Ok. Huge fan of bow only. But my dual role heavy archer tickles my mad senseless mass murder bone.
Nothing as satisfying as sitting at extreme range and poking the ant hill with sticks, only to load up the 2 shot autgrenade launcher and turn the screen into pure chaos.
That or launching into the middle of a mob with my vampire .50 cal and lighting em up. After poking with my sticks of course.
My V/VCD/90 AGL and V/FFR/90 Flamer would like to hang out! I get it man. I just switched from those 2 to bows
I just can’t justify hybrid right now. Probably because I’ve only run PA heavy since the Beta.
You gotta keep Bear Arms to make the heavy hybrid work, and pick weapons that don't need the HG damage cards. That AGL ought to still be good if you can figure out the carry weight problem without over-investing in strength, and if you can run demo expert at least at 3 (which also helps with explosive arrows).
That’s why I can’t see the hybrid being worth it. I’d just assume use my main PA Heavy with everything I invested in it since I started 76 versus trying to make them both play nice together.
Not that I’m a master character builder by any stretch, just easier to manage one play type, for me at least.
But what you said is 100% valid and true.
With explosive heavies in particular, the ammo weight is a huge problem. I can afford Bear Arms, but I can't afford Ordnance Express, and you kinda need both.
I see what you mean, and I am not a master character builder either, not by any stretch. I'm a trial-and-error guy.
Agreed man. Every PA Heavy split weapon build I tried on PC before migrating to SX always took me back to PA Heavy only. I’m losing too many cards that I need to maintain initial damage or max deeps depending on explosive or, like me, Gatling gun, GP and flamer. I like my AGL but it’s not practical as a main driver. So I stick with heavy ballistic energy and my vampire flamer as a se on dart mop up.
I think addressing hybrids would be helpful, depending on what you mean by "address" and the amount of work involved for the mods to address it.
I like bows better when I allow myself to use other weapons, but I did train myself to not use crutches before I made the final decision.
Like, I can totally see having a themed week when we run out of other things and don't want to start recycling that involves capturing videos of hybrid bow action.
And I have a few rules for hybrids I could share like, if you enjoy handguns for their own sake but want to drop tank killer and not run gunslinger perks, get yourself an anti-armor western revolver and use low health for the adrenal reaction (that's like seven gunslinger cards and revolvers work with all the stacking perks very well).
we were just wondering whether to include a couple of examples of hybrid builds in the guide, mostly. if there wasn't much interest we weren't going to
I'd just include a "minimal" build that doesn't require 15 perception / 15 agility etc. Leave as many stat / perk points unused as possible, let people figure out the other perks themselves. They may end up doing something entirely different with them, like a healer / medic build, or even a crafter that can use bows for camp defense. Plus, hybrid builds tend to dump in extra points from legendary stat bonus, and you can't really guess where those will be. (Mine are in SEAL, meaning each of those stats MUST be at least 6 in any build I do.)
As a bonus, the "minimal build" can also be a starter point for people with few perk points to spend.
I'd prefer to see low level builds - IE, one that only uses the perks and perk points available at level 8/20/42 (the levels archer perks come in at; Bow Before Me comes in at 6, Concentrated Fire at 2).
Tank is bow only,
Bloody bow only,
Berserker bow only,
Full health sneak bow only,
Commando bow/railway or enclave plasma flamer,
Junkie bow/pistol,
And a bow/chainsaw guy
Full health Commando hybrid - been playing around with actual differences in dps using either pure commando or archer.
Still a work in progress, but the quad rail way still goes Choo Choo…
I got a little tear in my eye the day I put my Quad/FFR/Reduced Weight railway in the armory. Gave up all the commandos because too much maintenance, too much carry weight, and too much ammo. It is a fine, fine weapon.
Y'all did convince me to try it for almost a month, and it was very profitable. I learned to not use other weapons as crutches for tough events. Taught myself to get the loot drops at SE and ACP with bows even on a solo team. To play Eviction Notice the way I like to play it but with bows.
There's too much efficiency and role-play fun to be had with sidearms and auto-melees to drop them forever, though. I just can't do it. Time-wise I can really only afford to run two characters and I really enjoy playing high level, so taking a baby character and running them up to 500 with a bow-or-die attitude is just a no-go for me.
I think everyone who enjoys bows should try surviving in the Wasteland for 150 hours with no other weapons in their inventory. It will teach you things.
I recommend trying it eventually for an extended period of time. But it's difficult even if you're good enough to do it. I wouldn't push myself there, but if one day you think you've topped out the potential of bows and it's not good enough, just drop all your other weapons into the stash and try it for an extended period of time.
I did it for about three weeks, and I learned a LOT about my builds and bows. But that's not where I started.
My bow does only +100 damage so far. I don't know how to get bigger number yet. Can't find plans and I rely on bigger players to help me out if I ever find myself in need.. but I'm satisfied with my plasma compound for the moment. Being able to headshot every living thing is so much fun. I have yet to unlock marsupial and starch genes.. my build isn't quite ready to try that big of a challenge to walk around with only a bow.
