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Elden Ring: Bows Tier List

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While the entries in FromSoftware’s Souls series have all had ranged weapons, they’ve never really been a focus of the experience, tending to be much less viable than the melee options. FromSoftware’s latest title, Elden Ring, seeks to change things up a little, giving players a vast range of bows and greatbows to choose from, each with their own unique set of traits and scaling options.




While some of Elden Ring‘s bows require quite a bit of commitment on the player’s part, needing some upgrades before they become viable to use, there’s a good handful that are ready to go right off the bat, boasting some high damage and often some form of extra attack. A ranged build can be one of the most satisfying to create in Elden Ring.

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Updated November 12, 2024, by Hamza Haq: Bows are some of the most misunderstood weapon types in Elden Ring because, unlike melee weapons like Swords and Clubs, using a bow requires an arrow of the appropriate type every time. When players have the option of using a weapon that doesn’t require any consumables versus one that does, they’ll pick the first option nine times out of ten. Naturally, this prevents them from experimenting and recognizing the value that Bows, Light Bows, Greatbows, and Ballistas bring to the table, opting instead to rely exclusively on their melee counterparts.



S-Tier

Lion Greatbow

Elden Ring Lion Greatbow
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Default Damage

120

Max Upgrade Damage

294

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Default Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

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9.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

Radahn’s Rain Skill


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Still widely considered to be the best ranged weapon in Elden Ring, the lion greatbow 2Lion Greatbow can be obtained using Radahn’s Remembrance. Boasting an incredibly high damage output of 120, the Lion Greatbow is one of the hardest-hitting bows in the game, especially when used in conjunction with Radahn’s Spear Greatarrows. The Lion Greatbow is also capable of unleashing devastation with its Radahn’s Rain weapon skill, which fires an unrelenting barrage of arrows toward an enemy like the boss does to the player in his own battle.

Pulley Bow

Elden Ring Pulley Bow


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Default Damage

77

Max Upgrade Damage

188

Default Scaling

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Str – D, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

5.0

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

  • Found on a corpse inside the tower north of the Gelmir Hero’s Grave Site of Grace.

The pulley bow 2Pulley Bow packs a decent punch, giving a base damage output of 77, but the main reason for its S-Tier ranking is its unparalleled range. The Pulley Bow is capable of firing an incredibly far distance, making it perfect for those attempting a sniper build. This bow consistently outperforms other top-tier bows in terms of damage, while also having the lowest requirements and the best range (55). With a design inspired by modern compound bows, it’s a favorite among many Elden Ring fans. The Pulley Bow’s only drawback is its weight, which is the highest of any regular bow in the game.


Golem Greatbow

Elden Ring Golem Greatbow 1

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Default Damage

130

Max Upgrade Damage

318

Default Scaling

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Str – D, Dex – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – C, Dex – D

Weight

14.5

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

Through and Through Skill


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While it does have some hefty requirements, needing 24 Strength and 18 Dexterity to wield, the golem greatbow 2Golem Greatbow offers a whopping 130 damage, one of the best of any bow. Additionally, the Golem Greatbow also comes packaged with the Through and Through weapon skill, which gives the bow a shot capable of piercing through multiple enemies. Obtainable from Golem Archers, this bow can be found fairly early in the game. However, it is the heaviest of the Greatbows, so not every character will be able to instantly equip and use this monster. Once it’s possible, though, not much else would be able to withstand this weapon’s penetrating arrows.

Ansbach’s Longbow

ansbachs longbow in elden ring


Default Damage

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74

Max Upgrade Damage

181

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

4.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

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Fan Shot

elden ring ansbachs longbow 2Ansbach’s Longbow‘s strength lies in its unique Ash of War: Fan Shot that primes and then fires eight (8) arrows in one shot in a fan-shaped arc in front of the user. The arrows spread out the farther they’re from the user, making this AoW best used in close range against large enemies to get the most value out of the skill.


