The great Wastelanders update has brought numerous changes to Fallout 76 . One of them is a weapon that fans of the series and the game have been waiting for quite some time. We’ll tell you how to get the bow and what it can do.
What kind of weapon is it? The bow is actually a rather simple weapon. It shoots arrows like a crossbow and can be customized and improved with various mods. Nevertheless, it holds a special place.
Because the bow has been promised to Fallout fans since before Fallout 3 (2008), but was never officially included in the game. Now, the long wait in Fallout 76 has come to an end.
Bows in Fallout 76 – crafting and using
What types of bows are there? The basic version of the bow is the simple bow. It requires few materials to craft, and the blueprint can be easily found or purchased.
The stronger version is the compound bow, which you will only get once you achieve the highest trust rank with one of the two new factions, Settlers or Raiders.
Note that you can only use bows when you are not wearing power armor.
Where can I find the blueprints? There are two ways to obtain the blueprints for the bow:
- You can buy it for between 245 and 300 caps from the vendor (Sunny in Foundation sells it for about that price)
- or you can complete the quest “The Elusive Crane,” one of the first quests in the new update
You will receive the compound bow later, once you have gathered enough reputation with the factions. You will find its blueprint at the respective vendors: Sunny with the Settlers or Ae-Ri with the Raiders.
How do I craft a bow and arrows? To craft the bow, you will need a varying amount of raw materials depending on the level. You can craft it at the weapons workbench under “mechanical weapons.” Generally, you will need:
For the more difficult-to-obtain materials, we have linked the guides directly to the respective raw material. You craft arrows like any ammunition at the crafting bench. However, make sure to actually craft “arrows” and not “crossbow bolts.”
New perks and mods for the bow
What new perks are there? There are several new perks for the bow that are specifically designed for the new weapon. You will find them under the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. value Perception. The new perks are:
- Archer – Increases damage with bows and crossbows by 10% per rank (3 ranks)
- Professional Archer – Increases damage with bows and crossbows by 10% per rank (3 ranks)
- Master Archer – Increases damage with bows and crossbows by 10% per rank (3 ranks)
- Bow Out – Bows and crossbows ignore 12% armor, and there is a 3% chance to stagger the opponent (3 ranks)
If you want to create a bow build, you can find a complete list of all perks in Fallout 76 and what they do.
How do I modify the bow? The bow has similar mods to any weapon, such as scopes, but also special bonuses. You can craft arrows that have effects like freezing or exploding.
At the moment, players are finding more and more mods, and we cannot yet provide a complete list. It is best to keep an eye out for recipes with the vendors or dismantle your bows for a chance to unlock new mods.
What makes the bow so interesting?
Originally, bows were supposed to make their way into the game much earlier. Van Buren, the project that was originally intended to become Fallout 3 (2003) but was abandoned for financial reasons, was supposed to introduce the bow as a weapon for the first time.
Subsequently, a compound bow was planned to be a weapon for the Fallout 4 DLC “Far Harbor,” but it also did not make it into the game. It could only be played through an unofficial mod.
Fallout 76 was also supposed to receive the bow earlier according to findings from data miners, but it is only now receiving it with the free Wastelanders update.
