If you want to inflict damage to your enemies from afar in Elden Ring, you can use bows and crossbows to get the job done. This can be particularly useful for drawing out enemies or dealing damage before they reach you.
But aiming with a bow or crossbow is not that easy.
How to aim with bows and crossbows in Elden Ring
To aim with a bow or crossbow in Elden Ring on PS5, press L1 with your bow or crossbow equipped and ready to fire. It’s the same button you’d use with a shield to parry.
This action brings up the crosshair for precise aiming. Once you have your target lined up, press the RB button to fire your shot.
To aim with a bow or crossbow in Elden Ring on PC, have the bow equipped with both hands and then use the right-click mouse button to aim freely.
Different bows and crossbows have different stat requirements, primarily Dexterity and Strength. You need to meet these requirements to use them effectively.
Bows and crossbows can be upgraded at blacksmiths using materials found throughout the game. Upgrading improves their damage output.
They’re suitable for a more cautious or strategic playstyle, allowing you to engage enemies from a safe distance.
Learn more about bows in Elden Ring
Bows allow you to attack enemies from afar but they grant you no guard protection. This means that you can’t use them in close combat situations.
There are seven types of bows that you can use in Elden Ring:
- Albinauric Bow
- Black Bow
- Erdtree Bow
- Horn Bow
- Longbow
- Pulley Bow
- Serpent Bow
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Bows can equip specific Ashes of War, offering unique and powerful abilities like Rain of Arrows or Enchanted Shot.
Rain of Arrows is a great Ash of War for any bow. It hits hard and quickly causes status effects.
Generally, bows (except shortbows) have better range and damage than crossbows, useful for archery-focused builds.
Learn more about crossbows in Elden Ring
Crossbows can definitely deal more damage than regular bows. On the other hand, aiming with a crossbow is more difficult and you need bolts to use them. Crafting bolts for crossbows requires fewer materials than arrows for bows.
Crossbows are also slower to reload and have less range than regular bows.
They can be used by any character, regardless of skill investment, making them ideal for builds focused on other abilities like faith or intelligence.
You can use crossbows while keeping your shield up.
There are seven types of crossbows that you can use in the game:
- Arbalest
- Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow
- Full Moon Crossbow
- Heavy Crossbow
- Light Crossbow
- Pulley Crossbow
- Soldier’s Crossbow
You cannot infuse crossbows with Ashes of War. They can’t be greased, enhanced with spells, or modified with different affinities.
Speaking of weapons in Elden Ring, if you’re focusing on a Strength-based build, you can use Colossal Swords to send enemies flying.
What do you think about the capabilities of bows and crossbows in Elden Ring? Like them, hate them? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Updated in November 2023 to include new info and more details.