Archery (Skyrim)

For Archery in other games, see Archery.

Archery is one of three offensive weapon-based skills in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Archery skill is raised by and governs the use of bows and crossbows. Archery benefits from The Thief Stone (Though it appears under the warrior stone on the skill tree simply because it is the last thief stone affected skill on the warrior side, such as enchanting is on the mage side). Users of the skill, such as archers and hunters, are trained in the use of bows and arrows. The greater the skill, the more deadly the shot. Archery provides low health and lightly armored characters the means to engage foes from a safe distance and allows repeated sneak attacks.

Types of bow

Bows

Main article: Bows (Skyrim)

"Favor the bow, eh? I'm a sword man myself."

―Hold Guard

A bow is a flexible, bent or curved ranged weapon, strung taut from end to end with a string. Arrows are nocked into the string and then drawn. The string is then released, propelling the arrow forward. The weight of the bow dictates the effort required to pull the string back, or "draw." The heavier the bow, the longer it will take to fully draw. The longer the amount of time taken to fully draw a bow, the more damage a shot will do, and the faster and farther an arrow will travel. While a bow is drawn, movement is reduced significantly.

Bows can be found in stores all over Skyrim. Most stores that sell them are dedicated to selling ranged weapons, mostly carrying both bows and arrows as well as certain light armor a character may use. Many different creatures carry variants of bows, including the draugr found in most dungeons and caves in Skyrim. Some bandits, which can be found in places ranging from camps to keeps, also carry bows and arrows. Bows, like swords, get stronger depending on what they are made of.

Crossbows

A crossbow from The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard.

Main article: Crossbows (Dawnguard)

A crossbow consists of a bow mounted horizontally onto a mechanical stock. The bow string is pulled back onto a catch which holds the string taut. A bolt is then loaded into a groove in front of the catch. When a lever located at the bottom of the stock is pulled, the catch is released and the bow string pushes the bolt forward. Crossbows are slower to reload than most bows are to redraw, but they shoot projectiles at a higher velocity than most bows. They still however have the same reduction of speed while reloading. Crossbows make a noticeable sound when fired and nearby enemies may become aware of the source, but are still useful for stealth attacks due to their high damage. The slightly lower rate of fire when compared to standard bows is less important when a character is able to kill their target on the first hit. Crossbows are generally more expensive than their bow counterparts.

Range

There are two types of ranges for both bows and crossbows: arc range and maximum range.

Arc range

"Keep that arrow in your quiver, Archer..."

―Hold Guard

The arc range varies between each type of bow and crossbow. It is directly proportional to a bow's/crossbow's firing velocity.

Bows always fire in an upwards arc, propelling the arrow slightly upwards. A bow with a high firing velocity will have a long arc range. When fired from a high velocity bow, the arrow will continue traveling in an upwards arc for a longer period of time, and will eventually start to drop and arc slightly downwards. After this, the arrow will eventually come to a point in which it drops steeply and its horizontal speed decelerates immensely. If in the air for a long enough period of time, the arrow will have lost all horizontal velocity and fall completely.

This works similarly for crossbow bolts, however when bolts are fired they are not propelled in an upwards arc. Instead, they will travel straight from the Crossbow. Because they don't travel in an upwards arc, they will begin to drop immediately and will enter a steep downwards arc earlier than that of an arrow.

Maximum range

The maximum range is a range that is universal for both bows and crossbows. It is the maximum range an arrow or bolt will travel from the Dragonborn before it stops doing damage. This range usually occurs around 60–65 meters. At this point, all arrows and bolts will do no damage to the target, regardless of whether or not the target is in rendering range of the archer. Arrows and bolts that hit a foe past this range will most often clip through them and continue traveling until hitting an object (i.e. a tree, the ground, etc.). A non-hostile character will not become hostile when this happens, however an already hostile character will immediately begin to look for the Dragonborn if the projectile lands close enough.

Damage

The damage caused by an archery hit at max draw is equal to the sum of the bow's damage and the arrow's damage divided by the time it takes to fire the bow (see bows for details on draw times). Thus, using a five point better bow or a five point better arrow increases the damage by the same amount. It should also be noted that damage is inversely proportional to draw time. The Quick Shot therefore increases damage per second by 30% by multiplying the the time it takes to fire by a factor 1/1.3.

All damage is computed before bonuses from Overdraw, stealth attacks and enchanted items.

As an example, a dragonbone bow (30 damage, 2.79 seconds/shot) firing a daedric arrow (24 damage) by an archer with 40% Overdraw and Quick Shot:

(30+24)/(2.79*(1/1.3))*1.40 = (54/2.15)*1.40 = 25.11*1.4 = 35.2 points of damage per second.

