Which bow is best?

[Orj]

You can also test it by shooting both a longbow and a warbow at a castle wall. The longbow's arrow will hit slightly below the warbow's arrow (just how much depends on the distance to the wall), because the warbow has a flatter trajectory and therefore a greater range.

 

[Sir Lulzalot]

Whatever, I still say longbow has more range.

 

[Ludial]

Whatever, I still say longbow has more range.

but it definitely doesn`t have the same speed and power as half of the other bows. So whatever, I still say most bows are better than longbows

 

[Moss]

And you're wrong. Chances are that you don't have a power draw skill four points above the warbows requirements, making the lower power draw requirement longbow more powerful and accurate. It's more likely that the increased accuracy you'd get with the longbow makes you feel like you can hit targets further away. And keep in mind that switching between the different bows can often throw you off, the different trajectories take a while to get used to, I can hit a target very far away with a hunting bow, but when I switch to something more powerful it takes me a while to get used to the arc of the arrow and I tend to miss a lot until I acclimatise.

If you look closely at the description of power draw you'll notice that it adds to the bows stats (both it's damage and it's accuracy, although the accuracy is not stated in the text) for "up to four points above the bows power draw requirement". This means that a hunting bow (with a PD requirement of 0) will increase in power up to power draw four, but have no increase for a power draw value of five, six or higher.

As thus, if you do the math you'll notice that the strong hunting bow is actually the best bow at the start of the game, as power draw increases it's damage over the other bows, but once you get to higher values it becomes obsolete.

Another effect of this is, despite what everyone here has suggested so far, the master work war bow is infact not the best bow in the game. With a power draw requirement of 8 the best it can have is a power draw bonus of two, making it's damage and accuracy values fall far below that of the strong warbow with a power draw requirement of 6. Although with a power draw skill of six the normal warbow is much stronger as the small damage increase is smaller than the two times fourteen percent increase from the power draw bonus from using a PD 4 bow. It's been a while since I've checked the values, so it's possible they've shifted a bit in the last version, but I'm fairly certain this all still holds true.

In short, mathematically, the best bow in the game for range, power and accuracy is the strong war bow at a power draw skill of ten.

 

[Ludial]

And you're wrong. Chances are that you don't have a power draw skill four points above the warbows requirements, making the lower power draw requirement longbow more powerful and accurate. It's more likely that the increased accuracy you'd get with the longbow makes you feel like you can hit targets further away. And keep in mind that switching between the different bows can often throw you off, the different trajectories take a while to get used to, I can hit a target very far away with a hunting bow, but when I switch to something more powerful it takes me a while to get used to the arc of the arrow and I tend to miss a lot until I acclimatise.

If you look closely at the description of power draw you'll notice that it adds to the bows stats (both it's damage and it's accuracy, although the accuracy is not stated in the text) for "up to four points above the bows power draw requirement". This means that a hunting bow (with a PD requirement of 0) will increase in power up to power draw four, but have no increase for a power draw value of five, six or higher.

As thus, if you do the math you'll notice that the strong hunting bow is actually the best bow at the start of the game, as power draw increases it's damage over the other bows, but once you get to higher values it becomes obsolete.

Another effect of this is, despite what everyone here has suggested so far, the master work war bow is infact not the best bow in the game. With a power draw requirement of 8 the best it can have is a power draw bonus of two, making it's damage and accuracy values fall far below that of the strong warbow with a power draw requirement of 6. Although with a power draw skill of six the normal warbow is much stronger as the small damage increase is smaller than the two times fourteen percent increase from the power draw bonus from using a PD 4 bow. It's been a while since I've checked the values, so it's possible they've shifted a bit in the last version, but I'm fairly certain this all still holds true.

In short, mathematically, the best bow in the game for range, power and accuracy is the strong war bow at a power draw skill of ten.

that`s all fine and dandy(and you`re only confirming my point in some aspects), but I need friggin`speed and light weight in a fight! And the longbow doesn`t qualify in either(plus, it`s huge and ugly). I currently use a strong bow.

