Dawnguard has given the Skyrim modding community a new toy to tinker with, break, and reverse engineer to the extent where it's utterly unrecognizable: the crossbow. Since the release of Dawnguard on PC just two weeks ago, there have been many, many new crossbows added to the Skyrim Workshop, a handful of which are must haves. Step right up as we lay the best of the best Dawnguard crossbow mods on the counter. Just be mindful of those hair-triggers.

Emperor's Crossbow
Fit for an emperor!

Here, take a look at the Emperor's Crossbow first. She's a beauty, with a mahogany wood facade and filigree metalwork on the bow. It's fit for a... well, let's just say it's aptly named. But that's not important. The important part is that it can put a hole the size of your fist in an elk from a hundred paces -- more if you angle it up just a little bit. It's got a huge amount of punch, felling mammoths in just a few bolts. And if you've ever tried to be a big game hunter out on the tundra, I'm sure you'll know that that's no mean feat. No sir.

The Emperor's Crossbow also comes with its own custom bolts in this gorgeous gold plated quiver. Here, take a look. Each one has an ivory shaft, just enough to catch the moonlight on those midnight hunts, and an ebony tip to punch through the toughest of armors. No one's going to bother you with this beauty strapped to your back, and if it's in your hands, well sir, they're probably already dead.
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    • But perhaps that's a little too blase for you, sir. Perhaps you want something with a little more snap and crackle? Something a little more exotic? I've got just the thing.

    Dwarven War Machine
    Part crossbow, part catapult, all mobile war arsenal.

    The Dwarven War Machine is more artillery piece than crossbow. It's a glorious bit of engineering, sir, firing not only multiple bolts at a time, but grenade and mines, each one catapulted from the bow with a grace that belies the stunted origin of the weapon. Them Dwemer really knew their stuff, yes sir, yes they did.

    The real beauty of the Dwarven War Machine is that it comes in three stages, each one a little more ridiculous. You start with just the Dwarven War Crossbow, then upgrade it to an Enchanced War Crossbow, before crafting the almighty War Machine. It cuts down your foes like the fodder they are, and it'll leave them riddled with holes and shrapnel. A true work of art, if I do say so myself.
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    • Not your style, eh? You want something even more esoteric, I can tell. A real collector's piece. I've got just the thing.

    Daedric Crossbow
    When only the most demonic of metals will do.

    This one's a real rarity. I pulled it from the corpse of this adventurer who wandered in my door one day, took one look at me, went white as a sheet and fell dead on the floor. Queer, it was, very queer. But this was on his back, and there was a little map to the shrine of Mehrunes Dagon in his pocket. It's Daedric, yes it is, and it's got that otherworldly blackness to it, sucking in all the light from around it.

    Just admire that size, sir, the heavy weight to it. Look at the width of those bolts. Can't say there's much that'd stand up to that, no sir.
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    • Hmm, I've seen that look before. You want the piece de la resistance, the crossbow to end all others. You're the Dragonborn, right? That Dovahkin that they all talk about? Then you'll like this one.

    Dragonbone Crossbow
    Spit fire with the Dragonbone Crossbow.

    This is it, sir, the Dragonbone Crossbow, the best that I've got. Carved out of the bones of a newborn dragon, it's still got the suppleness and flexibility that you want from a top notch crossbow. Look at that fearsome head! And it'll still breathe fire, sir, yes sir, only this fire will be steel tipped. They don't come better than this, not in Skyrim.
  • Download the Dragonbone Crossbow
    • You can make yourself one, too, if you've got the know-how and enough dragonbone to hammer it together. But I don't know about that, sir, not at all. I'm just a shopkeeper, and as fine as my establishment is, I'm not about to go shooting dragons out of the sky, not even with one of these beauties. I'll leave that to the professionals. You've got the look of a professional about you. Shall I wrap one of these up for ya?


    Spy Guy says: Crossbows are a great new addition to Skyrim, and if there are any crossbow mods we should know about, be sure to let us know in the comments section below!