Longbow / Dagger PvE Build Guide

Last Updated:December 12, 2024|Changelog

Welcome to the Longbow / Dagger PvE Build Guide! This weapon combination resembles an archer rogue playstyle from other MMOs.

Longbow provides access to high single-target DPS skills including Strafing and Decisive Sniping. Your damage is boosted further with your Dagger passives: Assassin's Instincts, Destructive Fang, and Wrathful Edge.

Coupled with high single-target DPS, you have access to some AoE skills. Flash Wave is a great mass AoE skill to use for clearing mobs. You can reset this skill with Limit Break for even more AoE clearing potential.

End Game Longbow / Dagger PvE Build w/ Runes

If you're interested in PvP, check out our Longbow Dagger PvP Build Guide!

Pros

Self-Sustain
High Single-Target DPS

Cons

Cooldown Speed Reliant

Skill Builds and Rotations

Bossing
Full Melee

Bossing
Range

High HP
Mobbing

You spend most of your time in Melee Range with this build.
- The goal of this skill build is to spam as many skills as possible in the shortest amount of time.
Always be in range to use Shadow Escape.
- Shadow Escape won't break your Attack Speed buff from Rapidfire Stance.
Any mobility skill like Shadow Escape also procs Lequirus's Thorny Edge Passive.
Deadly Marker should always be used whenever it's off cooldown because it reduces the cooldown of all your party's skills.
Certain boss mechanics disrupts your Thunderclouds combo so you have to improvise the times at which you cast skills.

Shackled Combo

Ensnaring Arrow
Decisive Sniping

Ensnaring Arrow should always be used before Decisive Sniping because of the Damage ▲ Skill Specialization.

Strafing Combo

Strafing
Strafing
Zephyr's Nock
Strafing

This combo takes advantage of the Gale stacking to deal extra DPS.

Thunderclouds Stacking

Lightning Infusion
Cleaving Moonlight
Thunderclouds Bombing

Lightning Infusion makes all your skills apply Thunderclouds.
Only use one Cleaving Moonlight to keep your Attack Speed ▲ buff active.
Consume 20 stacks to use Thunderclouds Bombing as often as possible.

Fatal Stigma

Fatal Stigma
Other DPS skills.
Mad Sword Dance
Mad Sword Dance
Lightning Throw

It's hard to weave in Fatal Stigma with Thunderclouds Bombing because Thunderclouds Bombing consumes Thunderclouds stacks.
What you can do is use Mad Sword Dance and Lightning Throw after using Fatal Stigma to ensure you get as many stacks as possible.
You can then spend all those stacks after Stigma procs with Thunderclouds Bombing.

Deadly Marker Reset

Deadly Marker
Blitz

Multiple Deadly Marker can be applied to a target.
At least Deadly Marker will ensure your skills will always come back ASAP.

This build centers around a Ranged playstyle.
Always be in range to use Shadow Escape.
- Shadow Escape won't break your Attack Speed buff from Rapidfire Stance.
Any mobility skill like Shadow Escape also procs Lequirus's Thorny Edge Passive.
Deadly Marker should always be used whenever it's off cooldown because it reduces the cooldown of all your party's skills.
Certain boss mechanics disrupts your Thunderclouds combo so you have to improvise the times at which you cast skills.

Shackled Combo

Nature's Blessing (Optional)
Ensnaring Arrow
Decisive Sniping

Ensnaring Arrow should always be used before Decisive Sniping because of the Damage ▲ Skill Specialization.

Oppressed Combo

Nature's Blessing (Optional)
Ensnaring Arrow
Decisive Sniping
- Blitz
- Decisive Sniping

Ensnaring Arrow should always be used before Decisive Sniping because of the Damage ▲ Skill Specialization.
Nature's Blessing gives you a Whirlpool buff to speed up your cast of Decisive Sniping.

Procing Fatal Stigma

Inject Venom
Fatal Stigma
Shadow Escape
Inject Venom 2nd Strike
Mad Sword Dance
Mad Sword Dance
Brutal Incision
Shadow Escape

It doesn't matter how you get to 20 stacks of Poison, just that you do.
Use Shadow Escape to get into Melee Range and then back to your original position.

