Recurve bow

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The recurve bow is a light, single-shot ranged neolithic weapon which deals a slightly higher amount of damage per shot than a short bow, has a moderate time between shots, slightly better range and slightly higher overall accuracy.

Acquisition

Recurve bows can also be manufactured at any smithy or crafting spot once the Recurve Bow research has been completed; 40 Wood and 5,000 ticks (1.39 mins) of work. Do note that you start with the required research project already completed with the lost tribe scenario. A crafting skill of at least 5 is required.

Recurve bows can be purchased from neolithic war merchants and orbital combat suppliers, tribal and outlander settlements, or obtained from the following raider kinds:

Raider Kind	Chance	Average Quality	Health
Hunter	92.89%	Normal	50-180%

Analysis

The recurve bow is a jack-of-all-trades neolithic weapon. While even the earliest guns will match and surpass it, crafting recurve bows can be useful for tribal starts.

Of neolithic weapons, the recurve bow's range and accuracy are good, and it has the highest armor penetration, even beating the greatbow. It is superior in every way to a shortbow of equivalent quality. Overall damage, DPS, and range are inferior to greatbow, even against heavy armor. Generally, a recurve bow must be one or two quality levels above a greatbow to be worth it, however the recurve bow is cheaper to craft and research. Most importantly, tribal starts begin with recurve bows already researched, while greatbows require further investment into a dead-end line of weaponry research on a start with slow research already.

In terms of DPS, basic firearms such as autopistols and revolvers are significantly superior to recurve bows out to 12 tiles, and competitive for the remainder of their range.

As such, if a sufficiently skilled crafter is available, any new bows made by tribal colonies should be recurve bows but generally looted firearms will begin to replace all neolithic weapons before upgrading all pawns to recurve bows is practical. As even Tribal starts can quickly loot said firearms, researching recurve bows with a New Arrivals start is largely a waste of time. Should you find or craft a particularly high quality bow, it might stay relevant into the early game but it must be at least Excellent quality to be competitive with commonly looted guns.

Stats

Against an unarmored human, a recurve bow can kill with 3 hits to the torso, 2-3 hits to the head, 2 hits to the neck, or 1 hit to the brain; cripple limbs in 2 hits; and cripple or destroy eyes and digits with a single hit. It'll generally take around 5 hits (~20.05 seconds average) to incapacitate that human from pain shock.

Overall, the recurve bow is best paired with a careful shooter up to level 11, and with a trigger-happy shooter beyond that point.

Attack table

Ranged

Recurve bow			Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Quality	Dam.	AP	Accuracy (Touch)	Accuracy (Short)	Accuracy (Medium)	Accuracy (Long)	DPS (Optimal)	DPS (Touch)	DPS (Short)	DPS (Medium)	DPS (Long)	Market value
Awful	12.6	18.9%	56%	62.4%	52%	28%	4.07	2.28	2.52	2.12	1.14	33
Poor	14	21%	63%	70.2%	58.5%	31.5%	4.52	2.85	3.16	2.67	1.45	50
Normal	14	21%	70%	78%	65%	35%	4.52	3.16	3.53	2.94	1.58	66
Good	14	21%	77%	85.8%	71.5%	38.5%	4.52	3.48	3.89	3.25	1.76	83
Excellent	14	21%	84%	93.6%	78%	42%	4.52	3.8	4.25	3.53	1.9	99
Masterwork	17.5	26.25%	94.5%	100%	87.75%	47.25%	5.65	5.37	5.65	4.97	2.66	165
Legendary	21	31.5%	100%	100%	97.5%	52.5%	6.78	6.78	6.78	6.64	3.59	330

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality. Values shown in Red indicate the weapon is out of range at the reference point for this range band. The value is provided due to the interpolated nature of accuracy between range points.}

Melee

Feature	Toggle
Attacks

Recurve bow			Limb (Blunt)					Limb (Poke)					Human: Left & rigth fist (Blunt)					HP	Value
Quality	DPS^[1]	AP^[1]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	Dam.	Cool.	AP	DPS	Chance^[2]	HP	Value
Awful	3.98	11.6%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	12.5%	7.2	2s	10.4%	3.6	12.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 37.5%	100	33
Poor	4.08	11.85%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	25%	8.1	2s	11.7%	4.05	25%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 25%	100	50
Normal	4.4	12.75%	9	2s	13%	4.5	37.5%	9	2s	13%	4.5	37.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	66
Good	4.74	13.73%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	37.5%	9.9	2s	14.3%	4.95	37.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	83
Excellent	5.08	14.7%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	37.5%	10.8	2s	15.6%	5.4	37.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	99
Masterwork	5.92	17.14%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	37.5%	13.05	2s	18.85%	6.53	37.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	165
Legendary	6.59	19.09%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	37.5%	14.85	2s	21.45%	7.43	37.5%	8.2	2s	12%	4.1	2× 12.5%	100	330

^{For the full effects of qualities, see Quality.}

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Note: This is the actual base average derived from the melee verb system updated in 1.1.2610, it may sometimes disagree with the listed value in the in-game infobox.
It may also change depending on the stats and the melee verbs available to the wielder if the weapon is wielded by some other than a baseline human.
↑ Chance for attack to be selected, assuming the weapon is wielded by a baseline human. It may change depending on the melee verbs available to the wielder

Graphs

The graphs assume a normal quality recurve bow against an adult human that's out in the open in clear weather. For DPS, projectile speed has also been factored into the equation, with the weighting based on the base amount of attacks that it'll take to put the aforementioned target into pain shock.