Crossbows - for God's sake, are we also playing this wrong?

[Verhalvalla]

I am referring to something I read here

Mordheim's rules of can only fire every second turn

In the last game, I specifically remember my opponent's crossbow firing every turn and the reason given being that if he doesn't move then he can reload and fire.  Something like this:

1.  Start of game crossbow is preloaded.  move (1st activation) and fire (2nd activation).
2.  2nd Turn: Reload (1st activation) (special rule replacing move for crossbow) and fire (2nd activation).
3.  3rd Turn: Rinse and repeat.

So as long as the crossbowman has found hard cover elevation he can plink away with impunity every turn?  (or at least until a bear climbs the keep's stairs and eats him, if you remember an earlier post...)

Is this correct? the comment "every second turn" implies something different.

[WallyTWest]

We play it this way.

Crossbows are powerful, but if you can draw line of sight over 16" then you don't have enough terrain.

I have a few games where my apprentice with 2 crossbows and a wolf will hold down a fire lane with ease- often they will move in as part of the third activation to avoid being shot at themselves.

[Brandlin]

Rules say second TURN not second ACTIVATION.
I think it's quite clear.

[November]

My gaming board has lots of terrain and elevations, but crossbows still pretty much dominate the field. Shooting is way more powerful in Frostgrave than Mordheim.

[JohnDSD2]

I don't use crossbows, they are un-manly and I like to keep moving, so perhaps I should mind my own business but.....

I thought one activation had to be movement and the other could be movement or something else, so no reload and fire in the same turn.

I wait to be corrected.

[Gunbird]

Every 2nd turn. If he shoots every turn he is taking the piss.  Spank him.

[Smith]

Crossbows, p.25:

"Crossbows take one action to load and one action to fire. If a figure wishes, he may replace his mandatory movement action with a 'reload' action."

Normally, one action must be movement, but crossbows can be an exception to that.

The OP was playing it entirely correctly.

[Gunbird]

  Damn. I think I need a crossbow now.

[joe5mc]

Yup, just like Phil said. But if you keep getting shot by the same Crossbowmen who isn't moving maybe you need to rethink your strategy!

Can I just ask that we try and keep all rules questions in the rules question thread.  Thanks!

[Verhalvalla]

Can I just ask that we try and keep all rules questions in the rules question thread.  Thanks!

Apologies, and thanks all.

Pleased we are playing it right.

Note that with 70 pages of rules posts, even with the search function it is tricky to find whether the question has been asked before.

[joe5mc]

Trust me, I don't expect anyone to want to read all 70 pages! Most of that has been converted into errata. Also, no biggie asking a question that has been asked before.

I just like to keep things in that thread so that when I do errata updates, I only have one place to go through.

[Darkson71]

I am referring to something I read hereIn the last game,

Mordheim's rules of can only fire every second turn,

I specifically remember my opponent's crossbow firing every turn and the reason given being that if he doesn't move then he can reload and fire.  Something like this:

Helps if you also read the whole quoted post in contect - The Baron was asking about bring black powder (i.e. gunpowder) weapons from Mordheim into FG, and the whole sentence you shortened was "Mordheim's rules of can only fire every second turn, but that they hit harder than crossbows seems like a good starting point" which makes it clear he's talking about something compared to crossbows AND that he's talking about Mordheim rules, which have as much bearing on FG rules as Space 1999 rules do.

[Verhalvalla]

Fair play, but I'm a Frostgrave noob and have written my own document regarding overlooked, forgotten and misinterpreted rules.  This worried me sufficiently that I wanted clarification.  In both games I've played a crossbowman has achieved high ground earlier and dominated the field.
I like the absence of black powder.  It turns into an arms race that ends with two hellcannons accompanying a level 40 Elementalist.

[Darkson71]

Why? With suitable rules black powder weapons could work perfectly in Frostgrave.
My chronomancerwarband has a soldier armed with a lasgun (marksman + magic crossbow).

[WallyTWest]

Sharing is Caring- I put the 2 crossbows with the Magician last game so they could choose to activate in the beginning or end of the round last game- way the hell more powerful.

On the topic of blackpowder weapons- I would be happy with someone just using the crossbow rules- but they should take longer to load- and if doing home brew rules it seems like a waste to not use that action mechanic to represent it somehow (2 actions to reload instead of "one")