Genoese Crossbowman

Overview

A foot archer specialized in fighting mounted units.

Availability and investment

Genoese Crossbowman becomes available in Castle Age. Its listed production context is Italians. The listed cost is not separately recorded and the training time is 14 seconds. This tells you when it can first join an army and which resources must be reserved alongside Villager production, upgrades, and other military lines.

Combat profile

The available combat values are included here so the numbers can be read as a profile rather than an isolated list. Hit points and armor describe how long the unit can remain exposed; attack and any bonus damage describe what it threatens; range, reload, accuracy, and movement describe how reliably it can engage or disengage. A value shown for a whole upgrade line applies to the listed stages as recorded, so compare the stage names instead of treating the line as one base unit.

• Ranged attack: 6
• Hit points: 45
• Melee armor: 2
• Pierce armor: 1
• Ranged attack: 6
• Range: 4
• Line of sight: 8
• Reload time: 2 seconds
• Movement speed: 0.96
• Accuracy: 100%

Field use

Preserve space between this unit and melee attackers so it can keep firing. Pair it with a screen, focus fire on reachable targets, and avoid letting a faster force surround it.

Armor classes and counters

Armor-class bonuses are separate from base attack and the target’s melee or pierce armor. The class list below shows the unit’s documented combat categories and bonus-damage relationships; use it to judge matchups instead of relying on the unit label alone.

• Armor class: Unique unit
• Armor class: Archer
• Genoese Crossbowman deals +5 bonus damage to units in the Cavalry class
• Genoese Crossbowman deals +4 bonus damage to units in the Camel Units class
• Genoese Crossbowman deals +5 bonus damage to units in the Elephant Units class
• Genoese Crossbowman deals +4 bonus damage to units in the Ship class
• Genoese Crossbowman deals +4 bonus damage to units in the Fishing Ship class

Related unit plan: Genoese Crossbowman cavalry-screen plan

Genoese Crossbowman: Genoese Crossbowmen turn a ranged group into a strong answer to cavalry, including durable cavalry and elephant units. Their bonus matters most when a protected mass can keep firing through the engagement Keep Genoese Crossbowmen behind infantry or another screen and focus the same mounted target as it approaches. Use them to protect Villagers, siege, or a slow ranged army from cavalry charges; add a separate unit line for targets that do not offer the cavalry matchup They remain vulnerable to the usual threats against foot archers, including Skirmishers and siege. Do not chase fast units into open ground or expect the cavalry bonus to make the formation self-sufficient