From beginners Skyrim players to pros, everyone knows the importance of bows in the game. Bows are one of the deadliest weapons in Skyrim for long-range use. You can use various weapons in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and the best way to deal with enemies in long distance is by using bows. After realizing that, all the Skyrim players want to know what are the Skyrim best bows in 2022.
Plenty of bows are available throughout the game, and you can also get new bows and their variations in the expansion packs. So, what are the bows you should use in this game, which can get you the good advantages against your enemies? We will guide you thoroughly as we have brought you the most recent list of best Skyrim bows that are trending. Interestingly, you can also try using these bows while riding Skyrim Horses.
Skyrim Best Bows 2022 – New Additions
In this post, we bring you the 20 best bows of Skyrim that people confidently use for their long-range fights. Most importantly, we keep replacing the bows as soon as we find the better ones. So, go through the properties of each bow reviewed here and select one according to your fighting style.
Dragonbone Bow
About Dragonbone Bow:
Everyone who is playing Skyrim in 2022 wants to have a multifunctional bow that can deal equal damage in long, close and mid range. In this case, Dragonbone Bow is undoubtedly the deadliest bow with highest base damage. You can find the Dragonbone Bow in the Dawnguard expansion of Skyrim.
Dragonbone bow has the characteristic of being able to deliver severe damage to the enemies. However, it is also a heavy archery weapon. You can use this weapon in your adventure in this game, and it is better than most standard archery weapons you can use in Skyrim.
Features:
- It is easy to loot this weapon once you have reached level 45 by defeating the Keepers you can find in Soul Cairn.
- You can also forge this weapon by using Dragon Bones and Ebony Ingot, and it requires the Smithing level of 100 and the Dragon Armor perk.
- When you defeat the Keepers in Soul Cairn, you can also get some Dragonbone Arrows alongside the bow.
- You can improve this weapon by upgrading it using the Dragon Bone item.
- The arrows have quite a slower speed than other bows when you fire them, but they can deal heavy damages when you hit the enemies with them.
Falmer Bow
About Falmer Bow:
Those Skyrim players who love to use archery weapons will always consider Falmer Bow as one of the best Skyrim bows. Falmer Bow can deliver medium to heavy damage to your enemies when you hit them. Moreover if you like to have a bow that can be upgraded, you must go for this one as effortlessly upgrade it through Chaurus Chitin at a grindstone.
You can use Falmer Bow in the Skyrim base game, and it is one of the best bows you can get in this game. It is not too heavy, so you can still move fast when using this weapon. You can also aim this weapon at your enemies from a long distance with no difficulty. Overall, this archery weapon is great for middle and long-range fights with an incredible damage.
Features:
- As with any other Falmer-based weapons or accessories, you need to use Chitin to craft this weapon.
- You can get the Chitin materials to craft this weapon by defeating enemies called Chaurus.
- You can also get this weapon by defeating Falmers, which you can find in Dwemer Ruins.
- It has a medium weight, and it can inflict medium to heavy damage to your enemies.
- You can also use Chitin to upgrade this weapon and strengthen it.
Zephyr
About Zephyr:
The next bow on our list is Zephyr which is a unique weapon compared to the Falmer Bow and Dragonbone Bow. As Zephyr was found in Dwemer Ruin therefore it is also known as Dwarven bow. You can get Zephyr in the quest called Lost to the Ages in Skyrim.
Furthermore, it is a Dwarven bow that belonged to Katria, who died when she explored the ruins. As mentioned above, you can find the bow in Dwemer Ruin in a location called Arkngthamz. This weapon is relatively lightweight, and it can inflict medium damage to your enemies.
Features:
- Zephyr is a unique bow since you can only find it on a specific quest available in the game’s Dawnguard expansion.
- It is exceptionally lightweight, but it can fire the arrows 30% faster than most standard bows once you enchant this weapon.
- You can fire the arrows in quick succession with this bow so that you can deal faster damages to your enemies than most standard bows in this game.