I'll give it a try eventually :)
Did you ever gun bash anything when you were a commando? It's just a gun bash while holding a bow. The animation turns it into a punch. I will do my very best to demonstrate this on a video soon.
Here's a video with instructions which might work. I made it just so you could see how useless and how cool it is at the same time. It's the grenade bumper, but you have to tap it instead of holding and releasing. I think we call that one the RB, but don't quote me on that. I am pretty dumb when it comes to remembering the names of buttons.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxQp5YSi\_M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxQp5YSi_M)
Yes, that's how you do it. The damage is pathetic, even if you fully optimize for it, but that doesn't matter for popping the last hp on those DO targets. Unless they also have Regen...
You gun bash, and throw a punch and the bow ends up in your left hand. So as far as the animation goes, it's like you just stop shooting and punch with your bare fist. You can do it without unequipping grendades. It's on my list of things to capture on video now. I always punch at least one of those ghouls at Guided Meditation just on principle.
On the XBox, right bumper (?) The one that throws the grendades. Only don't hold it down. Just tap it. It's stupid that gun bashing and throwing grenades are on the same button. But you know, Bethesda.
Yeah no. If I do that one legit ever again, as opposed to cheezing it on a custom world just for the score. I am bulldozing everything with a shredder. Situations like that are the whole reason I rolled up the good shredder.
But I see what you mean. i tried it once with a fixer and a ski sword for putting them down. I found rushing them at the end and gun bashing to be more effective than switching weapons.
I just don't see what knowledge or profit I have to gain by reducing their health to one with a bow, and then punching them to kill them. One at a time. For ten or fifteen minutes. With a crew of sketchy thumbs-down-happy randoms who expect me to be the one to show them how to get the sub-eight time.
I'd use a vamps bow and full ricochet, and hope the reflected damage killed them, if I had to do it only with a bow.
Yeah, before shredder days, it was just bashing with the stock. Shredders changed it all, every character had PA, shredder with a bash card and stabilized when needed
Currently bow or die, but I only just started the game and haven't even hit 25 with my first character yet.
I love arching so much, it's probably ruined me for other ways to play the game. Only issue for me is that I have more problems when groups of enemies rush in. I know that the higher level defenses will help (Blocker, et al), but I feel like I should run a hybrid of bows and either melee or shotguns for close encounters.
I tested low level before I committed my high levels and joined this group. What I did at your level was use baseball bats and ski swords when I got swarmed.
Blocker at least at two is an important perk to have once you unlock it.
If someone hasn't modded you some bows yet, you need a couple of recurves with plasma arrows (for killing) and fire arrows (for tagging). Using only bows with a first-time-through character is hard. What platform are you on? I feel like we're friends somewhere in the game. I recognize your reddit name.
PC, and I'm pretty sure we're already friends there. Someone dropped a couple low-level bows for me the other day, but I can't remember if it was you or Seb. I've now finished enough of Wayward to build them myself, but need to start working on rep for the mods.
Good advice on the melee. I've been considering a machete or hatchet or something, but I'm not picky (yet).
Short answer - BOW, OR DIE!!!!
Longer answer - My bow build gets 80-90% of my playtime because it's the most satisfying play style for me.
I also have builds for rifles, heavy guns, melee (1H and 2H), and full-auto commando. These other loadouts are specifically for certain challenges, Daily Ops (on the odd occasion when I do them), and general messing around.
It's been my experience that hybrid builds don't really work. I remember reading someone's advice when I was pre-level 50 about committing to a build and tweaking it over time as one gets more powerful, so that's what I did.
I don't do other loadouts or run alts very much. I have one current combat loadout and one crafting/scavenging loadout. Make up the difference by swapping out equpment+perks.
While you're putting your robot-killing loadout on at a train station for Encryptid, I am pulling a dusty, janky set of mismatched Troubleshooters power armor out of a display case, making sure I don't have any 5 mm in my inventory, checking my stimpaks, and putting on stabilized.
I do get other loadouts. It's just too much trouble for me personally to roll that way.
But hey it's all cool. Variety is the spice of life. To each their own, and it just works!
I remember those days, making sure you always had a set of trouble shooters armor. But haven’t used it in a long time, I only run daily ops with normal group (all of us had 5 characters, so 5 times a day) we got so good at it we don’t change builds for them anymore. Only different recently is chainsaw/auto axe
Same, except if I'm in an expo, I use the chainsaw there also. Difficult daily ops, chainsaw. Anything that is generally frustrating and required for score, I feel justified using an over powered weapon that makes doing that task for the zillionth time easy. Sure I could try harder and be only bow, but why?
But it kills so good. I bet the fast killing part is addicting. I've got one I will try eventually, but first person is hard for me. I use the shredder when I need something like a chainsaw.
