Stronghold Wiki
Register
Advertisement
"These units are slow to move and reload and have a shorter range then archers. They are however very accurate and their deadly bolts can easily penetrate metal armor."
— Official Description

The crossbowman is a heavy ranged unit in the Stronghold series recruited at the barracks.

Description[]

Crossbowmen are disciplined marksmen, who excel taking out targets from a distance. Their armour makes them fairly resistant against most projectiles, and their hand-spanned crossbow shoots armour-piercing bolts. However, their heavy gear makes them slow to move, and their daggers are inadequate to handle combatants in close range.

Information[]

Background[]


Stronghold Crusader[]


Stronghold 2 & Legends[]


Stronghold Crusader 2[]


Tactics[]

Crossbowmen handle the castle's ranged defense well. Their health and firepower makes them capable facing the advance of massed units, as well as they can soften up armoured adversaries before they have a chance to reach the walls.

On the open field, a crossbowmen squad can act as a deterrent against counterattacks. They work well in conjunction with other units, and they can also harass enemy supply lines, to a limited effect.

Weaknesses[]

Much like any slow unit, crossbowmen have difficulties getting into the frontline. Against fast units and cavalry, crossbowmen can only inflict limited damage before getting overwhelmed. Macemen and knights (when on horseback) can quickly dispose of a small squad of crossbowmen.

Unit quotes[]

Trivia[]

  • In Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader the crossbowmen are described to boast shorter range then archers, however, both units have the same range in-game. This is most likely a developer oversight.
  • In Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader unused voice lines suggest that crossbowmen were supposed to be able to dig moats.

Navigation[]

Stronghold Crusader Units
Barracks ArcherSpearmanMacemanCrossbowmanPikemanSwordsmanKnight
Mercenary Post Arabian bowmanSlaveSlingerAssassinHorse archerArabian swordsmanFire thrower
Siege & Cathedral EngineerLaddermanTunnelerMonk
MantletFire ballistaCatapultTrebuchetBattering ramSiege tower
MangonelBallista
Related Articles PeasantWeaponsHorse
Stronghold 2 Units
Barracks Armed PeasantSpearmanArcherMacemanCrossbowmanPikemanSwordsmanKnight
Mercenary Post Pictish Boat WarriorOutlawHobilarAssassinHorse ArcherAxe ThrowerBerserkerThief
Monastery Fighting MonkWarrior Monk
Engineer's Guild &
Siege Camp
EngineerLaddermanMantletFire BallistaCatapultBurning CartCat
Battering RamSiege TowerTrebuchetTower MangonelTower Ballista
Related Articles PeasantWeaponsHorse
Stronghold Legends Units
Barracks Man-at-armsArcherMacemanCrossbowmanPikemanSwordsmanKnight
Siege Camp EngineerLaddermanMantletFire ballistaCatapultBurning Cart
CatBattering RamSiege towerTrebuchetTower BallistaTower Mangonel
Round Table MerlinSir BedivereSir GalahadSir GarethSir GawainSir LancelotSir PercivalGreen dragon
Ice tower White wolfWhite witchShield maidenDwarfPolar bearFrost giantIce QueenIce dragon
Sorcerer's Tower DemonSaxon warriorHellhoundWerewolfBatVampiric creeperSorcererBlack dragon
Stronghold Crusader 2 Units
Advertisement