Worked out · Valheim 1.0.17
Best arrows & bolts
Every Valheim arrow and bolt by damage, and hits to kill each boss with it from the strongest bow or crossbow you can have when you fight it.
EikthyrFire Arrow12 hitsThe ElderFire Arrow38 hits
BonemassIronhead Arrow308 hits
ModerSilver Arrow100 hits
YagluthFrost Arrow198 hits
The QueenCarapace Bolt128 hits
FaderCharred Bolt216 hits
Kall FimbulbringerBloodgold Bolt246 hitsArrows
| Arrow | Damage | From |  Eikthyr |  The Elder |  Bonemass |  Moder |  Yagluth |  The Queen |  Fader |  Kall Fimbulbringer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bloodgold Arrow20 per craft | 100100 Pierce | Deep North | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 370 |
 Charred Arrow20 per craft | 8282 Pierce | Ashlands | · | · | · | · | · | · | 406 | 392 |
| Frost Arrow20 per craft | 7826 Pierce52 Frost | Mountains | · | · | · | 131 | 198 | 167 | 319 | 398 |
 Poison Arrow20 per craft | 7826 Pierce52 Poison | Swamp | · | · | 372 | 130 | 697 | 324 | 595 | 484 |
 Carapace Arrow20 per craft | 7272 Pierce | Mistlands | · | · | · | · | · | 229 | 431 | 406 |
| Silver Arrow20 per craft | 7252 Pierce20 Spirit | Mountains | · | · | · | 100 | 304 | 263 | 490 | 438 |
 Needle Arrow20 per craft | 6262 Pierce | Plains | · | · | · | · | 485 | 245 | 458 | 422 |
 Obsidian Arrow20 per craft | 5252 Pierce | Mountains | · | · | · | 100 | 530 | 263 | 490 | 438 |
| Ironhead Arrow20 per craft | 4242 Pierce | Swamp | · | · | 308 | 110 | 584 | 284 | 526 | 455 |
| Fire Arrow20 per craft | 3311 Pierce22 Fire | Meadows | 12 | 38 | 341 | 107 | 515 | 257 | 681 | 471 |
 Bronzehead Arrow20 per craft | 3232 Pierce | Black Forest | · | 49 | 345 | 122 | 650 | 308 | 567 | 474 |
 Flinthead Arrow20 per craft | 2727 Pierce | Meadows | 13 | 53 | 367 | 129 | 689 | 322 | 591 | 483 |
 Wood Arrow20 per craft | 2222 Pierce | Meadows | 14 | 57 | 392 | 138 | 733 | 337 | 616 | 494 |
Hits to kill each boss, fired from the strongest bow you can have by then (Crude Bow, Finewood Bow, Huntsman Bow, Draugr Fang, Spinesnap, Root Fang, Frostfire Bow); a dot: not made yet by that boss.
Bolts
| Bolt | Damage | From | Eikthyr | The Elder | Bonemass | Moder | Yagluth | The Queen | Fader | Kall Fimbulbringer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloodgold Bolt20 per craft | 9292 Pierce | Deep North | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 246 |
| Charred Bolt20 per craft | 8282 Pierce | Ashlands | · | · | · | · | · | · | 216 | 251 |
| Carapace Bolt20 per craft | 7272 Pierce | Mistlands | · | · | · | · | · | 128 | 223 | 258 |
 Black Metal Bolt20 per craft | 6262 Pierce | Mistlands | · | · | · | · | · | 132 | 230 | 263 |
 Iron Bolt20 per craft | 4242 Pierce | Mistlands | · | · | · | · | · | 143 | 246 | 276 |
 Bone Bolt20 per craft | 3232 Pierce | Mistlands | · | · | · | · | · | 149 | 255 | 283 |
Hits to kill each boss, fired from the strongest crossbow you can have by then (Arbalest, Storm Ripper, Frostfire Crossbow); a dot: not made yet by that boss.
Formula
Hit on the creature = Σ each damage type × its modifier (weak ×1.5, very weak ×2, resistant ×0.5, very resistant ×0.25, immune ×0) × the skill roll, 0.7 on average at skill 50.
Hits to kill = ceil(health ÷ hit). Poison counts once per creature: a new poison hit only replaces what is left of the last one. Fire and spirit keep burning and add up.
Chop and pickaxe damage count too (HitData.GetTotalDamage), but only 4 creatures take them: Barka (normal to chop), Gammeltroll (weak to pickaxe), Kvastur (weak to chop), Stone Golem (very weak to pickaxe). So pickaxes join these lists.
Skills.GetRandomSkillFactor, Character.Damage, HitData.ApplyResistance, SE_Poison.AddDamage and SE_Burning in the code of Valheim 1.0.17.
Assumptions
- Skill 50 in the weapon's skill, weapons at their max normal level, no stars on the creatures (a star doubles health, two stars triple it).
- Every hit lands and only the primary attack is used; no backstab, no stagger bonus, no armor set or mead bonuses.
- Area hits (staffs, sledges, atgeirs) are counted against one creature at a time.
- Bows and crossbows fire the best arrow or bolt for the target you can make by then, at full draw.
- Fire arrows' fire burns on and is counted in full; poison arrows' poison counts once per boss.
Ammo used: 19 arrows and bolts; every bow and crossbow with its strongest ammo: bows, crossbows.