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However, contrary to what it might appear at first glance, the damage Fan Shot can deal to the target is capped at the three (3) arrows, meaning the damage to the target if 3 arrows vs the damage if 8 arrows hit will be the exact same. This isn’t a bug; it is the way Ansbach’s Longbow is supposed to work. This also means that players don’t have to stand right next to the target before firing off this AoW. Using it from medium range to land 3 arrows is the way to go. Also note that every time Fan Shot is used, it consumes 8 arrows from the inventory, meaning players can only fire 12 times with a full 99 arrow stack before they run out. This Longbow is also a great way to inflict status effects like Sleep, as the effect stacks per arrow.

Horn Bow

Elden Ring Hornbow


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Default Damage

65 Phy, 30 Mag

Max Upgrade Damage

159 Phy, 73 Mag

Default Scaling

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Str – E, Dex – D, Int – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D, Int – E

Weight

4.5

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

  • Can be found on a corpse next to Siofra River Bank Site of Grace.

Though it looks unassuming, the horn bow 2Horn Bow is one of the most powerful ranged weapons in Elden Ring. Offering both a decent amount of physical damage and magic damage, the Horn Bow is capable of taking down the majority of Elden Ring‘s enemies with ease, especially if the weapon’s combined with magic arrows. The only real downside to the Horn Bow is that it only has E-grade scaling in Strength, and D-grade scaling in Dexterity. However, that’s hardly noticeable, even in Elden Ring‘s late game. The ability to upgrade the Horn Bow with Smithing Stones also makes it a surprisingly excellent starter bow, though players will need to venture to Siofra River to obtain it. To top it all off, the Horn Bow can even be infused with Ashes of War, making it a customizable, magical powerhouse of a weapon, perfect for just about any build.


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A-Tier

Erdtree Bow

erdtree bow in elden ring

Default Damage

40 Phy, 50 Hol

Max Upgrade Damage

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98 Phy, 122 Hol

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – E, Fai – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D, Fai – D

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Weight

4.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

  • Can be found inside a chest near the Erdtree Sanctuary Site of Grace in elden ring missing icon 3 102Leyndell, Royal Capital.


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The standard bow version, the erdtree bow 2Erdtree Bow, offers the same physical/holy damage trait, albeit at a lower output than the Greatbow. That being said, the Erdtree Bow does weigh less and fires at a faster rate than its Greatbow counterpart, making it more viable in Elden Ring’s boss fights, especially against Death Rite Birds. It also comes in handy in many areas of the game filled with undead enemies. This unique weapon, with a nice asymmetrical visual design, is found in a chest in Leyndell, Royal Capital.

Erdtree Greatbow

Elden Ring Erdtree Greatbow


Default Damage

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60 Phy, 65 Hol

Max Upgrade Damage

147 Phy, 159 Hol

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – E, Fai – D

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D, Fai – D

Weight

11

Weapon Skill (AoW)

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Through and Through Skill

  • Can be obtained by looting the chariot in Fringefolk Hero’s Grave in Limgrave.

Another excellent Greatbow, the Erdtree Greatbow offers a solid base physical damage output, as well as dishing out some holy damage. The erdtree greatbow 2Erdtree Greatbowdoesn’t hit quite as hard as the Lion or Golem Greatbows, but it’s still one of the better ranged weapons in Elden Ring. In terms of special features, this is the only Greatbow with elemental damage that can be buffed by the Flask of Wondrous Physick, opening doors for some exciting possibilities. One of the major drawbacks of this weapon is how difficult it is to obtain, requiring the solving of an optional puzzle in Fringefolk Hero’s Grave that needs two Stonesword Keys to access.


Serpent Bow

Elden Ring Serpent Bow

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Default Damage

75

Max Upgrade Damage

183

Default Scaling

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Str – E, Dex – D, Arc – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D, Arc – D

Weight

3.5

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

  • Can be found as a pickable item in the Abanadoned Cave in Caelid.


One of the coolest-looking weapons in the game, the serpent bow 2Serpent Bow is capable of imbuing arrows with poison. This added trait stacks on top of arrows that already have a poison status effect, so pairing the Serpent Bow with Serpent Arrows will rapidly inflict targets with poison. Despite scaling with Arcane, the stat doesn’t increase the bow’s direct damage, only affecting the amount of poison build-up. Apart from its poison capabilities, the Serpent Bow is also the most lightweight regular bow in Elden Ring, almost on par with the Light Bows category. Players can get Serpent Bow in Abandoned Cave located in Dragonbarrow, Caelid.

