Crystal bow
Crystal bow | |||||||||||||||||||
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Released | 25 July 2019 (Update) | ||||||||||||||||||
Members | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
Quest item | Roving Elves | ||||||||||||||||||
League region | Tirannwn✓ | ||||||||||||||||||
Properties | |||||||||||||||||||
Tradeable | No | ||||||||||||||||||
Equipable | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||
Stackable | No | ||||||||||||||||||
Noteable | No | ||||||||||||||||||
Options | Wield, Check, Revert, Drop | ||||||||||||||||||
Worn options | Check | ||||||||||||||||||
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. The bow benefits from damage and accuracy boosts when crystal armour is equipped.
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. However, she can only do this with a weapon seed; partially charged bows should be reverted to their seed form (using the right-click menu in the inventory) to be converted back into a 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, and rolls damage against an NPC's standard ranged defence.
The crystal bow can be considered the penultimate bow in the composite bow family, before the bow of Faerdhinen. It shares the same 10-square attack range on any style as well as a 4-tick attack speed on rapid, placing it between popular ranged weapons like the shortbow (3-tick) and crossbow (5-tick).
The crystal bow is required to complete the Hard Western Provinces Diary. It is also used for two Master Clue steps: an emote step and as a possible item to show Falo the Bard.
Combat stats
Attack bonuses | ||||||
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+0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +100 | ||
Defence bonuses | ||||||
+0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +0 | ||
Other bonuses | Slot | |||||
+0 | +78 | +0% | +0 | List | ||
Combat style | Attack type | Weapon style | Attack speed | Range | Experience | Level boost | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Accurate | Standard | Accurate | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 10 tiles | +3 Ranged | ||
Rapid | Standard | Rapid | 4 ticks (2.4s) | 10 tiles | None | ||
Longrange | Standard | Longrange | 5 ticks (3.0s) | 10 tiles | +3 Defence |
Uses
Along with being extremely accurate and providing a Ranged bonus of +100, the crystal bow also has one of the longest attack ranges in the game, the same as a longbow, able to hit targets up to 10 tiles away. This makes it ideal for battles which require long-range attacks, such as Dagannoth Kings or the TzHaar Fight Cave. The long range can also be advantageous in destroying the respiratory system of Abyssal Sire.
Providing its own ammo, the crystal bow allows the use of a blessing, effectively giving the bow a +1 or +2 prayer bonus compared to other ranged weapons, and can be used effectively without an Ava's device or ranging cape. This can make for simpler switching in situations requiring multiple combat styles, such as fighting Demonic gorillas. Furthermore, the bow can be brought to Wilderness without having to risk losing any ammo.
While the accuracy and damage bonuses provided by crystal armour can make the bow a very powerful weapon suitable for many high-level situations requiring ranging, it is not very popular to do so due to the armour's high maintenance cost.
Analysis and strategy
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, (56 coins), with a +49 bonus to Ranged Strength, whereas the crystal bow has a Ranged Strength of +78. To take attack speed into account, simply divide the cost per arrow by the attack speed to get a comparable number. Using this, the cost per tick of usage with the crystal bow is 14.4 coins, while a magic shortbow with rune arrows (and an Ava's device) is 5.1 coins.
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.
Creation
Skill | Level | XP | |
---|---|---|---|
Smithing | 78 (b) | 2,000 | |
Crafting | 78 (b) | 2,000 | |
Completion of Song of the Elves | |||
Members | Ticks | 3 (1.8s)[r 1] | |
Tools | None | Facilities | Singing bowl |
Item | Quantity | Cost | |
---|---|---|---|
Crystal weapon seed | 1 | 300,608 | |
File:Crystal shard.png | Crystal shard[r 2] | 40 | 498,744 |
Total cost | 799,352 | ||
Crystal bow | 1 | N/A |
- ^ Takes 3 ticks to create an entire inventory
- ^ Value based on the cost of obtaining by exchanging enhanced crystal teleport seeds with Amrod
Completion of Roving Elves | |||
Members | Ticks | 0 (0s) | |
---|---|---|---|
Tools | None | Facilities | Ilfeen |
Item | Quantity | Cost | |
---|---|---|---|
Crystal weapon seed | 1 | 300,608 | |
Coins | 180,000[r 1] | 180,000 | |
Total cost | 480,608 | ||
Crystal bow | 1 | N/A |
- ^ Cost from fifth re-enchantment onwards. Initial enchantment is 900,000 coins, decreasing with each re-enchantment.
Degradation and charging
The crystal bow degrades over time. Upon degrading, it reverts into an inactive version of itself, which can then be recharged at a singing bowl, or by having Ilfeen recharge it for a fee. When uncharged, it can also be converted back into a crystal weapon seed, which can then either be turned back into a bow, a halberd or a shield. This may also be done at a singing bowl or with the assistance of Ilfeen. Ilfeen can either be found inside Prifddinas (after completing Song of the Elves), or teleporting back and forth between two clearings in Isafdar.
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:
Enchantment | Cost for re-enchantment | Cost per charge |
---|---|---|
1st | 900,000 | 360 |
2nd | 720,000 | 288 |
3rd | 540,000 | 216 |
4th | 360,000 | 144 |
5+ | 180,000 | 72 |
The amount that Ilfeen charges is dependent on the total number of crystal seeds she has re-enchanted, not only the number of crystal bows she has recharged. For example, a player who pays Ilfeen 750,000 coins to re-enchant a crystal seed into a crystal shield will next time only have to pay her 720,000 coins 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
A crystal bow is a possible reward for completion of Roving Elves. However, when obtained through this quest reward, the crystal bow will only begin with 500 charges. Players who chose a crystal shield can choose to let the shield revert into a seed, then re-enchant that seed into a crystal bow. When the seed is re-enchanted by Ilfeen, it will have 2,500 charges. This will still cost 900,000 coins.
