The Glass Bow is the archer’s entry into the glass tier of Skyrim’s light-material line, sitting above elven gear and below ebony. Its 15 base damage is a clear step up from mid-game bows, yet it weighs just 14 units, so you can carry it on long dungeon runs without giving up half your loot.
It is a natural pick for stealth archers in Glass Armor who want strong shots without hauling heavy metal around. The draw is a bit slower than lighter bows, but the payoff per arrow is worth it, and it holds its own well into the late game.
Stats
| Type | Bow |
|---|---|
| Skill | Archery |
| Material | Glass |
| Damage | 15 |
| Weight | 14 |
| Value | 820 gold |
| Speed | 0.62 |
| Stagger | 0 |
| Critical damage | 7 |
| Add-on | Base game |
| Item ID | 000139A5 |
Where to find
- Unenchanted glass bows enter the leveled lists around level 27, with enchanted versions from level 28.
- Blacksmiths and general goods merchants stock them once you are high enough level.
- Carried by various enemies, including Draugr Overlords.
- Random loot in chests or lying around the world; very rarely one turns up as early as level 15, and boss chests may drop one even earlier.
Crafting and upgrading
Crafting at a forge: 1 × 
Refined Moonstone, 2 × 
Refined Malachite. Requires the Glass Smithing Smithing perk.
Improving at a grindstone: 1 × Refined Malachite. The Arcane Blacksmith perk doubles the improvement.
Compared with other bows
Base stats of all regular (unenchanted) bows in Skyrim, weakest first:
| Weapon | Damage | Weight | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Bow | 6 | 5 | 30 |
| Hunting Bow | 7 | 7 | 50 |
| Ancient Nord Bow | 8 | 12 | 45 |
| Imperial Bow | 9 | 8 | 90 |
| Orcish Bow | 10 | 9 | 150 |
| Nord Hero Bow | 11 | 7 | 200 |
| Dwarven Bow | 12 | 10 | 270 |
| Falmer Bow | 12 | 15 | 135 |
| Forsworn Bow | 12 | 11 | 145 |
| Elven Bow | 13 | 12 | 470 |
| Nordic Bow | 13 | 11 | 580 |
| Supple Ancient Nord Bow | 14 | 18 | 235 |
| Falmer Supple Bow | 15 | 20 | 410 |
| Glass Bow | 15 | 14 | 820 |
| Ebony Bow | 17 | 16 | 1440 |
| Stalhrim Bow | 17 | 15 | 1800 |
| Daedric Bow | 19 | 18 | 2500 |
| Dragonbone Bow | 20 | 20 | 2725 |
Tips and notes
- Forging needs Smithing 70 and the Glass Smithing perk: one Refined Moonstone and two Refined Malachite. That is cheap for a bow of this tier, which makes it a handy Smithing-leveling item.
- Improve it with Refined Malachite at a grindstone; Glass Smithing doubles the gain.
- Unique variant: the Glass Bow of the Stag Prince from the Dragonborn add-on.
Stats from the Skyrim LE 1.9 master files (Skyrim.esm, record GlassBow). Values are base values before perks, smithing improvements and enchantments.