Gleason's Gielinor Guide

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Dark bow

Released							11 June 2007 (Update)
Also called							Dbow
Members							Yes
Quest item							No
Properties
Tradeable							Yes
Equipable							Yes
Stackable							No
Noteable							Yes
Options							Wield, Drop
Examine							A bow from a darker dimension.
Values
Value							120,002 coins
High alch							72,001 coins
Low alch							48,000 coins
Weight							1.814 kg
Grand Exchange
Exchange							562,658 coins (info)
Buy limit							8
Daily volume							804
View real-time prices
Advanced data
Item ID							11235
Link							MOID

The dark bow is a two-handed ranged weapon that requires level 60 in Ranged to wield. It can only be obtained as a drop from dark beasts and their superior variant, night beasts. With an attack speed of 9 (5.4 seconds), and 8 on rapid (4.8 seconds), this bow stands out as the slowest weapon in the game. It fires two arrows per attack which roll independent accuracy checks.^[1] It has the maximum possible attack range of 10, so the longrange attack style will not increase its attack range.

Assuming that the weapon is set to the rapid attack style, the dark bow has a firing time of 2.4 seconds per arrow, whereas a shortbow such as the magic shortbow (i) takes only 1.8. Because of this, the dark bow is only fairly popular for player killing. It has one of the highest max hits of any weapons in the game by means of special attack, along with the crystal halberd and dragon dagger, although the twisted bow and Dharok's greataxe can hit harder with regular attacks, and the dragon 2h sword and Dinh's bulwark are able to deal more total damage with their special attack.

By using a Dark bow imbue scroll, the player can empower the dark bow into a Dark bow (bh), improving the item's stats and special attack. However, you can only use the Dark bow (bh) specifically in Daimon's Crater.

Each arrow fired has an independent chance to be saved by an Ava's device, and the bow may also be fired with only one arrow equipped.

Combat stats

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Attack bonuses
+0	+0	+0	+0	+95
Defence bonuses

+0	+0	+0	+0	+0
Other bonuses				Slot

+0	+0	+0%	+0	List

	Attack type	Weapon style	Attack speed	Range	Level boost
Accurate	Standard	Accurate	9 ticks (5.4s)	10 tiles	+3 Ranged
Rapid	Standard	Rapid	8 ticks (4.8s)	10 tiles	None
Longrange	Standard	Longrange	9 ticks (5.4s)	10 tiles	+3 Defence

Special attack

Two different attacks comprise the dark bow's unique special attack, both of which consume 55% of the player's special attack energy, and require more than 1 arrow equipped.

The 1st special attack, Descent of Darkness, deals up to 30% more damage with a minimum of 5 damage per arrow. The animation shows two arrows fired at the target, surrounded in a black shroud.

If the player has dragon arrows equipped, the 2nd special attack, Descent of Dragons, is used instead. This attack deals up to 50% more damage with a minimum of 8 damage per arrow, while capping the max hit at 48 damage per arrow.^[2] The animation shows two black dragon heads fired at the target.

After landing a Descent of Dragons attack, an ordinary damage roll is made up to the player's maximum Ranged hit, and all rolls that exceed the damage cap are then reduced back to 48.^[3] The minimum damage of 8 is still affected by damage multipliers on some monsters, for example the damage is lowered to a minimum of 2 damage per arrow on Ice Demon or a minimum (and maximum) of 0 damage per arrows on a Guardian in Chambers of Xeric.

Both types of special attacks have to pass regular accuracy check to be able to deal more damage than their minimum guaranteed hit.

Colouring

Players can use dark bow paint, purchased from the Last Man Standing shop for 25 points, to recolour a dark bow. This process makes the bow untradeable. To remove the colouring and make it tradeable again, players must use a cleaning cloth on the bow to return to its regular state (the paint will be lost).

