Skeleton archers

[DarthNihilus]

They're just overpowered. I'm playing rough melee human and what do i have? Only rush. yeah, go chase 'em like in diablo 1 the goats. too much pinning also.

[lukep]

My normal way of dealing with Skeleton Master Archers as a melee char is to rush (which dazes, preventing escape) then, depending if it has enough life, stun it or kill it in one more hit.

My other way of dealing with archers is to lure them into a hallway, where they will be blocked by another monster following them (or at least I will get within range 2 for free)

[stinkstink]

Note that skeleton archers and skeleton master archers behave differently: only the master archers will actually attempt to stay out of melee range, so you want to root or slow them somehow after using Rush.

[DarthNihilus]

yes, I was talking about masters. i wonder how would you rush them, when you use teleport, and appear in a middle of a room with two master archers, who immediatly attack you and pin you down.
and i'm saying that except rush there's NOTHING that can help against ranged attackers. and you still have to collect the shield rune to survive pinning cooldowns :/ i mean - SRSLY, no balance for melee chars.

[tylor]

You should have Physical Wild from the start, that cures pinning too.
And "rough melee" classes (which one you have?) usually have Unflinching Resolve talent, that gives you high chance to shrug off statuses, including pinning, each turn.

But best bet with pinning archers is using Wild immediately, and then luring them out to where you can take them close and personally.

[DarthNihilus]

thanks!

[Crim, The Red Thunder]

Of course all of those are generic options. SPECIFIC options would include dragging them to you instead. For instance, Mindhook (Mindslayer only), controlled phase door (archmage only), and Bone Grab (Reaver/Corruptor) which causes all there arrows mid-flight to hit them (and in the case of bone grab, pins them to boot.) This is usually an instagib for the skelly master archers, and is quite literally one of the coolest ways to EVER kill them.

[Canderel]

I think movement infusions also prevents (not cures) pinning. So movement then stun then rush if they get away. Movement also helps you dodge the pinning (and other) arrows.

[skein]

And of course you should also realize that you can just bow them right back. Melee characters are supposed to have armor and stuffs Plus real hps.

Archers are nasty when they sit back and ping, but you just pay your 12 gold and learn bows. Your weapon mastery and stats should be sufficient for most melee characters to just shoot back.

They really only become a problem in dreadfall which has plenty of corridors to hide in. Plus dreadfall is when you start seeing the artifacts that let you get away anyway.

A cloak that provides phase door, a set of boots that provides telekentic leap or a second rush, a set of gloves with mindhook.

Exactly which melee character are you having problems with? You know that many of them have core abilities that prevent stunning or pinning.