 

[Ludial]

Oh, and by the way, accuracy and speed(both drawing and aiming) are affected by archery proficiency, not by power draw(or at least more by proficiency than PD)

 

[Moss]

Sorry, that wasn't in reference to you, it was directed at Lulzalot.

The longbow is over all the worst bow in the game.

And it's both actually. Maximum accuracy is controlled by proficiency, where as the amount of time you can hold it there before it starts to spread out again is controlled by how many power draw points above it's requirement you are. Speed isn't effected by PD as far as I know.

And the strong bow is definately one of the best bows in the game, whether you use it or the war bow is more a matter of preference than actual effectiveness.

 

[mournful]

I usually pick the masterwork strongbow as my goal if playing as an archer. The PD requirement of 8 for the MS warbow means you will always have some sort of accuracy penalty since you can only get to a PD of 10. Plus the strong bow is faster.

I don't really understand the range vs speed argument. Shouldn't there be a direct correlation between the two? If two identical bullets are shot from different guns, all that matters in terms of range would be their exit velocity, yes? I remember reading something similar in a physics class.

 

[Ludial]

Sorry, that wasn't in reference to you, it was directed at Lulzalot.

The longbow is over all the worst bow in the game.

And it's both actually. Maximum accuracy is controlled by proficiency, where as the amount of time you can hold it there before it starts to spread out again is controlled by how many power draw points above it's requirement you are. Speed isn't effected by PD as far as I know.

And the strong bow is definately one of the best bows in the game, whether you use it or the war bow is more a matter of preference than actual effectiveness.

my bad then, mate So we`re together in this

 

[Moss]

Pretty much. Which is a pity, because aesthetics wise the longbow is my favourite bow in the game. It just looks more powerful.

I don't really understand the range vs speed argument. Shouldn't there be a direct correlation between the two? If two identical bullets are shot from different guns, all that matters in terms of range would be their exit velocity, yes? I remember reading something similar in a physics class.

I think the confusion might be in the difference between the bow speed and the projectile speed. The bow speed (the one that's shown when you mouse over the bow in game) effects how quickly the bow draws, whilst the projectile speed is hidden and determines how fast the arrow flies and how far it goes.

 

[duracell]

despite what everyone here has suggested so far, the master work war bow is infact not the best bow in the game. With a power draw requirement of 8 the best it can have is a power draw bonus of two

Yes, this was how things worked in the beta but things changed in the final release, now ALL points on powerdraw (up to minimum requirement +4) are increasing damage.

For example if you use a strongbow(minimum PD 3)  with 5 PD you will have the damage bonus 5 times not just 2 times.

The masterwork warbow has the highest base damage, has the highest projectile speed and the bow benefits from all the 10 points of PD so thats the best bow.

 

[Moss]

That can't be right, it'd do around twice as much damage as listed even with just the mimimum required power draw skill. I might play around with it to check later, but it certainly doesn't seem like that's the case, because that'd make the later bows incredibly powerful.

 

[Sir Malagant]

I prefer the Strongbow over the Warbow, because it just looks better on horseback.

And you have to carry the Warbow on your back and don't get such a nice looking "bow quiver".

So I will stay with the Strongbow or the Khergit Bow.

 

[duracell]

That can't be right, it'd do around twice as much damage as listed even with just the mimimum required power draw skill. I might play around with it to check later, but it certainly doesn't seem like that's the case, because that'd make the later bows incredibly powerful.

From the manual:

"Power Draw • (strength) (personal skill): More powerful bows have a minimum
Power Draw requirement to use. Power Draw also adds 12% to each hit with the bow, until four levels beyond the bow’s minimum Power Draw requirement; for example, if the bow’s Power Draw requirement is 2, then a skill level of 2 will add 24%, while a skill level of 6 will add 72%, while any level beyond 6 will still add 72%. Finally, higher Power Draw makes powerful bows easier to use by improving your accuracy and the time you can keep your aim steady while the bow is drawn."


