Ranking the Best Bows From Weak to Legendary in Horizon Forbidden West

Published 04/26/2023, 8:20 AM EDT

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Horizon Forbidden West takes Aloy on a new adventure across the mysterious Forbidden West, where she encounters new enemies. So she would need to have the proper equipment to fight them. One of the primary weapon choices in the game is a bow. The game offers three categories of bows: Hunter, Snapshot, and Warrior.

Hunter bows are good for medium-range combat, while Snapshot is best when the player prefers to have some distance between them and the enemy. Finally comes the Warrior Bow, which is best suited in close-range battles. So let’s find out which bow is the best in Horizon Forbidden West.

10. Acid Warrior Bow

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Acid Warrior Bow is a rare weapon in this action RPG game that is best suited to shoot Acid Light and Shock Light Arrows. It has some excellent Acid Buildup and Damage along with Shock Buildup and Damage.

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As for improvements, this rare bow can be upgraded four times. This Warrior Bow can be bought for 549 Metal Shards and one Bristleback Circulator at Carja Camp and Plainsong.

9. Purgewater Hunter Bow

Purgewater Hunter Bow is also a rare bow that is best for firing Purgewater Hunter and Acid Hunter Arrows. This bow drenches the enemy, as it applies the Purgewater status effect on them. You should pair this Hunter Bow with a weapon that does elemental damage.

You can buy the Purgewater Hunter Bow for 632 Metal Shards and one Lancehorn Circulator from Raintrace and Scalding Spear. Further, this bow can also be found at Bleeding Mark when Aloy visits this location after completing the side quest, “The Deluge”.

8. Piercing Sharpshot Bow

The Piercing Sharpshot Bow is a rare weapon that is best suited for tearing up multiple foes at once. It is best to use Precision and Strikethrough Precision Arrows with this bow. Further, using the latter with this bow increases the damage by 15%.

This sharpshot bow can be found inside a cache in Rebel Camp: The Hive’s command center. It can be later upgraded four times to reach the max potential.

7. Adhesive Warrior Bow

It is a very rare bow that is best for knocking down enemies, as it slows them down and prevents them from moving fast or jumping around. Players should use Light or Adhesive Light Arrows with this Warrior Bow.

Players can get this Warrior Bow from the Merchant at Abadund (Hidden Ember), Fleet’s End, and Lowland’s Path. This bow would cost players 1062 Metal Shards, one Large Machine Core, and one Rockbreaker Circulator.

To get this Adhesive Warrior Bow to its maximum potential, players need to upgrade it five times.

6. Lightning Hunter Bow

Those who do a lot of sliding and jumping in combat should go for the Lightning Hunter Bow, as it deals 15% more damage when firing from such positions. This bow has great Shock and Purgewater damage, so players should use Shock Hunter, Advanced Shock Hunter, and Advanced Purgewater Hunter Arrow.

You will get access to this very rare bow upon completing the side quest, “Need to Know”, and can upgrade this Lightning Hunter Bow five times to get the best out of it.

5. Glowblast Sharpshot Bow

Glowblast Sharpshot Bow is a very rare weapon that is best for those who like firing from a height, as it does 15% more damage while at a higher position. It is one of the best bows because it deals Plasma damage. So, players should use Plasma Precision, Precision, and Tear Precision Arrows.

You can get this rare Sharpshot Bow from the Merchant at Raintrace, Thornmarsh, and the Outside The Base in the later stage of the game. This bow would cost 1035 Metal Shards, one Large Machine Core, and one Thunderjaw Circulator. It can also be upgraded five times.

4. Carja’s Bane

The best Warrior Bow that you can find in Horizon Forbidden West is Carja’s Bane. When firing mid-air or while sliding, as well as against foes Corroded by Acid damage, this legendary bow deals 10% more damage. Light and Fire Light Arrows are best suited with this weapon.

You can only add this legendary Warrior Bow to your collection after completing all Gauntlet Runs. Further, Carjas’s Bane can be upgraded five times to get the best results in a fight.

3. Death Seeker’s Shadow

One of the elite Hunter Bows in this game is Death Seeker’s Shadow. This legendary Hunter Bow delivers 10% more damage to Shocked foes and has a 5% critical hit chance. It should only be used to shoot Advanced Hunter, Advanced Shock Hunter, and Targeting Hunter Arrows.

This Hunter Bow cannot be bought. You can only get it from Dukkah after redeeming 80 medals from The Arena. Further. Death Seeker’s Shadow can be upgraded five times.

2. The Sun Scourge

Horizon Forbidden West features an even better Hunter Bow than Death Seeker’s Shadow. The best Hunter Bow is The Sun Scourge, which is a legendary weapon that can do three elemental damage. You can only use Advanced Acid Hunter, Advanced Fire Hunter, and Advanced Frost Hunter Arrows with this bow.

This legendary bow has a 2% chance of immediately causing foes to Brittle, as well as doing 10% more damage while sliding or shooting mid-air. It can only be acquired by defeating and looting Asera in Rebel Camp: First Forge. Like other legendary bows, it can be upgraded five times.

1. Forgefall

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The legendary Forgefall is the best Sharpshot Bow in the game. It has a 25% improved draw speed and 10% improved damage while in Concentration. This bow inflicts Plasma damage, so players should use Advanced Precision, Plasma Precision, and Advanced Plasma Precision Arrows with it.

Like Death Seeker’s Shadow, players can only get Forgefall from Dukkah after redeeming 80 medals from The Arena. This legendary bow can also be upgraded five times to get the strongest bow in the game.

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With these ten bows, players would be able to dominate in Horizon Forbidden West. Let us know if any of these bows matches your style in the game.

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Written by:

Ripan Majumdar

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Ripan Majumdar is a senior eSports writer at EssentiallySports. With an impressive portfolio of over 1500 articles, Ripan has established himself as a prominent voice in the gaming community, providing valuable insights and expert analysis on topics ranging from streamers and creators to AAA video games. Ripan's love for gaming dates back to his early childhood, when he was captivated by the timeless gem of a game, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, which sparked his eSports journey.
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Edited by:

Jito Tenson