the best bow?

does any1 have any suggestions on what would be the over all bet bow for a ranger. (range/firing time/ most dmg) and any others that i missed. thx much.

flatbow best for long range , halfmoon or shortbow best for short
Missile weapon properties

Halfmoon looks cooler though so go with it.

Lots of people feel the urge to use storm bows, we call these people newbs.


Get yourself a nice 15%>50% ascalon bow from the collector (the one above granite citadel is the shortbow version). Best and cheapest bow in the game.

On the subject of collectors bows, does anyone know if there is a collectors bow that has longbow or composite bow stats thats max damage with +15%>50%

Can't remember where but I know the longbow is way easier to get than the short bow version.

You contradict yourself. At first, you obviously prefer the look of a bow which appeals to you. Then you flame people who use Storm Bows, not stopping to think that maybe the look appeals to them ? So in retrospect, you are calling yourself a noob ?

A Longbow is better for long range due to its increased accuracy. It may not have the same refire rate as a Flatbow, but that refire rate is completely useless if your opponent is moving.

Mr. Matt, I believe you're wrong on that very last statement. I made a w/r for the certain armor, skills, and runes availability. The whole build centered around increasing the dps rate. Needless to say I used a shortbow and it was quite effective at even low levels, especially when coupled with frenzy. And with the warriors' armor, available absorption rune, and a defensive bow grip, I took hardly any damage from the enemies I combated while pegging them for huge dmg (for my lvl) at nearly a shot a second. So saying firing rate is useless even while the opponent is moving is a very false statement IMO.

Crystal Desert
--------------
Arid Sea
* Sir Pohl Sandbert trades 5 Dune Burrower Jaws for Ascalon Bow 15-28 (req. 9 Marksmanship), +15% damage while Health is above 50% (Longbow)

Skyward Reach
* John Verado trades 5 Topaz Crests for Ascalon Bow 15-28 (req. 9 Marksmanship), +15% damage while Health is above 50% (Composite bow) (just outside of Augury Rock)

Mineral Springs
* Bariel Darkroot trades 5 Alpine Seeds for Ascalon Bow 15-28 (req. 9 Marksmanship), +15% damage while Health is above 50% (Composite bow)


there you are!

i got that from the ranger guide on gamefaq's

Ah, perfect, thanx John. And I agree with Mr. Matt that longbow is better for long range than flatbows, unless you are using something like favourable winds.

I swear that my flatbow is more accurate than any of my longbows,have I ben kidding myself all this time?I really have thought that all this time

Two points: one; as you were using a shortbow I'm going to assume you were fighting at a fairly close range, in which case what I said doesn't really apply. Two; the shortbow has a high projectile speed anyway, so it will be largely accurate regardless of range. The payoff for the shortbow's refire speed and accuracy is, of course, the decreased range.

A flatbow doesn't have a high projectile speed, at all. It is, in fact, the slowest (along with a couple of others). Instead, it has a high refire rate to compensate. When looking for an advantage of the longbow over the flatbow, this is it. Arrows are significantly slower when fired from a flatbow than when fired from a longbow, which means it takes longer for them to reach their target. Now, if your target is standing still this doesn't matter too much and the refire rate becomes a useful bonus. But, when your opponent starts moving, they will be able to dodge your arrows much easier than they would if you were firing at them with a longbow. In which case, it's better to use the longbow at the farthest ranges, and switch to a shorter-ranged bow as they get closer. This is especially true when trying to use bow skills which only affect moving targets -- you wouldn't want to waste a chunk of energy on missing just because of an inaccurate bow, would you?

I would say a shortbow is ideal for short range, a longbow is ideal for long range, and a flatbow ideal for anything between the two. I generally keep those three bows on hand and meet with success, anyway. It's largely up to you, really; you can read whatever statistics and opinions you want, but if you can make a bow work in other circumstances then that's good for you.

While I use SHortbows almost exclusively (with a longbow for pinging/pulling), I'll admit that a flatbow is better than a Shortbow. Why? Because at the same range, the flight time will be very similar. The shortbow is just the lazy way of doing it.