Best Ranged Weapons In Dark Souls 3

Highlights

• Dark Souls 3
  offers various ranged attack options: spells, consumables, regular bows, greatbows, and crossbows.
• Bows are best for fast combat, greatbows for long-range, and crossbows for close-range rapid destruction.
• Knight’s Crossbow may lack scaling but offers lightning damage; Short Bow is fast but weak; Light Crossbow is underrated for low-level builds.

When it comes to ranged attacks in Dark Souls 3, players have quite a few options. They can utilize the vast arsenal of powerful spells, throwable consumables, or one of three classes of physical weapons. These three are the regular bows, the greatbows, and the crossbows. Each of the latter groups is widely considered to be the best for ranged offensives on builds that don’t intend to dish out sorceries, pyromancies, or miracles.

However, each has different usage strategies that dictate which situations they will be the most effective in. Bows are the best for fast, all-purpose combat, greatbows are ideal for long-range devastation, and crossbows are the most suited to be close-range implements of rapid destruction. The best of each of these classes all have a balance between power, speed, and range that sets them apart from their less effective brethren.

Updated on March 29, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Dark Souls 3 is one of the most beloved action RPGs of all time. After Miyazaki’s absence was palpable for many in the second game, the legendary game director came back to give Dark Souls a worthy send-off with a title that was full to the brim with callbacks to the series, epic boss encounters, and a story that was perfectly in line with the dark, depressing nature of the series. There are many ways players can approach combat in Dark Souls 3, with one particular class of weapons that are ignored for the most part coming in the form of ranged armaments like bows, greatbows, and crossbows. These weapons can be tricky to use, but players who spend the time required to master these ranged weapons can have a blast using them against the many tough enemies and boss encounters in Dark Souls 3.

17 Knight’s Crossbow

Skill: Tackle

It’s really hard to recommend weapons to players that don’t scale with their stats. Unless players are going out of their way to pursue a low-level build, these weapons are a hard sell. Most people would prefer to use ranged weapons that reward their skill investment, which is why the Knight’s Crossbow may be ignored by players who get put off by the lack of scaling.

However, players who decide to give this weapon a shot will be more than pleased by what it brings to the table. With innate lightning damage, it’s one of the best weapons to shoot out Lightning Bolts with to maximize the effectiveness of this weapon. It may not be the greatest ranged weapon in Dark Souls, but players who decide to give this crossbow a shot will be more than pleased by what it has to offer.

16 Short Bow

Skill: Rapid Fire

This bow makes most people rue the fact that these ranged weapons can’t be infused. The Short Bow was a blast to use in the past two games, and the weak nature of this weapon in Dark Souls 3 makes it clear once again that FromSoftware nerfed these weapons quite a bit in the final game of the trilogy. Still, this doesn’t mean that players can’t use the Short Bow to make quick work of most enemies and bosses as long as they know what they’re doing.

A golden rule with this bow is to roll and attack at regular intervals, keeping players mobile while unleashing some decent damage along the way. It may not be the most exciting way to play the game, but this technique ensures that even the strongest bosses will be walloped to kingdom come by the simple Short Bow.

15 Light Crossbow

Skill: Tackle

Another ranged weapon that doesn’t scale with any stat; most people would write off the Light Crossbow as nothing more than a weak ranged weapon that isn’t worth the time and effort. This would be a huge mistake since players pursuing a low-level build who want to use a light weapon will love what this crossbow has to offer.

Quick shots and low stamina usage help this crossbow stand out as one of the more underrated weapons in the game. Sure, an argument can be made that the other ranged weapons in the game are more useful with the right build, but the Light Crossbow can still take out most enemies with ease as long as players know how to make the most of it.

14 Longbow

Skill: Puncture

If players keep themselves stacked with a wealth of arrows, then the Longbow is potentially their best friend in any combat scenario. Even pesky shield wielders won’t be able to weather the player’s onslaught for too long with the useful Puncture skill breaking through enemy guards to deal damage directly.

