Ranged Weapons (With Fire & Sword)

For the ranged weapons featured in the first games, see Ranged weapons. The Ranged Weapons in Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword are somewhat different compared to the preceding games. Guns are introduced as powerful ranged weapons that are often one-shot kill. There are no crossbows, and thrown weapons are replaced by expensive grenades, though strangely you can take Throwing Knives from the hero, Fatima. Contents 1 Firearms 1.1 Muskets 1.2 Carbines 1.3 Pistols 2 Bows 3 Grenades Firearms[] There are a large amount of guns; the most expensive is the handcrafted double-barrelled Dutch pistol which is 126,000 thalers. This is the same one which is shown on the game main menu, where the soldier has one in his left hand as well as a grenade in his right. Muskets[] Muskets are quite inaccurate, but with a large group of musketeers, in "fire at will" mode for example, guns can be highly effective, especially in wagon forts and siege defenses against infantry. Muskets are very good weapons on average, they have low accuracy and long reload time, but they do high damage and can also be used as a makeshift blunt weapon by pressing x. Their ammo comes around 15 bullets per bag. They are more expensive than bows by quite a lot, but they are perfect for beginners. The best muskets cannot be used on horseback. Carbines[] Carbines are light, two handed firearms that are capable of firing mounted or unmounted from horseback. Carbines are lighter, less powerful, and have lower range and accuracy than their full length counterparts. Pistols[] Pistols are one-handed smooth-bore firearms. They can be used from horseback and their being one-handed means it is also possible to use a shield with one. Pistols are also cheaper and reload faster, though they have correspondingly lower damage and lower accuracy owing to lighter shot and shorter barrels. Once discharged, pistols can be used as a small mace by pressing X. Bows[] Bows return in With Fire & Sword, featuring larger quivers and several name changes. While guns feature loud noises and powerful strikes, bows still have much higher rates of fire and significant staying power with their larger quivers. Bows are more accurate than their gunpowder brethren, however arrows are relatively slow and suffer from severe drop making them less useful at long distances. In addition, bow raw damage is usually insufficient to incapacitate a trooper in one shot and will usually require several follow up hits to finish off. Composite Bows are the best bows, but are very expensive and usually require 6 Power Draw, which requires at least 18 Strength. A gunline facing an bowline would inflict greater initial casualties, but may have trouble reloading as they take fire from the faster firing bows. Bows are rarer to find than guns though, as most of Europe has modernized. Bows are still far cheaper than guns in every way, including their ammo. However, the outdated Crimean Khanate still uses tactics it used nearly a thousand years ago, meaning bows are more widespread. Unfortunately, this makes protectorate duties from the Ottoman Empire an absolute necessity. Bowmen can also be seen among Muscovite Tsardom and Polish Commonwealth ranks, although strictly confined to cavalry and mercenary. Grenades[] Grenades are expensive items that have a very limited range and a heavy arc. They also can't refill unlike ammunition and since they are very expensive, the player might not deem the price worth it. However, they have massive damage and splash and can kill up to 15 enemies in one hit, and injure countless more if you time it right. This makes them useful in siege attack and defense, where large clusters of slow-moving soldiers beneath walls make for perfect grenade targets. After the updates, they do not refill after battles but have more ammo.