Hero Guide: Shortbow Guide

Shortbow Class Guide (Latest Patch)

Playstyle Summary

The Shortbow in Conqueror’s Blade is a nimble ranged hero class that shines in close-to-mid range combat. It trades the Longbow’s raw power for higher attack speed, mobility, and damage over time. Shortbow heroes excel at killing enemy heroes with rapid-fire attacks and burst combos.

Although the damage per shot is lower than heavier weapons, its high rate of fire and burst potential compensate for that. However, its effectiveness drops off at extreme range, so you’ll operate best between 8–15 meters. Overall, the Shortbow’s playstyle revolves around hit-and-run tactics—peppering enemies with arrows, applying damage-over-time effects, and being persistently annoying.

Core Playstyle Highlights

Mobile Skirmishing: Exceptional agility with multiple dodge rolls and movement skills lets you kite heavier enemies with ease.
Sustained DPS & DoT: Fast-firing normal attacks and poison DoT chip away at enemy health, while burst combos can delete vulnerable heroes in seconds.
Crowd-Control & Utility: The kit includes several crowd-control tools such as stuns, snares/knockdowns, and even dismounting capabilities along with an armor debuff.
Glass Cannon Tendencies: Wearing only light armor with limited health/defense means situational awareness is crucial.

Recommended Skill Rotation (Poke, Burst, Reposition)

Shortbow’s combat flow typically cycles through poking, bursting, and repositioning.

Poke & Pressure: Start engagements from mid distance by harassing the enemy. Open with a Poison Arrow or a few normal shots to chip away at the enemy’s health while baiting them into a move.
Debuff & Burst: When the enemy closes in, unleash your burst combo. A common sequence is: Autohits → Poison Arrow → Bola or Stunshot → Angry Hornet. (Note: If the enemy is not close, avoid using Angry Hornet since it covers a wide area.)
Reposition & Disengage: After your burst, quickly reposition to avoid counterattacks. This hit-and-run tactic is the hallmark of the Shortbow playstyle.
Repeat as Needed: With short cooldowns on most skills, continue the cycle of poking, bursting, and repositioning.

Recommended Gear, Runes, and Attribute Distribution

Weapon

Use the highest tier Shortbow available, prioritizing one with strong bonus stats in Piercing Damage and Piercing Armor Penetration. Additional bonuses to Agility/Strength or Crit Damage Value are also beneficial.

Armor

Always wear Light Armor—the only option for Shortbow. Look for armor pieces that enhance your damage output with key stats such as Piercing Damage, Piercing Armor Penetration, and Critical (DMG) Value. Leadership can also be useful to boost unit support, though the focus should lean toward a damage-first setup.

Attributes

With enemy armor being high, the consensus is to split attribute points between Agility and Strength. This ensures you gain both enhanced damage output and increased penetration to offset enemy defenses.

Pro Tips for Effective Shortbow Gameplay

Aim for Headshots: Shortbow can deal critical headshot damage—practice aiming at upper torsos and heads, especially against stationary or unaware targets.
Maintain Optimal Range: Shortbow is strongest around the ~5–10 meter sweet spot. Inside 5 meters, you risk being engaged in melee; beyond 10–15 meters, your accuracy and damage drop off.
Use Corners and Cover: Use the environment to your advantage. Peek out from behind walls, siege engines, or rocks to fire, and then duck back into cover when the enemy focuses on you.
Prioritize Targets Wisely: Focus on low-armor heroes (such as enemy muskets, longbow users, or dual blades) and finish off wounded targets.
Control the Battlefield: Remember that Shortbow’s utility isn’t just in DPS—it also provides crowd-control that benefits your team.
Keep Moving & Reloading: Develop a rhythm of shoot → move → shoot → move to constantly kite enemies while reloading.

TL;DR Summary

Agile Mid-Range Archer: Highly mobile and excels at rapid-fire attacks from 8–15 meters.
Playstyle: Kite and poke with fast shots and poison DoTs, then burst with debuffs and ultimates to finish off targets before quickly repositioning.
Strengths: Exceptional mobility, continuous damage output, effective at picking off wounded or vulnerable enemies, and provides valuable CC.
Weaknesses: Fragile (cannot survive direct focus or melee), modest damage per shot, and requires good aim and game sense to maximize its potential.