See also: Arrow and Arrows (Oblivion)

"I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee..."

―Guard^[src]

Arrows (Skyrim) focuses on arrows as they appear in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Mechanics

Arrows in Skyrim have changed from previous Elder Scrolls games. One major factor is the removal of the weight from arrows. Arrows no longer add to the player's encumbrance allowing players to carry an infinite number of arrows. Arrows have a fixed damage value which is added to the bow's damage value to determine total damage done. The bow still has the greater factor in the total damage.

Acquisition

• Arrows can be purchased from Blacksmiths in limited quantities. Arrow strength is contingent upon Character Level. Arrows in larger quantities can be purchased from Fletcher in Solitude or The Drunken Huntsmen in Whiterun.
• Enemies that wield bows, such as guards and bandits, drop arrows.
• With the implementation of the Dawnguard add-on, arrows can now be crafted at a blacksmith's forge.
• Arrows are notably farmed from guards doing target practice.

Types of arrows

The following is a table of the arrows as they appear in Skyrim.

Name	Damage	Value
Practice Arrow	0	0
Rusty Arrow	4	0
Forsworn Arrow	7	1
Falmer Arrow	7	1
Iron Arrow	8	1
Ancient Nord Arrow	10	1
Steel Arrow	10	2
Orcish Arrow	12	3
Dwarven Arrow	14	4
Elven Arrow	16	5
Glass Arrow	18	6
Ebony Arrow	20	7
Daedric Arrow	24	8
Dragonbone Arrow*	25	9
Sunhallowed Elven Arrow*	16	16
Bloodcursed Elven Arrow*	16	6

• Note: Dragonbone, sunshallowed elven and bloodcursed elven arrows are only available through the purchase of the add-on, The Elder Scrolls V: Dawnguard.

Unlimited arrows

• An unlimited number of arrows (usually steel) can be obtained from NPCs that are doing target practice. Arrow farming is most common at the: Great Porch in Whiterun, Castle Dour courtyard in Solitude, and the Ragged Flagon Cistern.
  • If steel arrows don't fit your character's color scheme or simply don't do enough damage, you can change the type of arrows that are being shot into their respective targets. Pick your target's pocket and relieve him of whatever arrows he has currently and replace them with one arrow of the type you'd like. Best done while he is asleep, if you are a low level pickpocket. If he is awake you will need perks to take his equipped arrows. While sleeping it seems the arrows are not considered to be equipped. He will then fire an unlimited number of that arrow into the target.
• If you enter the Castle Dour courtyard in Solitude, the arrow farming process can be slowed by a bug which causes only one of the archers to fire at his target. This is because the other guard is off of his set path. He is too close to the other archer and will stare him down instead of shooting his own target. This can be fixed by moving him farther over by either sneak-pushing or sprinting at him.
• Put a single arrow of the desired type in your follower's inventory and remove all other arrows. When they use their default bow, they will shoot the arrow type which you placed. You can then pick them off of the ground and from dead enemies.
• During "The World Eater's Eyrie," part of the main questline, (outside Skuldafn) it is possible to farm an infinite number of ebony arrows. Go into part of the city and have one of the Draugr Deathlords with a bow to attack you from a wall. Dodge the arrows he shoots and you can pick them up from the ground. After a large number of arrows have been shot, noticed at 150+, occasionally the arrows will be no longer be rendered on the ground, though they can still damage the player. This bug seems to be fixed by moving to a location with dirt and allowing arrows to stick into the ground. The first will not be able to be picked up, but subsequent arrows will, and farming can continue.
• If the Bound Bow spell is used without any arrows equiped, the player will recieve 100 bound arrows. Should the hundred arrows run out, simply sheath and cast again. Each arrow is a spirited representation of a Daedric Arrow, so likewise, it does 24 damage.
• In Civil War missions you may be required to lay siege to a city. During the battle you are given an objective, like lowering the bridge in "The Battle for Whiterun." While you fight to complete the task, your fellow soldiers are fighting waves of unlimited enemies that will only stop spawning by completing the assigned objective. If you ignore you objective and continue to fight, you can loot steel arrows unlimitedly. Be fast - these bodies dissapear quickly. There are usually 10-20 arrows on each body.
• After you have discovered Sky Haven temple and when the blades reside there, Delphine will several times a day practice shooting the targets in the outside target range. This will give you 30-40 arrows per bunch.

Meme

Since the release of Skyrim, the Arrow became a meme. This sprouted because Guards sometimes say: "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee..." The phrase first appeared as a meme on GameFAQs.com on November 11th, 2011, the day of Skyrim 's official release. ^[1] On November 30th, the meme debuted on webcomic hosting site, ICanHasCheezburger.^[1] Five days before, Urban dictionary added an entry on "Arrow-Knee", which was defined as "The affliction of taking an arrow in the knee". ^[2]An avatar prop was added to the Xbox live avatar store in which a avatar would take a arrow in the knee.

Trivia

• Interestingly enough, shooting an item that an arrow will stick to and can also be picked up, such as cheese, will not give back the arrow(s) when the item is picked up.
•  360   Shooting arrows near the camp fire in any giants camp will show the arrow hovering in midair. They can be picked up.
• If timed correctly, it is possible to catch an arrow in mid air (Unconfirmed)

Bugs

• Sometimes, when you sell or store arrows that you currently have equipped, they may remain visible on your character's back, although not in your inventory and they aren't shootable.

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} I Took an Arrow in the Knee: Part of a series on The Elder Scrolls..
2. ↑ Urban dictionary.com