Dragon’s Dogma 2: Experience and Skill Analysis of the Magic Archer

Weapon Selection and Enhancement Related:

Sealed Dragon Magic Bow: Generally considered the best end-game magic bow, with the highest base stat and a special feature of dealing 2.5 times damage to dragons. It can be obtained by exchanging Dragon’s Wisdom after corruption or as a drop from corrupted Dragon Slaying Griffins. The current recommendation leans towards enhancing it with the Dwarf option, as compared to the Elf enhancement which only lacks around 40 magic attack points. In the late game, when both Dragon’s Choosing and the Magic Archer have nearly 1000 or more magic attack points, the impact is not significant. However, the knockback power increases significantly, with 569 knockback over 368 knockback. Recent assessments indicate that knockback power is mainly useful for enhancing the ability to knock back/fall enemies with Endless Magical Arrows and adaptability in countering goblin missiles and skeleton charging attacks. Other skills require further evaluation, but it is speculated that opting for the Dwarf enhancement for enhanced knockback is a beneficial choice.

Additionally, two magic bows with special effects are mentioned:
Ice Bow: While its base stat is not high, it comes with a +140% ice attribute. This aspect may not be beneficial for magic archer skills, but considering the high DPS capability of normal magic archer shots and the unclear damage calculations regarding attributes, this bow may have unique applications or specific uses. One suggestion is to keep it as a backup for enchanting or replacing Frozen Tracking Magic Arrows.
Holy Wood Magic Bow: Possesses rapid automatic healing. The drawback is the significant increase in damage taken debuff. Magic archers can switch to a manual healing bow if weight is not affected, while Dragon’s Choosing can use it as a healing accessory.

Passive Skill Recommendations:
Basic Configuration: Impact Resistance, Vigor, Sprint
Other Recommendations: Fleet-Footed (to reach minimum weight), Charge, Stealth, Erosion Attack, Breath Control

Normal Attack Related:
Choice between Wide-Area Aiming and Precise Aiming: Wide-Area Aiming noticeably affects locking speed, but in most cases, using Precise Aiming can significantly enhance shooting efficiency. Although magic archer’s regular attacks may not match skill action values, Full Lock-On Precise Aiming without stamina consumption remains effective.

Extreme Magical Arrow Judgment: The description of “fully charged” corresponds to successfully locking onto a target each time. Therefore, there are 8 instances during every aimed shot where Extreme Magical Arrow Judgment can be activated. Effective utilization of fewer arrows can help to some extent in resolving goblin missile issues and mid-air knockbacks (though simpler with other skills).
Inherited Skill Properties: The duration is very short, essentially allowing inheritance of skill properties with just one arrow, so it does not require much attention. Despite the fact that this one arrow may take precedence over mage-imbued buffs, the inherited effect does not override mage-imbued buffs once it ends.

Skill Overview:
Output Category:
Endless Magical Arrows: High hit count, high impact force, and increased multiplier when shooting at the same spot make this skill theoretically the highest burst and DPS skill when targeting weak points. Its only drawback is the inability/inconvenience for crowd control.
Life-Turning Magic Bow: Appears as a support skill but is actually a high-impact area-of-effect (AOE) skill, with valuable holy attribute for undead extermination. Notably, this skill has a weak point seeking ability, prioritizing weak point hits within the targeting range. It also serves as a lighting tool, allowing night navigation without using a lantern. When used on pawns, the attack ends prematurely, reducing total damage output, hence it is recommended to assess aiming direction based on the situation.
Devouring Flame Magic Arrows: Single-shot high damage fire attribute, longest range, suitable for sniping ambushes or self-targeting for area attacks. Effective against Griffin treasures. Note that although this skill has a flash effect similar to “fully charged,” there is no difference in damage between instant release and full charge (observable from the action value).
Tracking Magic Arrows: Appears soft but possesses high total damage and abnormal accumulation. The downside is slow targeting speed. Recommended usage involves roaming afar to accumulate 5 arrows, then release them for freezing or knocking down, especially effective when facing multiple opponents at close range without precise aiming, resulting in a quicker reload and higher DPS than accumulating 5 arrows.
Icy Blast Magic Spear: The only physical attribute skill, recommended against magical puppets. Although it charges slowly, its effectiveness surpasses Endless Magic Bullets due to the erratic nature of puppet movements. When fully charged, it delivers a high impact, capable of toppling a Cyclops with a single shot and proving useful even in boss battles outside of magical puppets.

Anomaly Category:
Amaterasu Magic Orb: Low damage but exceptionally high anomaly accumulation, primarily used for providing monsters with a ‘headlamp’ or igniting Molten enemies. A festive support skill. Caution is advised as this skill also burns corpses rapidly, making it unsuitable for post-battle cleanup unless you intend to utilize AMATERASU to incinerate enemy remains.
Thunder-Locked Magic Stakes: Similar to Tracking Magic Arrows, it charges slowly but offers substantial total damage and anomaly efficiency. Blind shooting without aiming is recommended for triple stakes. It is most effective in group combat scenarios. For single targets, owing to its long duration and numerous segment judgments, it conveniently complements cluster flame tools.

Sleeping Magic Arrows: Equipable for decapitating Medusa or applying sleep to certain bosses. Combining sleep slashing techniques can be effective in various situations, albeit lacking in direct damage output.

Special Category:
Life-Restoring Magic Bow: Mainly used for quick revival of pawns on descent, with occasional use against undead enemies. When depressed by Life Turning Magic Bow, it is generally less favorable. Pairing with an Anti-Magic Shield for supporting roles rather than offensive roles is also a viable strategy.
Bouncing Magic Arrows: Ideal for indoor skirmishes, minimal explanation required.
Anti-Magic Shield: Extraordinary counter-damage ratio with frequent activation, suiting those who prefer supportive roles over offensive ones.

Sacrificial Master Magic Bow: Offers swift elimination of foes, serving as a ‘skip boss’ key with a well-stocked Universal Panacea. It retains remarkable damage potential even when used for prolonged engagements. Given its reduced sustainability and cost, this ultimate skill is best utilized occasionally for moments of exhilaration, as optimizing other skill combinations proves more efficient.

This summary does not provide definitive recommendations for skill pairings since each player’s usage strategy varies. With a multitude of excellent skills available to the magic archer, determining the “optimal” combination can be challenging. It is advisable for both magic archers and Dragon’s Choosers to experiment with various options to find the most comfortable and effective playstyle.