Anyone use a crossbow much?

Playing a low level run, it's amazing how many weapons you start trying out, and discover you like, simply because you don't have as many options. Since I can't spend money on leveling, I tend to upgrade a lot. I had never used a crossbow much, except for Avelyn on a playthrough. But since putting some upgrades into the light crossbow, I'm finding it can be pretty handy in places. Any suggestions for an upgrade path that might be helpful later in the game on any enemies? I realize it's not really a boss killer, but it's getting over 100 damage against Balder knights at +5, and what I love even more is it staggers enemies, so you can usually get a follow up shot before they close range.

All the time, and I usually go for the Lightning upgrade with either Lightning or Heavy bolts.

Awesome...lightning is what I was thinking, since so many enemies are vulnerable to it.

My +5 Lightning Avelyn is my second most fav weapon in the game, and it is my prefered finishing weapon in PvP.

Low level playthrough... good luck with fuelling it with souls. Lightning bolts are 700 souls each. I'd stick with a light/heavy crossbow +15 with wood/regular/heavy bolts.

Lightning is viable in PvP because you can rack up so many souls, but a low level playthrough... not so much. Money is better spent elsewhere.

Avelyn is 2100 souls each time you hit the trigger... not cheap.

IV_Mark_VI wrote:Low level playthrough... good luck with fuelling it with souls. Lightning bolts are 700 souls each. I'd stick with a light/heavy crossbow +15 with wood/regular/heavy bolts.

Lightning is viable in PvP because you can rack up so many souls, but a low level playthrough... not so much. Money is better spent elsewhere.

Avelyn is 2100 souls each time you hit the trigger... not cheap.

I would have thought low level run equals more souls to spend on weapons since your not really leveling.

But I only really use the crossbow as a way to aggro enemies, But I have been wanting to try it out fully.

They do, but they have less ways of earning them. So once they're gone, you can't really pvp or help kill many bosses to earn souls. You'd have to farm them yourself.

Also, you can die more often losing precious souls.

I use crossbows in PvP STR builds, and they work very well (Heavy Crossbow can stun low poise wizards trying to back off and cast).

In my experience with a SL1 playthrough, I spent my souls on different gear for different situations (upgrading Dingy for 4kings fight, for example). Getting something with high lit resistance (O&S), high magic resistance, and various shields (Crest Shield, Grass Crest). I really wouldn't want to spend 700 souls per shot on something that does marginally better than 3 souls per shot. An extra 50 damage? Big deal.

Gazman0169 wrote:All the time, and I usually go for the Lightning upgrade with either Lightning or Heavy bolts.

Yeah me too. Usually I use it as a back-up weapon or just to ahve some fun.
Avelyn is cool too.

I've never had any problems keeping my Crossbows fully stocked with ammo, but then again I do tend to farm quite a bit. Still if you find you're struggling keep the Lightning and Heavy bolts for the more trickier enemies, or any invaders, and stick with Standard or Wooden for your every day run of the mill enemies.

You can also do that, have two crossbows but you shouldn't have any invaders unless you sin, or are in the burg/parish.

I am one that farms as little as possible. It's why I can't stand games like Diablo, Everquest, World of Warcraft... I hate farming. I'd rather die 5 times against a boss with subpar gear then farm for the best stuff and beat it on the first go. But that's just me.

I've used the light and heavy crossbows quite a bit, and the light is great for knocking off small enemies (damn mosquitoes) or firing a quick shot. It's weight is also not too bad, but in my experience both crossbows are heavy enough to push you into the mid weight category on a low level run. So normally, I equip them depending on the situation, then unequip them. Normally they're not part of a permanent build unless I don't care about weight. 3.5 units of weight for a ranged weapon is excessive on a SL1 run. Better used on armour, in my opinion.

M8 not me, if there were a yokel class I'd be on it in a heartbeat!

I doubt I'd use any of the high priced bolts, since I'm only using in PvE, so I have lots of time to just take follow up shots. But those are definitely good points about using the souls wisely. I won't be getting a lot of them.