Creation

Requirements
Members		Ticks	? (edit)

Materials
Item		Quantity	Cost
	Dark bow	1	562,658
	Green dark bow paint	1	285,694
Total cost			848,352
	Dark bow	1	N/A

Requirements
Members		Ticks	? (edit)

Materials
Item		Quantity	Cost
	Dark bow	1	562,658
	Blue dark bow paint	1	305,609
Total cost			868,267
	Dark bow	1	N/A

Requirements
Members		Ticks	? (edit)

Materials
Item		Quantity	Cost
	Dark bow	1	562,658
	Yellow dark bow paint	1	120,292
Total cost			682,950
	Dark bow	1	N/A

Requirements
Members		Ticks	? (edit)

Materials
Item		Quantity	Cost
	Dark bow	1	562,658
	White dark bow paint	1	960,901
Total cost			1,523,559
	Dark bow	1	N/A

A green dark bow, made by using a green dark bow paint on the dark bow.
A blue dark bow, made by using a blue dark bow paint on the dark bow.
A yellow dark bow, made by using a yellow dark bow paint on the dark bow.
A white dark bow, made by using a white dark bow paint on the dark bow.

Products

	Skills	XP	Materials
Dark bow (Deadman)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × Armageddon weapon scroll
Dark bow (bh)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × Dark bow imbue scroll
Dark bow (blue)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × Blue dark bow paint
Dark bow (green)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × Green dark bow paint
Dark bow (white)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × White dark bow paint
Dark bow (yellow)	None	None	1 × Dark bow 1 × Yellow dark bow paint

Item sources

Source	Level	Quantity	Rarity
Dark beast	182	1	1/512
Night beast	374	1	3 × 1/512

Sound effects

Name	Description	ID
`equip_darkbow`	Wielding	3738
`darkbow_fire`	Attacking with one arrow	3734
`darkbow_impact`	Unused	3735
`darkbow_doublefire`	Attacking with more than one arrow	3731
`darkbow_doublefire_new`	Unused	3732
`darkbow_shadow_attack`	Descent of Darkness special attack	3736
`darkbow_shadow_impact`	Descent of Darkness and Dragons special attack impact	3737
`darkbow_dragon_attack`	Descent of Dragons special attack	3733

