This Enshrouded 1.0 setup suits anyone starting out as a bow user who prefers attacking at a distance. Craft a Bow immediately with 5 Twigs and 1 String; after getting one, you can make Wooden Arrows for 2 Twigs. The Hunter provides Flint, Scrap and Flare Arrows.
Quick answer: take Dexterity into Marksman, then Barrage and Counter Battery, then Endurance into Runner and Survival Instinct, then Sniper, and finish with a second Endurance into Swiftshot Sustenance. That is 10 nodes for 11 points.
For this guide, early game gear includes anything craftable or findable by Flame level 3, spanning item levels 3–12. Skill figures show the rank 1 card value first, followed by the amount gained per rank in brackets.
First skill points for an early ranger
You receive 2 skill points each time you level up, with more from Shroud Roots and Elixir Wells (see how to get skill points). All 12 Spark nodes around the centre of the skill tree cost 0 points, so every route below starts at a Spark. A bow setup puts its first points into these Ranger skills:
- Dexterity costs 1 point and reads “Increases Bow and Dagger damage by 5% per Attribute Point”.
- Marksman costs 1 point per rank for +5% Bow damage per rank.
- Spend 1 point on Counter Battery to gain 8% more damage against ranged foes for each rank.
- With each rank of Barrage, Bow attacks have a 15% chance to return 1 durability.
- Sniper costs 2 points per rank, and each rank adds 2% to your chance to land a Critical Strike with Bows.
- Runner, Survival Instinct and Swiftshot Sustenance handle movement and the Shroud.
Each Runner rank raises Sprint Speed by 5% and reduces Stamina spent sprinting by 5%. With Survival Instinct, a Bow or Dagger kill against an enemy infested by the Shroud adds 3 seconds to your Time in the Shroud per rank. Swiftshot Sustenance gives each Bow kill a 12% chance per rank to spawn a Stamina Orb.
Start on the Skills screen with Dexterity. The node shows as Locked until you spend the point, then switches to Unlocked and raises your Dexterity.
This plan takes 11 points across 10 nodes. Each pick uses the cheapest route from nodes you already own; the Dexterity and Endurance rows marked “on the way to” are the nodes those routes pass through. Only the first rank of each skill is included.
| Step | Node | Class | Cost | Running total | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dexterity | Ranger | 1 | 1 | on the way to Marksman |
| 2 | Marksman | Ranger | 1 | 2 | build pick |
| 3 | Barrage | Ranger | 1 | 3 | build pick |
| 4 | Counter Battery | Ranger | 1 | 4 | build pick |
| 5 | Endurance | Ranger | 1 | 5 | on the way to Runner |
| 6 | Runner | Ranger | 1 | 6 | build pick |
| 7 | Survival Instinct | Ranger | 1 | 7 | build pick |
| 8 | Sniper | Ranger | 2 | 9 | build pick |
| 9 | Endurance | Ranger | 1 | 10 | on the way to Swiftshot Sustenance |
| 10 | Swiftshot Sustenance | Ranger | 1 | 11 | build pick |
More Ranger skills to take next
After the first 11 points, these Ranger skills come next. Silent Stride raises sneaking speed by 20% per rank and Skill Shot raises Skillshot damage by 20% per rank. Eagle Eye costs 3 points and gives more zoom while aiming with Bows. Veiled Vigor adds maximum Health equal to 3 times your Dexterity per rank, and Vitality Surge restores 3 Stamina per rank on Bow, Dagger and Throwable crits. Every Ranger node is in every Ranger skill and what it does.
The table orders skills by their point cost to reach. The total counts the skill itself and every node along its cheapest path from a Spark.
