Help: Weapon heavy crossbow.txt
HEAVY CROSSBOW (ranged)
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Weight: ~7 kg
Rank(s): any
A heavy crossbow is a short, powerful bow mounted on a rifle-like
stock. It is aimed and fired like a rifle. Historically, heavy crossbows
were more powerful than bows and had better hitting power at a greater
range, but they were also far slower.
The heavy crossbows were invented sometime in the Dark Medieval
Times, but didn't come into widespread use until the Crusades. Heavy
crossbows grew distinguished from the medium crossbows later, when the
weapon developed to the level than they couldn't be drawn by hand and had
to be winched back by a hand-held device called the 'cranequin'.
Heavy crossbows, the arbalests, can kill the opponent with the
first shot, but may not get another chance.
See also:
Arrow, blowpipe, bolt, shuriken, shortbow, composite bow, longbow,
light crossbow and medium crossbow.