Svarnor
Shadowcloak of Nocturnal
This guide is for anyone who uses a bow. I will touch on archer/assassin mixes, archer/warrior mixes archer/thief mixes (this is actually slightly different than archer/assassin) and archer/mage.
Archer/Assassin
One of the most common ranged classes is the Archer/Assassin. Striking from a tower, from below a walkway, or even from across a crowded room, the Archer/Assassin is a typical assassin build, striking from the shadows and eliminating targets before giving them the chance to spot the archer.
As far as skills go, you need:
High Archery
Medium-High Sneak
Low-Medium Alchemy (optional, if you want to create poisons/buff potions to add to the damage of your shot.
Medium One-Handed
As far as tips go, try to find targets that aren’t in large groups, which will be the truth for most Dark Brotherhood contracts.
Archery is a useful tool for taking out targets that can’t be approached due to traps, excessive light, other hostiles, or a physical barrier such as a wall, a fall, or a trench/ravine between you and the target.
When preparing for the shot, use your best bow and most powerful arrow. That will maximize your damage, as that will feed the sneak multiplier.
Us your best poison and drink all your archery buff potions before firing as well, to further increase the already massive amount of damage. (I’m not sure if the potions affects stack… comment and I’ll update)
Finally, have another weapon ready! Just because you’re an archer doesn’t mean you should forgo some training in one-handed weaponry. I’ve tried to sneak attack enemies, only to be killed by them at melee range, and have the humiliation of not being able to do any damage. If anything can go wrong, it will, whether it’s that arrow-crippled guard who bumps into you at the last moment, or the Falmer ambush that took you totally by surprise.
A good one-handed weapon will save you if worst comes to worst and your shot is ruined, so make sure you have a decent one. A dagger is good for sneak attacks, but once an all-out fight starts, it will be sadly lacking. I suggest a sword, of the best make you can get.
Perk Selection:
http://www.skyrimcalculator.com/177605
Archer/Warrior
This is a pretty simple one. Get a bow. Don’t worry about being sneaky, as you’re a warrior! Your job is to bash things! But it’s easier to bash things that are already almost dead, isn’t it? Just shoot things until they get close, and bash them. Simple. You can’t get it wrong. Unless you can. You’re a warrior, after all.
High Archery
High Warrior skills (Whatever you’d normally use as a warrior)
As far as equipment goes, be armed to the teeth as you would be using warrior skills, but also carry a good bow, to do as much damage as possible.
Perk Selection
http://skyrimcalculator.com/80033
A word of warning,- these Perks DO NOT include perks for whatever fighting style you choose as a warrior. Don't forget to put perks into armor and melee weapons as well.
Archer/Thief
The main difference between an Archer/Assassin and an Archer/Thief is that, while an Assassin uses his bow to kill his enemies, the thief uses his bow to not kill his enemies. There are two main strategies.
Dehibilitation: If you shoot someone, and they stumble backwards, and they… take a tumble, off of a boat or a cliff, you will be in just as good a position as if you had killed them. It’s difficult to pull off, but possible. You could also get a bow with an enchantment that can paralyze, or add a paralyzation poison; you can escape at your leisure.
Distraction: For an excellent sneak, you can fire an arrow at a wall, making all the enemies in the room move towards it. If there’s a guard blocking an exit, or a patroller getting too close, fire away and make a run for it.
Skills:
High Sneak
Medium-High Archery
Preferably, a thief wouldn’t need to use any weapons, but if you must, the same goes for what I said for the assassin. A dagger might seem good for sneak-attacks, but will be difficult to use in a full-on fight. As the bow should be used mainly for distraction, a good ranged weapon isn’t really needed. However, if you plan to use the bow to paralyze the enemy or knock them backwards off natural dangers, a good weapon can be useful. It all depends on what your strategy is.
Perk Build:
Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!
Archer/Mage
The final combination is Archer/Mage. I just put this in here to remind people that you can use a bow to lure an unsuspecting enemy into a rune trap or familiar ambush. It works, but it isn’t much fun to RP with. Use that strategy if you wish.
Medium-High Archery
High in whatever school of magic you choose.
Of course, your mainly using the bow to aggro for this one, so a high archery is unnecessary. A good mage weapon, such as a staff, or a sword for when your magicka runs dry, will always help you to take out a group of baddies.