The same character using a hunting bow (7 damage, 1.9 seconds/shot) and an iron arrow (8 damage) would do:

(7+8)/(1.9*(1/1.3))*1.40 = 14.4 points of damage per second.

Note: These formulas appear to be incorrect and require further testing and revision.^{confirmation needed}

Leveling

Books

The following books provide a permanent one-time increase to the Dragonborn's Archery skill. See each book's page for a list of possible locations.

• Vernaccus and Bourlor
• The Black Arrow, v2
• The Gold Ribbon of Merit
• The Marksmanship Lesson
• Father of the Niben
• Oghma Infinium – choosing the Path of Might increases all Warrior skills, including Archery, by five.

Trainers

The following individuals can increase this skill by giving them gold:

• Faendal (Adept): Riverwood (Lvl 15–50).
• Aela of The Companions (Expert): Jorrvaskr, or the training area behind it, in Whiterun (Lvl 15–75).
• Niruin of the Thieves Guild (Master): Riften (Lvl 15–90).
• Angi (Master): Angi's Camp (Lv 15–100). Only six levels of free training for completing her challenges.
• Sorine Jurard (Master): Fort Dawnguard after completion of A New Order for the Dawnguard (Lv 15–90). Requires the Dawnguard add-on and membership to the Dawnguard.

Archery weapons

The following are the confirmed weapons that benefit from this skill. Damage, weight, and value are base values, independent of skill level and perks.

Craftable bows

Bow Type
Orcish Bow	10	9	150
Nord Hero Bow	11	7	200
Dwarven Bow	12	10	270
Elven Bow	13	12	470
Nordic Bow DR	13	11	580
Glass Bow	15	14	820
Ebony Bow	17	16	1440
Stalhrim Bow DR	17	15	1880
Daedric Bow	19	18	2500
Dragonbone Bow DG	20	20	2725

Non-craftable bows

Name
Long Bow	6	5	30
Hunting Bow	7	7	50
Ancient Nord Bow	8	12	45
Angi's Bow	7	7	50
Auriel's Bow DG	13	11	1000
Bound Bow	18	0	0
Bound Bow with Mystic Binding	24	0	0
Bow of the Hunt	10	7	457
Drainspell Bow	14	6	277
Dravin's Bow	12–14	7	50
Dwarven Black Bow of Fate DR	13	10	1446
Falmer Bow	12	15	135
Falmer Supple Bow	15	20	410
Firiniel's End	13	12	785
Forsworn Bow	12	11	145
Froki's Bow	6	5	307
Gauldur Blackbow	8–14	12–18	225–1315
Imperial Bow	9	8	90
Karliah's Bow	25	9	5
Nightingale Bow	12–19	9–18	470–3700
Supple Ancient Nord Bow	14	18	235
Zephyr DG	14	10	670

Crossbows

All crossbows are craftable and are a part of The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard only

Name	Item ID
Crossbow		19	14	120
Enhanced Crossbow		19	19	200
Dwarven Crossbow		22	20	350
Enhanced Dwarven Crossbow		22	21	550

Perks

The following are perks that become available to select as the skill is leveled up:

Perk (Ranks)	Requirements	Description	ID
Overdraw (5)	Archery Any/20/40/60/80	Bows do 20% more damage (+20% per additional rank)	000BABED 0007934A 0007934B 0007934D 00079354
Eagle Eye	Archery 30, Overdraw	Pressing Block while aiming will zoom in your view	00058F61
Critical Shot (3)	Archery 30/60/90, Overdraw	10% chance of a critical hit that does extra damage (+5% chance and +25% critical damage per additional rank)	00105F1C 00105F1E 00105F1F
Steady Hand (2)	Archery 40/60, Eagle Eye	Zooming in with a bow slows time by 25% (50% for second rank)	00103ADA 00103ADB
Power Shot	Archery 50, Eagle Eye	Arrows stagger all but the largest opponents 50% of the time	00058F62
Hunter's Discipline	Archery 50, Critical Shot	Recover twice as many arrows from dead bodies	00051B12
Ranger	Archery 60, Hunter's Discipline	Able to move faster with a drawn bow	00058F63
Quick Shot	Archery 70, Power Shot	Can draw a bow 30% faster	00105F19
Bullseye	Archery 100, Quick Shot or Ranger	15% chance of paralyzing the target for a few seconds	00058F64

Archery perks tree

Tactics

"The wise hunter knows that preparation is the key to success, and you certainly don't want to hunt any trolls unprepared!"

