Are bow beter than crossbows

[NunoTheDude(Youtube)]

so i have a berserker build, i like bows, throw knifes and my big ass axe, but somehow crossbows seem weaker in my early game, are bows just better

[An Irate Walrus]

Bows tend to have greater range--and impact over that range.

As in life, crossbows are better equated with shotguns if you're looking for a modern analogy; kill you super dead over a relatively limited range, but not great for distance work.

Short bows are closer to carbines, and long bows are more like long rifles.

All that said, because this is a Souls game, the real-world analogies are less significant than stat scaling and the weapons themselves; pick whichever scales best with your build and what you actually want to do with the weapon. Don't worry about "best," because that judgment is entirely situational and build-based here (I wouldn't use a longbow in a short range fight; a crossbow--especially one that fires several times--is much better for that work).

[PoorMichaelScott]

Borderline personality disorder is a diagnosable medical condition, and this user is trivializing it in a misogynist way

[Sc0rpiTr0n]

Originally posted by PoorMichaelScott:

Borderline personality disorder is a diagnosable medical condition, and this user is trivializing it in a misogynist way

Welcome to the internet, Sir.
I think we have bigger problems than user names on game forum.

And to stay on topic I will say I don't like bows in this game.
Only greatbows and crossbows.

[Artek [General]]

Yes, bows are generally better. They tend to have better scaling capabilities (so higher damage with right stats), better average range and most importantly - better fire rate, especially the light variants like the Composite Bow.
In this game they are also vastly superior for being allowed to use a variety of powerful Ashes of War.

Crossbows, while losing in pretty much every utility function a bow might have, in return offer the gimmick of being able to use them one-handed for quick cheap shots. Just swap, take a shot, swap back.
They also tend to have access to unique bolts that Bows don't have an alternative for: explosive bolts, lighting bolts and bleed bolts (although the latter is useless unless you're using the burst fire one).

[NunoTheDude(Youtube)]

Originally posted by Artek General:

Yes, bows are generally better. They tend to have better scaling capabilities (so higher damage with right stats), better average range and most importantly - better fire rate, especially the light variants like the Composite Bow.
In this game they are also vastly superior for being allowed to use a variety of powerful Ashes of War.

Crossbows, while losing in pretty much every utility function a bow might have, in return offer the gimmick of being able to use them one-handed for quick cheap shots. Just swap, take a shot, swap back.
They also tend to have access to unique bolts that Bows don't have an alternative for: explosive bolts, lighting bolts and bleed bolts (although the latter is useless unless you're using the burst fire one).

ah i see i hope i can find a good strength bow then thx

[𝑀𝓊𝑔𝑒𝓃]

Idk the pulley crossbow and blood bolts are awesome imo

[Weedsmell]

both have strong and weak points, as i see it bows are better for investing stats but crossbows are convenient

crossbows can be very effective tools (you can bully malenia with a pulley crossbow and stat bolts), but bows scale with your build and are treated like a main weapon (despite being kinda bad).... so bows are better that crossbows if you invest on them

that said i have a bloodborne build that uses pulley and shotgun and you can do some nasty stuff with those crossbows both in pve and pvp

[Gamerzilla]

If you are strong enough to use a greatbow, a golem greatbow with just about any great arrow will one one shot most things if you headshot them. Once you beat a specific boss, you can even buy an infinite amount at the roundtable hold. There is a crafting book in Liurnia at the merchanct that allows crafting of bone great arrows as well.

[[BEANBAG]]

Originally posted by Artek General:

Yes, bows are generally better. They tend to have better scaling capabilities (so higher damage with right stats), better average range and most importantly - better fire rate, especially the light variants like the Composite Bow.
In this game they are also vastly superior for being allowed to use a variety of powerful Ashes of War.

Crossbows, while losing in pretty much every utility function a bow might have, in return offer the gimmick of being able to use them one-handed for quick cheap shots. Just swap, take a shot, swap back.
They also tend to have access to unique bolts that Bows don't have an alternative for: explosive bolts, lighting bolts and bleed bolts (although the latter is useless unless you're using the burst fire one).

I would have to argue the fact the pulley crossbow has the fastest fire rate in the game, and has greater range than most bows. I haven't used a great bow, so I am not sure where it rates against them, but my go to is pulley crossbow for stacking status effects, with the black bow being my second choice.

[Killer Beast 77]

Originally posted by BEANBAG:

Originally posted by Artek General:

Yes, bows are generally better. They tend to have better scaling capabilities (so higher damage with right stats), better average range and most importantly - better fire rate, especially the light variants like the Composite Bow.
In this game they are also vastly superior for being allowed to use a variety of powerful Ashes of War.

