I've tried using archers and IMO they are like the proverbial jack-of-all-trades, master of none. They have a little bit of might and a little bit of magic, but not really enough for me to play the game the way I like to play it. Actually, this is probably the key to the whole argument - if what the archer is able to do fits with your gameplaying style, then she is a great character. If not, then maybe not as useless as a pogostick tester in a minefield, but not the best possible choice for gameplay, either. In the games I've started with archer, I've usually quit before finishing and started a new game without her over them.I think part of the problem for me is that Air Magic doesn't seem to go well with "battlemage." Wouldn't Fire Magic be of more use in a battle? So I think the game was stacked to force both the archer and the sorceror to start with a magic skill you might not have picked for them if you had a choice.
I really like to Fly around a lot. In fact, I fly everywhere once I get that skill, and running out of mana points isn't something I want to be worrying about.
