The Better Archery Mod on a Valheim Server: Quiver, Retrievable Arrows, Installation and Config

Archery in vanilla Valheim means a crosshair that lies, arrows that vanish after every shot and constant fiddling to switch ammo. The Better Archery mod on a Valheim server, made by ishid4, fixes these small annoyances: it adds a quiver with its own slots, lets you pick arrows back up after a hit, gives you zoom while drawing the bow and sends arrows where the crosshair is pointing. Below: what the mod changes, where to install it, how to configure it and what it conflicts with.

We rely on the author's README and the mod's Thunderstore page: version 2.0.5, updated 10 Oct 2026 (as of 29 Oct 2026). The general process for installing mods and keeping versions in sync is covered in our guide to Valheim server mods; here we only cover what's specific to Better Archery.

What Better Archery changes

The author lists five core features: the quiver, retrievable arrows, zooming while drawing the bow, aim improvements and better arrow physics. On top of that come a few small touches that make playing an archer noticeably more comfortable.

The quiver

For now the mod has one quiver — a leather one with its own model. It's crafted from 20 leather scraps, 10 deer hides and 10 troll hides. Wearing it gives you three extra arrow slots, and you switch between them with hotkeys — Alt+1, Alt+2 and Alt+3 by default. No more digging through your inventory mid-fight to swap fire arrows for frost ones.

Bow zoom

• Hold the right mouse button while drawing and the camera zooms in.
• You can enable automatic zoom (Bow Auto Zoom); it's off by default.
• There's a separate key to cancel the draw, E by default.
• If you keep holding the zoom key after releasing the shot, the camera stays zoomed for a set time — 1 second by default.
• Zooming comes with a breath-in and breath-out effect.

Retrievable arrows

After a hit you can pick an arrow back up with the interact key — but with a chance that depends on the arrow type. Default values from the README:

• wooden — 20%, flint — 30%, bronze and silver — 50%;
• iron and obsidian — 70%;
• poison and frost — 70%, but you get an obsidian arrow back;
• needle — 10%, fire — 0%.

The chances and arrow types can be changed in the config, so you can tune the balance for your server.

Aiming, physics and small touches

• Arrows fly to the crosshair instead of below it, while keeping a vanilla-like gravity arc.
• Arrow gravity and velocity are adjusted for more realistic physics — the author says this is still being fine-tuned.
• Wooden and elemental arrows appear in the crafting menu; recipes are defined in the BetterArcheryRecipes.json file.
• Your sneak attack damage is shown in the top-left corner of the screen.
• The crosshair can be turned on or off, and the movement slowdown while drawing the bow is configurable.

Where to install it: players, server and settings

This is where the README is honestly incomplete. It says nothing about dedicated servers, multiplayer or settings sync, and on Thunderstore the mod only has the Mods and Tweaks categories — without the Client-side or Server-side tags. So we stick to what we know for sure.

• Players. Zoom, aiming, the crosshair and hotkeys work for whoever is shooting, while the quiver and new recipes are items and crafting. Every player who uses the mod needs it installed; it's sensible to keep one version across the whole group.
• Server. If you want the server and clients on the same mod set (it makes tracking versions easier), install Better Archery in the server's BepInEx/plugins as well and check the console for errors after the restart. The author doesn't require this either way.
• Settings. The README doesn't mention config sync. Assume every player has their own file and agree on shared values — especially arrow retrieval chances and the draw slowdown, or everyone will play with different balance.

As with any BepInEx mod, Xbox and Game Pass players won't be able to join such a server: crossplay is only available on the vanilla option.

Version and dependencies

Game patch 1.0.21 came out on 28 Oct 2026, after version 2.0.5. Before updating the game, make a backup and check that the mod still loads without errors.

How to install Better Archery on an Elysium server

1. Create a manual backup on the Backups tab of the panel — the author's README opens with a backup warning.
2. Pick the BepInEx option at checkout: the loader comes preinstalled.
3. Download the mod from the Better Archery page on Thunderstore and upload the whole BetterArchery folder to BepInEx/plugins via the panel's file manager or SFTP.
4. Restart the server and check the console: there should be no errors from BetterArchery.
5. Ask all players to install the same version of the mod and agree on shared settings.

Configuration

The ishid4.mods.betterarchery.cfg config appears in BepInEx/config after the first launch with the mod. According to the README, it lets you set:

• auto zoom (Bow Auto Zoom) and how long the camera stays zoomed after a shot;
• the draw cancel key (E by default) and the quiver slot hotkeys;
• the movement slowdown while drawing the bow;
• whether the crosshair is shown;
• arrow retrieval chances and arrow types;
• the quiver's position in the UI — you'll need this if More Slots is installed.

Quiver and arrow recipes are edited separately, in BetterArcheryRecipes.json inside the plugin folder. If you change recipes, give players the same file, or crafting will differ from player to player.

Server load and choosing a plan

Better Archery is a light mod: it adds no creatures, locations or build pieces. About the only new thing left in the world is retrievable arrows after hits, until someone picks them up. Server load is still driven by players, builds and your other mods.

The Core plan is described as a no-mods option, so the realistic starting point for a BepInEx server is Pulse (4 GB, €10.49 per month): up to 4 players and a couple of mods, for example Better Archery plus a small weapons mod. If you're building a large modpack, look at Vector (6 GB, €15.49, up to 5 mods) or Nexus (8 GB, €20.49, up to 10 mods). Our servers run on high-frequency Ryzen CPUs with NVMe in Frankfurt; more on choosing in our Valheim hosting guide.

Compatibility and common problems

• Valheim Plus. Works if you disable Valheim Plus's inventory or the quiver itself.
• More Slots. To keep the quiver visible, move its position in the config to at least {"x":3.0, "y":-167.0}.
• Planting Plus and Equipment and Quick Slot 2.0.4. The author lists them as compatible.
• New-weapon mods. Valheim Armory, for example, adds bows, crossbows and arrows. Compatibility with it isn't described in the README: test together whether arrow retrieval and the quiver work with modded ammo.
• One player's shots behave differently. They most likely have a different mod version or their own config — compare the files.

Better Archery does one narrow job well — comfortable archery. If you're choosing other mods to go with it, check our list of the best Valheim mods updated after the 1.0 release.