Overview
Archery contests (officially called Shot Contest: Bow) are competitive minigames where you race against an opponent to shoot 10 pop-up boards first. Speed and accuracy both matter, and many players find this one of the harder challenges in the game. Kliff handles the traditional bow archery contest, while Damiane tackles the firearms Shot Contest: Gun in Hernand City.
Where to Play
Contest | Location | Entry Fee |
|---|---|---|
80 Copper Coins | ||
Varies |
Controls
Platform | Aim/Draw Bow | Release/Fire |
|---|---|---|
PlayStation | Hold L2 | Release L2 |
Xbox | Hold Left Trigger | Release Left Trigger |
PC | Hold Q + Aim with Mouse | Left Click to fire |
You have infinite arrows and do not need to reload between shots. Your bow stays drawn as long as you hold the aim button, so keep it drawn throughout the entire contest to minimize delay between shots.
Core Strategy
Center your aim: Keep your crosshair pointed toward the center of the shooting range between shots. When a board pops up, flick toward it from center, shoot, then reset to center. This minimizes the distance your aim travels.
Keep your bow drawn: Do not release and re-draw between shots. Pausing after loosing an arrow causes a significant delay that your opponent will exploit.
React, do not predict: Boards appear in random positions. Waiting for a board to fully appear before aiming gives you a better hit rate than guessing where the next board will be.
Controlled inputs: The shooting mechanic does not respond instantly to rapid spamming. Use clean, deliberate shots rather than trying to fire as fast as possible.
Camera and Settings
Increase camera speed: Open Settings, navigate to the Input tab, and increase both camera speed and camera acceleration. Higher sensitivity lets you flick between boards faster.
Do not overdo it: Excessively high sensitivity causes overshooting. Find a balance where you can snap to boards without flying past them.
Mouse players generally have an advantage over controller players due to faster, more precise aim adjustments.
Champion Matches
You can force the champion out of hiding by winning the standard contest three times in a row. Once you hit a three-win streak, the champion enters the pool of randomly selected opponents. Defeating the champion permanently closes that specific contest event, and you claim a unique prize.
Prizes
Standard victories award silver coins proportional to your entry fee.
Champion victories award unique items and complete the associated Test of Strength challenge.
Completing the bow archery challenge line contributes toward the "True Gamer" trophy/achievement.
Tips
Practice by taking a few intentional losses to learn the board positions and your aim speed at your current sensitivity settings.
If you keep losing, lower the difficulty by adjusting camera settings incrementally rather than making large jumps.
The opponent AI does not scale with your performance. It has a fixed shooting speed, so improving your own consistency is the only path to victory.
Take a breath between contests. Fatigue from rapid retries can make your aim worse, not better.