[Top 5] Sons of the Forest Best Arrows To Use

This guide was written during a single-player run on hard mode. Your own experiences can differ wildly depending on the difficulty and whether you’re playing with friends. 

I probably missed this shot

In a game where distance can be vital and ammo can be scarce, sometimes the most primitive of projectiles is your smartest option. Whether you’re taking advantage of building the simple crafted arrows mid-combat or whipping up an arrow that requires more ingredients than any other item in the game, arrows are going to be one of your best friends. Here are the five that I found the most helpful during my battle for survival. 

5. Crafted Arrows

Pictured with the crafted bow

Despite the fact the crafted arrows are so low on this list, I can’t stress enough how important they can be. 3D printed arrows are significantly stronger than the crafted arrows; but, despite their strength, they won’t be making it on this list at all. This comes down to obtainability; which is also the reason the 3D printed arrows didn’t beat out carbon fiber arrows.

While they might not pack the biggest punch, a headshot from a crafted arrow is by no means weak; especially towards the start of the game. Most importantly, the crafted arrow can be crafted at any time–even mid battle–with extremely easy to find materials. At the beginning of the game, I found that the crafted bow and arrows were sometimes the only thing keeping me from certain death. 

4. Carbon Fiber Arrows

These arrows are easy to scavenge since their feathers slightly glow green.

Both the carbon fiber arrows and 3D printed arrows are stronger than the crafted arrows; however, the carbon fiber arrow’s attainability is greater. While neither of the arrows can be crafted, the carbon fiber arrows can be looted from an innumerable number of places. You can frequently find them at the drop point, enemy camps, abandoned buildings, caves, and bunkers. They are usually in a suitcase.

The 3D printed arrows require a 3D printer. While you do have the ability to build a limitless amount of 3D printed arrows using the save/reload method in bunkers that have ink; the necessity of being close to one of the few 3D printers makes it too inconvenient to matter. It’s much easier to scavenge some carbon fiber arrows than to spend ten real-life minutes running across the map to get to your closest 3D printer.  

Honorable Mention: Crossbow Bolts

There's just nothing like landing a headshot with this baby.

I won’t focus on this too long but they had to have a mention. Since they are titled “bolts” in the game I am not going to count them as arrows. But, technically speaking, they are arrows; otherwise they wouldn’t be shot from a crossbow. The crossbow is different from the other bow types and can only shoot one type of arrow (that none of the other bows can shoot).

If I counted crossbow bolts as arrows in this list, then they would have had the number one slot. 

3. Poison Arrows

Admittedly, herbs aren’t exactly the most action-packed ingredient to farm.

The poison arrows, along with the rest of arrows on this list, are only crafted if you already have other arrows. Poison arrows can be crafted with crafted, carbon fiber, and 3D printer arrows; however, their power changes based off of which arrow you craft them with.

Poison arrows cause the enemy to obtain continuous damage after being hit. This is excellent during crowd control scenarios when you don’t have the firearm ammo to use proper crowd control weapons or are early in the game; as well as if you’re just not very good at getting headshots. 

2. Fire Arrows

A fire arrow did this. The lava, not so much.

The fire arrows are why the shock arrows are not on this list. While it is very convenient to be able to stun your enemy with the shock arrows, most enemies are still inhibited from being lit on fire. If you can stun your enemy as well as give them good DOT from a fire arrow, then shock arrows become irrelevant. Not only that, but it is harder to be able to craft shock arrows than fire arrows. 

1. Bomb Arrows

Picture unrelated. Let's be honest; the explosion animations in this game are 1/10 on the cool scale.

These bad boys are expensive to craft but if you have them then there is nothing to worry about. There was a particular late-game boss that I could not overcome no matter what I did. So, I went and made as many carbon-fiber bomb arrows as I could. Way more than I ended up needing. I shot that booger–major damage–and it fell down. I then shot it again while it was on the ground (so on and so forth) until it was dead from a virtually fightless encounter.

Nine times out of ten they will blow an enemy to smithereens with one arrow. Those that are felled in a single shot are incapacitated enough for you to easily eliminate with a basic weapon (that doesn’t require ammo). They are more convenient than both grenades and sticky bombs; because they can be shot from a long distance, remain stuck to enemies when they are accurate, and are the easiest to aim out of the previously named explosives.

You can’t go wrong with bomb arrows. Just make sure you have a large amount of ingredients.

Check out these related articles:

• [Top 10] Sons of the Forest Best Weapons
• [Top 3] Sons of the Forest Best Axes
• [Top 5] Sons of the Forest Best Melee Weapons