It may not be the most remarkable or memorable bow in the game, but it gets the job done. Any Dark Souls player will attest to the fact that function beats style any day, which is why the Longbow is such a coveted bow for many Souls fans.

This bow can be found near the first bonfire of the High Wall of Lothric. Players need to traverse across the bridge to find this loot on a body near a bunch of hollow cultists.

13 Dragonrider Bow

Skill: Puncture

This Bow is a reference to the Dark Souls 2 boss who fans of the franchise are likely familiar with. In one of the later boss fights in that game, the Bearer of the Curse will have to fight two Dragonriders: one with a polearm and another with one of these devastating ranged armaments.

With 200 physical attack at the maximum upgrade level of +5, the Dragonrider Bow packs the most punch out of all the regular Bows. This power comes at a cost, however, as its Range stat is a middling 50 and is the heaviest normal Bow in the game. Furthermore, its scaling maxes out at D-tier for both Strength and Dexterity, making it only useful for Quality builds that can stand to be weighed down a bit.

This Bow can be found in the Smouldering Lake area near where the giant ballista can be found high up above the lake proper. The Dragonrider Bow is on a shriveled corpse near the ledge next to a couple of ladders leading up.

12 Sniper Crossbow

Skill: Tackle

Those who enjoy the range of a bow but want something that hits a little harder may want to consider the Sniper Crossbow. This crossbow has perhaps the best range of any other in the group, although it is pretty heavy to wield and has a slower attack animation than other ranged weapons. Still, those who enjoy getting up close and personal and want to dish out some decent damage should consider taking the hulking two-handed crossbow for a spin.

It’s visually appealing, with a sniper scope and a rather imposing-looking shape when players aim it to fire. It provides solid range and even allows for free aiming so players can whittle away headshots. Body shots are considerably faster when not aimed in, but headshots (although they take longer) will do considerably more damage to non-helmeted foes. The crossbow even crits and does some pretty solid damage when that happens. It also comes with a Tackle Weapon Art, which will allow players to shoulder-tackle enemies and send them reeling backward to create distance should they get too close.

Those who want to try the Sniper Crossbow will need to head to the top of the gatehouse in Lothric Castle. This area is just before the dragons, and the bow itself can be looted from a corpse nearby.

11 Arbalest

Skill: Tackle

The Arbalest is a hefty Crossbow that is the most powerful of its kind which lets loose a single, devastating bolt at a time. When fully upgraded to +10, it gets a huge 273 physical attack. It takes 18 Strength to even be wielded in one hand though, which makes it more ideal for Strength builds that need a solid option for short-ranged attacks.

With no scaling to speak of, however, its usability will pale in comparison to other Crossbows later in the game. Its weapon skill, Tackle, is a handy one that shoves enemies backward, giving the wielder some space to fire off a bolt.

The best place to find the Arbalest is the Cathedral of the Deep, which can be located near the rafters, somewhat close to Rosaria’s chamber. Additionally, there is a small chance that an Arbalest will drop when one kills the enemies upon the cathedral’s roof that use them against the Ashen One.

10 Heavy Crossbow

Skill: Tackle

Crossbows can be pretty tricky to use in Dark Souls 3. They’re slow to load and the damage may not seem all that worthwhile unless players have a wealth of crossbow bolts and stats invested in the right departments to maximize the damage dealt by this long-range weapon.

With the Heavy Crossbow, players don’t even need to worry about the points they’ve invested in the Ashen One’s stats. All they need is a bunch of bolts and a lot of luck to even get this weapon to drop in the first place.

Players must farm this weapon from the Cathedral Knight situated in the rafters above the Cathedral of the Deep. It’s a very rare drop, so players should be ready to spend a lot of time killing this one enemy over and over again.

9 Darkmoon Longbow

Skill: Darkmoon Arrow

Longbows are a bit slower than their Shortbow counterparts, though, accordingly, offer more range. The Darkmoon Longbow stands out as one of those capable of the most damage, as it possesses both a physical attack of 66 and a Magic attack stat of 80 when fully upgraded to +5.

