At the start of The Witcher 3, you won’t be given the crossbow, but as you progress the story further a bit, you will be given this weapon in the game. You have to follow the main quests, and then Geralt will be given a crossbow by Vesemir when you go hunting a monster together with him.
- Crossbows in Witcher 3 are mechanical ranged weapons, shooting arrows quicker than regular bows and offering zoom functionality.
- There are a total of 17 crossbows available in the game I’ve listed the 11 best.
- They can shoot different types of bolts, with two firing methods: quick shot by clicking the action key and manual aim by holding the action key.
- The game features a variety of crossbows obtainable through crafting, buying, or looting.
- Crossbow types include Standard Crossbow, Master Crossbow, Legendary Feline Crossbow, Skellige Crossbow, and many more.
- Author’s Note: I’ve played Witcher 3 for over 87 hours via Xbox, experiencing every mechanic and element the title offers.
Let’s quickly compare each crossbow in Witcher 3:
| Weapons | Best Of | Tier | Source | Weight | Base Value | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Crossbow | Best Early-Game Bow. | Common | The Beast of White Orchard | 0.77 | 22-28 | 101% Attack Power |
| Master Crossbow | Best Master Tier Versatile Bow. | Master | Loot | Varies | 42.0 | 103-190% Attack Power |
| Relic Crossbow | Best High Attack Power Relic Tier Bow With Bonus Effects. | Relic | Loot | 1.25 | 73.0 | 200% Attack Power |
| Elven Crossbow | Best Effective Master Tier Bow. | Master | Purchase | 4.01 | 200.0 | 165% Attack Power |
| Feline Crossbow | Best Bow For An Immersive Gameplay Experience. | Witcher Item | Craft | 1.68 | 79.0 | 225% Attack Power |
The standard crossbow that you will get early in The Witcher 3 might not be very powerful, but you don’t have to worry about that, as throughout the game, you will find plenty of crossbows that’d be far better and more useful than this one.
Best Crossbows In Witcher 3
Now let’s discuss the specifications of the best 11 crossbows in the game. I have discussed the prices, weight, components, acquiring sources, and the overall attacking power each crossbow offers to the table.
Standard Crossbow
| Source | Weight | Base Value | Effects | Tier |
| The Beast of White Orchard | 0.77 | 22-28 | +101% Attack power | Common |
- Why I Chose This: The importance this bow provides during the early-game stages on top of the affordability.
Players can get the Common or standard Crossbow, one of the Witcher 3 early crossbows, either by looting or by purchasing. Now talking about the attacking power, an ordinary crossbow has decent attacking power. Furthermore, its components include Hardened timber, String, and Steel ingot.
- Easily available.
- Affordable and provides good damage output.
- A common weapon with limited customizations.
Master Crossbow
| Source | Weight | Base Value | Effects | Tier |
| Loot | Varies | 42 | +103-190% Attack power | Master |
- Why I Chose This: A significant upgrade as compared to the lower level bows with greater attack power and a master tier status.
The source of Crossbow Master is also by loot or purchasing. The buying price is 88 crowns and the price to sell is 14 crowns. Its weight is 1.97. Crossbow Master has good attack power. The master crossbow can be obtained by dismantling, hardened timber, and string and steel ingot.
- A master-tier weapon with high attack power.
- Versatile.
- Higher weight and base price.
Relic Crossbow
| Source | Weight | Base Value | Effects | Tier |
| Loot | 1.25 | 73 | +200% Attack power | Relic |
- Why I Chose This: The top tier attack power on top of the different bonus effects it provides.
The player needs to attain level 30 to get Crossbow (Relic). You can get it by loot. The price to buy is 152 Crowns. And the price to sell is 13 Crowns. It has high Attack power, +1 – 2% Adrenaline Point gain, +1 – 10% Bonus experience from monsters, and +1 – 10% Bonus experience from humans and nonhumans.
- A relic tier bow with exceptional attack power.
- Provides bonus effects.
- High purchase price and level requirement.
Elven Crossbow
| Required Level | Weight | Base Value | Effects | Tier |
| 21 | 4.01 | 200 | +165% Attack power | Master |
- Why I Chose This: The exceptional attack power it provides on top of its effectiveness in battle.
It is a part of an elite crossbow set. The level required to have an Elven Crossbow is 21. The source of the Elven crossbow is a Merchant at Aeramas’ Shop in Gilsdorf. It is included in the best Witcher 3 crossbows.
- Part of an elite set.
- Master tier with high attack power.
- Limited availability.
- High weight and buying price.
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Feline Crossbow
| Source | Weight | Base Value | Effects | Tier |
| Craft | 1.68 | 79 | +225% Attack power | Witcher Item |
- Why I Chose This: The immersive and cohesive gameplay experience this bow provides.
In Witcher 3 the Feline Crossbow is a one-handed crossbow, it is a very convenient projectile weapon. It is a Gabriel-type crossbow, included in the category of Witcher gear. The level required to have this crossbow is 29. The source of this crossbow is crafting. The price to buy is 267 – 399 crowns.
The price to sell is 33 crowns. Feline Crossbow has +10 Armour-piercing, +1 – 2% Adrenaline Point gain, +2% Critical hit chance, and +15% Bonus experience from monsters. The components of this crossbow are 2× Hardened timber, Monster bone, Monster hair, Wax, and Dark iron ore.
- Armor-piercing effect with increased critical hit chance.
- High attack power with bonus experience.
- High crafting cost.
- Limited availability.
Similar Options To Consider
While compiling my list of the best crossbows in Witcher 3, I have come across some other viable options that you can consider.
- Death from Above Crossbow: A great crossbow that gives you a +145% high attack power.
- Geralt of Rivia’s Crossbow: It grants the player +300% high attack power. You can obtain this from Vivienne during the Warble of a Smitten Knight.
- Ravix of Fourhorn’s Crossbow: Its weight is significantly lighter as compared to other crossbows.
How To Use Crossbow In The Witcher 3
In your inventory, you can select the crossbows from the Quick Access Menu (either press Tab on a PC or LB/L1 on a controller).
- You will target whatever the Geralt is locked onto by pressing the middle mouse button/RB/R1.
- If you have any specialized ammunition, you can also select that.
- Players can also manually zoom in and shoot a crossbow bolt at a target at will.
A crossbow is a tactical weapon that you can use in many situations. You can also choose different kinds of crossbow bolts. Some of them have special abilities, while at the same time, they are less effective when compared to using swords.
Bolt Types And Firing Modes
In The Witcher 3, crossbows offer versatile combat options, usable underwater, on boats, on horseback, or in regular combat. Geralt can switch between ammunition types, with default bolts for underwater use. Quick shots fire at targeted enemies with a tap, while manual aiming allows precise targeting of specific body parts. The Blood and Wine expansion introduces the cat eyes mutation, enhancing crossbow damage and capacity, and ensuring their relevance in combat scenarios.
Takeaways
In The Witcher 3, players control Geralt of Rivia in an action-packed adventure, navigating through dangerous quests while searching for his adopted daughter. Geralt wields various weapons, including two swords (silver and steel), potions, and a crossbow. Crossbows offer a quicker alternative to bows, firing standard arrows with mechanical assistance. While swords, potions, and witcher sign magic are mainstays in combat, crossbows provide a unique addition to Geralt’s arsenal, offering versatility in battles against monsters.
This is pretty much all about The Witcher 3 best crossbows. Hopefully, Geralt will have the Witcher 3 best crossbows now. Do try it out to have the most thrilling experience and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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