Version-verified guide
Valheim Bows & Arrows Guide — Best Bow Line and Every Arrow Type
How Valheim ranged works — the bow progression from Crude Bow to Draugr Fang and the Arbalest, and what every arrow type (fire, frost, poison, silver, needle) is for.
By Valheim Field Guide Editorial Team
Why ranged matters
A bow is never your only weapon, but it solves problems melee cannot:
- Pull single enemies out of packs so you fight one at a time instead of the whole group.
- Open boss fights safely — chip damage before the boss closes, or finish it while kiting.
- Bow skill carries across bows. Every bow uses the same skill, so investment never resets when you upgrade.
Confirmed arrow crafting costs (valheim.wiki + competitor cross-check, 1.0)
Every arrow is crafted in batches of 20. Wood is the base for most; only the Needle arrow skips wood.
| Arrow | Distinctive material (per 20) | Station |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | Wood 8 (no feathers) | Workbench L1 |
| Flinthead | Wood 8 + Flint 2 | Workbench L2 |
| Bronzehead | Wood 8 + Bronze 1 | Forge L1 |
| Ironhead | Wood 8 + Iron 1 | Forge L2 |
| Obsidian | Wood 8 + Obsidian 4 | Workbench L3 |
| Fire | Wood 8 + Resin 8 | Workbench L2 |
| Frost | Wood 8 + Obsidian 4 + Freeze Gland 1 | Workbench L4 |
| Poison | Wood 8 + Obsidian 4 + Ooze 2 | Workbench L3 |
| Silver | Wood + Silver (Pierce + spirit) | Forge L3 |
| Needle | Needle 4 (no wood) | Workbench L4 |
| Carapace | Carapace 4 + Wood 8 | Black Forge |
| Charred | Charred bone 4 + Ashwood 8 | Black Forge |
Bow damage values and draw behaviour below are confirmed against valheim.wiki (1.0) — see our verification workflow.
Confirmed bow values (valheim.wiki, 1.0)
| Bow | Stamina (per s) | Piercing damage (min/max) | Extra damage | Knockback | Arrow speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude bow | 4 | 22 / 31 | — | 0 | 35 m/s |
| Finewood bow | 6 | 32 / 41 | — | 5 | 50 m/s |
| Huntsman bow | 8 | 42 / 51 | — | 10 | 50 m/s |
| Draugr Fang | 10 | 47 / 56 | Poison 5 / 20 | 20 | 60 m/s |
| Spinesnap | 14 | 72 / 84 | Spirit 5 / 20 | 25 | 60 m/s |
| Ash Fang | 14 | 82 / 94 | Spirit 0 / 15 | 25 | 60 m/s |
| Arbalest (crossbow) | 1 (per s, firing) | 200 / 203 / 206 / 209 (Q1–Q4) | — | 210 | straight-line bolts |
Bows have 2.5 seconds of draw time at Bow skill 0, which decreases to 0.5 seconds by level 100; a bow can only be fired every 0.8 seconds, reached at skill 85. All bows carry a 3x backstab multiplier. The Arbalest loads a bolt in 3.5 seconds (3 stamina) and can only fire every 6 seconds with full animations; bolts travel in a straight line with no drop, and recoil can knock you off ledges.
Bow progression
| Stage | Bow | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Meadows | Crude Bow | First ranged option, cheap wood and core |
| Black Forest | Finewood Bow | Reliable step up while you learn draw timing |
| Swamp | Huntsman Bow | Solid damage through the Swamp and Mountain |
| Mountain | Draugr Fang | The keep-forever bow — innate poison means arrow choice matters less |
| Mistlands | Spinesnap / Arbalest | The first real endgame ranged options, including a crossbow |
The single most useful bow is Draugr Fang: because it applies poison on its own, it keeps working regardless of which arrows you craft, and most players carry it for several biomes.
Every arrow type and what it is for
Arrows are a damage-type decision, not just a number. Two families:
Piercing (general damage) — the ladder that follows your materials: Wood → Flint → Bronze → Iron → Obsidian → Needle → Carapace → Charred. Use these as your default; craft the best piercing arrow your current materials allow.
Effect arrows (situational) — bring these for the right target:
| Arrow | Effect | Best against |
|---|---|---|
| Fire | Ignites | Greydwarves, roots, anything flammable |
| Frost | Slows and chills | Crowd control, fast or charging enemies |
| Poison | Damage over time | High-health targets and bosses |
| Silver | Pierce + spirit | Undead/Unholy — draugr, wraiths, the Elder and its roots, Fenring |
The rule: carry piercing arrows as your default and a stack of the effect arrow that matches what you are hunting. Frost crafting needs a Freeze Gland; poison arrows need Ooze.
Making ranged work
- Levelling Bow skill is the priority. A mid-tier bow with high skill out-damages a fresh craft with none.
- Light armor pairs with ranged. Troll and Root sets are built for archers — Root even gives a bow skill bonus and pierce resistance. See armor sets.
- Ranged is a stamina game too. Drawing and firing spend stamina, so keep an eye on the bar when you also need to dodge: combat basics.
Related
- The melee that finishes what the bow starts: weapon tier list
- Armor built for archers: armor sets
- Keeping health and stamina up while you kite: food and meals
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best bow in Valheim?
- Draugr Fang is the bow most players keep for the longest because it has innate poison damage, so arrow choice matters less. Spinesnap and the Mistlands Arbalest are the later upgrades. As with everything else, Bow skill matters more than tier — a bow you have levelled beats a fresh craft.
- Which arrows should I use?
- Match the arrow to the target. Piercing arrows (obsidian, needle, carapace) are your general damage. Fire works on greydwarves and roots, frost slows and controls crowds, poison stacks damage over time, and silver adds spirit damage that hurts undead. Bring more than one type.
- Is bow skill worth levelling?
- Yes. Ranged lets you pull single enemies out of packs and open boss fights safely, and Bow skill keeps paying off every time you swap bows. Levelling it is one of the highest-value investments for any run.
Related guides
- Valheim Damage Types Guide — Every Physical and Elemental Damage Source Explained
Every Valheim damage type — blunt, slash, pierce, fire, frost, poison, spirit, lightning — what each does, which enemies are weak or immune to it, and how it stacks with armor, resistances and status effects.
Verified Valheim 1.0 - Valheim Tools Guide — Pickaxes, Axes, Hammers, Portals, Carts and Ships
Every gathering tool and progression-unlocking item in Valheim — pickaxes that unlock ore tiers, axes that unlock tree tiers, the Hammer that unlocks every building tier, plus Portals, Carts and the three ship types, in the order you need them.
Verified Valheim 1.0 - Valheim Armor Sets — Every Set by Biome and What It Does
Every Valheim armor set in progression order — from Rag through the Ashlands sets to the 1.0 additions (the Deep North Protector, Vanguard and Caller sets, plus the new Plains-tier Lox Fur set) — with the light versus heavy decision explained.
Verified Valheim 1.0