Combat: switch weapons

Is there a way to switch weapons in combat: IE from sword to Archer!!!

I know you can switch by click on that tiny little arrow but that is gone in combat.

No you cant. Neither equipment, nor skillsets can be changed in combat

You have to break combat to switch.

I think only Druids currently have the ability to switch.

How do you break combat, I tried running away and even pressing "esc" but as long as they have you in there sites, no go.

You should be able to drop bow and pull out sword.

But then you may accidentally step on your bow and break it, during the chaos of hand-to-hand combat :)

Why would you be able to break combat if you still have aggro?

You need someone else to grab aggro and step around a corner. Once they give up on you, you fall out of combat.

The game balance is designed around not being able to switch weapons or gear (or combat skills or ability bars!) during combat. That's why we allow you to wield both a bow and a sword at the same time -- so you don't have to switch.

If there are cases where you CAN switch gear, those are bugs.

Well, changing shape isn't a bug.