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Arabian Darkstone
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any way, back on topic
in the early days of black powder, the heavy crossbow (usually a hand cranked ablest) was the supreme ranged weapon. good crossbows however where actually more complex, and took more time and skill to manufacture than a hand cannon. they also where capable of penetrating the same thicknesses of armor, additionally to this, they where also much more accurate. they did however take more time to learn how to use, and where much more sensitive to shock, abuse, and dirt and grime fouling up the works.
the main advantages to the hand cannons where three fold. first, many of the times they where first deployed, the opposing force had never encountered black powder weapons before. this alone added a huge advantage to the fire armed equipped army. second, you can train some one the fundamentals of loading and shooting a fire arm in a day (getting good, and quick with the weapon was another story). third, one hand cannon can fire a wide range of projectiles, and at close range, could effectively be used as a massive shotgun.
the main disadvantages of early hand cannons where also rather impressive however. for one, it took a crew of two to use them effectively (one to carry, aim, and load the cannon, another to prime the tuchhole, fire it, and carry the ammo). the fire arm was reduced to an expensive club in damp conditions. accuracy was a major issue. there was no standard to caliber or ammunition.....as a result, for solid shot, almost every gun needed its own separate ammunition. and finally, some where not made quite as well as they should have been, and as a result, overcharging the weapon could result in the shooters death rather than the enemies.
this all being said, as a dragon, if at all possible, i would eventually like to go with the boomstick. until then, if they have them, i will go with the crossbow for my ranged attacks, probably using something close to a roman cavalry sword for hand to hand (a longer, stronger version of the gladiolus, usually made out of steel)
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011 1:56am
"if you want peace, prepare for war"
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