In Minecraft, bows and crossbows are the most used and most popular weapons. However, most players have their own preferences when selecting among those. So, we thought about giving more insights on this bow vs crossbow In Minecraft battle.
Crossbows are more powerful than bows, as they can cause more damage, have a longer range, and have a greater shooting speed. Bows are easy to craft and will last longer than crossbows. Both these weapons are equipped with various enchantments.
However, these are not all the crucial points that you need to know to pick the beast weapon between a bow and a crossbow. But, before we start the detailed comparison, let’s understand how you can get these two weapons in Minecraft.
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How To Get Bows And Crossbows In Minecraft?
Before you know are crossbows better than bows in Minecraft or not, you must first get them in your inventory to test them yourself. And there are several ways you can get both bows and crossbows in Minecraft.
Bows:
- You can exchange bows with emeralds with the villagers of Fletcher
- Bows are dropped when you kill skeletons, illusionists, and strays
- You can occasionally get an enchanted bow while fishing near the shoreline
- You can easily craft a bow with three strings and three sticks
Crossbows:
- Like bows, you can also trade emeralds for crossbows with the Fletcher villagers
- You can get dropped crossbows when you kill a piglin or a pillager
- You can collect crossbows from the pillagers’ outpost chests
- Crossbows can be crafted with three sticks, two strings, one iron ingot, and one tripwire hook
It is quite difficult and challenging to collect or trade both bows and crossbows. Instead, you should better craft them by placing the required ingredients in a 3×3 grid.
How To Craft A Bow In Minecraft?
You just need two things to craft a bow in Minecraft. First, you need three wooden sticks in your inventory. And second, you also need three strings. Once you have these two materials in your inventory, all you need is to place the items in a 3×3 grid to craft a bow.
You can easily get sticks from wooden planks that you can collect near the forest area or from the village. And to get strings, you need to kill spiders. However, you can also now get strings while destroying the cobwebs with your sword.
Crafting a bow is relatively easy, but repairing it may be a little challenging. And if you don’t know how to fix it, follow our detailed guide on how to repair a bow in Minecraft in both the Java and Bedrock editions.
How To Craft A Crossbow In Minecraft?
Like bows, the Minecraft crossbow recipe is also pretty easy. However, you need more items to craft a crossbow than a bow. You mainly need four things to craft a crossbow. First, you need 3 wooden sticks and 2 strings. And then, you also need an iron ingot and a tripwire hook.
You can’t easily get a tripwire hook in Minecraft, although you can craft one easily. And to do that, you need a wooden plank, a wooden stick, and an iron ingot. Once you get all the things necessary to craft a crossbow, you can place them in a 3×3 grip to get it on your inventory.
Key Differences Between The Crossbow And Bow In Minecraft
Many people have already asked what is stronger in Minecraft between crossbow and bow, although the answer is not simple. Depending on the scenario and your opponent, both these weapons can cause lethal damage. However, the key differences are as follows.
Crafting Procedure
Before you jump to any conclusion in the bow vs crossbow In Minecraft battle, you must know that there is a big difference in the crafting procedure of these two items, although none of the methods are complicated. In simple terms, crossbows will need more items than what you need to craft a bow.
You need wooden sticks and iron strings to craft both bows and crossbows. However, you need an extra iron ingot and a tripwire hook to craft a crossbow. You can either collect or trade these required items in the game or can even craft one.
Damage Done
As we have already said, both the bow and crossbow can cause lethal damage to your opponent, depending on the scenario and the enchantments. However, in general terms, crossbows are a bit more powerful than bows. Bows come with an attack damage range between 1 and 10.
When you get the bow in the initial level, it will cause +1 attack damage. And as you level up, it can create up to +10 attack damage. On the other hand, the damage of the crossbow ranges between 6 and 11. So, even if you get a crossbow in the initial stage, it will cause +6 attack damage to your opponents.
Range
You can cause almost equal damage to your opponents with both bows and crossbows in Minecraft in close combat. But the range is important in long-distance combat, especially when fighting with a group of mobs or undead creatures. In simple terms, crossbows have a greater range than bows.
With bows, you can fire up to a 50-meter range in the game, while you can fire at enemies up to a 100-meter distance with a crossbow. So, if you have a group of mobs approaching you from a distance, it is better to use a crossbow.
You can also try the range of both these weapons while having a target block in your inventory. And if you don’t know how to craft one, here goes the comprehensive guide on how to make a target block in Minecraft.
Durability
The durability factor is also crucial in this Minecraft bow vs crossbow debate. Both these weapons come with a default usage range. A crossbow comes with 326 usage points, while a bow comes with 385 usage points by default. And every time you shoot an arrow with these two weapons, 1 usage will be deducted.
So, you can technically throw 385 arrows with a bow while you can only throw 326 arrows with your crossbow. However, you can easily repair both these weapons once their usage points are finished. But yes, it is more difficult to repair crossbows than bows.