Comparison between other ranged weapons

Ranged weapons comparison table [
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Name		level required	Ranged attack	Ranged strength (Max ammo)	Price	Notes
	Twisted bow	85	+70	+20 (+80)	1,382,643,871	Has a passive effect where the higher the target's Magic level or Magic attack bonus is, the more accurate and damaging it becomes. Against high magic levels, it is usually the strongest ranged weapon in the game. Uses arrows as ammunition up to and including dragon. Has the maximum attack range of 10. Attack speed of 5 ticks on rapid.
	Zaryte crossbow	80	+110	(+122)	353,031,031	The strongest crossbow in the game. Has a special attack which provides double accuracy on the next shot and guarantees the special effect of any enchanted bolts used if it hits, costing 75% special attack energy. Its passive effect strengthens the effects of enchanted bolts by 10%. Can fire up to dragon bolts.
	Bow of Faerdhinen	80	+128	+106	104,646,292	Has the highest ranged bonus of any ranged weapon, including a +106 Ranged Strength bonus. Receives significant damage and accuracy bonuses if worn alongside pieces of crystal armour. When created, the bow starts off at 10,000 charges and degrades. The bow can be upgraded to the Bow of Faerdhinen (c) for 2,000 crystal shards to stop it from degrading - usage contributes to this cost. Has the maximum attack range of 10.
	Venator bow	80	+90	+25 (+85)	62,574,940	Has a passive effect when charged with ancient essence that allows arrows to ricochet to nearby targets when in a multicombat area. Poor single target performance but excels in multicombat. Uses arrows as ammunition up to and including dragon. Has an attack speed of 4 ticks on rapid, between that of a shortbow and a longbow.
	Scorching bow	77	+124	+40 (+100)	39,375,238^{[n 1]}	Untradeable; created from a tormented synapse and magic longbow (u) with 74 Fletching. Has a passive effect that increases accuracy and damage by 30% against demons, making it incredibly strong against them. Offers a special attack that binds demonic creatures in place for 20 ticks (12 seconds) and deals burn damage. With an innate 40 strength bonus, it performs decently well against non-demonic targets. Uses arrows as ammunition up to and including dragon. Has the maximum attack range of 10.
	Toxic blowpipe	75	+30	+20 (+55)	10,552,927	The strongest blowpipe, with an innate ranged strength of 20. Relatively weak accuracy but fast, high damage, making it great against low defence targets. Requires Zulrah's scales and any unpoisoned darts to charge. Ranged strength bonus stacks with the darts that are used to charge the blowpipe (up to +55 ranged strength with dragon darts). Offers a special attack where accuracy is increased by 100% and damage is increased by 50%, and heals the user by half of the damage dealt. Costs 50% special attack energy. Has 25% chance per shot to inflict venom on an opponent. Has an attack speed of 2 ticks on rapid (non-pvp; 3 ticks in pvp).
	Heavy ballista	75	+125	+15 (+165)	993,822	Has the second highest ranged bonus of any ranged weapon, including a +15 Ranged Strength bonus. Slow-firing but very high damage, with low average DPS, but good KO potential. Only accepts javelins as ammunition. Offers a special attack which increases accuracy and damage by 25% each for one shot. Costs 65% special attack energy. Requires completion of Monkey Madness II to equip.
	Eclipse atlatl	75	+87	+40 (Melee)	661,594	Uniquely uses the player's melee strength bonuses when determining the amount of ranged damage dealt to a target. The max hit is based off of visible boosts to melee stats (eg. super combat potion) and ranged boosting prayers (eg. Rigour). Only accepts atlatl darts as ammunition. If worn with the rest of the eclipse moon armour set, it offers a set effect which has a 20% chance to inflict a stackable burn effect on the targets. Offers a special attack which consumes the remaining burn effect in exchange for increasing the player's minimum and maximum hit. Costs 50% special attack energy.
	Armadyl crossbow	70	+100	(+122)	33,985,694	Offers a special attack where the player's accuracy and enchanted bolts activation chance for that shot is doubled. Costs 50% special attack energy. Along with the Zaryte crossbow, has a slightly longer attack range than other crossbows. Can fire up to dragon bolts.
	Dragon hunter crossbow	70	+95	(+122)	30,895,831	Similar base stats to the Armadyl and dragon crossbows. Increases accuracy and damage by 30% and 25% respectively when fighting draconic creatures. Can fire up to dragon bolts.
