Mounted Crossbowmen

**Orda Khan** · 03-13-2007, 11:06

Not sure if this has been discussed but I really find this unit amusing, it can perform Cantabrian circle !!!

I see CA have helped certain Euro factions to combat HA by inventing this nonsense. I'd love to see someone reload a crossbow while galloping in a circle, never mind keep the bolt in place.

Perhaps they should consider throwing a life line to Moslem factions with their infantry. I can't believe the Timurid unit choice or the lack of it, or the gross overpricing of the few decent units they have. Moslem infantry were not pathetic little guys in rags and Timur definitely did not have to rely on giant elephants for victories.

I am so disappointed to see the Euro bias is still as evident as it was in MTW

.......Orda

**Husar** · 03-13-2007, 12:59

Well, I think the Mongols and Timurids are quite tough and I'd like to have a chance to beat them as the Turks. Wouldn't be as much fun to be overrun in every turkish or russian campaign, would it?
Maybe I'm just a bad strategist and have no idea how to beat them, but I don't think mounted crossbowmen are the absolute über-unit which will annihilate whole stacks of mongols because they have the cantabrian circle.
I almost never use the cantabrian circle anyway because whenever a unit needs to run, it's deactivated anyway.

**HoreTore** · 03-13-2007, 13:01

Well, they did exist...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...rossbowman.JPG

I really doubt their tactic was a cantabrian circle, however...But it seems that CA has simply given that ability to all mounted missile units...

**pike master** · 03-13-2007, 13:26

i believe the could shoot on the move but at some point they would have to halt to reload. preferably out of range of the enemies missile troops.

**Odin** · 03-13-2007, 13:39

I agree with Orda in the sense that there seems to be a little boost to the west unit selection and overall strength/options (if I am getting his sentiment correct). I am a big fan of HA's use them when ever I can no matter the faction, but mounted Xbows is a western unit, and seeing the Danes bring them to bare and performing Cantabrian circle seems a little silly.

That said it would be nice if the ability to perform the tactic was tied into unit expirence. I think if a mounted HA unit reaches a certain level its fair to assume that they would be more efficent with thier weapons and provide better tactics.

I think Orda's overall point is that the western armies are already strong enough with the foot soldiers and heavy cavalry, now on top of that we have western mounted units perfoming skill tactics on horseback. At least at the start all HA advantages should belong to the east.

**Furious Mental** · 03-13-2007, 14:16

"
I see CA have helped certain Euro factions to combat HA by inventing this nonsense. "

I doubt it. Mounted crossbowmen are total pants compared to units like Mongol heavy archers, Dvor cavalry and Mamluk archers. If you are playing as a European faction and you have to deal with horse archers the answer is to train or hire pavise crossbowmen, not mounted crossbowmen with their pitiful 5 missile attack. Mounted crossbowmen are just light cavalry with some ability to skirmish- good for pursuing routing Europeans but totally worthless for fighting proper horse archers. On top of that, with the exception of the Poles, the factions that have them can't even train them until they build the highest level of archery range, which is pretty silly given that historically they were in use long before the other sorts of units that are trained at that level of development. Frankly the pro-Europe bias is not evident to me.

**Orda Khan** · 03-13-2007, 17:23

Yes I am well aware that there were mounted crossbowmen but to see them performing Cantabrian circle is nonsense.

Mongols and Timurids in SP campaign are only tough because of upgrades. Try a custom battle at 10,000 florins if you want to see how badly they fare in both units and unit cost.

Yes Odin, spot on

.......Orda