You’re trekking through the northwestern corner of the map, dodging those annoying pale cannibals, and you start wondering if that crafted bow is actually cutting it anymore. It isn’t. Honestly, the crafted bow in Sons of the Forest feels like throwing wet noodles at a brick wall once the fingers-monsters and twins start showing up in the mid-game. You need something that hits like a freight train without the annoying draw time of the compound bow. Enter the crossbow.
It’s powerful. It’s precise. But getting it is a total pain if you don’t know which specific bunker to hit.
Most players stumble around the forest hoping to find high-tier loot in random crates. That's a waste of time. The crossbow in Sons of the Forest is a fixed spawn, tucked away in a location that requires a bit of legwork—specifically, you need the Maintenance Keycard first. If you don't have that card, you're just staring at a locked door while a mutant breathes down your neck. It's frustrating. I've been there.
👉 See also: Roblox T Shirt Template: Why Your Designs Keep Getting Rejected
Where the Crossbow Is Actually Hiding
Stop looking in the caves near the crash site. You need to head to the western side of the island, north of the large lake that feeds the river systems. Look for a small, unassuming green circle on your GPS. This is the Food and Dining bunker. It looks like a hole in the ground covered by some shrubs, but inside, it’s a massive underground complex that smells like rotting produce and bad decisions.
Once you’re inside, you’ll find a kitchen area. It’s creepy. Keep moving until you hit a locked door that requires the Maintenance Keycard. Swipe it, and you’ll enter a room filled with literal rows of hydroponic plants. This is where things get interesting. Keep walking past the first grow room into the second one. Tucked between the rows of plants, next to a dead guy who clearly had a very bad last day at work, sits the crossbow.
Grab it. Don't forget the bolts nearby.
The bolts are the catch. Unlike wooden arrows, you can't just craft these out of small rocks and feathers. You have to find them. They’re scattered in bunkers, usually near 3D printers or on dead soldiers. This makes the crossbow in Sons of the Forest a weapon of precision rather than a "spray and pray" tool. You have to make every shot count because running out of bolts in the middle of a fight with a Brute is a death sentence.
✨ Don't miss: The Farosh Flight Path TotK Secret: Why You Keep Missing the Lightning Dragon
The Math of the Damage
Why bother? Because the damage scaling in this game is weird. The modern bow is great for rapid fire, but the crossbow has a flat damage profile that ignores a lot of the "wobble" you get when you're tired or hungry. When your stamina is low, aiming a regular bow is a nightmare. The crossbow stays steady.
It deals significantly more damage per hit than the crafted or modern bows. You can one-tap a standard cannibal in the head from a distance that would make a spear throw look pathetic. Against the "Fingers" mutants, it usually takes three to four well-placed bolts to the midsection or legs to bring them down. Compare that to the ten or twelve arrows you’d waste with a crafted bow. It’s about efficiency.
Using the Crossbow Sons of the Forest Mechanics to Your Advantage
The reload speed is the biggest hurdle. It’s slow. You fire, then your character has to manually crank the limb back. During this animation, you are vulnerable. You can't sprint at full speed, and you certainly can't block.
I’ve found that the best way to use it is the "peek-a-boo" method. You pop out from behind a tree, fire, and immediately strafe back into cover while the reload animation plays out. If you’re playing multiplayer, have one person with a katana or fire axe drawing aggro while the person with the crossbow in Sons of the Forest acts as the designated marksman. It’s a devastating combo.
- Optics: The crossbow comes with a built-in sight. It’s clean. Unlike the compound bow, which can be fitted with a rail and a laser, the crossbow is what it is.
- Retrieval: Always, always pick up your bolts. They glow slightly or have a distinct silhouette. If you hit a cannibal and they run off before dying, chase them. Losing four bolts in one fight is a massive blow to your inventory.
- Maintenance: You don't need to repair it, which is a blessing. Just keep your eyes peeled for those black cases that hold specialized ammo.
The Maintenance Keycard Hurdle
You can't get the crossbow without the card. Period. To get the Maintenance Keycard, you need the shovel. To get the shovel, you need the rebreather and the rope gun. The game has this strict "Metroidvania" progression that a lot of people try to skip, but it doesn't work.
You find the shovel in a cave near the center of the map (the one with the three corpses outside). Once you have that, you go to the Maintenance A dig site on the northwest side of the mountain. Dig until you find the hatch. Go down, find the keycard on a desk next to a 3D printer. Only then should you head to the Food and Dining bunker for your prize. It sounds like a lot of work. It is. But having a weapon that can drop a mutant from forty yards away makes the base-building grind so much easier.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Run Run Flash Game Still Lives Rent-Free in Our Heads
A Secret Tip for Staying Lethal
Most players don't realize that the crossbow in Sons of the Forest actually works quite well underwater. While you shouldn't be hunting sharks with it—use the pistol for that—it’s surprisingly effective if you’re being chased into a shallow pond or lake.
Also, keep an eye on your inventory space. You can carry a decent amount of bolts, but since you can't craft them, you should rotate your weapons. Use the crafted bow for birds and squirrels. Save the crossbow for the stuff that actually wants to eat your face.
The lighting in the Food and Dining bunker is also incredibly dim. Bring flares or make sure your flashlight is charged before you go in. There are several "Baby" mutants in the corridors leading to the crossbow. They’re small, fast, and they jump. They are the perfect target practice for your new toy once you pick it up, but they can swarm you if you’re distracted by the loot.
Why the Compound Bow Might Still Be Better (Sometimes)
I'll be honest. The compound bow is faster. If you’re a high-skill player who can hit headshots consistently while moving, the compound bow offers a higher DPS (damage per second). But for most of us, the stability of the crossbow is a godsend. It takes the guesswork out of the arc of the arrow. The bolt flies flatter and faster.
The weight of the bolt also seems to stagger enemies more frequently. When a cannibal is sprinting at you, a bolt to the chest will often stop them in their tracks, giving you that precious second to switch to a melee weapon or back up.
Final Strategic Steps for Your Playthrough
If you want to dominate the mid-to-late game, stop focusing on building a massive wooden fortress and go on a gear run. Your priority list should look exactly like this:
- Secure the Rope Gun from the western cave.
- Grab the Rebreather from the north coast cave.
- Head to the center-map cave to find the Shovel.
- Travel to Maintenance A and dig for the Maintenance Keycard.
- Finally, hit the Food and Dining bunker to claim the crossbow in Sons of the Forest.
Once you have it, immediately head to any 3D printer location. These spots usually have a few bolts tucked away in the corners or on nearby shelves. Store them. Hoard them.
The game becomes a different experience once you aren't afraid of the dark. The crossbow gives you that confidence. You stop running away from every scream in the woods and start looking for the source. Just remember to aim slightly above the head at long distances, watch your reload timing, and never leave a bolt behind in a corpse. The island is unforgiving, but a bolt through a mutant's skull tends to level the playing field quite nicely.