Bows have been in fashion since the days of Middle Earth, and many heroes still carry them. However, bows aren’t as useful in Elden Ring as you may think. If you have played games like God of War and Skyrim, you might consider using a bow as your main weapon in this game. The problem is that Elden Ring and all other FromSoftware.inc games are focused on melee attacks and somewhat magic.
Still, there are scenarios in which the bow seems like the most efficient weapon to deal with the enemy. That being said, there are numerous bows for you to find in the Lands Between. However, all of them come with their pros and cons. So, it is up to you to decide which bow suits you the best depending on your playing style. This article provides a list of the top 10 best bows in Elden Ring that you should consider for your build.
Table of Contents
Top 10 Best Bows in Elden Ring:
As mentioned earlier, a bow isn’t going to be your main weapon in Elden Ring. So, think again if you started the game with an Elven character in your mind. However, sometimes you will need a bow or any powerful ranged weapon to quickly deal with the situation. For example, the best way to down a Walking Mausoleum is to target the skulls with a bow. So, it would be best to keep at least one bow in your inventory all the time. The problem is, which one should you choose from the huge array of bows in the game? Here are the top 10 bows in Elden Ring that, in my opinion, will serve every character build:
1. Black Bow
Requirements:
- Strength 9
- Dexterity 20
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Barrage
The Black Bow is undoubtedly one of the best bows in Elden Ring. It is a multipurpose bow that has the potential to serve you throughout your gameplay. For instance, it is a short bow that damages your enemy like a longbow. Moreover, being a short bow also means that it is lighter, faster and can kill your foes in many ways. Firstly, you can try the jump attack with this bow, a trick shot in which the player fires an arrow while in the air and then quickly shoots another upon landing. So, even if the first shot didn’t kill the enemy, the second one will definitely get the job done.
Moreover, being a short bow also means that you can try the Barrage Weapon Art with it. The Barrage is a special skill in which the player holds the bow horizontally and shoots several arrows at a point in the blink of an eye. However, it is one of those bows that you can’t infuse with an Ash of War. So, if you don’t really plan on using some magic, I suggest that you should consider the Black Bow for your weapon arsenal.
How to get it?
Acquiring the Black Bow is rather easy if you know where to look for it. You can simply visit the location and pick up the bow without fighting a tough Elden Ring boss. To get this bow, start in Lyndell, the Royal Capital, and head to the Avenue Balcony Site of Grace. Head northwest till you find a set of stairs in your way. Finally, make your way to the rooftop to find the Black Bow on a corpse.
2. Composite Bow
Requirements:
- Strength 15
- Dexterity 15
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
The Composite Bow may not be the most powerful bow in Elden Ring. However, its Weapon Art and the ability to shoot arrows quickly made it everyone’s favorite. It seems like an ordinary bow, but its versatility makes it the people’s choice. Firstly, though it only causes 65 physical damage with each hit, the higher fire rate covers up for the part. Secondly, being a non-Legendary bow, you can infuse it with any Ash of War that you choose. Last but not least, the biggest reason why everyone carries it is that you can acquire the bow early on in the game.
The default Weapon Art of the Composite Bow is the real deal. It is the only light bow that comes with the Mighty Shot skill. For those who don’t know, you can only use the Mighty Shot on longbows. So, if you want a bow that comes to you early in the game and stays till the Elden Beast, well, look no further.
How to get it?
The only way to get a Composite Bow is to spend your hard-earned Runes. Once you unlock Liurnia of the Lakes, head directly to the Bellum Church. Explore the area for a while to find the Nomadic Merchant. If you can’t find him for some reason, rest at the nearest Site of Grace to refresh the area. You can then purchase the Composite Bow from the Nomadic Merchant near Bellum Church for 3,500 Runes.
3. Erdtree Bow:
Requirements:
- Strength 8
- Dexterity 12
- Faith 14
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity E
- Faith D
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
Erdtree is a big name in the world of the Lands Between. So, any weapon that shares this name must bring something special to your inventory. That being said, the Erdtree Bow is perhaps the finest bow for any Faith-based character build. Many players keep it in their inventories only to face magical enemies. The main reason is that this bow divides its damage output into physical damage and Holy damage. So, it can easily be the most powerful or a useless bow, depending on your enemy. Still, if you use the bow on enemies weak against Holy damage, it can easily compete against a Katana.