- With Dwarven Metal Ingot and the Dwarven Smithing perk, you can upgrade and improve this weapon.
- This weapon can fire arrows every 1.58 seconds, which is faster than the longbow.
Nordic Bow
About Nordic Bow:
With easy chances of being upgraded through a grindstone, Nordic Bow is one of the best Skyrim bows in 2022. It is the archery weapon available in the Dragonborn expansion in Skyrim. Moreover, it has a unique design that shows the sturdiness of the bow.
The major reasons behind the popularity of Nordic Bow are its eye-catching design, equal damage in various ranges, and the upgradation process. With this bow, you can inflict medium damage to your enemies, and it also has medium weight, making it easy for you to carry throughout your adventure.
Features:
- You need the Advanced Armor perk to create this bow at a Blacksmith’s Forge.
- It is possible to apply specific improvements to this bow at a Grindstone when you use Quicksilver Ingot.
- You also need Steel Ingot and Quicksilver Ingot materials to craft this archery weapon.
- Players can get this weapon easily by looting from Frea in Skaal Village.
- Other methods to get this weapon to include looting from random treasure chests and going inside Morwen’s House in Skaal Village.
Elven Bow
About Elven Bow:
With an outstanding base damage (12) and weight (13), Elven Bow has becomes everyone’s favorite bow in 2022. Therefore, we have included it to our updated list of Skyrim best bows. If we discuss this archery weapon a bit more, it is the weapon you can find in the base Skyrim game, and it belongs to the category of Elven weapons.
With this weapon, you can inflict medium damage to your enemies without dealing with too much weight for the gun. This archery weapon is quite common in Skyrim, so you can find it throughout the game world after reaching level 19.
Features:
- This weapon is available throughout the game, such as in random loots, blacksmiths, and general stores.
- Many characters in this game also use this bow as their primary weapon. You can also use the best Skyrim mods to make your characters more powerful.
- You can create this archery weapon by using Quicksilver Ingot and Refined Moonstone materials.
- The unique version of Elven Bow is also available which is called Firiniel’s End, during the quest called Bound Until Dead.
- You can also find this bow in fixed locations, such as in Aela’s Room (Jorrvaskr) and Ashfallow Citadel.
Dwarven Black Bow of Fate
About Dwarven Black Bow of Fate:
If you like using Elven Bow, you must try Dwarven Black Bow of Fate as both these are Skyrim best bows with evenly good features. For example, the base damage is even and the mid range and long-range fights can be won easily with these 2 archery weapons.
The Dwarven Black Bow of Fate is a unique Dwarven bow you can get in the Skyrim Dawnguard expansion pack. It is a lightweight archery weapon that can inflict medium damage to your enemies. For this bow, you cannot disenchant it once you apply an enchantment to it.
Features:
- You can enchant this archery weapon, and once you do it, it can absorb 25 points of your enemy’s Health, Magicka, or Stamina with a 50% chance.
- This weapon is available to you once you gather all Kagrumez Resonance Gems, which you can find inside Kagrumez.
- The design of the bow gives it a strange orange glow when you use it.
- You can upgrade this bow using Ebony Ingot using the Dwarven Smithing perk.
- You can find this archery weapon only when you install and play the Dawnguard expansion pack.
Nightingale Bow
About Nightingale Bow:
Most of the Skyrim players wish to have a best bow through rewards, Nightingale Bow is the archery weapon that you can get by completing the in-game missions. In other words, you find it during the series of quests called Thieves Guild in the base game.
Karliah will give this weapon to you upon completion of the quest called Blindsighted. With this bow, you can inflict quite heavy damage to your enemies, but this bow is also quite heavy to carry. Most importantly, Nightingale Bow is now trending due to multiple noticeable features.
Features:
- You can enchant this weapon with Nightingale Storm, improving the Frost Damage and Shock Damage of this weapon.
- This is a Leveled bow, meaning that this archery weapon will also become more robust as your level grows.
- If you want to upgrade this weapon, you will need Arcane Blacksmith perk and Ebony Ingot.