Reloading Speed
Reloading speed is an absolutely crucial factor for any weapon, as slow reloading weapons can cause devastation while fighting with a group of mobs. With a weapon having a high reloading speed, you can shoot down your enemies at a much faster pace. Now, let’s understand the difference between reloading speed in bows and crossbows.
Bows can reload within 22 ticks in Minecraft, which is almost 1.1 seconds in a real-world scenario (if you haven’t changed the ticking rate). On the other hand, crossbows take around 25 ticks to reload, which translates to 1.25 seconds. So, bows will reload 0.15 seconds faster than crossbows.
Fireworks
Firework is also a crucial factor in this bow vs crossbow In Minecraft battle. But first, you need to understand what firework rockets are. This is an explosive item in Minecraft that can cause +18 damage when it hits a target. However, it needs more strength to fire these explosive fireworks than regular arrows.
You can’t shoot fireworks with bows. Instead, you need to use a crossbow to aim and shoot these rockets. When you face a group of enemies at a distance, you should use these rockets to cause damage to the entire group at once. However, firing one rocket will take +3 usage from crossbows.
Enchantments
Minecraft crossbow enchantments and bow enchantments are both necessary to cause more damage to your enemies. Although there are several enchantments that can be done on these weapons, there are four typical enchantments gamers mainly use in these weapons.
Enchantments For Bows
- Flame: You can shoot arrows with flames on them to cause fire at the target
- Power: You can shoot a power enchanted arrow to cause more damage
- Infinity: You can fire almost an endless number of arrows with this enchantment
- Punch: This enchantment will cause your enemies to knock back
Enchantments For Crossbows
- Quick Charge: You can reload your crossbow at a much faster rate
- Unbreaking: You can increase the usage points and durability of your crossbow
- Piercing: You can pierce through multiple enemies with a single arrow
- Multi-Shot: This enchantment will enable you to fire three arrows at once
Besides bows and crossbows, you can now also enchant even a stick in Minecraft, such as with a knockback enchantment. If you don’t know how to do it the right way, follow our step-by-step guide about the knockback stick commands in Minecraft.
Pros And Cons Of Bow In Minecraft
Before you jump to any conclusion about this bow vs crossbow In the Minecraft debate, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of both these weapons. And we start with the bows!
Pros:
- Reloading and charging times are significantly less
- You can easily craft bows in Minecraft
- Almost all the bows are renewable, and you can easily repair them
- Bows are highly durable and will not break easily
- With flame enchantments, you can use bows to light fire
Cons:
- Arrows threw with a bow cause less damage
- You can’t stack more than one bow in your inventory
- You can’t move fast on your map while shooting with a bow
Pros And Cons Of Crossbow In Minecraft
Like bows, crossbows also have certain advantages and disadvantages in Minecraft. So, you need to choose it carefully while judging all the pros and cons of this weapon.
Pros:
- With a firework, you can cause up to +18 damage to your enemies with a crossbow
- Crossbows come with multiple enchantments
- Crossbows are also necessary to get fuel in Minecraft
- If you are riding a horse or a cart, your speed won’t drop while carrying a crossbow
Cons:
- The default loading time is 0.15 seconds more than bows
- You can’t stack more than one crossbow in your inventory
- You need to walk at a sneaking speed while carrying a crossbow
FAQs
Which is better, crossbow or bow in Minecraft?
Both bows and crossbows are great weapons in Minecraft, although they have certain differences. Arrows fired with a crossbow can cause more damage to the enemies and opponents than bows. On the other hand, a bow will last much longer than crossbows.
Can crossbows get infinity?
Yes, you can easily enchant your crossbow with an infinity enchantment. You don’t need more than one arrow to shoot at multiple targets simultaneously with an infinity enchantment. And with this enchantment, you can have almost an endless number of arrows to fire with your crossbow.
What is the most powerful weapon in Minecraft?
Netherite, an element from the Nether World, is the strongest and most powerful element in Minecraft. You can use Netherite to upgrade even your diamond-grade weapons. And if you talk about the most powerful one, the Netherite sword is the deadliest weapon in Minecraft.
What is the weakest weapon in Minecraft?
A wooden axe that can be easily crafted on Minecraft is the weakest weapon in the game. It causes almost no harm to your enemies and can only be used for general purposes. Golden axes are the upgraded version of this wooden axe than can cause more damage to your enemies.
Conclusion
As you must have already understood, both bows and crossbows have certain advantages and disadvantages. So, you need to carefully pick them depending on your situation. However, many gamers also need to know what is better between smite and sharpness. So, follow our Minecraft Smite vs. Sharpness battle to know more!
So, these are all that we have to say in this bow vs crossbow In Minecraft battle. But, if you think we have missed any points, or if you have any valid inputs to give, feel free to drop your suggestions and feedback in the comment box below.