Heavy or light armor for an archer class?

[Diisk]

Which do you prefer?

 

[Drecon]

The best option for archers is probably light armor. It makes sure you can sneak into position and it doesn't weigh you down as much.

My current character uses heavy armor, but he is more of an enchanter anyway.

 

[Atmora]

Light Armor.

To be an archer, you need to be agile. Heavy Armor weighs you down to much and therefore slows down your speed. Plus, archers are a sneaky build, Heavy Armor makes too much noise, therefore you would be detected easier and quicker while wearing Heavy Armor as opposed to Light Armor.

 

[Nightcrystal]

My Wood Elf wears light armor. This lets her run and sneak much easier then if she was in heavy armor.

 

[ShadowGambit]

Light Armor

You want to sneak, and sneak is better with light armor. Also, as to are picking your target from a distance, then if you are good would rarely come to melee. So Armor Rating is only necessary when you are facing another archer.

Also, I find that the Light Armor tree is better than the Heavy Armor one. And most cool armor for RP archer are light one.

 

[Diisk]

I decided to go with heavy armor. Just because I got the krosis mask.
But archers aren't necessarily a sneaking class. I had a heavy armored archer meant for tanking targets in close range. He was health washed

 

[Kalin of High Rock]

Heavy armor on an archer really is only going to slow you down. Sneaking with archery will see your shots doing multiple times more damage than you would otherwise, you'll also have the opportunity to better pick targets and line up shots while unseen.

While without sneak, you'll simply blunder into a room and fire one shot before everything closes the gap on you and you're drawn into melee combat.

And Krosis is listed as light armor.
Krosis (Mask) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki

 

[Alissa DeWitt]

light armor, without question

 

[Skyrimosity]

I decided to go with heavy armor. Just because I got the krosis mask.
But archers aren't necessarily a sneaking class. I had a heavy armored archer meant for tanking targets in close range. He was health washed

If every single response says light armor and you just go with heavy, then what is the point of asking?

 

[Dagmar]

....But archers aren't necessarily a sneaking class....

Archer's are meant to be mobile during combat. Their mobility keeps enemies outside of melee distance and allows the Archer to dodge enemy ranged attacks and to work around allies for clean firing angles even with the bow drawn or notched and firing (due to the Ranger perk). Heavy armor gives a penalty to movement and a good Archer doesn't need the benefit of the higher armor rating because a good Archer shouldn't be getting hit much during combat.

I had a heavy armored archer meant for tanking targets in close range.

This is an oxymoron. Archer's aren't tanks. Calling your tank an Archer just because you stick a bow in his or her hands, level up Archery skill and toss some perks in the Archery perk tree doesn't make him or her an Archer. If your character is constantly tanking at close range why even bother using a bow as your primary weapon? Are you actually going to stand there at melee range and fire arrows point blank at your target? On the other hand if you're just standing there firing arrows until enemies close range and then switching to melee weapon(s) you're not an Archer.

 

[Panda Rawrlord]

Light armor. Archers are long distance fighters and their enemies will be dead by the time they reach them.

 

[lonewolf]

Light nuff said

 

[Will Olmen]

I decided to go with heavy armor. Just because I got the krosis mask.
But archers aren't necessarily a sneaking class. I had a heavy armored archer meant for tanking targets in close range. He was health washed

Archers in history all just facepalmed. An inexplicable wave of men slapping themselves in the face just occurred in medieval europe via the space time loop. You're not an archer. You're a guy that just happens to own a bow. I think you might've watched a little too many animes. Animes give people dumb ideas on how the world works.

On the other hand if you're just standing there firing arrows until enemies close range and then switching to melee weapon(s) you're not an Archer.

I usually agree with your points of view, Dagmar. But on this note I have to disagree. That was more or less EXACTLY what real medieval archers were trained to do. Loose volley after volley. Try to keep distance. But if engaged in melee they were trained and equipped to fight back. The stigma that archer units couldn't hold their own in a melee is derived from the fact that SOME archers would elect NOT to carry a nine or ten pound sword they might never need. But in truth the majority were just as ready to engage up close. They were at a disadvantage because their armor was mostly cloth and light leathers. Studded or treated leather was not flexible or light enough to allow an archer to notch and release arrows at an optimum pace.

But overall folks are correct. An archer in heavy armor isn't an archer. He's a guy with a bow. f

 

[Psiberzerker]

I decided to go with heavy armor. Just because I got the krosis mask.
But archers aren't necessarily a sneaking class. I had a heavy armored archer meant for tanking targets in close range. He was health washed

Krosis is classed Light armor. So's Morokei, and Volsung, I think.

