Marksman Analysis

–Mechanics–

Bow-Breaking: If you or the enemy is hit with a melee weapon while having a low quality bow or crossbow in hand, that weapon is broken and completely destroyed.

Arrow Weight: A script in requiem adds weight to arrows, it does not show up in your inventory menus, the ‘weight’ is added instead to a Quiver object in you misc page.

Damage Resistance: Various enemies in the game gain resistance when show with arrows.

Armor Penetration: Arrows/Bolts once a certain perk is learned, penetrate a percentage of armor.

Enchanted Ammunition: Using Enchanted Ammunition will overwrite any poisons or enchantments on the equipment. Therefore if you have a “shock” bow, but some across a troll, you can use the “of fire” ammunition to kill it without having to swap bows.

–Light vs Heavy Bows vs Crossbows–

Crossbows

Crossbows are great backup weapons. They fit a Backup Archer best. Stealth Archers already get nasty amounts of damage penetration via the Deft Strike perk and Gruesome Shot, They’ll already have an Armor Penetration of 75% already, and with the innate higher AP of a crossbow bolt being multiplicative instead of additive, it won’t add much. In addition, Crossbows take much longer to reload, and can leave you hanging when you need to get out of position. A bow will be better in the longrun.

An archer, and a pure archer especially, would lose out on DPS and reliability by choosing a crossbow over a bow. Not to mention you have to go through the entire crossbow reload animation before which leaves you quite vulnerable. (unless you don’t mind cheesing by constantly holstering it)

Light Bows

Light bows consume much less stamina than Heavy bows. They, in turn, do less damage (usually about half as much of its heavier equivalent)

They are ideal for characters going through early game content without supplements such as Bestial Stew to help them mitigate the intense stamina drain of early game Heavy bows.

Unfortunately for them, as soon as you get the level 60 perk Quick Shot, they become inferior to Heavy bows. The draw speed increase they get is minimal, whilst Heavy bows get a huge increase in their draw speed, allowing them to easily outDPS lighter bows, with more efficient arrow usage, too. Sorry, Light bows

Light Bows: Hunting, Wooden > Ancient Nordic > Elven (Smithing 50) > Glass (Smithing 75)

Heavy Bows

An archer’s best friend (unless your friend is too exhausting to play with and you can’t compensate with stew)

You can easily compensate for its stamina drain by using Bestial Stew, if available.

If your race cannot drink Bestial Stew, and you have serious stamina problems, I recommend switching to a light bow until your stamina is adequate or until the level 60 perk Quick Shot.

Heavy Bows: Long, Imperial, Iron, Steel > Dwarven (Smithing 25) > Orcish (Smithing 50) > Ebony (Smithing 75) > Dragonbone (Smithing 100) > Daedric (Smithing 100)

–Perk Analysis–

Basic Perks

Ranged Combat Training

Basic ranged training enhances damage with bows and crossbows.

Level Required : 0

Perk Required : None

Effect :

Damage x 1.2, -50% weapon weight penalties, ammunition grants armor penetration

---

Ranger

You’ve improved Your footwork with light ranged weaponry.

Level Required : 15

Perk Required : Ranged Combat Training

Effect :

Allows running and strafing while attacking with light bows and crossbows

Trick Branch

Eagle Eye

By concentrating only on your target and holding your breath, you can now aim much more precisely.

Level Required : 25

Perk Required : Ranged Combat Training

Effect :

Adds armor penetration. Grants the ability to zoom in on a target by holding the right mouse button

---

Marksman’s Focus

Ranged weapons are easier to handle, and aiming precisely seems to slow time.

Level Required : 50

Perk Required : Eagle Eye

Effect :

time slows by 75% while zooming, -25% weapon weight penalties

---

Quick Shot

You have learned to draw and fire in one single movement, increasing your rate of fire with all bows greatly.

Level Required : 60

Perk Required : Marksman’s Focus

Effect :

+50% draw speed with bows

---

Rapid Reload

You have familiarized yourself with the mechanics of your crossbow and can use this knowledge to reload it significantly faster.

Level Required : 60

Perk Required : Quick Shot

Effect :

+50% reload speed with crossbows

---

Power Shot

Your shots land with tremendous impact, occasionally staggering foes.

Level Required : 75

Perk Required : Rapid Reload

Effect :

70% chance to stagger targets (Exceptions are very large or tough enemies like giants, mammoths, Centurions, etc.)

Damage Branch

Precise Aim

Your aim is now precise enough to target weak spots in the enemy’s defenses.

Level Required : 20

Perk Required : Ranged Combat Training

Effect :

Damage x 1.2 with bow and crossbow attacks

---

Piercing Shot

You’ve learned how to hit the weakest parts of armor, making armored foes more vulnerable to ranged weapons.

Level Required : 45

Perk Required : Precise Aim

Effect :

+50% armor penetration from ammunition

---

Penetrating Shot

You’ve mastered the technique of hitting weak armor parts, making armored foes even more vulnerable to ranged weapons.

Level Required : 80

Perk Required : Piercing shot

Effect :

+100% armor penetration from ammunition

Mastery

Stunning Precision

Any successful staggering shot will almost always stun the target momentarily.

Level Required : 100

Perk Required : Penetrating Shot, Power Shot

Effect :

Staggering hits will also stun your target

–Ammunition–

Arrows

Bolts

---