Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery walkthrough and guide

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The Trial of Archery in DD2 has you work with the elf Glyndwr to save his sister and master the bow

Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery
(Image credit: Capcom)

A Trial of Archery in Dragon's Dogma 2 is a quest for the elf Glyndwr where you join him on the journey back home to prove his mastery of the bow and journey to Sacred Arbor, only for a crisis involving his sister and father to suddenly manifest when you arrive. A big ogre might be involved, but it's all worth it, as the Maister for the Archer vocation will reward you with a powerful skill if you complete it properly. With that in mind, I'll walk you through the quest A Trial of Archery in DD2 below, with a full walkthrough about how to get the best ending.

How to do A Trial of Archery in Dragon's Dogma 2

Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery

(Image credit: Capcom)

The quest A Trial of Archery in DD2 can only be started if you've already completed the quest Gift of the Bow, as it's a direct follow-on from the events in that quest. We've laid out all the steps and how to proceed with this Dragon's Dogma 2 quest below. We also recommend bringing a Pawn with the Woodland Wordsmith ability, though it's not essential. There's a lot of Elvish spoken in this quest, and otherwise you have to just smile and nod through those conversations.

  1. To start the quest, go to  Vernworth and speak to the Elf Glyndwr, who's standing outside Roderick's Smithy. He explains that he wants you to join him at his village to witness him pass the titular Trial of Archery.
  2. Go to the quest marker North of Vernworth. This is a little bit of a journey, so make sure you're well-prepared for the march. Here you'll find Glyndwr, who'll show you the way to Sacred Arbor.
  3. Follow Glyndwr to Sacred Arbor. The route is a little winding through the Northern forest, but Glyndwr knows the way - just stay close to him. There'll be some minor enemies along the way, so be careful.

Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery

(Image credit: Capcom)
  1. At Sacred Arbor, follow Glyndwr to meet his father. There'll be some dialogue at the entrance to the village, but then the real problem is revealed - Glyndwr's sister Doireann has been snatched up by an Ogre. Though told to stay behind, Glyndwr wants to save her (with your help).
  2. Meet Glyndwr at the Ancestral Chamber. This is marked on the map not far from Sacred Arbor, but this section appears to be time sensitive - you can't expect Doireann to live long as an Ogre's lunch, after all.
  3. Fight through the Ancestral Chamber. Joining Glyndwr, battle through the little dungeon, where goblins and wolves attack throughout. It's a little easy to get lost, but follow the white torches through to the Northeast.

Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery

(Image credit: Capcom)
  1. When you get there, there'll be a cutscene where you listen to Glyndwr's plan. He'll shoot the Ogre's arm so it drops his sister, which is when you have to get in and save her. 
  2. When Glyndwr fires, immediately run in and grab Doireann off the ground with R2/RT. Take her back the way you came - you can put her down and try to kill the Ogre, but the important thing is that she's moved to safety. 
  3. Once she's safe, Glyndwr will shoot an opening to let you through. Leave the Chamber through this new exit and speak to Glyndwr and his dad to finish the quest.
  4. After the quest is over, speak to Glyndwr's dad again to get the Heavenly Shot archer skill, as it turns out he is the game's Archer Maister.

Dragon's Dogma 2 A Trial of Archery

(Image credit: Capcom)

Keep in mind that it is possible to screw up the section where you save Doireann and have the Ogre kill her, leaving you with a bad ending, so you want to be careful here and ensure that she's protected as your first priority (leave your pawns to kill the Ogre if you have to while you bolt with her in your arms). The good ending rewards you with a Repeller Bow, 16000G, and a Portcrystal for the Dragon's Dogma 2 fast travel system. 

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It's also definitely worth going back to Sacred Arbor if you didn't know about it before now, as they sell some of the best bows and gear for archers/magick archers, as well as practice a unique upgrade method called Elven Smithing - an alternative to Dragon's Dogma 2 Dwarven Smithing method found on the opposite side of the map.

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Joel Franey
Joel Franey
Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and Very Tired Man with a BA from Brunel University, a Masters from Sussex University and a decade working in games journalism, often focused on guides coverage but also in reviews, features and news. His love of games is strongest when it comes to groundbreaking narratives like Disco Elysium, UnderTale and Baldur's Gate 3, as well as innovative or refined gameplay experiences like XCOM, Sifu, Arkham Asylum or Slay the Spire. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at Eurogamer, Gfinity, USgamer, SFX Magazine, RPS, Dicebreaker, VG247, and more.