Generally, Light is better for a classic Archer, for Sneaking, Mobility, and the Stamina regeneration Perk helps too. That's if you're playing a Classic Archer, though. I've done unarmored, and it's just like Light, only better, because your Stamina lasts longer so you don't have to regenerate it as much (for sprinting, you still have to manage it for Eagle Eye.) It also makes the Muffled Movement a waste of a perk. I just Splash Stealth(1), Backstab, and Deadly Aim, because the other branch is useless when they're way over there. Just crouch long enough to get the multiplier.

For Arcane Archer builds, I wear Robes (of Conjuration, for Bound Bow, and Support Summons) and Heavy Armor around it, because it gives you minimal protection, weight, encumbrance, and stamina drain. I'm also not sneaking. That means you have to disenchant something to Fortify Archery, because no Heavy armor comes scripted like that, and it's rare from Radiant. (So, add Enchanting, no biggy.)

Also, I do a lot of hybrid builds, like Ranged/2H, or Shield, so the Armor depends on the class. Light for 2H, because the weapon already slows you down, and Heavy for Shield, because the weapon of choice there is the Targe of the Blooded. In short, it really should come down to whether you want to Sneak, or get the Ebony Mail. None of the other factors are dealbreakers. I worry more about what I'm going to switch to when they do close.

My latest variant is just the Shield. Iron, Banded, or Steel until I can get to the Targe of the Blooded. With Bound Bow in the right hand, which replaces it when cast, then Conjures it back from Inventory automatically when the spell times out, or is sheathed. (The same trick works for any 1 handed item, or spell, including Bound Battleaxe.) With Deadly Bash, Deflect Arrows, and Elemental Protection, all of my defense, and enough melee offense is covered by 1 item, 5 perks, and 35 skill levels (from 15, starting with an Altmer.)

I used similar combos back in Morrowind.

 

[Psiberzerker]

To me, Archer just means a guy who's primary weapon is a bow. If you want to get Historical, battlefield Archers just stood there, and some of them were quite heavilly armored, but that's because they were part of a unit, and had Infantry to support them (by keeping them from being charged.) Siege Archers (on the offensive side) usually either carried a shield, or had a shield bearer (like Lydia) to compensate for the defenders having a castle to hide behind.

Tank Archers are just a perfectly viable alternative. Drop the Sneak, because 1) it sucks in Heavy Armor until you work up to Conditioned, and Muffled Movement, and 2) you don't need it, because you're not going to be 1 shotted, except for Trolls, Giants, Warlord Gathrik, and Tsun the Beefgate. (Plus countless others likeat, just examples.) Again, this is different from a Heavy Warrior with a Bow, because of focus. the tank Archer is primarilly a shooter with a solid Defense for backup, instead of a sidearm.

I prefer a Turtle archer, because even a Heavy Shield is a lot lighter, and faster that a full suit of armor, and can be padded out further with choice Gloves, Boots, and Helmet. You're basically wearing your Body on your arm, which means you don't get the Matched Set bonus, but make up for it with Deflect Arrows, Elemental Protection, staggering to break the melee, and possibly bleeding damage. I just like to add Magic to use Robes (of Conjuration) for the Body Slot. You can also do it with a full suit of Light, and have practical defense rivaling, or even surpassing a Heavy without the shield. (With capped out Dragonscale, plus Block.)

 

[Diisk]

Heavy armor on an archer really is only going to slow you down. Sneaking with archery will see your shots doing multiple times more damage than you would otherwise, you'll also have the opportunity to better pick targets and line up shots while unseen.

While without sneak, you'll simply blunder into a room and fire one shot before everything closes the gap on you and you're drawn into melee combat.

And Krosis is listed as light armor.
Krosis (Mask) - The Elder Scrolls Wiki

yea I meant to say light... Scatter brained.

 

[Dagmar]

That was more or less EXACTLY what real medieval archers were trained to do. Loose volley after volley. Try to keep distance. But if engaged in melee they were trained and equipped to fight back.

First, I meant literally stand there and not try to adjust distance by moving away. If he's tanking he's not really going to make the effort. Second, this isn't medieval earth, it's Tamriel. If medieval archers could stun an enemy by butting them with their bow and created enough distance to volley another arrow they would have probably done it, but they couldn't so they didn't. My Archer isn't going to emulate the actions of an archer from a reality she doesn't even know about just because those Archers couldn't do what she can do.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Well, you're forgetting Shouts. A tank archer's mobility is less of an issue, when he can FRD the approaching warriors back, then shoot them while they get up, or Wuld to another position, then shoot them while they try to catch up, and his shout recovers. There's also Ice Form, or Slow Time, which retards their advancement until they're already dead. Once you've got Power Shot, and Paralyze randomly, chances are every other shot will stop them cold as well. (Just use Ice Form , or Unrelenting Force as the last ditch.) The cool down is a bit long, but it's not your primary tactic, so it doesn't need to be spammable.

