Hunting Bow

Fresh spawn on the beach, a rock in your hand: cloth and wood are all it takes, and you can craft it on the spot because no workbench is involved. So it is what most players carry for their first hour, both for hunting and for fights with people who have nothing better.

The arrow matters more than the bow:

• Wooden arrows cost stone and wood and do the everyday work.
• Bone arrows are easier to land but hit softer, handy while you are still learning the drop.
• Fire arrows need a Level 1 bench and low grade fuel, and they light up when you aim.

Pick your arrows back up after a hunt. Many of them survive a hit, and on day one every one counts.

Do not hold the draw for long, though, or your aim starts to wander. Once you have a bench and some rope, the compound bow hits harder from a fixed spot, but for running around the map the hunting bow still does the job.