How to get a Bow & Arrows in RuneScape Dragonwilds

Combat in RuneScape Dragonwilds is divided into three categories, Melee, Magic, and Ranged, and while only the first of these can currently be levelled, all three can be used in Early Access.

While Dragonwilds’ tutorial will set you up with a rudimentary melee weapon, how to unlock Magic and Ranged combat isn’t made immediately obvious. A somewhat troublesome omission, considering how powerful the latter can be in certain scenarios.

Taking out specific enemies from afar is crucially important when raiding Goblin and other monster strongholds, for example, so skipping on this unlock isn’t advised.

Here’s what you need to know to add a Bow & Arrows to your arsenal in RuneScape Dragonwilds.

How to unlock & craft bows

Unlocking the crafting recipe for a basic bow is a simple, albeit multi-step process that involves picking Flax to unlock the Spinning Wheel crafting recipe and then processing the plant into materials needed for a bow. The exact steps are as follows:

1. Pick some Flax. This is a common blue-colored flower found commonly in the starting area of Bramblemead.
2. Build a Spinning Wheel.
3. Process Flax into Coarse Thread.
4. Combine Ash Logs and Coarse Thread at a Crafting Table to create an Ash Shortbow.
5. Craft Arrows at the Crafting Table using Ash Logs, Stone, and Feathers.

Obtain Flax

Chances are, you’ve already brushed past Flax without even realizing it. The blue-colored flower is abundant in the fields of Bramblemead. Upon picking your first bunch, you’ll be notified of some unlocks, among them being the Spinning Wheel station.

It’s possible, though unlikely, given how the tutorial is structured, that you’ll find Flax before the other required materials for a Spinning Wheel – Ash Logs and Stone – but suffice it to say that all three are needed, regardless of the order they’re obtained.

Build a Spinning Wheel & craft Coarse Thread

With all the necessary materials in your inventory, open the Crafting menu and select the Spinning Wheel, which requires the following materials:

• Ash Logs x6
• Flax x4
• Stone x2

Once built, you’ll be able to process Flax into Coarse Thread. As before, your first Coarse Thread crafted will unlock several new recipes, including one for the Ash Shortbow. To make that, you’ll need a Crafting Table and three Coarse Thread.

Craft an Ash Shortbow

If you haven’t already, build a Crafting Table (unlocked by default). Assuming you’ve followed all of the above steps, Ash Shortbow will be an option founder under the Weapons subcategory. The arrow-slinger requires the following materials:

• Ash Logs x12
• Coarse Thread x3

As you progress through Dragonwilds and find rarer materials, new bow recipes will be unlocked, but for now, the Ash Shortbow will serve you well. That is, of course, once you’ve made some ammo to pair with it.

Making arrows

Like weapons themselves, arrows grow in strength depending on their tier and require increasingly rarer materials. Per batch of 33 basic Stone Arrows, you’ll need:

• Stone x1
• Ash Logs x1
• Feathers x1

Sourcing the first two of these is straightforward. For feathers, killing chickens is your best bet. Likewise, if you’re looking to give yourself an early power boost, you can replace Stone with Fangs, obtained from Giant Rats and other toothed monsters, to craft stronger arrows.

That’s everything you need to know about the basics for Ranged combat, but if you’re looking to diversify your combat strategy or make getting around Dragonwilds’ map faster, check out how to get your hands on an Abyssal Whip and the process behind unlocking Fast Travel.