# What is the "best" crossbow?
**URL:** https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515
**Category:** The Bunker
**Created:** [January 23, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515 "2019-01-23T18:56:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kuros](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kuros)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2019, 6:56pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/1 "2019-01-23T18:56:51Z")
Inspired by a similar thread, I was wondering if anyone has done any comparisons between crossbows, and the various mods they can support.
I feel like the utility of crossbows in training up Pistols or Rifles is also worth considering when you talk about these kinds of comparisons.
Also, since this was inspired by the bow thread, how do crossbows compare with bows in terms of reload time? You have to explicitly reload your crossbow, but that cost isn’t lost with bows, it just doesn’t require an extra keystroke.
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### Author:  [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/2 "2019-01-23T19:24:37Z")
There’s a lot of info in this thread here.
> [@Bows, Crossbows and Their Balance](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/bows-crossbows-and-their-balance/17067):
>
> In the interests of balance and furthering the game, I’ve decided to put together a little thread/poll here about bows and crossbows, specifically looking at their balance. To be clear, I’m the one responsible for most of the recent changes to bows and crossbows, and I fully intend to continue tweaking and expanding them until the heat death of the universe (Or I just get bored of Cataclysm), so useful discussion and voting here will likely have an (eventual) impact on the game itself. A pretty…
I’ll rehash my opinion that the best “Crossbow” is actually the pneumatic bolt driver. Same ammo as any other but carries eight rounds instead of one. Less range and damage than the compound crossbow but not enough to really matter, fits in a survivor harness.
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### Author:  [@darktoes](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/darktoes)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2019, 11:29pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/3 "2019-01-23T23:29:02Z")
The three “standard” crossbows, (crossbow, composite crossbow, and compound crossbow) are all pretty much a linear progression, with the slight exception that the composite crossbow takes longer to reload than the crossbow.
The pistol and repeating crossbows are both fairly awful in terms of damage, but have a fire-rate on-par with most bows, although bows would probably be far more damaging.
Bows are generally 3-6 times faster than crossbows.
The Pneumatic Bolt Driver (PBD) is fairly overpowered comparatively, basically a cross between the compound crossbow and repeating crossbow on steroids, but it’s also fairly unrealistic, so is going to get nerfed a bit in future, though the skill requirements to make it will also go down appropriately.
The huge crossbow does a lot of damage, but takes a LONG time to reload, so it’s also fairly worthless.
IMO, the compound crossbow is probably the best of the bolt-type weapons. It has higher damage and range, and reloads faster than the PBD. Mathematically, if you start with a loaded PBD and loaded compound crossbow, the compound crossbow doesn’t overtake the PBD for quite a few shots, so the PBD is better for large amounts of damage in a short time. However, if you prefer attacking at longer ranges without the chance of retaliation or plan on being in ongoing combat, against a horde or just while looting in an unsafe area, the compound crossbow is flatly better than the PBD.
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### Author:  [@mlangsdorf](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/mlangsdorf)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 2:39pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/4 "2019-01-24T14:39:21Z")
Best “crossbow” is a 9mm Cx4 Storm with a suppressor on it.
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### Author:  [@Trigon](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Trigon)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 4:23pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/5 "2019-01-24T16:23:14Z")
Man. The Cx4 storm is so good. You’re not wrong though, and I think the Cx4 can get better range and accuracy than either the compound crossbow or the PBD if you load it up with accessories.
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### Author:  [@Invalid\_Username](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Invalid_Username)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/6 "2019-01-26T09:30:02Z")
This one. words and also words.
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### Author:  [@Ross\_Perot](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Ross_Perot)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2019, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/7 "2019-02-09T16:10:00Z")
The crossbow I’m going to mod into my game for my Half Life-inspired character to use.
Uses crowbars for ammunition.
I call it… a crowbow.
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### Author:  [@KiBoy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/KiBoy)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2019, 2:14pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/what-is-the-best-crossbow/18515/8 "2019-02-10T14:14:24Z")
You could still mod the actual crossbow from Half-Life though. You know the one who shots hot iron rails.