Deadly Marker Reset

Deadly Marker
Blitz

You can use Blitz for Decisive Sniping instead if you want.

The primary goal of this build is to farm high HP Open World Dungeon mobs.

General AoE Clear

Flash Wave
Blitz
Flash Wave
Decisive Bombardment
Brutal Arrow

Reset AoE clear.

Damaging Stacked Mobs

Lightning Infusion
Thunder Spirit
Fatal Stigma
Frenzied Sword Dance
Cleaving Moonlight

This combo ensures you stack as many Thunderclouds as possible before detonating Fatal Stigma.

Skill Prioritization

Use Quality Marind Ore to craft Quality Passive Skill Growth Book and Quality Active Skill Growth Book
Use Rare Marind Ore to craft Rare Passive Skill Growth Book and Rare Active Skill Growth Book.
Prioritize getting all skills you use to blue first before getting them to purple.

Stat Priorities

Use the following stat priorities when playing a Longbow / Dagger build in PvE:

Primary Stat
- Wisdom and Strength
Secondary Stat
- Perception and Dexterity

You have 49 Stat Points you can freely allocate to any of the 4 primary Stats. Once you put 20 points into an individual Stat, it takes 2 points to increase the Stat by 1. Do not put more than 20 points into a Stat unless you are trying to reach a certain breakpoint.

You get bonuses for every 10 Stat Points you invest from 30 to 60. You invest your points based on acquiring these bonuses.

Wisdom boosts your maximum Weapon Damage, Cooldown Speed, and Mana Regen. At 50 Wisdom, you gain an extra 5% Cooldown Speed. Strength similarly boosts your maximum Weapon Damage, and at 50 Strength, you gain 100 Heavy Attack Chance.

Mid Game

For PvE, you care mainly about maximum damage output, so put points into Dexterity and Wisdom. 40 Perception is important for the extra 5% Buff Duration. 50 Strength grants you a 100 Heavy Attack Chance bonus.

End Game

With enough Purple Gear, you want as much Dexterity as possible for extra Attack Speed and Weapon Damage.

PvE Gear Progression

If you plan on PvPing in the future, just use the PvP gear shown in our Longbow/Dagger PvP Build Guide for PvE. For higher tiers of Challenge Dungeons, you will want a full PvE set.

The next time these builds will be revamped entirely will be when T2 Epic gear comes out.
- No more changes will be made to this gear until T2 gear comes in January or earlier.
- This doesn't mean I won't add gear.
With Material Transmutation out, every piece of accessory is accessible. Thus, the "No Field Boss" gear versions will be archived in the archived tab.

Early
Game

Mid
Game

End Game
Shadow Harvester

End Game
Archboss

Old Archived
End Game Builds

Story Gear Longbow / Dagger PvE Build

If you've been following the leveling guide, transfer over your greens to the story quest blues if you haven't done so already. Make sure to upgrade them before doing these Dungeons for items. It does not matter what Blue gear you have as you will be replacing them shortly.

DO NOT UPGRADE Heroic Tunic of the Resistance. Leave it at 0.

You should do contracts immediately to acquire Contract Coins so you can buy Quality Lithograph: Weapons, Quality Lithograph: Armor, and Quality Lithograph: Accessories to craft Green Gear to complete Lithograph Book entries for Blue Gear.

The following gear are all acquired from the completion of Lithograph Book.

Elite Resistance Longbow
- Marksman's Arsenal
Elite Resistance Knife
- Sharp Blades that Cut Through Darkness
Lethal Fortune Ring
- Rustic Mother Nature Rings
Elite Sharpshooter's Cloak
- Cloaks that Wield Victory
- Dark Assassin in Shadowed Crypt

Longbow / Dagger PvE Build

Your Mid Game build is the point from where you should farm 1-Star Co-Op Dungeons and the Open World Dungeons for gear.

You will see that there was a jump from Blue to Purple gear in the Early to Mid Game. Below are easily farmable blue armor piece replacements. For accessories, use whatever blues you want.

