Divinity: Original Sin 2 is in full swing, and one of the major issues players are having with the game isBuilds. WhatBuilddo I use? What’s a goodBuildfor a Warrior? Ranger? Mage? etc. Since the game is rather difficult this has come much more into focus than one would expect. In thisBuild Guidewere going to cover the Lone Wolf Build:Magick Archer. Let’s jump into thisBuildand see just how it works.
Magick Archer – Ranger Build
TheMagick Archeris a versatile damage dealer that takes its targets out from range usingBowattacks andElemental Arrows. Although this is aLone WolfBuild, you can play theMagick Archerin a group extremely well and it complements just about any party make up you could possibly have. ThisBuildfocuses primarily onFinesse, but also uses a good amount ofWitsto increaseCritical Chanceas well asInitiative. Why thisBuildworks so well is that it can deal massive amounts of physical damage and very good elemental damage of whichever element you need. You also can stealth and get away, giving you time to methodically work your way through your targets.
Magick Archer Attributes and Equipment
Magick Archerswill focus onFinesseandWits.Finessewill not only increase the damage of your ranged attacks, but also yourElemental Arrows. Yes they scale off ofFinesse! You’ll wantWitsfor the reasons mentioned above, andWitsare good on just about any character. Put points intoMemoryto be able to use theSkillsnecessary for thisBuild, but it shouldn’t be much.
Magick ArchersutilizeFinesse-basedArmourwhich works well here, especially forLone Wolf, because you never know just exactly what sort of enemy setup you’ll be facing, so it’s good to have a decent amount of bothPhysicalandMagical. You shouldn’t be getting hit much as anMagick Archerso you won’t need to buff up, and you’d be better off takingArmourwith better bonuses then total Armour value. PrioritizeFinesse, thenWarfare, thenRanged, then finallyWits/Huntsman.
Magick Archerswill want to use the highest damageBoworCrossbowthey can find, ideally with all physical damage, since this will also increase the damage of yourElemental Arrows. It is very hard to test how elemental damage onBowsandCrossbowsaffect theseArrowsbecause of the variance in damage they deal, so play it safe and try to stick to physical if you can.Crossbowsdeal more damage when compared withBowsat the cost ofMovementand you will need to move a bit with thisBuild, but this is really a personal decision for the player. As mentioned above, when in doubt just take the highest damage of what you can. Also note that putting aMasterwork Runeinto yourBowwill also increaseElemental Arrowdamage.
Magick Archer Talents and Abilities
One of the hardest parts about making aBuildinDivinity: Original Sin 2is getting yourAbilitiesdistribution correct. It’s easy to get spread too thin, and often people make the mistake of not spreading points around enough. The bonuses you gain fromAbilitiesin this game are somewhat different than the original, so it’s easy to see why people can get confused. Let’s take a look at whatAbilitiesandTalentsyou need for anMagick Archer.
When playing anMagick Archer(Lone Wolf) you will want 10 points intoWarfare, 10 points intoRanged, 10 points intoHuntsman, 2 points inScoundrel, 1 point inPolymorphand whatever is left intoHuntsman. You will need to put some points intoHuntsman,ScoundrelandPolymorphearly to get the necessarySkills, and then you’ll just start pumpingWarfareandRangedas high as you can. In testingElemental Arrows, I found thatWarfareaffects their damage the most, thenHuntsmanand thenRanged. However, it isn’t always possible to be above your target and you will loseCritical ChancewithoutRanged, thusHuntsmanis prioritized last. Strangely you can increase the tooltip of certainArrowsby placing points into their matching element, but the actual damage is not affected and thus this is not recommended. If this ever changes then you could probably specialize in oneArrowtype that would deal insane damage.
As far asTalentsgo I’d recommend the following:
Lone Wolf- This is the obviousTalenthere, and what makes theLone WolfBuild possible. Take this one whenever you are ready to make the jump toLone Wolf.
Executioner- ThisTalentis just so damn good with thisBuild. You’ll get 2 extra AP nearly every round because you are that strong. Take it early and don’t ever unslot it.
Arrow Recovery- Probably the onlyBuildI would ever seriously recommend thisTalentfor, because your damage for theseArrowswill be 100% optimized, and inLone Wolfyou’ll need to be able to deal the optimal damage type for the situation.
Far Out Man- ThisTalentadds range to all your attacks which never hurts. This is always a solid choice with any rangedBuildand works nicely here.
Glass Cannon- If you don’t takeLone Wolf, thisTalentcan work extremely well with thisBuild. Just be sure toStealthat the end of your turn so that you can’t be attacked during the enemy turns.
Hothead- A greatTalentfor increasing yourCritical DamageandAccuracy, both of which are great. Can’t go wrong with this one.
Torturer- Does work with DAMAGINGStatus Effectsapplied byElemental Arrows, as well as those yourBoworCrossbowmay inflict. Definitely worth considering.
