The short version
Ironeye is the best arbalist in the game. Crossbows are the least committal ranged weapons in the game and, with Marking amplifying their damage, provide competitive DPS while allowing Ironeye to dump all of his FP into powerful weapon skills.
The long version
I prefer playing Ironeye like a status-oriented duellist. Since the Arcane-increasing relic effect is mandatory for such a playstyle, it comes with the consequence of lowering his effectiveness with bows. Still, I frequently sought them out for the purpose of having a sidearm. But even with his improved bow moveset, they always felt underwhelming. Eventually, inspired by Scholar, I decided to try out crossbows.
Why use crossbows over bows?
There are a few reasons. An important one is handling. The individual animations for firing and reloading a crossbow are both incredibly short, allowing one to weave them in between even the shortest of downtime. Even with his improved bow moveset, Ironeye shoots the first arrow slower than a crossbow firing. And although it’s possible to hold the bow in the right hand and switch to two-handing the left-hand weapon, it’s much more fluid to one-hand a crossbow instead.
Another important reason is immediate power. Since Ironeye’s Dexterity growth is slow, crossbows outperform bows early on in a run. And when bows start pulling ahead, they require FP to perform at their absolute best. However, that FP could also be spent on skills like Bloodhound’s Step or Corpse Piler. And while everyone can use a crossbow to achieve the same effect, Ironeye can consistently amplify their damage through the use of Marking.
Furthermore, while bows are hard-countered by shields, crossbows can circumvent them by default. Simply walk up to the enemy and kick them in their chest! What can they do about it? It even works on the obnoxious Grafted Scion.
Finally, crossbows are much more stamina-efficient. To verify this, I shot the training dummy repeatedly. Below are some numbers that showcase their sustained DPS potential.
At level 15, Arcane Ironeye deals…
- 1028 damage with the Black Bow
- 1368 damage with the Pulley Crossbow
…before his stamina is depleted.
As for single-shot crossbows, stamina regen outpaces their stamina cost. In theory, it’s possible to fire such a crossbow indefinitely. In practice, this allows Ironeye to always be near full stamina when that overly jumpy enemy finally decides to settle down.
Is this playstyle optimal?
That depends on what you’re looking for. If you seek raw ranged DPS, it’s better to use bows and avoid stat-altering relic effects. If you want ranged safety and easy stamina management combined with melee skill spam, crossbows are the answer.
Where can crossbows be found?
The easiest way to guarantee high-quality crossbows is to set them as Ironeye’s dormant power. However, that leaves your melee weapon of choice entirely up to the whims of RNG. While I personally adore the Pulley Crossbow, I prefer getting Rivers of Blood or Dragonscale Blade almost every run.
So, that leaves two options: bow racks and township merchants. The former can be found in main encampments or ruined towers. The Arbalest deserves special mention, since it’s both common and the strongest single-shot crossbow when fully upgraded. The latter usually have an uncommon crossbow for sale, and those frequently come with great weapon passives like improved item discovery or increased attack power at full HP.
And that’s it! My intent was to give crossbows some much-needed love, so I truly hope this guide accomplishes just that. Thanks for reading!