The irradiated hills of West Virginia are a rough place to eke out a living, but that's your goal in Fallout 76. Whether you're a good-hearted member of the settler factions or a deadly raider, you'll need some weapons to keep you alive when facing the horrors of post-apocalyptic Appalachia.

Related: Fallout 76: Best Builds

One such weapon that has been a common tool even far before the war is the simple bow and arrow. Sure, there are plenty of high-tech guns to scavenge to fight your enemies with. But, there are plenty of reasons that a bow is a solid weapon. How should you approach this weapon though when building a character around it?

6 Stealth Archer

Chinese stealth armor in Fallout 76.

A common choice in Bethesda games, although maybe not one you would think of using in the Fallout universe.

A bow is your first step for any of these builds, but the major thing you'll want to focus on from there are perks and what other items you'll want on-hand. For a stealth based build, you'll want to invest in some light armor, or, even better, find a Chinese stealth suit and become the ghost of Appalachia.

Perks-wise, putting points into agility is a must and Sneak will be your best friend. Covert Operative is also a solid option, and Night Person if you want to go on nighttime raids. From there, you can modify your perk loadout to focus on any other specialties you want, but these are a concrete base.

5 Team's Designated Archer

fallout 76 trio with vertibird

This build's focus is just as much teamwork as it is archery, which can make making friends in this game a lot easier.

You'll want to start off with Archer, and then upgrade to Expert and Master of that card too. Team Medic and Inspirational are solid perks to help boost your team. Honestly, any other perk that gives a team buff is a great choice.

Related: Fallout 76: Tips For Playing Solo

You'll want to have a solid medium armor on-hand and some meds (healing especially) at the ready for when your team is about to get into a mess. If you are consistently playing with the same group, ask them what they need from you in your build and bulk up there too.

4 Long Range Bowman

fallout 76 player wielding compound bow

This build is all about killing your enemies before they even see you on the horizon. With a good set of eyes, and the right perks, this won't be too hard.

Bows don't have as much of a range as some rifles, but you can definitely engage enemies from a good distance still yet with bows. Putting a lot of points into Perception is an absolute must. This will allow you to sense enemies before they do you.

It will also allow you to grab perks like Archer, Bow Before Me, and the amazing Sniper perk card. Slapping a scope on your bow and getting comfortable aiming at a distance may take a minute, but it's well worth the wait.

3 VATS Bowman

fallout 76 vats on radscorpion

VATS is a crucial tool in the Fallout universe. With this build, you'll use your PipBoy's targeting system to its fullest potential.

As per usual, finding a bow and getting a few of the Archer perks should be your first focus. Bow Before Me is a great choice when mixed with Awareness, allowing you to see the resistances of your target and then avoid some of them too.

Related: Fallout 76: Best Mods

From there, you'll want to look into ones like Action Boy and Grim Reaper's Sprint to really make your action points do the most for you. Equipment-wise, other than the bow, you're pretty much open to whatever. Although, there is some good legendary equipment that can add more vats damage or action points that you should be on the lookout for.

2 Loot Focused Archer

Fallout 76 Atomic Shop Items

With this build the archery focus is second to the ability to scavenge and loot large amounts of material on runs out into the wilderness.

Pack Rat, Fortune Finder, and Cap Collector are solid perks to add on to the already necessary archery-based ones. The real goal of this is to have your bow to be your everything weapon. It is lightweight enough that the rest of your weight can be focused on grabbing as much valuable material as possible.

All of those are great perks to have, but they're useless if you can't do anything with the loot you find. The smithing perks are a good first step, but especially helpful when boosted with Perks like Hard Bargain and Contractor. This will make your character a crafting and bartering legend who focuses on their bow to stay light and mobile when otherwise you'd be over-encumbered.

1 Explosive Archer

Fallout 76 Nuke Explosion Group

Sometimes a simple arrow won't cut the job. Especially when you see some of the deadlier mutated creatures that call Appalachia home.

For those who are worried about these moments, you may consider being an Explosive Archer. The first thing you'll need for this build (after a bow and some archery perks of course) is the Explosive Arrow Plans. These shouldn't be too hard to find, as several merchants and players will be selling them.

From there, perks like Grenadier, Demolitions Expert, and Even Bloody Mess will make your explosives do even more damage. But, in the words of Easy Pete, explosives are dangerous. Knowing that, putting points into Strength and Endurance isn't a bad idea.

Wrap it up with Adamantium Skeleton and even Suppressor for perks, and you'll have an impressive build. Items wise, you'll want to stock up on explosives or course. Plus, any materials you'll need to make more explosive arrows and homemade explosives.

Next: Must-Have Fallout 76 Weapons