	Crystal bow	70	+100	+78	494,813^{[n 2]}	Does not use ammunition, instead uses charges, provided either with crystal shards or by purchase for GP. Available as a quest reward and becomes cheaper to charge with usage. Has an attack speed of 4 ticks on rapid, between that of a shortbow and a crossbow. Has the maximum attack range of 10. Receives noticeable damage and accuracy bonuses if worn alongside pieces of crystal armour.
	Webweaver bow	70	+85	+65	14,584,324	Upgraded version of the Craw's bow, which requires the fangs of Venenatis to create. Must be charged with revenant ether to be fired, and does not require ammo, similar to the crystal bow. While charged, an additional 50% ranged accuracy and damage boost is applied when attacking any NPC in the Wilderness. This effect will stack with a Slayer helmet or a Salve amulet, making it the strongest ranged weapon in the Wilderness. Has a special attack that hits an enemy four times in succession with increased accuracy, each dealing up to 40% of the player's max hit, along with a chance to inflict poison, starting at 4 damage. Costs 50% special attack energy.
	Karil's crossbow	70	+84	(+55)	97,580	One of the fastest crossbows, together with the hunters' crossbow. Can only fire bolt racks, which cannot be retrieved by an Ava's device. If worn with the rest of Karil the Tainted's equipment, it offers a set effect which lowers the target's Agility level (only works on players). Wearing an Amulet of the Damned together with the whole equipment set grants a 25% chance for an attack to hit twice, in which case the second hit will inflict half the damage of the first. Like all Barrows equipment, it degrades and will fully degrade after 15 hours of combat. It is repairable.
	Hunters' sunlight crossbow	66 50	+79	(+60)	5,021	Significantly cheaper than other options while still being quite strong, especially against lower-defence targets. Unlike most crossbows, it has an attack speed of 3 on rapid, making it comparable to a Magic shortbow (i) but with a slightly higher range (8 tiles) and accuracy, along with being one-handed. It is also easier to obtain for Ironmen, requiring 74 Fletching to make. However, Ironmen can only obtain the ammunition via Hunter. Uses Sunlight antler bolts or Moonlight antler bolts as ammunition, giving +55 and +60 ranged strength which are equivalent to Amethyst arrows and Dragon arrows, respectively.
	Dragon crossbow	64	+94	(+122)	506,467	Has similar base stats to Armadyl and Dragon Hunter crossbows, while being markedly cheaper. Offers a special attack where the player can hit any target in a 3x3 area, while in a multicombat area, making it one of three range weapons that can hit multiple targets. Costs 60% special attack energy. Can fire up to dragon bolts.
	Rune crossbow	61	+90	(+115)	9,273	Considerably cheaper than dragon-bolt firing crossbows, but of course weaker. Good low-budget option for higher defence/HP enemies, compared to a Magic shortbow (i). Can fire up to runite bolts.
	Craw's bow	60	+75	+60	14,378,389	Must be charged with revenant ether to be fired, and does not require ammo, similar to the crystal bow. While charged, an additional 50% ranged accuracy and damage boost is applied when attacking any NPC in the Wilderness. This effect will stack with a Slayer helmet or a Salve amulet and their variants. This makes it the second strongest ranged weapon in the Wilderness. Shares the same bonuses as the magic shortbow (i) with the ranged strength of dragon arrows.
	Dark bow	60	+95	(+60)	562,658	Has the ability to shoot two arrows at a time. The slowest weapon in the game, with an attack speed of 8 ticks on rapid - at 4 ticks per arrow, this makes it worse than other bows for raw DPS, but has much stronger KO potential. Offers a powerful special attack, which if used with dragon arrows increases damage dealt by 50% with a minimum hit of 8 (30% with any other arrow type with a minimum. hit of 5). Costs 55% special attack energy.
	Magic shortbow	50	+69	(+55)	766	Remarkably cheap, even when imbued. Weaker accuracy than the rune crossbow but the fast firing makes it good budget DPS. The only shortbow to offer a special attack, which fires 2 shots in rapid succession but with reduced accuracy. Costs 55% special attack energy. Can be imbued with a magic shortbow scroll, increasing its ranged attack bonus to +75 and lowering the special attack cost to 50%. Can fire up to amethyst arrows.
	Magic shortbow (i)	50	+75	(+55)	48,789
