Crystal bow

Crystal bow
Released							7 February 2005 (Update)
Members							Yes
Quest item							Roving Elves
Properties
Tradeable							No
Equipable							Yes
Stackable							No
Destroy							Drop
Examine							A nice sturdy magical bow.
Values
Value							300,000 coins
Alchemy							Not alchemisable
Weight							1.814 kg
Advanced data
Item ID							23983

The crystal bow is a bow made from enchanted elven crystal. It requires the completion of Roving Elves to wield, as well as 50 Agility and 70 Ranged. Along with the crystal shield, crystal halberd and the crystal saw, it is one of many pieces of crystal equipment in Gielinor.

A crystal bow is created when an elf sings to a crystal weapon seed and enchants it into a bow. The most prominent elf with this talent is Ilfeen, who will perform this service for players for a price.

A player attacks a target with a crystal bow.

Because it is blessed by the elven goddess Seren, the crystal bow does not require any arrows to use, as it generates its own when fired. The bow's fired shots are coated in a green aura, similar to Craw's bow.

The crystal bow can be considered the final bow in the composite bow family. Sharing the same 10-square attack range on any style as well as a 5-tick attack speed, placing it between popular ranged weapons like the shortbow (4-tick) and crossbow (6-tick.)

The crystal bow is required to complete the Hard Western Provinces Diary.

The crystal bow is also used for two Master Clue steps: an emote step and as a possible item to show Falo the Bard

The damage boost when wearing pieces of the crystal armour set scales multiplicatively with the Slayer helmet (i) and Salve amulet(i)/Salve amulet(ei) boosts.

Attack bonuses										A player wielding a crystal bow.
+0		+0		+0		+0		+100
Defence bonuses
+0		+0		+0		+0		+0
Other bonuses								Slot
+0		+70		+0%		+0		List
Attack speed							Range
							10 squares

Combat styles[edit | edit source]

Combat Options	Combat Style	Attack types	Style	Experience	Boosts
	Accurate	Ranged	Accurate	Ranged and Hitpoints	Accuracy and Damage
	Rapid	Ranged	Rapid	Ranged and Hitpoints	Attack speed by 1 tick
	Longrange	Ranged	Longrange	Ranged, Defence, and Hitpoints	None

Creation[edit | edit source]

Requirements

Skill		Level	XP
Smithing		78 (b)	2,000
Crafting		78 (b)	2,000
Members		Ticks	? (edit)
Tools	None	Facilities	Singing bowl

Materials

Item		Quantity	Cost
	Crystal weapon seed	1	298,340
	Crystal shard	40	N/A
Total Cost			298,340
	Crystal bow	1	N/A

Uses[edit | edit source]

Along with being extremely accurate and providing a Ranged bonus of +100, the crystal bow also has one of the longest ranges in the game, the same as a longbow, able to hit targets up to 10 squares away. However, longrange does not increase attack range. This makes it ideal for battles which require long-range attacks such as Dagannoth Kings or the TzHaar Fight Cave. Destroying the respiratory system of Abyssal Sire is also another situation where the long range is advantageous. The only attack which can be performed from a further distance is the dragonfire shield special attack, with a range of 13 squares. Not needing ammo, it allows the use of a blessing, effectively giving the bow a +1 or +2 prayer bonus, compared to other ranged weapon and can be used without Ava's device, which can make simpler switching in situations requiring multiple combat styles, such as fighting Demonic gorillas, furthermore can be brought to Wilderness without risking any ammo. With the accuracy and damage bonus provided by crystal armour, the bow becomes a very powerful weapon usable in many high-level situations requiring ranging, but it's not very popular to do so due the high maintenance cost of the crystal armour.

Degradation[edit | edit source]

The crystal bow degrades over time, in which it reverts into a crystal weapon seed and must be recharged before it can be used again.

