"Upgrades to Arbalest infantry"@en . . "Crossbow Infantry"@en . . "*Movement speed: Slow\n*Creation speed: Fast"@en . . "Production cost"@en . . "Range"@en . . . . "All except"@en . "Although you would have a higher rate of fire using a normal bow, crossbows in fact have a higher chance of piercing armour and also were less strenuous to use (marksmanship with the bow was seen as the hobby and profession of nobility in Asia) and so by the end of the 12th century, almost every organised polity on earth was armed predominantly with crossbows. Yet, like all missile weapons, crossbows take some time to load, and an even longer time to hit accurately if used against moving targets. Additionally, the crossbow by itself is a highly intricate weapon, and so players who upgrade from archers to crossbowmen will see a steeper cost and longer training time as well, although train time remains just as fast. But once complete, you have a fast-training, hard-hitting unit capable of de"@en . "link=Moors link=Saracens link=Byzantines link=Venice"@en . . "Built/trained At"@en . "Unit move & creation speed"@en . "*Pop cost: 1\n*Resource cost: 40 link=Resources#Timber|Timber; 50link=Resources#Wealth|Wealth \n*Ramp cost: 1 link=Resources#Timber|Timber; 2link=Resources#Wealth|Wealth"@en . "Armour"@en . "Light"@en . "Crossbow Infantry: Vital statistics"@en . "Hit Points"@en . . "Available To"@en . . "Unit type"@en . "Technological Requirements/Upgrades"@en . . . "Damage and weapon type"@en . "96"^^ . "*Good range\n*Low LOS"@en . "Although you would have a higher rate of fire using a normal bow, crossbows in fact have a higher chance of piercing armour and also were less strenuous to use (marksmanship with the bow was seen as the hobby and profession of nobility in Asia) and so by the end of the 12th century, almost every organised polity on earth was armed predominantly with crossbows. Yet, like all missile weapons, crossbows take some time to load, and an even longer time to hit accurately if used against moving targets. Additionally, the crossbow by itself is a highly intricate weapon, and so players who upgrade from archers to crossbowmen will see a steeper cost and longer training time as well, although train time remains just as fast. But once complete, you have a fast-training, hard-hitting unit capable of demolishing waves of armoured men. Compared to normal bow units, Crossbow Infantry have an elevated ramp cost in wealth, compared with archers. Thus, while the crossbow could be a potent weapon against slow-moving masses of men, a wild dash by cavalry or fast-moving infantry could ruin your day and you must always keep your crossbowmen as far away from melee range as possible. The ease of using crossbows made them common throughout Europe, and the Papal States sports Orsini Marksmen. These units have a devastating attack, along with the ability to cloak in the field but are weaker than most crossbow infantry of other nations. However, there were exceptions: states bordering the Middle East and Asia often had an eye for archery and so would recruit warriors armed with composite bows, which function as well as any crossbow, while the English continue to use longbows, which while still inferior in range and attack to a crossbow, have a rate of fire and fast train time that makes them one of the best archers Europe has to offer. In Asia, the Chinese use a highly exotic weapon with a highly destructive potential: the magazine crossbow or shenbinu. This weapon, although somewhat clumsier than normal crossbows or bows, makes up for it with highly destructive potential, especially against unarmoured foes. Chinese shenbinu infantry have rather poor range, but they make up for it with tremendous firepower and rate of fire, and also being cheap, they can also be trained en masse whenever they are so needed. Archery is also practised, especially in Andalus where the Moorish jundis, armed with their bows, are highly specialised light archers whose main skill is in raiding an enemy, but remain incapable of standing up to stronger foes."@en . "Low"@en . "Library:\n*30px|link=Castle Age|Castle Age [2]\nUpgrade of Archers"@en . "*Strong; quarrel\n*Attack bonus versus heavy infantry\n*Minimum range"@en . .