- The best version of this archery weapon is also available when you reach at least level 46.
- You cannot disenchant this weapon using Arcane Enchanter.
Glass Bow
About Glass Bow:
Those who have been playing Skyrim for a long time know about Glass Bow. Also, most of them would be using it already because it is a unique bow in Skyrim. Furthermore, you can find it in the base game, starting at level 27 for the standard version and level 28 for the enchanted version.
This archery weapon has a balance between the damaging capability and the weight of the bow. So, it is not too heavy nor too lightweight, and it can inflict medium damage to your enemies.
Features:
- It is easy to find this archery weapon in some locations throughout Skyrim, including general merchants, blacksmiths, random loots, boss chests, and more.
- You need the Glass Smithing perk and the Smithing level of 70 to create this bow.
- Also, you need to use Refined Moonstone and Refined Malachite to craft this weapon.
- The weapon requires Refined Malachite if you want to upgrade or improve it.
- Using the Dragonborn add-on, you can make this weapon unique and transform it into the unique bow called Glass Bow of the Stag Prince.
Daedric Bow
About Daedric Bow:
Undoubtedly, Daedric Bow is one of the best Skyrim bows but players get it comparatively difficult than the others on our list. You must have 90 level of Smithing for playing with this weapon. Moreover, it is a demonic-looking archery weapon that has been around since the previous Elder Scrolls series.
The bow has the usual demonic design, just like the same bow available in the previous games. It is quite heavy, but it can deal heavy damages to your enemies. You can upgrade this weapon to make it even stronger.
Features:
- As a high-level bow with heavy damage capability, you can only find this bow throughout the game when you reach level 46.
- You can find this archery weapon in various chests or unique random loots from the Legendary Dragons and Revered.
- It is also available in specific base game locations, including Niranye in Windhelm, Tonilia in Riften, Brood Cavern, and more.
- Daedra Heart and Ebony Ingots with the Daedric Smithing perk are required to craft this weapon.
- You can also craft this archery weapon at the Atronach Forge.
Firiniel’s End
About Firiniel’s End:
Firiniel’s End is an Elven bow that has its unique qualities making it an obvious bow for those who often engage in long and mid range fights. If the features of this weapon inspires you and you wish to have it, it can be found in the base game of Skyrim during the quests involving Dark Brotherhood.
Moreover, the specific quest Bound Until Death from the Dark Brotherhood questline is the only point where you can find this unique bow. You will also like the weight and damage abilities of Firiniel’s End.
Features:
- You can upgrade this bow with Refined Moonstone.
- During or after the quest called Bound Until Death, you can find this archery weapon at Castle Dour after getting the information about it from Gabriella.
- It has medium weight and medium damage capability.
- You can enchant this weapon and add the ability to take 20 points of Frost Damage to your enemy’s Health and Stamina.
- Also, you can get double the improvements if you use the Elven Smithing perk.
Drainspell Bow
About Drainspell Bow:
Drainspell Bow belongs to unique ancient Nord bows, which you can find in the Skyrim base game. It has a mix of black and light blue colors, making this bow looks mystical and mysterious.
It is very lightweight, meaning that you can carry this bow around while still maintaining fast movements. However, although it is lightweight, it can inflict quite heavy damage to your enemies.
Features:
- Aside from being a unique ancient Nord bow, it also falls into the category of Draugr’s ghost weapons (the undead Nordic warriors).
- You can find this weapon during the quest called The Staff of Magnus in the base game.
- When you enchant this archery weapon, you can absorb 15 Magicka points from your enemies when you hit them.
- You can disenchant this weapon.
- It is one of the four ghost weapons, with the other three weapons being Ghostblade, Drainblood Battleaxe, and Drainheart Sword.
Gauldur Blackbow
About Gauldur Blackbow:
The next bow on our list of Skyrim best bows is Gauldur Blackbow which is a unique Nord ancient bow. It is easy to find this bow in the base game of Skyrim, which is the archery weapon that can inflict medium damage to your enemies.
