Art De La Guerre

[AlanCutner]

In shooting non-LI crossbows are at least as good as longbow except against foot with protection 0 or 1. Crossbows are better against foot protection 3 and mounted protection 2 and 3 (ie. knights).

Why?

I'm aware of very little, if any, evidence that crossbowmen stood up to knights better than longbowmen. Most of the evidence suggests otherwise.

Or have I misread the rules somewhere.

[Rosbif]

I think it's just a question of simplifying something quite complex. As you know, there were several ways of spanning a crossbow and each allowed a different amount of energy to be stored in the bow, giving it more or less penetrating power. But in the rules that diversity is represented by a single factor, so something had to give.

All the best

Paul

[Apa]

I guess we French have too many bad memories with Longbows to make them stronger !

[chris6]

Funny thing is: In the games we just had the longbows shooted out the crossbows by far! Looks like those little lead chaps know what to do, no matter how the game mechanics....

[Borix]

Don't forget... Crossbows make all protection at 1, even MC who have no protection... In fact crossbows give its a +1 protection. In same manner, Kn have also just a +1 but crossbows werre cosiderated very efficient against plate armor.
In other hand, Long Bows substract -1 to all protections... So Cv have 0, Kn only 1...

Really, I often played french ordonnance, Navarese with elite LB... It was very letal for my opponents !!!!

Borix bard and cross&longbowman !
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Réaliser dans l'âge d'homme les rêves de la jeunesse, c'est ainsi qu'un poète a défini le bonheur ! Léon Blum

[Timur le lent]

[Soranon]

Crossbow are less efficient against troops with a 1 protection (not light troops) too. Longbow shoot against a 1-1 = 0 protection in this case and crossbow shoot against a 1 protection....

[Borix]

And Longbows are better against unit with protection of 1 !!!!!

Borix precise bard !
_________________
Réaliser dans l'âge d'homme les rêves de la jeunesse, c'est ainsi qu'un poète a défini le bonheur ! Léon Blum

[Soranon]

[chris6]

Borix....Bard to be late...

[ethan]

So many non-answers...

I believe you have it slightly wrong Alan (partly as there are no protection 3 mounted).

Against Heavy Knights they are actually equal, the longbows shoot against a target with effective Protection of +1 (start at +2, longbows subtract 1) and crossbows shoot at +1 (as they do against most things). Note also that the longbows and crossbows (if they are LMI, MI, or HI) shoot at +1 vs. all mounted.

Against Medium Knights (pre 1300AD or so I believe), medium cavalry or heavy cavalry Longbows are better shooting at +1 vs. +0 effective protection, crossbows shoot at +1 vs. +1.

Both shoot at +1 to +1 vs LH.

On the foot side:

Longbows and crossbows are even against LI (+1 to +1)

Longbows are better (+0 to +0) against Javelinmen, Bowmen, Crossbowmen, Medium/Heavy spearmen (lacking armor), and pikemen.

Longbows are the same as Xbows against basically all foot with armor.

Crossbows are better against heavily armored foot where they will shoot +0 vs. +1 and Longbows are +0 vs. +2.

No LMI missile armed troop stands much of a chance in the open against a charging knight, possibly not even if it has scored a hit against it beforehand...the melee of a good order(impact or impetuous) knight against LMI is +3 vs. +1 and the LMI take an extra hit if they lose and the knights are going to add one to their roll if they lose (as they have better armor). Even taking that down to +2 vs. +1 (if the knights have taken one or two hits) is pretty unpleasant...

It is worth noting that stakes should be pretty easy to deploy and are very effective against mounted.

[Hazelbark]

Also add many longbows can be bought as elite. I haven't scoured the lists but I haven't seen a crossbow that can.

So on average the Longbow will have a slightly higher number on the dice.

[Soranon]

[belinconnux]

So ethan ... ?
You wrote that shooters in the plain against Heavy Knight could be destroy quickly? Yes of course you're right
I think it's quite normal. Before Rifle shooters were very fragile alone in front of cavalry.
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Hasta la victoria Siempre!
Peter Lord dobeul impact

[ethan]