Fromsoftware always had that penchant for crafting ruthlessly difficult worlds, and Elden Ring is no stranger to that. To conquer the Lands Between, players will need to use a plethora of weapons to their advantage. Elden Ring’s Bows are one such weapon type, and for players who prefer peppering enemies from range, they provide a deadly advantage.
In this list, we’ll explore the best Bows in Elden Ring, guiding you through the finest ranged options. To add a little, there are different types of bows (standard bows, short bows, and great bows). As each category offers a few options, this list will be a mix of all three. With that said, let’s dive right in and get started with the best Bows in Elden Ring!
Lion Greatbow
The Lion Greatbow scales primarily with Strength, Dexterity, and is a fantastic Elden Ring Bow for ranged combat. The weapon enhances the gravitational power of Radahn’s Spears – a type of great arrow – and has an added unique skill, Radahn’s Rain.
The weapon skill allows the user to fire a flurry of arrows and let it rain onto foes within range. You can find it by trading the Remembrance of the Starscourge, one of the best Remembrances in the game with Enia at Roundtable Hold. The ironic part is that Radahn himself is weak to this attack, so, you can use it against him in NG+.
Black Bow
The Black Bow scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity. This is a versatile standard bow that works similar to a short bow. It can be found on a corpse on a rooftop, in the area to the northeast of the Avenue Balcony site of grace, in the Leyndell, Royal Capital. Its skill, Barrage, is a special Archery skill using a bow held horizontally.
While it is one of the best bows in Elden Ring, you can only get it in Lyendell before the city turns into ash. Since you get it so late into the game, you will have to use the bow in your NG+ playthrough. Also, if you miss your chance of getting this bow, you will have to wait for your next playthrough because there is no other way of getting it.
Golem Greatbow
The Golem Greatbow scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity and is good for ranged combat. It has a scaling of D in STR and E in DEX. You also need 24 STR and 18 DEX to properly equip it.
You can find it by defeating any of the Golem archers found across the map of the Lands Between. The major downside of this bow is that it is heavier than others. So, you will have to keep your equipment load in mind before using this weapon.
However, if you meet the requirements for this bow, you can shred everything in your way. Plus, it also goes through multiple enemies in certain cases.
Pulley Bow
Before we talk about the stats of the Pulley Bow, I’d like to take a moment to appreciate its design. The bow looks amazing and is one of the best-ranged weapons that you can use in Elden Ring. The best part is that the attributes required aren’t high, which means that anyone can use it easily.
Plus, this bow has a great range which allows you to stand at a safe distance while you destroy all your enemies. Keep in mind that the damage isn’t ideal, but it isn’t bad either. On top of that, you can upgrade this weapon easily and get it to its full potential faster than most weapons on this list.
Albinauric Bow
When it comes to bows – excluding greatbows – this is one of the strongest weapons in the game. It packs a lot of punch and is a massive improvement over other bows. While the scaling isn’t that far off from the longbow, you will require fewer arrows to defeat an enemy.
This might not sound like a big deal, but you will come to appreciate it when you are in a sticky situation. Getting this weapon can be a bit tricky, though. You will have to defeat Albinauric Archers and Albinauric Wolf Archers in the Consecrated Snowfield area. The drop rate is low, so, you’ll have to fight a lot of archers to get this.
Erdtree Greatbow
The Erdtree Greatbow scales primarily with Faith and is a good weapon for ranged combat. The best part is that it deals 20% bonus damage with Golden Great Arrow which is a great thing to have on a weapon like this.
Plus, you can use its skill – Through and Through – to pierce through the armor of most enemies. If someone with high armor is bothering you, make sure that you take care of them using this bow. Unfortunately, you cannot infuse other Ashes of War on this which takes a few points off.
Longbow
When compared to other bows, the Longbow is a simple weapon that doesn’t rely on any special skills or effects. During the earlier stages of the game, you should try to get this weapon since it is a great upgrade over the short bow. Plus, the stat requirement isn’t high, so you can start using it quickly.
While its scaling isn’t the best, this bow hits hard and has a good range as well. If you start Elden Ring as a Samurai, you will already have this bow in your inventory which is a great thing.
Serpent Bow
If you are looking for a bow that scales with Arcane, the Serpent Bow is your friend. On top of that, it also scales with Dexterity and Strength, so, you can use it if you are going for a hybrid build. As the name suggests, you can inflict poison damage on enemies with this weapon.
Also, keep in mind that the Arcane stat only helps you build up more poison rather than increasing your damage. You can use any type of arrow to apply poison to your enemies but if you use the Serpent Arrows, you will get the best result.
The reason why it is so low on the list despite having a good effect is that you cannot infuse it with other Ashes of War. The only skill it has is Mighty Shot which is decent but applying other skills would have made this bow better.
Horn Bow
The Horn Bow scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity and is a good weapon for hunter warriors and dealing with additional Magic Damage. After a recent patch, INT scaling was also added to the Bow. It can be found on a corpse in Siofra River under the stairs leading to Hallowhorn Grounds.
Composite Bow
The Composite Bow takes the cake when dealing damage over range among its Light Bow siblings. Even the raw damage of the Misbegotten Shortbow fails to keep up with this bad boy, making it the better ranged option. While it requires 15 Str and 15 Dex, the bow scales well with Dexterity.
The default weapon skill is Mighty Shot, which is a respectable Ash of War. After fully drawing the bowstring, players can fire off a piercing arrow shot, effectively amplifying damage and status effects – if using elemental arrows like Bloodbone Arrows. The Composite Bow also makes great use of the skill thanks to its quick draw speed.
For only 3500, you can buy the this Light Bow from a Nomadic Merchant in Liurnia below Bellum Church in Lirunia of the Lakes
Misbegotten Shortbow
We were hesitant to put this bow on the list instead of the Shortbow. However, the Misbegotten Shortbow has slightly more damage and better scaling than the former. However, it is also heavier and has a lower reach which can be a disappointment considering you want to attack from a distance when using bows.
If you cannot get your hands on the other bows mentioned on this list, then the Misbegotten Shortbow is better than other alternatives available in the game. You can get it relatively early in the game, but you will have to work for it.
Harp Bow
There’s a wild variety of builds in Elden Ring, some of which sounds pretty silly like the bard. While they make use of incredible Faith weapons like the Envoy’s Horn and the Envoy’s Long Horn, they also get to pick a secondary ranged alternative in the Harp Bow. You will need to solve the Champion’s Song Painting in the Shaded Castle in order to obtain the Bow.
While it perfectly complements the build, the Harp Bow leaves players desiring a bit more, especially in a mid to late game weapon that is upgraded using Sombre Smithing Stones. It deals a base 62 damage – the worst of it’s pack – and the scaling (Str E, Dex E) is pretty terrible.
But, hey! The Bow is true to its name, and you do get some goofy tones every time you shoot an arrow, which is nice.
Conclusion
And there you have it; those are the 10 best bows in Elden Ring. If you are planning to use bows in your next playthrough, make sure that you pick up one of the weapons mentioned on this list and try them out. All of them are great choices, but some are clearly better than others.
Which bow do you like most in Elden Ring? Do you prefer using other weapons instead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