―Finn

• 0.8% damage is gained per Archery skill level. This stacks with Overdraw, making it possible to acquire a natural total of 180% extra damage with bows.
• If an arrow has been drawn, but the Dragonborn does not wish to use it, there is a 'release' key (same button as sheath, R default on PC, X on the Xbox 360, and Square on the PS3).
• With the Bullseye perk, the Paralyze effect, when enchanted, will be applied to the target when the arrow is released, not when it reaches the target (Confirmed on Xbox and PC).
  • This can be somewhat of an annoyance, as the target falling due to paralyzation may cause the arrow to miss.
• Arrows fly in an arc, not along flat trajectories. This arc still exists when aiming straight down, resulting in a downwards shot hitting slightly above the cursor.
• Small/normal sized enemies can easily be staggered with a quick shot when they recover. Paired with the Bullseye perk, Paralysis enchantment, potions and poisons, and possibly absorb stamina, can further this effectiveness, and make an archer highly effective at disabling enemies to be finished off by a melee-using follower.
• Force Without Effort taught by Paarthurnax will increase the stagger of Power Shot by 25%.
• Weapons do not deal locational damage, thus shooting a target in the head with a bow does the same damage as shooting it in the foot.
• Arrows make a noise when they hit walls and items. This can be used to draw an enemy's attention elsewhere, allowing for sneak shots at their back.
• An infinite amount of arrows can be acquired by picking up arrows from other archers practicing, such as the Solitude Guards practicing on Castle Dour's courtyard. Get better arrows by pickpocketing all the arrows of the practicing archer and replacing them with a single arrow of superior quality.
  • Similarly, a good supply of arrows can be gained by giving one to a follower. The follower will shoot an infinite amount of those arrows, which can be recovered after combat finishes.
  • This method can also be used on various Thieves Guild members at the shooting range in the Ragged Flagon Cistern.
• When encumbered, pulling out a bow and keeping an arrow drawn speeds up movement.
• Bashing with a bow immediately after firing an arrow will deal significant damage with the bash, as long as neither the Dragonborn nor the target has moved horizontally since the shot.
• The effect of the Steady Hand perk stacks with the Slow Time shout, making things seem almost frozen in place.
• The bound bow has the second fastest draw speed of any bow in the game, only surpassed by Zephyr from The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard. Zephyr, when used with the Quick Shot perk, has a total of 60% faster draw speed, which is currently the fastest an arrow can be drawn.
• When using followers that are also trainers, such as Faendal and Aela the Huntress, the Dragonborn can train and get their gold back by accessing the follower's inventory, then continue.
• When releasing an arrow while moving sideways, the arrow will continue to move in that direction at that speed as it travels forward. This sideways momentum along with the arrow drop from gravity are features in Skyrim to make archery more realistic.

Leveling Archery

A female Archer in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

The equation governing skill gain in Archery is thought to resemble something like this:

• Bwd = Base weapon damage
• Bad = Base ammunition damage
• lm = Leveling Multiplier (rest, stone, etc.)
• x = Damage Translator constant
• bool(DamagingHit) = 1 or 0, true or false
  • skillXP += bool(DamagingHit) * (lm(Bwd + Bad) / x)

Thus, this relies on a damaging hit being scored. Therefore, to gain experience, the target must have health points, and that the attack must take away health (so no experience is gained if they nullify damage with a block or dodge).

Upon a damaging hit, the skill experience gained is based on the Base weapon damage and the Base ammunition damage. Therefore an excellent bow and arrows with high damage will level the skill most rapidly "per shot," but if the goal is to achieve the most leveling "per enemy" then basic iron arrows will provide the most total skill since the portion of the damage absorbed by the target's armor still counts toward the skill. The equation ignores perk increases, sneak multipliers, damage boosts from enchantments, or fully drawing the bow. As a result, firing arrows rapidly into a target will yield just as much experience per shot as a full or overdrawn shot. This will therefore result in more experience being gained from a single target, and faster gain, by using quick and weak shots (and poorer quality arrows), since the target will survive more of them.

The division by x is to represent that the base damage is not directly translated into skill experience. Currently, the actual value is unknown.

A Bound Bow will also allow one to increase Archery, as well as provide free arrows.

One method of leveling is to sneak attack the Greybeards at High Hrothgar. Find one of the Greybeards (preferably in the main area meditating), behind them at short distance, and simply shoot over and over (waiting a few seconds between shots yields sneak attacks, which will train Sneak at the same time). This can also help leveling Restoration with the use of the Healing Hands spell. (Using melee or magic will result in angering them.)

Another good target for training is Shadowmere, who has very high health, cannot die permanently, and will not fight back. However, this method requires significant progress in the Dark Brotherhood quest line.