As a Leveled weapon, you can improve this bow’s damage capability as you level up your character. You can disenchant this archery weapon once you enchant it.
Features:
- You can enchant this archery weapon and equip the effect called Absorb Magicka to it.
- It affects absorbing 30 points of Magicka from your enemies when you hit them with this bow.
- You can get the best version of this archery weapon once you reach level 36.
- The players can get this bow when you follow the quest called Forbidden Legend, as Sigdis Gauldurson drops this weapon in Geirmund’s Hall.
- You can upgrade this bow using Steel Ingot along with the perks called Arcane Blacksmith and Dwarven Smithing.
Stalhrim Bow
About Stalhrim Bow:
Stalhrim Bow is a unique archery weapon you can find in Skyrim: Dragonborn expansion pack, which can inflict medium to heavy damage to your enemies. There are many players who compare Stalhrim Bow with the Dragonbone Bow which means both of these are outstanding archery weapons.
This bow has a unique design with a mix of green and black colors. It is not too heavy, so you can still carry it around with little difficulty while shooting on enemies with your arrows.
Features:
- You can find this weapon in various locations, including random loots, Skaal Village, and Raven Rock.
- To craft this weapon, you need to complete the quest called A New Source of Stalhrim.
- Also, you need to have the Ebony Smithing perk and Smithing Level 80.
- Stalhrim is the material you need to craft and upgrade this weapon.
- You can enchant this bow with the Frost Damage and Chaos Damage enchantments.
- You can buy this weapon from Baldor Iron-Shaper and Glover Mallory.
Glass Bow of the Stag Prince
About Glass Bow of the Stag Prince:
You can find the unique glass bow called the Glass Bow of the Stag Prince in the Dragonborn expansion pack. he reason why we have included it on our list of Skyrim best bows 2022 is that this bow has a medium weight, which can inflict medium to heavy damage to the enemies.
Also, you can get this unique bow by taking it from Falas Selvayn at the Ramshackle Trading Post using various methods. Most importantly, you will be rewarded with different effects after eliminating 20 animal using Glass Bow of the Stag Prince.
Features:
- This unique archery weapon has the additional effect of giving you a more powerful blessing every time you kill 20 animals with this bow.
- The initial blessing from this bow gives you the additional 5 Health and Stamina points, which you can increase when you kill 20 animals with this weapon.
- You can upgrade this bow by using Refined Malachite Ingot and double the improvement using the Glass Smithing perk.
- When you equip this bow, you will activate the ability called Blessing of the Stag Prince.
- You can get this bow from Falas Selvayn by buying from him, pick-pocketing him, giving him a particular item, or attacking him.
Auriel’s Bow
About Auriel’s Bow:
The build of Auriel’s Bow is quite different from the other Skyrim archery weapons on our list. It a unique weapon that belongs to the category of the ancient artifacts in Skyrim. Aside from being available in the base game, this bow is also available in the Dawnguard expansion pack.
Furthermore, this is the bow that gives you unique effects when you enchant it, and it is also lightweight and easy to carry. After enchanting Auriel’s Bow, you will find it more robust in mid range and close range fights.
Features:
- When you enchant this archery weapon, you can deal 20 points of Sun damage to your enemies.
- The Sun Damage can inflict even more damage if you hit Undead enemies with this bow.
- This bow gives you fast draw speed that makes it possible to hit enemies in quick succession.
- You can get this bow at the end of the quest called Touching the Sky around the Forgotten Vale area.
- This bow is also upgradable through the Refined Moonstone Ingot, and you can double the improvement using the Elven Smithing perk.
Karliah’s Bow
About Karliah’s Bow:
Karliah’s Bow is one of the most substantial bows you can use in Skyrim, and it is not available for you to get through the usual means. To get this bow, you need to use the console command from within your game, and by placing the code corresponding to this bow, you can get it for your character.
Like the other bows, you can deal heavy damage with Karliah’s Bow too in different ranges to your enemies. Last but not least, we found it exceptionally lightweight while inspection and fights..
