can I archive a form and retrieve it later to use as a template (base) for a new form

Hi,

You can turn your form into a theme so you can use it as a theme for any new forms that you wish to create. Here's a thread you can check on how to turn a form into a theme: How to create my own theme and save it as a private

If you want to use the same fields from the (template) form to a new form, you can also clone it and edit the cloned form as you prefer. How to Clone an Existing Form from a URL

Do inform us if you need further assistance,
Regards.