Crystal Bows are awesome...

Damage
The crystal upgrade path is normally a 10% increase in AR for the scaling weapon, it increases base damage, but does not affect scaling. However, bows are a unique case because they are granted a 60% increase in AR.

If you take at look at this: Comparison. You'll notice that Maxed Crystal Bows are on par with regular large weapons (Ultra Greatswords and Great Clubs) while they will outclass any other melee weapon, even their crystal versions.

Crystal Bows = Quick, ranged UGS and Great Clubs. Imagine the headshots!
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This is interesting information. Thanks for sharing! Looks like I'll be using a lot of Crystal Short Bows from now on.

My suggestion, only use short bow because its the only one that can be found infinitely in 1 playthrough (Aside from the Longbow, but that is a rare drop). If you go quality build, use the Longbow. If you go Dexterity only, use the Short Bow with Phari's bow being the most powerful option.

I'm using normal bows and usage really eats through their durability fast, wouldn't Crystal versions break after just a few shots then?

East Wood Grain Ring. There is also a small strategy players use which is to leave crystal weapons at +4 then upgrade them to +5 to restore their durability. It is also why I suggest a short bow, so you can restock on crystal bows. Every other bow is either once per playthrough on a rare drop.

But really, a few shots? Each shot is the equivalent of a UGS slash and if you combine that with a hyper mode strategy, then...

I think that the calculator is incorrect. I just made a crystal longbow +4 to see for myself, and with large arrows it's giving me 407 attack rating on my character with 40 dex, 16 str, compared to the 575 that mugenmonkey says I'd get with crystal +5. I don't have a slab to preview the attack rating increase from +4 to +5, but I'm guessing that it will be less than 168...

Also, crystal bows have 10 durability.

Too bad, that would have been pretty cool. Now Gough's Greatbow with Gough's arrows on my 50str 20dex... that's a good time.

I think that the calculator is incorrect. I just made a crystal longbow
+4 to see for myself, and with large arrows it's giving me 407 attack
rating on my character with 40 dex, 16 str, compared to the 575 that
mugenmonkey says I'd get with crystal +5. I don't have a slab to preview
the attack rating increase from +4 to +5, but I'm guessing that it will
be less than 168...

Also, crystal bows have 10 durability.

Too bad, that would have been pretty cool. Now Gough's Greatbow with Gough's arrows on my 50str 20dex... that's a good time.

Dreams shattered

That calculator is off most of the times.

Whilst on the subject of bows. Why does the Pharis bow underperform for me? My character has 47 dex & 50 strength but my Composite Bow +15 out performs it. It's a mystery. I'd look it up on the wiki but I can't read the right hand column because for some reason the page isn't central on my lap top. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Perhaps because the Composite sacrifices range for more power? I used to love the range of the Pahris bow but the Longbow is still fine.

Thanks Automancer. I still find the Pharis bow a disappointment though.

Pharis Bow can be pretty fun with Hawk Ring in PVE. Underwhelming in PVP though.

SlakeMoth wrote:Whilst on the subject of bows. Why does the Pharis bow underperform for me? My character has 47 dex & 50 strength but my Composite Bow +15 out performs it. It's a mystery. I'd look it up on the wiki but I can't read the right hand column because for some reason the page isn't central on my lap top. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Pharis scales only with Dex, while Composite also scales a bit with Str.
I've got a char with 45 Dex and 28 Str and Composite is stronger than Pharis as well.

LOL like with the Moon light Grt sword at 99int it does 521.

SlakeMoth wrote:Whilst on the subject of bows. Why does the Pharis bow underperform for me? My character has 47 dex & 50 strength but my Composite Bow +15 out performs it. It's a mystery. I'd look it up on the wiki but I can't read the right hand column because for some reason the page isn't central on my lap top. I'd be grateful for any suggestions.

