Archery is one of the most engaging playstyles in Skyrim. The focus on landing arrows from long distances is a fun experience that nothing else can compare to. Combining archery with stealth also results in some of the strongest builds in the game.
Like all builds, however, gear is incredibly important. While crafting will remain the best for most builds, bows have a wide range of unique options that can make leveling an archer easier. A few bows can even be taken to the hardest content Skyrim has to offer. Here is every unique bow in Skyrim ranked from worst to best.
Updated on December 4, 2022, by Aldous Foster: Skyrim has now passed its 11th birthday and is still going strong thanks to its dedicated fan base and modding community. It has also recently been updated with the release of the Anniversary edition, which incorporated the creation club content into the game.
No matter the version, however, archery builds will always be one of the best ways to play through the game. As such, players wanting to learn about the best unique bows and where to find them should read on.
15 Froki's Bow
It is clear that Bethesda intended Froki's Bow to be an early-game bow that players would upgrade out of later. The issue is that this bow is objectively worse than a standard Long Bow. It deals the same 6 points of base damage as a Long Bow, and has the same attack speed, yet contains a rather lackluster Stamina damage enchantment that is hardly noticeable in combat.
Worst of all, it requires Iron Ingots to upgrade instead of Firewood which makes this weapon impossible to upgrade beyond Flawless without Smithing-enhancing armor or potion effects. If players wish to add this item to their collection, it can be found east of Whiterun in a cave called Graywinter watch.
14 Dravin's Bow
Quest items can be handy early-game for players that need an accessible upgrade. While Dravin's Bow is an upgrade to common Long Bows, it isn't much better than most bows players can find in dungeons or even from merchants. Since it's a quest item, it also tends to bug out and become inseparable from a player's inventory even after the quest ends.
Players wishing to complete this quest or collect this bow should talk to Dravin Llanith, at the farm near the Riften stables. However, for a base damage of 7, it's not really worth keeping.
13 Angi's Bow
Angi's Bow is the same as Dravin's Bow except it isn't a quest item. Players get this unique Hunting Bow rather early by completing an unmarked NPC quest. It isn't bad for how early players receive it, but it is nothing of note besides the unique name.
The quest is an archery competition between the Dragonborn and Angi, who can be found in a secluded hut south of Falkreath.
12 Drainspell Bow
With a base damage of 14, the Drainspell Bow looks quite good. This Ancient Nordic bow is one of the better unique bows in Skyrim in terms of damage output, but its enchantment is rather lacking compared to its competition. To find it, players must join the College of Winterhold and play through "The Staff of Magnus" quest.
Absorbing Magicka is a strange property for an archer that is likely focused on Stamina. That said, the Drainspell Bow is solid for mages that wish to have a means of restoring Magicka from a safe distance. Its enchantment doesn't last long, however. Four hits are all it takes for the enchantment to dissipate and require recharging.
11 Bow Of The Hunt
The Bow of the Hunt is a major step up compared to previous entries on the list. While it may do a measly 10 damage base, it deals 20 extra points of damage to animals. This bonus applies to Wolves, Bears, Werewolves, and most non-humanoid creatures that roam Skyrim's landscape.
It's a solid bow that the player can get early on in their playthrough by visiting Clearspring Tarn. The bow is made even better by the fact that it cannot be disenchanted.
10 Gauldur Blackbow
Gauldur's Blackbow is what the Drainspell Bow should have been. Not only does the enchantment on this bow last longer, but it absorbs up to 30 points of Magicka per hit instead of 15 based on what level the player is when they obtain it. It also benefits from the Dwarven Smithing perk, allowing for a suitable backup weapon for mages or builds that rely on Magicka.
This considerable weapon has a base damage of 14, and can be gained by defeating Sigdis Gauldurson during the "Forbidden Legend" quest.
9 Firiniel's End
For players that want a bow that packs a punch, Firiniel's End is a solid choice. While it has one of Skyrim's slowest bow draw times, it makes up for that with a decent base damage of 13 and strong enchantment that deals 20 points of Frost damage to Health and Stamina.
Only Dark Brotherhood members will get an opportunity to obtain this weapon, as it is found during the quest "Bound Until Death", but it's worth it for bow fans that want a hard-hitting option.
8 Karliah's Bow
Players might not be familiar with Karliah's Bow. This weapon is technically inaccessible, but those crafty with console commands or mods can spawn it for players to use.
