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 May 9, 2024, by Vlad Mazanko: Much like the rest of FromSoftware’s catalog, Elden Ring‘s weapon meta is in constant flux. While most of the game’s weapons remain just as powerful as they did on launch day, a few have been nerfed. Naturally, this means that tier lists from a few months ago aren’t accurate anymore. Elden Ring‘s bows have received some of the most significant changes since the game’s launch, with some dropping a few rungs on the ladder, while others have risen to take their place. With that in mind, this article has been updated with more details about each weapon based on the game’s latest updates.
S-Tier
Lion Greatbow
Still widely considered to be the best ranged weapon in Elden Ring, the Lion 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
The Pulley 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
While it does have some hefty requirements, needing 24 Strength and 18 Dexterity to wield, the Golem 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.
Horn Bow
Though it looks unassuming, the Horn 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
The standard bow version, the Erdtree 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
Another excellent Greatbow, the Erdtree Greatbow offers a solid base physical damage output, as well as dishing out some holy damage. It doesn’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
One of the coolest-looking weapons in the game, the Serpent 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.
Black Bow
A direct reference to FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series, the Black 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.
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B-Tier
*Red Branch Shortbow
Having the same damage stats as the Composite Bow, the Red 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
The Misbegotten 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
It doesn’t offer the most damage, nor is it the fastest bow in Elden Ring, but its sheer accessibility puts the Longbow 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
Though it doesn’t offer the same damage output as its siblings further up this list, the standard Greatbow 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
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 this bow rewards players with reduced arrow consumption per enemy kill, making it a valuable asset.
Jar Cannon
Though it technically isn’t defined as a bow, Elden Ring’s Jar 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.
Hand Ballista
Another weapon that fits into its own class, the Hand 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.
Elden Ring: Most Overpowered Weapon Of Each Category, Ranked
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C-Tier
Harp Bow
Although it doesn’t require much to wield, the Harp 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.
Composite Bow
There’s nothing really wrong with the Composite 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
The Shortbow 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.
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
