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[grelphy]

Query for y'all. What do you do about archers?

I read on the wiki that lying down will greatly reduce your odds of getting hit (at the expense of getting shot at a lot more). My experiments seemed to verify that, but by the time I tried I was a legendary x30 (I kid you not) shield user with more than a dozen mixed iron/steel shields equipped, so how much of my injury avoidance was due to lying down and how much was due to being cocooned in half a dozen layers of steel is hard to say.

Other strategies I've heard include sneaking everywhere (slow and potentially awkward when that groundhog stumbles upon you as you creep up behind the goblin master lasher) and just avoiding them (which eliminates the elimination of kobolds, goblins and elves).

[Jreengus]

Welli know its not the awnser you want but I get shot, its a fun little game you have tp find an archer get them to shoot you once duck behind a tree start sneaking and run away to heal up, once you have fully healed repeat until you die. Try to set records for most arrows before death. (6 for me)

[Kagus]

Shield use and armor layers will not make a difference on whether or not you actually get hit...  It just determines if you get hurt from it at all.

So every time you get an arrow that glances off your armor or is deflected by your shield, you were "hit" by an arrow.  

In general, archers will mean your death.  I cripple the damage done by various projectiles, and even with that I find myself getting obliterated by a single arrow or bolt.  They can fire very quickly, have very good accuracy (in general), and can kill you in one hit.  

There are three ways of somewhat-effectively avoiding death by projectile.  Shields, stealth, and wrestling.

Shields, with very high skill (and a few extra shields strapped on, of course), can deflect most arrows coming at you.  Stealth can get you past all arrows and all notice, but only if you don't get caught.  Also, don't try to backstab an archer...  They get the first shot, regardless of how you approach the problem.

And then there's wrestling...  If you manage to get exceptionally high wrestling skill (along with a fair amount of agility) you can pull a Neo and simply jump away from all projectiles making their way towards you.  Well, almost all of them.

Oh, and if you find yourself right next to a ranged opponent (they will continue firing at you in melee, which is bad news for you), try this handy little trick...  Using a free grasp (limbs don't work for this), grab their quiver.  Once you've got it, go into your inventory and you will find the quiver highlighted as a wrestled object (I.E., you'd have to grab it away from them before you can do stuff with it).  However, the arrows inside the quiver are considered yours.  Simply [d]rop the arrows, and he'll have no more ammo.  You may then release the quiver.  

You can do this to sleeping guards without waking them up, by the way.

[Helmaroc]

I prefer taking the bow, that way they can't whack you with it.

[Kagus]

But that requires wrestling skill.  You need a relatively high level of wrestling before you can manage to grab the bow from them, but you don't need wrestling skill to drop the ammo since it's counted as being in your inventory.

[MathijsBuster]

I tend to run away. RUN AWAY!

And when I'm far enough out of sight (or manage to slip behind a tree), I go into sneak mode and ambush them from up close.
This saves you the hail of arrows while approaching an archer as you can actually get within 1 to 5 tiles before getting noticed.

Though I admit one or two archers had a lucky shot and shot me in the face at a meter distance nonetheless.

Maybe I should just stick to 'run away. RUN AWAY!' and leave it at that.

... and even that isn't fail safe.

[Duke 2.0]

I resort to a handy thing called "Thrown spears." You think your arrows are nifty? Try one several times that in size at several times the force at your head.

I have actually got a ranged attacker to drop his bow and fly away when being hit by a thrown mace.

[Kagus]

Actually, spears and arrows do the same amount of damage...  I'm pretty sure that if sewing needles were implemented, they'd do a similar amount.

[Cthulhu]

Yeah, but spears are cooler.  I mortally wounded a goblin swordmaster with a single spear to the chest.  Man he bled a lot.

[Kagus]

Dwarven throwing hammers, my friend.  The only way to die.

You toss one at someone, and you will see two very long flights.  You will mark the starting point for the hammer's, and the hammer will mark the starting point for theirs.

[Yami]

SO true!  Of course, I tend to baby my hammers and throw my bladed weapons first.  Save the blunted goodness for the elites, who over coure Dodge.

Bloody swordsmasters.

Now if only I could get my fortress dwarves to train in throwing...

[Dareon Clearwater]

Personally, I like throwing ballista bolts.  "You like arrows?  Try THIS ONE!"

[Demonic Gophers]

Sneak constantly until it no longer slows you down.  Then, sneak constantly.  Find a sleeping guard with a bow or crossbow, strangle the incompetent, and you've got a quiver full of ammo.  Throw it at any archers you find awake; they have no shield, and are relatively vulnerable to thrown missiles.

It's hardly a guarantee of safety, of course, but I've taken out Elites that way.

[chaoticag]

Throwing arrow is much more effective that firing them, as they don't break.
Just get yourself meatshields and sneak behind a bowman. Just make sure you are good with your weapon.
After that practice throwing and use your practically infinate arrows.