Bows and Crossbows in Palworld: 65 to 20,000 Attack, and Four of Them Help You Catch Pals
Palworld's bow class spans the largest gap of any weapon family: the Old Bow at 65 attack and the Mechanical Bow at 20,000 are the same class, 307 times apart. Nothing else in the game stretches that far.
Four of the ten also do something no gun does: they make Pals easier to capture, by inflicting a status rather than by dealing damage.
The Full Bow and Crossbow List
| Weapon | Tech | Common | Legendary | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Bow | 3 | 65 | 247 | x3.8 |
| Three Shot Bow | 10 | 40 | — | — |
| Crossbow | 13 | 280 | 490 | x1.75 |
| Poison Bow | — | 65 | — | — |
| Fire Bow | — | 65 | — | — |
| Poison Arrow Crossbow | — | 280 | 490 | x1.75 |
| Fire Arrow Crossbow | — | 280 | 490 | x1.75 |
| Compound Bow | 42 | 1,100 | 1,650 | x1.5 |
| Advanced Bow | 57 | 5,800 | 8,700 | x1.5 |
| Mechanical Bow | 67 | 20,000 | 24,000 | x1.2 |
The Mechanical Bow's 20,000 Common attack is the highest per-shot figure in Palworld — above the Beam Launcher's 14,000 and the Charge Rifle's 12,500. It costs Soralite Ingot 40, Carbon Fiber 20, Paldium Fragment 200, AI Core 3.
The Old Bow has the second-largest legendary multiplier in the game at x3.8 — 65 to 247 — beaten only by the Meteor Launcher's x5.25.
The Three Shot Bow at 40 attack is not a downgrade. Its description explains the trick: "allows three arrows to be fired simultaneously. By some strange mechanism, it only consumes a single Arrow when fired." Three shots at 40 is 120 per arrow spent, against the Old Bow's 65.
The Four Capture Weapons
Four entries exist for capture rather than combat, and all four say so in their own descriptions:
| Weapon | Attack | Requires | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poison Bow | 65 | Poison Arrow | "Poisoned Pals are easier to capture" |
| Fire Bow | 65 | Fire Arrow | "Burns Pals with fire arrows, making them easier to capture" |
| Poison Arrow Crossbow | 280 | Poison Arrow | Same effect, crossbow damage |
| Fire Arrow Crossbow | 280 | Fire Arrow | Same effect, crossbow damage |
They require their own ammunition. A Poison Bow will not fire ordinary arrows — it "Requires Poison Arrow" — so each of these is a second ammunition line, not just a second weapon.
The crossbow versions hit for 280 against the bows' 65, which is a real difference on a Pal you are trying to weaken without killing. Judge the damage against the target's health, because a capture weapon that kills is not a capture weapon.
The Stun Baton belongs in the same conversation. At 10 attack it exists purely to electrocute — "Pals are easier to capture when electrocuted" — and it is the safest of the five for low-health targets.
The Three Real Bows
Ignoring the capture tools, the damage ladder is short and steep:
- Compound Bow — technology 42, 1,100 attack. "A modernized bow." Refined Ingot 50, Fiber 40, Nail 10 — cheap for the number.
- Advanced Bow — technology 57, 5,800 attack. Plasteel 40, Carbon Fiber 25, Nightstar Sand 20. A 5.3x jump over the Compound Bow.
- Mechanical Bow — technology 67, 20,000 attack. A further 3.4x, and the highest single-shot number in the game.
Each step multiplies rather than adds, which is unusual — most Palworld classes flatten out at the top and this one accelerates.
Both the Compound and Advanced Bow scale at x1.5, so a legendary schematic on either is worth having: 1,650 and 8,700 respectively. The Mechanical Bow drops to x1.2 like every other endgame weapon.
What to Carry, and When
- Technology 3–13: the Old Bow, then the Crossbow. The Crossbow's 280 is more than four times the Old Bow, for Wood 50, Stone 40, Ingot 10, Nail 2.
- Keep a Fire or Poison Arrow Crossbow permanently. At 280 attack with a capture status attached, it is the most efficient way to soften a Pal you actually want.
- Technology 42: the Compound Bow at 1,100. The first bow that is a weapon rather than a tool.
- Technology 57: the Advanced Bow at 5,800. More than five times the Compound Bow.
- Technology 67: the Mechanical Bow at 20,000. The highest per-shot damage in Palworld.
Bows draw on their own ammunition entirely. Arrows, Fire Arrows and Poison Arrows are three separate supply lines — see Every Ammunition Type in Palworld 1.0.
Running your own Palworld 1.0 server
Three separate arrow supply lines is a base project rather than a session's work, and it only accumulates on a world that stays up. A gamever Palworld server keeps it persistent with full crossplay, automatic updates and one-click backups.
Conclusion
Palworld's bow class covers the widest damage range in the game — the Old Bow at 65 and the Mechanical Bow at 20,000 are 307 times apart, and that 20,000 is the highest per-shot figure of any weapon, above the Beam Launcher's 14,000 and the Charge Rifle's 12,500. The damage ladder multiplies at each step: Compound Bow 1,100, Advanced Bow 5,800 (x5.3), Mechanical Bow 20,000 (a further x3.4). Four entries exist for capture instead: the Poison and Fire Bows at 65 and their Crossbow versions at 280, each requiring its own special arrow and each inflicting a status that makes Pals easier to capture — with the Stun Baton at 10 attack the gentlest option of all. On rarity, the Old Bow's x3.8 is the second-largest multiplier in the game behind the Meteor Launcher's x5.25, the Compound and Advanced Bows hold x1.5, and the Mechanical Bow falls to x1.2.
For the endgame entry specifically, see Palworld 1.0 Mechanical Bow.
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