Dying Light 2 has a loony amount of ways to approach combat. Whether you decide to go hand to hand with zombies or swing for the fences, a trusty bow from a distance will always be a viable option. All of the bows on this list also have the ability to shoot special arrows. The implementation of special arrows in combat is a conversation for another time though. For now, we’ll just discuss standard bows shooting standard arrows. 

Additionally, Bows aren’t affected by player level and mods to determine damage. Legend levels can, however, be applied to upgrade bow and crossbow damage, so if you’ve ranked up your bow effectiveness, the actual damage output of any bow will be higher for you. 

3. Nails 

Aiden nailing a taarget from afar.

At number three this bow can be obtained early in the second half of the game and is one of the highest damage bows you can simply pick up in the open world. Compared to the Paperclip bow, which will be in abundance at lower levels, Nails is a remarkable choice for ranged battles.

• Level 6 weapon which deals 110 damage per shot. 
• Early find and usable throughout the middle of the game.

Eventually 110 damage per shot won’t be enough to dominate enemies from afar but for most of the central loop regions and missions it will suffice. Once you get to max level and the end game, not to mention The Bloody Ties DLC, it would be a good idea to upgrade to a crossbow or one of the upcoming entries.   

Where To Find: The Nails bow is found in two places just outside of the central loop. One is atop the antennas that tower over the military relay station in the south and the second location is inside one of the domes in the observatory. 

To Get to the military relay it is as simple as trekking through the woods in the south for a bit and climbing the antennas. You will need the grappling hook so this will only be possible until after the mission “Broadcast”. 

Newfoundland Military Relay on the map.

To check the observatory you will only need a decent stamina level and the perks tic-tac and wall run. It will be complicated to get past the chemical areas, but once on the buildings it is easy to parkour up and into the domes.

Mount Lucid Observatory on the map.

As you progress, Nails will actually appear with vendors at higher levels. Though it’s damage is unimpressive when compared to the #2 entry. 

2.Yardstick

Aiden and the Yardstick bow in action. 

This bow is pretty boring for the most part. It will be widely available after reaching level 9 and is likely to be the bow of choice for players at that level. Its reliability derives from an exceptional base damage output. 

• The yardstick is a level 9 artifact bow and its stats are representative of its level with 353 Damage per shot. 
• Before introducing the legend level system in patch 1.9.0 this was the most powerful bow in the game.

Where to find: Even though you will also have a chance to got the #1 bow on our list, It is entirely random to obtain that weapon in a drop and will be more of a grind to level up legend ranks. On the other hand, the Yardstick will appear at merchant vendors at random but it is easier (and quicker) to refresh a vendor or check with different vendors. 

1.Bards Call

Aiden and his Bards Call Bow.

The Bards Call bow is spectacular in its damage output and nothing else. Despite lacking any flashy abilities, Bards Call is a late game necessity for any bow user. 

• Legendary drop 512 Damage At level 9
• You don’t really need another bow. No really.

The downside to this bow is its flat nature. There isn't really incentive to use any other bow in the game but it is also wholly unremarkable in terms of uniqueness. Unlike other crossbows and melee weapons, this bow doesn’t have a fun factor associated with it. Hopefully, a future update will introduce bows with a bit more personality. For now however, The Bards Call is the last bow you will ever need in Dying Light 2. 

Where to find: This bow will randomly drop from legend crates. You must max out both of your skill trees before earning legend crate rewards. The chance of this bow dropping is lower than the other melee weapons in the pool, so it may take dozens of levels to obtain Bards Call. 

Signing Off!

That’s it! Bows are a great choice for a ranged approach to combat. I personally prefer a bow to crossbows for the sheer amount of elemental arrows at our disposal. Aside from that it seems as though bows are a bit too simple and bland compared to the other weapon types. With the firearms update on the approach, I hope that bows won’t take a back seat in the realm of ranged options. Here’s to waiting for the next big expansion and for bows to be fun again!

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