Features:
- The ID for the Karliah’s Bow, which you can type into the console command, is 000DEED8.
- You can carry this archery weapon with ease and also inflict heavy damage to your enemies in your attacks.
- It is a unique bow you can get in the base game of Skyrim.
- The bow has the same design as the Nightingale Bow.
- You cannot enchant or upgrade this bow, but it has the most incredible base damage in this game, even among the bows available in the latest expansion packs.
Ancient Nord Bow
About Ancient Nord Bow:
The regular and old Skyrim players already know about the Ancient Nord Bow. It is the bow that you find from the Skeletons and Draugr throughout the base game. Moreover, it has further variants in it making it more powerful during the fights.
It is the bow that has medium weight and can inflict small to medium damage to the enemies. This archery weapon is available at specific locations throughout the game, such as burial grounds and ancient Nordic tombs.
Features:
- This bow has unique variants, such as Drainspell Bow and Gauldur Blackbow.
- It also has non-enchanted versions, such as Nord Hero Bow and Supple Ancient Nord Bow.
- You can upgrade this bow using Steel Ingot.
- Also, you can double the improvements of this bow with the use of the Steel Smithing perk.
- You can craft Nord Hero Bow’s variant once you complete the quest called Glory of the Dead.
Bow of the Hunt
About Bow of the Hunt:
We know many people who demand a lightweight archery weapon in Skyrim, if you are also one of them then you should start playing with Bow of the Hunt. It is the hunting bow you can find in the base game of Skyrim. Most importantly, it is a unique bow, and it is lightweight and easy to carry.
This archery weapon is quite suitable for inflicting small to medium damage to your enemies. As a unique bow, you can only get it at a specific location on the altar at Clearspring Tarn.
Features:
- It is a unique and lightweight bow you can find in the base game of Skyrim.
- You can enchant this bow to give it the capability of inflicting extra damage (20 points) to animals.
- This is a hunting bow you can use to make accurate shots of animals throughout Skyrim.
- Like many other bows, you can upgrade this bow too by using Steel Ingot with the Steel Hunting perk.
- You cannot disenchant this archery weapon.
Forsworn Bow
About Forsworn Bow:
Forsworn Bow is a medium-weight bow that can lets you give medium damage to your enemies. Also, you can find this bow easily in the base game of Skyrim.
The bow has a spiky design and is made from wood, leather, and bones. It is the bow that becomes the primary weapon of most Forsworn you can find throughout the game.
Features:
- Forsworn Bow is available in the Forsworn camps and strongholds throughout the game.
- You can upgrade this bow using the Steel Ingot at the Grindstone.
- Also, you can double the improvements for this archery weapon if you use the Steel Smithing perk.
- It has a unique design with sharp spikes decorating the bow.
- It is the primary weapon for the Forsworn in this game, so you can get it after defeating them.
Imperial Bow
About Imperial Bow:
Imperial Bow is the bow in the base game of Skyrim used by the Imperials as the primary archery weapon. So, you can find this bow on many Imperials in this game, and you can get it from them.
This bow has medium weight with the capability to inflict medium damage to the enemies. You don’t need any perk to upgrade this bow. Interestingly, the users of Imperial Bow has been increased recently due to several exciting features.
Features:
- The Imperial Legion in Skyrim uses this bow as their primary archery weapon.
- This bow is available in various locations, including chests, Imperial Holds, Castle Dour, and more.
- You cannot craft this weapon only to get it from specific locations or the Imperial Legion.
- You can upgrade this bow using Steel Ingot.
- Besides getting it from various locations, you can also purchase this bow at the Blacksmiths throughout Skyrim.
Final Words for Skyrim Best Bows
These are the Skyrim best bows that you can use to go through your adventure in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, whether you are playing on PC or consoles. Most importantly, this bows list has been updated as we add some of the trending and more advanced archery weapons. Some bows are available in the base game, while others are only available once you install individual expansion packs for the game. No matter what bow you pick, these bows can give you a good advantage when battling against enemies from a long distance.
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