and does not trigger a Global Cooldown. This adds some nice Damage over Time to your rotations. "Water" ancestral version of Poisoned Weapons also decreases Target's Evasion by 10% for 6 seconds, which is a welcome effect in PvP.
- Drop Back - At its base, this Skill allows you to leap back 10 meters to escape danger or disengage from an enemy. For PvP, we recommend taking the "Death" Ancestral version of it, as it will allow you to leap forward instead! Leaping forward greatly increases the versatility of Drop Back (for example, it can be used offensively without the need to quickly turn your character 180 degrees first, which is nice). With this, escaping you will become very tricky - "Drop Forward" can easily counter the mobility skills of your opposition. This ability can't be used while snared and has a 12-second Cooldown.
- Stalker's Mark - Allows you to Mark your Target. Marked enemies receive 16% increased Ranged and Magic Damage for 15 seconds. This has 27 seconds Cooldown. Stalker's Mark is your opening skill, using it at the start of your rotation will greatly increase your Damage output.
- Stealth - Makes you invisible to enemies for up to 45 seconds. While Stealthed, you gain 1 Bloodthirst stack every second. Performing any action other than moving will break the effect. Stealth's Cooldown starts to tick only after the effect fades. This is definitely one of the most "fun" abilities in the game; it allows you to sneak around undetected and ambush your prey or just escape your pursuers by breaking combat and vanishing out of sight. There are counters to Stealth, but no one will use them if they don't suspect you to be there - this ability allows for devastating openers during gank attempts in PvP, just make sure that your target does not see you before you use it.
- Freerunner - Increases your Attack Speed for 6.4 and your Movement Speed by 40% for 30 seconds. This is a simple, yet very powerful, Spring-like ability; use it to chase down fleeing enemies or to escape danger (if the situation demands it). Freerunner has a rather short Cooldown, for its 30s duration, of just 72 seconds. Ancestral versions of this ability are quite interesting choices for mass/zerg vs zerg PvP but are not worth it in solo play at all - choose one of them only if you think you can make it work.
Picking up 5 Skills in the Shadowplay Tree will also grant you the following passives:
- Shadow Training - Gives you a +40 Attack Speed increase - some bonus DPS is always good.
- Become Void - Provides you with a +5% bonus to your Evasion Rate, which makes you a bit harder to hit in melee - a nice passive to have in both PvP and PvE.
- Ruthless Assault - After you inflict a Critical Heal or a Critical Strike, your Attack Speed is increased by 120 for 8 seconds. This effect has a 12-second internal cooldown. This is a solid DPS increase, but you have little control over it.
- Bloodthirst Intensified - This allows you to accumulate 2 stacks of Bloodthirst at a time (instead of the standard 1), which synergizes with your Stealth (you'll gain max stacks in 5s instead of 10, which will allow you to engage quicker without losing some of your Damage Potential). Each Bloodthirst stack grants you a +3% increase to all your Healing and Skill Damage (up to 10 stacks for a 30% maximum increase). 2 Stacks of Bloodthirst are consumed each time you damage an enemy; the whole effect lasts for up to 25 seconds.
Songcraft Tree:
- Critical Discord - A Ranged magical attack that deals moderate Magic Damage to the Target and afflicts them with Discord. Enemies under the influence of Discord have 15% lowered Magic and Physical Defense. The Discord effect lasts for 5 seconds. When used on Targets under the effects of Dissonance, the debuff length is increased by 50%. Critical Discord has 20 meters range, a 16 seconds Cooldown, and is an instant-cast ability. Ancestral versions of this skill allow you to condense the effect (30% debuff for 3 seconds) or turn the ability into an AoE one. The condensed one (Fire) gives you a nice burst damage window in PvP.
- [Perform] Quickstep - Ongoing Spell that lasts for 15 seconds. It increases the Movement Speed of the Caster and all his allies within 10 meters radius by 20-28%. This stacks only with other Perform skills and shares cooldown with them. [Perform] Quickstep also Slows Charmed Targets. This is a solid Mobility skill that makes you even harder to catch.
- Dissonance - Weakens Target's combat effectiveness by inflicting Dissonance on them. While under the effects of Dissonance, Target's Skill Damage is decreased by 30%. Moreover, this ability disarms Target for 6 seconds, which makes it great in PvP. Dissonance also deals high Magic Damage when it expires. It has 30 seconds Cooldown, instant cast time and a 20 meters range.
- Double-Time - Dramatically increases your Movement Speed for a short time, growing up to +200% Movement Speed over 2 seconds. This ability has a 28 seconds Cooldown. Double-Time allows you to rapidly relocate and dodge AoE or chase down fleeing enemies. "Fire" Ancestral version gives a reduced speed boost, but it refreshes each time you suffer a direct attack, which makes it great as an escape tool in PvP.
