talons or bows?

[Raxie]

which one? i'm pretty sure bows have longer range (am i right?) and higher dps. however, talons are one-handed so you can grab a shield on the other for that extra armour.
which one is better?

[Theremin]

Yeah, that's about the size of it. I just got my bow-chantress to level 45. She is currently using a talon and wing shield combination. While I like the increased armor she gets with this gear setup, I really miss the added range of bows, especially in PvP. The other drawback for talons is that you really have to watch your character to target proximity. For example, if someone uses their knock-back, depending on the maximum range of their knock-back, you may stop "auto-attacking," or "lose" your target altogether. Unfortunate mishaps like that are also DPS decreases.

That said, the way you gear your character should depend on what type of in-game situation you're gearing it for. If you occasionally tank things in PvE dungeons, you might want to be able to slap on a dagger/talon and wing shield to increase your chances of survival. If you're trying to do the most "consistent" damage from long range, in PvE or PvP, for example, a bow might be the better choice.

[Raxie]

ok. thanks for your reply.
edit: how is the bowchantress by the way? is it good because mages are very fragile and without upgrading strength aren't they weak? do bosses one-hit you because you haven't got enough hp?

[Royce]

how is the bowchantress by the way? is it good because mages are very fragile and without upgrading strength aren't they weak? do bosses one-hit you because you haven't got enough hp?

Bowchantress is a powerful and fun to play character. Mages are fragile, but with the right gear, and intelligent use of BOV, Mana Shield, and Heal you can actually survive quite well.

[Addihul]

GoXu, has to do with your play style. If you go talon/wing, you can rush in more and take more chances because your survivability is higher (I'm assuming you're using more Thoth (mana regen) and Isis (health regen) items). If you like to stay back and attack only after someone else starts, then bows will always be a superior group choice. Especially the Scarab bows. Longer range and higher base damage.

I played both for awhile and landed on thoth/talon because I found myself playing way too aggressively and dying more often with just the bow and less mana/health regen. You are definetely more team effective though with a bow. But sometimes if you die more often but do more damage, it balances itself out. Sadly you won't really get to 'try them both' effectively until higher levels and after getting lots of cash because that's when you can try things with a balance of thoth and isis gear.

Good comments from the other 2 blokes as well.