Elf is not a class. (Now 2nd edition using the optional weapon speed rules and ± vs armor type was the bomb-diggity. I don’t think kids these days have the dedication to copy out the hit tables onto a character sheet anymore, though I’m sure Orcpub would do it automagically.
I get this, but I had hit 8th level and was starting to really wreck face. Inspire courage was at +2, and then I picked up a feat to allow my inspire courage to add 1d8 sonic damage to every hit of everyone in range. In addition I had rapid shot and a couple other archery feats and could lay down some direct damage of my own. In addition I took spells that were area control spells instead of save or die and could funnel the enemy around some.
Most importantly I never didn’t have something useful to do. In addition I was the face and the knowledge monkey.
And all that as a 6’5" buzz cut dude with a bow spitting angry rhetoric at the enemy. I memorized one of the beat poems from So I Married an Axe Murderer once. (We were playing Rise of The Runelords and I’d planned out my face heel turn as well. Greed is the theme and I was going to start to take credit for everything due to my bard song. Between the sonic damage and the courage boost it was plausible and I was going to call us the Rollins Band. With my diplomacy and intimidation skills I could have convinced anyone that it was all me and my supporters helping them.)