Another way to quickly level Archery also requires joining the Dark Brotherhood. Upon entering the Falkreath Sanctuary, jump onto the ledge that oversees the pool and training area. This can be done by jumping from the nearby staircase. Once on the ledge, wait until Veezara sits on the ground, completely in view, and then enter Sneak mode and shoot him. As it is unlikely that anyone will see this, it's possible to fire constantly, training both Archery and Sneak steadily. A similar technique can be used on Cicero.

A different method is to visit the special archery trainer, Angi, who lives in a cabin in the southwest corner of the map by Falkreath. She trains in archery for free by letting the Dragonborn shoot at targets with special practice arrows. Completing her training will grant a total of six free levels. This is best done with a high Archery skill, since like any other trainer, each boost bumps the Dragonborn's skill up to the next level, ignoring the experience required to reach it. Training with her at level 94 will allow maximizing the skill, skipping the final six levels, which would normally require the greatest amount of time to complete.

A free method of training would be to train with Niruin in the Thieves' guild. He is a master trainer, and can train the Dragonborn up to level 90, though after 50 his training can be expensive. It is suggested to approach him while he's in bed and have 800 gold, so the Dragonborn can wake him up, train, let him lie back down, then steal the gold from him. While boosting archery, this also levels the pickpocket skill. Doing this is suggested with Niruin because even if he catches the Dragonborn stealing, he will not become hostile. This can also be done with companions that train archery, allowing one to take the money back by merely asking to trade items.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Archery (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

Click to see the list of bugs encountered

PC   360   PS3   The description of the perk Quick Shot reads, 'Can draw a bow 30% faster,' implying that the bow is being drawn at a faster rate, but is actually notching an arrow that is faster.  PC   360   PS3   When carrying too much weight to run, walking or sneaking with a drawn and pulled-back bow slightly increases speed, more so with the Ranger perk.  360   PS3   The Ranger perk may cease to function entirely, though it may begin functioning again at a later time.  360   Taking the Ranger perk may result in a significant loss of movement speed while over-encumbered, with a drawn bow and sneaking.  PC   360   PS3   Archery skill may drop to starting level, indicated by red highlighting of skill and not induced by disease. Leveling up Archery has consequently shown to fix issue.  PC   360   PS3   When shooting someone while sneaking and unnoticed they may 'dodge' the Dragonborn's arrow by sidestepping it at an extreme pace. World models consist of two pieces, the model that the player sees and a simpler, invisible collision box that determines where the Dragonborn and other things will impact the model. As in Oblivion and many other games that use this or a similar engine, the collision boxes in Skyrim are carelessly fitted to the shape of the terrain that the Dragonborn sees in the game, which can be extremely frustrating. One common occurrence is to try to snipe through a hole or a gap in a wall, or over or around the edge, only to find that arrows are bouncing off the invisible collision box, or even more ridiculous, sticking in the air.  PC   360   PS3   When shooting certain kinds of arrows, the bow string might go 'limp' and the arrow will fly its minimum distance and with minimal damage. It happens even if the bowstring is pulled back fully, with lighter bows and arrows and even when staying still. To fix, save and reload the game or simply reload an earlier save. Especially frustrating when engaging powerful enemies or when using magic bows who lose charge per shot regardless of a hit or miss.  PC   360   The perk Bullseye will sometimes cause a slow motion kill to leave the enemy unharmed and instead paralyze them, this usually happens when a kill cam occurs.  PC   The "BullsEye" perk can quite often take effect on targets that are being killed by the shot. This results in the rag doll become permanently paralyzed. While not really affecting game play, it can be very amusing, as characters who are killed sitting down will remain in that position, even when dead and being dragged around.  PC   Additionally, if the above bug occurs with a Khajiit character, the body will become detached for the tail. The tail will stay in the position in which the foe was killed, and the base of the tail will stretch to wherever the body flies or is dragged to.  PC   The "BullsEye" perk will often take effect on targets not hit by the arrow. Often, when aiming at a target from around a corner or wall, the arrow will get stuck in the invisible collision box and the target will still become paralyzed.  PC   360   PS3   Bow kill cams at a distance sometime will activate even though the accuracy of the actual shot will be a complete miss, this is currently a bug.  360   Zooming while having both Steady Hand perks then loosing an arrow may cause the arrow to shoot only a few feet instead of the full range even when the arrow has been fully drawn.  PC   360   PS3   If the Drabonborn kills someone when their bow is fully pulled back, the bow that they drop will still appear pulled back. Zooming on a character via the Eagle Eye perk will cause the Dragonborn to experience what the character experiences, such as pop-up messages and staggering from traps. If a character is trying to use a door that is barred or magically sealed while the Dragonborn is zoomed in on them, they will get the message stating the door is barred/sealed.

See also

• Skills (Skyrim)