Elden Ring features several types of weapons and each type has dozens of weapons to find. If you are looking to attack from range, Bows are your best bet at engaging enemies from afar and kiting them all over the map.
Similar to other weapon types in Elden Ring, Bows have different subtypes, so you need to be exactly sure what type of Bow you want to equip on your main character.
How bows work in Elden Ring
Bows serve as the best ranged weapons in Elden Ring. They are deadly against most mini-bosses as you get to stay safe at a distance. Since they have no Guard, you need to make sure to always be out of your enemy’s attack range.
Bows also give you an impressive power spike in the mid-game, something only a few other weapons do by default.
Something else to know is that Bows can only be used in the Two Hands stance. If you try to use a Bow while wielding it in a Single Hand, you will automatically switch to Two Hands to fire an arrow.
Speaking of arrows, you can switch between arrows and bolts to get various advantages depending on the enemy type in the game.
Best Bows to use in Elden Ring
#10 Shortbow
Scaling in both Dexterity and Strength, the shortbow isn’t anything special but it gets the job done. It is best wielded primarily by melee builds who want to have a ranged option.
The one thing that makes the Shortbow one of the best bows to have in Elden Ring, is its Barrage skill. Using this default skill, you can fire fast shots to deal the most damage to the target.
#9 Pulley Crossbow
The Pulley Crossbow is one of the most useful bows in the game because it can shoot three bolts with one shot. This leaves practically no chance for the opponent to dodge the attack. It is regarded as one of the best bows in Elden Ring for beginners. However, its mechanics are a bit weird, and you may have some trouble aiming properly. But these can be easily rectified by some practice.
Additionally, you can use its Kick Skill to kick your opponent backward to break their guard and leave them open for your counterattack.
#8 Serpent Bow
A Bow that scales primarily with Dexterity. With its Poison Status Effect, it can deal tremendous damage to the opponent, solidifying its status as a must-have Bow in Elden Ring. Using its Might Shot skill, you are allowed to charge your bow and perform a clean shot at your opponent which penetrates through their guards.
Its ability to poison its enemies is what makes it one of the best bows to have in Elden Ring. Although the poison is not as deadly, it can still drain the enemies’ health over time.
#7 Albinauric Bow
A Bow that primarily scales with Strength and Dexterity. The Albinauric Bow is an upgrade for the Longbow and is arguably one of the best Bows to have due to being an aggressive weapon with tons of physical damage.
It is one of the best overall bows in Elden Ring since it not only overpowers the standard Longbow but also possesses the Mighty Shot skill to penetrate through the guards of each enemy that comes in your way.
#6 Full Moon Crossbow
This Bow does not require any primary attributes to scale with. Using its Kick skill, you can kick your enemy to push them back and break their guard in the process, making it one of the best Bows to acquire for a quick combo.
Additionally, what makes this bow one of the best bows to wield in Elden Ring is that it increases magic bolts and helps you save your FP till it is needed the most.
#5 Red Branch Shortbow
A Light Bow that scales primarily with Strength and Dexterity. The Red Branch Shortbow is known to cause chaos with its Default Weapon Skill Barrage. This skill makes the Red Branch Shortbow one of the best bows to acquire in Elden Ring.
You can use it to fire a barrage of arrows atop the enemy at a rapid speed while dealing status ailment during the process. It allows weapons to fire faster than any standard attack, which ranks it at this spot on the list.
#4 Hand Ballista
A Ballista that does not require any attributes to scale with. Using its Default Weapon Skill Kick, you can simply kick your enemy, pushing them back while breaking their guard.
It is regarded as one of the best bows due to its rapid reloading skill in between battles that save you time. Ballistae usually have slower reload speeds, but the Hand Ballista reloads faster than others. Plus, it is far more stable in firing than any weapon thus far in Elden Eing.
#3 Golem Greatbow
A Greatbow capable of scaling primarily with Dexterity and Strength. It is arguably one of the best weapons to have for a ranged battle. With its Default Weapon Skill Through and Through, you can fire the Greatbow that penetrates through the target on contact to deal the most damage.
What makes this Bow one of the best is that it can be fired midair. Although it is slower than the standard bow, its sheer power and damage potential more than make up for that drawback.
#2 Black Bow
The Black Bow primarily scales with Dexterity and Strength. With its Default Weapon Skill Barrage, you can perform rapid shots to deal the most damage to the target.
This Bow is one of the best bows in Elden Ring with its longbow level range and shortbow firing speeds. Therefore, despite being a Longbow, you can fire arrows as fast as shortbows.
#1 Lion Greatbow
If there is one Bow that out scales every other ranged weapon in Elden Ring, it is the Lion Greatbow.
Although its skill Radahn’s Rain takes a bit longer to execute, it is still capable of killing any mid-level enemy with a single shot.
Using this skill, you can shoot several arrows above that pour down onto your target causing tremendous amounts of damage, and can even kill high-level bosses if connected properly.
Plus, using it melts the enemy with its AoW using Radahn’s spear as ammo, ranking it at the number one spot on the list of the best Bows in Elden Ring.