With that being said, it requires 10 Intelligence to wield and eventually gets B-tier scaling when maxed out, meaning that it is more ideal for a sorcery build than one favoring Dexterity or Strength. It is ideal for such playstyles because its Range stat of 50 has a fair bit more reach than most sorceries, allowing magic users to defeat foes from even safer distances.

Players desiring this Longbow will need to defeat Aldrich, Devourer of Gods, and then transpose their soul, the Soul of Aldrich. The process will cost 5,000 souls, but the product is worth the price unless one has other plans for Aldrich’s dark soul.

8 Avelyn

Skill: Tackle

As opposed to most other Crossbows, like the Arbalest, the Avelyn fires multiple bolts at once for rapid-fire decimation of a foe’s health bar. Although each bolt does not deal much damage on its own, if the three that are loosed together all connect, it can do the most damage out of any Crossbow in the game save one.

It attains 128 physical attack at the maximum upgrade of +10, though this is the stat for each bolt of its three-shot volleys, meaning that the total physical attack of the triple-firing action can be considered to be a massive 384.

Located in the Grand Archives, players will have to do a bit of parkour to get this Crossbow. Proceed upward as if one were heading to the exposed roof area of this location, but before one gets to the opening that leads outside, players can spot an item on a bookshelf on their right, which is a Titanite Scale. Ascend the staircase on the left and drop down to where the Titanite Scale is found before jumping down onto the bookshelves below. Adjacent to these new bookshelves will be a railed platform with another item, which, this time will be the prized Avelyn.

7 Dragonslayer Greatbow

Skill: Puncturing Arrow

Named for its capability to fell mighty, ancient foes, the Dragonslayer Greatbow is accordingly powerful. Using it will require the player to invest heavily in Strength and Dexterity, as it needs 20 points in each stat to be wielded properly.

However, when one reaches this point, the Dragonslayer Greatarrows that it fires are the equivalent of throwing an entire spear at adversaries from a range of 50. It has a physical attack of 220, allowing it to deal massive damage that can also greatly stagger foes.

The place to find the Dragonslayer Greatbow is quite precarious, as the quest for one will take the player to the thin walkways of Irithyll of the Boreal Valley that can be found after Pontiff Sulyvahn’s boss room. This is the area with all the Silver Knights wielding Dragonslayer Greatbows will assail the player as they try to make their way through the region. One of their weapons can be found on a corpse in the area as well as possibly dropped by a defeated Silver Knight.

6 Composite Bow

Skill: Rapid Fire

Most of the weapons on this list excel at damaging enemies from long range but some players prefer to play the mid-range or get in close on their enemies to hit them with a barrage of melee attacks. For those who prefer to use melee and range interchangeably, the Composite Bow is a great ranged choice. What this bow lacks in range it more than makes up for in speed and efficiency. Players will be able to rattle off a barrage of arrows at close range, giving them a chance to strike at enemies that come close with a melee weapon of choice.

This weapon excels well in PvE but will struggle a bit in PvP as most players who understand what the Composite Bow is capable of will simply rush at the player in an attempt to strike them down quickly. Players who know how to dodge or have a suitable melee weapon can prepare for these types of rush attacks. The Composite Bow also comes with the Rapid Fire weapon art, letting players unload a series of arrows at close range.

To get this weapon, players will first have to locate Dreamchaser’s Ashes. After they have done so, they can then take them to the Shrine Handmaiden at the Firelink Shrine. The bow will then be available to purchase from the Maiden herself.

5 Black Bow Of Pharis

Skill: Puncture

This Longbow is a sniper’s dream, as it has a crazy Range stat of 63, giving it the most reach out of any physical weapon in the game. At +10, it does less than its kin with 134 physical attack, however, it gets a B-tier in Dexterity scaling for some nice boosts.

Additionally, like other regular Bows, it can be paired with the Hawk Ring and Feather Arrows to increase its range and damage even more. The Black Bow of Pharis can take out PvE foes from beyond their aggro range, making it the safest armament to dispatch foes at a distance.