Igon’s Greatbow

igon's greatbow in elden ring
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Default Damage

120

Max Upgrade Damage

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294

Default Scaling

Str – D, Dex – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – C, Dex – E

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Weight

12.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

elden ring ash of war igons drake hunt 2Ash of War: Igon’s Drake Hunt

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elden ring igons greatbow 2Igon’s Greatbow is very similar to the Golem Greatbow, but with a few sideways upgrades that make it slightly better in certain situations and slightly worse in others. The main reason to pick Igon’s Greatbow over the Golem is its lower Dex requirement (16) and its ability to switch Ashes of War with elden ring ash of war igons drake hunt 2Ash of War: Igon’s Drake Hunt, ash of war rain of arrows 2Ash of War: Rain of Arrows, or ash of war through and through 2Ash of War: Through and Through. The flexibility makes Igon’s Greatbow usable in more situations, especially the Rain of Arrows AoW, which can be used to melt bosses with large bodies. For Strength-heavy builds that don’t want to waste even a couple of points on Dexterity or when hunting dragons, Igon’s Greatbow is a suitable replacement for the Golem Greatbow. However, in almost all other scenarios, the Golem Greatbow is better.


Black Bow

Elden Ring Blackbow

Default Damage

70

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Max Upgrade Damage

171

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

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Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

4.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war barrage 2Ash of War: Barrage

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  • Can be found on a corpse in Leyndell, Royal Capital.


A direct reference to FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series, the black bow 2Black Bow essentially has the damage output of a regular bow, with the fire rate of a light bow. This makes it a pretty remarkable option for anyone who plans on using their bow as their secondary form of attack. Though the Black Bow used to be a much weaker weapon, recent updates have made it one of Elden Ring‘s more consistent ranged options. Though, the Black Bow cannot be infused with Ashes of War, which does somewhat limit what players can do to customize the weapon. The Black Bow is a fairly rewarding weapon to use, but it does require the player to invest some time and resources, making it a weapon better used by those who are designing a specific Black Bow build.

Rabbath’s Cannon

rabbaths cannon in elden ring


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Default Damage

135 Phy, 135 Mag

Max Upgrade Damage

378 Phy, 378 Mag

Default Scaling

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Weight

15.0

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war kick 2Ash of War: Kick

  • Can be found in a chest inside the Rabbath’s Rise Tower which can be reached using the sealed spiritspring outside.

The natural evolution of the Jar Cannon from the base game, the elden ring rabbaths cannon 2Rabbath’s Cannon is an excellent variant that splits its damage between Physical and Magic, dealing 378/378 split damage at +10. Rabbath’s Cannon uses greatbolts as ammunition, with the Rabbath, Lightning, and Explosive Greatbolts being its most powerful options. Additionally, any greatbolt fired from Rabbath’s Cannon will have homing properties, allowing the shot to chase down locked-on targets effectively. The homing is incredibly accurate, similar to the Fire Serpent incantation; it very rarely misses.


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B-Tier

Red Branch Shortbow

Elden Ring Red Branch Shortbow

Default Damage

65

Max Upgrade Damage

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159

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

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Weight

2.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war barrage 2Ash of War: Barrage

  • Can be obtained by defeating the Pages (robe-wearing humanoid enemies) in Leyndell, Royal Capital, Tombsward Ruins, and Royal Moongazing Ground.


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Having the same damage stats as the Composite Bow, the red branch shortbow 2Red Branch Shortbow isn’t the hardest hitting weapon in the game, but its speed, classic design, and solid range compensate for this. The Red Branch is also slightly more helpful than its Composite counterpart as it has the Barrage weapon skill, which fires a volley of arrows at the enemy at once. Overall, it’s a fun and versatile weapon, lightweight and compact. However, obtaining it can be tricky, as it only has a small chance to drop from Pages and High Pages wielding crossbows.

