If you are using a bow or crossbow for a ranged build, you are probably wondering whether to use arrows or bolts in Elden Ring. Both of them are ammunition types with pros and cons.
As there are many types of bows and crossbows, there are also different kinds of arrows and bolts in Elden Ring. Some are regular ammunition while others have either elemental damage or apply status effects to enemies such as blood loss or scarlet rot.
What arrows and bolts do in Elden Ring
It is important to understand that arrows and bolts are nearly the same types of ammunition in Elden Ring. Both of them deal piercing damage to enemies just like spears. They just differ in terms of attack speed and damage.
| Arrows | Bolts |
|---|---|
| Arrows can be used with bows and great bows | Bolts can be used with crossbows and ballistae. |
| They deal less physical damage and more elemental damage than Bolts. | They deal more Physical and Less Elemental Damage than Arrows |
| You can only fire one arrow at a time | You can fire multiple bolts at a time. |
Best arrows to use in Elden Ring
There are many arrows you will find in Elden Ring. As discussed before some have standard physical damage while some deal status effects and elemental damages. The best arrows are as follows.
5) Dwelling Arrow
The Dwelling Arrow deals magic damage of 95 to enemies when used. These arrows are ideal against enemies weak to magic such as Lesser Demi-Human Chiefs and most of the wildlife creatures in Elden Ring. The Dwelling Arrow also deals 15 physical damage to enemies.
These arrows cannot be crafted and can be found as a drop item when you defeat Ancestral Followers.
You can also buy 30 Dwelling Arrows for 160 runes from either the Nomadic Merchant in Siofra River or the Imprisoned Merchant in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum. You can also find them on a corpse in the Siofra River.
4) Fire Arrow
The Fire Arrow deals physical along with fire damage to your enemies. These arrow dish out 95 Fire damage and 15 physical (Piercing) damage.
The Fire Arrows are effective against a wide range of smaller enemies such as Fingercreepers, Giant Miranda Sprouts, Lesser Ulcerated Tree Spirit, Miranda Sprout, and other wildlife creatures.
It is also effective against many bosses such as Beastman of Farum Azula, Cleanrot Knight, Erdtree Avatar, Miranda the Blighted Bloom, Putrid Avatar, and Ulcerated Tree Spirit.
The Fire Arrows cannot be crafted but they can be found as a starting equipment of the Samurai Class. You can also find the arrows in the world in multiple locations and also buy them from the Nomadic Merchant for 120 runes. He is located east of Astray.
3) Ligthtningbone Arrow (Fletched)
The Ligthtningbone Arrow (Fletched) deals Lightning damage along with physical (pierce) damage to enemies. This arrow deals 10 physical and 90 lightning elemental damage to enemies.
The Lightningbone Arrow is quite effective in battle as many enemies are vulnerable against it. The Lightningbone arrow cannot be bought from any vendor, but you craft them. You will need the Ancient Dragon Apostle’s Cookbook which can be found in the Wyndham Catacombs.
When you have found the cookbook you can craft 10 Lightningbone Arrows using 3 Thin Beast Bones, 1 Fulgurbloom, and 1 Flight Pinion. If you don’t have the Flight Pinion, you will make the unfletched version of the Lightningbone Arrows which have a lesser range.
The Fulgurbloom can be found north of the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace. There is an abundant supply of these Fulgurbloom and you can get even more by first collecting them then going back to the site of grace, resting, and then visiting the place again to find them respawned.
2) Golden Greatarrow
The Golden Greatarrow deals a lot of holy damage as well as physical (pierce) damage. these great arrows have the highest attack power of any arrow discussed so far. The Golden Greatarrow deals 40 physical and 110 Holy damage to enemies.
The Golden Greatarrow can also provide buffs to allies when this arrow lands near them. This buff includes an 11.5% increase in damage and a 7.5% increase in Damage Negation. These buffs last 45 seconds and do not stack.
The Golden Great Arrow can be very effective against some enemies and bosses who are weak against Holy Damage. The Golden Great Arrows can be bought from the Hermit Merchant for 500 Runes. They can also be found in a chest in Sage’s Cave.