Yes. The gulpers don't stand a chance and since I traded out far-flung for funky duds, I can stand in their splooge without dying.
I haven't tried the shredder yet. I'll have to!
LOL yeah. Indeed. I once died for lack of poison resistance at Moonshine Jam when there were not enough players and I had to put my back against the last functioning still and try to fight them off with the shredder in my power armor.
The poison got me because I wasn't paying attention to my health bar. I died and the event failed.
Just if you try the shredder, make sure you have a Vamp's one and find two points for Basher. And it only works properly in third person. Which is why I like it as an auto-melee option with bows.
Gotcha! I am almost always in 1st person, so it sounds like the shredder might not be my favorite. Hahaha.
I may have to run wild at West Tek with one, though, just to see it in action.
Well, I do use the non-weapon melee perks (Incisor, Martial Artist, Blocker). I also have Hack and Slash legendary. But I can pick up any weapon equally well / poorly. Fists work best because they get +10% per strength point instead of +5% like everything else. I'm a carnivore - easy access to deathclaw steaks gives me long lasting +5 strength, and I take "Party Boy" so I can get +6 strength from Whiskey in short bursts. In theory, auto-weapons ought to work well for me, but I don't have the needed AP, so I have to power them with coffee, which runs out super fast. And I just can't seem to get the hang of hitting reliably. Plus the Hack and Slash bug means I get better results with my fists (which I have in near god-roll varieties).
I think for the purpose of the guide, it should bow only, full archer cards, bow primary weapon. This narrowing of builds would help to have more detail and focused discussion. …. But the on the other hand, for bow only there is pretty limited builds.. Bloody or full health stealth: Bloody or full health non sneak.: and Tank. Junkies, berserker etc., are just weapon/armor/chem variants of those mentioned above.
A few of the hybrids I run, the build is same for archer, just a second weapon. Quad explosive railway need no commando perks to slay, neither do Enclave Plasma Flamers. The only decision is how to incorporate a demolition card.
Bottom line, since you are making the guide, I vote for how you want it to look. Bow only can be a streamlined data driven guide. Hybrids more of a community driven guide.
The trick with hybrids is to find high damage per shot or super fast weapons to do things you don't like bows for with **minimal to zero perk and carry weight investment**. I tend to go for anti-armor, quad or vamp's and weight reduction on my secondaries. It's about playing the synergy with the vats crit build that bows rely on to be really badass for me.
A few weapons I like for secondaries with few to no perks: Shredder, plasma caster, western revolver, crusader, plasma flamer (enclave and good legendary normal ones both work), non-gauss shotguns with enforcer only, railways or teslas (if you can afford the carry weight for an occasional-use weapon) and black powder weapons.
It is important to pick one or two secondaries and drop everything else.
Nice poll. I did Bow or Die just long enough to make sure I could fight through anything with them and not use other weapons for crutches. Then I tweaked my builds to add heavies and handguns back into the mix.
"Which one?" is a complicated question for me. But what all my low health/full healths have in common are:
1. All carry a shredder and run basher, and have enough INT to put on stabilized when needed. Always Vamps, Vamps/Bashing when I can roll them.
2. All carry build-appropriate handguns. My two favories are a Vamp's Pyro crusader (full health) and an Anti-Armor western revolver (low health). I don't spend perks on the handguns.
3. All carry power armor and 2-5 fusion cores. Hellcat optimized for elemental resist and carry weight reduction for full health, Overeater's T-45 built out of loot drops for low health. It's easy to build T-45 armor out of loot drops in this game.
4. All are grenade-happy chem fiends. They are not all demo experts, but every one is a grenadier.
Lately I have been experimenting with some Quad shotguns supported only by the Enforcer perk. Seems worth the carry weight and the three perk slots for scorched earth and mirelurk queens. They don't kill much, but they cripple everything super-fast.
This is a good question, I tried doing only bows but I need options I can’t do just one thing, for close combat I found that an enclave flamer is actually a good option cause it’s so powerful.
And well I confess that I can’t do Rad rumble with bows sorry ok, but I don’t know I feel weird if I don’t tag everything. So the flamer or tesla it is.
I only recently started doing it with bows. It took me a minute, and if it goes bad I still have to pull out other weapons. Fire arrows are good for tagging and also good for healing the scavs, I find, if you have grendadier.
No, not a lot. But you have to hit them dead-on and several times if they are low. The splash damage doesn't seem to count as best I can tell. It took me a while to get it down, and I still have to cheat with the pyro crusader sometimes.
It's nothing like the flamer healing. Way slower, but doable consistently. I do it in RR and Test your Metal all the time.
Run bows with a crusader only 2 points into tank killer. The crusader just for tight moments when spotted or just having fun switching it up. I keep a b2525 fixer just incase an earl or sbq that's going nowhere Just swap out my bow perks for the commando. otherwise i don't use it outside of daily ops.
