Is the Legend of Zelda‘s Ancient Bow Worth the Time Investment? A Breath of the Wild Weapon Analysis

As an avid Legend of Zelda fan and content creator focused on Breath of the Wild tactics and weapons, one of the top questions I‘m asked is: is grinding for the Ancient Bow worth it? This powerful bow crafted from Guardian parts can take hours to collect and craft. But its formidable stats suggest it‘s an easy contender for one of the best bows against Guardians.

In this blog post, I‘ll analyze the Ancient Bow‘s capabilities, the effort to obtain it, optimal use cases, and whether more casual players should focus their efforts elsewhere. Let‘s dive in!

Deciphering the Ancient Bow‘s Power

Before assessing the merits of acquiring the Ancient Bow, it‘s important to understand its base attributes:

With its exceptional durability, players can fire about 120 sniper-straight shots before it breaks. Upgrading it to ++ provides a 1.8x damage boost up to 79. Compared to top tier bows like the Savage Lynel Bow, Falcon, and Golden Bows, the Ancient Bow gives up some power in exchange for 3-4x more durability:

So while the Savage Lynel Bow packs a wallop, you‘ll burn through a stash of them much quicker than your sturdy Ancient Bow.

The Grind is Real for Ancient Materials

Ancient parts like Gears, Screws and Cores required for the Ancient Bow only come from defeating Guardians – either decayed ones found scattered about Hyrule or during Major Tests of Strength shrines. From my experience, here were my estimated hours spent acquiring the ~15 Ancient materials:

• 10 hours: Farming Decayed Guardians
• 6 hours: Completing Tests of Strength

That‘s a solid 16 hours reaped from defeating Guardians through patience and plenty of weapons snapped in half! Considering the bow costs 1,000 rupees to craft, I‘d recommend buying what you can from shops like the Akkala Tech Lab to reduce the grind.

Now 16 hours is no small feat. But unlocking an ultra high-end Guardian killer made it worthwhile for my playstyle and combat focus on the nastiest machines.

Dominate the Machines – Strategic Usage

While any bow can chip away at a Guardian‘s health, the Ancient Bow synergizes exceptionally well against these mechanical foes:

Stationary & Skywatch Guardians

Between the Ancient Bow‘s pinpoint accuracy and damage output, stationary or skywatch Guardians make easy, safe targets for headshots from afar. I like combining the Ancient Bow with Ancient Arrows for over 150 damage a shot – turning Guardians into scraps quickly.

Sentry & Stalker Charging Attacks

Though riskier, seasoned players can carefully dodge a charging Stalker or Sentry Guardian as it approaches, firing off a barrage of 3-5 quick shots into its legs or eye. This can disrupt its charge or stun it for further axe hits.

The key is matching the Ancient Bow‘s disciplined aim and high damage with food buffs like triple Attack Up dishes for nearly 100 damage per arrow. Stealth buffs or Ancient Proficiency can push this even higher.

Final Verdict: A Specialized Tool for Guardian Hunters

The Ancient Bow clocks in as my favorite sniper bow against Guardians. Though the grind for parts is long, I believe it‘s justified by the weapon‘s striking power, range, accuracy, and phenomenal durability. No other bow can deliver such a heavy offensive punch with longevity to last drawn-out Guardian battles.

For more casual players not keen on farming parts for 16+ hours, your Ancient materials are likely better spent upgrading your armor rather than chasing this bow. Savage Lynel or Falcon Bows still pack plenty of punch. But if you take pleasure in stalking the lands for Ancient Shrines and Guardians, the Ancient Bow will prove a vital ace up your quiver.

Hopefully this offers helpful insight into the pros, cons and grind behind acquiring this Ancient tech bow. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions on the Ancient Bow or top Breath of the Wild weapons!