Geonese Crossbows and shields?

[Heavy_]

Hey, could someone make a mini mod? Or tell me how to make one myself that will allow the Geonese Crossbowman and their militia to actually use their shields in a melee? it would make sense to me

[mastermindkar]

The shield isn't meant to be used in melee combat, it is there to protect the archer while he reloads his crossbow. In RL it was either left strapped to the archer's back (as in game) or set up on a stand in front him. It is not possible to wield it in melee like a normal shield.

[Heavy_]

I'm familiar with the historical note. But it actually says in the game (on their description) that they use them in close combat. which is pretty much like the Pavise spearmen

[VirusITA]

Historically every "Balestriere Genovese" had a shiel bearer covering himself during realoding pauses. Never used it in melee (as the pavise for xbowmen in general).

[Gorrrrrn]

Well historically the pavise crossbowmen employed an assistant to hold the pavise whilst they got on with firing their crossbows. the game pavise crossbowman is a bodge as a 2-man unit doesn't work with the game engine.

Personally i'd be happy to have the pavise removed from melee combat - it should only protect from missile fire.

[DanMLee88]

Kinda hard to hold up a giant shield that's bigger than your whole body and fight at the same time....

[Laconian]

As said above, the pasive crossbowmen didn't use thei pavises for combat. They used to employ someone to hold up their pasive while they reloaded it behind it.

[Gorrrrrn]

I've copied this illustration from Tony Pollard and Neil Oliver's book "Two men in a Trench" which accompanied their TV series on british battlefield archaeology.
(p.40)

date on the illustration is 1433 (I think) but no source for the illustration is given only an acknowledgement to a picture library.

http://files.filefront.com/paviserjp.../fileinfo.html

[Sarpedon]

That would be a great idea for a new unit, something with a massive shield for missle cover but pretty slow or lightly armored in combat, or lighter infantry with the shield so they could really weather missle fire, but I don't know how we could do that without making them unbalanced in combat.
Some kind of unit, be it infantry or missle, even a skirmisher with a tower shield would make an interesting addition.

[DanMLee88]

geonese crossbows are deadly as they are.....kinda OP if you give them additional defense. That might make them almost as powerful as aventuriers of France.