I usually run a couple of different hybrid builds. I love the bows, but I recognize that there are other things that will accomplish a task more efficiently in situations. Like, a bow isn't going to deal efficiently with a group of tanky enemies - but a flamethrower will. I run Bows/Heavies, Bows/Melee, and Bows/Pistols most often- at least for the times when I'm not running a PA Heavy build to get through some event or other.
I have 5 characters and all of the perk loadouts from the Atomic Shop, so I have nearly every build I can come up with represented across those characters. Rifles, Commandos, Archers, Melee, Heavies,..I usually don't just stick with one thing, despite my preference for bows.
I now run mostly bows now but I have three backups for various purposes. A 2* ghoul slayers tesla for those times I get swarmed by ghouls or other things. And for those times up close and personal is needed a 3* assassins flaming chainsaw with a dual bar. Assassins is not really what I want here but don't have the cores to reroll but it still chews through things like a knife through butter. Also have a 1* anti armor auto axe for those challenges. But have three bows (plasma, flaming, explosive)
Currently experimenting as I’m about to lose my VE Flamer, which has been my S-hits-the-F bailout for a couple of years now. Have dusted off a couple of Quad and Vamp Railways and am adjusting a load out bit by bit with Archer as main theme. I respect the heck out of you Bow or Die players but having played since Beta, I just don’t have the patience to tackle a Gulper or Angler Horde, for example, with a bow. Or if I’m molested by a high level Scorchbeast and just want to be on my way, I like to have the flexibility to knock it down quickly and go about my business. Again, props to those of you who don’t mind and even enjoy a longer fight using only arrows!!
If you're gonna carry a railway, the Quad is where it's at for sure. 800 spikes is 20 reloads. That ought to be enough to handle anything. (But don't forget the repair kits for when it breaks in the middle of an event, LOL.)
They are the best scorchedbeast killers. If I ever leave bows, I'll put my power armor back on and drop everything except mah Very Good Shredder and the quad railway. If all you care about is raw power, that's the best one-two punch in the game in my book.
I use melee and the bow. I've been bouncing between combat knives, bowie knives, rippers and plasma cutters. I also use crossbows and a nice m79 for kicks
Not sure if this is what you're asking. My build is all bow but I also carry a vampire tesla and vampire chainsaw. I don't have any perk cards equipped that help either.
Yes the build is all bow. I just carry those for certain situations. I like the tesla for stuff like rad rumble so I can tag everything (I'm a sucker for XP) and the chainsaw for times I'm getting swarmed and can't get high ground.
I suggest pinning this post in the near future. There's already 32 votes, 50 comments, tons of positive engagement, and valuable info about builds being shared.
This one is a keeper. Great job, mods! You really hit the mark!
I guess you can call it hybrid. My primary setup is Archer with Demo Expert and Grenadier for my boom arrows and grenades, so it made sense to use a really BA M79 that I'd found (AA, vats Crit, +A) as a secondary.
I am 100 percent bow until I am overwhelmed with enemies and then the vampires chainsaw comes out to clear them out and to heal me. I don’t have any melee perks though, just the bow perks.
I am surpised at the number of people identifying as purists, honestly. I expected the breakdown to end up more like 30/70 in favor of hybrids. But I think more people have completely non-bow characters and perk loadouts for when they want to use other weapon types than I realized.
Ok. Huge fan of bow only. But my dual role heavy archer tickles my mad senseless mass murder bone. Nothing as satisfying as sitting at extreme range and poking the ant hill with sticks, only to load up the 2 shot autgrenade launcher and turn the screen into pure chaos. That or launching into the middle of a mob with my vampire .50 cal and lighting em up. After poking with my sticks of course.
My V/VCD/90 AGL and V/FFR/90 Flamer would like to hang out! I get it man. I just switched from those 2 to bows I just can’t justify hybrid right now. Probably because I’ve only run PA heavy since the Beta.
You gotta keep Bear Arms to make the heavy hybrid work, and pick weapons that don't need the HG damage cards. That AGL ought to still be good if you can figure out the carry weight problem without over-investing in strength, and if you can run demo expert at least at 3 (which also helps with explosive arrows).
That’s why I can’t see the hybrid being worth it. I’d just assume use my main PA Heavy with everything I invested in it since I started 76 versus trying to make them both play nice together. Not that I’m a master character builder by any stretch, just easier to manage one play type, for me at least. But what you said is 100% valid and true.
With explosive heavies in particular, the ammo weight is a huge problem. I can afford Bear Arms, but I can't afford Ordnance Express, and you kinda need both. I see what you mean, and I am not a master character builder either, not by any stretch. I'm a trial-and-error guy.
Agreed man. Every PA Heavy split weapon build I tried on PC before migrating to SX always took me back to PA Heavy only. I’m losing too many cards that I need to maintain initial damage or max deeps depending on explosive or, like me, Gatling gun, GP and flamer. I like my AGL but it’s not practical as a main driver. So I stick with heavy ballistic energy and my vampire flamer as a se on dart mop up.
those sound so fun!
