[Top 3] Dragon Age: Inquisition Best Archer Builds

Updated:

28 Oct 2021

"But she was so fast and quick with her bow, no one quite knew where she came from."

Ever wanted to spy an enemy down from the top of a cliff, breath held, and release a shot that blows their head off from miles away?

If so, these builds can help you get the best shot while keeping your style intact.

Here are the Top 3 best archer builds in Dragon Age: Inquisition.

3. Power Shots Archer Build

With a single shot, the enemy's head is gone

One of the major cons of the Archery tree are the long ability cooldowns, but this build makes every shot count. The Long Shot ability allows more damage the farther you are from the enemy, so keeping out of range is your best option for both damage and defense, and Exploding Shot is a good minimal AOE attack, hitting clustered enemies with an explosive blast. Full Draw does the most damage from the tree with an 800% weapon damage bonus. This build is also great for maximizing your base damage with the Pincushion and First Blood passives, which increases damage with every hit as well as offering bonus damage to healthy enemies. Lastly, the Poisoned Weapons ability with the Infected Wounds means that even while waiting for cooldowns, your base arrows deal massive damage with a lasting effect.

What the Power Shots Archer Build Excels In

Balances the long cooldowns from Archery with high damage
Maximizes normal damage with abilities and passives
Any specialization can be used

Full Build Details

2. Tempest Archer Build

Archery has a lot of "fire" power.

There’s nothing quite like swathing yourself in flames before piercing an enemy through the eye, and the Tempest Build provides precision like that and much more. Leaping Shot and the Stealth abilities are your first step and upgrading to Shot from the Shadows and the Clinging Shadows means that you remain hidden for most of your time in battle. The Shadow Strike melee ability might seem like an odd choice, but with the Quick Blade upgrade, you not only deal massive damage but have a fallback plan if an enemy gets too close. The Tempest Specialization tree is where this build really shines; the Flask of Fire ability with the Flaming Chain upgrade means that for a maximum of nine seconds, your abilities cost zero stamina, allowing you to throw everything you got at an enemy without flinching. Killer’s Alchemy makes your shots hit harder with an elixir active, and with Flask of Lightening plus the Thunderstruck upgrade, you can slow your enemies 99% and deal an extra 300% weapon damage to them.

What the Tempest Archer Build Excels in

Abilities last longer
Ability to debilitate enemies and hit them hard right back
Can get out of close range quickly while dealing massive damage

Full Build Details

1. Assassin Archer Build

Into the shadows and out with a bang.

The Assassin Specialization is one of the deadliest options provided, and with the bonus of being long-range, an Assassin Archer build can be a formidable foe on the field. Hidden Blades is a must-have from the specialization as it deals 300% weapon damage on a hit with a possibility to crit to boot, and Mark of Death is essential for the full experience. From the Archery tree, along with the basic Longshot, Leaping Shot is good when enemies try and strike you from up close, but the real star is the ever-important Full Draw. With its normal 800% weapon damage on an enemy that hasn’t been hit, added to the First Blood passive ability makes the damage to healthy enemies go up by 15%. The Looked Like It Hurt passive ability from the Sabotage tree is also useful, giving you stamina when you score a critical hit, and with the Full Draw upgrade Mercy Killing, when an enemy is stunned or asleep, a critical hit is automatic.

What the Assassin Archer Build Excels in