With the recent condition of long-range weapons in Apex Legends, the Longbow seems lacking in major departments. After using it and comparing it to weapons like Triple Take and Sentinel, players took to the r/apexlegends subreddit to share their thoughts. They made it clear that they were not happy with the Longbow in the current meta and that it was a “dead” weapon.
User u/Beginning_Calendar56 stated that the Longbow was so bad that even Marksman Rifles like the G7 Scout and 30-30 Repeater were better options than the high-damaging DMR in Apex Legends:
"Id say even marksman like scout and 30-30 feel way better than longbow."
Another user, u/lettuce_field_theory, commented that even though the Longbow in Apex Legends was intended to be buffed, the Skullpiercer attachment's removal was a big mistake. This is what nerfed the gun heavily instead and made it worse than a charged Sentinel. They went on to explain their theory in detail.
The Longbow seems to lack essential qualities that define a good Sniper in a battle royale like Apex Legends. This was perfectly explained by user u/Feisty-Clue3482, who said the gun was pointless.
They further stated that it had too harsh a bullet drop, a slow fire rate, and a weird recoil that made it extremely difficult to rely upon. Feisty-Clue3482 commented:
"Yeah it’s pointless… annoying but pointless. Hits too weak to be a good sniper and has too harsh of a drop, and isn’t a good dmr since it shoots so slow. I try to use it but it feels awful both for its heavy drop and weird cycle with the kick it has. I’d say it could use some love but respawn rarely balances a weapon unless it’s to nerf it to the ground so idk… I think pros complained about it once so doubt it’ll ever be good again."
The Longbow is supposed to be a high-damage weapon. However, with recent nerfs and the removal of the Skullpiercer attachment, it lacks in the damage department as well. User u/Traveller-Entity-16 said the lack of damage per shot made the weapon worse:
"The lack of damage per shot kills it off and makes the other snipers or marksman weapons better. I don’t know any of my friends that would take a longbow over a triple take, and if you want a proper sniper, take the sentinel, it’s so much better."
Finally, a user called u/TrippySubie said that the Longbow was never good. They commented that the gun was “dead” after a month of the game’s release.
Why isn't the Longbow viable in the current Apex Legends meta?
The Longbow received significant changes with Season 21 in Apex Legends. Most importantly, the removal of the Skullpiercer and Barrel Stabilizer attachments nerfed the gun heavily. It now has low potential damage output, a slow fire rate, and a recoil that makes it extremely difficult to use.
Players find guns like Triple Take and Sentinel more reliable and valuable in most situations. Even 1v1 fights against the Longbow become easier because of its low damage output.
Also read: Best Secondary weapons in Apex Legends (Season 22)
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