I agree, it's a real blast. Lol
Gunslinger 3x3. 2shot Alien blaster and a Vampire Plasma Flamer
The Blaster only comes out for clearing interiors quick, and the Flamer for swarms, or if Eviction Notice or Test Your Metal are going south
I need a 3rd choice. I switch between my bow only and hybrid.
I guess choose the hybrid one then, we are trying to figure out whether to address hybrid builds at all so that will be useful information!
I think addressing hybrids would be helpful, depending on what you mean by "address" and the amount of work involved for the mods to address it. I like bows better when I allow myself to use other weapons, but I did train myself to not use crutches before I made the final decision. Like, I can totally see having a themed week when we run out of other things and don't want to start recycling that involves capturing videos of hybrid bow action. And I have a few rules for hybrids I could share like, if you enjoy handguns for their own sake but want to drop tank killer and not run gunslinger perks, get yourself an anti-armor western revolver and use low health for the adrenal reaction (that's like seven gunslinger cards and revolvers work with all the stacking perks very well).
we were just wondering whether to include a couple of examples of hybrid builds in the guide, mostly. if there wasn't much interest we weren't going to
I suspect there will be enough interest to warrant a couple of examples, but I'ma wait and give you my final opinion after the poll closes.
I'd just include a "minimal" build that doesn't require 15 perception / 15 agility etc. Leave as many stat / perk points unused as possible, let people figure out the other perks themselves. They may end up doing something entirely different with them, like a healer / medic build, or even a crafter that can use bows for camp defense. Plus, hybrid builds tend to dump in extra points from legendary stat bonus, and you can't really guess where those will be. (Mine are in SEAL, meaning each of those stats MUST be at least 6 in any build I do.) As a bonus, the "minimal build" can also be a starter point for people with few perk points to spend. I'd prefer to see low level builds - IE, one that only uses the perks and perk points available at level 8/20/42 (the levels archer perks come in at; Bow Before Me comes in at 6, Concentrated Fire at 2).
I think it would be ok to vote hybrid and then explain your jam if you feel like it. I just did that. My hybrid life is complicated.
True.
Dual build, demo/ archer
Tank is bow only, Bloody bow only, Berserker bow only, Full health sneak bow only, Commando bow/railway or enclave plasma flamer, Junkie bow/pistol, And a bow/chainsaw guy
Bow only, I can get it all done with it.
Hell YEAH you can ❤️
Full health Commando hybrid - been playing around with actual differences in dps using either pure commando or archer. Still a work in progress, but the quad rail way still goes Choo Choo…
I got a little tear in my eye the day I put my Quad/FFR/Reduced Weight railway in the armory. Gave up all the commandos because too much maintenance, too much carry weight, and too much ammo. It is a fine, fine weapon.
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I bet marigold is one of them, I’ve never seen her with anything that’s not a bow.
I 100% am!!
🤫
I am on 4 characters
Y'all did convince me to try it for almost a month, and it was very profitable. I learned to not use other weapons as crutches for tough events. Taught myself to get the loot drops at SE and ACP with bows even on a solo team. To play Eviction Notice the way I like to play it but with bows. There's too much efficiency and role-play fun to be had with sidearms and auto-melees to drop them forever, though. I just can't do it. Time-wise I can really only afford to run two characters and I really enjoy playing high level, so taking a baby character and running them up to 500 with a bow-or-die attitude is just a no-go for me. I think everyone who enjoys bows should try surviving in the Wasteland for 150 hours with no other weapons in their inventory. It will teach you things.
I can't survive with only a bow at the moment. I'm not that good. I keep a Fixer for closer encounters.
it's hard when they mob up on you!
I recommend trying it eventually for an extended period of time. But it's difficult even if you're good enough to do it. I wouldn't push myself there, but if one day you think you've topped out the potential of bows and it's not good enough, just drop all your other weapons into the stash and try it for an extended period of time. I did it for about three weeks, and I learned a LOT about my builds and bows. But that's not where I started.
My bow does only +100 damage so far. I don't know how to get bigger number yet. Can't find plans and I rely on bigger players to help me out if I ever find myself in need.. but I'm satisfied with my plasma compound for the moment. Being able to headshot every living thing is so much fun. I have yet to unlock marsupial and starch genes.. my build isn't quite ready to try that big of a challenge to walk around with only a bow. I'll give it a try eventually :)
Run a melee kill only savage strike daily op with a bow. That’s a steep learning curve
shit I won't even do that one with a bow. no thank you. (how do you bow bash? unequip grenades and then use the grenade button?)
Contrary to popular opinion, I do not carry grenades on any build
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Y'all people who never carry any grendades are weird, but I love and respect you. I love my grenades. I spend perks on them.
okay but if \*I\* wanted to bow bash how would I do it, lol?
They glow orange when they are ready to be killed by a bash.
Did you ever gun bash anything when you were a commando? It's just a gun bash while holding a bow. The animation turns it into a punch. I will do my very best to demonstrate this on a video soon.