Misbegotten Shortbow

Elden Ring Misbegotten Shortbow


Default Damage

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68

Max Upgrade Damage

166

Default Scaling

Str – D, Dex – E

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – E

Weight

3

Weapon Skill (AoW)

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ash of war barrage 2Ash of War: Barrage

  • Can be obtained as a drop for defeating Misbegotten enemies in Castle Morne.

The misbegotten shortbow 2Misbegotten Shortbow is pretty great at close range, making it a solid option for close-quarters PvP. It also boasts the highest damage output of a light bow. At longer distances, though, its effectiveness diminishes significantly. It’s particularly suited for builds that focus primarily on Strength, because aside from Greatbows, this is the only bow in Elden Ring that scales better with Strength than Dexterity. However, it is a fairly tricky weapon to get, requiring a lot of tedious farming of flying Misbegotten archers.


Longbow

Elden Ring Longbow

Default Damage

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80

Max Upgrade Damage

196

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

4.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

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ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

  • Can be purchased from the Twin Maiden Husks in Roundtable Hold for 1200 Runes or obtained as starting equipment for the Samurai Class.


It doesn’t offer the most damage, nor is it the fastest bow in Elden Ring, but its sheer accessibility puts the longbow 2Longbow comfortably in the B-Tier. The Longbow can be wielded by just about any build, and can be bought for practically no Runes from just about any vendor. Simple and effective, the Longbow is one of the most hard-hitting regular bows with average weight and minimal stat requirements. Think of it as a direct upgrade to the Shortbow. The Longbow is also incredibly easy to upgrade, giving it the potential to be a fairly powerful weapon in Elden Ring’s early game.

Greatbow

Elden Ring Greatbow


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Default Damage

125

Max Upgrade Damage

306

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Default Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

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10

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war through and through 2Ash of War: Through and Through

  • Can be found inside a chest in the Altus Plateau in the Highway Lookout Tower or as a drop for defeating Redmane Knight, Leyndell Knight, Mausoleum Knights, or Black Knights.

Though it doesn’t offer the same damage output as its siblings further up this list, the standard greatbow 2Greatbow is still one of the hardest-hitting weapons in the game, offering a base damage stat of 125. Its higher requirements do make it a tricky bow to recommend, though, as players will need to invest 20 points into both Strength and Dexterity to wield it. This weapon stands out from others of its kind due to its distinctive feature: the ability to swap out Ash of War. Unlike typical Greatbows in Elden Ring, this one allows players to exchange the default Through and Through skill for Rain of Arrows, enabling strategic approaches to handling groups of enemies.


Albinauric Bow

Elden Ring Albinauric Bow
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Default Damage

82

Max Upgrade Damage

200

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Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Weight

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4.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill


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The Albinauric Bow offers the highest damage output for a standard bow, delivering 82 base damage per shot, essentially serving as a direct upgrade to the default Longbow. Despite this clear advantage, however, this bow does require some farming of Albinauric Wolfback Archers (found around the Consecrated Snowfield) to obtain, and once the player has finally found one, they’ll likely be so far in the late game that it has little use anymore (especially without upgrades). Nonetheless, investing resources into the albinauric bow 2Albinauric Bow bow rewards players with reduced arrow consumption per enemy kill, making it a valuable asset.

Jar Cannon

Elden Ring Jar Cannon


Default Damage

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192

Max Upgrade Damage

672

Default Scaling

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Max Upgrade Scaling

Weight

15.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

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ash of war kick 2Ash of War: Kick

Though it technically isn’t defined as a bow, Elden Ring’s jar cannon 2Jar Cannon is one of the game’s most unique ranged weapons, and doesn’t really fit in any other tier list. The Jar Cannon is capable of delivering some serious critical and splash damage. However, players who wield the Jar Cannon need to be cautious when firing it, as the reload speed is criminally low, leaving the player wide-open to counterattacks. The Jar Cannon also doesn’t scale with any stats, making it a little redundant in Elden Ring‘s endgame.