Just because the only way you can make an archer work is in Light Armor, doesn't make it the only way that works. I do fine in Clothes, with a healthy stack of health, and evasion/stealth. If light armor is faster, none is the fastest. (But then, that's an Altmer build to maximize it.) Using everything at your disposal includes Heavy Armor, if that's the way you want to play it. Or just Block, or Illusion if you can work the transition. You can't berate someone for historical accuracy, then insist that Light Armor is the only way to go, and any other choice is stupid.

Not to mention, once it's perked out, the only difference is how much AR you've got. Muffled Movement, then Silence completely eliminates the Sneak Penalty, and the Steed Stone/Conditioning the Encumbrance. So, your lightly armored Archer gets better Stamina Regeneration, while his Tank gets closer to the Armor Cap. (Which means less Smithing.) For Perk Efficiency, he can also just do the horn of the anvil for superior weapons, and Armor as far as he wants it to go. While you either have to make do with Glass, or do the Heavy side anyway to get Daedric Smithing. So, if you don't insist on historical accuracy, there's actually great advantages for going Heavy, with relatively little penalties.

 

[Dagmar]

...A tank archer's...

All of the crowd control techniques you mentioned are good strategies but none of them require a tank build. A tank build is only necessary if you anticipate getting hit a lot with melee damage. If you believe your playstyle is going to put you in that position frequently enough and long enough that you have to have give priority to armor rating over mobility then relying on archery as your dominant fighting method is inefficient and inferior to playing as a melee fighter. The slower attack rate of a bow compared to melee weapons means that the DPS is going to be less with the bow than with melee weapons and a dual wielding, sword and shield, or two-handed build, so while it may be distinguishable, it's also inferior to that setup for that kind of playstyle.

When you say you can compensate with standing stones and enchantments you're completely missing the point. You would be compensating so you can have something you shouldn't even need. If you're build can control the combat distance for the duration of the engagement then using ranged combat like archery makes sense and if you can do that then you don't need a tank build. It's like putting a chandelier in an outhouse, i.e. superfluous. Conversely if you can't control the combat distance for the majority of the encounter such that you need the tank build then relying heavily on archery instead of melee weapons doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[Psiberzerker]

All of the crowd control techniques you mentioned are good strategies but none of them require a tank build. A tank build is only necessary if you anticipate getting hit a lot with melee damage. If you believe your playstyle is going to put you in that position frequently enough and long enough that you have to have give priority to armor rating over mobility then relying on archery as your dominant fighting method is inefficient and inferior to playing as a melee fighter. The slower attack rate of a bow compared to melee weapons means that the DPS is going to be less with the bow than with melee weapons and a dual wielding, sword and shield, or two-handed build, so while it may be distinguishable, it's also inferior to that setup for that kind of playstyle.

When you say you can compensate with standing stones and enchantments you're completely missing the point. You would be compensating so you can have something you shouldn't even need. If you're build can control the combat distance for the duration of the engagement then using ranged combat like archery makes sense...Conversely if you can't control the combat distance for the majority of the encounter such that you need the tank build then relying heavily on archery instead of melee weapons doesn't make a lot of sense.

I mentioned 1 Stone, the Steed, just until he earns Conditioning. Then, it's obsolete, and you can use that slot for something else. It helps if you plan to take physical damage a lot, or to take a lot of physical damage, like from a Giant. This also means you can invest less in Health to have more Stamina. So, while he's not weighed down by armor, he can sprint, zoom, and slow time longer. I'm not suggesting prioritizing armor rating, but giving him advice on how he can have it, with the less investment, because that's the build he wants. Instead of telling him why it won't work, I'm telling it how it will. After all, that's what he asked for.

How is having better armor, and a better bow inferior? Assuming he takes my advice, and compensates to have the same mobility, if he takes on a lightly armored archer, he wins. If he takes on a meleer in equivalent armor, but no ranged attack, he wins. If he takes on a mage in no armor, and less range, he wins. If he wins, how is that "inferior"? You mentioned DPS, so how much damage are you dealing while you're running away? If he doesn't have to, before the charging warrior gets to him, he can keep shooting. If you have to shoot, and scoot, because the Giant just might bounce you to the clouds, you don't get as many shots off. If it's a Troll, and it regenerates while you're running, you have to shoot it more times, and your mobility comes at a price. If it's a Hagraven, or Spriggan, and she heals while you're running away, the same thing. This is not my definition of "Inferior."

I didn't suggest a single compensating Enchantment, nor the need to enchant at all. I just scrolled up, and read it again. Nope, not there. Didn't even mention Enchanting. So, unless you have some helpful advice, why don't you stand back, swallow your pride, and watch the people who do? Who knows, you might actually learn something (Gasp!) Because it doesn't line up with your assumption, it's ineffective, inferior, and compensating? I guess that makes you Superior, right? Wrong. Just because you don't see the sense of it doesn't mean it isn't there. If it gets you so worked up, then maybe you should just ignore it.