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Heavy crossbowman – Goodgame Empire

Heavy crossbowman

Offensive Ranged

A solid mid game attacking ranged unit with attack 92 for 110 coins and 4 food. Speed 20 and long recruiting hold him back, and research competes with him, the Veteran crossbowman gives attack 98 for 85 coins and his own veteran version 110. Until you have the research, he is a usable ranged part of the attack army, but he does not belong in defense. Loot 32 also makes him a decent raider of nearby targets.

92Attack
15Melee defense
24Ranged defense
20Speed
4Food upkeep

Quick overview

TypeOffensive, Ranged
SourceBarracks level 5
Cost110
RecommendationSituational

rating

Attack
Defensive
Cost
Speed

The Heavy crossbowman is an attacking ranged unit that you unlock in the Barracks at level 5, and he belongs to the middle phase of the game. His ranged attack is 92, which is a big jump compared to the plain Crossbowman with attack 36. Defense of 15 against melee and 24 against ranged is only residual, so you will not hold much on the walls with it. Each unit costs 110 coins and 4 food, double the 2 food of the Crossbowman, so this is not a cheap unit for numbers, it is ranged power for the attack army.

How to use it

Send him in the attack army as the ranged part of the assault on castles and camps. His attack 92 goes against the target's defense against ranged, so he does the most where the defender built mainly defensive infantry, which has a weaker number against ranged. That number is the base value before bonuses, and with an equipped commander it comes out higher in battle. Watch out for speed 20, it is among the lowest in the Barracks and you will drag along for a long time to distant targets. Loot 32 is decent for a ranged unit, so he also suits raiding targets nearby.

What to combine it with

A defender easily covers one type of attack, so always complement him with attacking infantry that pushes on the defense against melee. From the same Barracks level the Knight of the Kingsguard with attack 132 fits him, for example. Add attack tools against the target's fortifications too. When you mix him with faster units, expect the army to march at the pace of the slowest, and that is exactly him with speed 20 against 28 for the knight.

Weaknesses and what to avoid

Do not build him for castle defense. Defense 15 against melee and 24 against ranged is too little on a wall, the Longbowman from the same Barracks level has 125 against ranged and costs only 90 coins and 3 food. Do not send him at targets where the defender relies on defensive ranged units with high defense against ranged either, his attack 92 breaks there. And do not send him to distant targets where a quick arrival matters, with speed 20 you arrive late.

Pro player tipBefore you set out, look at the scouting report and send him where defense against ranged is weakest. In the Research tower you can research the Veteran heavy crossbowman with attack 110, speed 28 and recruiting of 647 seconds instead of 878. He already belongs to the late game and costs 150 coins instead of 110, but once you can afford the research, switching pays off. Until then top up the army continuously, not only after a big loss, since long recruiting will not patch a big hole quickly.
Common mistakeThe most common mistake is leaving him at home on the walls as a defender, because a ranged unit surely belongs on the wall. This one does not, with defense 24 against ranged and 15 against melee you just pay 4 food for a unit that holds almost nothing. The second mistake is sending a purely ranged army without infantry, since the defender then only needs to build units with high defense against ranged and attack 92 breaks.

Related units

BowmanBowmanCrossbowmanCrossbowmanVeteran crossbowmanVeteran crossbowmanVeteran heavy crossbowmanVeteran heavy crossbowmanVeteran deathly horrorVeteran deathly horrorDeathly horrorDeathly horror

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