Best Early-Game Weapons For Rangers in Enshrouded

April 16, 2024

Highlights

Starting as a Ranger in Enshrouded is tough, as early-game content often requires melee combat in cramped spaces.
A Torch is vital for Rangers as a backup melee weapon and light source for caves; it’s easy to craft with wood and string.
The basic Bow for Rangers is weak and needs upgrading; look for better bows like the Forest Longbow for ranged combat.

Enshrouded, released in early 2024, is an action roleplaying game that incorporates survival, crafting, and base-building aspects as well. It released to mostly positive reviews, and has been praised for the level of detail given to developing a large open-world map for players to explore.

Players looking to become tanky melee-specialized characters in Enshrouded should give the following most powerful axes a try.

Playing as a Ranger in Enshrouded isn’t one of the easier early-game builds, especially for solo players. The Ranger archetype in Enshrouded only comes into its own once the player has geared up a little, and has been able to loot a good bow. In general, this will be in the latter part of the early game.

7 Torch

New Rangers Need A Melee Weapon

Stats:

For solo players, starting as a Ranger is going to be more challenging than other builds, such as a tank, because a lot of the early game content takes place inside caves and other enclosed structures. This means that finding the space to use a bow properly is going to be difficult.

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Rangers will need a backup melee weapon to deal with early-game situations that force them into melee combat. The Torch is a good choice here, as it does enough damage to kill early-game enemies and doubles up as a light source for caves and tombs.

6 Shield

Stats:

Block: 2
Parry: 10
Durability: 80

Crafting requirements:

The basic Shield is craftable without the help of a crafting NPC. As already mentioned, players focusing on ranger skills will be forced into melee combat in the early stages of Enshrouded, so using a shield when this happens gives access to the block/stun company mechanic.

The crafting requirements are really easy to fulfill, as wood logs can be chopped from trees, and string is crafted from plant fiber, which is collected from shrubs and bushes. Some players might want to take a small selection of synergistic tank skills to improve the benefits of carrying a shield as a backup.

5 Bow

Basic Player-Crafted Bow

Stats:

Power: 8
Draw speed: 1.0 seconds
Durability: 100

Crafting requirements:

The basic player craftable Bow is going to be the first real Ranger weapon that players can get their hands on. It is pretty dire as bows go, but it can be crafted straight out of the player’s backpack without needing to unlock one of the crafting NPCs.

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Combined with wooden arrows, the basic bow will be good enough for farming materials in the low-level POI that are close to the starting area. However, it needs to be replaced as soon as possible. The bow isn’t a particularly potent weapon, however, as players will find that it won’t kill enemies from a distance before they can reach them within melee range.

4 Forest Longbow

Easy To Loot Early Game Bow

Stats:

Power: 10
Stamina cost: 15
Draw speed: 1.0 seconds
Arrow speed: 7%
Durability: 250

The Forest Longbow is likely to be one of the first bows that Enshrouded players loot. It can be found in chests, with silver and gold chests giving a better chance of looting an epic or legendary version. However, in the new player area of Enshrouded, it will likely be the uncommon version the player loots.

This bow offers a decent upgrade over the basic bow and, if used effectively, can drop enemies at range before they can close into melee combat range. However, taking on groups of enemies will not be easy, so players are advised to carry a backup melee weapon.

3 Hunter’s Bow

Early Game Chest Loot Bow

Stats:

Power: 10
Stamina cost: 15
Draw speed: 1.0 seconds
Arrow speed: 20%
Durability: 250

The Hunter’s Bow is very similar to the Forest Longbow, the only difference being that the arrows fired from this bow travel faster. Once again, this is a commonly looted bow from chests found in POI close to the starting area of Enshrouded.

This bow does a little better at dropping enemies at range, due to the fact it can get more arrows on target than the Forest Longbow in the same amount of time. However, taking on groups of enemies with this bow will still mean that the player needs a backup melee weapon.

2 Wildwood Shortbow

Easy To Get Mid-Game Bow

Stats:

Power: 25
Draw speed: 0.6 seconds
Arrow speed: 7%
Durability: 250

For novice players concentrating on Ranger skills, the Wildwood Shortbow presents a notable early-game advancement from the typical uncommon bows they might already possess. It provides a respectable boost in power and should be relatively straightforward to acquire.

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The Wildwood Shortbow can be looted from chests located in mid-game regions of the Enshrouded map. To obtain a legendary variant like the one depicted above, players will need to acquire it from golden chests, using the reload/respawn farming method. However, even the uncommon version of this bow is better than any other bows mentioned so far in this list.

1 Composite Bow

Best Early To Mid-Game Ranger Weapon

Stats:

Power: 25
Draw speed: 0.6 seconds
Arrows speed: 20%
Durability: 280

The Composite Bow stands out as a top choice for rangers seeking to upgrade from their lower-level weapons, primarily due to its accessibility among legendary bows. It also serves as an excellent secondary ranged option for players specializing in warrior or tank builds.

Players will be directed to the Kindlewastes as part of the Alchemist NPC quest. Golden chests within this zone offer a chance to obtain the Composite Bow, though acquiring a legendary version may require some patience with farming. Investing in runes to enhance this weapon is highly advisable.