Ilfeen will recharge crystal weapon seeds into crystal bows, crystal halberds, or crystal shields. Before Song of the Elves is started, she can be found teleporting back and forth between two clearings in Isafdar. After the quest, she is found in south-west Prifddinas.

Initially, Ilfeen charges 900,000 coins to re-enchant a crystal seed into a crystal bow. However, the price is decreased by 180,000 coins each time Ilfeen re-enchants a seed for a player, in the following manner, until reaching the minimum recharge cost of 180,000 coins:

The amount that Ilfeen charges is dependent on the number of crystal seeds she has re-enchanted, not the number of crystal bows she has recharged. For example, a player who pays Ilfeen 900,000 coins to re-enchant a crystal seed into a crystal shield will only have to pay her 720,000 coins to recharge a seed into a crystal bow.

For players who have completed Song of the Elves, an alternative way of making crystal weapons is using a crystal weapon seed and 40 crystal shards along with 78 Smithing and 78 Crafting on a singing bowl in Prifddinas. Players who do not meet the skill requirements can pay a nearby elf to create the weapon for an additional 20 shards. Crystal shards can be used to recharge the weapon to a maximum of 20,000 charges, with each shard providing 100 charges.

However, it is far more cost efficient in the long term to instead use the crystal shards on potions and use the money from selling them to re-enchant your crystal equipment.

Obtaining crystal bows[edit | edit source]

A crystal bow is a possible reward for completion of Roving Elves. (Players who choose a crystal shield can choose to let the shield revert into a seed, then re-enchant that seed into a crystal bow.) Additionally, players can buy new crystal bows from Islwyn just north of the south-east Prifddinas bank for 900,000 coins each. Unlike Ilfeen's recharge price, the price of a new crystal bow does not decrease.

As crystal weapon seeds are tradeable, players can buy them from other players and pay Ilfeen to re-enchant them into crystal bows. Ilfeen's possible locations are below.

• Isafdar (before Song of the Elves)
  • The clearing just south of the quest start point for Roving Elves.
  • South of the Iorwerth Camp (just north-east of the leaf trap).
• Prifddinas, south of the house portal (after Song of the Elves)
• Lletya, in the south west corner (after reaching a certain point in Song of the Elves but before the completion of it)

Analysis and strategy[edit | edit source]

Although crystal bows do not require any ammunition, they still have a cost associated with their use, in the form of their recharge cost. When the recharge price is 900,000 coins, the cost per shot (at 2,500 shots) is 360 coins. However, when the recharge price decreases to 180,000 coins, the cost per shot is 72 coins. Compare this to rune arrows, with a +49 bonus to Ranged Strength, whereas the crystal bow has a Ranged Strength of +70.

The chief disadvantages that crystal bows have, compared to other bows, are the requirements for using them. Crystal equipment has the second shortest lifespan of any equipment in the game (ahead of Iban's staff). One crystal bow will last for 1 hour and 40 minutes of continuous shooting on Rapid, or 2 hours and 5 minutes on Accurate or Longrange. Players who plan to use crystal bows on extended trips may wish to bring more than one bow. Additionally, players who would normally pick up their ammunition (either manually or through an Ava's device) may not save money by using a crystal bow, which requires no ammunition and therefore leaves behind no arrows to pick up.

Comparison between other ranged weapons[edit source]