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).
- During the Song of the Elves, an Elven Scout replaces Ilfeen at her usual locations in Isafdar and offers to reenchant crystal weapon seeds just like Ilfeen, who is occupied with the effort against Lord Iorwerth.
- 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).
Comparison between other ranged weapons
Name | level required | Ranged attack | Ranged strength (Max ammo) |
Price | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Twisted bow | 85 | +70 | +20 (+80) |
1,668,548,042 |
| |
Bow of Faerdhinen | 80 | +128 | +106 | 162,505,219 |
| |
Zaryte crossbow | 80 | +110 | (+122) | 358,799,399 |
| |
Venator bow | 80 | +90 | +25 (+85) |
85,933,214 |
| |
Scorching bow | 77 | +124 | +40 (+100) |
54,843,710[n 1] |
| |
Toxic blowpipe | 75 | +30 | +20 (+55) |
6,212,774 |
| |
Heavy ballista | 75 | +125 | +15 (+165) |
1,533,361 |
| |
Eclipse atlatl | 75 | +87 | +40 (Melee) | 2,167,041 |
| |
Dragon hunter crossbow | 70 | +95 | (+122) | 58,213,298 |
| |
Armadyl crossbow | 70 | +100 | (+122) | 54,824,589 |
| |
Crystal bow | 70 | +100 | +78 | 480,608[n 2] |
| |
Webweaver bow | 70 | +85 | +65 | 19,143,072 |
| |
Karil's crossbow | 70 | +84 | (+55) | 103,163 |
| |
Hunters' sunlight crossbow | 66 50 |
+79 | (+60) | 5,462 |
| |
Dragon crossbow | 64 | +94 | (+122) | 1,220,988 |
| |
Rune crossbow | 61 | +90 | (+115) | 10,105 |
| |
Craw's bow | 60 | +75 | +60 | 19,008,294 |
| |
Dark bow | 60 | +95 | (+60) | 1,368,936 |
| |
Magic shortbow | 50 | +69 | (+55) | 830 |
| |
Magic shortbow (i) | +75 | 37,074 | ||||
Magic comp bow | 50 | +71 | (+55) | 3,144 |
| |
Seercull | 50 | +69 | (+55) | 44,793 |
| |
Magic longbow | 50 | +69 | (+55) | 1,312 |
| |
Adamant crossbow | 46 | +78 | (+100) | 2,801 |
| |
Chinchompas | 45 (Grey) |
+45 | N/A | Varies[n 3] |
| |
55 (Red) |
+70 | +15 | ||||
65 (Black) |
+80 | +30 | ||||
|
Salamanders | 30 (Green) |
+20 | (+16) | 137 |
|
50 (Orange) |
+29 | (+22) | 170 | |||
60 (Red) |
+47 | (+31) | 66 | |||
70 (Black) |
+69 | (+49) | 435 | |||
80 (Tecu) |
+87 | (+60) | 283,360 | |||
Dorgeshuun crossbow | 28 | +42 | (+49) | 2,222 |
| |
Throwing knives | 40 (Rune) |
+25 | +24 | Varies[n 3] |
| |
Shortbows | 40 (Yew) |
+47 | (+49) | 359 |
| |
Darts | 30 (Adamant) |
N/A | +17 | Varies[n 3] |
| |
Dwarf multicannon | N/A | N/A | N/A | 743,138 |
| |
Treasure Trails
Tier | Emotes | STASH location | Items | Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
Master | Bow | North-west tent in the Iorwerth Camp | 300,608 |
- The crystal bow[a] 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.
Used in recommended equipment
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Changes
Date | Changes |
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[[{{#explode:30 June 2021| |0}} {{#explode:30 June 2021| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:30 June 2021| |2}}]] (update | poll) |
The bow's Ranged Strength bonus has been increased from +70 to +78. |
[[{{#explode:25 July 2019| |0}} {{#explode:25 July 2019| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:25 July 2019| |2}}]] (update | poll) |
Crystal equipment stats no longer become gradually lower as the weapon degrades, converting all imbued crystal bows into crystal weapon seeds and removing the ability to imbue them through Nightmare Zone. The crystal bow can now alternatively be made through crystal shards instead of paying Ilfeen. |
[[{{#explode:16 April 2015| |0}} {{#explode:16 April 2015| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:16 April 2015| |2}}]] (update) |
A "Check" option was added to see the remaining charges. |
[[{{#explode:13 March 2014| |0}} {{#explode:13 March 2014| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:13 March 2014| |2}}]] (update) |
Crystal equipment now reverts to a seed when dropped on death. |
[[{{#explode:26 September 2013| |0}} {{#explode:26 September 2013| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:26 September 2013| |2}}]] (update | poll) |
Crystal bows and shields can be imbued, making them keep their combat stats unchanged as they degrade. |
[[{{#explode:22 February 2013| |0}} {{#explode:22 February 2013| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:22 February 2013| |2}}]] (update) |
This content was included when the Old School RuneScape servers officially launched. |
[[{{#explode:9 May 2005| |0}} {{#explode:9 May 2005| |1}}]] [[{{#explode:9 May 2005| |2}}]] (update) |
The bow's attack speed was increased from 6 to 5. |
Trivia
- 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).
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