In a lawless world, it doesn't really matter how one kills their enemies. A win is a win and it's better to have that victory unscathed. The Mongols can attest to that and Conan Exiles lets players exercise that safer way of being a conqueror by using bows.
Turning enemies into pin cushions can be tempting, but archery tends to be one of the weaker ways to deal damage in the game. Players that want to take the bow and arrow approach will have to choose wisely to ensure they deal enough damage to attack efficiently from afar.
10 Frostshot
- Damage: 22
- Armor Penetration: 9.9%
Don't be fooled by the name, Frostshot isn't anything special in the projectile department. Sadly, it doesn't infuse its arrows with cold damage despite the name's implications. The bow only obtained its name due to a legend about a god bestowing it to one of his devouts in an icy casing.
Beyond that, the Frostshot is one of the "weakest" strongest bows in the game. It's still decent enough with considerable damage numbers and a commendable amount of armor penetration but do note that it will pale in comparison to other bows which might be easier to acquire.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
9 Dragonbone Bow
- Damage: 20
- Armor Penetration: 9%
Speaking of bows that are easier to acquire, the Dragonbone Bow is right up there. It's actually a bit weaker than the Frostshot thanks to the lower armor penetration values but not by too much and the difference is negligible.
The Dragonbone Bow makes up for the lower damage output by being readily available through crafting. The components are not too rare or grindy either, meaning players can make multiple copies of this bow for their allies.
Crafted with:
- 1 Sturdy String
- 1 Dragonhorn
- 10 Dragonbone
8 Flawless Star Metal Bow
- Damage: 22
- Armor Penetration: 8.55%
Now, if players find that dragon body parts are too much to farm for the Dragonbone Bow, then they can opt for something a little simpler and more environmental-friendly such as the Flawless Star Metal Bow.
The tradeoff is that the armor penetration is considerably lower compared to the Frostshot. Still, a bow is a bow and this one is easier to acquire compared to the other two depending on the player's disposition in Conan Exiles.
Crafted with:
- 3 Insulated Wood
- 9 Thick Leather
- 3 Star Metal Bar
7 Bessie's Bow
- Damage: 23
- Armor Penetration: 9.45%
Then again, some Legendary Chest weapons can prove to be better than crafted bows and Bessie's Bow is one of those. In terms of raw damage, it's slightly better than the Frostshot but it does have worse armor penetration than that one.
Again, the difference between the two is small but the Bessie's Bow seals the deal with an added bonus, specifically +5 to Grit. For certain builds, this might be preferable though it's up to the Legendary Chest lottery to determine which one the players will receive.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
6 The Huntress
- Damage: 23
- Armor Penetration: 9.45%
Statistically, The Huntress is identical to Bessie's Bow but the mechanical appearance and make of the weapon might be more appealing for some players. Regardless, it will deal about the same damage as Bessie's Bow and will also last just as long.
Where The Huntress sets itself apart is in the bonus perk where it gives the wielder a +5 to Accuracy. For a bow, this is a more valuable addition compared to any other stat increase. Too bad it shares a lottery slot with other legendary bows.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
5 Eye of the Khan
- Damage: 23
- Armor Penetration: 9.45%
Sadly, it seems that the developers ran out of ideas for legendary bows as one of them, the Eye of the Khan is identical to The Huntress down to the bonus stat. It also gives +5 to Accuracy and has the same damage numbers.
Only the lore and the appearance of the bow make it unique. It does look a bit more elegant than The Huntress but considering most bows look alike in Conan Exiles, that doesn't matter too much.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
4 Pristine Khari Bow
- Damage: 24
- Armor Penetration: 9%
Now, if players want their bows truly unique and rare with not many statistical clones, then they'll have to toil, incessantly. The bow in question would be the Pristine Khari Bow and it's slightly better than most of the legendary bows but has a lower armor penetration that's still high for bow standards.
On top of the better numbers, the Pristine Khari Bow gives tons of stat bonuses such as +3 to Strength and +3 to Accuracy. That makes it great for hybrid archers with melee weapons as backup tools. The only issue is it can be a pain to actually get this bow to use.
Found in:
- Boss drops, low chance
3 Splinter
- Damage: 26
- Armor Penetration: 0%
For the weirdest bow in the game, here's Splinter. The name is a prelude to what it can (or rather, cannot) do as it has no armor penetration at all, meaning it's useless for heavily armored enemies. The lore behind this weapon is that the arrows it shoots always break into splinters.
That's why it has no penetrating power at all. Anyone who has it needs to use it carefully and only against a target with little to no armor, otherwise, all that high damage is rendered useless though it can be devastating against the right targets.
Found in:
- Legendary Chests
2 Derketo's Voice
- Damage: 28
- Armor Penetration: 0%
Yet another weird bow that's too picky with its targets is Derketo's Voice. It also has no armor penetration whatsoever and the lore is pretty vague on why that's the case for this poor bow. The bow does offer a +5 to Accuracy but that's wasted a bit depending on the enemy.
The only explanation is that the bow launches arrows at a slow and weak speed. It was made for religious ceremonies, which is why it doesn't take into account the target's armor or shield. In any case, players should pick their targets carefully with this one.
Found in:
- Servant of the Priest King drop
1 Reach of the Red Mother
- Damage: 30
- Armor Penetration: 30%
Okay, so if any exile here wants a bow that's highly competent and means business, then the Reach of the Red Mother is the most serious one they can get. It has the highest base damage out of all the bows and also comes with a whopping 30 percent armor penetration.
It doesn't give other stat increases though but that's understandable as such a notion would be overkill. Farming this bow is quite the herculean endeavor as it drops from the Red Mother, which is an enormous mommy dragon looking to slap some naughty exile kids.
Found in:
- The Unnamed City, Red Mother drop