Picture	Name	Levels to equip	Ranged Attack bonus	Notes
	Twisted bow	75	+70	Has a passive effect where the higher the target's Magic level is, the more accurate and damaging the bow becomes Uses arrows as ammunition up to and including dragon Offers an attack speed of that of a longbow
	Toxic blowpipe	75	+60	Requires Zulrah's scales (up to 16,383) and any unpoisoned darts to charge Bonuses stack with the darts that are used to charge the blowpipe (up to +78 ranged attack and +60 ranged strength with dragon darts) Has an attack speed of 3 (same as darts) in a non-pvp encounter or 4 in a pvp encounter (same as shortbows) Offers a special attack where damage is increased by 50% and heals the wielder by 50% of the damage dealt. Costs 50% special attack energy Has 25% chance to inflict venom on an opponent
	Heavy ballista	75	+125	Has the highest ranged bonus of any ranged weapon, including a +15 Ranged Strength bonus Requires completion of Monkey Madness II to equip. Only accepts Javelins as ammunition Ava's devices will not retrieve fired javelins, nor can they be picked up Offers a special attack which increases accuracy and damage by 25% each for one shot. Costs 65% special attack energy
	Armadyl crossbow	70	+100	Has a slightly longer attack range than other crossbows The only crossbow that offers a prayer bonus Offers a special attack where the player's accuracy is doubled (dependent on ranged level and gear used). Costs 40% special attack energy One-handed, allowing the use of an off-hand shield or god book
	Crystal bow	70	+100	Offers a ranged strength of +70(does not use external ammunition) Has an attack speed of 5, between that of a shortbow and a crossbow Has the furthest attack range of any bow or crossbow in the game (tied with composite bows) of 10 squares Receives noticeable damage and accuracy bonuses if used in conjunction with pieces of Crystal armour.
	Karil's crossbow	70	+84	The only two-handed crossbow in the game and is also the fastest crossbow. Can only be fired with bolt racks. 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). Like all Barrows equipment, it degrades and will fully degrade after 15 hours of combat. It is repairable.
	Dragon hunter crossbow	65	+95	Offers the second highest one-handed Ranged attack bonus in the game, outclassed only by the Armadyl crossbow Increases accuracy and damage by 30% when fighting dragons (excluding revenant dragons and Elvarg)
	Dragon crossbow	64	+94	Offers the third highest one-handed Ranged attack bonus in the game, outclassed only by the armadyl crossbow and dragon hunter crossbow 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
	Rune crossbow	61	+90	Offers the fourth highest one-handed Ranged attack bonus in the game, only behind the armadyl, dragon crossbow, and dragon hunter crossbows. It is considerably cheaper than the armadyl and dragon hunter crossbows.
	Dark bow	60	+95	Offers the third highest Ranged attack bonus in the game, behind the Heavy ballista (+125) and the crystal bow and armadyl crossbow (+100) Has the ability to shoot two arrows at a time The slowest weapon in the game, with an attack speed of 9 (5.4 seconds) 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	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 accuracy to +75 and lowering the special attack cost to 50%
	Chinchompas	45 (Grey) 55 (Red) 65 (Black)	+45 (Grey) +70 (Red) +80 (Black)	One of the three ranged weapons that offers the ability to hit more than one opponent at a time (similar to burst or barrage ancient spells), the others being the special attack of the dragon crossbow, with a similar attack, and Rune thrownaxe, with a ricochet type attack. Regarded to be the best way of training Ranged, but at a very high cost Has an attack speed of 4 (same as scimitars and the abyssal whip) If a player dies with chinchompas equipped or in their inventory, they will disappear as they are live animals

Treasure Trails[edit | edit source]

Tier	Emotes	STASH Location	Items	Cost
Master	Bow	North-west tent in the Iorwerth Camp		298,340

The crystal bow (doesn't have to be fully charged) is the item Falo requires players to show him when he sings about: A bow of elven craft was made, it shimmers bright, but will soon fade.

Update history[edit | edit source]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

• Attempting to cast Low Level Alchemy or High Level Alchemy on a crystal bow results in the message "You can't do that to elven crystal!" This is due to a glitch that allowed players to alchemise crystal bows on free-to-play worlds for 540,000 coins each. Players could buy crystal seeds, enchant them into bows for 180,000 coins, and alchemise the bows for significant profit. Because of this, Jagex made it impossible to alchemise members' objects on free-to-play worlds, and made it impossible to alchemise crystal equipment.
• The crystal bow requires 50 Agility to equip, however it is impossible to navigate the forests of Tirannwn during the required quests without level 56 Agility (or as low as 51 with a summer pie boost).