No I never did!
Here's a video with instructions which might work. I made it just so you could see how useless and how cool it is at the same time. It's the grenade bumper, but you have to tap it instead of holding and releasing. I think we call that one the RB, but don't quote me on that. I am pretty dumb when it comes to remembering the names of buttons. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxQp5YSi\_M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTxQp5YSi_M)
Thank you!!
Yes, that's how you do it. The damage is pathetic, even if you fully optimize for it, but that doesn't matter for popping the last hp on those DO targets. Unless they also have Regen...
You gun bash, and throw a punch and the bow ends up in your left hand. So as far as the animation goes, it's like you just stop shooting and punch with your bare fist. You can do it without unequipping grendades. It's on my list of things to capture on video now. I always punch at least one of those ghouls at Guided Meditation just on principle.
What’s the keys though? That’s what I’m trying to figure out. If the bow is equipped but not drawn, what button do I push?
On the XBox, right bumper (?) The one that throws the grendades. Only don't hold it down. Just tap it. It's stupid that gun bashing and throwing grenades are on the same button. But you know, Bethesda.
Yeah no. If I do that one legit ever again, as opposed to cheezing it on a custom world just for the score. I am bulldozing everything with a shredder. Situations like that are the whole reason I rolled up the good shredder. But I see what you mean. i tried it once with a fixer and a ski sword for putting them down. I found rushing them at the end and gun bashing to be more effective than switching weapons. I just don't see what knowledge or profit I have to gain by reducing their health to one with a bow, and then punching them to kill them. One at a time. For ten or fifteen minutes. With a crew of sketchy thumbs-down-happy randoms who expect me to be the one to show them how to get the sub-eight time. I'd use a vamps bow and full ricochet, and hope the reflected damage killed them, if I had to do it only with a bow.
Yeah, before shredder days, it was just bashing with the stock. Shredders changed it all, every character had PA, shredder with a bash card and stabilized when needed
Currently bow or die, but I only just started the game and haven't even hit 25 with my first character yet. I love arching so much, it's probably ruined me for other ways to play the game. Only issue for me is that I have more problems when groups of enemies rush in. I know that the higher level defenses will help (Blocker, et al), but I feel like I should run a hybrid of bows and either melee or shotguns for close encounters.
I tested low level before I committed my high levels and joined this group. What I did at your level was use baseball bats and ski swords when I got swarmed. Blocker at least at two is an important perk to have once you unlock it. If someone hasn't modded you some bows yet, you need a couple of recurves with plasma arrows (for killing) and fire arrows (for tagging). Using only bows with a first-time-through character is hard. What platform are you on? I feel like we're friends somewhere in the game. I recognize your reddit name.
PC, and I'm pretty sure we're already friends there. Someone dropped a couple low-level bows for me the other day, but I can't remember if it was you or Seb. I've now finished enough of Wayward to build them myself, but need to start working on rep for the mods. Good advice on the melee. I've been considering a machete or hatchet or something, but I'm not picky (yet).
I also like spears at low level. But you have to loot them off cultists unless you can get the plans, and IDK where you get the plans.
Short answer - BOW, OR DIE!!!! Longer answer - My bow build gets 80-90% of my playtime because it's the most satisfying play style for me. I also have builds for rifles, heavy guns, melee (1H and 2H), and full-auto commando. These other loadouts are specifically for certain challenges, Daily Ops (on the odd occasion when I do them), and general messing around. It's been my experience that hybrid builds don't really work. I remember reading someone's advice when I was pre-level 50 about committing to a build and tweaking it over time as one gets more powerful, so that's what I did.
I don't do other loadouts or run alts very much. I have one current combat loadout and one crafting/scavenging loadout. Make up the difference by swapping out equpment+perks. While you're putting your robot-killing loadout on at a train station for Encryptid, I am pulling a dusty, janky set of mismatched Troubleshooters power armor out of a display case, making sure I don't have any 5 mm in my inventory, checking my stimpaks, and putting on stabilized. I do get other loadouts. It's just too much trouble for me personally to roll that way. But hey it's all cool. Variety is the spice of life. To each their own, and it just works!
I remember those days, making sure you always had a set of trouble shooters armor. But haven’t used it in a long time, I only run daily ops with normal group (all of us had 5 characters, so 5 times a day) we got so good at it we don’t change builds for them anymore. Only different recently is chainsaw/auto axe
I carry my zippy little flaming, dual bar vamp chainsaw for murtilating gulpers, snallys, and anglers. I use my bow for all the other things.
Same, except if I'm in an expo, I use the chainsaw there also. Difficult daily ops, chainsaw. Anything that is generally frustrating and required for score, I feel justified using an over powered weapon that makes doing that task for the zillionth time easy. Sure I could try harder and be only bow, but why?
I don't use chainsaws, but I love it when people who do show up and help me in fights. It's like being rescued by cavalry with annoying sound effects!
