How are bows useful?

Game Talk The Bunker
16

Bows aren’t particularly useful nor useless. They have their pros and cons, just like any other weapon. You just have to know how to best apply it, and what to expect from a life with a bow. Regardless what your previous main weapon might have been, you may have some behavioral adjusting to do if you go with the bow. (Is that book title that I smell? “Go with the bow”? “Life with a bow”?)

Pros:

  • Silent ranged weapon
  • Arrow components are abundant, and arrows can often be reused
  • Bows are craftable, unlike the majority of other ranged weapons
  • A variety of arrow types are available

Cons:

  • Your arrow supply can be heavy
  • A variety of arrow types are available… eventually, since special arrows require crafting knowledge
  • Efficient bow use requires not only stamina but strength, dexterity and perception; 3 out of 4 primary attributes
  • No automatic fire (except repeating crossbow)
  • Intact arrows require picking up afterwards, which can start to feel like a chore. Autopickup, in turn, can be risky in the heat of combat.

So, there you go. To ask “What are bows good for?” is like asking “Why should I try that rotisserie chicken when I have this delicious steak?” or “Why should I listen to Megadeth while I have this good old Metallica album?” or “Who needs Harry Potter when I have all these LoTR books and movies?”

Well, I mean, in the end, bow use requires more management and the requirements are higher. But if you can appreciate a bow, you’ll surely admire the best archer, because that individual is one gifted and trained machine. There is beauty and art in that. Any Average Joe can be trained to be a crackshot with a firearm, but top-notch archery requires more. The best archer is strong, with a 20/20 eyesight, possesses surgical hand-eye coordination and superior depth perception - surely a capable individual, an elitist bastard beyond any measure, and an uptight snob full of himself, with frequent delusions of grandeur… no wait… This might not be appraise anymore. Anyway, the best archers are something to envy, I think.