Honestly, as you're mainly using your bow to aggro enemies, you don't really need perks in archery at all. Remember to put some into your school of magic, however.
I hope this helps!
Archer/Assassin
One of the most common ranged classes is the Archer/Assassin. Striking from a tower, from below a walkway, or even from across a crowded room, the Archer/Assassin is a typical assassin build, striking from the shadows and eliminating targets before giving them the chance to spot the archer.
As far as skills go, you need:
High Archery
Medium-High Sneak
Low-Medium Alchemy (optional, if you want to create poisons/buff potions to add to the damage of your shot.
Medium One-Handed
As far as tips go, try to find targets that aren’t in large groups, which will be the truth for most Dark Brotherhood contracts.
Archery is a useful tool for taking out targets that can’t be approached due to traps, excessive light, other hostiles, or a physical barrier such as a wall, a fall, or a trench/ravine between you and the target.
When preparing for the shot, use your best bow and most powerful arrow. That will maximize your damage, as that will feed the sneak multiplier.
Us your best poison and drink all your archery buff potions before firing as well, to further increase the already massive amount of damage. (I’m not sure if the potions affects stack… comment and I’ll update)
Finally, have another weapon ready! Just because you’re an archer doesn’t mean you should forgo some training in one-handed weaponry. I’ve tried to sneak attack enemies, only to be killed by them at melee range, and have the humiliation of not being able to do any damage. If anything can go wrong, it will, whether it’s that arrow-crippled guard who bumps into you at the last moment, or the Falmer ambush that took you totally by surprise.
A good one-handed weapon will save you if worst comes to worst and your shot is ruined, so make sure you have a decent one. A dagger is good for sneak attacks, but once an all-out fight starts, it will be sadly lacking. I suggest a sword, of the best make you can get.
Perk Selection:
http://www.skyrimcalculator.com/177605
Archer/Warrior
This is a pretty simple one. Get a bow. Don’t worry about being sneaky, as you’re a warrior! Your job is to bash things! But it’s easier to bash things that are already almost dead, isn’t it? Just shoot things until they get close, and bash them. Simple. You can’t get it wrong. Unless you can. You’re a warrior, after all.
High Archery
High Warrior skills (Whatever you’d normally use as a warrior)
As far as equipment goes, be armed to the teeth as you would be using warrior skills, but also carry a good bow, to do as much damage as possible.
Perk Selection
http://skyrimcalculator.com/80033
A word of warning,- these Perks DO NOT include perks for whatever fighting style you choose as a warrior. Don't forget to put perks into armor and melee weapons as well.
Archer/Thief
The main difference between an Archer/Assassin and an Archer/Thief is that, while an Assassin uses his bow to kill his enemies, the thief uses his bow to not kill his enemies. There are two main strategies.
Dehibilitation: If you shoot someone, and they stumble backwards, and they… take a tumble, off of a boat or a cliff, you will be in just as good a position as if you had killed them. It’s difficult to pull off, but possible. You could also get a bow with an enchantment that can paralyze, or add a paralyzation poison; you can escape at your leisure.
Distraction: For an excellent sneak, you can fire an arrow at a wall, making all the enemies in the room move towards it. If there’s a guard blocking an exit, or a patroller getting too close, fire away and make a run for it.
Skills:
High Sneak
Medium-High Archery
Preferably, a thief wouldn’t need to use any weapons, but if you must, the same goes for what I said for the assassin. A dagger might seem good for sneak-attacks, but will be difficult to use in a full-on fight. As the bow should be used mainly for distraction, a good ranged weapon isn’t really needed. However, if you plan to use the bow to paralyze the enemy or knock them backwards off natural dangers, a good weapon can be useful. It all depends on what your strategy is.
Perk Build:
Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!
Archer/Mage
The final combination is Archer/Mage. I just put this in here to remind people that you can use a bow to lure an unsuspecting enemy into a rune trap or familiar ambush. It works, but it isn’t much fun to RP with. Use that strategy if you wish.
Medium-High Archery
High in whatever school of magic you choose.
Of course, your mainly using the bow to aggro for this one, so a high archery is unnecessary. A good mage weapon, such as a staff, or a sword for when your magicka runs dry, will always help you to take out a group of baddies.
Honestly, as you're mainly using your bow to aggro enemies, you don't really need perks in archery at all. Remember to put some into your school of magic, however.
I hope this helps!
i, for one, who plays as a bosmer assassin, would love to read more 