Bone Bow

Ansbach's Longbow in elden ring

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Default Damage

66

Max Upgrade Damage

161

Default Scaling

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Str – E, Dex – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

3.0

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

Rancor Shot


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elden ring bone bow 2Bone Bow is a new Lightbow introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC with a unique Ash of War: Rancor Shot. Damage-wise, the Bone Bow is not better or worse than any of the other Lightbows, offering mediocre damage even at +10. The main reason to use the Bone Bow is the Rancor Shot, which imbues all arrows fired by the bow to gain homing properties, making missing shots a thing of the past. Combined with the fact that the skill can be spammed to fire shot after shot with very little delay, the Bone Bow shines against nimble mobs like bats and dragonflies. In PvP, Bone Bow was hit with the nerf hammer, reducing the amount of damage it deals to other players in order to balance its oppressive ability to almost always hit the target on command.

Hand Ballista

Elden Ring Hand Ballista


Default Damage

135

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Max Upgrade Damage

600

Default Scaling

Max Upgrade Scaling

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Weight

10.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war kick 2Ash of War: Kick

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  • Can be found in the Forest Lookout Tower in the elden ring missing icon 3 280Weeping Peninsula.

Another weapon that fits into its own class, the hand ballista 2Hand Ballista resembles a bow enough to be added to this tier list. It requires a fairly hefty Strength of 30, but the Hand Ballista does pack a mean punch if used in the right setting. Though it can be used for sniping, the Hand Ballista is most effective when the player is trying to break their opponent’s guard stance, as just one shot from the Hand Ballista can stagger even the heaviest foes, leaving them open to a quick thrust of a sword or swing of an axe. However, the big drawback of the Hand Ballista is that, much like the Jar Cannon, it doesn’t scale with any stats, which makes it difficult to use in the latter half of Elden Ring‘s story.


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C-Tier

Harp Bow

elden ring harp bow feature

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Default Damage

62

Max Upgrade Damage

151

Default Scaling

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Str – E, Dex – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Weight

2

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Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war barrage 2Ash of War: Barrage


Although it doesn’t require much to wield, the harp bow 2Harp Bow only offers 62 damage per hit. It also has some pretty terrible scaling, with both Strength and Dexterity in the E-class. Even when fully upgraded, the Harp Bow is only capable of producing 151 points of damage, which makes it one of the weakest bows in Elden Ring. However, this weapon boasts some unique characteristics that may pique the interest of certain players. Firstly, it holds the distinction of being the lightest bow in the game, coupled with a striking and memorable design. Secondly, with each arrow fired, the bow emits harp-like noises, adding a nice musical touch for those who want to roleplay as a bard. To get this bow, players must solve the Champion’s Song Painting puzzle located in The Shaded Castle.

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Composite Bow

Elden Ring Composite Bow


Default Damage

65

Max Upgrade Damage

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159

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

Max Upgrade Scaling

Str – E, Dex – D

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Weight

3.0

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war mighty shot 4Mighty Shot Skill

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There’s nothing really wrong with the composite bow 2Composite Bow, as it still has a fast fire rate and is capable of a decent amount of damage per hit. But there’s also not really anything about it that stands out. With moderate weight, average attribute scaling, and an ordinary design, this bow raises some questions about its viability within its category. The Composite Bow also requires 15 Strength and 15 Dexterity to use, which is higher than its other light bow counterparts, for little payoff. In essence, it’s another iteration of the default Shortbow, offering identical damage output.


Shortbow

Elden Ring Shortbow

Default Damage

65

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Max Upgrade Damage

159

Default Scaling

Str – E, Dex – E

Max Upgrade Scaling

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Str – D, Dex – D

Weight

2.5

Weapon Skill (AoW)

ash of war barrage 2Ash of War: Barrage

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The shortbow 2Shortbow is an excellent starter bow (default for the Bandit class), requiring very little to wield, but that’s also its problem. After beating the early stages of Elden Ring, the Shortbow loses its usefulness quickly. However, thanks to its exceptionally light weight, it can be wielded by a variety of builds without exceeding the Equip Load. If the Tarnished One is in need of a lightweight bow that’s easy to obtain and gets the job done — such as applying status buildup with arrows — this bow might just be the perfect fit. Additionally, it can be fired while galloping, a capability that Longbows lack.

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Released
February 25, 2022

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