- Sonic Wave - A frontal cone attack that allows you to inflict Sonic Wave debuff on all enemies 15 meters in front of you. Afflicted enemies lose their current Targets and can't target new ones for 3 seconds. This is a PvP-only ability that causes disruption in enemy ranks (the enemy will be forced to use abilities that don't require Target for 3 seconds, which will greatly decrease their effectiveness). The life ancestral version of Sonic Wave is an interesting choice for mass PvP as it protects your allies from being targetted for 6 seconds.
Picking up 5 Skills in the Songcraft Tree will also grant you the following passives:
- Piercing Melody - Your Discord and Dossinance effects always hit, which makes them much more reliable, especially in PvP, where missing is a quite common occurrence.
- Hold the Note - Increases the performance time of Bulwark Ballad, Bloody Chantey, Ode to Recovery, and Quickstep by 15 seconds.
- Zeal - Each time you inflict a Critical Heal or Critical Hit, you gain +30% increased Critical Heal Rate and Critical Rate for 5 seconds. This effect has a 10 seconds internal cooldown.
- Disciplined Performance - You gain Rhythm stacks every 3 seconds a Perform skill is maintained. At 15 stacks, you gain Sustained Rhythm instead. Sustained Rhythm increases your Critical Rate (for all types of Damage) by 30% and decreases all Songcraft Skill Cooldowns by 6 seconds. This effect lasts for 20 seconds and is refreshed whenever you would get a stack of Rhythm.
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Combos / Basic Rotations
Here are some of the Combos you can use as Ebonsong to maximize your Damage output and make the most out of your Skills.
Note: In this section, we will also provide some tips on when to use certain abilities.
Tip: In PvP, always be ready to disengage from combat with one of your mobility skills if an enemy manages to break your Combo. Blindly following a DPS Sequence is a sure way to defeat.
Recommended Gear / Stats
Here, we go over Synthesis Effects that you should try to roll on your gear. Please remember that these are just our suggestions and your character's equipment build is ultimately up to your preference.
Note1: Perfect stats often depend on your current gear score, which means that there is no such thing as "universally best stats", except Agility which is your primary that should always be present on your equipment.
Note2: We recommend Leather Armor for the archery-related bonuses that it provides; as an Ebonsong, your best defense is the ability to not get as far away from trouble as possible, anyway.
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Head |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Melee Damage / Max Health + Resilience
- Gems: Ranged Attack Increase
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Chest |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Melee Damage / Max Health + Resilience
- Gems: Resilience
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Waist |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Move Speed + Toughness
- Gems: Piercing Shot Damage (Blazing Arrow)
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Wrists |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Move Speed + Toughness
- Gems: Ranged Attack Increase
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Hands |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Melee Damage / Max Health + Resilience
- Gems: Evasion Rate Increase
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Cloak |
- Agility + Attack Speed / Move Speed
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Legs |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Melee Damage / Max Health + Resilience
- Gems: Toughness Increase
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Feet |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Melee Damage / Max Health + Resilience
- Gems: Move Speed Increase
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Costume |
- Focus + Ranged Critical Damage + Ranged Skill Damage + Defense Penetration + Toughness
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Underwear |
- Melee Damage Reduction + Resilience + Toughness + Defense Penetration
- Gems: Ranged Attack Increase
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Neck |
- Archeum Evernight Necklace (Decreased Received Damage + Stamina + Toughness + Focus)
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Earring 1 |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Damage + Evasion
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Earring 2 |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Received Damage + Evasion
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Ring 1 |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Ranged Skill Damage + Defense Penetration
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Ring 2 |
Flawless Dream Ring (Stamina + Skill Damage + Defense Penetration + Magic Defense Penetration) |
Melee Weapon(s) |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Defense Penetration + Ranged Critical Damage
- Gems: Ranged Critical Damage Increase
Note: For Dual Wielding, you want the same Stats and Gems on both of your Weapons; we recommend Dual Wielding for maximum stats.
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Ranged
Weapon |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Defense Penetration + Ranged Critical Damage
- Gems: Ranged Critical Damage Increase
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Instrument |
- Primary: Agility
- Secondary: Evasion + Move Speed
- Gems: Attack Speed Increase
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Other Random Things
- In PvP, when you are against pretty much any Melee Class, kiting is the name of the game. Kite your opponent and force him to use up his own mobility cooldowns (as Ebonsong, you most likely have more mobility-related abilities than any opponent). Then, when he is dry, unleash hell on him, from a safe distance.
- Sonic Wave can (and should) be used to disrupt enemy combos. It works especially great against Casters because almost all their heavily-damaging abilities are targetted. Moreover, enemies under the effect of Sonic Wave are often toothless; If you land the Wave on them, you'll have an opportunity to easily beat them.
END NOTE
This Guide should help you master your Ebonsong and become a force to be reckoned with in both PvP and PvE environments. We hope that you have found it useful and informative, and maybe learned something new about your favorite game. If we have missed a piece of information that is important to you, please let us know!
Please do note that this is an early version of our guide, and we will be happy to receive constructive criticism, that will help us improve it, so leave your suggestions in the comments section below.
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