Best all-around pick: the Arbalest is the strongest conventional physical-hit option in the listed base-game roster, with 69 listed physical attack. The Heavy Crossbow is a lighter, lower-requirement alternative; Crepus’s Black-Key has the longest listed range. There is no universal winner: crossbows do not scale with character stats, so bolt choice, firing pattern, requirements, and the job you need the weapon to do matter more than a single ranking.
This comparison covers the nine crossbows in Eldenpedia’s base-game class roster, using its item-table values rather than controlled damage tests. It is not a separately verified list of every crossbow added by expansions. Values and weapon behavior can change with game updates, so check the current in-game inventory and patch behavior if a close ranking matters to your build.
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How crossbows work—and what the numbers mean
Crossbows deal Pierce damage through bolts, do not gain damage through character-stat scaling, and cannot be equipped with Ashes of War, according to Eldenpedia’s crossbow overview. That makes ammunition selection central: compare the weapon together with the bolts you can carry and afford to use.
The table’s attack, weight, range, and requirements are item-table values reported by Eldenpedia, not the result of independent testing. The listed range is 47 for Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow and 42 for every other entry. Requirements are shown in Strength/Dexterity/Intelligence order; a dash means no listed requirement in that stat.
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| Rank | Crossbow | Listed attack | Weight | Range | Requirements (STR/DEX/INT) | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arbalest | 69 physical | 6.0 | 42 | 18/12/— | Conventional physical hits |
| 2 | Heavy Crossbow | 64 physical | 5.5 | 42 | 14/10/— | Physical damage with lower burden |
| 3 | Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow | 68 physical | 5.0 | 47 | 14/16/— | Range-focused use |
| 4 | Pulley Crossbow | 65 physical | 4.0 | 42 | 16/16/— | Three-bolt burst pattern |
| 5 | Spread Crossbow | 68 physical | 5.0 | 42 | 11/17/— | Wide multi-bolt pattern |
| 6 | Full Moon Crossbow | 50 physical + 50 magic | 4.0 | 42 | 10/10/14 | Split physical/magic attack |
| 7 | Repeating Crossbow | 74 physical | 6.0 | 42 | 13/15/— | Highest listed physical value; role needs verification |
| 8 | Light Crossbow | 58 physical | 4.0 | 42 | 12/8/— | Lower weight and requirements |
| 9 | Soldier’s Crossbow | 54 physical | 3.5 | 42 | 10/8/— | Lowest listed weight and requirements |
Requirements and figures in the table come from Eldenpedia’s crossbow roster. The ranking is role-based, not a claim that the first weapon wins every encounter. In particular, the Repeating Crossbow has the highest physical attack value shown, but the roster information available here does not establish enough about its current firing behavior, ammunition use, or acquisition to place it above the better-characterized options.
1. Arbalest: strongest conventional physical-hit pick
With 69 listed physical attack, the Arbalest leads the conventional single-shot physical candidates in this comparison. Its trade-off is its 6.0 weight and 18 Strength/12 Dexterity requirements: it asks more of the character than the Heavy Crossbow. Choose it when you meet the requirements and want a straightforward physical crossbow rather than a specialist firing pattern.
Rank #2
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2. Heavy Crossbow: the practical alternative to Arbalest
The Heavy Crossbow lists 64 physical attack at 5.5 weight, with requirements of 14 Strength and 10 Dexterity. Eldenpedia describes it as a slightly weaker but lighter alternative to the Arbalest with lower requirements. Its dedicated page also reports a 2% drop chance from specified crossbow-wielding soldiers; that is the page’s acquisition figure, not a guarantee for a particular farming session. See Eldenpedia’s Heavy Crossbow entry for the weapon and listed enemies.
3. Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow: the range choice
Its listed range of 47 is five points higher than the 42 shown for the rest of the roster. It also has 68 physical attack, 5.0 weight, and 14 Strength/16 Dexterity requirements. That makes it the clearest choice when listed reach is your priority, but the range figure alone does not establish better hit consistency in actual play. Details are listed on Eldenpedia’s Crepus’s Black-Key Crossbow page.
Rank #3
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4. Pulley Crossbow: three-bolt burst
The Pulley fires three bolts in a row, according to the class roster. Its table values are 65 physical attack, 4.0 weight, and requirements of 16 Strength/16 Dexterity. The firing pattern makes it a burst-oriented option, but the available figures do not establish its damage per bolt, ammunition efficiency, or current status buildup relative to other weapons. Its page is Eldenpedia’s Pulley Crossbow entry.
5. Spread Crossbow: ten bolts in a spread
The Spread Crossbow fires ten bolts in a three-row spread. At 68 listed physical attack, 5.0 weight, and 11 Strength/17 Dexterity requirements, it has a distinctive pattern rather than a simple stat advantage. A broad spread suggests a possible close-range coverage role, but that is an inference from the pattern—not a tested claim about its practical accuracy, damage, or ammunition efficiency. Current patch behavior should be checked in-game before relying on it for a specific purpose.
Rank #4
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6. Full Moon Crossbow: split physical and magic attack
The Full Moon Crossbow lists 50 physical and 50 magic attack, with 4.0 weight and requirements of 10 Strength, 10 Dexterity, and 14 Intelligence. It is the roster’s split-damage specialist, not an established matchup winner; the table does not show how it performs against particular defenses. Eldenpedia places it in a chest on a tower among Raya Lucaria’s rooftops; see the Full Moon Crossbow page.
7. Repeating Crossbow: highest listed physical attack, uncertain role
The Repeating Crossbow has the roster’s highest listed physical attack at 74, alongside 6.0 weight and requirements of 13 Strength/15 Dexterity. That number does not by itself make it the best choice: the class-list evidence does not provide enough detail here to compare its current firing behavior, bolt consumption, or acquisition against the other candidates. Verify those details in your game before choosing it on the strength of the attack value alone.
8–9. Light and Soldier’s Crossbows: lighter, lower-requirement options
The Light Crossbow lists 58 physical attack at 4.0 weight, requiring 12 Strength and 8 Dexterity. The Soldier’s Crossbow lists 54 physical attack at 3.5 weight, requiring 10 Strength and 8 Dexterity. Their lower attack figures do not make them automatically useless: the reduced weight and requirements may fit a character that cannot spare more equipment load or attributes. The best choice between them depends on those constraints and the bolts available to you.
How to choose for your character
- Want a conventional physical crossbow? Start with the Arbalest if its requirements and weight fit; choose the Heavy Crossbow when the lower requirements and weight matter more.
- Need more listed reach? Choose Crepus’s Black-Key for its 47 range value, while treating that number as a table comparison rather than a guarantee of hit consistency.
- Want a multi-bolt pattern? Consider the Pulley’s three-bolt sequence or the Spread’s ten-bolt, three-row pattern. Confirm how many bolts are consumed and how the pattern behaves in your current game version.
- Need a different damage profile? The Full Moon Crossbow is the listed physical/magic split option; whether that helps depends on the target’s defenses.
- Short on attributes or equipment load? Compare the Light and Soldier’s Crossbows against the heavier candidates using their listed requirements and weights.
- Comparing damage for a specific fight? Test the weapon with the bolts you intend to use against that target. The roster figures do not establish damage-per-ammo, status buildup, or matchup results.
All nine names and listed weapon characteristics above are from Eldenpedia’s crossbow class roster. Elden Ring is a video game; its overview is available at Wikipedia’s Elden Ring article.
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