09-15-2021, 11:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-15-2021, 11:52 PM by Gift. Edited 1 time in total.)
3. General Gameplay Strategy
3.1. Key Binds
What follows is my personal use, you can customize your binds as much as you want.
First of all, turn off 'Attack in camera direction' this limits your ability to move around the battlefield
Second, I would advise you to put Ricochet Shot to your first quickslot and Eagle Eye Assault to you fifth so they correspond to the bindings of the pop up skill menu.
I personally hate this menu. I only use it for the skills 2-4 which I rarely use and therefore didn't earn a slot in my quickslot bar.
Additionally I have my dodge key binded to spacebar. Many people have done this because it makes dodging easier.
On Shift I got my artifact and jump is binded to my 4th mouse key (thumb button).
Rest of the keys I got are on Default. There is not much more you need.
3.2. Moving faster and mode switching
Every class has an option to pass through the landscape faster than normal running.
For Bow, this combo is very simple. Just spam dodge+Twister Kick in rapid succession.
Bow Kai is not the fastest moving class but is not the slowest as well.
When you switch Bow Mode there are quite a few options to switch it.
My preferred way to do so is during Twister Kick.
You press Tab for Mode Switching and the right click 2 times for using twister kick 2x in rapid succession.
He will switch the mode while performing the first kick and will have a shortened animation time, thus making the second kick to be performed faster.
The other option consist of activating Arrow Storm + Tab for mode switching at the same time and cancelling the Arrow Storm after.
If done correctly, Kai will switch modes without any animation.
I personally have no use for this way, since normally i do not switch modes during fights.
I always enter the combat the mode needed beforehand.
3.3. Damage rotation vs bosses
While fighting bosses, you will always use the Long Bow.
Even if you fight small bosses like Iset, Short Bow is almost never an option.
Long Bow is far superior fighting a single boss.
It hurts if you miss a few shots, but even with a few shots missed long bow is still stronger than short bow.
Especially since long bow's normal attack benefits from speed, while short bow's rapid fire does not.
For your main SP gain you will use Fixed Shot.
Playing Bow Kai vs Bosses feels like constantly playing Whack-a-Mole.
The key skill is not any of your dps skills, as you might expected.
It is Hunter's Arrow.
This skill is not only important since it increases your damage dealt if hit, it replenishes your stamina as well.
Especially with high speed this stamina gain is very important since you easily run out of stamina otherwise.
The other important skill is Headshot.
The damage increase of headshot is lower than that of Hunter's Eye, but the difference is not that significant.
Headshot does not have stamina regeneration, which makes Hunter's Eye superior.
The damage skill rotation is not really strict like other classes.
Basically, Bow Kai narrows down to 3 skills you use. Fixed Shot, Ricochet Shot and Magnum.
Fixed shot is your normal attack, you will always use it when there is no Magnum option available and Ricochet Shot is on cooldown.
Ricochet Shot should always be used before Magnum since its execution time and damage gives it the best sp/time/damage ration available.
Executing your Magnum Shots is a bit difficult. Timing and positioning is the key here.
While all 3 mentioned skills benefit from both, Hunter's Eye and Headshot, hitting your marks on Magnums is the key to high dps.
Magnum hits up to 4 times, dealing 100%, 50%, 25%, 25% damage.
Each of these hits can be multiplied by your passives (Hunter's Eye and Headshot) individually.
To showcase the importance of you passives, a magnum's first hit deals 6k damage on average, while this can be boosted by passives and crit to a whopping 36k.
I even go this far and consider a Magnum Shot where not at least one multiplier applies, a waste of SP.
Sometimes even when perfectly aimed, you will miss the mark, due to unexpected boss movements or flinches.
Missed shot will always happen! There is no Kai that hits 100% of his arrows on the spot they are aiming for.
Magnum also has the option to chain an additional Ricochet Shot, which is independent to Ricochets cooldown increasing Magnum's damage output but increasing its sp costs at the same time.
