Hello my fellow communinty I have just a quick question, which bow is still better for me ATM I'm level 37 and been using the bound bow which does 131 damage, now I have a nightingale bow as well upgrade to exquisite base damage is 87 + glass arrows = 105 damage, but there's the 20 freeze damage points and 10 shock damange points, also reason my bound bow and nightingale do the damge I said is becuase I have gloves and helm that do 55% more bow damage that I found during dungeons ETC.


So if i coclatated right, 26 more base damage with my bound bow and + faster draw speed, vs nighingale bow which has the two enchaments on it and does 26 less base damage.


P'S Sorry for my grammar and spelling, can't fix it on these forms don't auto spell check or seem to have right-click option or seem to tell if the world is wrong, for I.E if i type ada no read line comes up, anyways getting of tracked.

So no one can help?

Depends on your playstyle.
If you use bows for stealth, then pick the one with higher damage and speed debilitating enchantments ( frost, paralyze)
If you use them for combat, faster shooting speed will help you, specially if you have the stagger perk.

I would go with the bound bow but the nightingale bow does have some sweet enchantments but wouldnt be as good against vampires or other frost resistent enemies and I find it hard to aim due to the symbol getting in the way but that is my minor annoyance.

Update I bought ebony bow + 20 shock damage and half as magic damage, haven't upgraded it yet going to get smiting to 80 first. Also when I equip my gloves n helm that in total gives 55% more bow damage I saw on my nightingale bow 105 + 31, when i cast bound bow 131 base + 20 i think and when i re-eqipd nihgtingale bow it just show based damage 105, so what happen to 31+? is the + to more base damage how much more i get with my 55% more bow damange once i equip them?

I prefer the looks of ebony bow and arrows then bound bow, yes i know bound bow is probably still good for me atm my class is a whichhunter most of the tiems i do sneak kill with the bow but getting tried of doing that so im trying to stop sneaking, also can I do fine without my 55% more bow damange and wear the rest of my guilds master armor? I like the mataching set, then the gloves n helm that look ugly but give me more bow damage.?

For your first question, sometimes the damage does not calculate correctly. Just exit the menu, re-enter, and it should show the correct values. Happens to me all the time.

As for wanting a matching set of gear, but still wanting more fortify archery damage, look for rings and necklaces with fortify archery. If you can do without your thieves guild hood, you can also wear a circlet with fortify archery.

I still use my Nightingale Bow (level 53), as I have not found a better one that works for me. I have about 3 Daedric Bows @ legendary, but my Nightingale still does more base damge with most enemies at Legendary. Although, more and more merchants have Daedric bows in their inventory. I am waiting for one that has 50 points lightning damage.

Good luck.

I found another ebony bow to buy and i probably re-sell my old one, 20 fire damange vs 20 shock? not sure what would be better.


Maybe it be good ideal to use both? depending on cretin fihgts?

How do you know the damage the Bound bow is doing?

At mid levels, it starts to be outclassed by the ebony and then the Daedric is the top of the line.

EDIT : I always favor fire damage over the others. It will affect more enemies than the other elements.

When you equip the bound bow, if u go to weapons you will see a damange number at the botom for i.e mines 131 damage/

The bound bow is automatically equipped when you cast the spell. There is no display for the damage in the inventory screen. None that I have seen.

EDIT : Granted it has been a while. Maybe I am just thinking of the weapon not being displayed in the equipment list...

No I mean it shows up when u cast the bound bow and have it out, tru hoving over a other weapon whne u have bound bow out.

I'm trying to under....what?

EDIT :

Ok... I had to give my character the spell, with the console command, to look at this a little closer.

I think I see what you are saying. With the Bow equipped, if you enter the inventory and scroll over another weapon, it will show the difference at the bottom. Then you can deduct that (or add), from (or to) the weapon you are over, to get the damage of the Bound Bow.

If you have the bound bow cast and then go to equip a physical bow it might give you a + / - on the physical bows damage. Not sure though, haven't actually tried this since I never use bound bow.

That's what I just looked at. I have a new character that I am testing some mods with and he level 1. From an alternate start. His only weapon is an Iron Axe and it showed a difference in the damage.

you can do same that illidan did, Illidan had all archery and enchantments perk so i found an ebony bow and then enchanted it with paralyze and fire

Who's illidan?