Ruthless Enforcer Chest Plate
Resolute Crusader Sabatons

Before transferring upgrading your Purple pieces, fully trait and upgrade a Blue gear piece first and use it to transfer over to your Purple piece. A fully traited blue piece will give you 960 Blessings for you to use.

You can use the cheapest Blue gear pieces you can find with the cheapest Traits. Because there is no recommended Blue piece for accessories, you can use any Blue accessory you want. Just make it sure it's easy to trait the item.

Your Goals

Farm accessible gear by doing Open World Dungeons.
Extract traits from gear for Lucent.
Turn important Purple Gear acquired from Co-Op Dungeons into Lithographs and sell them on the Auction House.

Stats

Put as many points into Dexterity and Wisdom as possible.

Traits

Prioritize damage traits.
Acquire Trait Unlockstone through Recipe: Common Trait Unlockstone Bundle.

Dungeon Farming Priority

Whatever blue armor pieces you wear don't matter for PvE, as they are placeholders until your End Game gear.

Death's Abyss
- Karnix's Hell Bow
  - Craft Recipe: Karnix's Netherbow using 2 Dimensional Essence: Salvation.
  - You must do each Co-Op Dungeon at least 5 times to acquire enough tokens to craft it.
Cave of Destruction
- Lequirus's Thorny Edge
- Archpriest's Devotion
Tyrant's Isle
- Specter's Frost Bracers
Eternal Ring of Dimension
- Comes from Precious Epic Accessory Selection Chest.
  - Requires Dimensional Essence: Salvation.
  - You need 10 Tokens from each Co-Op Dungeon to craft.

Open World Dungeon Sources

Ant's Nest
- Elusive Hexweaver Hat from Worker Ant
Shadowed Crypt
- Duskblood Trousers from Dark Wizard
Sanctum of Desire
- Shadow Harvester Tunic from Avolos Tracker
- Shadow Harvester Boots from Avolos Tracker
Saurodoma Island
- Ornate Choker from Avolos Aeromancer
- Duskblood Gloves from Reptilian Lancer

Budget Longbow / Dagger PvE Build w/ Runes

Expensive Longbow / Dagger PvE Build w/ Runes

Imperator Set gives 150 extra Melee Heavy Attack Chance.

PvE Stats and Traits

You have incredibly high Attack Speed combined with high Cooldown Speed to cast your skills as fast as possible.
Your Critical Hit Chance is buffed further by Sniper's Sense.
Evasion traits are unimportant for Bossing. If you want Evasion traits, trait Melee Evasion first and the rest afterward. Evasion traits are nice if you intend to solo farm Open World Dungeons or Events.
You focus on DPS Traits like Skill Damage Boost and Heavy Attack Chance.
You focus on Max Health and Skill Damage Resistance for defensive Traits.
Mana Regen is also an excellent trait to prioritize if you find yourself lacking Mana. Inner Peace usually takes care of your mana issues.

PvE Runes

PvE Runes are straightforward. You want the most damage output, so use Boss Heavy Attack Chance and Skill Damage Boost. Skill Damage Resistance and Max Health will also help you survive Challenge Dungeons.

Gear Alternatives (Click Me!)

Gear Sources (Click Me!)

Archboss Longbow / Dagger PvE Build w/ Runes

These were the old End Game builds before 2-Star Dungeons came out. THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY BIS.
The main difference between the new builds and the old builds is the increased Attack Speed.
You can still spec out Rune Synergies for this build.

Archived Longbow / Dagger PvE Build

Archived Longbow / Dagger Pve Build

Guardians

Guardians are special transformations that add offensive or defensive buffs or attacks to your character for 30 seconds. These are the recommended Guardians for this class.

Shade Revenant Stheno is THE DPS Guardian in PvE. No other explanation is required.
Lady Knight Kamarshea is a useful Guardian while you learn new dungeons. It helps in dangerous situations as an emergency button to survive mechanics that deal a significant amount of damage. Not many other situations arise where this is necessary.

Summary

Longbow provides high single-target DPS at range, while Dagger provides amazing Passives.
Decisive Sniping is your highest DPS skill in your arsenal.
Stay at range until you need to use Shadow Escape and Thunderclouds Bombing.

Credits

Written by Yaen
Reviewed by Tenkiei and Bloo