[Archery] Maximizing HCI for my ABC Archer

[Obsidian]

I'm testing out a few of my chars to see which works better for me in Tokuno at various spawn sites. I've been using my necro-mage up to this point, but am prepping my ABC Archer.

As I build my suit, I'm stuck with the conundrum of how to max out HCI. IMO, HCI is more important to an archer than a melee warrior due to the slower swing/fire rate and the reduced chance of melee damage from the mob. Unfortunately, I can easily get to 45 DCI, but getting to 45 HCI is a problem. I'm working on a limited budget so here is what I'm thinking:

Head: Brightsight Lenses (for the MR3 and high fire resist; I run vamp)
Neck: Runic high resist with Stamina increase
Chest: Heart of the Lion (15 DCI)
Arms: Runic high resist with Stamina increase and HP increase
Gloves: Runic high resist with Stamina increase
Legs: Fey (20 DCI)
Ring: 13 HCI, 6 DCI and some DI
Bracelet: 15 HCI and some DI
Back: Quiver of Infinity

So that gives me roughly 28 HCI and over 45 DCI. About the only thing I can see doing that costs less than a million gold is exchanging the Fey leggings for Leggings of Bane and replace the Brightsight Lenses with an Ancient Samurai helm. Or I could just find the perfect bow with SSI, HML, DI, HLD, and HCI. The bow would cost more so I think I need to go for the Armor adjustment. Conjurers Trinket is just a little out of price range.

What do you all recommend? Are the Leggings of Bane worth it to maximize HCI for an ABC Archer? Or is HCI still less important than DCI and I should just keep my DCI maxed.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Connor_Graham]

I'd suggest you max out MR and mana inc items, along with honoring every foe, so you can spam LS and not have to worry about HCI.

 

[Diomedes Artega]

If you won't be doing any spawns or combat in PvP relegated areas, then I would ditch some of the DCI gear and try to concentrate on HCI, LMR, and MR mods. Depending on your resists and other suit modifications, you might want MI as well.

Since it's a non-ninjitsu based template, you WILL want capped DCI if you partake in champ spawns or raids on the PvP faucet.

Even though I stay capped on both sides (HCI/DCI), I still spam lighting strike much as Connor suggested. Really is no reason not to. Monsters and what you're fighting is dead faster.

Depending on bows though, you can find some descent ones that have 10 HCI on them.

 

[Farsight]

I did plan "b" (as illustrated by Diomedes).
I have HCI on my ring, bracelet, trinket and bow.
Then I have DCI on my fey leggings (which I don't usually use... RP reasons) and heart of the lion. That's only 35% DCI, but my HCI is more than maxxed out.

 

[Aibal]

Another vote for what Dio and Far said. I basically ditched DCI on my PvM ABC archers and concentrated on HCI, MR, LMC and DI. Not to say that DCI was totally disregraded, but it is low as I focus on HCI. Honor rocks, but in a spawn situation you can't always get it and I wanted to be able to maximize my chance on hitting on specials. FWIW.

 

[Obsidian]

Thanks all for the replies. I'm glad you all restressed the importance of MR and LMC. My character is transitioning from a mage to an archer (got to love soulstones). So I am in the process of adjusting his Str/Dex/Int and completing his skills (added him to my sig).

I got my interim suit built as I save up for some better pieces:

Head: Brightsight Lenses
Neck: Runic Leather Sleeves
Chest: Heart of the Lion
Arms: Runic Leather Sleeves
Gloves: Runic Leather Gloves
Legs: Fey Leggings
Ring
Bracelet
Back: Quiver of Infinity
Weapon: Runic Composite Bow
Talisman: Totem of the Void

This interim solution nets me:
Elf / 245 Max Stats / 720 Skill Cap
Str 100 / Dex 130 / Int 20
HP 111 / Sta 150 / Ma 40
69 / 57 / 70 / 65 /58 (while in Vampire Form)
HCI 27
DCI 49
DI 74
LMC 18
MR 4

It is a start until I can adjust pieces to fill out my resists and further maximize both DI and HCI. I may switch the Fey Leggings for Leggings of Bane, but I'm testing this for now and spaming LS after my EOO/Honor/CW. Someday I'll add a crimson cincture which will give me back 10-15 points to put into int. And I'll replace that Totem of the Void with a Primer on Arms or a Conjurer's Trinket.