Yeah, as has been said, the Pharis BB is all about range, while the Composite is all about high damage. The Long Bow actually does more damage than the Pharis Bow too, but you can't snipe with any other bow like you can with the Pharis. I still use it with some of my dex toons. My stealth toon in particular. Try combining the Hawk Ring, the Pharis BB, Feather Arrows, and the Fog Ring. It's pretty awesome. I know you don't PvP a lot, but it's just as much fun with PvE.

The other night I was sniping an invader from underneath the rock rolling giant at Sens. He gave up looking for me after awhile and I started head shotting him from across pretty great distances.

Thanks Plastic, I'm going to try that. I'd +1 you but I've used up my vote today.

Oh I just did it and it worked. Ha ha.

^ Yeah, oddly I sometimes notice that I get more than one per day also. Not sure exactly how that works. Thanks though. It's a fun tactic. I've been experimenting a bit lately to see just how much range I can get with it. You can kill hollows from the bonfire at Firelink. That might be the furthest I've shot so far. It gets more range than the game allows you to see enemies in some places.

i would only cheat, to get 99 crystal composite bows and my quality pyro.
28/40 ...

i calculatet via mugenmonkey, 40/40 crystal comp. bow with large arrows has an AR of 605! hell ...

You want an example of an archer build?? Check my Berserk Archer video.

TehInfamousAmos wrote:You want an example of an archer build?? Check my Berserk Archer video.

@Amos: What's the name of the vid? I need to watch it in a different app for my phone. I'm really interested.


Anyways, I was just thinking of doing this. Now I think it's way to much of an investment.

in my opinion, the crystal weapons are great to use, the damage increase is (to me) a big factor when I pvp

the only reason why I don't use them is because I suck at pvp and I don't make the most out of it

I stopped using crystals on my second BSS mostly because I felt I couldn't utilize the weapon as well as I should

so until I get better at pvp, until next time

TehInfamousAmos wrote:You want an example of an archer build?? Check my Berserk Archer video.

I'm a bow user myself and I've been thinking about making some Crystal Shortbows, but I want to ask something, since you already have experience with it.

How long will it's durability last (without Eastwood Grain Ring)?

Is the damage difference really that big compared to +15, like the builder suggests?

:@: PlasticandRage. I tried the Pharis Bow last night against the Hydra in Dark Root Basin and it worked! Took a lot of arrows though (around 200 but I wasn't counting) but it's the first time I've ever used a bow against it (I'm in NG++). My tactic was to stay as far to the right as poss and get as close to it as I dared, take a shot and wait for it to retreat behind the trees and keep on taking pot luck shots through the trees. It took a while but at least, for the first time, I didn't drown.

SlakeMoth wrote::@: PlasticandRage. I tried the Pharis Bow last night against the Hydra in Dark Root Basin and it worked! Took a lot of arrows though (around 200 but I wasn't counting) but it's the first time I've ever used a bow against it (I'm in NG++). My tactic was to stay as far to the right as poss and get as close to it as I dared, take a shot and wait for it to retreat behind the trees and keep on taking pot luck shots through the trees. It took a while but at least, for the first time, I didn't drown.

You can actually shoot it from the top of a cliff without it being able to hit you back. Did it with a Pharis Bow +10 without a Hawk Ring, even.

Sentiel wrote:

TehInfamousAmos wrote:You want an example of an archer build?? Check my Berserk Archer video.

I'm a bow user myself and I've been thinking about making some Crystal Shortbows, but I want to ask something, since you already have experience with it.

How long will it's durability last (without Eastwood Grain Ring)?

Is the damage difference really that big compared to +15, like the builder suggests?

It lasts about 5-7 forest invasions (Crystal Short Bow). It does show a significant difference @ +5, but +4 it still does show a difference of about 60 damage (on full giants), so yeah... It is worth using them crystal - as it can be the difference between life and death - you may have noticed the 528 counter damage with the bow during the video? A normal +15 woulda been about 100 damage less there.