Magick Archer Skills
Now that you’ve decided whichTalentsandAbilitiesyou want, you’ll need to identify just whichSkillswork best with this kind of setup.Magick Archerswill use a mix ofHuntsman Skills, Elemental Arrows,and miscellaneousSkills.This allows them to deal any sort of damage they want and be able to escape to higher ground orStealthaway. SinceBuildsevolve over the course of the game, I’m going to put theSkillsin order from earliest obtainable to latest, because you won’t be able to get them all right way.
Huntsman Skills
First Aid- While generally not needed it’s still a good idea to keep on your bar for emergencies. It only takes up one space and fights don’t always go according to plan, so this one skill could save your ass.
Tactical Retreat- A must have for any ranged Build, as getting above your target increases your damage, and this goes forElemental Arrowsas well. This is the best way to increase your damage once the battle begins.
Ballistic Shot- This is extremely powerful because it adds 5% damage for every meter you are from your target. This skill is a great way to take down a target in a single Bow shot from up high. Probably the best all aroundBowskill there is.
Sky Shot- Not as good asBallistic Shot, but still pretty good. Can give you a height advantage when you don’t have one. SinceHuntsmandoesn’t have a ton ofSkills, this is another one that’s just good to keep on your bar because you may need it.
Marksman’s Fang- I typically use this skill on enemy summons or targets that have highArmourbut low health. Can hit multiple targets and is just all around really good.
Assassinate- Not as good asBallistic Shot, and costs one more AP, but still useful to thisBuild. If youStealthat the end of the first turn, this should be your first attack turn 2.
Miscellaneous Skills
Adrenaline- This is simply a great skill in general and one that mostBuildscan benefit from. It only costs 1 point inScoundrel, which you’ll probably have from gear anyhow. Use it if you need and only if you need.
Cloak and Dagger- Another great mobility skill that allows you to maintain Stealth. I like to useChameleon Cloakand then use this to move. Only costs 1 AP and 2 points intoScoundrel.
Chameleon Cloak- Use this skill at the end of your first turn to hide from enemies. You can even wait a turn before attacking, helping to reduce some cooldowns if you need.
Enrage- This skill worksAMAZINGwith thisBuildbecause it will make all your attacksCritically Hitfor the turn you cast it and the turn after, includingElemental Arrows. However, you won’t be able toTeleportorStealth.
Peace of Mind- This skill goes really well with thisBuildbecause it increases yourFinesseandWitsby a lot, which will help to increase the damage of yourElemental Arrows. Costs 1 AP and lasts 3 turns. Doesn’t work withEnragedthough.
Dominate Mind- A great skill to add to thisBuildbecause you will constantly be strippingMagic Armour. Requires 2 points intoSummoningto use, but you can probably get that with gear without sacrificing too much damage (or any).
Final Tips
I don’t recommendElemental Rangerfor thisBuildbecause it doesn’t work withElemental Arrows, and when you are dealing physical damage, adding some other damage type isn’t particularly helpful. I also don’t recommendGuerillafor thisBuildbecause it only works with basic attacks and notElemental ArrowsorHuntsman Skills, making it much better for aAssassinsort ofBuild(which I will cover in anotherGuide) than aMagick Archer.
Venom Coatingadds a decent amount ofPoisonto yourBowattacks for 1 AP, and does damage to your Elemental Arrows.Elemental Arrowheadsdoes add damage, much the same way Venom Coating does. Note that the damage is buffed before it is converted, meaning the best possible way to buff any Elemental Arrow with these two Skills is by placing points into Geomancer and using Elemental Arrowheads on a Poison or Oil surface.Firebranddoes not work with Elemental Arrows and it does even less damage and cost 3 points intoPyrokineticto be able to use.
You do not needSavage Sortilegewith thisBuildbecauseElemental Arrowsuse regularWeapon Criticalfor theirChance. you’re able to do some really good elemental damage by increasing yourCritical Chanceand by placing yourself higher than your target. This is the same approach thatElementalistsuse, and is one of the reasons theHuntsmanbonus is to all damage types, not just physical damage.
If you want to absolutely max out damage on thisBuild, with not thought to anything else, you could drop points fromRangedand place them all intoHuntsman. Get up high at the start of each encounter that you know will be a fight and popEnrageand trigger the fight with anArrow. Keep unloading untilEnragedends, and then popSkin GraftfromPolymorph, reapplyEnraged, and rain destruction for another turn. This will leave you vulnerable to attacks, but you can deal some massive damage.
Lastly, be sure to craft moreElemental Arrowswhen you run low or when you’ve run out of a certain type. It’s always important to be prepared for each fight having at least 1Arrow(if not more of each type, just in case). Be sure to check theRecipespage on theWikiand keep it open when you are crafting so that you have a reference on what you need to make what.
Be sure to check out our otherBuild Guides! Good luck Sourcerers, Rivellon is counting on you!
