Early Crossbowman

Long before the steel crossbows of the Middle Ages, ancient engineers in China, the Mediterranean, and the Near East grasped a key insight: a bow held by a mechanical frame could be drawn slowly and released instantly, making effective archery available without years of physical conditioning. The early crossbow of Antiquity was a simple device — wooden stock, horn prod, gut string — with limited range but real battlefield utility. Chinese crossbowmen of the Warring States period deployed these weapons in massed volley fire with devastating effect against cavalry. In the game the early crossbowman is an affordable ranged unit bringing firepower without high training cost, capable of covering fire from behind obstacles, though his short effective range demands careful positioning and protection from cavalry who can close the gap rapidly.