Ever since Murkmire dropped, people have been pissing and moaning about nerfs, yet the very nice buff that DKs got seems to have been mostly overlooked.
I'm talking about the change to World of Ruin that reduces the cost of all poison stamina abilities by 25%.
Why is this relevant?
Because most of the bow skills are poison-based.
That's a HUGE sustain boost if I've ever seen one!
This now gives DKs an edge over all other classes when it comes to using a bow build.
As for the build, here are the stats (outside of BG):
https://imgur.com/a/ls6l8nr
I was using Swamp Raider before Murkmire drop, and as far as I can tell Spriggan's is about the same when it comes to usefulness now that shields have resistances. It's just that for me Spriggans is also useful for my pve WW build and this is why I made the switch. Sload's is also an excellent choice for this build.
Front Bar/Back Bar:
https://imgur.com/a/nQZKNU2
Igneous Weapons: Great skill to give major brutality since it costs magicka instead of stamina and gives all the boosts from the earth heart passives, including minor brutality to you and your teammates which went up to 10% over 5% since murkmire drop.
Heroic Slash: Used to run Pierce Armor, but this provides survivability, a snare, AND ultimate regen all in one package!
Reflective Plate: SOme people love it, some people hate it. While there is better snare removal, this one also comes with a nice shield against ranged attacks, and that's mainly what I use it for.
Shooting Star: Slightly less damage vs. Ice Comet, but had a stronger dot attached and regains ultimate, which is very nice. IMO this is better than Rapid Fire Ultimate as it can hit multiple targets.
Acid Spray Do not underestimate this ability. it has a decent range of 20 meters that can also hit targets below you (from spawn point from example) while also being an amazing spammable against clustered enemies. It is the skill I use the most by far, and the main reason this spec can hit such high dps numbers. Best bow skill in my opinion.
With this setup, I have few sustain issues thanks to World of Ruin's new change, although I am also an Argonian who gets more resources back from potions, so keep that in mind.
As for food, I use either Artaeum Takeaway Broth or Dubious Cameron Throne.
If you're curious how it performs, well, it lacks killing blow power due to no executes (aside from poison ejection, which isn't exactly a reliable one), but it excels in assists and group support, which is why I chose it, myself.
Here are a few screenshots of its potential:
https://imgur.com/a/AHR5tpc
https://imgur.com/a/dB8ep0I
https://imgur.com/a/VfauiXE
This build usually gets top damage, too.
Furthermore, here a few videos of the build as well:
![image]()
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Note: This build won't be for everyone. You're a lot more squishy than most, even with Fortified Brass, but it's fun to use and allows you to support your team from the backlines if you like that sort of playstyle. Do NOT expect to solo anyone and win, though. At least, not without tweaking it a bit, first.
I hope this was helpful to someone. Good luck out there!
![:)]( ":)")
