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While the entries in FromSoftware’sSoulsseries 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 ofElden Ring’s bows require quite a bit of commitment on the player’s part,needing some upgradesbefore 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 inElden Ring.
Updated on Jun 23, 2025, by Gerardo Molina:Like other games developed by FromSoftware, Elden Ring is known for offering players a vast range of options regarding the armor they can wear, the melee weapons they can wield, and, of course, the ranged weapons that they can take advantage of to bring their enemies down in heartbeat. Unfortunately, many of the bows in the game look great, but aren’t that effective at dealing a lot of damage or allowing players to have a fast rate of fire. However, others are weapons of mass destruction that can even make the game feel too easy, which is something that some players might want to avoid if they’re looking for a challenge.
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Weapon Skill (AoW)
Radahn’s Rain Skill
Still widely considered to be the best ranged weapon inElden Ring, theLion Greatbowcan be obtained usingRadahn’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.
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5.0
Mighty Shot Skill
ThePulley Bowpacks 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 manyElden Ringfans. The Pulley Bow’s only drawback is its weight, which is the highest of any regular bow in the game.
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4.0
Kick
While theFull Moon Crossbowis not exactly a bow, but rather a crossbow as its name suggests, it’s an absolute weapon of mass destruction. To wield it properly, players will need to have at least 10 Strength, 10 Dexterity, and 14 Intelligence. This crossbow is excellent for long-range combat, as it can fire projectiles imbued with magic.
As with other bows and long-range weapons, one of the disadvantages that the Full Moon Crossbow has is that it requires disposable Bolts to fire, and crafting or finding them can sometimes be a bit of a chore. That said, other than the damage this weapon can deal, another great thing about it is that it look amazing, as it has a very distinctive design that is pleasing to the eyes.
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14.5
Through and Through Skill
While it does have some hefty requirements, needing 24 Strength and 18 Dexterity to wield, theGolem Greatbowoffers a whopping 130 damage, one of the best of any bow. Additionally, the Golem Greatbow also comes packaged with theThrough 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.
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4.5
Fan Shot
Ansbach’s Longbow’s strength lies in its uniqueAsh of War: Fan Shotthat 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.
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 toinflict status effects like Sleep, as the effect stacks per arrow.
Though it looks unassuming, theHorn Bowis one of themost powerful ranged weapons inElden Ring. Offering both a decent amount of physical damage and magic damage, the Horn Bow is capable of taking down the majority ofElden 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 inElden 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 toventure to Siofra Riverto 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.
The standard bow version, theErdtree 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 inElden Ring’sboss fights, especially againstDeath 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.
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Another excellent Greatbow, theErdtree Greatbowoffers a solid base physical damage output, as well as dishing out some holy damage. TheErdtree Greatbowdoesn’t hit quite as hard as the Lion or Golem Greatbows, but it’s still one of the better ranged weapons inElden 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 inFringefolk Hero’s Gravethat needs two Stonesword Keys to access.
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6.0
Like the Full Moon Crossbow, theArbalestis not exactly a bow, but rather a crossbow. This powerful weapon does not scale with any primary attribute, but it does require 18 Strength and 12 Dexterity to wield, which is not unreasonable, especially after a few hours into the game.
The Arbalest can be upgraded by using Smithing Stones. However, it cannot be infused with Ashes of War or buffed with Magic or consumables. When fully upgraded, this weapon can deal a considerable 308 of Physical damage, which can quickly bring enemies down.
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3.5
One of the coolest-looking weapons in the game, theSerpent Bowis capable of imbuing arrows with poison. This added trait stacks on top of arrows that already have a poison status effect, so pairing theSerpent Bow with Serpent Arrowswill 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 inElden Ring, almost on par with the Light Bows category. Players can get Serpent Bow in Abandoned Cave located in Dragonbarrow, Caelid.
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Ash of War: Igon’s Drake Hunt
Igon’s Greatbowis 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 withAsh of War: Igon’s Drake Hunt,Ash of War: Rain of Arrows, orAsh 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 Greatbowis a suitable replacement for the Golem Greatbow. However, in almost all other scenarios, the Golem Greatbow is better.
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Ash of War: Barrage
A direct reference to FromSoftware’sDark Soulsseries, theBlack Bowessentially 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 ofElden 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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15.0
Ash of War: Kick
The natural evolution of the Jar Cannon from the base game, theRabbath’s Cannonis 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 theFire Serpent incantation; it very rarely misses.
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2.5
Having the same damage stats as the Composite Bow, theRed Branch Shortbowisn’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 theBarrage 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.
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TheMisbegotten Shortbowis 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 inElden Ringthat 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.
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It doesn’t offer the most damage, nor is it the fastest bow inElden Ring, but its sheer accessibility puts theLongbowcomfortably 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 inElden Ring’searly game.
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Ash of War: Through and Through
Though it doesn’t offer the same damage output as its siblings further up this list, the standardGreatbowis 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 inElden 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.
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TheAlbinauric Bowoffers 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 theAlbinauric Bowbow rewards players with reduced arrow consumption per enemy kill, making it a valuable asset.
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Though it technically isn’t defined as a bow,Elden Ring’sJar Cannonis 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 inElden Ring’s endgame.
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3.0
Rancor Shot
Bone Bowis 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.
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Another weapon that fits into its own class, theHand Ballistaresembles 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 ofElden Ring’s story.
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Although it doesn’t require much to wield, theHarp Bowonly 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 ofthe weakest bows inElden 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.
There’s nothing really wrong with theComposite 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.
TheShortbowis 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 ofElden 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.
