a few questions (in General)

Ok, just a couple quick questions that I am not sure about due to changes since I was playing regularly before

1: USD/cbd ratio?

2: DB or EB?..In general but for the record I am running an ET with arch/AMF [though will be changing to DM when i grab a mageseeker(btw what is the abbreviation for the mageseeker)]..yes I know we have had this debate before but i am more looking to see if changes have made the EB more viable

3: AP...did i read that right 1/2 the armor penalties for 960 xp? how can that be balanced? (note that among active players it is the most often trained yet lowest xp trained skill) this makes some regular armor very viable for mages (steel brig, cesti, & steel-shod boots all have very low penalties with AP for rather high base AC)

4: HoC vs HoE..just not sure how the HoC has panned out for archers

Probably not all the questions I will have but I guess that will do for now

1. $2/1m

1: USD/cbd ratio = about $2.50/mil I think...

2: On an Archer I'd bet tempted to go EB... the skill boost to archery is nice, as is the dex boost.

3: AP... is popular. However, you don't get to use bloodlust, archery or evasion if you train AP...or phantom link for that matter. It's a choice, and AP is fine if you don't need the extra skill, but it isn't often chosen over one of the others.

4: HoC for archers... kill early strats want the HoC

Hope my quasi-ill-informed opinions help a bit.

1: Roughly $2/mil

2: Depends on how much money you want to sink/where you want to go with your strat. EBs leave you open to E/A xbows but allow you to put less exp into archery and supply a boost to Dex. DBs supply some defense against the stat draining xbows but can be pretty expensive to upgrade to 'useful' levels. (Mageseeker = MsK)

3: AP, very handy for walls, hybrid walls and mages... not so much for tanks.

4: HoC. Extra ranged round = more shots off with that bow, which is most likely where all your money will go, before it gets hit with those nasty 'ranged weapon in melee' penalties.

ok so thanks for all the info
just a recap

1: 2/1
2: db (though nw will be more of an issue) to avoid stat draining xbows (which can turn a tank into a toyota)
3: still not clear on this one..imbalance has usually been most clear by everyone having to use it..again look at the usage stats for active players..yeah it stops other skills but if its balanced why is it used on over twice as many minions than the next highest skill?
(ps king this was not an option for my tank just a general feeling of imbalance)
4: hoc for the archers (kinda figured on that one..hoc seems to be made for them, and maybe some mages, but i think a corn is still better)

thanks again for the feedback

after evasion was nerfed, there really just isn't any skill that is worthwhile for mages or enchanters, especially for the cost.

Yes. I had EBs on my archer for the longest time -- the NW issue means it's fine for smaller characters to go with EBs -- but had to switch to DBs thanks to single hits from xbows. Beefing up DBs is an expensive game, and it's one that's best done via insta-up if you can afford it.

AP, as I see it, is literally just a skill to use if you don't plan on actually using any other skills. It's used the most because its pretty much the only useful skill for encanters/mages, every other skill is directed towards tanks or a pl wall and that's pretty much it.

Even with the 1/2 armor penalties, mages and enchanters will still see a pretty significant drop in their spells if they chose to go the heavy AC route. Sure it's an option to go with heavy AC to reduce some damage, but its not the "Oh my god I have to do this or my character will suck." kind of option.

Honestly, most people seem to take it just to fill up the skill slot they wont be using. Not many people actually pile heavy AC onto their spell casters, because there still ends up being a pretty hefty penalty even with AP.