Bow

The Bow is the advanced ranged weapon in Starsand Island, unlocked through the Explorer profession at Zephyria's Exploration Club. It replaces the Slingshot as the primary combat weapon for the deeper zones of the Moonlit Forest. While the Slingshot handles early enemies like the Runebird and Luminfrog, the Bow is required for tougher bosses starting with the Glintortle and is the only effective weapon against the Ruin Guard final boss.

Bow Tiers

Three Bow-type weapons are available, each tied to a different Explorer profession tier:

Plume Bow

The Plume Bow is the first bow available, unlocked at Junior Explorer. It requires 5 Hardwood and 6 Carbon Line to craft at a Worktable. Hardwood comes from chopping larger trees, and Carbon Line is processed from Fiber at the Charcoal Kiln or Furnace. The Plume Bow is a significant step up from the Slingshot in both damage and range.

Golden Bow

The Golden Bow is a direct upgrade of the Plume Bow. It requires 1 Plume Bow and 2 Gold Ingot as crafting materials, meaning you must sacrifice your Plume Bow to build it. Gold Ingot is smelted from Gold Ore, which is found in Azure Bay and deeper Moonlit Forest zones. The Golden Bow deals more damage per shot and is the recommended weapon for most of the mid-to-late Moonlit Forest content.

Crossbow

The Crossbow is the most powerful ranged weapon in the game. It requires 15 Premium Wood, 3 Gold Wire, and 4 Iron Sheet. Unlike the other bows, the Crossbow blueprint is earned by completing the Expert Explorer questline and cannot be purchased from the Exploration Club shop. It has the highest damage output of any ranged weapon but consumes ammunition faster than the Golden Bow.

Charged Shot Mechanic

All bow-type weapons support a charged shot system. Hold the fire button to charge the shot, then release to fire. A fully charged shot deals significantly more damage than a quick-release shot. This mechanic is critical for boss fights, where dealing maximum damage during short vulnerability windows determines how quickly you finish the encounter.

The charge mechanic works the same way as the Slingshot's charged shots: hold the button until the reticle tightens or a visual indicator shows full charge, then release. Practice the timing outside of combat to get comfortable with the charge speed.

Bow vs Slingshot

Both weapons fill the ranged combat role, but they serve different stages of the game:

Once you craft a Plume Bow, there is no reason to go back to the Slingshot for combat. However, keep the Slingshot in your inventory since it uses different (cheaper) ammo and works fine for minor encounters when you want to save arrows.

Arrow Types

The Bow uses six different arrow types, each crafted at the Ammo Maker station. Arrows are produced in batches of 3. Some arrows are designed for combat damage while others serve as puzzle-solving tools in the Moonlit Forest:

For a full breakdown of each arrow type including crafting details and specific puzzle uses, see the Arrow Types article.

Which Bosses Require a Bow

The Glintortle in Mural Valley is the first boss that requires a Bow. From this point onward, all combat encounters are designed around Bow-tier damage output.

Tips

• Craft the Plume Bow as soon as you reach Junior Explorer. It makes every Moonlit Forest encounter significantly easier.

• Upgrade to the Golden Bow before fighting the Glintortle. The extra damage per shot matters in longer boss fights.

• Always charge your shots during boss fights. The damage difference between a quick shot and a charged shot adds up over a long fight.

• Keep your Slingshot for minor enemies and bubble-popping. Save your arrows for bosses and puzzle-solving.

• Craft Bomb Arrows in bulk before deep Moonlit Forest runs. The Phosand ingredient requires Coal and Sunveil Shrooms, both of which are found in the forest.

• The Crossbow burns through ammo fast. If you are short on arrow materials, the Golden Bow is more ammo-efficient for farming runs.