Crossbows, while losing in pretty much every utility function a bow might have, in return offer the gimmick of being able to use them one-handed for quick cheap shots. Just swap, take a shot, swap back.
They also tend to have access to unique bolts that Bows don't have an alternative for: explosive bolts, lighting bolts and bleed bolts (although the latter is useless unless you're using the burst fire one).

I would have to argue the fact the pulley crossbow has the fastest fire rate in the game, and has greater range than most bows. I haven't used a great bow, so I am not sure where it rates against them, but my go to is pulley crossbow for stacking status effects, with the black bow being my second choice.

well i used all crossbows , bows and greatbows , but overall the greatbows just dominate in overall dmg range and usability , whit any bow you can jump and attack at the same time but whit a greatbow this really becomes strong since you can stagger players or enemy point blank if you time it right and this is even more effective whit golem great arrows , the crossbows you wont want to use them at very close range since you can get interrupted pretty easy so something like mid range to close range is the best use for repeating shot ash of war and best bolts for it are burred for bosses , explosives and lighting for players the other bolts don't perform so well ussaly

[Artek [General]]

Originally posted by BEANBAG:

Originally posted by Artek General:

Yes, bows are generally better. They tend to have better scaling capabilities (so higher damage with right stats), better average range and most importantly - better fire rate, especially the light variants like the Composite Bow.
In this game they are also vastly superior for being allowed to use a variety of powerful Ashes of War.

Crossbows, while losing in pretty much every utility function a bow might have, in return offer the gimmick of being able to use them one-handed for quick cheap shots. Just swap, take a shot, swap back.
They also tend to have access to unique bolts that Bows don't have an alternative for: explosive bolts, lighting bolts and bleed bolts (although the latter is useless unless you're using the burst fire one).

I would have to argue the fact the pulley crossbow has the fastest fire rate in the game, and has greater range than most bows. I haven't used a great bow, so I am not sure where it rates against them, but my go to is pulley crossbow for stacking status effects, with the black bow being my second choice.

Technicality. Yeah, it shoots in bursts... At great expense of individual projectile damage, ammo expenditure and the fact that not even all arrows will often hit. The best for status stacking, yeah, no doubt about it, but that's about it. For raw damage output - Arbalest might perform better, maybe... Lets see if i can test it.

[NunoTheDude(Youtube)]

Originally posted by Killer Beast 77:

Originally posted by BEANBAG:

I would have to argue the fact the pulley crossbow has the fastest fire rate in the game, and has greater range than most bows. I haven't used a great bow, so I am not sure where it rates against them, but my go to is pulley crossbow for stacking status effects, with the black bow being my second choice.

well i used all crossbows , bows and greatbows , but overall the greatbows just dominate in overall dmg range and usability , whit any bow you can jump and attack at the same time but whit a greatbow this really becomes strong since you can stagger players or enemy point blank if you time it right and this is even more effective whit golem great arrows , the crossbows you wont want to use them at very close range since you can get interrupted pretty easy so something like mid range to close range is the best use for repeating shot ash of war and best bolts for it are burred for bosses , explosives and lighting for players the other bolts don't perform so well ussaly

i cant find a good strength bow for early game only dex ones and dex wepons wth

[Killer Beast 77]

Originally posted by NunoTheDude (Youtube):

Originally posted by Killer Beast 77:

well i used all crossbows , bows and greatbows , but overall the greatbows just dominate in overall dmg range and usability , whit any bow you can jump and attack at the same time but whit a greatbow this really becomes strong since you can stagger players or enemy point blank if you time it right and this is even more effective whit golem great arrows , the crossbows you wont want to use them at very close range since you can get interrupted pretty easy so something like mid range to close range is the best use for repeating shot ash of war and best bolts for it are burred for bosses , explosives and lighting for players the other bolts don't perform so well ussaly

i cant find a good strength bow for early game only dex ones and dex wepons wth

what rune and weapon lvl are you ? since there are cannons that scale well whit thier lvl

[Gamerzilla]

There are farmable golems right next to one of the Stormveil castle graces. 2 melee golems, one bow one in the back. Run in, murder the weak bow golem, run to grace to reset, repeat as needed to farm the bow (and I think arrows too).

[[BEANBAG]]

Originally posted by Artek General:

Originally posted by BEANBAG:

I would have to argue the fact the pulley crossbow has the fastest fire rate in the game, and has greater range than most bows. I haven't used a great bow, so I am not sure where it rates against them, but my go to is pulley crossbow for stacking status effects, with the black bow being my second choice.

Technicality. Yeah, it shoots in bursts... At great expense of individual projectile damage, ammo expenditure and the fact that not even all arrows will often hit. The best for status stacking, yeah, no doubt about it, but that's about it. For raw damage output - Arbalest might perform better, maybe... Lets see if i can test it.

It's meant to build status, and it does that job in a spectacular fashion.