While going close and personal in Minecraft is the norm, with weapons like swords and axes being pretty easy to use, ranged combat is actually easier and safer. Going melee requires you to get good armor and defensive items... while shooting enemies from afar only requires a good bow or crossbow.

In this article, we are going to list out all ranged weapons in Minecraft.

Table of Contents

1 - Bows

Bows are the most common ranged weapon in Minecraft. It shoots arrows at enemies to deal damage. This weapon has a "charge up" mechanic - a fully charged bow can shoot arrows the farthest and deal the most damage.
Bows are the easiest to use ranged weapons in Minecraft

A full charge (1 second or more) will always deal 6 - 7.25 damage, with a chance for a 10 damage crit. The bow can be enchanted with Power for more damage (max: V), Punch for more Knockback (max: II) and Flame for fire damage. Infinity prevents the bow from consuming arrows.

2 - Crossbows

Crossbows have a longer range and deal more damage than bows, however, they take longer to charge when unenchanted. Unlike the bow which can only shoot arrows, the crossbow can also shoot Firework Rockets for splash damage.
Crossbow's special feature in Minecraft

The only weakness of the crossbow comparing to the bow is that it can't shoot a partially charged attack. You need to fully charge it in order to fire. However, fully charged crossbows can be stored in the inventory to fire later.

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Crossbows are the most damaging ranged weapons in Minecraft

Crossbows need 1.25 seconds to load. They have 11 maximum damage with arrows and 18 with rockets. Enchantment-wise, they can be buffed with Quick Charge to increase their firing speed, multishot for more projectiles, and piercing to make the bolt pierce enemies.

3 - Potions

Lingering or Splash potions with the Poison, Instant Damage, or Wither Effect can be used to damage enemies. You can also throw other potions with negative status effects on enemies like slowness or weakness to get an edge in the fight. There are potions with helpful effects that you can use on your allies as well.

Potions in Minecraft

Snowballs and eggs do not deal any damage but can be thrown very quickly. They retain the armor damage and knockback effect. Ender Pearls can be thrown to teleport the player to the target. It is a good way to get closer to distant foes.

Interested in more of our articles related to Minecraft? Please check out this post to find out more about the Top 5 Rarest Biomes In Minecraft.