It's a strong weapon that deals 25 points of damage base at the cost of slow draw time. If it benefited from Smithing perks and could be used without cheats or mods, this would likely be the strongest bow in Skyrim in terms of raw damage.
7 Ruin's Edge
Initially added by the creation club quest "The Edge of Ruin", this impressive weapon is now part of the Anniversary edition. Although its base damage of 12 and the high tempering cost of a Daedra Heart are not the most impressive, its appearance and enchantment are so unique that players will certainly want to get this bow for themselves. The enchantment applies a random status effect to targets upon hit, some of which are quite strong. It has a decent chance to deal 25 points of frost damage or apply the fear or frenzy effects, and a slightly smaller chance to drain the opponent's Magicka by 1000. It also has a very small chance to paralyze enemies.
Although these effects are strong, they are also unreliable due to their random nature. This means that although this weapon is certainly fun and unique, it is not one of the best weapons in the game. Players wishing to try it out for themselves, however, should travel to the eastern edge of the map and find Stony Creek Cave.
6 Nightingale Bow
Similar to the Gauldur Blackbow, the Nightingale Bow is better if the player is at a higher level upon receiving it. At level 46, the Nightingale Bow deals a whopping 19 base damage, 30 points of Frost damage, and 15 points of Shock.
Needless to say, this weapon packs a serious punch that is only brought down by having the slowest draw time in the game. It is a great tool for sneaky characters as they play through the Thieves Guild questline, gaining this bow as a reward for the "Blindsided" quest.
5 Glass Bow Of The Stag Prince
On the surface, the Glass Bow of the Stag Prince is a normal Glass Bow with no effects that enhance its damage. It won't buff a player's damage output, but this is a fantastic bow for buffing core archer stats. Every 20 animals killed with this bow will increase a player's maximum Health and Stamina by 5 points, capping out at 25 points at 80 kills.
If players can invest resources into upgrading this weapon, few weapons in Skyrim can offer the benefits this bow can. This bow has a base damage of 16 and can be bought or pickpocketed from Falas Selvayn on Solstheim during the Dragonborn DLC.
4 Dwarven Black Bow Of Fate
Introduced in the Dragonborn DLC, the Dwarven Black Bow of Fate is a normal Dwarven Bow on the surface with a powerful enchantment. Similar to the Chaos enchantment, this bow has a 50% chance to absorb 25 points of Health, Magicka, or Stamina. This is objectively better than Chaos enchantments as it gives the 25 points of damage back to the player's respective resource pool. Each attribute type has its own 50% chance to activate, meaning it isn't uncommon to have 2 effects go off at once.
This strong enchantment more than makes up for its mediocre 13 points of base damage and so players may wish to make their way to Kagrumez, near the Temple of Miraak.
3 Zephyr
Zephyr is one of the strongest bows in Skyrim. It has the same base damage as a Dwarven Bow at 13, but the attack speed of a Long Bow.
Since it attacks so fast, it's a prime candidate for using poison-dipped arrows or special arrows to shut down foes from any distance. Few bows can match this weapon's sheer attack speed and damage per second. It can also be obtained rather early by entering Arkngthamz, southeast of Markath.
2 Bow Of Shadows
Added by the Anniversary edition, the Bow of Shadows is a stealth archer's best friend. The base damage is an incredible 19 and the enchantment grants it a faster attack speed and automatically casts invisibility on the carrier when drawn. By redrawing the weapon after a kill, the player can remain almost completely undetected when taking out enemies, profiting from the massive stealth damage bonuses while they do so.
To obtain this Daedric artifact, players should pick up the quest called "In the Shadows", given by Proventus Avenicci in Dragonsreach. They must also be careful while doing so, however, because if they obtain this weapon while trying a different playthrough, they may quickly find themselves being tempted into playing as a stealth archer yet again.
1 Auriel's Bow
Auriel's Bow is so strong that a cult of vampires and vampire hunters are scrambling to uncover this weapon. Most of the Dragonborn DLC is spent obtaining it, and Auriel's Bow is more than worth the trouble. It deals a solid 13 points of base damage with a good draw time, attacks as fast as Zephyr, deals 20 Sun damage per hit (that upgrades to 60 if it's an undead target), and can eclipse the sun in either darkness or light.
Under darkness, vampires don't suffer from negative effects and can spawn vampire raids in various cities. When the sun is brightened, the sky itself becomes a weapon. God rays fall from the heavens and devastate foes similar to the Storm Call shout. Auriel's Bow is the best unique bow in Skyrim by a considerable margin.