The Erdtree Bow belongs to the family of Legendary bows in Elden Ring. So, you can’t infuse it with your Ash of War. However, the bow comes with the Mighty Shot Weapon Skill, as it is a long bow. The shots you fire will be slow, but the damage will quickly down your opponents. When you activate the Weapon Art, the Tarnished will pull the bow’s string to its limit before releasing the arrow. This charged attack is powerful enough to penetrate through any armor and shield. So, if you are looking for the best bow for a Faith build, I suggest that you check this one out.
How to get it?
You can only acquire the Erdtree Bow from a hidden chest. However, reaching the chest requires some parkour on your end. So, make sure you practice your platforming in Assassin’s Creed. Anyways, start in Lyndell, the Royal Capital, and make your way to the Erdtree Sanctuary Site of Grace. From here, use the eastern exit to leave the room and use the stairs to reach the second floor. Next, exit through the only door, turn left, and jump on the nearest roof. Finally, enter back into the building using the broken window to find a chest on your right. Search the chest to claim the Erdtree Bow for your arsenal.
4. Horn Bow
Requirements:
- Strength 10
- Dexterity 14
- Intelligence 12
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
- Intelligence E
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
For some players, the Horn Bow is the improved version of the Erdtree Bow. The biggest reason is that it has almost identical scaling and stat requirements and deals roughly the same overall damage. However, this bow is usually prescribed for all Intelligence and magic builds. Like Erdtree Bow, the Horn Bow divides its damage output into physical and magic damage. So, the weapon can be unstoppable or useless, depending on your enemies. However, it is one of the fastest longbows in the entire game. So, you can carry it around to inflict the damage of a longbow combined with the speed of a light bow.
Fortunately, the Horn Bow is different than the Erdtree Bow in terms of special abilities. It is a non-Legendary longbow, so; you can customize it with the Ash of War of your choice. If you don’t want to use any customization, you can still benefit from the Mighty Shot Weapon Art. In short, if you don’t like something about the Erdtree Bow, the Horn Bow covers all its flaws.
How to get it?
Again, you don’t need to defeat a mighty enemy or a tough boss in Elden Ring to acquire the Horn Bow. However, you must progress the main storyline till you unlock the underground levels of the Lands Between. To claim this bow for your inventory, start at the Siofra River Bank Site of Grace and head toward the Hallowhorn Grounds. You will find a set of stairs just before the Hallowhorn area. Go beneath the stairs to find the Horn Bow on a corpse.
5. Albinauric Bow
Requirements:
- Strength 7
- Dexterity 18
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
The Albinauric Bow is the signature weapon of the Albinauric wolfback archers. It isn’t really the most powerful bow in the game, but its long-ranged attacks brought it to the list of the best. It is a common longbow that can easily best any longbow on the list. However, it is usually avoided by the players due to its slower speed. But the fact that you can easily find it without having to jump on rooftops makes it an easy choice. Moreover, it doesn’t have high minimum stat requirements, making it universally suitable for any character build. Lastly, you can upgrade the bow to Standard +25 to unleash the true potential of this long-ranged sniper.
The Albinauric Bow is a common bow, so you can infuse it with any Ash of War. Moreover, the Mighty Shot works even better with this bow, as you can use the skill to target the farthest enemy in the field. So, if you are looking for a bow that you can easily use with any build, I suggest that you should give it a chance.
How to get it?
The Albinauric Bow is the signature weapon of the Albinauric wolfback archers. So, you can drop it from various archers on the Mountaintop of the Giants. Once you unlock the Grand Lift of Dectus, head straight to the Consecrated Snowfield. Either explore the area to find a few archers yourself or head Southwest from Liturgical Town sight of Grace to find four Albinauric wolfback archers. You can acquire the bow by defeating any one of them.