Make sure you always use directional keys together with Fixed Shot, since its moving variant is better than the standing variant.
Additionally I want to say a few words to Arrow Storm, while many consider this a valid DPS-skill I do not.
It is unable to trigger you passives and only deals mediocre damage so in any case a Magnum Shot or Ricochet is more useful. There are some special cases where it is useful. Every time you can hit 2 enemies or 2 parts of the same enemy (Placing it between Kraken head and tentacles for example will hit both or even triple if 2 tents are hit) giving it a really really good option to charge up your sp gauge fast.
(It hits 5 times on every enemy, regains 75sp per hit. Sp cost: 500 Regain on single enemy: 375 Regain on double hit: 750 Regain on triple hit: 1025)
3.4. Damage rotation vs normal enemies
Against normal enemies, you will mostly use the Short Bow.
Ricochet shot have different effects in Short Bow and Long Bow mode.
Long Bow mode is single target orientated, while Short Bow is multiple target orientated.
Spam normal arrows + kicks here.
Use Ricochet and Arrow Storm to finish off larger groups of enemies
4. Gameplay Advice
4.1. Raids
Don't be a chicken, don't run away too much.
Try to have a healthy distance to be able to aim, but don't stand on the other side of the map.
Your teammates will appreciate this.
Use Prey Drive and Fatal Arrow to stun the enemy, otherwise just focus on DPS.
4.2. Farm Runs
You can help your team with stuns here as well.
Kai's skills are awesome to do break offs, so make sure you know which boss has one and where you need to aim to do these.
4.3. Artifacts
Cat Statue:
Grants a solid amount of SP, use this if you have low speed
Werewolf Paw:
Since the revamp it is a must have in my eyes.
With sufficient speed, this outweights the Cat Statue by a lot.
The effect of the Paw increases, the more speed you got, so its potential is rather unlimited
Succubus Fang:
Good for soloplay to recover hp
Conclusion:
Bow got a pretty straight forward gameplay.
3.1. Key Binds
What follows is my personal use, you can customize your binds as much as you want.
First of all, turn off 'Attack in camera direction' this limits your ability to move around the battlefield
Second, I would advise you to put Ricochet Shot to your first quickslot and Eagle Eye Assault to you fifth so they correspond to the bindings of the pop up skill menu.
I personally hate this menu. I only use it for the skills 2-4 which I rarely use and therefore didn't earn a slot in my quickslot bar.
Additionally I have my dodge key binded to spacebar. Many people have done this because it makes dodging easier.
On Shift I got my artifact and jump is binded to my 4th mouse key (thumb button).
Rest of the keys I got are on Default. There is not much more you need.
3.2. Moving faster and mode switching
Every class has an option to pass through the landscape faster than normal running.
For Bow, this combo is very simple. Just spam dodge+Twister Kick in rapid succession.
Bow Kai is not the fastest moving class but is not the slowest as well.
When you switch Bow Mode there are quite a few options to switch it.
My preferred way to do so is during Twister Kick.
You press Tab for Mode Switching and the right click 2 times for using twister kick 2x in rapid succession.
He will switch the mode while performing the first kick and will have a shortened animation time, thus making the second kick to be performed faster.
The other option consist of activating Arrow Storm + Tab for mode switching at the same time and cancelling the Arrow Storm after.
If done correctly, Kai will switch modes without any animation.
I personally have no use for this way, since normally i do not switch modes during fights.
I always enter the combat the mode needed beforehand.
3.3. Damage rotation vs bosses
While fighting bosses, you will always use the Long Bow.
Even if you fight small bosses like Iset, Short Bow is almost never an option.
Long Bow is far superior fighting a single boss.
It hurts if you miss a few shots, but even with a few shots missed long bow is still stronger than short bow.
Especially since long bow's normal attack benefits from speed, while short bow's rapid fire does not.
