Are Bows Useless? : V - Skyrim

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:08 pm

Archery, Light Armor, Sneak ftw. One hand if you want to melee at all but the idea is that nothing gets near you.

» Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:52 am

Bows are damned powerful. You just need a helluva lot of stamina to be able to sprint and bash often enough to get away and fire more volleys. It takes some practice with the aim and the retreating, but bows are probably the most powerful build when you get them down. You can handle several mammoths and giants at once with a bow if you do it correctly, something no other build can say.

» Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:43 am

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

HELL TO THE NO!

Bows are really powerful, in short time you will find out using the correct perks that you can kill most thing in one shot.
However it might be too hard to ONLY rely on them since if you have too many enemies coming at you, you wont have time to take them all out, so a back up is good.
Like one-handed or two-handed, also no problem leveling them up as you play to make them strong.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:06 pm

You can handle several mammoths and giants at once with a bow if you do it correctly, something no other build can say.

Not true, a sword and shield build can easily handle a situation like that. I know I get bored and go do it sometimes. Sword and Shield is so good I have actually stopped getting hit by anything other than arrows, spells, and shouts.

Not to take away from archery, just saying there are other equally powerful builds.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 11:15 am

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

Bows are freaking awsome dude. I finally got the Nightingale Bow from the thieves guild. Most powerful bow in the game I believe and I am having fun. Archers FTW!

I would recommend putting perks in Archery and then going into putting perks into sneak until you get the bow perk. Then you're set.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:38 pm

Bows are freaking awsome dude. I finally got the Nightingale Bow from the thieves guild. Most powerful bow in the game I believe and I am having fun. Archers FTW!

I would recommend putting perks in Archery and then going into putting perks into sneak until you get the bow perk. Then you're set.

Agree totally man. I was doing that one Deadric Quest (the 'drinking buddy' one). My character is an aspiring Breton Battle Mage, but when faced with all those Necromancers with their superior mage skills they were making short work of him. What finally worked for me though was using a combination of sneak and the Nightingale Bow, both of course acquired through my time with the Thieving Guild.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:37 am

bows are great! you can make people take an arrow in the knee

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:04 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDmxtRPoGk, at 0:43. Tell me bows aren't awesome.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:08 pm

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

I find the bow to be a good tool. However you will still need to carry some type of blade.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:41 pm

Sneak + Archery = Godmode

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:24 pm

Ive been using bows since the beginning of playing skyrim, and its simple. At range I can do a lot of damage but when they get in close I take out a sword n slash. Ive leveld archery and lvled perks, so after a while a bow is very powerful. And I never used them in oblivion where you could just run backwards and kill people easily while shooting arrows at them running full speed reverse lol.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:10 pm

bows are great! you can make people take an arrow in the knee

Exactly. Because if you haven't heard, every guard in Skyrim is partially crippled due to taking an arrow in the knee lol!

As annoying and lame it is hearing that phrase all the time, it makes for great Skyrim jokes. I hope they don't remove it with a patch due to the mockery

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:18 pm

There are no useless skills or weapons in the game.

Lockpicking and Speech are about as useless as it gets.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:27 pm

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

They are weak initially. If you go heavy sneak and archery perks, it will be anything but weak.

The Elven and Glass bows available later are pretty beast too.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 2:46 pm

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

Bows start out weak, but get immensely strong around levels 20 - 25, especially coupled with sneak attack bonuses (you don't even need anything in the stealth tree for it to still be extremely strong). They aren't so hot without a companion or summons to tank for you inside of dungeons though, even with power shot. Playing with only bows is entirely viable as long as you have something to tank for you. Otherwise, you'll want to invest into the stealth tree for Cheapo Warrior and then the game is entirely trivialized.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:16 pm

Oh no absolutely not.

Magic may be quite underpowered but playing a sneaky bowsman is really statisfying.
Combine sneak, alchemy and archery to debilitate and kill most enemies before they even see you.

Use a dagger with the same poison you would use on your arrows for when they get too close, maybe a harder damage health.

Remember that both level of arrow as level of bow influence total damage.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:51 pm

So I'm only like 10 hours into my first character/game and already I've decided to start over with a new character. mainly because I really rushed through everything and missed a lot so I wanna start fresh and experience the game proper. I want my character to stricly use bows for everything but it seems like they are a very weak weapon of choice.

If I chose to just use a bow for most of the time, would my chances of dyeing 100 times increase greatly? lol

stealth + archery = win

trust me. unlike OB where you can run (back facing guards, being bombarded with arrows) knowing your safe, archery in skyrim is a VERY real threat

guards will shoot you down like a dog if givin the oppurtunity

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:06 pm

Bows are the best, when you have 100% effective use with it, and tie in the stealth bonus's its spectacular.

Tie in slow time and quick draw..... you're untouchable

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:30 pm

I'm an archer and I manage just fine.
Some enemies can be horrible to be faced with, but then we have poisons, shouts and 'peek-a-boo' shots.
Facing a dragon and some kind of undead priest at the same time was dreadful but that's what made it fun.

Hey! Long time no see

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:50 pm

protip: aim for the knees

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 10:39 am

Projectile drop is [censored]. BUT if you can manage to land your arrows on mark, the bow is one of the deadliest offensive paths in the game (when combined with sneak), especially with the higher level marksman perks.

EDIT FOR CLARITY.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:06 pm

Wow, I use bows quite a lot but never thought to look into Conjuring up a Bound Bow. Does the Bound Bow damage scale like regular bows do? For example, the wiki lists Elven Bows as a base 13 damage, but with skill and everything else I get much higher of course. Is it the same with the Bound Bow (base 18, or 24 with the Mystic Binding perk)?

Also, do you still need to equip arrows for use with a Bound Bow or do they come with the spell?

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:15 pm

ive never even played a Elder Scrolls game before Skyrim and even i know Archery is a awesome mode! dude sort it out!

i can understand that he's worried because he probably played oblivion... try that one and tell me bows are awesome. even on low difficulty and high marksman skill you'll still have to put about a thousand arrows into a mudcrab to kill it lol. but to answer the question bows are awesome i use one all the time that's not even enchanted and i get the job done.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 3:13 pm

I only use bows on one character. Considering he just backs and has the stumbler perk which gives him plenty of extra room.

» Wed Dec 14, 2011 1:15 pm

yeah bows are pretty much useless.. now if you use them with arrows and invest on the perks they can be one of the most powerfull weapons in the game