Any glaring deficiencies or recommendations? BTW, I'm going to use this guy in Tokuno now and then mainly for Doom. He might go into Fel eventually for some champs, but I've been using my necro-mage for most of those champs.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Connor_Graham]

You need to swap out the HoL for a RBC. With ToT here you can even get one for free if you don't already have one. I'd also suggest going with Stormgrip, which you can also get now for free.

 

[Obsidian]

You need to swap out the HoL for a RBC. With ToT here you can even get one for free if you don't already have one. I'd also suggest going with Stormgrip, which you can also get now for free.

That's the plan. I've got 2 minors in 2 days. If all goes well I'll get enough for 2 majors before the event ends. Hope to get an RBC for the archer and a Kasa of the Rajin for my necro-mage. Unfortunately I'm moving in RL in the middle of ToT.

-OBSIDIAN-

 

[Diomedes Artega]

That's the plan. I've got 2 minors in 2 days. If all goes well I'll get enough for 2 majors before the event ends. Hope to get an RBC for the archer and a Kasa of the Rajin for my necro-mage. Unfortunately I'm moving in RL in the middle of ToT.

-OBSIDIAN-

Yeah...moving isn't much fun. I've done it a ton. Hope that goes well for ya. In other regards to what you wrote, if you aren't able to get a storm grip let me know, I'll give you one.

 

[Kelly Daze]

Do not get the leggings of bane. They are not medable. As for the HCI I agree with conner. Spam lighting strike. When I had my ABC archer I didn't worry too much with HCI and I was hitting pretty much on everyshot. If you are worried about the hci go with the spirit of the totem for 15 hci. Also you can get the con trinket with 10 hci.

However....

You need to make sure you are close to 180 stamina to get the swing speed bonus. And get a bow with HLD or the Mace and shields. And look for 40 HML, 35 or greater SSI, and 40 DI

 

[Diomedes Artega]

Do not get the leggings of bane. They are not medable. As for the HCI I agree with conner. Spam lighting strike. When I had my ABC archer I didn't worry too much with HCI and I was hitting pretty much on everyshot. If you are worried about the hci go with the spirit of the totem for 15 hci. Also you can get the con trinket with 10 hci.

However....

You need to make sure you are close to 180 stamina to get the swing speed bonus. And get a bow with HLD or the Mace and shields. And look for 40 HML, 35 or greater SSI, and 40 DI

This is nice advice...but, this is a person who is on a budget. Unless they would have their own fletcher, you're looking at shelling out some gold for said bows. As it goes, if one wants to have HLD, might as well incorporate it on the sunglasses (that is what I do). Then that way, you don't have to worry about finding the HLD mod on bows.

 

[CroMag1980]

I might get flamed here Obsidian, but you might be the type of player the faction changes were designed to attract to Fell.

-willing to pvp
-not the in-game super-rich type ready to blow 25 mill on some gloves etc

Although you can probably forget champing on a faction blue unless you're in a zerg.

 

[Barl DeAbreago]

Another thought comes to mind:

If you are on a budget and you are doing ToT, Black lotus hood would be another option if you are strapped for HCI. I think it is like 5 hci and 6 lmc? Something along those lines.

There are far better headpieces to wear, but again, if you are on a budget it is a good cost effective way to go.

 

[Diomedes Artega]

I might get flamed here Obsidian, but you might be the type of player the faction changes were designed to attract to Fell.

-willing to pvp
-not the in-game super-rich type ready to blow 25 mill on some gloves etc

Although you can probably forget champing on a faction blue unless you're in a zerg.

I don't find it to be bad advice. As long as the OP likes factions, then that's what it is designed for. Just wasn't meant to be for people acquiring the gear and jumping ship so to speak.

 

[Kelly Daze]

Also since you working up bushido, see if someone can tame you a lesser. My lesser has saved my butt a lot with doing champ spawns.

 

[Kain Elderan]

Also since you working up bushido, see if someone can tame you a lesser. My lesser has saved my butt a lot with doing champ spawns.

I'm confused by this. You don't need taming for a lesser if you have Bushido? What level of Bushido because my tamer can't transfer over and I have 97.6 Bushido so far.