It's often the case in action-RPGs that ranged weapons aren't as effective as the game's close-ranged alternatives. In the case of FromSoftware's previous Dark Souls titles, this is definitely the case. While that didn't stop skilled ranged builds from working their way through the Souls series' infamous bosses, it's an undeniable fact that ranged weapons just aren't as good as a trusty sword or axe. However, Elden Ring seeks to change this.
As well as making magic much more viable than in its previous games, FromSoftware has gone to great lengths to ensure that ranged weapons feel much better to use. While Elden Ring certainly seems to favor bows, the game's small assortment of crossbows are all fairly solid.
S-Tier
- Full Moon Crossbow: Generally considered to be the best crossbow in Elden Ring, and one of the best ranged weapons overall, the Full Moon Crossbow is certainly worth of an S-ranking. Though it has the lowest damage output of all Elden Ring's crossbows, only causing 50 points of physical damage per hit, the Full Moon Crossbow also causes 50 points of magic damage with each successful shot. This 50/50 damage split makes the Full Moon Crossbow extremely helpful when it comes to taking down foes with a weakness to magic. However, this extra damage does come at a cost, with the crossbow requiring a pretty lofty Intelligence stat of 14 to wield properly.
- Pulley Crossbow: The Pulley Crossbow is one of the hardest hitting weapons in its category, with a base damage stat of 65. However, on top of this great damage output, the Pulley Crossbow has a pretty substantial trick up its sleeve: the ability to fire three arrows at once. If all three arrows land at once, that's a minimum damage output of 195, which can only get higher with upgrades and better arrows. Throw in the Kick weapon skill, and the Pulley Crossbow is one of the best ranged weapons in Elden Ring, as it has a surprising amount of versatility.
A-Tier
- Arbalest: Taken straight from FromSoftware's Souls series, the Arbalest packs an incredibly mean punch, dishing out 69 damage per hit. This makes it the most powerful crossbow in Elden Ring, aside from the Pulley Crossbow. A decent range stat of 42 makes this a solid option for a sniper build, although it does require 18 Strength to wield efficiently.
- Crepus' Black-Key Crossbow: The ideal crossbow for a sniper build in Elden Ring, the Crepus' Black-Key Crossbow has a great range stat of 47, along with the second-highest damage output for a crossbow, that being 68. This crossbow has the farthest range of Elden Ring's crossbows, and is as close as this weapon type gets to a bow or greatbow.
B-Tier
- Heavy Crossbow: Nothing too special, the Heavy Crossbow doesn't really offer a special trait or unique feature, but it does still pack a decent punch. With a base damage output of 64, the Heavy Crossbow is a mile ahead of the crossbows at the bottom of this tier list, but doesn't do enough on its own to reach the upper echelons.
C-Tier
- Light Crossbow: The final two crossbows on this tier list are essentially the same weapon, only with slightly different stats. The Light Crossbow offers a slightly higher damage output of 58, but aside from that, it's quickly made redundant by the rest of Elden Ring's ranged weapons.
- Soldier's Crossbow: The Soldier's Crossbow meets the same fate, with an even lower damage output of 54. The slight saving grace of this crossbow is that it only weights 3.5, but even then, it's outshone by the Full Moon Crossbow, which only has a weight of 2.5.
Elden Ring is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.