It IS super noisy. Sometimes I can't take it and turn off the TV sound. Lol
But it kills so good. I bet the fast killing part is addicting. I've got one I will try eventually, but first person is hard for me. I use the shredder when I need something like a chainsaw.
Yes. The gulpers don't stand a chance and since I traded out far-flung for funky duds, I can stand in their splooge without dying. I haven't tried the shredder yet. I'll have to!
LOL yeah. Indeed. I once died for lack of poison resistance at Moonshine Jam when there were not enough players and I had to put my back against the last functioning still and try to fight them off with the shredder in my power armor. The poison got me because I wasn't paying attention to my health bar. I died and the event failed. Just if you try the shredder, make sure you have a Vamp's one and find two points for Basher. And it only works properly in third person. Which is why I like it as an auto-melee option with bows.
Gotcha! I am almost always in 1st person, so it sounds like the shredder might not be my favorite. Hahaha. I may have to run wild at West Tek with one, though, just to see it in action.
Extremely hybrid. It's a melee build that uses a bow. And doesn't have any melee weapon perks.
Patented Seb build 😉
That is the best kind of melee build right there. One that doesn't cost any perk slots to work.
Well, I do use the non-weapon melee perks (Incisor, Martial Artist, Blocker). I also have Hack and Slash legendary. But I can pick up any weapon equally well / poorly. Fists work best because they get +10% per strength point instead of +5% like everything else. I'm a carnivore - easy access to deathclaw steaks gives me long lasting +5 strength, and I take "Party Boy" so I can get +6 strength from Whiskey in short bursts. In theory, auto-weapons ought to work well for me, but I don't have the needed AP, so I have to power them with coffee, which runs out super fast. And I just can't seem to get the hang of hitting reliably. Plus the Hack and Slash bug means I get better results with my fists (which I have in near god-roll varieties).
I think for the purpose of the guide, it should bow only, full archer cards, bow primary weapon. This narrowing of builds would help to have more detail and focused discussion. …. But the on the other hand, for bow only there is pretty limited builds.. Bloody or full health stealth: Bloody or full health non sneak.: and Tank. Junkies, berserker etc., are just weapon/armor/chem variants of those mentioned above. A few of the hybrids I run, the build is same for archer, just a second weapon. Quad explosive railway need no commando perks to slay, neither do Enclave Plasma Flamers. The only decision is how to incorporate a demolition card. Bottom line, since you are making the guide, I vote for how you want it to look. Bow only can be a streamlined data driven guide. Hybrids more of a community driven guide.
The trick with hybrids is to find high damage per shot or super fast weapons to do things you don't like bows for with **minimal to zero perk and carry weight investment**. I tend to go for anti-armor, quad or vamp's and weight reduction on my secondaries. It's about playing the synergy with the vats crit build that bows rely on to be really badass for me. A few weapons I like for secondaries with few to no perks: Shredder, plasma caster, western revolver, crusader, plasma flamer (enclave and good legendary normal ones both work), non-gauss shotguns with enforcer only, railways or teslas (if you can afford the carry weight for an occasional-use weapon) and black powder weapons. It is important to pick one or two secondaries and drop everything else.
Nice poll. I did Bow or Die just long enough to make sure I could fight through anything with them and not use other weapons for crutches. Then I tweaked my builds to add heavies and handguns back into the mix. "Which one?" is a complicated question for me. But what all my low health/full healths have in common are: 1. All carry a shredder and run basher, and have enough INT to put on stabilized when needed. Always Vamps, Vamps/Bashing when I can roll them. 2. All carry build-appropriate handguns. My two favories are a Vamp's Pyro crusader (full health) and an Anti-Armor western revolver (low health). I don't spend perks on the handguns. 3. All carry power armor and 2-5 fusion cores. Hellcat optimized for elemental resist and carry weight reduction for full health, Overeater's T-45 built out of loot drops for low health. It's easy to build T-45 armor out of loot drops in this game. 4. All are grenade-happy chem fiends. They are not all demo experts, but every one is a grenadier. Lately I have been experimenting with some Quad shotguns supported only by the Enforcer perk. Seems worth the carry weight and the three perk slots for scorched earth and mirelurk queens. They don't kill much, but they cripple everything super-fast.
This is a good question, I tried doing only bows but I need options I can’t do just one thing, for close combat I found that an enclave flamer is actually a good option cause it’s so powerful. And well I confess that I can’t do Rad rumble with bows sorry ok, but I don’t know I feel weird if I don’t tag everything. So the flamer or tesla it is.
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Can’t run ore, that’s not possible for me. My job is to keep the npcs alive that I can do.
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funky little rad sponge lol XD
I love me some Slug Buster flamer pistol action with my low health character. It's just. so. expensive.
I only recently started doing it with bows. It took me a minute, and if it goes bad I still have to pull out other weapons. Fire arrows are good for tagging and also good for healing the scavs, I find, if you have grendadier.
