User blog comment:Xilinoc/Ch. 582 - The Headless Star/@comment-11446176-20140528080608/@comment-5398287-20140529212024

You're completely correct, but the way I see it, the Sternritter using swords and javelins and so on is more a sign of their progression. Much like with the Quincy: Letzt Stil, they've mostly moved on from outdated Quincy powers and weapons to newer, more powerful ones in preparation for fighting the Shinigami. Quilge is an example of a Quincy whose natural powers and abilities are top-notch, but I'd wager a lot of the Sternritter rely mostly on their epithet because it's more powerful than their bow and arrows. Of course, that might be me justifying Kubo simply forgetting about them until now or something, but if he's intentionally trying to go that deep with how they operate, it makes sense to me.