The Archer merit badge is fairly straightforward. You can even find a static plan for the Crossbow right at the scout camp itself, at, you guessed it, the archery range. Once you fast travel to the camp, you’ll go past the first sign and turn right, and keep going straight and you’ll be at the archery range (as illustrated in the linked video). If the plan isn’t there, just try coming back again later, or on a different server.

The full requirements for the Archer merit badge are as follows:

Pass “Archer” knowledge exam (If you’re looking for the answers, they’re in an expandable tab at the bottom of this guide)

Complete the Pioneer Scouts shooting test – I did this on my first try, on my first five shots, the first time I’d ever used a crossbow in the game. I’m not a fantastic shot, by any means, so if I can do it, you can do it. Missing a few shots doesn’t make you restart, and there’s ample time.

Craft Crossbow Bolts (0/50) – Don’t forget the Ammosmith perk (under agility) and the Super Duper perk (under luck). Crafting three batches should be enough for this part, and probably the kills section, but it’ll most likely take quite a few more to wear out your crossbow enough for the repair requirement.

Repair a Crossbow (0/3) – Sorry. Just…we’re just sorry. Make sure that you don’t over-repair when you do. More on that later.

Kill enemies with a Crossbow (0/50) – Might take a little while, but it’s easy enough. And as a bonus, looting your downed enemies will give you back crossbow bolts often enough, so, yay?

So basically, once you either craft, find, or buy a crossbow, and pass the exam, you just have to do your best William Tell impersonation, and shoot a bunch of stuff. You’ll probably want to shoot a radstag, since that’ll also count toward your hunter badge, but don’t stop there. Targets, enemies, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals…oh, wait, that’s grenades. Sorry. Anyway, the most difficult part of this is likely wearing out a crossbow enough to repair it three times. Not using Weapon Artisan and Gunsmith will help. Also, once you repair it once, you should be able to just shoot it enough to get beyond the basic threshold to repair it again.

Archer Questions and Answers

Alice is taking aim at her target when she notices her rival Annie retrieving arrows from the target in the next lane. What should Alice do?: Aim the bow downward and slowly release tension on the bowstring
An arrow is made of four parts – which is NOT one of them?: Shell
Bows and arrows have been used for a long time! Around when do researchers say the first bows and arrows were created?: 64,000 years ago
Commies have invaded! Alex is a champion archer and wants to defend his country. What type of arrows should Alex use to penetrate the thick armor of the communist swine?: Bodkin Point
Gene practices shooting his crossbow every day after work to prepare himself for the looming red menace. Gene is a(n)…: Arbalist
It’s the last shot in a tournament. You pull the bowstring back, breathe steadily, focus, and release. You hear the crowd roar as they see the bullseye you just hit! How many points did you score?: 10
Lisa studies and practices archery regularly. She talks about archery all the time and is honestly kind of annoying about it. Lisa is a(n)…: Toxophilite
Only one person is truly responsible for your safety and the safety of others while on the range. Who is it?: You
Richie is on the range and has finished shooting all of his arrows. What should he do now?: Wait for the all-clear signal from the supervising Mr. Handy
Robbie is planning a bow-hunting trip to Seneca Rocks with his dad where they’ll be hunting white-tailed deer. What type of arrowheads should they bring with them?: Broadhead Point
The ballista was invented thousands of years ago in a Greek town called Syracuse. It is essentially a large version of what type of bow?: Crossbow
While on the shooting line you hear the Mr. Handy instructor sound a whistle blow three times. How should you react?: Walk forward and retrieve your arrows
You overhear a camp counselor bragging that they shot an arrow 320 per second. What type of unit were they most likely using to determine arrow speed?: FPS (Feet Per Second)
You spot Billy at the end of the range with an apple on his head while Danny takes aim. What advice do you give?: None of the above
You’re at an archery tournament when you see your favorite archer telescoping an arrow – wow! How do you describe this feat to your best friend?: He shot an arrow which hit another arrow, splitting it down the middle!
You’re competing in an archery tournament at Camp Lewis. On the final shot, you land an arrow on the inner red ring – so close! How many points was this shot worth?: 8
You’re crafting a crossbow at a nearby weapons workbench – which component will you NOT need for this project?: Compressor
You’re excited for your first big trip to the archery range at Camp Adams – hurray! One problem – you have a handful of sharp arrows. What type of bag should you carry the arrows in?: Quiver
You’re hiking through the woods when you spot your weird neighbor Jimmy blindly firing arrows into the sky. What should you do?: Find the nearest overhead cover and demand Jimmy lay down his bow
Your best friend Johnny’s dad spends his weekends crafting and selling bows. You’ve been saving your allowance for months to purchase a bow from such a gifted…: Bowyer