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With its expansive terrain and countless enemies, Skyrim often requires players to be tactical about dealing with threats. Every step could be their last, and strength isn’t always the only resort. Sometimes players must be sneaky and avoid getting detected, taking down enemies from afar. In these circumstances, a ranged weapon coupled with a stealth build is the best choice one could make.
Among the various ranged weapons available in the game, bows are one of the strongest, if not the strongest, that Skyrim players can use. Some of these bows are situational and good for certain enemy types, while others are effective over a broader spectrum of threats.
Players must be educated about their choice of weapons regardless of their play style, and that is no different when one decides to try their hand at archery on the battlefield. This article will list Skyrim's best bows.
Here are the 5 best bows in Skyrim:
5) Ebony Bow
Even though it isn’t among the strongest bows in Skyrim, it is definitely a good performer in seasoned hands. If players cannot get their hands on a more powerful bow, the Ebony Bow proves to be handy. The Ebony Bow has two variants:
- Unenchanted Ebony Bow: This usually becomes available to players after they reach level 36
- Enchanted Ebony Bow: This becomes available after one more level.
The Ebony Bow can be found in random locations as loot in chests, or players can buy them from blacksmiths and merchants. It can also be found in fixed locations. Players can buy them from the Dragonborn Falas Selvayn at the first level.
The Ebony Bow has a base damage of 17, higher than the Glass Bow. However, in situations where a faster fire rate is desired, the Glass Bow will perform better as it has a DPS of 10, slightly better than that of the Ebony Bow, which has 9.5.
4) Stalhrim Bow
The Stalhrim Bow is probably the best-looking one in all of Skyrim, and with a decent damage output of 17, it can be said that it is the best bow choice for any archer. Stalhrim can be found as random chest loots, or players can buy it from Baldor Iron-shaper and Glover Mallory. Smithing will be difficult, as players must be at level 80 to craft the bow.
This bow also allows players to use various enchantments to enhance their performance in battle.
3) Daedric Bow
Bows that have their tips facing away from the archer due to their curved design are known as recurve bows, and the Daedric Bow in Skyrim has a similar design. This bow has a very gnarly design and would be fit for use by an underlord from hell. Like all the previous entries, the Daedric Bow also has two variants:
- Unenchanted Daedric Bow: Becomes available to players when they reach level 46.
- Enchanted Daedric Bow: Becomes available after another level.
It can be found as random loot in chests and also as random loot by killing Revered dragons.
If players are good at archery, the Daedric Bow can be detrimental against any threat, as this bow has a base damage of 19. Players also have the option to use ingots to upgrade the bow to enhance its performance even further.
2) Dragonbone Bow
The Dragonbone Bow, like any other Dragonbone item in the game, has the highest damage output (20) in its class. Players must have the Dawnguard DLC to be able to possess this bow. Along with the highest damage output, this bow also weighs the most out of all the bows in Skyrim.
Players can get their hands on this bow when they kill the Keeper in Soul Cairn. By doing that, they will get both Dragonbone Arrows and the Dragonbone Bow. All of this can be done once the player reaches level 45.
1) Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow
Even though the name reads crossbow, this is technically the best bow in Skyrim and can be found by players with the Dawnguard DLC. It is similar to its standard form, the Dwarven Crossbow; however, the Enchanted version is better than the standard form as it is oblivious to 50% of the enemy shields. It is heavier than the normal version and has a higher base damage output of 22.
Being a specialty of Dawnguard, the crossbows are very effective in combat, especially against vampires. Also, depending on the player’s choice of bolts, the performance of this crossbow can increase manifold.
Irrespective of whether a player likes speed, power, or aesthetics, Skyrim has a bow to suit everyone’s taste. These are the 5 best bows aspiring archers in Skyrim can choose from to up their hunting game.
Check out our other Skyrim articles:
- Best Game of Thrones mods for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- 5 reasons you should play Skyrim
- 5 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mods which require SkyUI
- Which version of Skyrim is the best for modding?
- How to join the Dark Brotherhood in The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
FAQs on Skyrim's best bows
What is the strongest bow in Skyrim?
As mentioned above, the Dragonbone Bow has the highest damage output in the game and is generally regarded as Skyrim's strongest bow option.
What is the most powerful bow in Skyrim?
The Bow of Shadows is the most powerful bow in Skyrim, and it is all thanks to its special effect which makes the wielder invisible for 30 seconds while also increasing the drawing speed of the wielder.
What is the fastest shooting bow in Skyrim?
Zephyr is considered to be the fastest shooting bow due to its high drawing speed in the game.