| Skill | Class | Cost | Points to reach | Route from a Spark | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexterity | Ranger | 1 point | 1 | Spark > Dexterity | Increases your Dexterity attribute by 1. Increases Bow and Dagger damage by 5% per Attribute Point. |
| Marksman | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 2 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman | Damage with Bows is increased by 5%. (5% damage per rank) |
| Runner | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 2 | Spark > Endurance > Runner | Sprint Speed is increased by 5% and Stamina cost while sprinting is decreased by 5%. (5% Speed and 5% cost reduction per rank) |
| Barrage | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 3 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Barrage | Dealing damage with Bows has a 15% chance to restore 1 durability to that weapon. (15% chance per rank) |
| Counter Battery | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 3 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Counter Battery | Damage against ranged enemies is increased by 8%. (8% damage per rank) |
| Silent Stride | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 3 | Spark > Dexterity > Airborne > Silent Stride | Increases your movement speed while sneaking by 20%. (20% movement speed per rank) |
| Survival Instinct | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 3 | Spark > Endurance > Runner > Survival Instinct | Defeating a Shroud infested enemy with a Bow or Dagger restores 3 seconds of Time in the Shroud. (3 seconds per rank) |
| Skill Shot | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 4 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Counter Battery > Skill Shot | Skillshot damage is increased by 20%. (20% damage per rank) |
| Sniper | Ranger | 2 points per rank, 3 ranks | 4 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Sniper | Critical Strike chance with Bows is increased by 2%. (2% Critical Strike chance per rank) |
| Swiftshot Sustenance | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 4 | Spark > Endurance > Runner > Endurance > Swiftshot Sustenance | Defeating an enemy with a Bow has a 12% chance to spawn a Stamina Orb. (12% chance per rank) |
| Eagle Eye | Ranger | 3 points | 5 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Eagle Eye | Greatly increases the zoom while aiming with Bows. |
| Veiled Vigor | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 5 | Spark > Dexterity > Airborne > Endurance > Dexterity > Veiled Vigor | Increases your maximum Health by 3 times your Dexterity attribute. (3 times per rank) |
| Vitality Surge | Ranger | 1 point per rank, 3 ranks | 5 | Spark > Dexterity > Marksman > Sniper > Vitality Surge | Critical Strikes with Bows, Daggers and Throwables restore 3 Stamina. (3 Stamina per rank) |
Early bow and arrows
The Bow needs no station: hand craft it from 5 Twigs and 1 String. Its card reads:
“An improvised bow made out of basic materials. Unfortunately, the bowstring is quite loose.”
Wooden Arrows appear in the Crafting tab once you own a bow and take 2 Twigs (step by step in how to make arrows). Flint Arrows are made at the Hunter once you have Flintstone, Scrap Arrows once you have Metal Scraps, and Flare Arrows, which are made from Flint Arrows, once you have Wood Acid. Wooden and Flint Arrows deal Piercing damage, Scrap Arrows Cutting and Piercing damage. Every later bow is in the bows list.
| Item | Type | Item level | Damage type | Skill ranks it adds | Card stats | Made at | Unlock | Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | Bow | 3 | – | None | None | Hand crafting | From the start | 5 Twigs, 1 String |
| Wooden Arrow | Arrow | 3 | Piercing | None | None | Hand crafting | Once you own any bow | 2 Twigs |
| Flint Arrow | Arrow | 5 | Piercing | None | None | Hunter | Once you have Flintstone | 10 Twigs, 10 Flintstone |
| Scrap Arrow | Arrow | 10 | Cutting/Piercing | None | None | Hunter | Once you have Metal Scraps | 10 Twigs, 10 Metal Scraps |
| Flare Arrow | Arrow | 10 | – | None | None | Hunter | Once you have Wood Acid | 10 Flint Arrow, 1 Wood Acid, 2 Resin |
Early ranger armor by Flame level 3
Four sets fit the early game. The Scout set (level 5) comes through the Hunter. The Ranger and Cutthroat sets (level 10) are made at the Hunter from Flame level 3 (more in the craftable armor sets by Flame level). The Marksman set (level 10) has no recipe and comes from chests (with the other chest-only families in the loot armor sets list).
For a bow build, these pieces add ranks to the skills in the plan: Scout Gloves and Ranger Gloves each carry Marksman +2, the Marksman Hood Sniper +2 and the Marksman Trousers Counter Battery +2, and Scout Boots and Ranger Boots both add Runner +2. The Hunter’s full list is in all Hunter recipes.