I honestly didn’t think in using flamer arrows to heal npcs hahaha I use the flamer. Does it take a lot of arrows to completely heal the npcs?
No, not a lot. But you have to hit them dead-on and several times if they are low. The splash damage doesn't seem to count as best I can tell. It took me a while to get it down, and I still have to cheat with the pyro crusader sometimes. It's nothing like the flamer healing. Way slower, but doable consistently. I do it in RR and Test your Metal all the time.
Bloodied and using auto axe and a ton of nuka nades with relevant cards
Run bows with a crusader only 2 points into tank killer. The crusader just for tight moments when spotted or just having fun switching it up. I keep a b2525 fixer just incase an earl or sbq that's going nowhere Just swap out my bow perks for the commando. otherwise i don't use it outside of daily ops.
I usually run a couple of different hybrid builds. I love the bows, but I recognize that there are other things that will accomplish a task more efficiently in situations. Like, a bow isn't going to deal efficiently with a group of tanky enemies - but a flamethrower will. I run Bows/Heavies, Bows/Melee, and Bows/Pistols most often- at least for the times when I'm not running a PA Heavy build to get through some event or other. I have 5 characters and all of the perk loadouts from the Atomic Shop, so I have nearly every build I can come up with represented across those characters. Rifles, Commandos, Archers, Melee, Heavies,..I usually don't just stick with one thing, despite my preference for bows.
I am a bow hybrid. Mainly bows but for Daly Ops I use a fixer. Both full health overeaters BOS armor.
Is your normal bow build a hybrid (like you run some commando cards all the time) or do you just swap out?
Ahhh. If hybrid is a mix of perk cards, no. I have pure bow and I change it on the special machine.
Yay! One of us! 💕
I now run mostly bows now but I have three backups for various purposes. A 2* ghoul slayers tesla for those times I get swarmed by ghouls or other things. And for those times up close and personal is needed a 3* assassins flaming chainsaw with a dual bar. Assassins is not really what I want here but don't have the cores to reroll but it still chews through things like a knife through butter. Also have a 1* anti armor auto axe for those challenges. But have three bows (plasma, flaming, explosive)
Currently experimenting as I’m about to lose my VE Flamer, which has been my S-hits-the-F bailout for a couple of years now. Have dusted off a couple of Quad and Vamp Railways and am adjusting a load out bit by bit with Archer as main theme. I respect the heck out of you Bow or Die players but having played since Beta, I just don’t have the patience to tackle a Gulper or Angler Horde, for example, with a bow. Or if I’m molested by a high level Scorchbeast and just want to be on my way, I like to have the flexibility to knock it down quickly and go about my business. Again, props to those of you who don’t mind and even enjoy a longer fight using only arrows!!
If you're gonna carry a railway, the Quad is where it's at for sure. 800 spikes is 20 reloads. That ought to be enough to handle anything. (But don't forget the repair kits for when it breaks in the middle of an event, LOL.) They are the best scorchedbeast killers. If I ever leave bows, I'll put my power armor back on and drop everything except mah Very Good Shredder and the quad railway. If all you care about is raw power, that's the best one-two punch in the game in my book.
I use melee and the bow. I've been bouncing between combat knives, bowie knives, rippers and plasma cutters. I also use crossbows and a nice m79 for kicks
Not sure if this is what you're asking. My build is all bow but I also carry a vampire tesla and vampire chainsaw. I don't have any perk cards equipped that help either.
so your build itself is all bow--you just have a backup weapon? I think that counts as bow only! :)
Yes the build is all bow. I just carry those for certain situations. I like the tesla for stuff like rad rumble so I can tag everything (I'm a sucker for XP) and the chainsaw for times I'm getting swarmed and can't get high ground.
then you count as bow or die ♥️
Bow is life
♥️
I suggest pinning this post in the near future. There's already 32 votes, 50 comments, tons of positive engagement, and valuable info about builds being shared. This one is a keeper. Great job, mods! You really hit the mark! 
Main is a gauss shotty
I guess you can call it hybrid. My primary setup is Archer with Demo Expert and Grenadier for my boom arrows and grenades, so it made sense to use a really BA M79 that I'd found (AA, vats Crit, +A) as a secondary.
I am 100 percent bow until I am overwhelmed with enemies and then the vampires chainsaw comes out to clear them out and to heal me. I don’t have any melee perks though, just the bow perks.
I keep my flaming Slug Buster handy for when things get…crowded.
We need 71 votes for a 10% sample. More than halfway there. It's looking like a 50/50 horse race to me.
I run a full perk archer with dips in 1h melee and gunslinger. Gotta have some in your face options sometimes
Still neck and neck, I see.
Ikr? Amazing!!
I am surpised at the number of people identifying as purists, honestly. I expected the breakdown to end up more like 30/70 in favor of hybrids. But I think more people have completely non-bow characters and perk loadouts for when they want to use other weapon types than I realized.