Ironically, to get the Black Bow of Pharis, players will have to engage enemies in the last situation one would want to be in without a sufficiently powerful ranged weapon. Within the poisonous swamp of Farron Keep, the Ashen One will need to go up against a trio of Elder Ghru enemies that are lurking in a corner around a Poison Gem. One of these adversaries drops the bow; however, it is advised to aggro one at a time to take them out individually.

4 Onislayer Greatbow

Skill: Puncturing Arrow

Matching the Black Bow of Pharis’ incredible Range stat of 63 is the Onislayer Greatbow. This tool of ranged destruction can be considered the lovechild of the aforementioned Longbow and the Dragonslayer Greatbow.

At +5, it gets 194 physical attack and a B-tier scaling in Dexterity for tremendous damage. One useful aspect that makes it stand out from its Greatbow brethren is that it does not need a securing spike to be punched into the ground before it can be fired, meaning that its wielder has much greater mobility before and after firing. This also means no recoil, so repeatedly lining up shots is a fair bit easier.

From the bonfire located at the top of the ladder-filled tower just before one crosses the massive bridge into the Profaned Capital, players can find this Greatbow quickly. Simply head partly across the large yet dilapidated stone bridge overlooking the stairway leading to a large fire. On the right, one can drop down to a brick platform where there will be a corpse that can be looted for the Onislayer Greatbow.

3 Repeating Crossbow

Skill: Repeat Fire

Most famous for wrecking players unexpectedly from the hands of the mighty Slave Knight Gael, the Repeating Crossbow can be acquired from transposing this immensely powerful knight’s soul. Its greatest flaw is its very low durability of 20, which means players using it will need to carry a sufficient supply of Repair Powder.

With 228 physical attack at +5, the Repeating Crossbow can shred opponents at close range in the blink of an eye — even more so if one unleashes the insane Repeat Fire skill, where they can launch many bolts in faster succession than usual. Remarkably, this skill can still be used even with just a single bolt.

2 White Birch Bow

Skill: Unseen Arrow

With only 144 physical attack at +5, C-tier scaling with Dexterity, and a moderate range of 49, the White Birch Bow gets outclassed fairly easily in the stat department by other Longbows, though none can perform the stealth-related tactics that this Bow specializes in.

For Dark Souls 3 PvP, this is the ideal tool for hunting down a Host of Embers as an invader. Its unique weapon skill, Unseen Arrow, allows the wielder to simultaneously shoot out an arrow while becoming almost completely invisible. When combined with the Obscuring Ring, this lets one go from a simple invader to a deadly camouflaged hunter.

In the swampy area close to the Ringed City Streets bonfire in The Ringed City, there is a hill guarded by a few Monk enemies. In their midst is a corpse that possesses the White Birch Bow, though the Ashen One will likely have to take out the Monks before being able to loot the item in peace.

1 Millwood Greatbow

Skill: Pierce Earth

Wielding the Millwood Greatbow is the Dark Souls 3 equivalent to owning a bazooka. Firstly, it must be mentioned that this behemoth of a bow gains a tremendous A-tier scaling in Strength at the max upgrade level of +5, which allows its incredible 242 physical attack to unleash untold obliteration with its regular shots.

However, it is this Greatbow’s weapon skill that makes it stand out as a truly overpowered weapon. With its Pierce Earth skill, it can cause a literal explosion at the point where its Greatarrows impact, meaning that it has all the power of a Greatbow as well as an AOE radius around every launched spear-like projectile that is almost impossible for enemies to deal with.

This one is found in the Ashes of Ariandel DLC beyond the area with the first Great Wolf enemy that jumps down from a ledge above a narrow cliff pass. Through this pass will be some ruins and Millwood Knight enemies. Hug the left wall and make one’s way up to a slightly wooded area. Keep to the left until one comes across a Millwood Knight with a Greatbow accompanied by some small wolves. They are guarding a corpse housing the Millwood Greatbow, so either take them out or do a suicide run to collect the best bow in Dark Souls 3.