Lets compare. Let me know if I left anything out
Archer:
1) 7/3/3 saves
2) +6 feats
3) Trick shot
4) +2/+2 weapontraining (undoubtedly increased to +4/+4 with the gloves of dueling)against ALL targets
5) No AOO when firing
6) +2 Skill pt/lv
Ranger:
1) 7/7/3
2) +3 combat style feats
3) +6/+6 vs favored (+4/+2, etc)
4) +2 favored terrains
5) Evasion
6) 2nd level spells
7) Animal companion
8) +6 skill pts/lv
Slayer
1) 7/7/3
2) +3d6 sneak attack
3) +4 talents (can be ranger combat style feats)
4) +1 advanced talents
5) +6 skill pts/lv
Thoughts? Basically Archer = feats, Ranger = animal companion, Slayer = ranged sneak dmg
Zen Archer Monk > all these.
Generic Fighter: Lots of feats, wear heavy armor and still benefit from high dex, get bonuses that are always on.
Ranger: Combat style feats bypass prerequisites and gain access to Improved Precise Shot 5 levels early, 6+ skills per level, favored enemy increases to hit and damage and you can get spells to make anything count as a FE.
Zen Archer Monk: Even more bonus feats than the fighter, also gets Imp Precise early, good saves, after level 3 can use wisdom for just about everything, eventually gets to increase bow damage, 4+ skills per level
Paladin: No bonus feats, but smite on top of rapid shot and many shot (and haste if someone in your party can cast it (and there should be)) is terrifying for anything evil.
Samurai (and Cavalier): Mounted Combat lets you be able to move and keep full attacking, you get a damage-only version of the paladin's smite, order abilities. 4+ skills per level
I'll refrain on commenting on the Slayer until the ACG is out.
Bard: Skills out the wazoo, like the pally no bonus feats, instead of doing all the damage yourself you buff everyone's attacks, 6-level spellcasting and can still wear light armor. 6+ skill per level plus several class features.
Alchemist: Most of the feats that boost bomb throwing also work with bows. effective 6-level casting, 4+ skill on an int-focused class
Divine Hunter Paladin with an Oath of Vengeance.
- Smite evil in industrial quantities (bypass DR and that is awesome for a bow user)
- Shared Precision at level 3, great to share precise shot with your wizard/sorcerer friend to shoot these scorching rays/acid arrows into melee without penalties.
- Spirit bound bow at level 5! free upgrades!
- Full BAB
- Insane saves due to high charisma!
Divine hunter is nasty. However, against anything but evil he is the worst of the lot. Ranged shouldnt have a ton of saves being out of combat area. Dont get me wrong, against evil it is lights out.
The Archer Fighter archetype is outright worse than the base fighter who focuses his feats into archery. The only good thing the archetype gets is being able to perform combat maneuvers using a bow. If you realy want to do it then okay...otherwise a normal fighter is better.
In regards to the Slayer...without seeing the class in front of me again I don't recall if the Slayer changes anything about qualifying for sneak attack. Which if it doesn't, you can kiss sneak attack goodbye. The primary method for achieving Sneak Attack is flanking. Something that is quite impossible to do with ranged attacks. Not even Snap Shot feats allow you to flank. This leaves you with having to catch your opponent flat-footed in order to sneak attack them, or being invisible.
The slayer will suffer from the same problem rogues do in regards to dealing damage. Sneak attack really just isn't that good (because actually qualifying for it sucks, especially at range).
It depends. Do you want consistent high damage or do you want to be able to make BBEG's cry when it matters?
The fighter and monk will do the most consistent damage, but rangers and paladins should do more damage when the damage output needs to be upped.
Luring Cavalier.
Cause everyone underestimates you until you slap them for 2d8+23 at level 6 on the first shot.
Edit:
Actually that was a miscalculation:
It's closer 2d8+39
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yeah base fighter is the best choice of them all. the only advantage rangers have over a vanilla fighter is improved precise shot at 6th. but its not that big of an advantage.
if you are very focused on damage and you know how to build your ranger, you can get +20 damage(per attack)from instant enemy as a full round action.
but a fighter will have better ac, similar saves, and higher standard damage per shot. as well as access to very powerful anti mage feats that mix really well with snap shot line. the archer fighter archetype is very subpar and only gives you the ability to perform a few bad combat maneuvers as a balance.
now hands down the best archer in the game is a sohei archer.
you forget the other things that the divine hunter brings..
Ranged Lay on hands
Channel Energy
Spells
Auras.
Yes, but hoq does its actual ARCHERY stack up?