1) Radahn’s Spear
Radahn’s Spear is a Greatarrow that deals pure physical damage. Using this arrow, you can do 100 Physical Damage. The Radahn’s Spear flies faster than any Greatarrow and is useful against fast-moving enemies. It also gets a 20% increase in the damage dealt to enemies when you have the Lion’s Greatbow equipped. It also deals 20% more damage to Gravity-type enemies.
The Radahn’s Spear cannot be crafted. You will have to either find them in the Wailing Dunes or Purchase them from Enia at the Roundtable Hold for 800 Runes after you have killed Starcourge Radahn.
Best bolts to use In Elden Ring
Like arrows, there are many bolts you can use but some stand out as being the best bolts in Elden Ring.
5) Burred Bolt
The Burred Bolt allows players to deal physical damage with a passive ability to inflict blood loss buildup which drains the HP of your enemies. The physical damage dealt is only 30 but the bleed stacks up and deals massive damage when proc’d.
The Burred Bolt is an excellent choice if you have a bleed build or you have summoned a Spirit ash that deals bleed damage.
The Burred Bolt cannot be crafted and you will have to purchase them from the Imprisoned Merchant in the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum. They will cost 200 runes each. You can also find some in Norkon Eternal City.
4) Bone Ballista Bolt
The Bone Ballista Bolt does heavy piercing damage to enemies. This is a greatbolt and can only be used by ballistae. This bolt deals 150 physical damage.
The Bone Ballista Bolt can be made from Hefty Beast Bones. Hefty Beast bones can be either found in different places of the world. You can also find the Hefty Beast Bones as a drop item from Lesser Runebears, Bears, skeletal Slimes, Boars, Giant Crows, and Dogs.
You can also purchase the Hefty Beast bones from the Twin Maiden Husks after you have acquired the Bone Peddler’s Bell Bearing. With each Hefty Beast bone, you can craft 5 Bone Ballista Bolts.
The downside of the Bone Ballista Bolt is that the bolt drops quickly in-flight, meaning that they are unable to hit targets at longer ranges.
3) Ballista Bolt
The Ballista Bolt is the same as the Bone Ballista Bolt but this bolt deals 10 damage more than the bone version. It deals physical piercing damage of 160 to the enemies.
The Ballista Bolt can be shot using Ballistas only. You cannot craft these bolts you will have to buy them from merchants. You can buy 5 bolts from Patches at Murkwater Cave for 300. Another 5 can be bought from Twin Maiden Husks for 300 runes after giving them the Patches’ Bell Bearing.
Another 15 can be bought from the Isolated Merchant. Another 8 can be bought from the Nomadic Merchant for 300 runes
Other than this you can buy as many as you want from the Nomadic Merchant in Mt. Gelmir and the Hermit Merchant at Hermit Merchant’s Shack, both for 300 runes.
They are quite pricey but they have a better range than the Bone Ballista Bolt.
2) Explosive Greatbolt
The Explosive Greatbolt is another greatbolt that can only be shot using ballistae. The Explosive Greatbolts provide physical piercing as well as heavy fire damage to enemies. The Explosive Greatbolt deals 50 physical damage and 150 fire damage.
The Explosive Greatbolt cannot be crafted. It can only be bought from Nomadic Merchant at Mt. Gelmir for 800 runes per bolt. The Explosive Bolts can also be looted from a corpse in the middle of a battlefield in Mt. Glemir.
The Explosive Greatbolt is a must-have against bosses who are weak against fire. With its enormous fire damage, you can do significant damage against many enemies.
1) Lightning Greatbolt
The Lightning Greatbolt is a greatbolt that deals physical as well as lightning damage to enemies when used on them. Similar to the Explosive bolt, this bolt deals lightning damage in place of fire damage. The Lightning Greatbolt deals 50 physical damage and 150 lightning damage.
You can either purchase Lightning Greatbolts or just loot them in Elden Ring. You can find the 1 Greatbolt at the Altus Plateau near the giant crashed vehicle. Another 7 can be found in a Sarcophagi Room in Crumbling Farum Azula. Another 5 are located on a corpse hanging off a balcony in Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree.
6 can be found under the cascade at Deeproot Depths. You will find another bolt here at Deeproot Depths on a corpse. Other than that you can buy off of Nomadic Merchant located above the Snow Valley Ruins site of Grace. They will cost you 500 each.
