If you’ve just started Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, you come to understand how rough the prologue leaves you—no gear and weapons, and even barely any cash in account left to buy anything. Combat is a huge part of the game, and while melee fights can be intense, having a ranged option early on is a big advantage. Thankfully, you can get your hands on a Dogwood Village Bow early in KCD 2 for free. This guide walks you through exactly where to find this bow, why you should get it as soon as possible, and its use.
Where to Get the Free Bow in Kingdom Come: Deliverance (KCD) 2
After finishing the prologue and landing in Troskowitz, you’ll need to head toward Tachov where you will get a Blacksmith Radovan’s job to find a way into the wedding. Along the way, keep an eye out for a small clearing in the trees with a target stuck to a tree. This spot is marked on the map, making it easy to return to if needed.
To get there, leave Troskowitz and follow the road west. As the road starts curving north, look for a small clearing on the left side of the road. Walk into the trees, and you’ll spot a target practice setup with arrows placed in it just in front. Right behind this big tree with a fixed target, you’ll find the Dogwood Village Bow propped against the tree. It’s completely free—no stealing, no fighting, just pick it up and go.
While you’re here, don’t forget to loot the sack next to the bow. It contains:
- A skill book
- Two Marksman’s Kits (use these to repair your bow to 100%)
For extra goodies, look up at the nest above the target. If you throw a rock at it, it’ll fall, revealing a Gold Doppelganger Badge. This item boosts your dice game score by 50%—handy if you enjoy gambling. Importantly, don’t forget to take the free arrows out of the target to use with this bow even though you have a buy a lot soon ahead.
While melee combat is the focus of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, bows provide a huge tactical advantage:
- Attack from a distance to keep enemies at bay without engaging in close combat.
- Stealth options – Take out enemies silently without drawing attention.
- Kill deer, rabbits, and boars for food and resources.
The Dogwood Village Bow isn’t the most powerful weapon in the game, but it’s better than nothing when you have just set foot in the harsh world. You have no gear and weapons in your inventory and it doesn’t cost you any penny and count as stealing such as stolen horses in KCD 2.
Other Ways to Get a Bow in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
There are several other ways to get a bow in the game such as to buy, loot, or win one. With some Groschen to spare, you can purchase a bow from various carpenters and weaponsmiths in the game. Here are some locations where you can buy it:
- Carpenter in Troskowitz – Sell basic bows like the Dogwood Village Bow, Village Elm Bow, and Village Hazel Bow.
- Huntsman’s Son Vitek in Tachov – Sells bows and hunting equipment.
- Archery Range at Trosky Castle – Offers better bows like the Hazel Longbow, which has decent range and power.
Buying a bow is quick but expensive usually costing between 20-50 Groschen, but haggle will save you some money.
Alternatively, you can get a bow by fighting bandits. Many bandits, especially in the Trosky spawn with bows. If you defeat them in combat, you can loot their corpses and take their weapons for free. But it requires fighting with thugs, and without a weapon early on, this can be a tough approach. To make it easy, sneak up on a bandit and ambush him, or use stealth to pick them off one by one.
Moreover, you can enter an archery competition in the Trosky region to win a bow. Travel east of Trosky Castle to a small settlement near the lakes and forest. Find the Skill Teacher near the archery range and ask to compete. Pay a small entry fee to join the contest and choose between Beginner, Experienced Archer, or Master difficulty. Hit the targets and outscore your opponent to win Groschen and a bow. It’s an interesting way to get a bow early on while also testing your archery skills.
Last but not least, you’ll be required to complete an archery training session during The Jaunt quest. As a reward, you’ll receive an Ash Hunting Bow and some arrows. This is a guaranteed way to get a bow, but it requires progressing through the story.
How to Use a Bow in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Unlike most games, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 takes a realistic approach to archery, meaning it’s not as simple as just aiming and shooting. There’s no crosshair, your stamina affects your accuracy, and you’ll need to practice to get better.
To equip your bow, open your inventory (I key) and make sure you have both the bow and some arrows selected. Without arrows, you won’t be able to fire, so always check your inventory before heading into battle.
Basic Bow Controls
- Hold Right Mouse Button (RMB) to draw the bowstring.
- Aim carefully—since there’s no crosshair to aim, you’ll have to evaluate the arrow’s trajectory based on how it aligns with the bow.
- Release RMB to fire the arrow.
- Watch your stamina—the longer you hold the draw, the shakier your aim gets. If you hold it too long, Henry’s hands will start shaking, and it becomes hard to hit the arrow at the right target.
- Go for headshots—arrows do the most damage when they hit an enemy’s head, sometimes even killing in one shot.
Since Henry isn’t a trained archer at the start, your accuracy will be terrible at first. With time and practice, you’ll be able to hit enemies from a distance with accuracy. Use your bow as often as possible – the more you shoot, the more Henry’s archery stat increases, which leads to better accuracy, faster draw speed, and more steady aiming in KCD 2.
Many towns have archery ranges, where you can fire arrows at wooden targets without wasting too much ammo. If you don’t want to pay for training, you can even set up your practice area by finding a tree or a wooden surface and firing arrows at it. Another way to train is by hunting animals. Not only does hunting help improve your aim, but it also provides meat and hides, which you can sell for extra Groschen.
For the next level of archery, consider unlocking archery-related perks. Skills such as Master Fletcher improve the speed and range of your arrows, while Heartseeker increases damage by 25% when hitting the chest.
Getting the Dogwood Village Bow early in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is what you should do. It’s free, easy to find, and gives you a much-needed ranged weapon to survive the harsh world of Bohemia.
