How to use the bow in Wild Hearts

There are many weapons available in Wild Hearts, and they are all useful in their own ways. Some are easier to manage, while others are a bit more challenging — but they all get the job done all the same. One of these latter weapons is the bow. A simple weapon, the bow favors range and building up groups of damage. Here’s our guide on how to use the bow in Wild Hearts.

How to use the bow in Wild Hearts

Horizontal firing mode

Using the bow in Wild Hearts is a bit complicated. You really need to practice to get the most out of it. The bow works with two firing modes. One type of firing mode is the horizontal firing mode, which allows you to fire multiple arrows in quick succession for small amounts of damage. Sometimes this firing mode will only actually hit for one damage, which is intentional — don’t worry, you’re not underleveled. As you hold the button to fire, the amount of arrows you fire increases twice, meaning there are three fires before the attack loop is complete.

Vertical firing mode

The other firing mode while using the bow in Wild Hearts, (which you can change with the ‘Y/Triangle buttons’ on controller, or the ‘F key’ on keyboard), is the vertical firing mode. This mode has two stages of power, which you can charge by holding down the fire button. Each stage increases the damage dealt by the attack from the bow. So if you want to deal some major damage quickly, this firing mode is the way to go.

Screenshot by PCInvasion

Additional ways of firing the bow in Wild Hearts

There is also an added ability that involves pressing the “mode switch” button while you use the bow in Wild Hearts. There are two effects this has with the horizontal firing mode. One of these is essentially an artillery mode, where you can fire the arrows on a certain arc while also showing you the trajectory of the arrows. The other effect is that it allows you to fire multiple arrows in quick succession until your stamina has depleted. 

In vertical firing mode, there is only a singular effect. While in vertical firing mode, pressing the button lets you fire a more powerful version of the arrow. 

Using the firing modes together

The intended method of use is to combine the firing modes of the bow together. The trick to doing big damage with the bow is to fire the horizontal arrows first, then follow it up with a charged ‘vertical firing mode’ arrow. The horizontal firing mode arrows actually stay implanted on the enemy, and when you fire a vertical mode arrow in the general area of those arrows, they will explode for big damage. This method allows for 20-30 damage per arrow in the early game, which is a lot more than the one damage mentioned earlier.