Bows

Empyrean longbow screenshot from Alpha-2.^[1]

Bows are a type of ranged weapon in Ashes of Creation.^[3] Bows are projectile-based weapons. Players crossing into the path (of an arrow in flight) may be struck.^[4]^[5]

Shortbows have faster, less powerful, shorter range basic attacks.^[6]^[1]
- Holding down the basic attack will repeatedly fire the basic attack rather than performing a charged attack.^[6]

The direction that we went with the shortbow was a lot more- I almost want to say acrobatic- like you can use this a lot more freely movement. It doesn't slow you as much. It's a higher rate of fire. Basically this is the more mobile feeling, lightweight version of the longbow: So it's not quite as powerful because you're making some trade-offs here with range and attack speed.^[6] – Tradd Thompson

Longbows have slower, more powerful, longer range basic attacks.^[6]^[1]
- Tapping the basic attack will shoot normally.^[1]
- Holding the basic attack button will charge the shot (and root the player) to cause added damage. These may also be able to be comboed with normal shots to create damage spikes.^[1]^[7]

Some Ranger skills require a bow to be equipped.^[8]

Bows will not require ammo. Instead the developers are considering per-use consumables/buffs that can be applied to weapons.^[9]

We are thinking about unique buffs that can be applied to your weapons that are on a per-instance basis of the attack; so, for example, you might have a quiver that you can activate on a cooldown, and that quiver might apply some type of rider effect on the basic weapon attack that you have equipped. Or, you might have some type of alchemical consumable that applies it to your melee weapon. Those I think are interesting because they add an element of horizontal gameplay, depending on the adversary you're facing or the challenge you're up against.^[9] – Steven Sharif

List of bows

Abilities

- None -

Gear slots

Alpha-2 Fighter character sheet UI.^[10]

We wanted to create something that would handle a couple of different roles, with obviously your equipment slots for what we call a "paper doll", which is that display of your character. Eventually it won't just be a image of your character, we hope to have the 3D character and be able to rotate around, look at what you're wearing. And then we wanted to support a couple of different features here, with some base stats; the equipment, which will show what equipment you have available to quick swap, so you don't have to have your inventory and the screen open; detailed stats for those people who want to get into all of the details; and then of course gear sets. So this is going to be able to swap to your sets of gear quickly; and being able to save different loadouts.^[11] – Colby Marchi

There are multiple gear slots in Ashes of Creation.^[11]

3 Back slots.^[11]
- 1 Ranged slot.^[12]^[13]^[11]^[14]^[15]
- 1 Cloak/cape slot.^[13]^[14]^[15]
- 1 Backpack slot.^[13]^[15]

3 Belt slots.^[11]
- 1 Mainhand slot equips a player's primary weapon.^[12]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[15]
- 1 Offhand slot can equip shields, spell focuses, sigils, and dual weapons.^[12]^[20]^[15]
- 1 Potion/Pouch/Scroll slot.^[14]^[21]

8 Armor slots.^[11]^[22]
- 1 Helmet slot.^[11]^[23]
- 1 Shoulder slot.^[11]^[24]
- 1 Chest slot.^[11]^[25]
- 1 Wrist slot.^[11]^[26]
- 1 Glove slot.^[11]^[24]
- 1 Waist slot.^[11]^[24]^[27]
- 1 Leggings slot.^[11]^[24]
- 1 Boot slot.^[11]^[26]
5 Jewelry slots.^[11]
- 2 Accessory slots.^[11]
- 1 Necklace slot.^[11]^[28]
- 2 Ring slots.^[11]^[29]
3 Artisan gear slots.^[30]^[11]^[31]
1 Artisan tool slot is used to equip gathering tools.^[32]
There may be a specific slot for musical instruments, but this has not been finalized yet.^[33]

Previously it was stated there were 16 gear slots.^[22]

Gear is not subject to inventory weight limits.^[34]

Ranged weapons

Alpha-2 bows 3D renders.^[35]

A character may equip up to two hand weapons and also wear a ranged weapon on their back.^[17]^[19]^[15]

Characters performing ranged abilities will switch to the ranged weapon, then can switch back to the melee weapon and shield or two-handed melee weapon.^[17]^[19]
There will be a setting to determine if the ranged weapon or main/offhand is the primary weapon to use for Q or left-mouse-button basic attacks.^[17]^[19]
Rangers do not have a minimum distance requirement for using their ranged weapons.^[36] Previously rangers were intended to have a minimum distance requirement.^[37]
- Instead of a minimum range requirement, certain Ranger skills, such as Thundering Shot, currently have variable effects conferred at different ranges.^[38]
Some Ranger skills require a bow to be equipped.^[8]