Crossbowman

Crossbowman
	13
	2
	120
Ranged Strength	18
Attack Range	2
Unlocked at	Machinery
Upgrades From	Composite Bowman
Upgrades To	Gatling Gun

The Crossbowman is an Archery unit available in the Medieval Era.

Overview

The crossbow first appeared in Europe in the 10th century. Although slower than a standard bow, a crossbow requires less training and strength than a regular bow, and over time it came to be the dominant weapon on the battlefield. A crossbow consists of a fairly short but heavy bow mounted to a stock. The firer pulls back the string - often with mechanical assistance - to "cock" the bow, then lays a "bolt" (arrow) on a groove in the stock. The firer aims, then pulls a trigger to release the string, which launches the bolt at the target. Among other advantages, a crossbow can be fired from a kneeling or prone position, something which is impossible with a standard bow.

Strategy

Advances in technology produce a new type of ranged weapon, sufficiently strong to punch through medieval armor. At the same time, the Crossbowmen are equipped with mail shirts for protection, allowing them to withstand quite more damage than earlier ranged units; still, it is advisable to use them with caution, and protect them from enemy cavalry. Again, the best use for a Crossbowman is to put it on high ground in a well-defended position, where it can rain death upon approaching enemies without suffering counterattacks.

Unique Unit Replacements

Icon	Unit	Civilization	Abilities
	Ahdath	The Fatimids (al-Mu'izz)	Generates Faith from kills +3 Combat Strength when at war with civs of other religions
	Balestrieri	Genoa (Simone Boccanegra)	+2 Combat Strength If it begins turn stacked with a Naval Unit, may automatically fire without using Movement
	Chu-Ko-Nu	China (Wu Zetian) Shu Han (Liu Bei)	May attack twice per turn -25% ranged strength With Shu Han (Liu Bei) installed: -25% Ranged Strength (14 vs 18). May Attack twice each turn. +15% Great General Generation Rate for each level (max +85%).
	Cymru Longbow	Wales (Llywelyn)	Ignores terrain cost Increased Combat Strength in rough terrain +1 Movement
	Daikyu	Japan (Ashikaga Yoshimitsu)	+23% Combat Strength (16 vs 13) Earns Golden Age Points from kills. +1 Range when stationed on a Holy Site.
	Dragon Martial	Southern Zhou (Wu Zetian)	Has lower base Combat Strength, but +1 Movement. Gains +25% Combat Strength when within 2 tiles of a friendly Spy. Earns Golden Age points from kills.
	Granadine Cavalry	The Moors (Abd-ar-Rahman III)	+2 Movement May move after attacking
	Guard of the Rock	San Marino (Marinus)	Has -25% Combat Strength. May attack twice when garrisoned in a City or stationed in a defensive Improvement in friendly territory.
	Longbowman	England (Elizabeth) England (Henry VIII)	+1 Range
	Odalbode	Schleswig-Holstein (Frederich I)	Deals 33% more damage against ships. When garrisoned on a fort or in a city, produces gold and gives a small chance to grant a food yield each turn.
	Paik	Bengal (Shuja-ud-Din Muhammad Khan)	It starts with the Amphibious Promotion. It gains +1 Range when on rivers, and this ability is retained upon upgrade. While embarked, stacked Naval Ranged units can attack at +1 Range.
	Pupil	Ostia (Lilina)	-11% ranged combat strength (16 vs. 18) Gains 50% more EXP from combat.
	Saethwyr	Wales (Owain Glyndwr)	Stronger than the Crossbowman, and treats any hill in friendly territory like a fort Grants culture per turn when fortified
	Sofa	Mali (Mansa Musa)	Starts with the Medic promotion May move after attacking +1 defensive Combat Strength -2 ranged strength
	Sultha'thi	The Yokuts (Estanislao)	Higher Production cost. (130 vs 120) Indirect Fire. +15% Ranged Strength against Gunpowder units.