Baldur’s Gate 3 has many great bows for ranged characters to choose from, and the selection can almost be overwhelming. Here are the best bows you can find during your adventures in BG3.
The Best Bows in Baldur’s Gate 3 (BG3)
With every character being able to equip some sort of ranged weapon, there is no shortage of bows in BG3. You’ll find crossbows, short bows, long bows, and heavy crossbows up for grabs everywhere you go throughout the game. And with the right bow equipped, your ranged characters can become an untouchable force of nature. So here’s a full list of the best bows you’ll want to keep an out for in BG3.
5: Bow of the Banshee
The Bow of the Banshee is a rare weapon that can easily be found by either buying it or looting it from Corsair Greymon in the Grymforge. Considering how relatively early the bow can be found, it’s a solid choice for any ranged character in BG3.
This particular shortbow will allow its wielder to inflict Blood-Curdling Emission, which has the possibility of inflicting Frightened on the enemy. This can be very useful for keeping enemies away from you or your party during tough fights with lots of melee combatants that are susceptible to fear.
4. Darkfire Shortbow
This shortbow can be found during the second act of BG3. Assuming he’s still alive in your playthrough, Dammon at the Last Light Inn sells the Darkfire Shortbow. This is not a bad midgame weapon to have in your party, especially considering the nice resistances it offers.
The Darkfire Shortbow makes anyone who wields it resistant to fire and cold damage. It also allows you to cast Haste on yourself once per long rest. It’s nothing overly special regarding damage, but those bonus resistances will be super useful for many big fights in Act Two and beyond.
3: Gontr Mael
This is truly one of the best longbows in Baldur’s Gate 3. The downside is that it’s unavailable until the final act of the game. To acquire it, you’ll have to take down the Steel Watch Titan at the Steel Watch Foundry. Still, depending on your build, the Gontr Mael could be a devastating legendary weapon for any ranged arsenal.
What makes the Gontr Mael so dangerous is its Promised Victory ability. Upon any successful hit with the bow, you’ll have a chance to hit an enemy with a Guiding Bolt spell as well. Given the bow’s already massive 1d8+3 damage, there’s a lot of potential for stacking some serious damage with the right character.
On top of this, you can access five turns of Haste without the burden of Lethargy afterward. Finally, the bow also grants the ability to inflict Radiant damage on any enemy. This is a ridiculously overpowered weapon, which makes sense given its late arrival in BG3.
2. Titanstring Bow
This longbow can be purchased from Brem in the Zhentarim Hideout during the first act of Baldur’s Gate 3. On the surface, this seems like a perfectly powerful early-game weapon that will soon outwear its welcome once better options come along. In reality, the true potential for the Titanstring Bow can be unlocked if you’re willing to take some extra steps.
This particular bow grants additional damage based on a character’s strength modifier in addition to the normal dexterity that comes along with calculating a bow’s damage. This information alone may make the bow seem useless to ranged characters without much in the way of actual strength. However, if you’re balancing the two, this could have the potential for some big damage.
But even if you’re not interested in pumping up your strength through levels, there are ways to do so artificially. Get your hands on an Elixir of Cloud Giant Strength or an Elixir of Hill Giant Strength to boost your stat until a long rest. The former will boost it to 27, while the latter will get you up to 21. This can make the Titanstring Bow an absolutely unstoppable bow in Baldur’s Gate 3 if you feel like taking those extra steps.
1. The Dead Shot
This is another bow that can’t be found until the final act of BG3, but the Dead Shot is a truly remarkable piece for any build centering around critical damage. This very rare bow can be purchased from Fytz the Firecracker at the Stormshore Armoury in the Lower City. Like the Titanstring Bow, you’ll need to do some extra steps in order to get the absolute most out of the Dead Shot, but even without elixirs and attack types, it’s a very powerful bow on its own.
First, the Dead Shot reduces the rolls for critical attacks by one, which can also be stacked. It also doubles proficiency bonuses for attack rolls unless you’re already disadvantaged for the attack. Combined with the Sharpshooter ability, this can be an absolutely dangerous bow. Add an Elixir of Bloodlust on top of this, and you’ll become the best of the best, clearing a battlefield in no time with your ranger or rogue.
Those are all the best bows in BG3, but remember that not all of these bows will work with every ranged build—experiment and try to find a weapon that works with your play style. And if something isn’t working, you can find out how to respec in Baldur’s Gate 3 and hopefully get better results.