6. Lion Greatbow:
Requirements:
- Strength 22
- Dexterity 18
Scaling:
- Strength D
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Radahn’s Rain
When speaking of Bows in Elden Ring, the Greatbows are the real deal. This type of bow does more damage than a longbow and fires arrows at a faster rate. However, the bows are often disregarded from many lists due to their high minimum stat requirements. The Lion Greatbow is the signature weapon of the fierce General Radahn. It is a beautiful bow decorated with a lion mane motif. However, its damage output is rather low, considering how difficult it is to get it. Still, the overall physical damage inflicted with this bow is greater than any longbow on the list.
The Legendary Lion Bow comes with a unique Weapon Art, i.e., Radahn’s Rain. It is a deadly skill in which the Tarnished shoots an arrow to the sky, and numerous arrows will rain down on your enemies from the sky. However, the skill takes too long to complete, leaving you vulnerable to nearby enemy attacks. Moreover, the bow has a longer range than all its counterparts. So, if you only want to use the bow for ranged combat, I suggest that you must get it before it’s too late.
How to get it?
The only way to get your hands on General Radahn’s Bow is by defeating him. You will receive the Remembrance of the Starscourge once you defeat the Starscourge General Radahn in Redmane Castle, Caelid. Take the Remembrance to Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold to trade it either for the Starscourge Greatsword or the Lion Greatbow.
7. Golem Greatbow:
Requirements:
- Strength 24
- Dexterity 18
Scaling:
- Strength D
- Dexterity E
Weapon Art:
- Through and Through
Golems in Elden Ring are a bit different from the ones you saw in Harry Potter. They are powerful creatures who existed long before humans arrived. The Golem Greatbow is said to have been crafted from Black Stone by a civilization long gone. The bow’s weight alone is evident enough to tell that it wasn’t designed for ordinary humans. But you aren’t any ordinary human, are you? You are the future Elden Lord (possibly), so you will have no problems using this mythical weapon. The Golem Greatbow is a heavy weapon often prescribed for pure Strength builds. It has one of the greatest base damages with an unmatched range.
However, it is a Legendary bow, so infusing it with the Ash of War of your choice is out of the question. The good news is that it comes with a unique Weapon Art, i.e., the Through and Through. As the name suggests, this skill shoots a Mighty Greatarrow that goes through armor and even through the enemy. In short, if you are looking for the perfect bow for your Strength build, I suggest that you should at least try it once.
How to get it?
The Golem Greatbow is usually dropped from any Golem archer. However, you must not confuse the Golem halberds with archers as they don’t drop the bow. You can easily find Golems at various locations. The earliest one is on the Limgrave Tower Bridge in Stormhill. You can access the location by traveling from inside the castle. Moreover, you will also encounter two more Golems guarding the bridge. Similarly, you can also get it by initiating combat with the Golem guarding the Grand Lift of Dectus. Once you defeat a Golem Archer, search its corpse to acquire the Golem Greatbow.
8. Pulley Bow:
Requirements:
- Strength 11
- Dexterity 11
Scaling:
- Strength D
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
The Pulley Bow is exactly what it sounds like. It is a longbow with a complex design that utilizes pulleys to ease off the tension on the arm and increases the overall range of your arrows. It was said to be designed by a genius who mastered Golden Order Fundamentalism. Regardless to say, it is one of the best non-Legendary longbows in Elden Ring. The biggest reason is that it offers a 55 range, higher than any Crossbow or Greatbow in your mind. Moreover, its base 77 physical damage is somewhat comparable to any powerful longbow.
Similarly, you can customize the bow with any Ash of War of your choice. By default, it comes with the Mighty Shot Weapon Art, but with an increased range. So, you can pick off your targets from a distance without alerting anyone else. In short, if you would like to play the sniper in Elden Ring, you won’t find a better bow than this.
How to get it?
The Pulley Bow seems like a good deal from its stats. So, who will you need to defeat to get it? Fortunately, no one! You can easily claim the Pulley Bow from a corpse sitting in a tower. Start at Gelmir Hero’s Grave Site of Grace and head north till you reach the Mt. Gelmir campsite. Look around a bit to find a large siege tower near you. Enter the tower and make your way to the top floor to find the corpse that has your Pulley Bow (maybe the genius himself?)
