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Quick answer
- A
Bow fires quickly and gets Infinity, so one arrow lasts forever. - A Crossbow stays loaded, can fire fireworks and gets Multishot and Piercing.
- For most players, a bow with Infinity is the best all round choice.
Both shoot arrows, but they play very differently.
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Recipes
| Weapon | Recipe |
|---|---|
| Bow | 3 sticks + 3 string |
| Crossbow | 3 sticks + 2 string + 1 iron ingot + 1 tripwire hook |
How they fire
- Bow: hold to draw, release to shoot. A full draw does the most damage.
- Crossbow: hold to load, then it stays loaded until you fire, even if you switch items.
- Only the crossbow can fire
Firework rocket items as explosive shots.
Enchantments
| Bow | Crossbow |
|---|---|
| Power: more damage | Multishot: 3 arrows at once |
| Punch: more knockback | Piercing: arrows go through mobs |
| Flame: fire arrows | Quick Charge: faster loading |
| Infinity: never use arrows | No Infinity |
Infinity vs MendingOn Java, a bow can't have both Infinity and Mending. Pick one.
Which to use
- Everyday mobs and the Ender Dragon: bow with Power and Infinity.
- Crowds in raids: crossbow with Multishot or Piercing.
- Hitting hard from a ready shot: loaded crossbow.
Cheat sheet
- Bow: fast, Infinity
- Crossbow: stays loaded, fireworks
- Multishot and Piercing are crossbow only
- No Infinity + Mending on Java
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