Elden Ring - Bows

For a dedicated archer the bow is the main hand of choice, with range 50, 99-arrow quivers and the only ranged scaling that actually pays back an investment in Dexterity.

Combat

Pros

• Every bow reaches range 50 except the Pulley Bow at 55, against 29 for light bows and 42 for crossbows, which makes this the class that snipes enemies before they notice anything.
• Dexterity scaling is real. The Albinauric Bow ends at E Strength and D Dexterity with 200 physical at +25, so Dexterity levels convert into attack rating instead of just unlocking the weapon.
• The Black Bow and Ansbach's Longbow carry the light-bow moveset, so they fire out of a roll without giving up the higher damage curve.
• Bows stay cheap on equip load at 3.5 (Serpent Bow) to 5.0 (Pulley Bow), with Strength requirements of only 7 to 11, which two-handing cuts to an effective 5 to 8.

Cons

• Bows cannot be greased, spell-buffed or given a new affinity, so the only multipliers are upgrade level, Dexterity, the arrow and talismans, with no Blood or Cold affinity to fall back on.
• Stamina damage of 60 at maximum is nowhere near stance-break territory, while greatbows reach 150, so this class will not be posture-breaking bosses.
• The good bows have hard Dexterity gates, with Black Bow at 20, Albinauric Bow at 18 and Ansbach's Longbow at 43, the steepest requirement of any bow.
• Bows offer no guard protection at all, and outside the Black Bow and Ansbach's Longbow they cannot fire out of a roll, so a bow committed at close range is a free hit for the enemy.

Builds

Dexterity is the primary stat.

• Strength requirements are trivial at 7 to 11 printed, effectively two-thirds of that since bows are two-hand only, so almost the whole budget goes into Dexterity, with practical gates at 18 for the Albinauric Bow or 20 for the Black Bow.
• Side stats are optional: 14 Faith for the Erdtree Bow, 12 Intelligence for the Horn Bow and 11 Arcane for the Serpent Bow, whose Arcane raises status buildup rather than damage.
• Ansbach's Longbow at 43 Dexterity is a build decision on its own, not a side purchase.

Best Weapons

Weapon	Image	Attack	Weight	Str	Dex	Int	Fai	Arc	Why Take It
Albinauric Bow		82	4.5	7	18	-	-	-	Albinauric Bow has the highest physical attack among bows at 82 at +0, on very modest requirements, and it upgrades with ordinary Smithing Stones, so it can be pushed all the way to 200 physical at +25 with real Dexterity scaling. The catch is timing, since it drops rarely and arrives late in a first run.
Longbow		80	4	9	14	-	-	-	Longbow is the accessible strong bow, with 80 physical at +0 at 4.0 weight and low requirements. The Samurai starts with it, it can be bought early and longbow Skeletons drop it, so a character has close to the best bow attack in the class from the first hour and only needs to keep upgrading it.
Serpent Bow		75	3.5	8	15	-	-	11	Serpent Bow is the lightest bow in its class at 3.5 and the only one with status of its own, adding poison buildup to every arrow. Its D Arcane scaling raises poison, bleed and sleep buildup rather than damage, which makes it the long-range poison option for an Arcane build that wants to soften targets from afar.
Ansbach's Longbow		74	4.5	9	43	-	-	-	Ansbach's Longbow is the only other bow with the light bow moveset, so it fires out of rolls and jumps while keeping a full bow's range, and it carries the unique Fan Shot skill. Its Dexterity requirement is the highest of any bow, which makes it a full build commitment rather than a side weapon.
Black Bow		70	4	9	20	-	-	-	Black Bow puts light bow mobility on a bow's damage. It fires out of jumps, rolls and sprints, and it is the only bow that carries Barrage, so status arrows go out fast while the archer keeps dodging. It upgrades with Somber stones, and its one quirk is that it slows Torrent while firing from the saddle.

Notes

• Bows only fire while two-handed. Pressing attack with a bow held in one hand simply two-hands it, which is why Strength requirements count at two-thirds.
• Most bows accept Mighty Shot, Enchanted Shot, Sky Shot and Rain of Arrows. Barrage is light-bow only, so the Black Bow's fixed Barrage cannot be put on another bow.
• The Black Bow and Ansbach's Longbow have fixed skills and cannot take a different Ash of War.
• Two arrow slots are available, with the light attack firing the left-hand slot and the heavy attack the right-hand slot, so a damage arrow and a status arrow can be carried at the same time.
• All bow damage is Pierce, which the weapon description does not state, and it matters against enemies with Pierce resistance.

All Bows

Name	Image	Physical	Magic	Fire	Light	Holy	Crit. Boost	Range	Weight	Str.	Dex.	Int.	Fai.	Arc.	Sell Price	Skill
Albinauric Bow		82 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	50	4.5	E 7	D 18	0	0	0	100	Mighty Shot
Black Bow		70 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	50	4	E 9	D 20	0	0	0	200	Barrage
Erdtree Bow		40 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	50 -	100 -	50	4	E 8	E 12	0	D 14	0	200	Mighty Shot
Horn Bow		65 -	30 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	50	4.5	E 10	D 14	E 12	0	0	100	Mighty Shot
Longbow		80 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	50	4	E 9	D 14	0	0	0	100	Mighty Shot
Pulley Bow		77 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	100	Mighty Shot
Serpent Bow		75 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	0 -	100 -	50	3.5	E 8	D 15	0	0	D 11	200	Mighty Shot