1. Which is the best bow in the game?
   This is about the most frequently asked concerning any aspect of rogue play. There is really no best bow for a rogue. The choice depends entirely on character level, playing style and personal preference; so what one individual deems to be the best may not be so in another situation.
   However, good bows would be damage-increasing bows at low levels, swiftness bows at middle levels, while at higher levels, resistance/+all bows are very beneficial since weapon damage is very much less significant as level increases.
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2. I have heard about the unique bow Windforce (1-14, +5 str, +200% dmg, knockback). It looks rather appealing, but is it any good?
   In my opinion, Windforce is NOT a very good bow for rogues, except at lower levels when the rogue is unable to deal enough damage with other bows to stun the enemies. The knockback ability can be both good and bad; being able to hold off mobs away from you but often knocking enemies out of the line of fire, thereby allowing it to break out of stunlock. Also, Windforce provides little more than large quantities of weapon damage, which becomes less and less significant as the rogue rises in level. At higher levels, the difference may be only ONE arrow, so other bows such as Emerald Bows may come in more handy.
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3. Is it possible to nullify the ill effects of the knockback abilities of bows such as Windforce?
   Yes, there are two ways to avoid the ill effects. First is to fire at the enemies only when they are directly in your line of fire (eg 45^o, 90^o and 180^o etc)... in this way, the enemies will still remain in your line of fire when they are knocked back. The other, more effective, method is to hit at enemies against the wall, such that they will be knocked back "into the wall", and thus be unmoved by the knockback effects.
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4. Should a rogue use bows exclusively or is it feasible to use sword and shield?
   A rogue rules when it comes to bows but she is certainly not restricted to one. With her high dexterity, the use of shields means that auto-block is achieved without any foreign aid. Also, to-hit would not be a problem and all she has to do is find a good weapon which either increases weapon speed or does a large amount of damage, or preferably both. Also, with a Civerb's Cudgel, she can still quite easily get sufficient to-hit and thus can match the warrior at hand-to-hand fighting.
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5. What kind of melee weapons should i be looking out for and where can i find them?
   A rogue has no fear of a lack of to-hit. Weapons which adds to damage (ie does high weapon damage) or hits fast (ie hasted swords) are prime targets for a shopping rogue. King's Bastard Sword of Speed/Haste are usually deemed the best of the lot, though merciless swords would do just as well due to the rogue's inherently high to-hit value. Civerb's Cudgel is a good alternative too, for hitting those hell/hell critters.
   Once in a while, Griswold would offer a KSoH or a KSoSpeed, both of which at rather high prices. I believe Wirt is capable of selling them as well but i cannot confirm it. Alternatively, doing repeated Laz runs (ie charging down to Laz, killing any uniques along the way and clearing Laz's room) should get you a KSoH in several thousand (???) runs as well. Civerb's Cudgel can be commonly found in Church, Catacombs and Caves, essentially, anywhere before you find Dreamflange, you get CC.
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6. Okay, now i've gotten myself a good weapon, but what shield should i get? Are fast block shields really that essential to rogues?
   For the more average sword/shield rogues, I would recommend using a fastblock shield, usually Stormshield. The fast block ability prevents the rogue from being blocklocked when accidentally mobbed and enables her to be able to kill more efficiently without having to worry too much about defence. An experienced rogue can quite easily get by with a simple fastblock shield without any heavy-duty armour on due to the high inherent dex.
   However, it is really a matter of personal preference. I, for one, is a proposer of non-fastblock shields. I pride myself with a perfect Emerald Small Shield of the Ages, providing me with a high-enough 70% resist all (with +20% from thinking cap). This frees up TWO jewelry slots for +mana prefixed jewels, which would thereby increase your magical prowess. The loss of fast block simply means that you cannot just run yourself into mobs and have to be a wee bit more careful.
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7. How should i distribute my level-up points? Should i put any into vitality since my life is quite low at the start?
   While this is again a matter of personal preference, i do have a tendency to neglect my vitality, dumping the bulk of my points into dexterity, adding strength and magic only when i come across new bows, armor or books that will assist me more than that few points of dex. However, if you want to have a better chance of maxing your stats at an earlier stage, put most of your points into dexterity, while adding the other three stats at about the same rate. Look out for shrines that add to your stats as well (creepy, eerie, abandoned etc).
   To avoid getting that irritating red screen, try to avoid contact with the enemies at the start; choose instead to engage them from far via arrows or spells if you have any mana to spare. Getting magic to 20 early on is also useful as you need it to get the healing spell.|
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8. I'm interested in being a sword/shield rogue, but is it possible to do so right from the start?
   It certainly is possible but you will almost certainly have to return to town frequently to repair your shield. At the start, you would already have a rather decent blocking percent, and to-hit with a melee weapon should not be that problematic too. What might be lacking would be damage, so a weapon that gives +damage would thus be very useful. I would recommend using your starting bow until you can find such a weapon though as it would enable you to make yourself stronger first before getting into the rigors of melee combat.

That's about all I can think of at the moments. If you have been here and feel that there is something that I have missed out or can add, feel free to email me at [email protected].

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