For your main SP gain you will use Fixed Shot.
Playing Bow Kai vs Bosses feels like constantly playing Whack-a-Mole.
The key skill is not any of your dps skills, as you might expected.
It is Hunter's Arrow.
This skill is not only important since it increases your damage dealt if hit, it replenishes your stamina as well.
Especially with high speed this stamina gain is very important since you easily run out of stamina otherwise.
The other important skill is Headshot.
The damage increase of headshot is lower than that of Hunter's Eye, but the difference is not that significant.
Headshot does not have stamina regeneration, which makes Hunter's Eye superior.
The damage skill rotation is not really strict like other classes.
Basically, Bow Kai narrows down to 3 skills you use. Fixed Shot, Ricochet Shot and Magnum.
Fixed shot is your normal attack, you will always use it when there is no Magnum option available and Ricochet Shot is on cooldown.
Ricochet Shot should always be used before Magnum since its execution time and damage gives it the best sp/time/damage ration available.
Executing your Magnum Shots is a bit difficult. Timing and positioning is the key here.
While all 3 mentioned skills benefit from both, Hunter's Eye and Headshot, hitting your marks on Magnums is the key to high dps.
Magnum hits up to 4 times, dealing 100%, 50%, 25%, 25% damage.
Each of these hits can be multiplied by your passives (Hunter's Eye and Headshot) individually.
To showcase the importance of you passives, a magnum's first hit deals 6k damage on average, while this can be boosted by passives and crit to a whopping 36k.
I even go this far and consider a Magnum Shot where not at least one multiplier applies, a waste of SP.
Sometimes even when perfectly aimed, you will miss the mark, due to unexpected boss movements or flinches.
Missed shot will always happen! There is no Kai that hits 100% of his arrows on the spot they are aiming for.
Magnum also has the option to chain an additional Ricochet Shot, which is independent to Ricochets cooldown increasing Magnum's damage output but increasing its sp costs at the same time.
Make sure you always use directional keys together with Fixed Shot, since its moving variant is better than the standing variant.
Additionally I want to say a few words to Arrow Storm, while many consider this a valid DPS-skill I do not.
It is unable to trigger you passives and only deals mediocre damage so in any case a Magnum Shot or Ricochet is more useful. There are some special cases where it is useful. Every time you can hit 2 enemies or 2 parts of the same enemy (Placing it between Kraken head and tentacles for example will hit both or even triple if 2 tents are hit) giving it a really really good option to charge up your sp gauge fast.
(It hits 5 times on every enemy, regains 75sp per hit. Sp cost: 500 Regain on single enemy: 375 Regain on double hit: 750 Regain on triple hit: 1025)
3.4. Damage rotation vs normal enemies
Against normal enemies, you will mostly use the Short Bow.
Ricochet shot have different effects in Short Bow and Long Bow mode.
Long Bow mode is single target orientated, while Short Bow is multiple target orientated.
Spam normal arrows + kicks here.
Use Ricochet and Arrow Storm to finish off larger groups of enemies
4. Gameplay Advice
4.1. Raids
Don't be a chicken, don't run away too much.
Try to have a healthy distance to be able to aim, but don't stand on the other side of the map.
Your teammates will appreciate this.
Use Prey Drive and Fatal Arrow to stun the enemy, otherwise just focus on DPS.
4.2. Farm Runs
You can help your team with stuns here as well.
Kai's skills are awesome to do break offs, so make sure you know which boss has one and where you need to aim to do these.
4.3. Artifacts
Cat Statue:
Grants a solid amount of SP, use this if you have low speed
Werewolf Paw:
Since the revamp it is a must have in my eyes.
With sufficient speed, this outweights the Cat Statue by a lot.
The effect of the Paw increases, the more speed you got, so its potential is rather unlimited
Succubus Fang:
Good for soloplay to recover hp
Conclusion:
Bow got a pretty straight forward gameplay.