IV_Mark_VI wrote: in my experience both crossbows are heavy enough to push you into the mid weight category on a low level run. So normally, I equip them depending on the situation, then unequip them. Normally they're not part of a permanent build unless I don't care about weight. 3.5 units of weight for a ranged weapon is excessive on a SL1 run. Better used on armour, in my opinion.

The weight works well with my Bandit knife loadout. If I'm saving pyro for a boss, then I would probably equip the knife/crossbow. For the boss, I'd switch back to the pyro/longsword.

Unless you don't mind fighting the gargoyles a hundred times, be wise with your souls. The best place to farm souls is Anor Londo with the Silver Knights, or the forest folk I think.

I really recommend just going for a +15 crossbow; you'd be surprised what kind of damage it can dish out.

What's your current character? The only low level playthrough I've done is a SL1. If I was going to do it, I'd do it with the lowest level character (however, I think Cleric would be a harder run). Pyro is actually pretty good stat allocation for a low level run.

One thing to be warey of, according to this Wiki a Heavy Crossbow ascended to Lightning will NOT dish out any Lightning damage, and so don't even bother.

IV_Mark_VI wrote:
I really recommend just going for a +15 crossbow; you'd be surprised what kind of damage it can dish out.

What's your current character? The only low level playthrough I've done is a SL1. If I was going to do it, I'd do it with the lowest level character (however, I think Cleric would be a harder run). Pyro is actually pretty good stat allocation for a low level run.

I'm doing it with a Pyromancer, level 5 (I added 3 to dex, and one to endurance). I like the build. Good options for weapons, a couple of attunement slots, and enough equip load for a light armor set @ 25% roll. I probably could have just done the level 1 play, since I mostly use the bow for luring anyway (which it would have done even without the stats). I haven't gone up against the really tough areas though, like Anor Londo or the big bosses.

Heavy crossbows don't deal lightning damage when upgraded to Lightning? I've never tried it but... that's odd. Bug I guess.

Yeah you don't need the Dex. Crossbow works fine. For luring, you can just use positioning to aggro one enemy usually.

What rings are you using? Havels and DWGR were my choices.

Right now I have the RoFaP, and then I would swap in a variety of others. Don't have Havel's yet, but I probably could go get it anytime (Pyro is ascended to +2 and I have big fire spells). I'm still unsure of taking of the RoFaP. The loss of extra HP would suck. Although I guess the extra equip room would allow for better armor. I'm also thinking of using one of the rings for extra attunement slots in certain areas (like ToG) so I can clear some enemies with pyro, then just scrap the slot once it's used up.

i love the ligh/heavy crossbow, its pretty good for pve and awesome for pvp, specially against pyro and finihsing up opponents. if you practice long enough its really good for countering backstabs but the bows are a lot eaiser to do it with though but crosbows are faster.

you need lightning bolts to deal lightning damage, i prefer +15 always, it hits harder then lightning.

RoFaP is an excellent one. The other one I'd get is DWGR over havels; you want to fast roll with a low level build. YOu could do it I guess with a med roll but it'd be hard..

@Rant: does that statement apply to light and heavy crossbows?

Oh, and I was wrong about the weight. Thought it was 3.5 for light and 5.5 for heavy, but it's actually only 3 and 5 respectively. Still heavy for a low level run.

yeah, making it elmental does nothing, you need the right bolts. dont waste souls on that though, make it +15 and if youre doing a low sl run and cant use a bow go with the light xbow.

Yep +15 is better, elemental does nothing for crossbows.

And a maxed Avelyn with Lightning Bolts is really deadly in PvP. Use it with a DMB+3 buffed WP and you got a deadly weapon setup.

Just so I understand this, is it that the lightning bolts don't work well with a lightning xbow? Is that why it's better to take it to 15, and then use the lightning bolts? Or are you saying that the elemental addition to the xbos is just not worth the time or the ore?

reg will hit harder, on pvp and i think its the same for pve too, i tested it on the anor giants and reg did more damage.