9. Red Branch Shortbow:
Requirements:
- Strength 8
- Dexterity 16
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
Weapon Art:
- Barrage
The Red Branch Shortbow is the brother of another mother of the Composite Bow. Both bows have almost identical requirements, scaling, range, and even base damage. However, it doesn’t come with the Mighty Shot Weapon Art like the Composite Bow. So, this bow seems like the obvious choice for the player looking for an ordinary Shortbow for some lightning-fast arrow attacks. Moreover, the bow is easily acquired from multiple locations, making it the obvious choice. Lastly, the bow goes well with any build and character class due to the lower requirements and proportional scaling.
Secondly, the bow comes with the generic Shortbow Weapon Art, i.e., Barrage. Most players prefer this skill over Mighty Shot as you have a higher chance of hitting your enemy in the right place with so many arrows. So, if you are a fan of some ranged attacks during your fights, I suggest that you choose the Red Branch Shortbow over the Composite Bow.
How to get it?
The Red Branch Shortbows are crafted from polished red wood and are the signature weapon of Pages in Elden Ring. So, you can easily get your hands on this Shortbow if you find any Page standing in your way. The most common place to hunt for Pages is the Royal Moongazing Ground, east of the Site of Grace. Similarly, you can also find a couple of Pages in the underground areas of the Tombsward Ruins.
10. Serpent Bow
Requirements:
- Strength 8
- Dexterity 15
- Arcane 11
Scaling:
- Strength E
- Dexterity D
- Arcane D
Weapon Art:
- Mighty Shot
Numerous Assassin’s Guilds in the Lands Between have carried the Serpent banner in the Lands Between. They are hideous, like a snake; they move without detection and strike with the speed of light. So, the Serpent Bow is the signature weapon of the Formless Serpents (Assassins). It is perhaps the most beautiful longbow in Elden Ring. It resembles two serpents wrapped around each other to form the bow. Moreover, this weapon not only looks like a snake but also attacks like one. The bow adds +15 poison damage to all arrows shot with it. Moreover, the poison damage multiplies if you fire a poisonous arrow.
Being a longbow, the Serpent Bow comes with the default Mighty Shot Weapon Art. However, you can’t infuse it with an Ash of War, so you are stuck with the default. Still, the Mighty Shot’s power, combined with the bow’s range and the poison buildup of pagan magic, make it the deadliest weapon in Elden Ring. So, if you are looking for the perfect bow for your journey in the Lands Between, you should not miss out on the Serpent Bow.
How to get it?
The Formless Serpents are nowhere to be found in the Lands Between. So, the only way to get their bow is to search the places where they might have dropped it. One known location of the Serpent Bow is the pool of rot in Abandoned Cave. You can reach the Abandoned Cave by approaching from the west and crossing the canyon in Dragonbarrow, Caelid.
FAQs
How to get the Lion Greatbow in Elden Ring?
The Lion Greatbow is a Legendary weapon wielded by the Red Wolf, General Radahn of the Redmane Castle. The only way to acquire this Greatbow is by defeating Radahn and trading the Remembrance of the Starscourge with Enia at the Roundtable Hold.
What is the best bow for Strength builds in Elden Ring?
In my opinion, the Golem Greatbow is the perfect ranged weapon for all pure Strength builds. It is a heavy bow with the highest base physical damage and perfect scaling. However, if you are looking for something more stylish, you can always go for the Serpent Bow.
What is the best bow in Elden Ring, and how do you get it?
The Serpent Bow is undoubtedly one of the best bows in Elden Ring. It is a stylish bow that resembles two serpents wrapped around each other. The bow adds +15 poison damage to all arrows shot with it. Moreover, you can inflict even more damage by shooting a serpent arrow. You can easily acquire the Serpent bow from the pool of rot in Abandoned Cave in Dragonbarrow, Caelid.
Conclusion
Bows aren’t the best weapons in Elden Ring, but they can come in handy in various situations. So, carrying at least one bow in your inventory would be best. However, the huge variety of bows in the game can easily confuse all players. So, what is the best bow in Elden Ring? This article provides a list of the top 10 bows in the game and where to find them.