	Magic comp bow	50	+71	(+55)	1,124	The only composite bow to offer a special attack, which is guaranteed to hit the target but is not boosted by damage-boosting prayers or the Slayer helmet (i). Costs 35% special attack energy. Shares this special attack with the magic longbow. Is slightly more accurate than the magic longbow and 1 tick faster (1 tick slower than the shortbow), while keeping the same attack range of the longbow.
	Seercull	50	+69	(+55)	44,298	Has slightly less accuracy but otherwise identical stats to the magic comp bow. Has a special attack that targets mages by lowering their Magic level, costing 100% special attack energy.
	Magic longbow	50	+69	(+55)	1,150	The only longbow to offer a special attack, which is guaranteed to hit the target but is not boosted by damage-boosting prayers or the Slayer helmet (i). Costs 35% special attack energy. Shares this special attack with the magic comp bow. Like all longbows, is 2 ticks slower than the magic shortbow, in exchange for 3 additional attack range. Unlike the magic shortbow, cannot be imbued.
	Adamant crossbow	46	+78	(+100)	896	Similar to the rune crossbow with slightly less ranged accuracy. Can fire up to adamant bolts.
	Chinchompas	45 (Grey)	+45	N/A	Varies^{[n 3]}	One of the four ranged weapons that offers the ability to hit more than one opponent at a time (similar to burst or barrage Ancient Magicks), the others being the special attack of the dragon crossbow (with a similar attack), the rune thrownaxe (with a ricochet special type attack), and the Venator bow with a passive ricochet attack. Excels against multiple close-together targets, where at least one has a low defence. Regarded to be the best way of training Ranged, but at a very high cost. Has an attack speed of 3 ticks on rapid/medium fuse.
		55 (Red)	+70	+15
		65 (Black)	+80	+30
	Salamanders	30 (Green)	+20	(+16)	102	Unique and versatile two-handed weapons that facilitate the use of all three combat styles. Notably lower DPS than other options.
		50 (Orange)	+29	(+22)	156
		60 (Red)	+47	(+31)	40
		70 (Black)	+69	(+49)	330
		80 (Tecu)	+87	(+60)	393,893
	Dorgeshuun crossbow	28	+42	(+49)	2,439	Is one tick faster than most other crossbows and it is able to fire bone bolts, which are significantly cheaper than most other ammunition of similar strength. Popular for low-cost ranged training.
	Shortbows	40 (Yew)	+47	(+49)	367	Offer slightly less damage output than using rune knives, but are a lot cheaper.
	Darts	30 (Adamant)	N/A	+17	Varies^{[n 3]}	Are cheap, deal decent damage and are easy to buy from the Grand Exchange. Adamant darts have comparable damage output to using a shortbow with rune arrows, so players should use whichever is cheaper.
	Dwarf multicannon	N/A	N/A	N/A	744,794	Can be set up and used alongside other weapons for passive Ranged damage and experience. Cannot be set up in all areas. Has a static max hit of 30 with steel cannonballs and 35 with granite cannonballs. Derives accuracy from player's current attack style (Ranged while ranging, Melee while meleeing, and whichever is higher with powered staves) while rolling against the target's heavy Ranged defence.
^ Untradeable; cost is of the tormented synapse and magic longbow (u) required to craft it. ^ Cost of having Ilfeen charge a crystal weapon seed after obtaining minimum cost. ^ ^3.0 ^3.1 Cost of thrown weapons is only that of the ammo.

Used in recommended equipment

Special attack

Rank	Method
3	Zulrah/Strategies (Ranged)

Changes

Date	Changes
30 September 2020 (Update)	The dark bow can no longer damage vyrewatch.

Trivia

Dark bows cannot be used in Barbarian Firemaking. Attempting to do so will result in a chatbox message saying, "The innate darkness of the bow sucks all heat from your firemaking attempt. You realise that this type of bow is useless for firelighting.".
Dark bows have a unique sound effect when equipping them.

References

^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 26 September 2022. Archived from the original on 26 September 2022. Mod Ash: "It performs two independent accuracy rolls, rather than having one shot affected by the outcome of the other."
^ "Architectural Alliance". Old School RuneScape News. Mod Ronan. 3 March 2016. Archived from the original. "The Dark bow special attack has been capped at 48 damage for each arrow."
^ Jagex. Mod Ash's Twitter account. 31 October 2022. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Mod Ash: "It'd roll 0-51, then reduce 49, 50 and 51 to 48. So you have a higher chance of getting 48 than of getting 47."

Combat stats

Special attack

Colouring

Creation

Products

Item sources

Sound effects

Comparison between other ranged weapons

Used in recommended equipment

Special attack

Changes

Trivia

References

Sources & credits