| Set | Piece | Slot | Item level | Skill ranks it adds | Card stats | Where it comes from | Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Scout Hood | Head | 5 | Fatal Precision +1, Puncture +1 | Ranged Critical Strike Chance +8% | Hunter (Through the Hunter) | 1 String, 1 Dried Fur, 1 Bones, 1 Aerated Banshee Gel |
| Scout | Scout Chest | Chest | 5 | Ranger +1, Vitality Surge +1 | Stamina +12 | Hunter (Through the Hunter) | 6 String, 5 Dried Fur, 6 Bones, 25 Active Mycelium |
| Scout | Scout Gloves | Hands | 5 | Marksman +2 | Ranged Damage +2%; Stamina +4 | Hunter (Through the Hunter) | 2 Bones, 2 String, 2 Dried Fur, 1 Aerated Banshee Gel |
| Scout | Scout Pants | Legs | 5 | Blessed Arrows +1, Swiftshot Sustenance +1 | Stamina +5 | Hunter (Through the Hunter) | 4 String, 4 Dried Fur, 4 Bones, 5 Shroud Liquid |
| Scout | Scout Boots | Feet | 5 | Runner +2 | Stamina Regeneration +3 | Hunter (Through the Hunter) | 8 String, 4 Dried Fur, 2 Resin, 15 Mycelium |
| Ranger | Ranger Hood | Head | 10 | Fatal Precision +1, Puncture +1 | Ranged Critical Strike Chance +9%; Stamina Regeneration +6 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 5 Shroud Mushroom, 1 Dried Fur, 4 Indigo Plant, 1 Bug Dust |
| Ranger | Ranger Vest | Chest | 10 | Ranger +1, Vitality Surge +1 | Stamina +24 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 1 Linen, 1 Reptile Leather, 4 Copper Bars, 4 Amber, 3 Giant Critter Scales |
| Ranger | Ranger Gloves | Hands | 10 | Marksman +2 | Ranged Damage +3%; Stamina +8 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 2 Copper Bars, 1 Reptile Leather, 2 Goo, 2 Shroud Sack |
| Ranger | Ranger Trousers | Legs | 10 | Blessed Arrows +1, Swiftshot Sustenance +1 | Stamina +9 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 1 Linen, 4 Torn Cloth, 1 Reptile Leather, 2 Resin, 2 Corrupted Boar Tusk |
| Ranger | Ranger Boots | Feet | 10 | Runner +2 | Stamina Regeneration +6 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 4 Bones, 1 Dried Fur, 2 Brittle Shroud Petals, 1 Glow Dust |
| Cutthroat | Cutthroat Helmet | Head | 10 | Backstab Mastery +2 | Backstab Damage +13%; Stamina Regeneration +6 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 4 Indigo Plant, 1 Bug Dust, 1 Dried Fur, 5 Shroud Mushroom |
| Cutthroat | Cutthroat Chest | Chest | 10 | Rebound +1, Veiled Vigor +1 | Stamina +24; Health +40 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 4 Copper Bars, 1 Reptile Leather, 4 Amber, 1 Dried Fur, 3 Giant Critter Scales |
| Cutthroat | Cutthroat Gloves | Hands | 10 | Dagger Mastery +2 | Dagger Damage +9%; Stamina +8 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 2 Shroud Sack, 1 Copper Bars, 4 Amber, 1 Reptile Leather |
| Cutthroat | Cutthroat Trousers | Legs | 10 | Cutthroat +1, Veiled Vigor +1 | Sneak Speed +30%; Stamina +8 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 2 Linen, 1 Reptile Leather, 4 Bones, 2 Goo, 2 Corrupted Boar Tusk |
| Cutthroat | Cutthroat Boots | Feet | 10 | Thrust +2 | Stamina Regeneration +6; Health Regeneration +6 | Hunter (From Flame level 3) | 2 Resin, 1 Glow Dust, 1 Dried Fur, 2 Brittle Shroud Petals |
| Marksman | Marksman Hood | Head | 10 | Sniper +2 | Skillshot Damage +13%; Stamina Regeneration +6 | Chests | – |
| Marksman | Marksman Vest | Chest | 10 | Fatal Precision +1, Ranger +1 | Stamina +24 | Chests | – |
| Marksman | Marksman Gloves | Hands | 10 | Skill Shot +2 | Skillshot Damage +6%; Stamina Regeneration +6 | Chests | – |
| Marksman | Marksman Trousers | Legs | 10 | Counter Battery +2 | Stamina Regeneration +6; Stamina +8 | Chests | – |
| Marksman | Marksman Boots | Feet | 10 | Eagle’s Bane +2 | Stamina +6; Stamina Regeneration +6 | Chests | – |
The Cutthroat set sits at the Hunter alongside the Ranger set, but it leans toward daggers and backstabs, with Backstab Mastery +2 on the helmet and Dagger Mastery +2 on the gloves. For a pure bow build, the Scout, Ranger and Marksman pieces line up with the skills you’ve already bought.
Where the build goes next
For Explosive Arrows and a later bow kit, see the Explosive Arrow Ranger build; for daggers, sneak attacks and backstabs (where the Cutthroat set fits), see the dagger assassin build.
