Volantis faction blacksmith and War bows

[SwampBear]

I want war-bows.  Tiger cloak archers use war-bows, so I'm thinking the Volantis faction blacksmith sells war-bows, right? 

How do I buy from the Volantis faction blacksmith? 

I've tried:
-starting my culture as Volantis
-Starting my culture as free cities
-pledging my allegiance to Volantis
-getting 50 faction reputation (I have 50 FR with the Night's Watch and couldn't use their faction blacksmith)

Any Ideas on how to use a faction blacksmith?

[H3YimDR3W]

I want war-bows.  Tiger cloak archers use war-bows, so I'm thinking the Volantis faction blacksmith sells war-bows, right? 

How do I buy from the Volantis faction blacksmith? 

I've tried:
-starting my culture as Volantis
-Starting my culture as free cities
-pledging my allegiance to Volantis
-getting 50 faction reputation (I have 50 FR with the Night's Watch and couldn't use their faction blacksmith)

Any Ideas on how to use a faction blacksmith?

Be a vassal for a long time?

[SwampBear]

I got war bows from fighting Volantis armies

[Montblanc]

So far I've ssen the faction blacksmiths only sell you protective gear, no exclusive armament sold by them Your starting culture automatically grants you access to said culture's faction blacksmith on every town owned by said faction regardless of your relationship points with them. Any other faction, you'll get to buy from their smiths once your relationship with them is at least 70 points, the Nightswatch is the easiest to farm these points since each time you sell them prisioners you earn points. And you don't get nothing really fancy anyway, All the really unique gear is obtained by questing or killing/sending to the wall any lord or king in possession of such gear.

[Ekkie]

I got war bows from fighting Volantis armies

Great tip thanks, some people say you can get the war bow through bandit parties but i've never seen 1 in all the bandit parties i've slain.

[Montblanc]

Look for parties with big numbers of tiger cloak archer/elite tiger cloak archer, having more points in loot helps. At least you can be sure they are equipped with war bows.

[erwinwulf]

Try to rejoin their armies as soldier and choose archer when you get promoted ^^

[Montblanc]

Lol, or that. Getting to Tiger Cloak Archer should be easy enough as it takes little experience and they already come with War Bows. Probably easier if you play on normal wars mode instead of stactic as volantine lords rarely sort out to fight more than small parties of pirates and raiders.

[Uhtred of Bebbanburg]

I usually get them by looking for a party of broken men wandering around Essos. It's not always easy to find but if you find one you can usually get at least one bow from them. If that doesn't work attack a caravan. You can get a bow like that and then pay a fine to Volantis to make peace (not sure if they would accept but I don't see why they wouldn't).

Occasionally, Robber Knights or Knight Exiles will have Tiger Cloak Archers in their ranks and they may drop them.

If that doesn't work then train about 10 of them, get them to the point where they start carrying the bow, then join a battle with some bandits against bandits and choose the side with the least men or who will receive the least amount of prisoner recruits. Then put all your slide all your TC Archers over to their side and they will add them to their ranks. Then attack them and kill them all and hopefully the bow will drop.

I recall in previous versions that the Dothraki Raiders had War Bows. They don't have them in 3.0, sadly. They were more scary then but now not so much.

There is also a bow called a Strong Bow. It has 99 accuracy but can only be used on foot. No idea who drops it but I got one while fighting mixed bandits near Highgarden. IIRC it does pierce damage, and is faster than the War Bow.

[meldragon]

I think enlistment  in some Volantine Lord's party is the easiest way...

[Arya]

I usually get them by looking for a party of broken men wandering around Essos. It's not always easy to find but if you find one you can usually get at least one bow from them. If that doesn't work attack a caravan. You can get a bow like that and then pay a fine to Volantis to make peace (not sure if they would accept but I don't see why they wouldn't).

Occasionally, Robber Knights or Knight Exiles will have Tiger Cloak Archers in their ranks and they may drop them.

If that doesn't work then train about 10 of them, get them to the point where they start carrying the bow, then join a battle with some bandits against bandits and choose the side with the least men or who will receive the least amount of prisoner recruits. Then put all your slide all your TC Archers over to their side and they will add them to their ranks. Then attack them and kill them all and hopefully the bow will drop.

I recall in previous versions that the Dothraki Raiders had War Bows. They don't have them in 3.0, sadly. They were more scary then but now not so much.

There is also a bow called a Strong Bow. It has 99 accuracy but can only be used on foot. No idea who drops it but I got one while fighting mixed bandits near Highgarden. IIRC it does pierce damage, and is faster than the War Bow.

Looking at stats , Short bow is better than War bow. I also got war bow by fighting some troops, I think they were some bandits/brigand party.