Crossbow Tactics

[Granite88]

So I am very familiar with regular archers, but I need some help with deploying X-bows. I find in battle that I get many more kills with bows than with X-bows (mostly related to the faster rate of fire i imagine,) and I understand that X-bows are better than regular bows against heavy armor, but how do you guys deploy your X-bows so they are most effective?

Thanks

[Inhuman One]

not on walls, furthermore they are best deployed in front of your troops, they can withdraw when the enemy comes close.

[Cartman]

i often keep them on the flanks too shoot engaged enemy troops, but you have too watch out for enemy cavalry then

[Jsay]

I seem to not use "X-bows" mostly cuz' i think because, they can't use fire to make enemy troops flee. (or is it the slow-motion enemy troops burning that i like?)

[Callawyn]

Play Milan, best xbows in game, put at least 6 in every army, and periodically zoom in to watch how they're shooting. If only a few of a whole unit are reloading and firing, its because the rest don't have line of sight. Do the same in sieges, both on offense and defense. Try to position units of xbows to fire through breaches, reposition as necessary to get the whole unit firing.

Takes a bit of work at first, pausing and zooming, etc, but after awhile you'll get a much better feel for how to place them to get a lot more kills. You can only learn so much from reading the forums.

I did the same thing with pikemen. At first I thought they were useless. Play as Scotland and make them the backbone of your armies. Once you learn how to use them properly, you realize just how awesome they can be.