...and yes, the later bows are incredibly powerful, you can one-shot practically anyone with a masterwork warbow and 10 PD.

 

[harrassee]

I think duracell, rather than moss, is correct about how Power Draw works.  The PD+4 factor limits the use of PD on WEAKER bows rather than caps the use on harder bows.  I.e., a bow with PD requirement of 0 can only use up to 4 points of PD, so a player using a hunter bow with PD of 8 only gets a damage boost based on a PD of 4.  A war bow with PD requirement of 4 can get up a damage boost up to a PD of 8.  A masterwork war bow with PD requirement of 8 can use the full 10 PD points.

 

[Orj]

You're forgetting the accuracy bonus. A War Bow with PD requirement 4 will have full accuracy at 8 PD. However, a Masterwork War Bow with PD requirement 8 can only have a +2 PD bonus, since the cap is 10. A +2 bonus will not give full accuracy, that needs a +4 bonus.

 

[harrassee]

You're forgetting the accuracy bonus. A War Bow with PD requirement 4 will have full accuracy at 8 PD. However, a Masterwork War Bow with PD requirement 8 can only have a +2 PD bonus, since the cap is 10. A +2 bonus will not give full accuracy, that needs a +4 bonus.

I don't think that is correct.  First, I don't think the manual is clear on whether the PD requirement + 4 cap applies to accuracy, although it clearly applies to the damage boost.  Second, even if the cap does apply to accuracy, that means that a Masterwork War Bow (with a PD requirement of can use up to 12 points of PD (10 really).  Remember, you can use a PD bonus UP TO the PD requirement plus 4, as stated in the manual.  Your interpretation is that one can only use a PD bonus equal to the EXCESS of your PD skill minus; this is what moss was asserting as well and I believe is incorrect.  In other words, having a higher PD requirement allows you to use more of your PD skill, rather than less.

Here is the text from the manual (emphasis added):

"Power Draw  (strength) (personal skill): More powerful bows have a minimum Power Draw requirement to use. Power Draw also adds 12% to each hit with the bow, until four levels beyond the bow’s minimum Power Draw requirement; for example, if the bow’s Power Draw requirement is 2, then a skill level of 2 will add 24%, while a skill level of 6 will add 72%, while any level beyond 6 will still add 72%. Finally, higher Power Draw makes powerful bows easier to use by improving your accuracy and the time you can keep your aim steady while the bow is drawn."

 

[Moss]

Read the thread harrassee, what I was saying was correct for the old version, it was changed for the new version. In the old version the levels up to your power draw requirement didn't add a bonus, now they do. Case closed. You didn't need to necro a four day old thread.

 

[duracell]

You're forgetting the accuracy bonus. A War Bow with PD requirement 4 will have full accuracy at 8 PD. However, a Masterwork War Bow with PD requirement 8 can only have a +2 PD bonus, since the cap is 10. A +2 bonus will not give full accuracy, that needs a +4 bonus.

The requirement +4 PD is not really an accuracy bonus, much like an accuracy penalty which can be compensated by high weapon proficiency, with just 4 PD and a warbow you will still get the perfect reticle around 300 archery proficiency, thankfully the requirement +4 is not the only way to reach maximum accuracy.

Since your proficiency is usually way above 300 when you finally reach the 8 PD the masterwork warbow will be perfectly accurate by the time you start to use it.

 

[harrassee]

Read the thread harrassee, what I was saying was correct for the old version, it was changed for the new version. In the old version the levels up to your power draw requirement didn't add a bonus, now they do. Case closed. You didn't need to necro a four day old thread.

Understood, but it does not appear that all players are aware of this change to PD, and I think the language in the manual is confusing enough to warrant a little clarification.  That is why I posted (after reading the full thread).  If it bugs you, you don't have to read the thread.

I am personally still uncertain how PD specifically affects accuracy in relation to your archery skill and the bow's PD requirement . . . .